In our last episode, we left our two travellers sitting outside the yoga studio door, watching other students in their early morning practices. As the call rings from inside, "one more, seven o'clock," another student grabs their mat and steps over the painted wooden threshold into the shala. Everyone in the foyer scrunches just a little bit closer to the door. "One more," and now it's your turn to go inside. "Over here," or "back there," the teacher points and you look around the room, crowded with bodies and yoga mats at every possible step, looking for the elusive empty spot where you are supposed to unroll your mat. Sometimes it's an empty place and sometimes a student is still there, just about to finish up, doing the final posture. You try to walk through the maze, not stepping upon or being kicked by or bumping into or tripping over anyone else. Unrolling your yoga mat, folding- not rolling your cotton mat, and go into the quiet locker room to shed your street clothes and steady your nerves. Then you walk back through the mats and bodies to your mat and stand feet together to begin your own practice, once again.
For those of you who do not do yoga, or don't know much about ashtanga yoga in particular, here is a brief guide: everyone begins with the first series, and learns all the postures in the correct order. There are about 30 postures in the first series and 17 postures at the finish. You begin with standing poses then seated poses, and you have to memorize the entire sequence by yourself, because in Mysore, the teacher does not "lead" the class, only to assist you with adjustments or advice. Every breath that you take has a movement associated with it. At first it is a real challenge to breath smoothly and do the postures without force, but eventually you become strong enough and relaxed throughout the whole series. This may take a couple years or more of regular, (read: daily) practice!
The yoga room is very hot and soon you are all sweaty, even drippy. This may take some getting used to! When your rubber mat becomes too slippery to get a grip, you unfold your cotton mat. There is the sound of deep breathing all through the room, but nothing else. Remember, every breath has a movement associated with it, and there is movement everywhere. You try not to be distracted by all these bodies jumping, floating, stretching, bending, upside down and downside up. Normally, your practice is by yourself, just your mat and you, and it feels very different to be in such a crowded, busy space with so many others all practicing together. But, you soon realize that you need to focus on what you are doing, or you will get noticed by Sharath, who will call you out if you slip up. "You do navasana?", it's more of a statement than a question. Or, "not correct, why you leave your leg!" (Don't even try to figure out that one!) Even with 65 students all practicing all at once in every possible combination of postures, he manages to see you when you mess up. Right now, there are usually three or four other teachers in the room, giving asjustments and helping you throught the difficult parts,. Saraswati, the daughter of Gurui, is there as well, she is amazingly strong! Your practice takes about ninety minutes, more or less depending on your energy and how you are feeling. When you do this each morning, you begin to realize that you are definitely not the same person today as you were yesterday. Somedays you feel very strong and light, and on other days you feel very "solid" and heavy. Nothing stays the same but the observance of it.
After the backbends and the counter posture of a deep forward bend, you pick up your mat and leave the crowded shala floor for the relative quiet and cool darkness of the locker room. In here you do the finishing postures and take a short rest in corpse pose, (gotta love that name.) It is a nice change from the strong pace of the main studio and your body can downshift and relax a bit. Then you change into something not damp with sweat, roll up your mat and find your way back out through the shala to the front door. "One more, eight thirty!", and you have to half smile at the thought of someone just entering the room to start the whole thing again. Not a smirk, but a soft knowing smile of shared effort, of facing the common challenges of a strong practice and the reward of knowing that you won't have to be back until tomorrow morning! Hopefully, you can catch the teacher's eye before you leave and receive that beautiful smile and you suddenly feel very grateful for this place and this practice.
Well, we hope this hasn't been too long winded or boring for you, and thanks for making it this far. We have learned many many lessons in this practice of yoga, but one that seems to stick out is that this practice only asks that you show up and do your very best, with respect for how you are feeling that day. Notice how you push and when you hold back, where you are afraid and when you feel brave. Notice your mind and its' commentary, and then let it go in the next moment. This instant is all there really is.
Jeff and Kathy
If you'd like to see some more pictures from the trip, use this link to Jeff's facebook photo album: