Living Yoga

Bylakuppe was a bit of game changer for me. As I attempted to convey in the previous post, it exposed me  to how different life can be for people based on luck (both good and bad), circumstance and belief systems.  Of course I’ve read about these circumstances. It’s our world’s history. I/ we probably all know people, families from around the globe who have faced and survived similar displacement and extreme challenges to their culture, identity and maintenance of community. I can’t help but to admire their strength and ability to continue pressing forward for the sake of all these things I admittedly sometimes take for granted with the odds stacked so high against them.

I also wonder. How do they do it? How do they carry on? How do they wake up each morning and begin their day? What happens when they arrive at an even bigger obstacle than the one they already exist within? I think there must be some tool people use to help them survive.

Throughout my studies here in India, I’ve had a chance to begin reading and to understand in greater detail the English translation of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a text that outlines traditional Hatha Yoga and how to practice it. I was raised with a moderate amount of religious exposure and practice, and I identify culturally and traditionally to aspects of it. Spiritually, however, I’ve always been searching. For me, in this moment, Hatha Yoga helps guide me in this way. It’s honest. It’s hard. It requires a discipline and commitment that I’ve tended to shy away from in the past. I know that if I continue to practice and include all the facets or limbs of Yoga into my life on an every moment basis, it will frankly be a great help in living my life. Now, as I’ve chosen to immerse myself in this world and the teachings of Hatha Yoga, I think I can begin to understand how the human race has survived all the trials and tribulations so many generations have had to face or have bumped up against or slammed into throughout history.

Whatever it takes…a religious belief, a spiritual practice, an exercise routine or an expression of self through music or creative art…I suppose I think these are all examples of building blocks of survival in life. I don’t know that I really saw and committed to the value in identifying and cultivating such things until now.

It seems only too appropriate to acknowledge my friend and teacher, Jill who, with her friend Liana recently had the opportunity to travel to Jordan for 2 weeks to practice and live their Yoga in every sense as they shared their knowledge and compassion with with refugees from Iraq. Here’s a glimpse of what their experience included:

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Tibet Camp

Time feels to be moving very quickly here. I'm thoroughly enjoying the experiences I have each day, whether it's an adventure into the city or a quiet afternoon walking, reading and writing. Regardless of what I'm doing, every moment affords me an opportunity to practice.

Today is a moon day (full moon), also known in the Ashtanga world as a day of rest from asana practice, so I went with some friends to visit a Tibetan refugee settlement, Bylakuppe. We hired a driver and had a chance once again to take in the sights and sounds that are becoming more familiar with each passing day. Coconut and sugar cane juice stands adorn the roadside from start to finish along this 90km stretch. Open bed trucks carrying anything from cows and goats and their attendant to hay piled twice, maybe even 3 times the height of the vehicle itself act as obstacles and buffers as we zip and weave and tango with the traffic.

As we near Bylakuppe and turn off the main road to enter the town, I first notice 2 things: a shift in our immediate physical surroundings as Monks, Tibetan refugees and prayer flags fill the streets and roadside, and also a palpable sense of peace and calm that fell over us 4 women riding in the car (I'm sure our driver was thankful, indeed). As peaceful as I felt in those initial moments, it was surprising to observe how quickly a sense of longing or aching arose within me as a witness to this Tibetan diaspora. My travels and time spent studying and exploring in India are completely voluntary. I can return home whenever I choose. Sadly, for many of the individuals I pass by and see before me, this could not be further from their truth.

With about 4 temples to visit on the property, the largest attraction here in Bylakuppe is the Buddhist Golden Temple and Monastery. It offers magnificent sights and sounds. We arrived rather early in the day and were able to hear and watch from the outside a prayer session whose bowls and bells simply flood your ears with sound. Natural light fills each temple from the outside in as it works to highlight the intricate paintings and bursts of color throughout the room, including the golden Buddha statues that greet you opposite the entrance doors.

