Oly Yogis in Mysore

Perspective

2007-01-28T18:22:00.000+05:30

It's like briefly looking at the sun, then turning your gaze down to your hand and not seeing a bee that has landed upon it. Perspective has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it, and always stays just out of your reach if you want it too much. This is one of the first shots I took of Mysore up on Chamundi Hill. There are 1,000 steps to reach the top, and no two are alike. It's not like climbing stairs at home. It's not like the stairwell at the Sheridan. It turned out to be unlike anything I had imagined- not un-attainable, just not what I had at first imagined. Even this shot, about 3/4 up, was taken on the way down. I didn't see it before. I didn't know my legs would burn like that coming down. I didn't know. Now when I look at this picture I am reminded that I found out. Step by step I began to see things differently. Unfortunately, I can only tell you about it. And show you this picture. Now I look at this picture and I know down there I went to the zoo. I took a rickshaw to a nearby lake. Across town there was a music concert. And somewhere in the top-left corner is a suburb we spent 90+ days getting some perspective. I re-read the "Travels" quote and know that I will still be on this journey for some time, even when I return my body to Olympia. We have been packing and making plans for next time- and that is a concept worthy of it's whole own blog- and who we will be when we return? Who are we while at home? It is good to ask so many questions. Seek for an answer and you will certainly find two more questions. As for answers, we have only few. Shiva has arranged a ride out of town Thursday at 5pm. That much is certain. We will have our final led practice that morning, say our goodbyes, and then---
And then we will have another perspective, that of world travellers returning to the tribe with dirt and tales of far off lands. And then our perspective will shift again. I am looking forward to looking forward with my lessons here, to perpetuate this for myself and to share and inspire others with what blessings I have been given. I hope to share from the perspective of student, from the view of a teacher, with the eye of an artist, through the gaze of a saddhu, all through the rose-tinted peepers of the human experience.

aeryk

Ten Days

2007-01-23T18:24:00.000+05:30

Ten days.

In ten days my sandals will come off, and my first footfall out of the house won't be on Guruji's doorstep. In ten days Mysore will heat up to 85*, and won't drop below 65*, just as the Groundhog plays Mother Nature and gambles on an early spring. In ten days I will not rise at 3am and walk through the bats' breakfast obstacle course to get to yoga. I will not have a coconut waiting for me after practice. I will not be paying for my after-yoga snack with rupees. In ten days I will not be thinking about the next ten days.

I will be home.

