The Day After, Take Two

It's now the day after The Day After. That's the way things have been going on around here. After our 5am led practice this morning, Vivian went to her Sutra chanting class, Yarrow and I rickshawed our way to the Green Hotel's farmer's market, where we totally scored some peanut butter and guava jelly. Sandwiches are apparently still a staple for us, India or not. We just had lunch at Anu & Ganesh's place. They do lunches and offer internet. All this for about $6. In a few hours we will go to Guruji's Sunday Conference, where he breaks it down for us mortals. Of course there is a lot of sitting and staring until somebody asks an intelligent question. As the sun sets we will be in a rickshaw once again for a group trip to see Mysore's Palace lit up with literally hundreds of thousands of lights. Whew! But enough about the future, here's what I wrote yesterday---

It's now the Day After.
We paid Guruji for our next month, asked about the arrival of our teacher David, and approached the topic of our own practices, when to come earlier, that sort of thing. There was some confusion while talking about David's plans that should have tipped me off as to how the next conversation was about to go. Nevertheless, we pushed forward and asked:
"Guruji, we do second series at home, when do we start to add poses with you here?"
The following sequence is a bit of a blur. While he didn't say NO, he didn't quite say YES. It was like an enigma wrapped in a burrito-shell of innuendo with a hint of mystery and a dash of confusion. OK, it was dunked in confusion. But Guruji's burrito was hard to take. He spoke of "primary series is perfect" "you come 5am" "January Changes" "I look, I see"... and it was in some sort of Hitchcock Vertigo spiral and I grabbed Vivian and said 'what was all that?'
We tried to get clarification, but this guy is good. It was like Q & A quicksand in there, I ask and we struggle and get more stuck. It was like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern trying to 'glean what afflicts' Hamlet and learning that he can tell a hawk from a handsaw when the wind is Southerly... Half of everything he said meant nothing at all, and the other half meant something entirely else!
We had a quick debrief with fellow students who helped with the translation. At the end of it all, I am still confused, but in some ways unchanged. This is still my practice and I will get out of it what I need. And I might check in with Saraswati, I might not. To be fair, I should wait for Guruji to 'look, see' before I add poses (something others are doing in Sharath's absence)at least for a bit. I am hearing that January is about to get crazy around here. Maybe that's what he was referring to. Many students have recently left to study with Sharath in Goa, and many aren't coming until after the shala re-opens. And at that time I'm told this place will be packed. With Sharath back, there's no telling what peoples series' will look like. The bottom line is not to get too attached to anything now or for the next couple of months. In some ways we picked the worst time to come in terms of Sharath-based acknowledgement and advancement, but we are spending more time with Saraswati and Guruji. So maybe this is the best of times.

