Fitting Life into Yoga

Winding down

2010-08-26T03:41:00.000-07:00

This will be my last post before I head home.

The experience of being here a second time has been vastly different than the first. The most glaring differece is the lack of Geeta. All of us miss her teaching, her presence and her intensity.

Another difference is my ability to cope. Last time it was deer in the headlights! This time most everything has been familiar, if not comfortable.

My last thoughts are about connections. It has been touching to get to know many of the teachers on a more personal level. They are warm-hearted and dedicated to the Iyengar family and have been kind to us.

In 48 hours I will be on my way to Portland, hoping for ripe home grown tomatoes from my garden and the love of my family.

Random thoughts

2010-08-24T04:12:00.000-07:00

I have uploaded many pictures to Sunset Yoga Center's Facebook page. Go check it out!

Today is a holiday and many people have the day off. I know I don't have this quite right, but today is "brother and sister" holiday where the brother pledges to take care of the sister for the rest of her life. Gulnaz's brother explained that there many, many holidays here. I think he said over 100 a year!

We had a lovely lunch at Gulnaz's home. She invited Chris Beach, Karen and I over and fed us wonderful food.

I was reminded today of how wasteful we can be with energy and how being practical is more important than keeping up appearances here. Karen and I found a shop that Care and Karin told us about. It looked like it was closed because all of the lights were out, and no one was visible. As soon as we entered two young women came from the back of the store and turned on all the lights and welcomed us. Once we left they turned out all the lights! Not something you would see in the US.

The power outages that were so frequent on my first trip are much more intermittent on this trip. We have blackouts on Thursday afternoons, instead of every morning. Our building is equipped with a generator so the refrigerator and a few lights work, but last Thursday we forgot and the washing machine turned off mid-cycle. We had to wait four hours for the power to return and the washer to resume its duties.

Class with Gulnaz today was more backbends.

Backbends

2010-08-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

Friday night class with Raya and Saturday morning’s class with Chandra (Mr. Iyengar directing) had as doing many backbends. Having two intense backbend class just15 hours apart made me both tired and exhilarated. The pose Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow) has always been challenging for me. It is one of those poses that usually makes me think “oh no, not this pose”. But having to do so many brought me closer to the yoga ideal of ease and stability in the pose. My breath was relaxed and my arms began to figure out how to straighten. Progress through practice, another yoga idea, became manifest.

After last weekend’s trip, we were grateful to stay home and rest. I went out to dinner with Jen and her roommate Kathy from Australia. We spent the afternoon with Chris Beach working on our Jr. Int. III certification poses. Care and Karin invited Karen and I over for a lovely dinner with Lou Holtz. And we saw Barb off – she is on her way home as I type this.

Confession time! My overwhelming desire for dessert overcame my vow to stay out of the mall and we went to the gelato store at the food court. After observing everyone staring at me on the elevator Karen said “Let’s face it, you are a novelty wherever you go”. At least nobody asked for pictures in the mall! We ended our weekend by watching Good Will Hunting.

I can feel the curtain of departure beginning to fall. Several people left over the weekend and more are leaving mid-week. Karen and I are planning our last shopping trips and we are going to have a good bye lunch with Rajlaxmi and Gulnaz tomorrow. I am eagerly thinking more of home!

Kailasa Temple

2010-08-20T04:36:00.000-07:00

Ajunta Caves

2010-08-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

Monkey Picture

2010-08-20T04:26:00.000-07:00

Later Friday

2010-08-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

Nuvana is here and Barb, Karin, Care, Karen and I all had lunch together in our apartment! It was so fun to have sunny, smiling Nuvana in our midst.

Then, Jen, Karen and I headed out to shop. We hit the stainless steel store and I got a nice spice storage container and some serving utensils. Then we spent half an hour pouring over scarves. I ended up with four - all in tones of gold. I love the beauty of the scarves and look forward to giving them as gift!

Class tonight!

Early Friday morning - I need sleep!

2010-08-20T04:19:00.000-07:00

It is 12:30 am and I can’t sleep so I have decided to blog. Even a couple of hours of listening to my favorite music has not helped make me sleepy. Maybe it was the chai tea I had about 4pm that has made me feel so wired. The honking has subsided to an occasional horn. The busy main road that is slow and packed during the day turns into a speedway at night transforming the cacophony of whimsical horns into the sound of vehicles whizzing past at high speed.

Thursday ended with another visit. Rajlaxmi and Gulnaaz (teachers from the Institute who were also part of the convention) stopped by our apartment after Pranayama class. We had a good time. They indulged me and let me show them my son’s wedding pictures (he was married in July). They were very interested in our wedding customs- Catie’s wedding dress, where the wedding was held, and what was involved with the ceremony.

I am missing my 30 year class reunion that will be held this evening in Portland (Sunset High School, class of ’80). I actually would have attended, but I guess I will have to wait until 35 years.

Nuvana Is set to be here today (Friday) and I am looking forward to her visit.

Thursday 8/19

2010-08-20T04:18:00.000-07:00

I am doing much better and will rejoin regular class tomorrow. I hope to write more about classes in future entries.

Today Mandira from Mumbai is here and we chatted and visited up at our apartment. Mandira is one of the six Indian teachers who came to Portland for the convention. She has written an article for Yoga Rahasya (The magazine the Institute publishes) about her experience at the convention and she shares her ideas with me and Barb in a lively conversation. Marian Pierce also has an article featured in this issue, and I have been given copies to bring home to her. (Marian, if you are reading this – great article!)

Jen and I ventured over to Pune Central which we have dubbed the evil mall. The escalators are set up so that you have to slog completely around each floor to make it to the next level of escalators and the elevators are a five minute wait, even if the store is relatively empty. We unfortunately had to visit each floor twice because the layout was so confusing. We both swore that we would avoid this place for the rest of our stay.

I finally have some pictures available, so enjoy!

Sick!

2010-08-18T01:45:00.000-07:00

Both Barb and I are sick on Tuesday. I am almost all better and Barb is getting better. I spent all day in bed.

Today I went to class and did resting poses while the rest of the class did backbends. This evening I will rest.

Ellora Caves

2010-08-18T01:41:00.000-07:00

The Ellora caves were right outside our hotel so we got an early start. We had a different guide – not as fluent in English, but well versed in the caves.
The Ellora caves are not quite as old, nor were they ever abandoned. There are caves from three religions side-by-side here – Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. The Hindu temple was amazing. Our guide said that it is the finest example of “chariot architecture” in the world. I cannot even begin to describe the carvings and the immensity of it. Karen and I touch the Shiva shrine to bring good luck and leave a 10 rupee note as an offering.