January has been packed. At the first led class of the new year, I was up front hearing that the count topped 100 and more poeple were still coming in. Both bathrooms were packed on both levels, as was the main foyer. Last week they handed out time-cards to let us know(and them) what our start time was. The numbers only went to 208. After that, students need to try Saraswathi or Sharath's classes, or find somewhere else. Tough. Today I met another new-to-town yogi from Australia. Another first-timer. At conference last Sunday, Guruji said that 60% of students right now are new. This is good, he says. On teaching, he says students should not teach what they don't know. Many students want to be teachers, before they are even students. Study. Study, then go teach with blessing. Go teach it right. OK, I'm paraphrasing, and I didn't hear everything clearly, but that is the basic idea. So that's where we are at. Ten days left to process our lives, plan for our future, live in the current and try to survive ourselves enough to see this thing through. I want to say that this is the glorious end to a successful adventure, but this isn't a comic book. For one thing, I'd have better tights, and a cape. But we are struggling to find a balance with being open to experience and people, and needing to shut down, pack up and not feel loss. The good thing about our timing is that we got set up at the shala and Mysore before the crowds. Many are turned away each day to make other arrangements for practice, homes, and living supplies. We are so greatful still for all the generousities given to us along the way. We also balance how much of ourselves we are able to give. There is no end to need and poverty here, and it can be overwhelming. We decided early on that we would try to not let it bother us, that we would give a bit when we can, and make greater attempts as we near our departure date. So our visits to neighborhood kids has increased. Yarrow gives food daily to a girl her age who takes care of her toddler brother. It is good for her to have this experience, and have it be a positive interaction instead of just another street-begging moment. Today we also took a cat to the vet. That is the blur in photo #2. She lives at a nearby bakery living on cake. She developed an abcess so an vet appointment was made. We spent the day with the calico kitten, or "becu" and will give it back with medicines and instructions, with follow-ups to be planned. There are several who will help take care of this, but it feels weird to start this process and leave town. This is difficult because I really want to help, but it's hard to be so open and expend energy when I question If I even have enough for myself. The other side is that there are fewer cats in India, so I haven't been around them and that is hard for me. Dogs, yes. Everywhere dogs. Cats? Skittish and hidden. In ten days I will be able to spend time with cats. I will wear converse. I will drink Batdorf Coffee. (OH, GOD YES!!!) In ten days I will be in my country of origin; my experiences, my shadows, my triumphs, my bon mots- but part of me will not be coming back. Part of me will stay right here, wrapped in the reality-turned-fantasy. Just as it took time to integrate here, I anticipate a re-integration period. The difference is that we only had to survive and seek out experiences, decide on where to have lunch or which Sutra classes to take. When I get back, I feel like I need to hit the ground running. Vivian has classes starting up the next week, I have some theatre stuff, and we have the massive ordeal of our lives we left behind and all the question marks to be answered. As much as I'd like to believe that everything will be ok, I've learned that that simply isn't so. I've been told by rickshaw drivers that they know where the place is and that the meter is broken, when both are false. I've also been told that I would have work waiting for me when I return, and I'm once again 'less than employed.' I'm not being told much, so I'm not sure what all is going on, and I don't think that I will ever be told the truth. I got a raise, but lost all seniority and won't be scheduled. I just know that in ten days I will not bask in my experiences but rewrite my resume and remind myself that this was always a possibility with this lifestyle. I try to be open with myself and others and go after the things that inspire me, hopefully at no one's expense, but I feel like I'm stepping on toes trying to do right for myself and family. All I want is to do what I love, do it well, and share it with others until they are passionate about it too. This is hard to do. For me right now this obviously requires several jobs and lots of caffeine. The coffee I can get anywhere, but the work is different. I AM looking forward to sinking myself into work, I just wasn't expecting to start over somewhere else. And now I feel that I've got ten days to figure it out. And say goodbye to a Nation.

In ten days I will be surrounded by English. In ten days I will unpack tomorrows memories. In ten days I will be looking at the want ads on my living room floor.

In ten days I will be home.

*** aeryk ***

Thirteenth Day of Christmas?

2007-01-07T19:58:00.000+05:30

Today is Sunday January 7, 2007. New Year's Eve came and went on an unprecedented uneventful evening. We paid this week for our last month of study at the shala, and guruji either didn't hear or didn't understand when we tried to ask about the credit for ten days that the shala was closed. Sharath is now back as of today, and it was announced that we are to come in at 4:30pm to officially get our start time based on time in Mysore. Having been here for two months, we are in the 5am batch and didn't change our schedule. Yarrow took this picture today out front of the place. Above Guruji's address plate is one of my favorite examples of Indian resourcefullness. To deter trespassers, many walls are topped with shards of glass. Students pile up in front of the gate where we are standing, and when we get there at 4:30am we can't see the gate until it is opened. Then the crowd filters up the steps and into the door. Manju has been in town and today is his last day. it was wonderful to have him in the shala and even more wonderful to connect with him off the mat too. We met up with Julie and stopped by the shala last week to check in with Manju, and as surreal as standing with Manju sounds, Sharath and Saraswathi were also talking with students on the steps. Then David Swenson walks by and I know this is the time and place for everything. The next days with Manju are wonderful. We never saw David again, he was off to Goa shortly afterwards. But if one is asked out for coffee by Munju, one goes. So we did. Nine of us shared a lovely breakfast of idli, dosa, and coffee, some from America, Japan, Argentina, and Mysore residents of long standing. Further conversation led to promises of attending his May teacher intensive in Oregon (who's up for a road trip?), and a spark of inspiration to have him come to Olympia in 2008. Tomorrow I will try to find a way to get the rest out- all the bits as promised, plus Kirtan at our place. Many new faces, a few old, and many more to see tomorrow at 5am.

