Back in Bangalore. A Coming Home in India

Yesterday, I left Pune nearly in the middle of the night to catch a flight to Bangalore where my dear teacher Arunji lives and teaches. I have to admit I was a little nervous traveling all by myself. I have always traveled to Lore with a bunch of friends, never all by my lonesome. A flood of doubts swirl in my head: What if the cab driver doesn't speak English? What if they don't take credit cards (my Rupees are running low and there are none to be found at the ATM's and Banks). What if I can't remember how to get to Prashant Yogashraya? However, my excitement truly gets overshadowed by trust. I conjured inspiration by Hanuman to take a leap of faith and trust I would land perfectly. I needed to, I could never think of coming to India and not go see Arunji, his family and the incredible warm community there. So, off I went at 4am.

Have a little Faith Sandy! Be more like Hanuman and take that leap!

(Hanuman Statue outside RIMIYI)

Well that leap couldn't have gone more smoothly. I had a relaxing ride to the airport and a smooth flight--we even got food, which is almost unheard of these days on a 90 minute flight.  However, there was still (for me) that daunting task of catching a cab from the airport to Arunji's place. OK, another leap, and guess what? Easy Peasy! Whoo Hooo! The only funny thing was the cab driver did not have navigation (WTH?) but thank goodness mine actually worked. As we neared Jayanagar I was delighted to have recognized the streets and even helped my driver with the last minute turns from memory. What!? Is this really me, I'm usually SO directionally challenged.

I've said it before, and I will say it again, pulling up to Prashant Yogashraya was truly like putting on an old favorite pair of jeans. As I pulled up and got out of the cab, I  immediately called my husband to let him know I arrived safely, and Voila, out stepped dear Arunji. He came out from his house with a  warm smile on his face, "come in, come in, have a cup of tea." My heart swelled. Ahhh...home, sweet home! His beautiful wife, Sri Matha and their son Arush all welcomed me--it was so lovely and comforting. I took a big sigh of relief and my shoulders relaxed. Wow, I made it all by myself! I literally patted myself on the back and we all laughed.

I got into the ladies class that first morning--no foreigners except me; lucky me! The Indian ladies are always so kind and helpful. I felt so grateful and full of joy. As we settled down for the invocation, I heard the vegetable cart lady singing out her calls in the street below. I couldn't help myself from smiling as it was such a comforting sound, deeply embedded in my memory.  I said to myself silently, "I really AM here." Class is lovely, as it always is with Arun. We worked at the wall and with the chair. A lovely practice of forward bends, twists, a nice long Sirsasana, Chair Sarvangasana in BK, then VK, followed by Savasana. The vegetable carts are parked outside the studio after class ends. Oh yum, everything looks so amazing. I have never seen such big cauliflower! I was invited to stay for lunch and then got a ride to my hotel. I couldn't have felt more blessed.

Vegetable Cart outside Prashant Yogashraya, Jayanagar, Bangalore

I checked into a familiar hotel where I've stayed before with friends. It felt weird to be there without them. It's a modern hotel, complete with Santa and a Christmas Tree in the lobby. My hotel room is clean and has a hot water pot. I make a cup of tea and FaceTime with my husband . The WiFi seems to be better than it has been in the past. My goodness, what more could a girl ask for?

Merry Christmas, from Best Western Jagadish, Bangalore

I relaxed for a while while waiting to go back to class in the evening.  I was happy to find my way in the dark back to the studio. I took another wonderful class, this time with some foreigners. It's funny how we all spot each other out so easily and connect. After walking back to my hotel after class, I had a delicious dinner and turned in for the night. Tomorrow I will attend an early class at the studio and then a group of us will take a 90 minute drive to Arunji's new overnight Yoga Center. We will spend the night there, take classes with Arunji and be in Yog. I can't wait! I am reminded of what is truly important to me and why I practice. It was always been about community for me. And it is becoming more and more important to me as I age. Forget about the fancy asanas and hip, skimpy yoga clothes, it is perfect to just practice and be a part of this Sangha. It's all so simple and pure. I feel fortunate to have taken this side trip and be in familiar surroundings and with my teacher. And there will be no WiFi for the next 36 hours or so. That's always enlightening!