Two Month's Eve

It's now the day after Thanksgiving for us, here in Mysore. How do I try to explain that concept to our 8-year-old, let alone an adult local. Yeah, Thanksgiving; commemorating some mystical first meeting between Indians(Americans/Indiginous/First-Peoples) and their european "guests" as they settle down to a feast/pot-luch(potlach)/buffet with a Wild Turkey (Sorry, Russ, the bird) as the centerpiece. The fun doesn't stop the day after either. This day welcomes in the Spirit of Shopping, nestled right between the Spirit of Thanksgiving and the Spirit of Christmas. Brought to you by Ronco. Actually, it's difficult to actually be so cynical so far removed from the old ways. We celebrated our family last night with a HUGE bowl of fruit salad, and some chocolate, while watching another American family, The Simpsons. This is our new addiction. Every night we are mezmerized by low morals and high laughs. Yarrow even gets to watch it while we're at practice. After came Wallace & Gromit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit. But we are finding that despite the novelty of foreign TV offering a few familiar faces, we are trying to get by with what we have to go on moment by moment. It's like camping, in an unfamiliar town, for three months. Our list of what we should have brought is getting larger than the list of what we did bring. We appreciate what people have suggested we may need, but the truth is one never quite knows what one may need until it is needed. Duh. I know. My point is, we are learning more about ourselves and whis important to us than what we thought we would learn from outside sources. But we knew this going into this situation. So among the things I am grateful for bringing:
my sandals that I almost threw out before leaving,
my old Casio watch/alarm/calculator combo,
Leatherman,
Flashlight,
Bug-Bite Medicine,
Emergen-C vitamin mix,
Three bars of Vegan Chocolate.
We are already out of the last three, btu they were good in the going. Add them to the growing list of things we needed more of:
Music & DVD's.
We listen to a LOT. We are already a tune-cranking family (boom-boom music Yarrow would call it) but now we have to drown out the street noise at night. We brought a good variety, just not enough. In the past, we've actually brought more for a weekend retreat. We only brought 6 movies, and none of them with explosions!
Books.
Yarrow has a lot to read, we made sure of that. Many people said that Mysore is full of books for all ages, but that hasn't been the case. Pricing varies, the selections aren't that great. Part of me is saying 'Whatta ya want? You're in India.' The other part is saying 'Just because I'm in India doesn't mean I hafta read John Grisham or something about the Upanishads.' I've found myself craving words, like others crave sweets. There is English everywhere here in the South, no lack of familiar stimuli. But content is everything. Or is that context? I find myself reading and criticizing the local newspapers every bit as much as the Olympian and Seattle Times. It doesn't fill me up though, and so now I'm elbow-deep in three books and I am still ravished. I'm also reading a lot of non-fiction. This started with Michael Crichton's Travels. (Thanks Russ) Even the fiction was science related after that. Now I'm into Hawking's 'Brief History of time', Oliver Sachs' 'Man Wo Mistook His Wife For A Hat', 'Tao Te Ching' by Ko Hsuan (Aleister Crowley). Ok, so maybe that last one isn't entirely science, but it's still fun. On deck is 'Chaos' by James Gleick. Maybe I'm just looking outward to find my inner worlds. This whole trip has been like that. I knew the journey would be more important than the destination but I still have to go through that process to get at some things. Added to the daily survival is illness. I'm on day 3 of fever, actual 100-degree still-doing-yoga fever. If it gets any worse I may stay home, but mat-time is one of the few familiar things I've got. I'm fine with change too, but this is the reason we are here. We are already having a mat-defecit with just a quick led practice twice a week and (only) primary mysore in between. We pay for another month tonight and we are going to ask for more yoga. There are two opinions on this. Conservataves would say we should wait patiently until we are instructed to do so as this is the kind of thing that Karma and Chivalry and Obi Wan are all about. Others would say you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, snatch that pebble Quai-Chang-Kane-like when it's your turn. We're going with #2. The worst is, he will say no, we will wait, he will forget, we will ask later. Like Memento. Without the tattoos. Of course all this is for the formality of adding a meager pose or two from second series, which we already do at home anyway. But we ARE here to learn, and maybe I need to learn to ask for things. We have already started adding some home stretchies into our evening routine. Not quite a full practice, but it helps us keep a grip on things. Part of the problem of having so much 'time-off' of our usual schedules means that Vivian doesn't get to do yoga with all her friends, 2-3 times daily six days a week! And I usually drop by for an added 1-4 practices/week, so we are not getting the back-bend attention we are accustomed to. You see, backbends are still the only real time we get to spend with the Family. We are sufficient enough in our practice to not need help getting into poses, so backbends is our time to get a compulsory adjustment. And it can be a deep one. Sometimes dropped back onto the top of the head, then three quick half-backs, then full back and walk the hands in. No, further. No, further. Now walk your hands, now walk in, walk in, Now take your leg, you-take leg, you-take-leg, take-leg, straight arms, I say straight arms, now up! Why? Why? Sorry. Flashback... Guruji was just asking me about my heels. 'I don't know why they lift' I say. He doesn't understand...
But we get up each morning and go.
This is why we are here.
All the side trips like the Tibetan Monastary, 1000 steps up to another temple overlooking Mysore, riding an elephant, scouting around for soymilk- these are distractions. Wonderful, educational distractions. We are richer for them, and will bring their energy and essences back with us to share in the form of stories, some with pictures and scraps others with sounds and movement. (Who are we?) I am further from my goal but closer to myself with every breath. That's what the yoga is supposed to be about anyway, isn't it?For the first few weeks I treid to block out my past life to acclimate to the new, and now that we are edging on the one month mark, I find my attention turning to home, only in the future, not the past. I am not thinking of myself in terms of who I was or what I used to do (for a living/ for fun) but who do I want to be when I get back? Where do I really want to put my energy? How can I rake in enough cash to make it back here next year? And that is the real topic in the forefront of our brains. If we are to commit to this as an interest, as a hobby, as a profession, as a lifestyle, what does that look like and what is it going to take to make it possible? Before I scare anybody into a 'they're never coming back' frenzy, we are. We have to. Our visa's run out soon. But if this is our life, job, hobby or at least passing interest, why not pursue our passions with vigor? As much as I seemed to complain about leaving too much Home at home, I fear I won't be able to bring enough India back with me. But it will be in every breath I take, every step I make, every--- ok, sorry about the Police reference. But seriously folks, It really does run deep, and I've also taken a bit of all of you here as well. From the HSP homies (found some children's material featuring questionable touches) to both Tattoo-d Casey's (found out that the Tattooed/pierced freaks at the shala I heard about is ME) and the rest of the Oly Yoga crew (no props, but lots of squirt bottles) to the Valley crew who would understand how easy it is to lose count in Navasana, to the Wind Up Here gang (thanks for keeping me posted) and the Crew at the Washington Center for all the hard, SAFE work. I wanted to take Yarrow on an amusement ride, but I don't trust American ones...If we survive, remind me to tell you guys about how they managed to get me set up with hot water for the morning shower...
Anyway-
That means that I'm rambling again. I want to do this more often so it won't come out so spastic, but look at who's doing the writing! I really, really, do promise to write sooner. Vivian had an entry, but it sat too long and i couldn't wait, so you may be reading her next. OK. I'm done. Yeah.