Four Feet

2007-01-02T11:37:00.000+05:30

Two feet.
Two feet, Three eyes,
One path.

Two feet.
Two feet, Three eyes,
One path.

Four feet.
Four feet, Two hearts,
Six eyes.
One path.

Yarrow's What's Up Page

2007-01-02T11:13:00.002+05:30

This is me. I started doing more yoga when I got here, but I could already do this pose. This picture was taken in our house. In this pose I'm trying to touch my nose. It's getting really full here in Mysore and I'm really glad that we're going soon because it is so packed. Outside the shala with my mom and Aeryk, I had a Molly Moon book and a lady said that she knew the author Georgia Byng and even babysitted her kids. she knew about the books and went on India trips with the author while she was writing them. I asked to get an autograph and she said she would try. I'm really excited about that. That's all for now I guess.

Yarrow

Mamallapuram, Dec 21-27

2007-01-02T11:13:00.001+05:30

Mahabalapuram as known by many, this area features 1400 year old bas relief and cut-rock temples and monuments, including the recovered shore temple, not pictured. We spent six wonderful days wandering through the sites, walking along the shore (Bay of Bengal), and poolside ordering food from our hotel attendant. The way to the beach is lined with harkers offering clothing, toys, jewelry, shells, brass items, crystals, and stone. Lots and lots of stone. No, really. This town is not just representing a documentation of a long ago culture, the Dravidian art represented is one of the oldest lines of Indian history and is very much alive. This town is still in the sculpting business, in some ways on a smaller scale, in other ways not. Soapstone, alabaster, jet, and marble are the most common mediums for these craftsmen. Most of the designs are Hindu devotionals of most Gods and Goddesses, with tourist overtones of kama sutra, pot leaves, yin-yang, and Om's. Okay, that one IS Indian, but still. It's only the hippies back home who REALLY wear them. Amazing work. We got a few samples to bring back, small ones as this is stone. It was actually fun and weird to stay there. I had never stayed in a hotel for that long before. And we had room service because it was the same price as dinner downstairs. And marble floors to do the best hotel-room-yoga ever. No, really. Two of us even. one is difficuly enough, and we were side by side! The hotel even arranged a driver to meet our train at Chennai Central, an hour away, and we got a ride back at 4am at the end of our stay. It was a 15-minute rickshaw drive to and from the station in Mysore, and that much could not have been better. Now here is what didn't work. Making reservations the week before Christmas. Our original plan was to go to Pondicherry and Auroville for most of our stay, and we were trying to cram in our stay in Mamallapuram as well. We purchased train tickets for Chennai, intending to get to points south by car, bus, or train. We got first class for the ride over, executive for the ride back. Getting bumped to a lower class is never an encouraging sign. The next phase involved many rupees, many minds, many books, many hours of grief, many , many, too many phone calls. PHONE CALLS TO FIND OUT HOW TO MAKE A PHONE CALL !!! Sorry. No, really. I tried not to yell at the phone booths too. We tried calling at our regular place, only to find out that out-of-state phone calls use a different system, and that's why my calls won't go through. On the right phones they won't work either. The numbers are repeatedly checked with travel books, online sources, even the ever friendly phone booth attendant. They pour through ancient tomes looking up the prefix, because that is obviously my problem. their problem is that the books are in English and their alphabetizing skills are not the best. They tell me the number doesn't exist. I flip further back in the book, find the town listings, and try to make my calls. Numbers are either not in service, offline, or otherwise not connecting. India's version of directory assistance is consulted several times and finally, it is revealed that Chennai has swallowed up the nearby area with it's zip and area codes, and I am given the secret information. What is frustrating but understandable is that this is a situation of people running to catch up with technology. If I hadn't needed to call the East coast these phone representatives would never have known, never have updated their books. Nobody told them. Actually, they didn't update the changes, and I guess there is probably little call for calls to Chennai in their minds. I estimate that seventy calls (attenpted and otherwise) were required for this part of the journey. Many more followed as we found out that every hotel in and around Pondicherry and Auroville is booked solid through the new year. Ouch. I had emailed at some point to the Hotel Bhavan in Mamallapuram and arranged for our first night. After freaking out about the rest of the trip, I played e-tag and phone tag confirming our stay. Finally Vivian gets an actual hotel desk attendant. We are able to confirm the one night the email thought I wanted. We actually needed six, and they countered with maybe two, with attitude. By the end of the conversation Vivian has secured three nights, no more, but there may be a chance to push when we get there. More calls are made, no luck in P & A, we call back begging for more time, we have a child, we're pathetic Americans, the trains are booked up,... We get the lodging, the car at 9pm, the room service, the pool... aaaaahhhh. Five days of bliss. Christmas at the beach, temples almost to ourselves at times, fruit on the buffet for breakfast, cable TV. Every morning at 5am the nearest Temple blasts devotional music. Five days. When I check in downstairs about our car for the return trip and about payment for the remaining balance, I find they thought I was leaving in the morning and there may not be lodging for us tomorrow night as this is the busy season. It did work out in the end, and I will let one of the girls relate for you the unfortunate events of Yarrow's digestive system on the ride back. The long, long, stinky, bumpy ride back. The trip was a trip in time, a trip in language (Kannada for Tamil), and a trip for the soul. It was challenging in ways we didn't expect, and wonderful in ways we couldn't have recreated.

