a couple of india snapshots

been settling in to indian life pretty easily.  i just love being here, feels like home.  today is a day off from practice in honor of the holiday and was able to sleep in, which means waking up to the sounds of monks chanting from the temple and a rooster crowing to the soon rising sun.  So... bout 6am.  I have attached a couple of videos - the first a morning view from my balcony and the second a rickshaw ride to the city - appologies for the unstable video but rickshaws aren't known for their smooth rides :)  Enjoy!

a rooster, carpet seams, and coconuts

I'm In India! check out a few vids

After three flights, layovers, a car ride and hours of travel into the future, I have made it to Mysore, India to practice at the Shri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute.  Ahhhhhh.... feels good to be home ;)  Looking forward to practicing in the morning - for now getting settled, moving into the apartment, registering, going to grocery store, trying not to nap!  (Better to just power thru the first day I think, to get beyond the jet-lag asap.)  Will be posting videos regularly, so check back and experience India with me....  Here is a quick video of our arrival into the Bangalore airport:

and the first morning, the hunt for breakfast:

meet the locals:

Yoga with Guruji -Journal excerpt first trip to Mysore, India

8 January 2007

First self-practice in India this morning.  Started off hot.  (Yeah, I mean temp-wise, thought my head was going to spontaneously combust!  The sunburn?)  Buja was better today, more space.  Sharath got me bound in supta kurmasana - then told me to wear long pants so I don’t slip.  So uncomfortable to practice with so much weight.  But Sharath said...  so I may need to buy some pants.  Did backbends with Guruji today...

Had to pause.  Still makes me cry.  So amazing.  How do I express?  First of all, this is a picture I created years ago, something I envisioned - Sri K.Pattabhi Jois dropping me back in back bends.  At first, while I was doing the drop backs on my own, Sharath gave me a signal to wait for him, but then Guruji came from behind me.  Stood nose to nose... well nose to chin (his nose, my chin) his hands on my hips.  “Back bending”  I nodded.  “Exhale”  Back  “Inhale”  Up  “Exhale”  Back  “Inhale”  Up  “Exhale”  Back  “Inhale”  Up “Now close your hands”  I must have looked at him blankly. Huh?  He crossed his arms over his chest Dracula style.  (I know this comes next but looking into Guruji’s eyes, doing backbends after more than an hour of practice - somehow the mind disappears - that’s the point right?)  Okay, drop backs.  Exhale inhale exhale inhale exhale inhale  “Last time” Exhale “Arm back”  I reach.  Amazing... my ankle is right there.  I haven’t done this, holding my ankles in backbend since Thailand, or right after, and here I am almost effortlessly holding my ankles, opening opening opening “Breathe!” Guruji nearly yells to me.  Oh yeah!  Not a lot of space, sips of breath.  Five and he pulls me up.  “Breathe”  Anjali Mudra, hands in prayer position at my heart, he holds me against his body almost an embrace, willing me to match his breaths.  Each inhale deepens each exhale lengthens.  After about five breaths, he nods.  “Very good, thank you.  Where you from?”  “Chicago” “Amy?” (a teacher in Chicago) “No.  Paul.  Thailand.”  He looks into my eyes a moment.  “Oh, Paul, Thailand, training” and walks away.  I almost lost all emotional comtrol.  Crying during finishing once in changing room, crying in Savasana.  Wow.