Ekam Inhale - last week of practice

So I have reached the end of the month's practice with Saraswathi at KPJAYI.....

I don't think I can put into words the feeling of achievement I have from completing the month, which has been at times frustrating, annoying, jubilous and rewarding.
If I were on a reality talent show I would definitely coin the phrase 'it's been a roller coaster of emotions' but I'm not, so I won't.

In the end it wasn't about completing the series or achieving certain asanas, it was about a development within me as a person and a yoga practitioner that I can now bring to the mats of the people I teach.

Ashtanga (Mysore) the Pattabi Jois lineage, the 'parampara' has an energy and spirituality of it's own that I don't think you can fully understand unless you come here to the birthplace.
I will never forget walking into the shala on the first morning to the sound of the ujayi breath like the ocean breaking onto the shores, sometimes as I walk through the shala after practice I look at the other practitioners and thought that it looks as beautifully choreographed as a ballet, yet as calm as  Buddha in meditation.

What have I learnt? Well, I would rather keep some of it to myself to be honest! What I can say is Ashtanga will reveal things about yourself you may have wanted to keep hidden. It will test you physically, mentally and spiritually. It will make you want to cry and make you jump for joy, all in the same practice. It will make you reassess how you live you life (and not just the yamas and niyamas) it will control what you eat, when you sleep and may well ruin your social life, unless your social life is with the other ashtangi's who understand that you have to leave the party at 8.30pm to go to bed.

I read a fab article, not all of which I agree with on Elephant Journal this morning - it's worth a click as this woman tells it warts and all.
Article - Ashtanga is the most hated yoga

I have been bitten by the Mysore bug....as well as by quite a few of the local bugs!
As I posted on Instagram earlier, Yoga saved my life by giving me a focus when I was going through a particularly tough time in my life, and now Ashtanga has changed it, and shaped the way forward for it.

So, night all, I'm off to bed for an early start tomorrow to go to Goa!!! yay! holidays!

What do we do when we are not practicing?

I wondered this before I came, and in fact had read many blogs about what people get up to in their 'sapre' time.

what I can confirm is basically eating (food post will be coming shortly), resting, reading, chatting, eating again, drinking chai, and what can best be described as 'lounging'

If you come in March you will also find that the only place off your mat you want to spend anytime on is at the pool!!! Boy is it hot in March! beware if you are planning to come, and splash out on a place with a/c - but also note that the power goes out frequently so even your luxury a/c pad might be a hot box in 20 mins of no power...

First at the pool = me being silly!

Yoga Squad Goals 

KesoTes lounging at Regalis 

My second favourite hangout after the pool is under my fan, in my room, with all the curtains closed and very little on.....'what a waste' I hear you cry, yes, I know I am in one of the most colourful, crazy, cultural places in the world...but you try 'sightseeing' here in March!

My favourite time of day runs between 6am-9am, so that is when I have been doing things like take a walk to the temple, visit a market, or take a stroll around the streets of Gokulam. Any time after that and all you can think about it air conditioned restaurants and rooms...and ice!
In fact, one of my house mates, after a week of sweaty, sleepless nights, booked herself into the Raddison Blu for the night just to spend a night in an a/c room - where she slept for 11 hours straight! Happy Holi to Jenna!

So, that is it, not forgetting we have chanting class three times a week, and conference with Sharath on Saturday mornings, and the obligatory Castor Oil baths, cookery classes, Sanskrit classes, many many other classes and lectures should you feel the need to expand the grey matter in all things of Indian and Yogic culture.

Believe me, you will never be bored, and your body will thank you for resting before the next assault in class each morning.

Holi - it's not just for Christmas

So this Wednesday was moon day (day off of practice) and also Holi - The Festival of Colours, or arrival of Spring.

Historically Holi was a festival to celebrate Holika, a woman who was sent to the pyre with her nephew, Prahlad, by Prahlad's father, an evil king (no shit!) Hiranyakashipu as he (Prahlad) was forbidden by his father (the evil king, remember?) to worship Vishnu.
Holika was believed to be immune to fire....so as they sat on the fire Prahlad prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe....Holika was burnt to death, and Prahlad survived without a scar.....

To celebrate Holika, on the first night of Holi bonfires are held, the next day is the famous paint smearing, mainly celebrated by the young people and children, and also mainly celebrated in North India, so we had to create our own bit of fun, on the roof of KesoTes....

Such fun! Completely ridiculous, and yet hilarious too!

Just when I had spent HOURS in the shower, scrubbing myself and then the bathroom, I walk home only to be 'attacked' by some friends - the people who work at the wonderful Anokhi Garden....so I also got a taste of real 'Holi' celebrations

Frustration, Elation, Acceptance

As the week 3 in Mysore draws to an end I sit and reflect on the week's practice and how it has left me feeling.

The start of the week the emotion was frustration, I seemed to move backwards even in postures that were familiar to me and that I have been doing for many years. Then on Monday Saraswathi 'gave' me bhujapidasana (even though I need help with the binding in Marichasana D) so I tried my best, but still fell back on my butt like a sack of spuds!!
The other frustration was not being able to bring my right leg into half lotus at all due to the screaming pain on the outside of the knee (which Dr.Google and numerous anatomical chats with fellow yogi's leads me to believe I have strained my LCL, lateral collateral ligament) so I am doing my own modifications for all postures that involve the half lotus.