Further along the property, you can find prayer flags and mani wheels or hand prayer wheels that Buddhists say, when turned, are as effective as reciting sacred texts. It's worth noting the direction I was initially moving past each prayer wheel was a counter-clockwise one. No sooner had I started walking in this pattern than I was approached by a Buddhist nun with an enjoyable bit of sass, I might add. Her spoken language was not one I could define at all, but thankfully the language of gestures, intonations and facial patterns is universal. So, while I couldn't understand specifically what she was saying, her message to me was unmistakable and I quickly received it: I was walking in the wrong direction. I promptly did an about face and eventually followed her pace in a clockwise direction spinning each wheel I passed by (well, most of them) which proved to be a very calming, meditative practice in itself. 

A little while after thanking her for her guidance with this exercise, we had the chance to speak at length with a Monk whose English was superb, so I asked him: why clockwise? He answered essentially that clockwise is the natural direction of flow of energy in the universe. We move in this direction in an effort to remain in sync with the universe. I imagine there are more intricate explanations, but in this moment as I felt energy moving all around and through me, this suited me just fine!

Om Mani Pade Hum.

Training the Mind

As I settle into life here in Mysore, I've been fortunate to meet so many people from around the world with great stories to share and at least 1 common thread (Ashtanga yoga), though usually there's more.

While I'm not rushing my time here in the least, plans to travel around other parts of India by train require an early reservation as seats sell out fast, so the adventure began yesterday with a lovely Norwegian friend I've met here and will travel with by train to Goa in mid-February. 

While the Ashtanga system of yoga is in fact a system, I'm neither happy nor sad, rather I'm simply reporting/ confirming that no such system exists for purchasing a train ticket. 

Beginning with the 'Enquiry' window where I reaffirmed something I learned first on the flight over while standing in line for the bathroom and in every line I've stood in since, that if space between you and the person standing in front of you exists, it WILL be filled by someone else regardless of who was there first!, to the travel agent who directed us to the men's ticket line, then redirected by a fellow line stander to the women and children only line to buy a ticket (10 mins at most), to being once again redirected to the other end of the same building where reservations are made (we were apparently in the same day women's ticket line), to sitting in the waiting area with our ticket number (only roughly 150 numbers were ahead of us), to striking up conversation with some other english speaking tourists who in fact redirected us to another 'Enquiry' window where we had to occupy space once again in another gentle pushing match to the counter to find out which train number we were buying a ticket for...to the ultimate discovery that we could actually book our ticket online IF there were any seats left or trains running on the day we hoped to travel (this part took about 2 hours in all)...to the coconut stand to re-fuel, obviously, and then to the internet cafe where another hour or so was spent unsuccessfully and then, thanks to the patience and persistence of my traveling partner and friend, an actual ticket purchase was confirmed. In all, purchasing a train ticket was roughly a 4 hour adventure, and I'm still not totally convinced that we have it; and I won't be until we get on the train, show our tickets and it pulls out of the station with us on the train!!

In Hatha yoga (which Ashtanga is a branch of) asana practice (or physical postures), while very popular and often the most familiar connection many people have with yoga, makes up only the first stage of one's yoga practice. This is in order to prepare the student to become more stable and establish a firm foundation, for instance, while sitting in meditation. 

With all due respect to the lineage and experience and evidence of this process,train reservations, I propose, may be another way to begin preparing or 'training' the mind :)

I can't wait to find out what the actual ride will bring...



I thought it very considerate to have a phone charging station that offered quite a complete selection of chargers to choose from:

A glimpse of a train as it pulled into the station:

A photo of the reservation waiting area. Similarly to a Jewish deli, you take a number and wait for it to be called. My number was 569. In the upper left corner, it's tough to see, but they were calling 374, 375, 376...hence the decision to try internet reservations.

Shala time

It's hard to keep up with posting all that I've seen, done, thought, etc in the past 8 days since arriving here to India...this place tickles the senses in every way imaginable.

After a few very welcome slow days upon arriving, I'm settling into Mysore. I've been practicing yoga asana, chanting, began sanskrit classes (after 2 previous flirtations with sanskrit in the form of classes, it's finally beginning to rub off!), loving philosophy and the interpretations and teachings of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, enjoyed some foot massage action, and have emphatically begun harmonium lessons with a very lovely and very patient teacher who lives just around the corner from me. And these are the non-food related activities! 

