Greetings from Mysore~
On Friday we celebrated the incredible fact that we actually survived our first full week (6 days in a row) of EARLY morning yoga practice at the shala. We celebrated with a bottle of (yogic) wine at our favorite restaurant, The Green Hotel. We are now half way through our second week, but this week will be much easier because we have been blessed with a beautiful full moon on Wednesday - right in the middle of the week. Full and new moon days, as well as Saturdays, are days of rest in the Ashtanga yoga tradition. Woohoo!! We will take advantage of this thoughtful tradition.
Currently, we are scheduled to start our Mysore practice (also called self-practice) at 7:00am. Mysore practices are Monday through Thursday and led classes are on Fridays and Sundays. The time at the shala is set 15 minutes ahead and we are also supposed to arrive 15 minutes before our scheduled time. This means that we have to get up at 5:15am Monday - Thursdays. On Sunday the led class starts at 4:30am so on Sundays we have to get up at 3:00am to get to class on time. At first we thought 5:15 was early, however, after Sunday, it now seems almost easy. It is fun, in a strange kind of way, to start yoga practice in the dark, end in the dark and then sit on the stoop at the tea shop having chai and coffee while the sun comes up. Knowing that we have already accomplished the most challenging part of day before the sun shines is pretty nice.
The walk to the shala takes us about 15 minutes. We enjoy the dark, quiet streets of Gokalum. It is a welcomed contrast from the noisiness and busyness of the day and evening hours. There are only a few other early morning risers: newspaper carriers, tea shop owners, and the coconut stand owner stirring. There is a Ganesh temple along the way that is doing puja (spiritual practice). There are people inside and around the temple watching the Priest perform the puja ceremony. We can only catch a glimpse as we walk by, but there is incense, lots of flowers, candles, and music of some sort. Jeff noticed that it sounded something like the march of the soldiers at the wicked witch's castle in the Wizard of Oz.
The shala is already full when we arrive and the stairs are covered with shoes. When we open the door we step from the cool morning air into the warm, humid air of the shala. January and February are the busiest months. We estimate that there are probably at least 400 yoga practitioners from all over the world here. At any one time there are about 65 students practicing in the yoga room. Mats have only about 3 - 6 inches between them. You have to quickly get over any squeamishness about being close to other people who are very sweaty. The yoga room is hot and humid and the windows and walls are streaked and dripping with moisture. If Jeff is wearing his glasses they will steam up as soon as he walks inside. If sweating is good for you and detoxifies the system then we must be on our way to immaculate health!
We sit in the foyer with 5 - 10 other students on a cool marble floor. For about fifteen minutes we wait here for a space to open up in the practice room. There is an open door leading inside and we can watch other students and their practices. Some of them are amazing, very strong and flexible doing advanced postures while others are beginners, just learning the practice. However, all of them inspire us with their focus and dedication to yoga, something that has brought them halfway across the world to this small room in India. Back in the foyer, we wait patiently for the words “one more," which indicates that a spot has opened up and we can come into the practice room and place our mat in the vacated spot.
"Now the teaching of yoga begins." Yoga Sutra 1:1
To be continued...