Yoga Plus One

2006-12-17T17:54:00.000+05:30

There is a phrase that captures an aspect of yoga culture in Mysore.
Yoga plus one.
Briefly- life here is an adjustment. Some take a bit to gather themselves before immersion into the town at large. Having already immersed, others need a break from the often hectic pace if daily life in India. The sight and heat of the sun in the winter months can confuse Northwesterners and cause summer-like catatonia resulting in frequent naps and fruit breaks. To give your all at 5am practice and still accomplish ONE other thing in the whole day is a victory. After all, one can only see so many shrines in a day, each taking time and energy. One weekend is fine but three months requires pacing. Pictured is some our evening activities: laying around doing crossword puzzles, self-photography and other arts, starting but not finishing a great book. That last one was of the girls sacked out at 7pm in our first week. Today's 'plus one' consisted of my unsuccessful attempt to rent a scooter, Yarrow's unsuccessful attempt to plan a dog-sitting date for tomorrow, and Vivian's unsuccessful attempt to get peanut butter at the Green Hotel Market. You may also find a posting two posts ago that got misplaced, then added out of sequence. We did accomplish having a last lunch with some new friends from London area. They had the seven year old Yarrow met up with, and leave for home in a few hours. After that, I locked my keys in my room and found out it only takes a screwdriver-and not even a good one- to take the lock off the door. And now I am waiting to download a batch of pictures onto a disc, but I need the other computer and it has been and still is in use. I guess that project will wait. Maybe I can get credit for it on tomorrow's 'Plus One.'