I realize how busy it sounds. It is, but it's really all very manageable with the help of the Shala and it's schedule. Never have I been so 'on time', dare I say early, for so many appointments as I am here due to a sneaky little something called Shala time. Anything that's happening here (unlike much of India and frankly, the world) is happening 20 minutes earlier than the time it's called for, aka Shala time. Practice at 6:30 am? That means it starts at 6:10 am, so better be there at least 20-30 mins prior to that...you get the picture. I'm kind of digging it...that is, when I'm not forgetting about it!

Again, my experience of being in the Shala is invigorating. During morning practice, not every pose or practice is easy..in fact, most are not at all...but knowing the company you keep and having the chance to give to and take what you need from this space feels like a gift.

There are so many things to see and hear and even feel every moment...the sound of scooters (or the feel of them clipping you) as they zoom by, friendly horns honking, not so friendly horns blaring (these are less common), the sight of painted cows in celebration of the harvest, hearing the music play that appears to alert passers by of a car moving in reverse, the smell of chai, seeing rickshaws filled with school children riding to and from school, hearing the familiar and not so familiar buzz of languages spoken at every turn and my favorite thus far, the call of 'sweet madame!' as your attention and your buying power are sought after. These are the things I notice on a daily basis and am beginning to grow accustomed to and even enamored with.

Traffic is an entirely unruly phenomenon that I'm not sure how to begin to explain...and I'm positive I haven't seen the worst of it. Aside from the natural confusion that comes with everyone driving on the opposite side of the road than in the US, there do not appear to be driving lanes or very many traffic lights, and road signs are few and far between. I'm all too happy to leave the driving to the rickshaw drivers or to the brave souls on scooters while I happily oblige them as their passenger. And when it comes to navigating the streets as a pedestrian, well, my thanks to Atari and Frogger for instilling in me the skill and timing to make it at least to the center of the road!

Do Not Take Tension

Internet has been touch and go the past 2 days as I’ve moved from the hotel where I met quite a lovely community of yogi’s from all over the world, to a very comfortable room in a family’s house very near to the Shala. While the move was quite simple, it’s interesting to observe how easily attachments form. Just 4 nights spent at the hotel and I had a bit of jitters changing environments and once again visiting with unknown territory. What will the room be like? Will I have internet access? What will happen to my new friendships formed at the hotel? Where will I wash my clothes? And most importantly, what is the bathroom situation?!? (this should actually be read: will there be a toilet or will it be a hole in the ground?)

Before I comment further, the truth is that no matter how much planning, arranging and imagining I do, there are only small pieces of this new situation that I can control and as for the rest, it doesn’t matter. It’s as my driver from the airport advised me when I told him I didn’t have a permanent place to stay yet. His response to my situation, one not uncommon I’m learning, was “ do not take tension.” And he was right. I’ll figure it out. Other people have done it before me and many will after me. Worrying and trying to play puppet master will only lead to less rest and possible disappointment.  

It’s the same in life as it is yoga. Do not try and plan or imagine how far in the (primary) series your teacher will permit you to go come asana time. This will result in frustration or even disappointment. Instead, trust the process. Study and learn and study more and learn more. Trust in your teachers and in yourself, or go against it and make a mistake. Observe the outcome and how you got there, then study more and re-learn again. Continue to show up. This is key.

If, after reading that you’re still focused on the bathroom accommodations, the answers to my questions so far are: the room is spacious and filled with light; still working on internet so maybe yes, maybe no; i’ll text or facebook or frankly just bump into the people I’ve met from the hotel; in the bucket in the tub; and yes, there’s an actual toilet…this time!

Similar to cat and mouse, this was just another game of dog and pig around the hood!

Conference

A large part of my decision to come to India and specifically to Mysore for this month is to study yoga in the Ashtanga tradition at KPJAYI. This tradition can be traced back and has been passed along from teacher to student dating back as far as 200 BC, and the texts that it's based on, even before then. I've been fortunate to work and study with a handful of very dedicated and true teachers in every sense of the word, some of whom follow this tradition. So, for me as a student of yoga and of the world, now is the time in my life for me to learn from the source...or as close to it as is possible.

I'm learning quickly that like so many things in India, success in understanding the routine or schedules or directions comes with patience, observation and many questions!! I was finally able to register on Sunday for class beginning on Monday. It's high season here and there are students from all over the world, some, like myself, making their first visit and others, on their 3rd and 4th return. 

