Sunday, August 31, 2008

Mysore 2008

Finally I'm making an entry!! Yes, I arrived in Mysore 3 weeks ago, I don't really know where time has gone, actually that is not true I have been resting, practicing, chanting, catching up with old friends and generally taking it easy.
It's 5 pm and I can hear a continual rumble of thunder in the distance, heavy dark clouds are rolling in and I'm sure that before too long big monsoonal raindrops will be falling. Everyday since I've arrived there has been an evening down pour....which has sometimes lasted until the morning. Humidity is high which makes for much sweating in the shala.
Of course the highlight of everyday is early morning practice with Sharath and Saraswati. Guruji has not been present in the mornings....he is still often at his desk in the afternoons offering his beautiful smile. The first week I was here my practice time was 7am, which was quite nice to overcome the jet lag. Last week it was 6am, now this week I'm up to 4.45am, which I'm quite pleased about. The energy is calm, the streets are quiet, there is just the soft sound of ujjayi breathing as students begin their practice. Although this obviously means an earlier bedtime!!
I'm enjoying so much just being a student, focusing on my practice and just being.
I've also been in to chant with Jayashree in the afternoons which brings such grounding. Since last year she has retired from her college position so is now offering more chanting/sanskrit classes to yoga students. It is so wonderful to be around her dedication.
Then there is India, simply being in India! Year after year I never tire of it, actually it becomes more normal. What I'm noticing this time is the amazing colors of the tropical flowers and the depth of the green foliage. there is so much care put into garden maintenance...especially in the street where I'm staying. I guess everything is so moist and green from the monsoon, so different to the lack of water at home. I love just wandering through the flower market admiring the simple beauty the workers are creating which to them is just ever so normal. For my first 3 weeks I refrained from hiring a scooter, I was walking and taking auto rickshaws everywhere, decided there was no need to get any where quickly! Just taking it all in. But yesterday I succumbed, and requested a scooter from Shiva (no not the god, but the man who deals with scooter hiring!). Nothing in India stands still, there is a new favourite coffee place, there are more cars on the road, multi storey apartment blocks seem to be sprouting everywhere and the apartment where I'm staying has an exhaust fan in the bathroom and a washing machine!! What luxury.

So that's news from me, here are a few pics from my first few weeks.


Cat, Amanda and me at the new fav coffee place. Taken just before Amanda left.