The Buddhist caves are either a monastery or a temple. Our guide urges us to hurry so that we can be alone and we enter the only Buddhist temple at this site. It is long, arched and intricately carved. Our voices echo. Our guide puts down his umbrella and begins to chant unexpectedly. His chant is beautiful and fills the temple with reverberations. I am touched by this moment of quietness and sound. Without missing a beat, he resumes his narration after the chant is over. When we leave the temple he tells us he is a Buddhist.

The Jain caves are similar in many ways to the Buddhist, but there aren’t as many of them. Here again we are asked to pose for pictures. The family we pose with has some sort of portable photo printer and they come over and eagerly show us the printed photos!

Blondes have more fun!

2010-08-18T01:38:00.000-07:00

Today we are visiting Ajunta Caves. The caves have incredible history. All of the caves are Buddhist at this location. The earliest was built in 200 BC so it is over 2000 years old. The latest was built maybe 700 BC, and only partially finished as Buddhism no longer was supported by the kings at the time.

We meet our guide at the hotel, and the five of us pack into the car for another two hours of driving to Ajunta. The hawkers swoop in on Karen, Barb and I as soon as we set foot outside the car. It is obvious that we are westerners (there were only a handful) and we are offered jewelry, boxes, quartz stones, cave books over and over. We stick with our very confident guide and he shooes us onto a shuttle bus that takes us to the cave location.

The caves are in a breathtaking setting. They are set around a horseshoe bend in a river, with a waterfall descending between several of the caves. The greenery is lush and there are bold splotches of colorful flowers. These caves were abandoned many years ago and rediscovered by a British tiger hunting party in the late 1800’s. In typical human style, one of the British soldiers scratched his name into a pillar – right over a beautiful mural! Our guide knew where this graffiti was, and held up a flashlight to the pillar to show us. John Smith will live on in the caves while the names of the artists and artisans are forgotten.

Our guide is extraordinary. He is from Ellora (a small village) but is fluent in Hindi, Mahrati, English, Spanish and Japanese! It is obvious he is passionate about the caves and educating us about them. He explains in great detail the stories painted into the murals, the mastery of 3-D paining and sculptures, and how each cave was carved from the front to the back and from the top to the bottom. He shows us details we never would have seen or understood without him.

I decide I am hungry and whip out a peanut butter sandwich I have brought with me. I am immediately beset by monkeys, trying to get my food. I hadn’t even noticed them before that moment, but suddenly we see that there is a group of about 20 – all watching people and waiting for chance for some thievery. Our guide scares them away and tells me to eat quickly.

There were probably only about 10 westerners present among a thousand Indians. I quickly became the most popular kid on the block. Many, many people wanted to have their picture taken with me, I guess because I am blond. They wanted pictures with Karen and Barb as well, but mostly with me. I will try not to let it go to my head! All asked politely and thanked us profusely. At one point I was surrounded by 10 teenagers, all switching off taking pictures and posing. They wanted to know where we were from – and when we said America, they repeated the word excitedly. Everyone was sweet, gentle and had incredible smiles.

In the canteen we made friends with a young woman, her sister and mother, and her daughter. They posed for us in their beautiful saris and the five year old girl again wanted to know where we were from.

We were tired from the very humid and hot day and went to bed early went we got back to our cottage.

Headed to the Caves!

2010-08-18T01:37:00.000-07:00

After our morning class we had to pack and meet our driver for our trip to ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves. We get off to a slow start as our driver can’t be found for about 20 minutes, but he shows up and we head out. Four and a half hours later we arrive at our cave facing “cottage” in Ellora.

The journey is at first terrifying for all of us. Americans are simply not used to the mix of vehicles, poor road quality and lack of driving discipline. Our driver, Hasson (sp?) assures us over and over “Don’t worry madam”. He must have honked his horn 500 times on the journey as we passed motorcycles, rickshaws, bullock carts, bicycles, busses and trucks. Really – I only felt that things were truly dicey one time, but it was hard to get used to. Our car, a Fiat, makes a beeping noise when he hits the speed limit of 100 kph.

Our room is small, but comfortable and we fall asleep to crickets and birdsong – a welcome change from the noise of Pune.

Friday - Dueling Rickshaws

2010-08-18T01:34:00.000-07:00

Today was busy! We started with a practice in the morning and then scurried to be ready for Nana to pick us up. Nana is a rickshaw driver who caters to American students. He has a cell phone and you can make an appointment with him for his driving services. This is very unusual. The best things about Nana is that he is super sweet and that he will always get you where you need to go.
We head off to the tailor’s, but our clothes are not ready. We will need to come back Tuesday. Then we decide to go to the “tea place” and buy Rebecca Lerner the tea she has requested that Karen bring back for her. It is a black tea. Nana stands in line for us and buys a kilo of tea. It come wrapped in newspaper and tied with a string – kind of suspicious looking, but it smells great! On our way to the tea place, we get into a bit of an incident with another rickshaw. Nana is navigating a narrow alley that is partially blocked by a raised steel grating. Another rickshaw comes the other way. Both drivers decide to go for it and the rickshaws become almost intertwined. Words are exchanged (of course we don’t know what was said) and Nana gets out and pushes his rickshaw backwards. Then slowly, like a crazy dance, both rickshaws edge forward again and clear each other!
My day was rounded out with an Ayurvedic massage, evening class and shopping for our trip tomorrow.

Challenging Classes

2010-08-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

My last two classes were challenging! Yesderday, Mr. Iyengar instructed the class through Abhijata and Gulnaaz. He observed that we weren't really doing the actions that were being asked for and we were held in the poses for a long time until the actions started to come. We got to know our top thighs and our metatarsals quite well!

This moring's 7am class with Prashant was "back bending". Prashant said we should not be slogging through our back bends. Instead, we should be tranquil and placid. He said our faces should look angelic during and after the difficult poses. I found an ease in Viparita Dandasana that I hadn't found before.

On the domestic front, we have a wonderful cook. Yesterday she was making fresh paratas (sp?) and encouraged us to eat them straight off the pan. They were delicious. Also, we are puzzled by our washing machine. One of the wash settings is "fuzzy"! I am not sure that I want fuzzy clothes!

This weekend we are headed to the Ellora and Ajanta caves. It is a long drive but we have heard it is worth it. I will be offline until Tuesday and will write about it then.

I had dinner with Care Parker, Karin Brown and Barb Stief last night. It was fun to hang out with everyone.

Settling In

2010-08-10T01:49:00.000-07:00

We have settled into a great rountine at our flat. Karen, Barb and I are getting along great and enjoying each other's company. We are exctied that we have a clothes washing machine and an iron availble in our flat. This makes life easier.

I have met several other Americans and made friends with a young German man. His English was excellent and he said he might come to the States to study for six months, as he is required to go to an English speaking country to complete his degree. This trip there seems to be many Italians, Germans and Americans. Last time there were more Spainards and British folks.

Yesterday, Barb and Karin delivered some supplies we had brought to a local orphanage. We had brought vitamins, bandaids, shampoo, lotion and other needed items. Barb said the children were beautiful and one of them sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star for them.

From our 10th floor flat I can see how truly big Pune is. The city stretches on in all directions and is much bigger than Portland!

In just the two years since my last visit many things have changed. There are far more cars on the road. Also, many more people are sporting western attire. Jeans and t-shirts are everywhere.

As to the yoga - every day we notice the absence of Geeta. She is not in her usual space in the practice hall and has not taught. Everyone misses her presence.

Saturday and Sunday 8/7 and 8/8

2010-08-08T03:07:00.000-07:00

Today’s morning class was again “taught” by Abhijata with Guruji relaying instructions and observations. The class was absolutely packed. We worked on our feet in numerous poses. We were told to take our toes to the ceiling in all our inverted poses – something new to work on. Our Sirasasana (headstand) felt steady due to this foot work.

The monsoons came back and it rained all day on Saturday.

I was exhausted by evening and we spent a quiet evening at home talking and reading.

Sunday is a day of rest with time to catch up with work and blogging!

Friday 8/7

2010-08-08T03:06:00.000-07:00

There is always something going on at the Institute and today was exciting. A film crew arrived and set up to tape Guruji (Mr. Iyengar) explaining his method and teaching a class. About seven Indian teachers were part of the “class”. It was fun to realize I knew several of these teachers – Gulnaaz, Rajlaxmi, Nuvana’s teacher Jawahar, plus Neeta Datta’s brother. I hadn’t seen Jawahar since 2005 but he remembered Barb and me.
Guruji taught for several hours with vigor and conviction. His instructions were clear and simple. The students were pushed hard and were asked to jump from downward dog to advanced arm balances. All categories of the poses were covered – with and without props. Almost all of us stopped our practice to watch, listen and learn.
In the afternoon we went to Sunita the tailor to pick out fabric and get measured to have some shirts and pants made. It was an immensely enjoyable afternoon to be able to dig through stacks and shelves full of vibrant, colorful fabric. In the end we had to make our choices and in a week we can pick up our new clothes.
Rajlaxmi taught the evening class. We did about 12 jumping sun salutations intermixed with some fun standing poses. A great class!
We watched the rest of The Fifth Element on my laptop. I figured out that the iPod speakers could be plugged into the computer for better sound, but that meant the laptop had to run on battery power as we only had one outlet converter. We almost made it to the end!

Beautiful Day

2010-08-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

The rains have stopped today, and it is beautiful here today. Not too hot, and a gentle breeze blowing.

Last night some wild parrots sat outside our 10th floor window. They were vibrantly colored - green and turquoise. Unfortunately, we did not get a picture of them.

In this morning's 7am class Prashant told us to "learn to do and do to learn". Otherwise, we are just doing a workout instead of learning yoga.

For one of the poses half the class at the windows of the practice hall, using the window grills for our feet for Utthitha Hasta Pandangustasana. Looking out the window I could see brilliant green tropical foliage and the rusted blue carport roof of the Iyengar family home. The sun was shining. This contrasted with the coolness and soft lighting of the practice hall. I looked across the courtyard and saw Mr. Inyengar, sitting in his home reading the moring paper. I felt truly in India, and in the moment.

Thali Dinner

2010-08-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

Last night we had Thali with Nitin and his family. Thali is speed-serving and speed-eating. The waiters came around and dished out small portions of various dishes into small stainless steel bowls and onto a large stainless steel platter. Every two minutes they would show up again with new and different items, or 2nd or 3rd helpings. It was fun, tasty and satisfying! It was great to see Nitin and his family.

We had our first ladies class this morning. The teachers tag-teamed the teaching duties. Gulnaaz, and Abhijata took turns teaching. The reason they were taking turns was that Mr. Iyengar was watching our poses, and then telling them what to say and teach! It was a little confusing at the start, but then the class proceeded well as everyone settled in. We worked on our feet – lifting the soles of the feet off the floor in downward dog, Uttanasana and Triangle pose. This work was to help us straighten the legs. It was a invigorating class.

Everyone's Here!

2010-08-03T02:24:00.000-07:00

Barb arrived today, so all Portland people are here.

This is going to be a quick post. We are all the Hotel Chetak, having lime soda and using the free wifi. Barb, Karen, Jen and I walked down together to have a laptop sharing session.

Today for class I pulled out two sticky mats, and both were marked with familiar handwriting - JLYC! What a coincidence.

The rain continues today, and it feels warm and tropical.

We had our first class with Prashant today. We were encouraged to observe and narrate our poses, like a commentator for a football match. This will help us progress to the state of yoga.

Please write back!

First Day at the Institute

2010-08-03T02:23:00.000-07:00

To Karen’s and my disappointment, we missed class today. The schedule has changed and Monday class is now at 7am. As we hadn’t finished getting registered, we could not attend. But we did get to practice! It felt great to practice for a couple of hours and work out the kinks from the long days of travel. Mr. Iyengar was there, instructing his granddaughter while others watched. The amazing thing was that he was instructing her while he was in a supported deep backbend himself. This went on for at least 15 minutes.
It was exciting to be at the Institute and see some of the same people we met two years ago. Fellow Iyengar students from Italy, Russia and England were among those that recognized Karen and I! Also, there was a woman from New York who was a student in my assessment last fall. It was fun to see her again.
The weather today is rainy and windy. The wind has been howling by our windows for the last three hours as Karen and I spend some more time catching up. Jen has just stopped by to compare notes and the three of us are going to dinner tonight.

Pune

2010-08-03T02:21:00.000-07:00

The rainfall is noticeably more than my visit of two years ago. Our drive from Mumbai to Pune was slowed by numerous downpours, stopping motorcycles and softening the views. Our reward for driving through the rain was the sight of waterfalls. Once the climb from sea level began, every hill was striped with an array of waterfalls, all gushing with speed and volume. There were hundreds of them.

We made it to our apartment without any trouble and began unpacking. We made the mistake of going to the “mall” to buy a few staples. The mall was a frenzy of Sunday shoppers. Apparently it was “Happiness Day” and there was a sale. The woman on the store intercom announced that we should all expereicnce the Joy of Shopping! All I was experiencing was an overwhelming feeling of noise, heat and crowdedness, due to being so tired from the journey.

Now, settling in on the 10th floor we are away from the crowds but not from the constant honking of horns and squawking of birds. Time to get used to Pune again!

Nina Pileggi
Director, Sunset Yoga Center

2010-07-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

Despite my self-induced level of stress regarding traveling, all went smoothly on the longest leg of our journey. Karen and I arrived in Mumbai late last night. We met up with Chris Beach, president of IYNAUS in Newark. It was entirely a coincidence that he was on the same flight from Newark to Mumbai. A bigger coincidence was that his seat on the flight was the center seat between Karen and me! We were astounded. Karen, Chris and I had a fairly pleasant 15 hour flight and all of us managed to sleep pretty well.

We drove through crazy traffic from the airport to the hotel. Our driver to the Leela hotel told us that they are undergoing a massive expansion at the airport – building a brand new departures building so that the arrivals and departures will be in separate buildings.

Arrival at the Leela Hotel was interesting. We had to go through a airport like scanner and our luggage was x-rayed for security purposes. The hotel lobby is beautiful, and smelled strongly of incense. It was Karen’s birthday and the hotel had flowers and a chocolate cake waiting for her. We ate the cake at 11:30a at night and it hit the spot!

It is morning now in Mumbai and rainy and gloomy. Our of our hotel window we can see the beginnings of an elevated train track. They have built the elevated concrete supports in pieces for some reason, leaving large gaps of 200 feet.

We are packing up now for our four hour ride to Pune.

almost ready to launch

2010-07-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Last minute details are falling into place. As always, I have to give up on my ambitious plans for my last day home. Mow the lawn? Drive downtown to have lunch with my son? Harvest the garlic? Not all of these are going to happen! I did manage to get everything squared away at the yoga center and my bags are packed and ready.
I had hoped I would be less stressed out by my impending departure this time around, but I was wrong. I have managed to give myself a tension headache. My youngest son has suggested that it is "my day". He made me lunch (peanut butter sandwich, a giant bowl of raspberries and a popsicle) and declared that we should watch The Lord of the Rings. We settled on the first movie and happily joined Middle Earth for a few hours.

Here we go again

2010-07-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

I leave for my second trip to Pune in just over 2 weeks! Writing a blog and reading your comments was very therapeutic for me so I have decided to keep a blog again. Look for more posts soon.

Home

2008-09-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

I made it home yesterday at noon after 36 hours of traveling.

Our last pranayama class was beautiful. Geeta knew that most of us were leaving and I could tell she wanted to be sure we understood what she was teaching. After class was over we paid her our respects and she seemed to soften as she told each of us Namaskar. I don't know how this month will effect my teaching. I feel I don't know where to begin with what I have learned, but feel certain that my yoga practice has been irrevocably changed.

Then it was hurry up and wait for our driver from Pune to Mumbai. We had ended up with a rather small car, and we had to tie some of our luggage to the top, as Tina from Seattle joined us for the drive. The waterfalls that I saw at the beginning of the month were gone as it hadn't rained for some time. The Arabian Sea was silent and grey. A good hour of our four hour drive was making our way through the streets of Mumbai, where the pollution seemed more intense than when we arrived. We ate a wonderful dinner at the Leela hotel before we headed to the airport.

The scene at the Mumbai airport was surreal. We must have shown our passport to eight different people, our carry-ons were x-rayed twice, every person was "wanded" twice and we were not allowed to carry drinking water onto the airplane. There were soldiers with machine guns everywhere and we had to go through Indian Immigration on the way out. The process felt quite violating, and what we go through here in the States is minor in comparison.

I got teary-eyed as the plane touched down in Newark. I now know why people want to kiss the ground of their home. Karen and I said goodbye at my gate. Karen - thanks, I couldn't have asked for a better companion. When my plane dropped down through the clouds and I caught my first glimpse of the Columbia river I started getting emotional. My husband and son met me at the airport and I was overcome with happiness. Twelve hours of sleep later I feel almost normal, but still somewhat stunned at being home. Best of all, today is my 46th birthday and I get to celebrate surrounded by family.

Thanks for reading my blog. I loved sharing and reading your comments. Writing was an important connection to home and helped me make it through this most incredible, challenging month!
Love,

Nina

Last Days in India

2008-08-28T02:57:00.000-07:00

First, I have to explain womp rats and Biggs blog comments. The title of my last post was “Almost There”. This was a reference to a line from the first Star Wars movie that my friend Katherine and my sister Naomi often quoted to each other. So the womp rat quote and the reference to “never getting out of here” are both Luke Skywalker lines. Consider this an inside joke!

Karen is much better now and has rejoined classes. We only have 3 classes left, plus Institute night tonight where Geeta will give a talk on Yoga philosophy. The pranayama classes have been soothing and energizing. Both Geeta's and Prashant's teachings have had insights to remember and practice.

Yesterday I went with my new friend Tina to finish up shopping. Tina is from Seattle, so I am sure I will see her around! We went to an incense and perfumed oil store that was literally a hole in the wall. The shop smelled wonderful, and we sniffed rose, jasmine, and sandalwood oils before Tina selected rose and jasmine to take home with her. The shop owner had a steady hand as he poured the oils from a large bottle into smaller one ounce bottles and then packaged each bottle with a gold top and red velvet bag. We also went to a jewelery shop and bought a set of anklets to share. The women here wear anklets only in pairs, and most stores will not sell you just one. We were waited on by two 12 year old boys, who seemed eager to find the perfect anklets for us.
We also visited a castle that Nana said was over 350 years old, and a grocery store to stock up on cookies and chocolate. Our flatmate Oscar has turned out to be a cookie fanatic, and we can hardly keep stocked up. Then it was time to say goodbye to Nana as we wouldn't be seeing him again but I did get a picture of him.

We allowed ourselves to start packing today, and this heightened our already buoyant mood. Karen put the Dixie Chicks on the iPod and we had a great afternoon.

I will post again when I arrive home this weekend.

Almost There!

2008-08-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

Karen and I have watched all the Star Wars movies, plus the musical Hair. We feel we are "almost there" in terms of our long adventure!

Our first pranayama class with Geeta was both relaxing and energizing. The shift from the powerful backbend practice to the more subtle breath work has come just in time. I can tell that the students are tired as they near the end of the month and are welcoming the new focus. I myself was more than ready! The size of the group has shrunk, giving us more room in the yoga hall and a less hurried atmosphere in getting and putting away the props.

The needed energy (physical and mental) to keep up this schedule is remarkable, and I have stopped observing classes as I feel the need to rest. I completely recovered from last week's downtime, but now Karen has come down with a terrible cold and is sleeping much of the time.
I no longer am phased by crossing the road or the traffic, and if I ever come back I know I will be more comfortable exploring different areas.

I know how anxious I am to get home by my eagerness to start packing. But I have restrained myself, knowing that it is too early. We have only four more nights in Pune, and then head to Mumbai for our flight on Saturday. I know I am not the only one longing for home. One of my new found friends said that she felt the month was like a running a marathon - making deals with herself to get through just one more day.

I will write at least one more time!

Sunday is a day of rest and blogging

2008-08-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

A sense of ending has come over me in the last few days. We are busy making plans for our departure, exchanging email addresses with new friends and finishing our gift shopping. We have six more classes this coming week. The focus will change from backbends to pranayama (breath work).

Even though I couldn't participate fully in last week's backbending “extravaganza” I know that my poses have changed and opened. I was not feeling well for a couple of the classes and had to sit them out. But the classes I did take were fabulous and pushed me to my limits. And the corker (as our new English friend would say) was that today I got an amazing private lesson this morning from a teacher who shall go unnamed. She took advantage of all the work done this past week, and zeroed in on the areas of my body that are still stubborn, stuck and unwilling. She gave me some insight into what needs to happen so I have some work to do.

Karen had a major breakthrough- she accomplished “dropping back” from standing into a backbend. She was very excited to have achieved this milestone, something she hasn't done since she was 14!

We are enjoying teaching our Spanish flatmate English sayings. His favorites so far are "pedal to the metal" and "easy on the eyes". I have discovered that while English knowledge is required to take classes here, the level of proficiency varies. Some students can speak only haltingly but can understand quite well, while others are fluent. I suspect that there are also those who really don't understand much English at all - they must be following along as best as they can.

Pune is preparing for the Ganesh festival. Marigold garlands festoon store fronts and rickshaws. Strings of lights are being hung and animated elephant statues (Ganesh shrines) are appearing everywhere. Large scaffolding structures are being erected in the middle of busy intersections for more displays. The traffic is already chaotic – it will be interesting to see how much more congestion will be created by these towers. I am not sure of the date of the festival, but I am sure it will be soon. We hope to get some pictures to share.

After a week of no power load shedding, we are back on 3-5 hours a day of no power. Our building does have a generator to run a few things, but it is noisy. Just before the load shedding began the paper ran a story that there was enough power and that no more power outages were expected. This is just part of the India experience!

Obsevering Classes

2008-08-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

Today I watched the medical class. Each participant has been given an individualized yoga “prescription” to work with their medical issue. These classes are chaotic, not at all like a led class.
Some participants need three assistants to help them set up their yoga props correctly and then to apply leverage, weight or pressure in the right spots. Family members are often present learning how to set up the props for home practice. Both Geeta and Guruji are often present riding herd on the assistants, getting everything just right.
It was heartbreaking to see some of the conditions that are being endured. One woman had an lower back curve so severe it looked like she would break in half. There was an elderly man being helped by his wife who could barely walk and looked frail and unresponsive. There was a little girl whose legs looked permanently turned to the side and some others who were obviously victims of vehicle accidents. There were also many for whom I could not tell what the issue was. But each person was given personal attention and urged to work hard. I am grateful for my good health after seeing what there people are living with.
I have watched several beginning and intermediate classes as well. The beginning classes are one hour, the intermediate classes are 1.5 hours, and the “advanced” classes I attend are 2 hours. These classes are (for the most part) quick paced and demanding. Also, the teachers seem to be using minimal props in the classes. I picked up some good ideas from observing the classes and will watch a few more before I leave.

Bill - thanks for letting me know about Mary's new post. Karen and I are thinking about her everyday. Katherine, I am atonished at how I lost my backbending ability. I guess taking care of two kids in my 20's and actuarial exams will do that do a person. I am slowing making headway and hope to be able to do "drop backs" soon.
to all those who I don't know who have stumbled on my blog and find it useful - I had no idea that I would reach people in this way. How cool!

Backbends and more Backbends

2008-08-19T01:01:00.001-07:00

During the third week of the month Geeta teaches backbending classes. Back bends are a personal challenge for me and I have been both looking forward to this work, but also a little apprehensive that it would be too much.

Our first backbending class was Saturday, and it seemed to be a struggle for many of us. But I made it through the class without feeling overwhelmed.

Last night's class Geeta's sequencing was brilliant and she knew just how hard to push us. I have never heard so much groaning and exclaiming in a class before. She gave us occasional rests to recover from our efforts. After we had done what seem like an endless count of Urdhva Dhanurasanas (upward bow pose) and we were resting, she asked us "Are you ready"? in sweet voice. The whole room burst out laughing. I think some of us were hoping we were done with this pose, but we gamely continued on to a variation with one leg pointed to the ceiling. After class I felt exhilarated and excited about the wonderful experience of classes with Geeta.

The weather has cleared up and it has stopped raining for a few days. Karen and I plan to do some more walking to the markets and just enjoy being outdoors.

Thanks for your comments, I look forward to logging in each day and hearing from different people.

Three Trips

2008-08-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Karen and I had a fun weekend, exploring Pune.
We went to Vaishaly Friday night – a popular restaurant serving a wide variety of food. It was nice to be in a place that was well kept up and bustling with life. I had something called an uppatta with cheese, tomatoes, onions and butter. It was excellent and a nice change from the veggies and dal we have been existing on every day.
Today we went on a trip to a part of Pune I hadn't visited yet. Our first stop was the German Bakery. This is where people staying at Osho hang out. There were several people wearing the burgundy clothes required of the followers. The cafe had a strange vibe – there were many hippy types smoking away. Both Karen and I felt overly scrutinized there. The bread and cake I bought were delicious however!
Next Nana drove us around the Osho campus so that we could peek in. The campus looked really nice and beautifully landscaped. We saw a couple of boys leading camels down the street, offering rides to people. We asked Nana to drive us past Bund Garden thinking we could go in. But Nana advised us not to go in because of the crazy people. We asked him if they ever compel the crazy people to leave and he said “No, no, such parks are meant for the crazy people.”
We then drove over a new bridge and Nana showed us the incredible development that had sprung up because of the bridge. He said that before the bridge, there was nothing there.
Our final stop was at the Aga Khan Palace, where Mahatma Ghandi was interned for several years and where his ashes have been put to rest. The palace was beautiful, the grounds pleasant (no honking!) and the displays interesting. It was sad to note how poorly the displays were being maintained, some of the descriptions were barely readable.
Also, we picked up our tailored clothes. They turned out beyond our expectations! We both look great (if you don't mind a little bragging) in our new salwaar kameezes.
I feel a bit under the weather today, and hope that it is only temporary.

I have observed the beginning, intermediate and therapeutic classes. All extremely interesting and I will share more about them later.

Independence Day

2008-08-15T03:52:00.000-07:00

Today, August 15th, is India's Independence Day, celebrating 61 years of independence. The Institute is closed, so Karen and I decided to have a day with no agenda. We are simply resting, practicing, and planning to watch "The Return of the Jedi" while eating cookies and gelato.

We are planning a trip to the German Bakery which is located near Osho. For you Portlanders' who don't know Osho is the retreat center founded by the Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh, of Antelope fame. We won't be going in, just taking a peek.

I am personally happy to be past the halfway point of our trip. It has been challenging to say the least!

Two Tough Classes

2008-08-13T02:27:00.000-07:00

Last night was Prashant's class. We focused on backbends. It was a tough class with the only pauses coming when we switched “stations”. We went from rope headstand to backback on the chair to more rope work. Prashant was giving strong individual adjustments to every student to help us understand where we needed to open. He said “Don't go for all out effort, go for all out effect”! This actually helped me stay in the more difficult poses longer. Backbends are tough for me but I managed to make it through class, feeling just a little grumpy after class was over.

This morning in Geeta's class we had a long stay in both headstand and shoulderstand. Geeta told us that we shouldn't be concerned with how long we were going to stay in shoulderstand, so I knew were were in for a long stay indeed. She did not disappoint and Karen and I figured we were there (with variations) for 20 minutes. It was helpful to talk to the other women after class and learn that everyone was ready to hear the longed for words in headstand – now inhale and come down!

It has been raining hard for the last four days, and there is much flooding around the region. We haven't seen blue sky for days. Karen and I have taken it easy the last two days – no rickshaw rides. We are planning a shopping trip and a trip to the German bakery (where I have told there is chocolate cake!), as well as visiting a temple in the next few days.

Thanks for all the Princess Bride jokes! They made my day. And EWW - thanks for reminding me of my actuarial past. KA - I would think the average age is around my age (45 for two more weeks!), maybe a little older. There are plenty of 30 somethings, and many over 60.

Shoulders and Twists

2008-08-12T01:59:00.000-07:00

Shoulders and Twists

Yesterday two people helped me with my “unintelligent” shoulders. First Glennis (rhymes with menace, according to her) saw me in Savasana (relaxation pose for you non yoga readers). She looked down at me and said “Would you like some help with your shoulders”? She gave me a great adjustment, so that my chest felt opened and I could relax. Thanks Glennis!
The evening class with Geeta was intense. Geeta was focused like a Olympic coach, intent on helping us to “reach the remote edges of the abdomen” in seated twisting poses. First she got us heated up with handstands, forearm balance, and a long stay in headstand with variations. Then we worked so relentlessly in the twists that my legs were slippery with sweat. To end class we worked on the twisting variations of sarvangasana (shoulderstand). This is where I got my second adjustment. I was near the front and I heard Geeta say “you in the blue tee-shirt, take your shoulder back”. I knew she was talking to me because things weren't going so well in my pose. Next thing I knew there she was next to me. She adjusted my arms, legs, head and hips so quickly I am not sure what she did. But I understood now what she was trying to make me do with my shoulders. After class I thanked her and she simply nodded her head in reply.

Lost in Translation

Having a flatmate from Spain has been great. He reminds us of Mandy Patinkin's character in The Princess Bride (Inigo Montoya) in his gentle, polite demeanor. Oscar was telling us how he felt lucky to have scored such a great living arrangement. (we heard about a couple of people who didn't have water for two days). He said “I have the luck of the newbie”. Karen figured out he meant beginner's luck!

Thanks for your posts, keep them coming! Nitin, I will get the things you asked for.

Puja and another Geeta

2008-08-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

Last night our hosts, Sanjeev and Sush Ama invited us to a family event. The family had earlier in the day held a puja (a religious ritual). In the evening was an informal get-together and we were invited to go up to the 7th floor and have some food, desserts and social time.

We met in-laws, nieces, nephews, mothers aunts and uncles. Sush Ama's mother is bedridden but we brought to her room to be introduced and to chat. Even though she was obviously in pain, she had a beautiful smile and told us how Pune used to be.

Today we went to a private residence for an amazing shopping afternoon. We were picked up by car (a big deal after riding in rickshaws for two weeks) by Geeta's husband Sunder. And then we were met at the door by Geeta herself, and even though I hadn't yet met her she hugged me in welcome. We were treated to lunch of mixed veggies, a squash dish, Indian bread and paratha (potato dumplings). It was the best meal we have had since we arrived! Geeta's house was beautiful and quiet. We met her grandsons, daughter and son-in-law.

Then the shopping began. We walked to the back of her yard to a converted garage. This is where Geeta displays all of her wares from her travels around India. Geeta brought us chai tea, which we sipped as we opened drawers, unfolded scarves, and dug through piles of purses. Everything in the store was beautiful and we soon had picked out many gifts - as well as some treasures for ourselves. Ladies of my family, expect gifts! (sorry guys). Geeta gave both us us a gift of a cotton purse/backpack to nicely package what we had selected. She personally drove us home as well, and invited us back for another meal.

I am almost out of dark chocolate and I don't know how I will cope for two weeks. Julie - you were right I needed to bring more!

Finally, Geeta's women's class yesterday was strenuous and informing. We did janu sirsasana (a seated forward bend) five times and I left the class feeling good. Both Karen and I were grateful to sleep in this morning to the sound of monsoon rains.

Personal notes: Catie, thanks for the post and let me know how things go.

Forward Bends and Massage

2008-08-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

We are on to a week of standing poses and forward bends! Our first forward bend class was with Geeta. It was the best forward bend class ever and Geeta's teaching was briliant. My head was acutally in the vicinity of my leg in Maricyasana I - definitely a first! Geeta started class by looking at the people in the front row and declaring that she was tired of seeing the same faces in the front. She made everyone switch places and I ended up second row, center. It was illuminating to be that close to her. She looked me in the eye many times and I couldn't help but repsond in my poses by going deeper. She was in an extremely good mood - telling us jokes about ice cream vs. janu sirsasana. I could feel that she wanted to connect with us so that we understood what she was teaching.

Karen and I made it to our massage yesterday at Ayur Jyoti. It was a wonderful oil massage and I felt so relaxed that I didn't mind the rickshaw ride home in rush hour traffic.

I feel acclimated now to the culture, the Institute and our schedule. This has helped my stress level and my practice. A group of five of us are meeting to take notes on the clases. The others in our group are Nancy from NY, Tina from Seattle, Glennis from Englan and our flatmate Oscar. It feels a little like living in the dorm and studying together.

Tonya and Terry - I said hi to Nana. He remembered both of you. Tonya he said "yes, yes, Tonya and Barb"!

Cyber Cafe

2008-08-07T01:26:00.000-07:00

Karen and I are sitting in a cyber cafe so we can have high speed internet access, instead of dial up. It is completely filled with teenage boys playing Doom online. They are yelling and shouting in their immersion in what they are doing. The walk was crazy to get here and we crossed the street with a young man who seemed to know what he was doing. It is hot and stuffy despite the open windows. and a real Pune experience. I think I will stick with the slower dial up at home, as I am getting a headache from the heat and noise.

Karen and I wanted a taste of home last night so we watch Star Wars on my laptop. We are both Star Wars nuts, and it was great to watch and relax.

