Following the success of her workshop in November 2013, the Avon Iyengar Yoga Institute have arranged for Firooza Ali, from Mumbai in India, to return to Yogawest to teach a weekend workshop on 31 May and 1 June. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please contact the AIYI direct.
We look forward to seeing Firooza back at Yogawest.
Tamara has been in India during January to study with the Iyengar family. We’ve enjoyed hearing her stories of one to one tuition with Mr Iyengar himself! We are very much looking forward to sharing in Tamara’s refreshed insights; she’s back teaching from Feb 3rd. You can read about Tamara’s journey on her blog here.
Many thanks to Janet, Lizzie, Luke and Sam who covered Tamara’s regular classes during January.
Tamara is away in India for the month of January, working with The Iyengar family at the Institute in Pune.
Arrived into Mumbai at 4am and headed out of airport to get a taxi to Pune. I had been previously advised to expect to pay about 850 rupees. Of course they took one look at me and said 3000 rupees. I explained I didn’t mind waiting and splitting the fare and was told that as it was New Years Eve all the shared taxis were booked well in advance and nothing was available. I stuck to my guns and surprise surprise, there were already 3 people sat there waiting to go to Pune and off we went for 850 rupees( about £8.50). My flatmate was charged 100 usdollars and this didn’t seem like a bad deal after her hotel had quoted her 300 usdollars.
The sun came up as we were driving on the expressway through the dusty mountainous area between Mumbai and Pune. Arrived at 8.30am local time (3am by my body clock) and spent the morning traipsing round to look at apartments – I’d only been granted my place at the institute in mid December so unsuprisingly last year’s apartment was taken. Eventually settled for the first one I’d looked at which is pretty good but a little far away from the institute (15 mins walk) and kitchen is rubbish – just a single gas burner on a bottle of the type you might use when camping (and to be honest even then I’d have 2 rings!).
Saw a gorgeous apartment right by the park that was not available till the tenth, so hope to move in then. Sank into bed gratefully for a few hours rest, feeling a bit lost without Jenny who I travelled with last year 
Felt much better once my flat mate arrived – Nicola from Canada and passed out the second my head hit the pillow waking at 6am.
Headed into the institute for practice starting at 9am and sat outside chatting waiting for the session to start. As we chatted Mr. Iyengar came out of his home (just opposite institute) and sat on his usual perch. We both went to give our greetings – some bring their hands together and simply say namaste whereas other kneel before him and kiss the ground at this feet. He didn’t acknowledge my greeting and we sat to resume our wait.
Shortly after Gerry and Lynda arrived (my 2 teachers who have sponsored my visit here, kindly offering to look after me in the medical classes under the supervision of the medical team here). Shortly followed by my medical class teacher who took me over to formally introduce me to Guruji and remind him of the purpose of my visit. (Gulp)
Guruji has given his permission for me to attend a month of medical classes to work on my Type 1 Diabetes after the amazing results we had on last year’s trip (see wordpress blog Tamara’s Indian Experience). This time I am going to take a c-peptide test before and after the month. This test will hopefully verify whether insulin is being produced by my pancreas or whether there is some other reason for the amazing effects that were felt on my blood sugar.
During the practice session I realised I was still exhausted and not fit for much more than lying in supta tadasana to realign and reconnect after all the travel. I left early and spent the afternoon resting before my first medical class.
We focussed today on a restorative sequence to recover from the travel and build up some energy for the work that lies ahead. Also I haven’t had my pre-trial c-peptide test yet so no pancreas stimulation yet! We did however use a polystyrene cylinder behind the pancreas in the supine poses to lift and open the area using the posture and breath combined to open out and broaden the ribs to the side and breathe life and energy into the whole area. Inversions were done with the feet hooked over the trestler so as not to ‘load’ the organs. After the session felt completely restored and energised.
Myself and Nicola headed to Shrivan on FC Road for some good food and went to bed feeling very grateful for all the support and help I am receiving here.
Got up still tired after tossing and turning all night – anxious about getting the c-peptide test organised, things are rarely straightforward here and also about the possibility I might be working directly with Guruji.
Eventually got through to one of the laboratories recommended by Dr.Manoj (local doctor and teacher at the Institute). They confirmed they could do the test for a mere 1090 rupees – about £11 compared to the £167 quoted in the UK. They needed a 12 hours fasting blood sample so I headed for practice with the intention of getting a rickshaw over straight after practice.
The hall was noticeably busier and difficult to find a space (though NOTHING compared to last year) and I ended up in the nerve-racking position of having to do my sirsasana (headstand) directly infront of Guruji. The only space left in the entire room! It certainly gave me the motivation to strive for best ever pose!
When I came down I had been caught by my medical teacher’s eagle eye and she explained one of the most important things I could do for my organ health would be to learn to take my lumbar back in Sirsasana. I was sent into the cupboard to practice with the hands wrapped around the leg of an equipment rack, so whole spine could be supported and aligned.
