Category: India

now that i’ve been here a couple of weeks, i have started to get a pretty good routine going, so i thought i would share a bit of my daily life.
every morning (except saturdays and moon days) i go to the yoga shala for my daily practise. the way that the shala works is pretty interesting in itself: we are each given a start time when we register (for example, my first one was 8:45). the rule is that you show up somewhere around 15 minutes before your start time. in the small entry way, there is a group of people (anywhere from 10-40 on a given day) who are waiting to practise. there are about 100 people are so doing their yoga practise on their mats in the shala. when someone finishes their mat space becomes available and sharath shouts out, “one more”. someone from the ‘waiting area’ scampers in to take the spot. the challenge comes in trying to remember which people in the room came before me, as well as sharath will come to the doorway and say, “you next” or “you last” or “japanese, you come”, which puts a big spin on knowing who goes in next.
after my practise (about 1.5 hours), i go home and usually have a long savasana/meditation, then breakfast and a shower. in the mornings while it’s still relatively cool (below 30 degrees) i do my laundry, shopping, etc. i tend to go for a big indian lunch, and try to spend the hot afternoons reading, napping, internet, with friends. the heat takes away my hunger, so i usually have a really light supper before any evening activities. there is a power cut every evening at 8pm, but my house is great because i have a back up battery.
as you can imagine, i’m feeling very rested and relaxed; a good way to be before we start the next phase of our travels!
the photos are some of the day to day things that i really love about india: people selling all kinds of things up and down the streets, chalk mandalas that the women put on their entryways every morning, the evening snacks at the green leaf restaurant with friends.

ps. happy birthday granny!

on “moon days” (new moon and full moon) we don’t practise yoga because we are prone to injury because our energy levels are so high. yesterday, being a moon day, some friends and i decided to go on a day trip to Bandipur National Park, which is about 2 hours out of Mysore by local bus.

it was a great day. the lonely planet had warned us that we likely wouldn’t see the tigers and panthers that are in the park, but we did manage to see chitals (spotted deer), another kind of deer, elephants, 2 kinds of monkeys, peacocks, and warthogs!

highlights of the day included monkeys trying to steal our backpacks and an elephant reaching over for me during my token “Medicine Hat News” shot.

i know i just blogged yesterday, but this morning was just too special not to share it right away.
i participated in a fundraising/awareness demonstration against human trafficking (especially prostitution) at the Mysore palace this morning. a hundred or so humble yogis had the pleasure of doing sun salutations along with, and led by, women and children from an organization dedicated to rescuing them from the streets.
the coolest part is that the same demonstration is going on today in 20 countries around the world. it is part of international women’s day, which was march 8.
may there be peace and harmony. may all be happy.

Mysore is a pretty great place to start out this trip, I think. I’m living in a suburb called Gokulum, which is pretty much gringo-ville as it is filled with yoga students. Downtown Mysore is about a 45 minute walk or 15 minute auto-rickshaw ride away. Though it is more hectic there, I still think it’s a pretty calm place in India.

I thought I would blog about the top 2 sites in Mysore, as listed in my Lonely Planet: the Palace, and the market.

The palace is huge, intricate, and beautiful. The other afternoon I hung out, reading my book, on the well kept grounds. Every Sunday night the palace is lit up with tiny white lights, giving it a Disneyland kind of a feel. It really is enchanting.

The Devaraja Market is another great spot in town. It is a packed little place – alleyways leading to different fruit, flower, incence, paint, household product sections. It is loud, hot, and crazy, but pretty cool to see.

Around town there’s also lots of other things to see. I have included a picture of a Ghandi statue, as well as a ‘free Tibet’ march that I happened to come across while wandering the other day.

i’ve been in india one week now and am learning more and more each day.

the other day when i was walking around town i met an indian guy who started showing me around some of the places that aren’t in my lonely planet. we went into the back of a oil/incense shop, where i learned about different types of oil and watched a lady making incense.

i also had the chance to go to a wood shop, where men in the back were carving intricate designs out of wood for elaborate tables.

i have seen guys around rolling up what appears to be some type of tobacco with all kinds of other mysterious things. i haven’t seen if people smoke it or chew it, but regardless it was an interesting thing to see.

and finally, the cane juice factory. i’ve come across these guys a few times along my routes, grinding up sugar cane to make a refreshing juice. hard work, but judging by the amount of people drinking it, it appears to be worth it.

today i started at the yoga shala. yesterday i had learned that you go into the room, start your practise, and Shirath (the teacher) stops you when he feels you need to stop. i had all of these feelings of self doubt and visions of only being there for 5 minutes.
why do i torture myself? turns out i was just fine. in fact, i was stopped right about the time i was invisioning that i would be stopped (for you yogis out there –marichyasana B). and in the heat and energy of that room i had one of the best practises i’ve ever had.
i feel great.
so to celebrate, i think i’m going to have a slice of anu’s famous chocolate banana cake.
i thought i would attach some of the photos that i’ve taken about life around mysore.

i made it to Mysore, which is the town in South Central India where i am doing my yoga training. It was quite an adventure to get here, but i made it and, more importantly, so far i really like it here.
yesterday was full of moments where i rollercoastered between loving and hating travelling. here are some of my thoughts about travelling (and really life in general). i think that anyone who has ever done any type of travelling can relate to these feelings, and i welcome your comments and examples!
1. the feeling of desperately needing sleep/water/food/toilet/(insert any other need here) and the “fight or flight” drive to get it.
2. choosing a path, realizing midway that it’s not the best option, but staying committed to the course in a desperate and hopeful way.
3. knowing that you’re getting ripped off but either a) having no control or options or b) deciding it’s not worth the 50 cents or whatever you would be putting energy into arguing about.
4. the kindness and generosity of people along the way. i was moved to tears (yes they were partly because i had slept 3 hours in the previous 36 hours) by an Indian family who offered me a train seat, a share of their food, and conversation when i was on what could have been a really scary train ride.

the photos are the yoga institute that i’ll be attending, a temple along my route home, and my first coconut water of my stay. ahhhh refreshing.