Although my life is moving slowly, my days are still filled with adventures, mishaps and a lot of bendy body positions.
Every Thursday "Ah Jay" holds a special class called "Vinyasa class". [This is not one of those flow-happy ashtanga variations popular in the west. Instead, it is a class which focuses largely on the "vinyasa" part of the ashtanga practice.] It is hard to explain what a vinyasa is but basically he wants me to sit cross legged, then using my arm and ab strength to lift my entire body off of the ground, move my legs through my arms and end in a push up position. I tried to tell him that my legs just don't fit through my arms. His response..."madame Jordana...you are much silly." Strangely enough, after an hour of squeezing, contorting, and sweating through every piece of clothing I had on, I made about an inch of progress. Better luck next Thursday.
The class then continued to include shoulder and hip opening. Being new to yoga I obviously have very closed shoulders so Ah Jay paired me with an advanced student...Nilesh. Nilesh is from Delhi and is doing his teacher training. He has a long pony tail, is quite hairy and does yoga in a small pair of bicycle shorts. To open my shoulders, I sat cross legged and crossed my arms behind my back, Nilesh sat across from me in a straddle position with his thighs resting on my thighs for extra pressure and then held my hands (which are still crossed behind my back). I don't know if you can completely get the pose, very hard to describe, but the point is....it was very close and very sweaty! At first I was a little bit uncomfortable when the sweat dripped from his forehead onto my chest, but within time....NAMASTE! Woah India.
jordana, you are an awesome guest blogger:) this is the true vinyasa.
ReplyDeleteWow Jordana, your writing is getting better then ever.
ReplyDeletezee- why are you always such a prick?
ReplyDeletewhy????!!!!
are there two zees? the good and the bad?
do tell :)
eeyore--cute story no?
zee- why are you always such a prick?
ReplyDeletewhy????!!!!
are there two zees? the good and the bad?
do tell :)
eeyore--cute story no?
Oh beautiful Elise, you clicked. “Secret of my Endurance” can be understood in many different ways. You understood it as something “bad”. OK. Lets deal with that.
ReplyDeleteDear Elise, your thinking is still warped by the notion of good and bad, so you still are adopting a critical attitude. The one who pleases you is considered a good and the other you consider as bad. I am sorry but “Zee” can not be good and bad, it simply does not make sense. Understand that good and bad are attributes assign to the object (zee is just an object in your consciousness) that are not in the object itself.
Keep an open loving attitude toward those who give you troubles and remain without enmity. All irritation comes from your own self-importance, never from other persons.
To quarrel indicates misunderstanding. Stop for a moment and review whatever you quarrel about.
i know, i loved it:)
ReplyDeleteoh zee,
ReplyDeletea path of compassion would probably include not needing to cram one's opinion down other people's throats no?
don't get me wrong, I'm not quarreling. i really want to know why you always come off as being incredible snotty and judgmental.
How? words like "warped" perhaps?
Or how about "let's deal with that"?
I'd quote more but really the whole comment could be put here.
I just don't see the point in it or how it could make you feel at peace.
that said, i think its great that you care enough to comment so often and that you take the time to read and to participate.
i just have to tell you before you waste any more breath that the whole preaching thing can turn a lot of people off. plus you post semi-anonymously which makes me feel like you don't really have the clout to back up what you say. I don't think i'm particularly clever, but at least I'm honest.
and just so you know, it is really annoying when people read this ridicuous blog and think that they "know" me.
So please, if you want to make the effort to comment, it means that you must be doing it for a reason and if you want me to really hear you, you're going to have to start speaking in a language I can hear which isn't dumbing it down but just not being so impossibly arrogant. Or you could keep commenting the way you are and I and everyone else can keep scrolling past them.
Thank you Elise.
ReplyDeleteI’ll not comment on yours or any other blog anymore. I despise not only society but also all kinds of communities.
In the last two years, for selected few, I have transferred this basic message: Be open, direct, fearless, intensify the Sense of Being. Cut through ego manipulation which is based on “what others think”. Stop self-improvement. There is no “you” improving yourself. Cut ruthlessly through anything that creates “you”. Forget “you” and be what you really are – the Self.
The comments, what you take to be “nice”, are really mocking you for they strengthen your imagination while of your own Reality you are ignorant.
So long Elise. Stay well.
I have a question for you Elise: People go to mysore who are new yogis? Mysore isn't just for hardcore, Shala-loving' Ashtangis? I would love to hear more from Jordana about what it's like as a yoga newbie to immerse onself in a community like mysore. What was your motivation?
ReplyDelete