Clutching My Mini Red MagLite

Let me start the blog by saying that we had a wonderful trip during our two days off. With that having been said, I shall tell my story.

Let me just jump to the interesting part (for those readers who only ready the funny parts) and then I will quickly recap all the beauty of our travels. Having to improvise a little, due to the fact that the phone number in our travel book was wrong and so we had no reservations, we found a very small "resort" hidden away in a coffee plantation. There were only three rooms, two single rooms and a family cottage. The single rooms were already taken by other travelers and so Trice and I got this rather large family cottage, equip with a porch, 2 bathrooms, three beds, and a lofted area. Big, but oh well. After hiking around the plantation for a few hours, sitting by the fire in our room, and eating dinner by candle (the electricity was out...very common here in India), we headed to bed. It was early, maybe 9:00, but because there was no light, there was nothing else to do but sleep. Now begins the story...

I have to say that I headed to bed with some hesitancy. I like nature, but do not like to experience it where I am sleeping/eating/living. I quickly noticed that the roof and the walls did not meet...a perfect little place for creatures to crawl on in. Plus, just the area we were in was bound to invite nature into our cottage. I closed my eyes, deep breathing, pretended there were no bugs, and amazingly fell asleep. At around 10:45, I was startled awake by light pressure on my blanket. I quickly kicked my leg and repeated in a mantra fashion that there was nothing there. I continued this monologue in my head for about 2 minutes until I just could not shake the feeling that something was in bed with me. I sprung up, grab my mini maglite and flug the blanket off me. Nothing. Just me. Just them Trice screamed and jumped up, asking me if my foot touched her. I said no, and with the speed of light she jumped out of bed (the feet of our beds were attached). I shown my light over towards her and just then we both saw a big, gray RAT scurry over our beds and down onto the floor. It hustled across the room, around the trash can and then up the stairs to the lofted area. I wish I could express our frenzy as we stood on top of my bed and screamed. Trice tried to encourage me to go get him while she opened the door to try to get him out....nope...not going near the rat. The rat (we have since named him Raoul) then raced down and back up into the loft. With no sign of him, we climbed back into my bed...the two of us shoved into one twin size bed. I clutched my mini red maglite to my chest all night long with very little sleep to speak of. I dont think I have ever been so happy for 6am to come.

Other than that our trip was wonderful. We stopped to see the Golden Temple at the Tibetan refuge on the way to where we stayed (pictures above). The morning following the rat incident we went for a 4 hour (8mile) long hike through the coffee plantations and up into the hillsides. We climbed to the top of one such "hill" where the wind was blowing so strongly that you could almost lean into it and not fall. It was beautiful. Everything was so quite and peaceful. At night time, between the elevation where we were and the darkness of the countryside, we could see so many stars. Trice said it reminded her of Montana on the coldest of nights. I have begun to get used to the large amount of trash that fills the city ground where we are doing yoga, but where we were was completely clean. No litter or garbage, just nature. Quite the contrast.

Practice started back up again today. Led Primary. For some reason I was dragging when I got up this morning, no wanting to practice, but it was juicy. I felt light and well rested. Not dreading Uplutihi quite as much...which says a lot.

Rest for the Weary

Led primary was how I greeted my day this morning. Being that tomorrow is the designated moonday, traditional Thursday mysore practice was switched to led primary which usually inhabits Friday mornings. For anyone that practices Ashtanga, you know that this is a blessing. Two days off from practice in a row! The small pleasures in life. Even though I have a fairly consistent practice, this first week at the shala has left my energy low, my body a tad sore, and my stomach a bit on the fritz.

As much as I love Indian food, I have to say I am unsure as to my stomach's perspective on the situation. Embarrassing as it is to admit, I actually thought about Ramen noodles today. You know, those negative nutritional value, high sodium, blocks of noodles that you secretively eat but swear out loud were what you ate back in college when you were a poor student. Yes, those noodles. I am not sure what brought them to mind. In the current state of my digestive system, they seem appealing. How very unfortunate. And as I reflect for a moment, this all may be TMI (too much information).