Bound to Freedom

2006-12-14T09:41:00.000+05:30

A certain feeling came over me as I sat upright, bound in Marichiasana-D for the first time. This was not something I achieved right away, in fact it took me almost a year to do it by myself. In that time I whittled away my waist through a strong diet and stronger practice and trained my body to follow the breath into and through the asanas. Deep in M-D I realized that this is the most bound that I could be and still breathe. I had broke through the layers of discomfort and through the panic that used to set in whenever my breath was about to be cut off. With no use of my legs, arms, or torso the only option was to stretch upwards, sprouting out of my lower half like a lotus rising above the water's surface. Now the breath was genuinely earned and savored, and seemed endless in it's supply. How was I not able to breathe like this before? In the epiphany I flashed on what the feeling reminded me of: skydiving. I was suddenly free of my body and mind falling two miles above the planet with nothing I could do about it but enjoy the ride, and breathe. Jivanmuktih; liberation while still in the body. I carry that memory in a mental pocket and pull it out when I need to be reminded of benchmarks with this practice. Today was also such a benchmark.
When I last spoke of our practice, we were unsure where we stood with Guruji and second series. In fact, I got quite embarassed with myself over the whole thing and decided that I would not seek out Saraswathi or Guruji for clarification, nor would I start adding poses until stopped. I had a good week of thinking and settled into my primary practice. 'This is good' I told myself, 'all advanced people start this way' I rationalized. I have talked with others having come multiple times and have had mixed progression. It is the way it is. Just when I aquiesced and actually started enjoying the simplicity of my practice and the opportunity to focus on things I've put aside in my charge through other asanas, Sharath came back. I had heard that he may be back, but I didn't see him for a couple of days. Yesterday he worked the shala. In his absence many people had begun second series with and without anyone's approval, and some pushed through primary when they had been stopped before. But with Sharath back, many a practice got cut short. I feel vindicated a bit that we didn't add stuff in his absence. Around backbend time he asked Vivian and myself if we just took Pashasana and we told him that we hadn't started second series yet. He said to start tomorrow and then helped us with our backbends. A little aside here about how backbends work at the shala: first off it depends on whom is adjusting you. Standing at the front of your mat with arms crossed sarcophagus-style three quick half-backs are taken; exhale down, inhale up. If Saraswathi is adjusting Vivian, she sometimes gets put onto her head before the first half-back. The fourth is taken then arms extend to the floor for a full backbend. Whomever is adjusting you may say 'walk your hands' 'breathe ' 'take your heels' or some less encouraging phrase such as 'straighten you arms' 'don't bend knees' or simply 'why?' Furtunately for us, we did get a few drop-backs before Sharath was on our mats. While Vivian didn't go the furthest ever, it was still an impressive showing. I got the firmest support ever, and nearly touched my heels unassisted. After receiving my first pose I wasn't about to look like a wimp. The conversation around the breakfast table was about the victories and setbacks seen, heard, and felt around the shala. Another interesting encounter I overheard was of Sharath cracking-down on a friend's attire. Her jogging shorts were too short and she was asked not to wear them again. He said that she was not being singled out and that there was to be a new 'rule' about pants extending to the knee. I guess this will go in the rulebook we all don't get when we sign up, right next to the chapter that doesn't detail when to enter the shala or where and when to set up your mat. Mostly everything here is best learned through trial and error. That way they can spot the new people. I guess that's the thing that is most tangible here, that there is a shift in learning styles. I knew coming here that I wasn't going to really learn tons of Yoga, that I wasn't going to come back with many new poses and routines, but I would have the greater experience of making the pilgrimage and learning about the culture in which this practice arose. Figuring out how the structure works with returning students, seniority, and that sort of thing was also an important facet of our long term goals. It's kind of like college: many come from all over to learn, maybe for the first time away from home. We start as Freshmen, all of us, and progress is acknowledged based more on time served than ability. Can one really start an entry-level job and expect to rise up several job classifications in only a few short months? They really want to see long-term committment, to see that this is a lifestyle choice and not just an athletic program for the season.
And that's what I thought about today, bound in M-D, wondering how many more breaths will I get to take in this beautiful space. What will next trip bring? I hope to find myself looking back on this moment, no longer a Freshman but still in class, binding deeper, rising higher out of my core, breathing Jivanmuktih.

--- The thing with life here is that it doesn't go quite as scheduled or expected. And that these things can be magnified. Today is now Dec. 20th, full moon, the shala is now closed and we hace just celebrated our Solstice. This entry was started sometime early LAST week, I still haven't attached a picture to it, and it may appear out of order chronologically, but it will get done. There is always so much more to say I feel overwhelmed and can't bring myself to walk to the internet cafe and wring out some more satya. So here's the compromise: I will post a few posts in progress and you dear readers can check them periodically to see if they have been updated. I'm only talking about the next few, after that I will have my act together. No, really.
Here's what I want to talk about in future entries:
Rickshaws-- rules, rates, races
Trains-- times, tricks, thalis
Kolams-- sidewalks, sands, symbols
Coconut Culture-- what happens to yogis off the mat
Indian Christmas, kirtans, missing friends, puppies, mentors, translation errors and more!
We are soon leaving for the coast for a week. The planning was an adventure in itself, and may also require it's own entry. Until then---