More to come later. Thanks to those following this blog. Let me know if you have and feedback or want to know something in particular.


Namaskar,
and
Happy Holidays my friends.
May you all be in Yog this season with joy and love in your hearts

Someday I will learn to put on my own Saree

A Day of Svadhyaya

So, it's official, I am sick. I'm surprised to have lasted this long without getting sick. My body was trying to get sick at home right before I left, but I managed to stave that off. However, so many people at the Intensive have been REALLY sick and one of my roommates has been sick too. So, why not! Bring it. Hopefully this thing will pass soon. Although I am not at all happy about being sick, I get to try some lovely Ayurvedic remedies from the Ayurvedic pharmacies in town and stay in today while my girls go shopping. For a split second I was so sad about not going out today, but it is Guriji's Birthday and what better thing to do then be quiet, contemplate, rest, and practice before the big celebration tonight.

The IYNAUS and IYANC board had asked me to find any recommendations of what to practice on Guruji's birthday. Abijata replied, that it is just important to practice rather than having a set sequence. I wonder what Guruji would have practiced today, on his birthday, and what he might have taught today. I think if I would have known him on this day he surely would have given me a sequence to boost my immunity. Lucky me, I brought along the immunity sequence (along with a jet-lag sequence) he gave years ago when there was a flu epidemic in Pune. So, that it what I will do and I want to share it with you:

This is truly such a wonderful gift as it forces me to just stop, and study myself. I've been having an amazing time here in Pune, going a thousand miles an hour, trying to soak in as much as I can, share as much as I can on FB and this Blog (haha) but today (after writing this) I stop. That's it...I just stop. I will practice, rest, and nourish myself while the sounds, smells, colors and textures of Pune swirl outside my apartment. What a treat; What a true gift. I believe whole-heartedly that the Universe provides us with what we need at the absolute, exact second we need it. So here I am surrendering at the right time and in the right place (for sure!). It's good to be in Yog.

Settling into Practice

So I've been in Pune for almost two weeks now. Time is flying by. We are near the end of the Intensive with Abijata. The intensive is a totally different vibe than taking classes at Institute. The morning sessions are 4 hours long (as opposed to the 90 minute classes at the Institute), with about 400 students attending (as opposed to maybe 30-40-ish at the Institute)  The venue is cramped. We are sometimes not only mat-to-mat but literally mats over lapping. We have these great prop kits that include 2 pranayama bolsters, 2 blankets, 1 block, and one strap. They came in a lovely suitcase. So those prop kits also have to fit in the venue too, along with the students and staff, which makes moving around from pose-to-pose complicated at times. Our apartment is right next door to the Institute. The venue for the Intensive is a 20-25 minute rickshaw ride in commute traffic. Hailing a rickshaw after class isn't a piece of cake. We walk up to one, or hail one down and half the time they say no when we tell them where we want to go. I'm not sure why, I have several theories about it.

This Morning at The Intensive

So what is my point? It is not to whine but to share with you that this has really been my personal opportunity to really practice Yog. This experience is not just about Asana and Pranayama, (although that has been incredible--Abi is doing an amazing job) but rather about looking at my own work with the Kleshas, Yama, and Niyama. I almost decided to not attend the Intensive after the first evening class--too many people, too cramped, too hot, too cold, the Chinese interpreter behind me was so loud, I could hardly hear Abi, and then on the way home in a rickshaw,  I witnessed a motorcycle crash right next to me (I literally could have touched the guy from my rickshaw--hell he could have crashed into my rickshaw). But I decided to go back, I had to. I've dreamed about being here, I traveled a long way, paid the fees, got the shots, took the prophylactic meds, so it didn't make complete sense to walk away. I am very glad I came back. I've been one of the first people waiting in line every morning since. It was actually one of the U.S. Senior teachers who pointed out that this really is an opportunity to embrace the holistic practice of Yog and live it. Well, there it is, Duh! Sometimes it takes good teacher to shed light on those dim corners overshadowed by ego, clinging, and ignorance. I am grateful, so incredibly grateful to be IN YOG, here at the source embracing the crazy, cramped crowd of yogis, Abi's fierce instruction, the misplaced props, and the challenge of getting a rickshaw home. I may actually miss it when I return home!