Led class today was hot. Just when I think it is not possible for me to sweat anymore, I find myself with a miniature waterfall off the tip of my nose. I have to smile a bit when I think back because this must be what it is like for half of the men that I practice with back home. Much love for the sweat. I managed to get stuck on what I can only describe as the meeting point for all the rugs in the practice room. In the shala there is tile floors and so enormous, thin rugs are placed down so that almost the entire floor is covered. For the most part this poses no problem, except in this one spot. It is like laying your mat over chewed up asphalt...maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. I thought this would consume my entire practice, and so I was shocked when class ended and I realized I hardly thought about it. This, I think, may be progress in taming my obsessive compulsive nature. It could also be that my mind was so focused on the 6! Navasanas, followed by an exceptionally long Chaturanga, capped off with the longest counted Uplutihi ever (in which Sharath stood right in front of my mat...no cheating possible).

This first week of practice has left me a little shell shocked. One of my beloved teachers always talks about "the point." I am not sure what the point is. What am I expecting from all this? Why am I here? What is the point of it all?

Tomorrow we are off to a Tibetan refuge for the night. Hopefully to return with lots of good pictures and interesting stories.

Pictures: Trice drinking her coconut after practice, another decorated cow, and a man ironing clothes in the street. Only in India!

Not Exactly Like Back Home

On every trip Trice and I have taken abroad, we have gotten massages. Thailand had the best ones to date and were all about working the muscles and joints. Staying in line with tradition we decided to try an Ayurveda massage. Neither one of us knew exactly what to expect, but we just assumed it was like any other massage we have had. Nope. That would be the mistake of the century. Here is how it went.

I went into the room, escorted by two women, and was told to completely undress, underwear included. Red flag number one. The one young woman preceded to tie a small string around my waist and then took a piece of cloth between my legs and secured it with the string. Lying down on the table, for the most part completely naked except for my small shroud, with no sheets in sight. None to cover the bed and none to cover me. Red flag number two. Now, I have been through midwifery school and am not shy or modest, but this was a whole new level of exposure. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. The massage began with a pouring of oil, about the amount in a liter of soda, all over me. I was completely drenched in oil. Then, both women began to vigerously rub. Now for those of you who have never had the experience of a massage in the states, the chest/torso/butt area is usually off limits. Not so much here. All areas were game. This continued for about 30 minutes, with me flipping from from front to back like a little greasy fish. Once that was completed, the finale consisted of being placed in a steam box, where only my head poked out from the top.

This was an experience. Maybe not exactly the one I was looking for, but I am chalking it up to being a medicinal massage with lots of healing properties. That is my best attempted to see the rainbow:)

We took cooking classes today. I am so excited to possibly finally be able to cook something Indian. The food was so tasty and the woman was a joy to learn from. I have posed some pictures of the food that was made.

There is a festival going on this week that celebrates the harvest. In celebration the people paint the cows because they are part of harvesting the fields. I have posted a picture of a very pretty cow with her horns painted green.

I have been noticing that I have been posting far more about non-yoga things. I am not sure why this is. The yoga is why I came here and yet I have shared more about the culture and the "goings-on" than anything. I think I am still absorbing a lot about the yoga. The practice seems so personal at times, a process, that to blog about it would make very little sense to a reader. I am sure that time will reveal more and something worth sharing.

Chanel #5

Yesterday Trice and I went to the market in the center of town. I wish that I had take a picture to better describe the craziness of an Indian market. I will have to return and snap a few photos. Most of the market, it seemed, consisted of food, bangle bracelets, and vibrant colored sand (at least I think that is what it is). Are we were ambling around Trice happened upon an oil stand. Run by an older gentleman and his grandson, they quickly shuttled Trice and I behind the stand to show us how they roll incense. I was completely take away by his hospitality and desire to swoon us with his oils. After the incense demonstration he intoxicated us with his scented oils. He brought out each crystal bottle, had us close our eyes, and sniff. Ahh. He even had Chanel #5 scent.