Animals (not Pink Floyd)

2006-12-11T15:15:00.001+05:30

Nothing amuses a bored, homesick, overstimulated 8-year-old like an animal. Unless it's several. Our neighborhood is full of animals. There are packs of feral dogs running the streets of Olympia, and the same is seen here. There are many pet dogs too, and they are easy to spot. They are the ones with all their fur, and they are fat. Not just recently or well fed, but actually fat. Most animals no matter how revered or cared for show the the signs of living in a harsh environment. Skin diseases run rampant and most non-pets suffer from malnutrition. The pig in the picture appears well off, though. That's the thing- the pigs look great, in the 'does my ass look big in this sty' kind of way and not in a back-bacon sort of way. The pigs live off the streets literally. As far as I can tell people have cows, sheep, goats, chickens, cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, ducks and fish around the house, but no pig as a pet or livestock. And why should they? Pig-milk is not widely used and this is still a predominately vegetarian society. The pigs seem to live off the many lots and sidewalks full of garbage. This specimen was spotted on our way to breakfast on a trash heap. Also digging into the pile were grey-knecked crows (also pictured) more pigs, dogs, chickens and humans. I have seen herders also take their flock of goats through neighborhoods to feast on bushes and grasses of the many unused plots of land around. The picture above shows an important safety traffic rule here in India: largest vehicle always has the right of way, except in the case of livestock. This pack of a dozen or so goats crossed at a busy intersection but received little attention. All in a day's work. There are a few neighborhood dogs that we visit on our daily rounds. Some live at our favorite breakfast spot and enjoy eating Yarrow's leftover pancakes. there is another little one who lives on the streetcorner. All this is fine practice for our return. Yarrow is getting a Miniature Pincer when we return. Until then, these doggy placebos will have to do. And the dogs outnumber the cats, or so it appears. I have snapped a few pictures of the slow ones and they are all beautiful, but shyier than the ones back home. Of course, calling them 'kitty' in English is probably not the best way to begin Indian feline communication.
aeryk

Quote For All Seasons

2006-12-11T10:41:00.000+05:30

From 'Travels' by Michael Crichton-

Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am. There is no mystery about why this should be so. Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of your food, your closet full of your clothes- with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating. I eventually realized that direct experience is the most valuable experience I can have. Western man is so surrounded by ideas, so bombarded with opinions, concepts, and information structures of all sorts, that it becomes difficult to experience anything without the intervening filter of these structures. And the natural world- our traditional source of direct insights- is rapidly disappearing. Modern city-dwellers cannot even see the stars at night. This humbling reminder of man's place in the greater scheme of things, which human beings formerly saw once every twenty-four hours, is denied them. It's no wonder that people lose their bearings, that they lose track of who they really are, and what their lives are really about. So travel has helped me to have direct experiences. and to know more about myself.

In Medias Res

2006-12-07T10:33:00.000+05:30

The term describes a start of a narrative be it a play, song, movie, or simple story shared between two people wherin the protagonist appears already caught up in whatever series of events led up to the current state of affairs. This is seen in Star Wars, we first see a space battle between Rebel and Imperial Forces as we begin with chapter four of a very long, long saga. Likewise, we arrived in Mysore In Medias Res, others already having arrived before us, others showing after we find our way around. Tha baton is passed, we now show others the ropes newly found. Last week was a series of goodbyes, this week is for welcoming. Here is a shot of the old shala. This is before my time, when only 12 students at a time would study. We had a friend stay with us who's last visit was at the old shala. I now see a changed Mysore with her, even through my newly opened eyes. But something else is shifting too. It's harder daily to keep up the small chat, getting to know people every day. I'm learning that I don't always like telling everybody what I really do for work back home. For those that don't really know me, that depends on how many jobs I have in a given month. There's also a distancing happening. I can see why new people attract new people and old-timers do their own thing. At first we want to grasp onto the familiar, share in common struggles. As time goes on though, I need more time for my own processing without justifying or selling my own life story. Or even thinking about it so much. I will return to my old life, but until then I need to stay in this one. Last time I saw Guruji, I was younger and didn't think that I would ever make it here. Now on this side of the equation, I can't see how I ever doubted it. It took one month to settle in, and now I want to make the most of the quickly fading two months left. I will look forward to coming home at some point, but right now I'm just trying to perpetuate this experience. I wish to return every winter like a migratory phoenix, to start every season like every busy day, in medias res.

