(Written on Tuesday, April 6, 2004)
Here I am, two months into the trip, more than halfway done and I'm finally in one place: mentally, physically and emotionally. It's been awhile, heaven knows. I've left behind the crazy streets of Delhi, the lecherous men in Agra and Mrs. Keswani's radish parathas and now here I am in Mysore, with my practice.
I'm sitting in my comofrtable room in my glorious flat, admiring my new duvet cover (made out of a sari), lentils on the stove (thank goodness I can cook again!), listening to Rufus (which Meg claims has become the soundtrack of my trip --and it has), stretching in the crazy ways that all yogis do, as I write this, and thanking myself for agreeing to come to this crazy, enchanting place.
I've been in India for two weeks now (it's gone by so quickly) and Mysore for one. I've eaten enough paneer to choke a horse and probably drank enough masala chai to fill a swimming pool. I still feel like I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of understanding Indian culture. It's so dense, complex and much of it seems simply innate and otherwise inexplicable. The crazy driving, the head bobble, the sacred cows, the thalis and the pujas, where did they all come from? Thank God they've continued to exist in this world that's becoming increasingly McDonaldized by the second (Aloo Tikka burger, anyone?).
After reading the emails that I've sent to my friends and family back home, depciting garbage hearps and sweet lassis, gender inequality and genuine hospitality, all things opposed, bitter and sweet all at once, many have replied and said, "India sounds fascinating, culturally robust, but not very nice." But it is nice. To quote my favourite President (okay, it's a toss up between him and FDR, on whom I have a huge crush), "It all depends on what your definition of 'is' is." Maybe in this case the word in question is 'nice.' It raises a lot of questions: are there criteria to determine 'niceness?' Does one have to be able to answer 'yes' to four out of five questions for a place to be nice? Is it in the geography, or the people, or the number of swimming pools per capita? Furthermore, since when did travelling become only about nice places? Wouldn't it be better if it was about learning, cultural appreciation and self-reflection? India is nice. Indeed, there is garbage strewn everywhere, and maybe the bathrooms smell bad and the occasional tourist returns home with a friend living in his intestines, but if you were looking for the West, you should have stayed there.
There's something about this place. Maybe it's the melange of the people and the tenacity with which they cling to their culture, their traditions, their India. Whatever it is, this certain je ne sais quoi, it grabs you by the hands and pulls you into the party. Sensory overload becomes part of the every-day and Bhangra songas are the soundtrack of your dreams.
Practice foe me began with led class on Saturday morning. After bhujapidasana ("Put your head on the floor," and I did) Sharath says, "You go to shoulderstand," and points to the changeroom. I knew my difficulties binding marichyasana D were going to land me in finishing somewhere around navasana. It will come.
Today was my second practice here in Mysore (Sunday: day off, Monday: full moon), and my first in the traditional Mysore style. Sharath's hawk-eyes amaze me. He seems to know intutitively when you need him there to push you further in paschimottanasana A or to help you bind mari D. My twists were definitely better today, I just needed a little tug for mari D. Sharath says, "Tomorrow we do more."
I'll say it again, there's something about this place. The energy during practice is incredible and intense. You stretch and twist like you never have before knowing that Sharath's eyes are on you. He tells you to put your head on your knee in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, or your head on the floor in bhujapidasana and you do, even though you never thought you could. Refuel with breakfast at Tina's or Holly and Tony's and count the hours until you can repeat it all again tomorrow.
This morniong I was more focused on my breath than I've ever been, it was insanely meditative and it took me longer than usual after class to come out of the usual post-practice 'yoga stone.' "Tomorrow we do more..."
- posted by Andrea @ 8:33 a.m.