It is interested to practice in the hall and watch everyone use the ropes. I have learned quite a few new ways to work with the ropes and I am excited to share with everyone at home. I feel my body start to open in new ways as I am immersed in this experience. Tonight is our first pranayama class. The students who are new to classes at Pune are to go to a different class than those who are here for the second (or more) time.

Bill - we are on the second floor, not the fourth. Julie, thanks for the iPod speakers - Karen and I are using them a lot! Nitin, I will say hi to Nuvana's relatives, thanks for the tip!

Food and Clothes

2008-08-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

Apparently the birds make a ruckus in the evening as well!

Our flatmate moved in yesterday. His name is Oscar and he is from Madrid. He seems like a very kind man and we enjoyed talking to him last night. It is his first time here for classes as well. He has spent some time on the west coast, and even drove from San Francisco to Seattle on Highway 101!

One post asked about food. We are incredibly lucky - we have a cook come to our flat everyday and make lunch for us. For 50 rupees (about a buck and a quarter) she makes dal (a lentil dish soupy or thick), a vegetable of our choice (cauliflower, carrots, beans, squash, okra), chappatis (flat bread kind of like tortillas but not really) and a grain like rice. We come home from practice or class and all we have to do is heat and serve! For dinner we usually have left overs, and for breakfast I have oatmeal or peanut butter bread. I thought I would have to do without ice cream, but I am happy to say I just had some chocolate B&R ice cream.

Had an interesting class with Prashant - all twists. He spoke about quality and quantity in poses. We held each poses for what seemed like an eternity while he tried to get us to connect body mind and breath. One surprise - he was very funny, making jokes several time.

Geeta taught this morning and we worked really hard. I have so much work to do on my basic standing poses. I felt like Geeta was speaking to me with each instruction that both re emphasized previous points, and took us deeper.

Finally - Karen and I had some great retail therapy yesterday. We went to see Sunita the Tailor, and we both ordered some beautiful salwaar khameezs (pant suits with scarves and I am not sure of the spelling) to be made to our measurements. There was so much beautiful fabric and Sunita was so kind and welcoming that my homesickness was completely gone.

Personal Notes:

Terry, I will say hi for you.

Power Out and a New Friend

2008-08-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

First - thanks for all the great posts! I loved reading them! I was a little homesick when I opened my blog, and knowing you are all reading it made me feel better.

Power outages seem to be a fact of life here. I asked our host, Sanjeev what was going on. He said that the monsoon rains have been light this year, creating power shortages. So they have to initiate rolling power outages around the city. So far today, the regular power has gone out twice. Luckily for us, our building has a back up generator, so when the regular power goes out we can still have lights, computers, and refrigeration. But no hot water, we have discovered.

Last night Glennis - a women from England (and Karen's roommate from two years ago) came home with us after class to write down "yoga notes". Yoga notes are what us yoga nerds do after each class - writing down the sequence and then filling in detail about what was taught. Glennis is a hoot! She regaled us with stories of her travels and with her accent I felt like I was sitting next to Eliza Doolittle.

The class last night was taught by Chandra, and was a very good class. We learned an interesting new way to do headstand as well as some standing pose variations.

We have our first class with Prashant tonight. Prashant is Mr. Iyengar's son. I have heard his classes are really interesting so I am looking forward to it.

Personal notes:
Good luck Catie, let me know how it goes. Thanks for the info Bill, we will try again. Kathleen from Thursday night class - thanks again for the lavender/rosemary soap you gave me. I brought it along and it smell lovely.

Children's Yoga, Practice near Guruji, Good Rickshaw, Bad Rickshaw

2008-08-04T03:25:00.000-07:00

Yoga

Yesterday I observed a children's class taught by Guruji's granddaughter Abbhy (not sure how to spell her name). For those of you who don't know, Guruji means "my teacher". This is what Mr. Iyengar's students call him. It was far different from the adult classes - short holds, lots of jumpings, no props at all (except for a mat for headstand). The kids had lots of fun and I learned some new things to bring back for the adults. Abbhy is very knowledgeable and already a good teacher in her mid-20's.

Today our practice time was early, and Guruji came in right away. He always sets up in the same spot so I had the honor of practicing 15 feet away from him. He was in a good mood and flashed Karen a big smile and said namaskar when she paid him her respects. Perhaps tomorrow I will work up the nerve to approach him.

Today I once again got the feeling that I know so little, even after 12 years of study. It was informative to watch the advanced practices of the others, and to try to memorize the inventive prop setups being used. It is a privilege to be here!

Rickshaw rides

Karen and I took two rickshaw rides in the past couple of days.

The first was with Naana. Naana is a rickshaw driver patronized by the American students. The ride was exciting, fun and Naana organized our itinerary for us. He also acted as tour guide, telling us the name of rivers, bridges and hotels. Yes Bill, I said hi for you and Naana was pleased to know that I knew you. He asked how you were doing.We did some shopping and got some gifts for people back home. We arranged a Tuesday trip with Naana to a tailor to have some clothes made. This was the good rickshaw ride.

Today we had booked Ayurvedic massage appointments and decided to take our chances with a rickshaw driver. We were told - easy to get there, 10 minute ride. Bad decision! We never got to our destination - even though we had a business card with a map on it. He pulled over numerous time to ask pedestrians for directions and we went in circles for 30 minutes. Finally, he asked and English speaking person for help, and we asked our good Samaritan to tell the driver we just wanted to go back home. I think the rickshaw driver felt embarrassed he couldn't get us there, but we had long missed our appointments. So instead of getting relaxed, we were wiped out by the ride, fumes and frustrations. Next time we will go with Naana!

Personal Notes

Come on people, more posts back would be great! Especially KA! Thanks to the 5 people who posted yesterday. It made my day to read these post from home after our rickshaw ride from heck. Marion from the UK, I am glad you are enjoying the blog. Dad, thanks for the note and Nitin, I will check out the laughing yoga.

Julie, I had a chat with Glennis last night and she remembers you and kept saying over and over how nice you are.

The power went off in the middle of this post - thank goodness for autosave.

That's it for now!

Sounds of India and More

2008-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest things to get used to is the cacophony of sound. The typical day begins with the din of thousands of birds at daybreak. I don't know how anyone could sleep through it! Then the rickshaws, motorcycles, cars, buses and truck begin hitting the streets and the honking begins. Honking seems to be the preferred way of letting another vehicle know that you are going to pass them. So the honking isn't in anger, but more of a courtesy. Still, it can grate on the nerves after listening to it all day! Of course, all of these vehicles also have loud motors, and there are so many of them. Another sound in the mix is the generator - this morning the electricity failed, and they fired up the generator to get things back up and running.

