Climb On

The astrological sign of Capricorn has for centuries been represented by the mountain goat, an animal who becomes fascinated by the mountain top and leaves the security of the ground for the pursuit of freedom. The goat usually makes the slow, difficult climb alone and holds a great inner purpose with making it to the summit, which in return gives the goat great tenacity and a divine drive to be with the mountain.

Last weekend a few friends and I traveled a few hours outside Mysore to a temple that has been in use for the past five hundred years, it stands on a mountain top overlooking the country side. At the base we were asked to remove our shoes and we climbed the steep upgrade to the temple, which held this amazing peaceful energy that showered over my entire body. I went inside the temple, paid my respects to the deity and found rest outside looking over the land. A few moments later a goat climbs to my resting spot and takes a look into the Indian country side, I had a total connection with this beautiful animal and felt that we shared a common bond. I stayed for a few moments and then slowly made my way to the base to collect my sandals where I was greeted by the same goat, this totally made my weekend.


After two months in Mysore, I feel more grounded than ever. I wake at 3:45am for my bucket bath and I'm in the shala by 4:30. I then return home for my meditation and have actually started waiting tables at a place called The Sontosha Cafe, in return I get a free meal and free rent. Work is done by noon and I usually relax, read, and meditate for the rest of the day, chanting and philosophy has been discontinued as Jayashree prepares for her US tour. Overall, it continues to be a peaceful experience in Mysore.

Being here for an extended period of time has allowed me to make lots of great personal relationships, the negative side to this is that saying goodbye is difficult. Though everyone I've met on this trip has influenced me in some way or another there are a few I've grown particularly close to. Saying goodbye has been helpful in my yoga practice, the world around us changes but the world within us remains the same. It's this peaceful world within that I'm trying experience the changing world all around me.

Guruji

After thinking of words to write for this moment, I've decided it's best left undefined.

Stay With It

I asked Sharat at Sunday conference how to maintain a yoga practice when negative distractions overwhelm the mind. His response was that asana not only builds physical strength but inner strength and through practice we can maintain peace of mind when the obstacle of depression may arise. The distractions could be as simple as sore muscles and fatigue or may be felt on a much deeper level like moving beyond a failed relationship or the passing of a loved one. To do yoga practice within what seems like a storm of emotion is the strengthening of life within. Sharat later said that after years of continued practice it will become so apart of you life that it will be like brushing your teeth, you do it naturally. And from this he said, you will be strong enough to move through the obstacles.


It's hard to fit the whole Mysore experience into words, everyday is both magical and ordinary. There is plenty of time to rest and meditate as most days unfold spontaneously. The few things that I have in a fixed schedule apart from morning practice is philosophy and chanting class, everything else happens organically. You can never really expect what might happen for the day, it might be spent reading and talking with friends or getting lost downtown with a rickshaw driver that doesn't speak good English. Usually whatever happens in the day comes with a few laughs and an enjoyable experience.

Beg, "The Coconut Guy"

This morning after practice Saraswati told a few students leaving the shala that Begg, the "Coconut Guy" died last evening of a heart attack. I immediately looked to where Begg usually parks his truck and saw nothing, just an empty space with confused students shocked by the unexpected news. For the past month and a half I've come to expect Begg's warm smile and his generousity for helping thirsty yoga students. Now with his sudden departure I've realized the impact a person can have on a community as Beg did this with lots of smiles and lots of coconuts.

This morning I went to the memorial service that was held at Beg's house, as in the Muslim tradition the body is put in front of the house for family and friends to pay their last respects. What seemed like hundreds of people filled the narrow streets creating an incredibly intense atmosphere, within this emotional gathering I slowly made my way through swarms of people and came to Beg. I said my final thank you for his great service and moved away from the crowd.

There was later a procession to his mosque a few blocks away. The rest of the neighborhood seemed to stop their daily business as this powerful energy moved through the tiny streets. Entering the mosque I felt more than welcome and was guided through the rituals by some of the laymen. We removed our shoes and sat by a small pool where we cleaned our feet, face, arms and hair before the group gathered to say prayers. Everything was done with such sacred respect that you couldn't help but be proud for the great influence Beg had on people. The ceremony continued and ended at the cemetery where there was a light rain and I heard the most powerful prayer. I could really feel the sadness as this man cried out his pray and truly felt moved by his words even though I didn't understand the language.