Rickshaw Ride Home, complete with air filter masks

What else will I miss? I will miss being in classes, laughing with my roommates, having a cook and a housekeeper call me Mamji when I walk in the door, being among so many international students, shopping at the vegetable stands, wearing Indian clothes, and having chai and cookies (made for me) at the end of each lunch.  What I will continue to practice at home is the techniques and sequences we have been working with, the ayurvedic self-care that I have embraced to stay strong and healthy here and most of all YOG.

More in my next Blog about eating and shopping...Oh Lord, has that been fun.

Good night for now my friends. Keep practicing.

You are not practicing for this life...

Today we had our second class with Prashantji. The sequence was lovely and simple. All of the poses were held a long time while Prashantji talked philosophically about the practice of Yog. We paused a few times between the poses and were called to come sit down and listen. It was all very captivating. I wish I could remember every single thing he said, as it all resonated with me. But he talks rather fast and really never repeats himself, so I just did my best to hang onto the gems he offers and not them slip through the cracks in my mind. One of the really lovely things about having roommates is we come back after class and write down what we remember together. We are a sweet little Sangha within a rich, robust Sangha.

AUM Ganesha (from the front desk at the Chetak Hotel)

Here's the sequence:

Uttanasana 

Sirsasana (2 x's--alternating between the ropes and floor and Bharadvajasana)

a little talk between

Rope I

Trikonasana  (about 4 times depending on where you were in the Rope I rotation)

    in the middle of the room

    at the window, holding a belt in one hand, brick under the other hand 

    back to the middle of the room

Virabhadrasana II to Trikonasana

Bharadvajasana I

Parivrrta Padmasana--repeat 2x's each side

and then a choice of:

Janu Sirsasana

Viparita Karani

Setu Bhanda Sarvangasana w/brick under the sacrum

Here are a few of the gems/quotes that we could remember:

• Use your breath card on the body card--how does the breath affect the body?
• All your pains, worries, afflictions can be eliminated by using the breath card
• Use the body card on the breath card
• When you set up the classroom for study, you use some books, a chair, a table. Asana is the seat that  PREPARES you for your studies.  
• I'm not talking to you about GPS (Global Positioning System) I'm talking to you about UPS (Universal)
• In YOU is a better teacher than me
• Guriji did not want us to do what he did. He wanted  us to practice using the seat
• The back of the brain is where we go when thinking about the past, when we dream, when we meditate 
• The frontal brain is the thinking of the future brain--what to do next; what to plan
• What if you had a bad past? It can be changed through the breath
• Guruji said When he practiced it was art; when he demonstrated it was a performance; when he taught it was science
• You are practicing this for the next life...

I love being here...

Stepping In to India

This isn't my first trip to magical India, but each time still has the same effect when I step out of the airport and into the warm, sultry air. The smells and noise hit you first, your eyes are slower to process the visions. Nothing is subtle in this Country--you gotta be in 100%. It's beautiful!

After checking into our Apartment, meeting with our cook, taking a nice bucket bath, (oh and a reuniting with the toilet hose), I'm ready to go native just as I remember past trips. And one of those things is riding in a Rickshaw! These rides are so much fun, and I have the greatest driver! I trust him 100% I feel safe when I'm with Nana!
 

Geared up for Rickshaw travel!

 Our first class was with Prashantji. It was a very inspiring class. Although I was (and still am) very jet-laggged it was the perfect first class to take. What a lovely man; elegant, articulate, kind, and intelligent. Second class that evening was a Pranayama class with a different teacher. Oh my she was also so lovely and the teaching was so beautiful. But guess what? Yours truly almost fell over falling asleep! Sheesh, really? What? I can't up for 30+ hours and think I'm going to stay awake for Pranayama?