Another noise I have had to get used to is the elevator in our flat. Not the sound of the elevator traveling up and down, but the song the elevator plays. That's right - the elevator plays a musical number, in our case "Fur Elise". It goes on all day and night, like a cell phone that a inconsiderate person never turns off.

Now a comment about the students at the Institute. Us Americans are out numbered. There are Indian students of course, but there are also Greeks, Spaniards, Italians, Canadians, Belgians, Chinese, Polish, German, Russian, French, English and Irish students! And also one women from Iran. I am sure there are other countries represented, as these are the students I have encountered in the first two days of classes. I look forward to getting to know some of these people from around the world.

My second class was great and I was much less intimidated. Today is a day off and we indulged in some shopping.

If you would like to post me a message, please do, I would love to hear from you!

Sleep and Yoga

2008-08-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Finally, some sleep! While I never felt sleepy during the day, I could not sleep at night for the first 3 nights here. But yesterday Karen and I moved into our flat (a huge improvement over the Ambience hotel) and I finally slept like a rock. Life will be pleasant here - we are directly next to the institute, and my room overlooks the courtyard between the Iyengar family home and the Yoga hall. Our host, Sanjeev, is incredibly nice and generous.

On Thursday, I attended my first practice. You are given a practice time everyday to work individually and access all the yoga props the institute has to offer. I was intimidated the moment I walked in. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, and many of the practices seemed quite advanced. I set up, hoped no one was watching me, and started in. Then, Mr. Iyengar showed up for his practice and also to work with others. It was amazing to watch this almost 90 year old man do his practice and speak about yoga! By the end of the practice session I was feeling better and slightly more confident.

Yesterday was my first class with Geeta. I was terrified when class started. The hall was packed - I thought there were at least 120 people and everyone was working to get a spot for their mat. It was humid and hot, and I didn't know anyone around me. But once we got underway, there was no time to be anxious. Geeta worked us hard, even though we mostly did basic poses - downward dog, tadasana (about 12 times), and the basic standing poses. Geeta was in a good mood and made many jokes. When we first laid down in savasana, she joked "the shouting is over!".

Personal notes:

Julie, Norma from SY says hi. Glennis is not staying in our flat, but will be in our building. She doesn't arrive for a few days. Karen knows Glennis and will point her out to me. Ryan and Lindsey, thanks for the post! Nitin, it was nice to see you. Barb, I had dinner with Anne (from Portland) and we discussed classes in Portland. I also chatted with Jeff from NY (FPR Anne's teacher).

Time to head to my second class!

We Are Here

2008-07-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

After 48 of travel, Karen and I arrived in Pune. Things went extremely smoothly. The planes were on time, the ride to Pune was not quite as crazy as I thought it would be and we are now settling into our room.

My first taste of India was the airport. The Mumbai airport was completely torn apart, with dozens of men sitting around the work areas. When we left the airport we were greeted by a crowd of hundreds of people, apparently waiting for other passengers. Then, the skies opened and a couple inches of rain came pouring down. After some confusion, we found our driver and headed to the Leela hotel, where we had tea and cookies before bed.

Our car ride to Pune was four hours and our driver did not speak much English, but he tried to point out the sights. The vegetation reminded me of the North shore of Kauai - lush and dark green. And just like Kauai, there were beautiful waterfalls coming down the hillsides from the heavy rain. Our driver pointed out monkeys on the highway barriers, the Arabian Sea and the herd of goats on the road.

Yoga starts in two days, and I am hoping that I can hold my own under the watchful eyes of Geeta Iyengar!

Return of Anxiety

2008-07-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

My last post said that I had moved from anxiety to anticipation. I should have known that my usual travel anxiety would resurface, like a prickly weed that resprouts after repeated attempts of eradication. Yesterday I had a morning of worry about family (what if they forget that they like having me around?) and flying (how can I spend 20 hours in a plane?). What I needed was physical effort to clear my head. So I whacked at the camellia bushes, and then my son, husband and I took a short hike. To cap these efforts I practiced for an hour. By dinner time I felt much more centered and calm.

Today will be a day of packing, cleaning and hanging out with the family. I hope to keep my anxieties to a minimum with positive thinking - I can do this!

Almost There

2008-07-22T21:38:00.001-07:00

I am less than one week from departure and everything is almost ready. The goodbyes and well wishes have begun as I wind down my teaching schedule this week. I feel I have moved beyond anxiety to anticipation.

I am fortunate to be travelling with my best yoga friend Karen Allgire, from Cleveland. Karen has already made one trip to Pune, and I have already relied on her experience and guidance to prepare and pack. Karen has reassured me as I have my expressed fears about both the travel and studying with the Iyengar family - thanks Karen!

One of my students asked me what expectations I have of the trip and what I hope to learn. I answered that I didn't have specific expectations of what I wanted to learn, rather I am eager to experience the effects of uninterrupted yoga practice. I am extremely thankful that I will have the opportunity to spend a month focused on my practice and studies - I realize this is an chance that many people never get. Thanks to my family and everyone at SYC who has supported me!

Acceleration

2008-07-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

19 days and counting! Life seems to be accelerating like a jet takeoff - I feel pinned back in my seat as my final preparations take shape. My travelling friend and I are emailing each other twice a day, figuring last minutes details. I have purchased numerous items from both the "natural remedies" area of New Seasons as well as more traditional things found in a medicine cabinet. I am prepping my mom and Jen to keep the yoga center running smoothly while I am gone. I realize I need a bigger piece of luggage!

Admidst this preparation I am managing to keep my daily pranayama and asana practice. Some days my practice seems superficial as I try to stay focused. Other days I feel confident that I am prepared and and my pracice is filled with discipline and self-study. I know that my time in India will be another type of acceleration - of my practice and of my understanding of yoga.

2008-06-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I realized that I am only five weeks out from my departure date. I need to keep up the intensity of the preparations I have begun.

One area I have been focusing on is the length of my sirsasana (head balance). In India, they expect you to have 8-10 minute head balance. I have been working on my head balance almost every day and can easily do 8 minutes, but 10 minutes is still a challenge. Staying in sirsasana for 10 minutes is certainly a physical challenge, but it is also a mental challenge. My mind tries to convince me that I need to come down because my limit has been reached, but if I focus on the breath for a few moments, the feeling often passes. For those of you working on poses that are difficult for you try this! See if you can stay a few more breaths, and then perhaps you can stay for a few more.

What to name the blog?

2008-06-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with a fellow yoga nerd about how our lives revolve around yoga. She reminded me of the saying (forgive me I don't remember who first said this) that at first you have to fit yoga into your life, but then you have to fit life into your yoga. What a great name for a blog about my first trip to India to immerse myself in the practice of yoga. Classes six days a week for 2 hours, plus a 3 hour daily practice time for an entire month!

I leave at the end of July so the first postings will be about preparation - mentally, physcially and yogically.