As we were nearing the end, and he was bottling up the fragrances that we had purchased (let me tell you he is the best salesman I have ever encountered) he shared with us a little tip on how to use the oil. He took a very small piece of cotton and placed one drop of the oil onto it. As he is explaining how we can use this trick when we are going out to a party to make everyone think we are just smelling divine, he places this little piece of cotton in his ear! He says "you just tuck it right in and no one will know how you smell so wonderful." Now, this is not the funny part. Then he says, after smelling so nice all night long, when you get home you just remove the cotton and squeeze the oil back into the bottle. No waste! I believe Trice and I have just reached a new level of frugal.

I left his booth covered in Hugo Boss on one arm, Georgio Armani on there other, pink lotus on my wrists, and frankincense all over my arms. I am sure that I was a walking odor ball. I could smell myself and it was not pretty. Thank goodness for Dr. Brummers...does laundry and gets off body oil.

Practice went well today. I am still learning all the "goings-on" of the shala. It was very warm today and the sweat was literally dripping off my face. It brought back memories of practicing in the summer at Y2. Sharath came over for my drop backs again, but this time there was no pretending that I couldnt reach my ankles. He grab my hands and placed them on my ankles, and then made me shimmy up a little towards my knees. I am interested in how this is going to continue over the next few weeks. In the past this posture has brought me a lot of pain, but I have been toiling with whether the pain stems from emotions or actual physical limitations.

I have posed a few pictures: Trice rolling incense and some photos of the area. The big gray building is the shala. The white and red building is where our apartment is.

Laundry Day

We have been here for 3 days, 2 of which have been practice days. As we are traveling on the light side, with minimal luggage, we each only have three days worth of practice clothing. I have volunteered myself for the washing of the laundry duties, as Trice has so nicely brought the computer and I think it only fair. Now, let me state that I hate doing laundry at home...where all that it entails is carrying the clothes down the stairs, placing them in the washer, adding soap, and pressing start. Well, it takes a lot more effort here to do laundry. I have a whole new perspective on the situation. After practice we had a relaxing breakfast and headed home to do the laundry. I cant say that I have any expertise in doing laundry in a bucket. So, I threw all the clothes in the bucket, added water, added Doctor Brummer's soap, and mushed the clothes around. Unsure if this would actually clean the clothes I removed each article of clothing, added more soap and squished some more. I placed everything back in the bucket for a little more mushing and then rinse. This was all fine and dandy, but trying to get all the water out of the clothes in order to hang them was not the highlight of my day. I do not recommend anyone getting rid of their washer anytime soon. This is not a practice I will continue upon returning to the states:)

Practice was mysore style today. I was nervous as Trice and I sat outside the shala practice room, waiting. This is how it works. You wait until Sharath says "one more!" and then you very quickly haul ass into the room, place your mat down so you dont lose the space, run to the locker room, drop your back, and haul ass back to your mat. Much of my anxiety is relieved now that I know the morning drill. Practice was...hot and sweaty....so lovely. I relaxed into the flow of primary series. I am quite content with doing primary series and an greatly enjoying my breath throughout the practice. I did my back bends at the end, and waited for Sharath to come over for drop backs. In my head all I heard was dont grab my ankles on the first day, and so, I came close but did not force it. I feel like the first week is a bit like dipping my toes, then feet, then legs into the water. By next week, I think I will be completely submerged into the practice, the shala, the routine of it all.

Observations

Today is my first blog from India. While I have been here for 2 days, the lack of an electrical adapter created a situation where only quick and limited computer use was available, with Trice (my cousin) and I alternating 5 minute time slots.