Then, on Tuesday (which also happened to be my birthday) I felt clunky and unelegant and was feeling low. Despite this I did my best attempt at bhujapidasana...held with feet just off the floor for 5 breaths and lowered head down...on coming up and taking my vinyasa after Saraswathi booms over from 2 mats left 'bhujapidasana you did???' I said 'yes', and she gave me a huge smile and said 'is coming' and I smiled back, I had to then hide my face as the ego took over and I felt such feelings of elation and pride I was ecstatic, and reader, I don't mind admitting, tearful!!!

Sharath demonstrating Bhujapidasana in the Astanga Yoga Anusthana

The latter part of the week I have been much more reflective and have come to an acceptance of what will be will be, the phrase 'practice and all is coming' is quite over used, but there is good reason for this, Ashtanga is not an easy practice and even though I can do some of the poses later in the series my body is saying, slow down, keep at it, and with faith and perseverance it will come.

Sharath talked a lot in conference this week of the other well used phrase of Guruji's, Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory, this meaning not just asana but the first four limbs of yoga, practicing your yama, niyama, asana and pranayama.
Yes, read all about it, I'm still ploughing through the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and have read Ashtanga Yoga Anusthana but the real yoga comes from DOING and understanding it through practice.
Practice, Practice, Practice.

Accepting where you are today is a humbling experience, in fact Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore is a humbling experience, yet one I am learning from and growing in each day.
Being thankful for what we have is not easy in the Western world, but is so easy to understand here in India.

Thank you to this wonderful woman who has scared the living daylights out of me, yet made me feel like the richest person alive, and helped me to accept where I am, and keep the ego at bay.

Looking like a giant next to the small but non the less terrifying Saraswathi 

Indian Cookery Class

Just had my first Indian cooking class with a wonderful lady called Shaila who has been teaching yogi's to cook for the last 12 years. Not only a lesson in cookery, but a lesson in feminism, and how Shaila has used cooking to gain financial independence from her husband. Almost had me in tears or yelling out 'go girl' at one point.

So, I won't bore you with the details, in fact I will keep them to myself so that I may stun my friends and family with my new found culinary skills. I always cook dhals and vegetable 'curries' at home, but I have learnt my methods from a mixture of the Maddha Jaffery Curry Bible and the Internet.
This was authentic, South Indian home cooking at it's best.

Enough text, pictorial evidence is what you need here! Bare in mind most Indian families work on a two ring gas stove and don't have an oven so there is no excuse for not cooking these dishes even on a camping stove!

Dhal Curry - 

The 'masala' tray for the dhal: 

****Extra tip from Shaila when talking about the many benefits of my favourite spice, Turmeric - make a face pack from yogurt (curd ideally) turmeric and gram flour for dewy skin! ****

Pumpkin Palya (Palya is a vegetable side dish) 

Brinjal (Aubergine) Potato Masala 

Masala for the 'curry' 

Beetroot Salad (can't get enough of this) 

BREADS

Possibly the most interesting part of the class, we learnt how to make the dough, roll and what the difference is between ROTI, CHAPATI and PARATHA (basically the rolling, folding and oil additions) 

Paratha

Vegetable Biryani (a dish for special occasions) 

And finally, the holy grail....Masala Chai (I've given up coffee and alcohol, but become dependant on chai!!) 

THE WHOLE LOT! 

For anyone coming to Mysore, I can't recommend this class enough, she has all kinds of classes so next week I will be going back to learn how to make everyone's favourite breakfast - DOSAS!!!!

Look up Shaila on facebook (Shaila Amarnath) - her house is on the corner of 1st and 9th Main, just past Doctors Corner.

namaste!

An Indian Birthday

After practice it was time for a little snooze, and when I awoke I would declare my birthday had started!

I had got given some cards to bring with me so it was nice to open them and feel the love from back home.
I was then invited to breakfast at KesoTes (my new name for the house that Teresa and Kes live in - which is actually named KinoTim after Kino McGregor and her husband, Tim Manfield)
Shanta, their 'maid' made me a delicious omelette, and I made everyone a fruit salad, and I had some more gifts, a beautiful garland of jasmine for my hair from Laura and the Astanga Yoga Anusthana Book by Guruji/Sharath Jois, the hardback limited edition one!

We then were getting picked up by the wonderful Nayana, a friend of Kes+Tes who has been building a house on her farm in Sriangapatna, just outside Mysore, on the river. So we were going to have a picnic in the garden on the river of this incredible house.

Nayana also runs a free clinic in the village for the villagers who can't afford health care, so all the villagers greet us like we are royalty, they have so much respect for Nayana and her husband and it is so lovely to see these people all so happy when they see her.

Sitting in the garden is like being on a nature reserve, we spot numerous birds, cranes, kites, kingfishers, peacocks and a pelican! As well as two brave chameleons who come up close for a look at us. We also didn't spot but knew there was a snake somewhere on the grounds as the birds start to call out 'danger' to each other!

So, all in all a lovely day to chill and relax and chat with new friend and old

Some photos of the day (house and grounds)

zoom in for Kingfisher!

and another zoom required for this chameleon!

beautiful end to a beautiful day xx