aeryk

The Day After, Take Two

2006-11-25T10:20:00.000+05:30

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

2006-11-24T14:39:00.000+05:30

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

2006-11-06T19:53:00.000+05:30

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

Three Days Done, Three Months To Go...

2006-10-30T18:20:00.000+05:30

Did I mention the time-stamp is Mysore time? Well it is. We are still adjusting to the time difference. I was cocky at first to think that I was impervious, but is seems to have crept up on us. Maybe it was the adrenaline of arriving, but now that we are trying to settle into a groove things are wearing on us. Let me backtrack a bit. The last week of Oly-time was hectic. Vivian and I got our 3-4 hours of sleep a night, but our waking life was crazy. We worked right up until Monday night with a flight on Tuesday. Now that we are here, there is no "job" to go to, but there is just as much running around. I found out why people use travellers checks. Banks here will only give out so much money per day, and despite my telling my bank I was leaving town, they put a hold on my account once charges from India showed up. So I've become familiar with ATM's trying to get at some funds to pay for our schooling. It's sort of embarassing to tell Guruji that I've travelled across the globe to be here, but he'll have to spot me some yoga for a week or so until I can pay him for it. So we haven't paid all of our "tuition" or the sanskrit classes we signed up for, nor our rent, and we haven't even started looking for cel phones. Which is just as well. Oh yeah-- the way to call us when we do get them (from the US) is to dial 011 (international) 91 (India) then the number. I didn't quite get this in the correct order when I was trying to get ahold of our driver and host family on the eve of our arrival. I found out that Officer Stevenson of the Olympia Police Department didn't know how to make international calls either. After trying several combinations of 91, 011, 1(long distance), and the local Mysore digits, I accidentally called and hung up on 911 dispatch. I told them the first time what I was trying to do, but after several tries I think they just wanted to see in person how stupid I really was. The Mysore cops by way of contrast are hardly ever to be seen. Most intimidating though is the Singapore Airport, with it's AK-47 patrols. But I'm off the track again, a sure sign of jet lag. For those wanting the yoga news, here it is. Led class yesterday was at 5am. Vivian and I got there early just in time to be squeezed in the second-to-last row. It felt good to be back on the mat. Nothing like trying to do asana in an airport. Guruji led the opening chant (call & response) and sun salutations. Sharath led the rest. Kind of like tag-team wrestling, only not as fake. It was interesting to see where people were at with their series- some were stopped at certain points, and some respectfully stopped where they were previously told. We finished tired and victorious after surviving Sharath's Utplitihi. He seems to have the same counting troubles as Guruji. There were two nine's on the way to ten. This morning was our first Mysore-style class. Vivian was placed nearly immediately, and I waited until after 3 people cut ahead of me. I also got moved around a bit. Good news though. We both did the complete series and managed to not get any "bad man/lady". It was a good experience to see where we have been doing things correct and not so correct at home compared to here. I think (and thank) David & Catherine heed well to what's done here. I wish I could have spent more time with them before leaving. And here in Mysore there are so many wonderful and inspiring yogi's and locals to learn from and we are often saying "next time we come..." The same goes for this blog. I keep thinking about all the cool stuff that I see around us and I want to share it with the world, like the eagle-sized fruit bats at the Bird Sanctuary, or the way my head (and Vivian's) almost peeled back from the third eye at the Rama Krishna Ashram, or the way the chaos of scooters flows like blood platelets through one's veins. All this and more. And it only cost letting go of everything and putting myself in debt to become so rich. Tonight I will sleep early, tomorrow I will breathe yoga. Then I will drink from a freshly served coconut. Three days in and already I'm an addict.

