Practice, practice, practice

In the wake of yesterday's interview with Guy (for the May issue of Living Mysore Magazine, I am grasping for some firm ground. The conclusion?

No too tight, not too loose.

Obsess and don't obsess. Find the middle ground.

What keeps speaking to me is this question, "why are we doing this yoga?" The answer keeps coming as "to transform".

Example. My body is physically changing. It is adapting to the new challenges of my practice, it is getting stronger, lighter, and the shape is slowly shifting.

Example. My mind is changing. Thinking of the physical aspects of practice, there is no one day that I am performing. I am not practicing and practicing these postures so that one day I can show them off. I can't just fast so that the next day I "feel light" and then can do a certain posture. The choices I make for what I put into my body are long-term habit changes. Every day is the performance, everyday is the practice. Everything has to change.

Example. But why does it have to change? Am I obsessing over asana? Kind of, but not really. I am obsessing over cultivating mindfulness in my thoughts and actions. It is watching myself as I move through the world the entire 22 hours until the next asana session. The whole day is "doing yoga".

On this entire physical/mental shift fostered by the asana practice, it is interesting how one would think that "oh everything is perfect and now I will just work on this one thing", when actually this one thing effects everything else. I remember when I did this workshop with this Ayurvedic teacher that was all about Mind Body Centering and she was talking about how when you get an organ removed, that sickness and pain that was there is still there because the issue was never solved. How could it still linger even when the physical organ was gone? It is simple. Everything in the body is connected to everything else. When an organ is removed, the body doesn't think, "okay, the right kidney is gone, oh well." In this same way, getting a new posture changes your entire practice and then changes your entire life. Everything is different, everything is connected.

Excited about this Danny Paradise workshop coming up at Om Factory next week. It is always interesting to hear different points of view. Also hyped about Mysore, so I dug up this info to inspire!

Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore, India
General Mysore Info:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At_JswBti28
http://www.livingmysore.com/


Ajay



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWuquyM5VXg
http://www.sthalam8.com/index.php?sub_page=ajay

Sheshadari



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=574KxzmIH3E
http://mandala.ashtanga.org/index.php/sheshadri

BNS Iyengar



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClWOwVHvLQU
http://ashtanga.org/lineage/bns_iyengar.shtml

Sharath/Guruji/Saraswati



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3-8Te30H6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKQw0-IlJiY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3mzQ83Gk8A
http://www.ayri.org/

Another keyword search: which leg first in krounchasana?

That one is easy! Jump through from downdog with the right leg bent and left leg up like in triangmukha eka pada paschimottanasana. Then do a vinyasa and jump through with the left leg bent and right leg up. Pretty much its always right leg first. There are a few exceptions though. For instance, you twist to the left side first in pasasana. Why does it say to twist to the right first in David Swenson's book? *Shrug*

In the sun I feel as one

Last night my house mate and I watched a surfing movie called "Step into liquid". I remembered back when I ran away to Europe and how I planned my destinations based on the weather. Its very funny to me that I ended up in New York, the city of perpetual overcast skies and cold winter weather. I really go months without seeing the sun. I always told myself I'd buy some of those anti-winter depression lights, but was too depressed to leave the house to get them...

Other things that can make me really happy on a dark winter day locked up in my apartment in New York: loud loud music (I didn't bring my ipod), Eric (he's in New York), talking with my old friend Rae (time difference makes this difficult). Looks like I'm assed out with only my self to deal with. That was kind of the point though, wasn't it? Eliminating distractions? Learning to be with myself comfortably? Learning to be alone?

I went to bed last night seriously considering hopping a plane to a beach and learning how to surf. (I decided to add that to my list of things to do before I die, by the way.) This morning I slept in (what a relief). A friend came over an made french toast, which we greedily devoured. She also brought the sun with her! I went outside to see if it was true, and indeed, it was a pool day!

I spent a few hours alternating between dipping in the pool and sleeping on a chair. There weren't that many yoga students there, but there was an Indian family, which was unusual. Shortly after we got in the pool, we were asked by the staff to tie back out hair. I didn't mind, but I asked when this policy was put into place. The guy said "today". But then he made up some convoluted story about someone being in the hospital from eating hair that they got in their mouth from swimming in the pool. I'm serious, he said this. I told him that that was complete bullshit and that if they wanted us to tie back our hair they should just say so. Apparently you aren't supposed to let your hair down here. I didn't really know this, and so it may explain the special attention I get on occasion. I think the Indian family were a bit disgusted with our hair being all mermaid in the pool. It is so funny. Bikinis are okay, but you have to put your hair back.

I found myself missing Eric terribly as I sat by the pool today. Less people, less distractions, more time to think about these things. This morning as I sat in our living room watching bbc, my house mate came and sat down. She grabbed the bag of homemade chocolate from up the block.

"Chocolate for breakfast?" I asked.

"I don't know...I miss my boyfriend." she said. I know. I've been eating an unreal amount of chocolate over the last week. That has got to stop.

I though I'd mention here that there are other ashtanga teachers here in Mysore that people study with. Last night, we went to a kirtan at Ajay's, and it reminded me that many people might not know about this.

The other ashtanga teachers of mysore

Sheshadri: He is known for his really crazy adjustments. He does adjustment trainings for teachers, which are supposed to be really good. There is a little cafe at his shala where they make really nice soup.

BNS Iyengar: Old-school teacher. Also teaches pranayama and philospohy to students.

Ajay: Young teacher (he's in his 20s I think). Does amazing adjustment trainings I hear. People really love him.

I've heard that tomorrow's led class will be Sharath's last for the season...