We arrived in India at 2am on Saturday and began our journey with a 3 hour car ride to Mysore. What you ask did I observe from that car ride? Just this:
1. Yes, there are speed bumps randomly planted through the highway...yes, I said highway
2. There are no rules of the road. They are merely suggestions that you can choose to follow when it seems necessary.
3. Cows do not move when you honk at them, which in the end requires a quick swerve to the side to avoid crashing into its back-side
4. Flashing your headlights and honking = I am going to try to pass a huge truck, where there really is no room, and hopefully the other driver will move out of the way.

We arrived, thankfully in one piece, to quite a nice room. In comparison to all past traveling ventures, I would say that we are resting our heads in the lap of luxury. The bucket shower adds to the experience. The town is quite beautiful. It is considered a suburb of Mysore and seems to be on the more affluent side. The architecture of the homes is pretty extraordinary, and I imagine to be grand to live in. I will have to take some pictures and post them.

Registering at the shala was the first order of business. This is quite the process. As the shala is on the more expensive side, especially for India, this entailed that we go to the ATM where we preceded to take out 4000 rupees, in 100 rupee bills, multiple times. Let me paint the picture:
a. Place card in ATM
b. Get huge wad of cash
c. Stuff huge wad of cash into bag
d. Repeat 5 more times
It was quite the scene I am sure. The above picture is Trice counting out all the money to pay the shala...we felt a little rich, even if just for a moment.

We had our first practice today. It was led primary with a very steady and traditional count...just my style:) I was nervous. I was scared. I was excited. It was powerful to take that first practice in the home of Ashtanga. I am still a bit apprehensive and unsure of myself, but I am hoping that will fade over the next few weeks.

I have been thinking a lot about my practice and trying to make connections to why certain things come up on my mat (and even why other things dont come up on my mat). Aches, pains, emotions. I am hoping this experience helps me get a bit more clarity and uncover more of what is going on. In the few weeks leading up to this trip I have had a slight aversion to practice. I am not sure of why or where it is coming from, but it felt really nice to step back on the mat this morning. Maybe this is just the ebb and flow of yoga in one's life.

The other posted picture is Trice feeding the cow her leftover watermelon. The new solution to edible trash.

Food from the Soul. Practice from the Heart.

Yesterday I spend the afternoon with my dearest, bestest friend. We met at the farmer's market, in the rain storm, to get all the ingredients for a lovely lunch. Wet, chilly, and hungry, Elsa prepared a feast. Her cooking, I have to come figure out, is so good because it is make from the soul. She cooks with such joy, that it pours over into her food. We ate with out fingers (except the lentil soup), talked, laughed, and got to just be content and happy in the moment. Our delicious meal consisted of: blue potatoes, turnip greens, blood carrots (that is a made up name, but we got these blood red carrots only to find they were the regular color orange inside...who knew!) and lentil soup. Yumm...

Practice today was blissful. I am not sure what magic from the cosmos comes together on Sundays to make practice so great, but I am just going with it. A new teacher came today. Noah. I have worked with him before and I find myself fitting in quite well with his teaching style. Simple. Clean. To the Point. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed practicing under his guidance. He directed me on my gaze and some of the subtle points on my practice. I am stunned at how much power the gaze holds. I found great intensity in gazing at the tip of my nose in one pose (yes the eyes do cross...I can only imagine how silly I looked) and in another pose I lost all stability with my chin tucked down to my chest. This will be my practice point for a while...work the gaze. I look forward to continuing over the next two months with him. I am excited to learn and grown. Only four more weeks of my crazy clinical schedule and then I should be back to my practice full time. After suggestion from Noah I think 3rd series is drawning closer. We shall see.

After practice I grabbed a cup of coffee with some friends from the studio. Finally drawing back to the connection. The community. To home. We sipped hot coffee, talked yoga, and laughed about silly things. I took the puppies for a long walk today. It was lovely. The weather is beautiful and this day has been such a pleasure.