We've got GREAT WiFi where we are staying. That's a first and we are so grateful and excited about keeping in touch with everyone we love on the other side of the planet. I FaceTime every night with my husband. Isn't technology magical when it works? So, stay tuned, I promise to write something every night from here on out. Look for the sequence I took with Sunita today on tomorrow's Blog.

Good Night!

Here's a mild sample of Rickshaw travel for those of you that have never done it before:

A Journey to the Source

It was a BIG decision deciding to go to Pune and study with the Iyengars. I had been thinking about it for many, many, many years.  The advise I always got though was, "don't go." Even my family (except my incredible husband) did not want me to go.  But still, the strong desire tugged and pulled at my heart. What to do? The final push to apply for admittance nearly 2 years ago after my dear teacher Donald Moyer retired and I was trying out some other teachers. Although I miss him terribly, I was lucky enough to find a wonderful community where I feel so welcomed and loved. My new teacher, Heather Haxo Phillips (owner of Adeline Yoga in Berkeley) is a certified Iyengar teacher. She supported and mentored each step of the way to study the Iyengar method, apply for Pune and apply for Assessment. Another teacher I have taken classes with for years, Michael Lucey (who just passed his Senior Assessment this year) also teaches at Adeline so I arrived exactly where I was supposed to. Oh, and guess what? Yours truly just just became a CIYT too. I can't believe it!

Anyway, my point is, ALL my teachers have been Iyengar teachers, including dear Donald. I even had the good fortune about 8 years ago to have connected with a South Indian Senior Iyengar teacher, HS Arun from Bangalore who comes annually to my studio and teach.  I have made the glorious trek to Bangalore a few times to study with him. So---here I am at the SOURCE, in Pune, finally, the place where all my teachers came from. I've docked on the mother ship, communed with the Source Sangha. It feels so right to be here. Atha Yoganusasanam!

The trek to India is always an experience. It is certainly not for everyone, but I love it. More about that tomorrow. I'm seriously jet-lagged right now and need to go to bed so I don't fall asleep again during Pranayama class like I did tonight UGH!

Goodnight and
Stay tuned Yogis.

Me and my rommie, Stephanie Barnes-Castro at the RIMYI gate 

The Big Day

Thursday was Arun's birthday according to the Hindu calendar. I don't think I've ever seen such an elaborate, huge, celebration. There were so many things going on at the same time, it was challenging to pick one thing to watch in fear you might miss something else.

From what I understand, the day celebrates his life from before birth to the present time. Once of the rituals is tying the knot, another one is getting a shower from the guests. The shower is given by the guests who poured water over Arun and his wife's head. I didn't have the heart to do it as it went on for what seemed a long time to me. There was also an amazing 28+ course meal served, and I am positive all the guests including myself ate too much. Later that evening we gathered at the yoga school where the celebration (which included Diwali) continued. There were speeches, singers, and dancers, and even a very short "talent show" in which the international students sang happy birthday to Arun is different languages. It was a very lovely, sweet evening.

The festivities ended with lighting fireworks in the street for Diwali. The amount of fireworks, and firecrackers is wild. It is reminiscent of the old days of fourth of July when we too were allowed to light these things up in the street. One of the traditions of Diwali is handing out sweets. We've been handing our American chocolate to kids and even merchants we buy supplies from. The little children are especially delighted to receive these goodies. One little boys face lit up so bright, I think is was he who stopped the rain and brought out the sunshine.

There was a break from the festivities on Friday, but the day was wonderful in that I took three classes with Arun. The first class was a ladies only class which is always sweet well attended.  I love the way Arun recognizes and modifies the practice for everyone. He quickly noticed the dryness in my body due to menopause and gave me modifications so as not to make my situation worse. Wow, is it that obvious in my body? Maybe, but it's more that he sees beyond what most don't including yours truly. So I head back to the hotel after class for a lunch and to ponder my practice.

The two evening classes were sequenced so amazingly. With the help of Jim Coughlin, we were able to write down the sequences. Hopefully I will be able to decipher my notes later when I get home and not completely forget the sequences.