Each Sunday at the Shala there is mandatory conference for the students that is led by Sharath, who will be my primary teacher while I'm here. Yesterday he spoke to a packed room...I'd guess around 300 people...about the idea of stability, or in Sanskrit, sthira. He spoke about first discovering and then cultivating stability from within so over time and with practice, this becomes a reliable, steady part of you no matter what is changing or going on around you. And he spoke about how cultivating and doing your own practice can help guide a person toward this.

Before I sign off, I have to take a moment to acknowledge where I am. To be inside the Shala for the first time after hearing so many stories, accounts and descriptions for the past 4-5 years is somewhat surreal. Finding an appropriate analogy is tough but...well, it's akin to Owen Wilson's character, Gil, in the film Midnight in Paris, meeting, working with and receiving critique from influences like Hemingway and Stein, The Fitzgeralds (Zelda too, but of course!) and Picasso....except this is in real time and, for once, not in my imagination! One can hope but also work toward the sort of clarity Gil found in his way toward the end of the film.

So far, this is a definite pinch-me experience.



And because food is something that seems to interest many folks (with good reason...it's delicious!).....THAT'S what I call a dosa.

Finding what you're looking for in India is not hard....if you know where to look.

With advances in technology available these days, I can check into the community here on facebook (oy vey) and find out the 'goings on about town' at any moment. This place is wired...albeit somewhat unreliably. I have a new use and appreciation for the social network while I'm here. Nonetheless, I'm glad to say that the ancient art of face to face conversation and actually being present somewhere has its merits. 

Until I begin classes at the shala (in sanskrit, this means house) on Monday, I don't have much of a schedule to adhere to. I wander around and ask strangers for direction often. Most of the time I arrive where I intended but other times, not so much. In an attempt to find a more permanent place to live while I'm here, a random conversation with a woman I met in the street resulted in very helpful tip to find a man named Shiva 's house (I think of him sort of like the Godfather of Mysore). After quite a long wait for a man with whom I didn't have an appointment (this never would have flown with Vito Corleone), I met him at his house and, cutting to the chase, he was able to fulfill my request of helping me find a room. Of course, come back tomorrow is the next instruction...and I did...but what a victory/ relief!! 

Strangely, I've had a handful of experiences like this in just 2 days. I don't expect that I will always be so lucky. It's helpful to acknowledge that the more I aim to expand the bubble I'm in or the boundaries I've put in place, the greater the chance of getting lost or taken off course initially. And while it's not always immediately clear, I trust that because of this my experience will be richer in some way in the end.

If there's one thing I've learned here since my arrival, it's that there's no better gift to give yourself on any day than a coconut water. Watching these men slice and dice a coconut for drinking and then eating enjoyment is an artform in every sense. 

So, here's how to enjoy a coconut (in reverse order of enjoyment):

Happy Journey!

After much anticipation and a practically seamless journey, I arrived safely to Bangalore, India yesterday at 2 am.  If I didn't know any better I may have mistaken the warm welcome I received of a crowd of roughly 300 people seemingly vying for my attention as my first red carpet event. Alas, I left my Oscar de la Renta at home.... and gratefully my exuberant driver, whose name I cannot pronounce or recall at this moment, was waiting for me among the masses with my name printed on a small placard in his hands. 

Our drive to Mysore was to take about 3.5 hours, horns, bicycles, bulls and speedbumps included. As we exited the airport and payed the toll, the familiar 'EZ Pass Paid' sign on the Turnpike was replaced with a welcome suggestion of 'Happy Journey'. Fortunately, traffic was very light so early in the morning and even with a roadside coffee stop we made it to Mysore, my new home for the next month, in just over 3 hours. 

In an effort to stay awake Friday, I settled into a hotel where I'll be for the next few nights, enjoyed the complimentary breakfast of chai and kitchari (that's my best guess) and stepped out into the warm and sun filled town of Gokulam, Mysore.

My day was mostly a sensory experience as I take in and begin to digest the many new sights (yep, cows roam freely), sounds and smells that surround me. Some wrong turns, some friendly advice resulting in a lead on a room to rent and a completely reassuring experience served up at Anu's cafe have left me convinced that this is where I'm supposed to be right now. So glad that I've arrived.