I came to India with no expectations, knowing that the unexpected will happen. The ceremonies today somehow left a positive feeling on me, knowing that life does inevitably end we have a power to bring positive light to the people we interact with everyday. This is how Beg was to me every morning after practice and though I briefly knew him his positive influence will last a long time.

Breathing

Currently we're in the middle of the ten day festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesha seems to be everywhere right now, the roadside, the supermarket, fair grounds, the temples are open at night with colored lights on the ruff, the streets are packed with people moving in all directions. There is an interesting electric energy vibrating through the air and from my few moments in this madness I've come to know, Mysore is very alive right now. The really loud Indian music gives this whole experience something to remember because it doesn't seem to stop until 11 or 12pm. I'm about a quarter mile from the fair grounds and the music is so loud it sounds like it's coming from my room, not helpful when yoga practice starts at 4:45am.

Nevertheless, I've tried to look past a few nights of poor sleep and brought my attention away from the irritation of something I had no control over and simply found my breath. Whenever my attention drifted back to the wild never ending Indian song I slowly caught myself and my focus would come back to my breath and the meditation continued. I'm finding that my practice isn't just the asanas in the morning but by grounding myself in the present moment there is a peace that is very alive deep within. The breath is always there to take me to the source of this peace, no matter how loud the music gets during Ganesh Chuturthi.

Ommmm

The people at the Shala

Jill from Philadelphia has a great practice, all of primary and most of second series. She also has a sweet straight leg jump through. She has been practicing yoga for the past ten years and has studied with Guruji and Sharat here in Mysore twice.


I met Alyson the first week I was here yet she seemed really familiar. She currently lives in L.A but grew up in Jacksonville and even attended High School with my mother. The more we talked we discovered that we have a few mutual friends in Florida, and she even knows of my late Grandmothers love of card playing. She is also one of the lucky few to have studied with Chuck Miller for the past 14 years, who was one the first Americans to help bring Ashtanga to the States.


Kolin and I arrived on the same day have been good friends since. He practices a raw food diet and hasn't had a cooked meal in over three years. I've eaten a few meals with him and I've never seen someone eat so much fruit in one sitting. Another interesting thing is that he lives in Tokyo and speaks great Japanese, it sounds pretty cool with his Australian accent.


Thomas and Tamara are a Canadian couple that serves a great western breakfast. I think this picture properly shows the kind of funky and relaxed vibe they have at their cafe. I've never really enjoyed breakfast until I came to their Shantosha Cafe, now I've been eating a large meal in the morning, a smaller Indian lunch with rice and chippoti, and fruit with tea in the evenings. Thomas also had a great cooking class and I have a few ideas for some baking projects when I return home.


Camino has been visiting and practicing yoga in Mysore since 1988. She was one of the first to bring Ashtanga yoga to Spain and was a student of Guruji's when there where only twelve students in the room, now there are at least sixty-five students from 4:45-9:00am. She and her son are both Authorized by Guruji and Sharat and has great stories about the old shala, before Ashtanga gained in popularity.

Christine is from Ireland but lives in Spain and has a great humor about herself, which makes me laugh easily.


It's hard to think that I left a month ago. The days are both slow and fast, the yoga practice seems to play tricks with time. I've been practicing full primary and doing back bends with Sharat, all while I'm surrounded by so many great yogis. Last Sunday night Sharat lectured on the fact that Asana is the foundation of our practice but is not the last step. With a strong foundation we are able to continue into the future with great support and can more easily stay in a state of constant positivity or as he said, "always thinking of God." As Guruji used to say, "strong body, quiet mind." Sharat simply says, wake up early, do practice and it will transform your world.

Moments from the practice

On the search

One of the many interesting things about India is that you can pee just about anywhere. I've been amazed by this freedom of relieving yourself in outdoor public locations since I got here and have started to feel a greater connection to nature through some of the things I've seen. Earlier this week I was out for a mid-day walk and found myself eagerly searching for a public restroom, the search continued for about ten minutes until I saw a man peeing on the side of an old building. Why should I be excluded from this basic human right? There was no rational explanation in my mind that could keep me from this piece of freedom, so I slowly walked up to the building and my search for a public restroom came to an end.