aeryk

Day Ten

Day 10.
Some things are beginning to settle in. We are actually here. We are actually going to be here for another 12 weeks or so. I am actually in front of a computer in a third world country, it's almost 8pm, and it's already past my bedtime. Things have changed! I am further away from the world as I knew it, and at the same time closer to all the action without even fully realizing it. I found out today there was a verdict in Saddam's trial, and that Iraq went a little nuts. I haven't yet checked with any western sources to confirm what I heard, but it seems that this would be big news back home and I barely caught it. Same goes for a little Mysore action. I heard two days ago (then read it today) that the reason banks were closed and presumably "on strike" causing several days of financial paranoia and misery was because of the two Pakistani terrorists caught withdrawing large funds HERE IN MYSORE ! You think somebody would have told me. Well, somebody did, but my landlady was all calm about it, as though this happens daily. So what else is new, Seattle? Next time something like this goes down, somebody tell me!
But enough about my mindset. Our bodies are settling in a whole other way. What started as a nice firm futon has changed into a lumpy mass of backache. I also need new sandals. I actually threw my back out during sun salutations Thursday, limped my way through a half-primary, and took the next day off. I knew this experience was about finding humility, but did I have to find it in the front row under Guruji's chair? The practice the day earlier was right next to that spot, and one of my strongest. But Saturday we snuck up to our rooftop for some evening second series with a couple of friends. That helped put me together enough to face this morning's 5am led class. Vivian has held her practice well, despite not feeling enough time is spent on backbends. She's so used to 2-3 practices/classes a day that I think it's hard for her to have a 'vacation' of only 90 minutes to start the day and that's it. It also doesn't help that right now her body is rebelling digestively. We each have a challenge in a language our body understands. The real star of the family is Yarrow. She has caught the Ashtanga bug and has started practicing again. Vivian and I have thought about offering a youth class if enough kids show up. (There is a seven-year-old girl we just met) Yarrow begged us to buy her a mat and secretly begin her training. (My telling this doesn't count) She was going to do some kid warm-ups, I was supposed to help in my usual supportive yoga-model sort of way, but I was sacked out. Vivian led her through the primary series until she had to leave, passing on the last bit to me. She was amazing! It's hard for us adults to see her pop into 3rd & 4th series asanas. And so we hope to add this to our routine as we settle further into our new lives here.
Part of our new routine is breakfast with friends. We have spent a lot of time with one gal from London who lives upstairs. Another is from Istanbul whom we took in while she found a new apartment. We all arrived recently for the first time and have created our own "Breakfast Club" of support. We have met many wonderful people with amazing practices. It's just like the movie Guru, only real. Literally. It is so exciting to also run into people we know, and to remind ourselves that more are on the way as the season evolves. There is one glitch though. Actually two. Sharath is leaving next week to go on tour. Then in December the shala will be closed 18th-30th. We are told we will be credited next month for the time missed, but that's only a financial recompense. What about missed yoga? How can you put a price on that? We are not sure what will happen. We may stay longer, we may tour ourselves a bit, we may just do living-room-asanas. Seeing another teacher will forfeit our tuition credit and I'm told that there ARE yoga spies who will find out. I just want my time with the family. Speaking of... mine is waiting at home. It is convenient to walk two blocks to the e-cafe to write this. I almost don't need a laptop. But with the still-shifting energies in our western forms, the mind must put the body to rest. There was a time not too long ago when I would scoff at anyone who went to bed before 9pm, and I never missed seeing midnight strike my Timex. Times, they have a-changed.

aeryk