Back to the Start

2006-10-28T08:28:00.000+05:30

We're here.
It's as simple as that. The journey was 40 hours of airports, naps, food breaks, more naps, more planes and a lot of chaos. Too much to go into detail here, but let's just say we have come out the other side. I tried to reset the blog to allow postings for those who need to talk back, but it's all still barebones for a while. I need to figure out our camera so we can post pictures, but I can tell you we almost took pictures of Hindi cows, pigs, dogs, chickens, monkeys and one cat within a few blocks of our apartment. Speaking of- thank you to Joey for the use of his castle, and to Frank for hooking us up in his usual yoga tour guide fashion. We are three blocks from the shala and Shiva- the Mysore wheeler & dealer. We are told that now that we use him as our personal broker we cannot use anybody else. Same goes with Guruji & yoga. We signed the waiver so it's official. We are having banking troubles and will continue to resolve them today, but Guruji took us in anyway and we start tomorrow @ 5am. That's it for now. We still haven't regulated our sleep or eating, so we must hunt down our next meal before hitting the banks.

Double Exposure

2006-10-22T11:39:00.000+05:30

I love this picture. It's not a great one; Vivian often doesn't like how she shows in photographs, and you can't even see how the violet in her beautifuly shimmering skirt matches my shirt. And I look way too serious and formal for someone not wearing a jacket. The reason why I love this picture is because Yarrow looks happy. She also looks like she's plotting something. That's her spirit. Her mind is always as active as her body, which for most 8 year olds is quite a lot. I've personally witnessed her devour a 250 page book in 24 hours and find time to practice her violin, run around the yard, play on rings, and attempt to teach the cats circus tricks. She's brave, too. She swallowed live Typhoid cultures four times. One day she got three shots full of---------

O.K.... That story must wait. I've been delayed for two days now, haven't written about all the crazy things that have transpired since I started this entry.
It is now 42 minutes until our ride arrives, we finished 80% of what we wanted to do! Our house is trashed (sorry Hillary & Richard) but we are almost on the road. Thank you everyone who have supported us, either behind the scenes or right in our faces. We couldn't have made this journey without you. We will take a part of everyone with us and try to bring back a little India to share with everyone. In a few days or hours we will be back and tell you about Yarrows shots two at a time, and how the cops showed up at my house last night. Them packin' blues! Until then, we enter this next part of our journey open, warming our faces in adventures flames...

aeryk

Yoga is Union

2006-10-16T11:14:00.000+05:30

with toes ablaze and torso turning each moment resurrected in a fiery spiral her smile mirrors the beat that calls the beasts to dance...

Those were some of the first words written to Vivian, via e-mail, in the early times of our courting. We had for three years what her daughter Yarrow called "the time of love" before making said love legal on paper with witnesses. On June sixth we shared chai at a table with a few legally recognized friends. Two months later we had a party for our families.
What you see in the picture is true. She was a glowing bride. That was a massive piece of bridal-bling. But that's me in the dress, and that ribbon was in my mouth for over 20 minutes. We're married so it's all right. I taught her how to get down with some Botoh-dance inspired performance art, and she taught me to live yoga.

The flight for our first trip to Mysore leaves in 210 hours. I am trying not to panic. I hear that is a common response, but it doesn't help. I took the last of four Typhoid pills and it's kicking in. Slight nausea, gastro unease. Love is like that. Not the part about the side effects, but the part about how it can carry you through whatever you're going through and also be that carrot you see at the end saying in it's little rooty voice 'you can do it, I'm right here' and you can come out the other side. I know things will work out in the end, I just haven't come out the other side yet. Soon I will sleep, only to rise again for 6am practice. I carry with me to slumber the love of my yoga friends, all my circles, and especially to Vivian and Yarrow for the journey we've already started...
*** aeryk ***