For the past year and a half I've had a growing interest in learning more about the Yoga Sutras, which is the spiritual and philosophical foundation for my study here in Mysore. Every morning after practice and breakfast I've been going to the Jayashree Ashram for a philosophy class that has been covering the sutras very deeply. The teacher has been a yogi for many years and it's easy to see and hear that he teaches from his own personal expeience and practice. In the evenings I'm back for chanting of the sutras lead by a sanskrit professor and one of the founders of the ashram Dr. Jayashree. Her voice and pronuciation of each sutra is absolutely perfect and has a great way of breaking down some of the more difficult words to chant. I'm also inspired by a new friend, Niko, who is my age and can chant most of the first chapter from memory.

On a more simple level, the weather has been great, the food has been tasty and the people are cool. I even got to play hand drums for a Kirtan last Friday night. I am truly in an atmosphere that completely supports full time yoga practice. Even eating chocolate cake seems to be apart of the practice.

Till next time.........Om.......

Practice, Practice, Practice

I finished my first week of practice here in Mysore and know very deeply that this is a place of tremendous growth, which is a good vibe for a Capricorn. Being surrounded by so many people that are truly passionate about yoga really helps cultivate a genuine commitment to this practice. The energy at the shala is amazing, everyone seems to be working together, breathing deeply, it's like riding a big wave for two hours.

My practice is at 8am Mon-Thurs, which will gradually get earlier the longer I'm here and 4:45am Friday and Sunday for led class. I have been truly challenged, nothing is ignored and I'm learning to take my time even when the last thing I want to do is take another breath in Kurmasana. Sharat has an eye on everyone and has been a big inspiration to me within this first week. Every morning he does his two hour asana practice before the first students arrive at 4:30am and then teaches till 10am and then teaches the locals in the afternoon and has a wife with two children. Yet every time I see him he's full of energy with a big smile.

I've also been reading a great book by Swami Vivekanada, Vedanta, Voice Of Freedom. The First paragraph of the introduction is what interested me to continue with the book and has been another source of inspiration this past week.

The river does not drink its own water, nor does the tree eat its own fruit. They live for others. Similarly, from time to time great souls are born whose lives are lived for the good of others. They bring peace and happiness to mankind. Having themselves crossed the ocean of Maya(relative existence) they help others cross without any selfish motive. It does not matter when and where a great soul is born or how long he lives; his life and message are a source of inspiration to all people in all ages.


Here are a few pictures from the week.

Hello Mysore, Guruji, Sharat

I landed at the Bangalore airport at 4:30am Tuesday and was soon told that my luggage was lost, a very warm welcome to India. I was given a number to call, $30 on an ATM card, a smile and a wave goodbye, though I was a bit nervous it was exciting being alone in India not knowing what could happen next.

There was no way I could have found an easy way to the train station so I asked a random driver to take me the entire two hours into Mysore, which he seemed very excited to do. I latter found out that I paid double for what I should have, but my experience from Bangalore to Mysore was priceless. Driving through Bangalore was like the zoo and circus exploded into one big wild movement of life, everything is in the open with nothing to hide. Within the next two hours we drove pass street corners playing Indian music louder than most concerts I go to, almost hit a stray dog going about 60mph on the highway, weaved in and out of cows, hogs, lamb, people, road kill, stopped for a pee at a crash site where a man on a motorcycle fell off a bridge, stopped for coffee, stopped for smokes and finally stopped in a random area of Mysore where I roamed until a rickshaw driver brought me to the shala.

Everything started to take a new shape and feel, after many hours of travel I was finally at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute. It was such a surreal experience to actually stand where some many great yogis have been before, to see the practice room, ask Guruji and Sharat for lessons at registration, and to simply be at the home of ashtanga yoga.

I feel at home here in Mysore and know very deeply that many great things are starting to happen. There's a unique feeling in the air and in the shala that I cannot explain, which I feel is the essence of yoga.




More things to come, much love to all.

Peace and Om,
K

The road to Mysore

After many dreams, thoughts, and ideas the reality of Mysore starts today. Later this afternoon I will travel from Jacksonville to Miami to London to Bangalore where I'll take the Shatabdi Express into Mysore, which will be home for the next three months. I have no expectations for things to come and will be driven by my deep thirst for the practice and personal growth in yoga. The support from my friends and family has been a jewel in my own life and an amazing realization to the true beauty of authentic relationships. I am very gratfull for the oppurtunity to study with Guruji and Sharat and cannot wait to see their faces and continue to learn what they have to teach.

Love, Peace, Om, K