After practice it was interesting to reflect on the difference in how I felt after medical yesterday. Although I had done some much needed work do loosen stiff shoulders and reconnect with my legs I felt depleted compared to yesterday, which was a totally passive receipt of energy.
Managed to negotiate the rickshaw and find the laboratory with minimal difficulty (a first!) had the blood taken as was out in 5 minutes. Let the work begin!
Medical class was TOUGH today. I was taken through a strong standing pose and inversion sequence to give me an understanding of how to work to benefit the organ body in a ‘normal’ practice. Plenty of sweating and groaning and feeling wonderful now.
The pigs take care of the rubbish
The day got off to a great start with the women’s class taught by Gulnaz. She was very relaxed and easy going but still taught a really thorough and deep reaching class, starting with 20 minutes of AM swastikasana! So helpful to be reminded the power of repeating poses so that they can fully evolve – we did at least 5 repeats of parivrtta janu sirsasana and parivrtta upavista konasana and then the parivrrta standing poses that followed were incredible – the body could just turn so freely and without any specific instruction many of us took the whole palm to the floor.
After class we headed for Dorabjees to stock up on brown rice and all the other bits and pieces that are difficult to get anywhere else. It has a big gluten free and organic section and just about anything else a westerner might need – at a price. Note to self: next time remember to pack balsamic vinegar, olive oil etc. These items are available, but for at least 3 times the price of back home. A small bag of Tesco (yes really) quinoa £3.90. On the bright side watermelons about 20p and the fruit is utterly divine. Juicy deep red pomegranate heaven! Although we can get these fruits back home something major is lost in transit. Across the road from Dorabjees is the toy shop where I was delighted to find the sister of the small indian doll I bought my daughter Josie last year. She will be made up! Most days I read her a chapter of her storybook over skype and for the rest of the month the doll will have to be with me in view of the camera. It’s the small things …
The institute is closed completely on a Sunday so I bought a bolster from the shop there for £3.30 so that I can practice in the apartment tomorrow. Although I am sure for many it was a disappointment that Geeta wasn’t teaching today I’m glad she is taking a break. As I was sat outside taking notes after the medical class yesterday I noticed Prashant loitering – coming in and out of the house and institute. I wondered what he was waiting for and soon a whole family procession came back. First Guruji escorted by Abi, then Geeta with Abi’s beautiful baby daughter (she’s unbelievably dainty and pretty), Prashant instantly appeared to carry the baby inside – it was so sweet. But it really made me aware just how intrusive it is to have the home and institute together. Never a second away from the hoardes and hoardes of foreign students, many of whom behave like tourists. Teaching can be exhausting, hence the reason we all come here for our month of respite to be fed with inspiration for our own practice and the year’s teaching ahead. But where do you go if you are an Iyengar? Always giving.
Overlooking Pune
No classes or practice sessions today so spent the morning at the apartment making creative use of tables and beds to replace usual yoga equipment. Spent a lot of time wrestling with antiquated twin tub washing machine trying to get a load of washing done without completely flooding the apartment. Lets just say the floor is very clean now.
Headed off to join Lynda for her 60th birthday celebration lunch at La Pizzeria – a rather nice italian restaurant with UK prices but good food. Salad that’s safe to eat and desserts such a melting chocolate bomb. We followed with afternoon tea and cake at the flat and then headed out to see if we could find our way up the hill that overlooks Pune.
We weren’t sure how to get there so just ambled in the general direction and ended up walking through the slums and seeing a completely different side of Pune. Narrow streets and higgledy piggedly mix of tin shacks, colourful houses, shops and stalls, people working, children and goats scrubbing around on wasteland – it almost had a festival atmosphere.
You might imagine it would feel unsafe but in fact the opposite was true – a friendly and relaxed vibe. I stopped to take a photo of some goats and the people nearby wanted their photo taken too and of course wanted to see their image on the camera amid much giggling and chattering. It was a shame I didn’t have a word of Hindi nor they of English.
We finally found our way up the hill and scrambled up some rocks to sit and enjoy the vista over Pune just before the sun went down. A good day 
I spent the evening catching up with the family on Skype and doing some Diabetes research online and was dismayed to find out that I had been incorrectly advised by the laboratory to fast before the c-peptide test. Basically if your blood sugar is already low why would your pancreas bother to produce insulin? (and therefore c-peptide). It would have been more useful to go and test when the sugars had been raised for a while. So I may go and re-test tomorrow. On the plus side my test result was 0.13 ng/ml which is very low (normal fasting range 0.78 – 1.89 ng/ml) but it’s not nothing – indicating perhaps that a few beta cells have survived despite having type 1 diabetes for 16 years.
Practice was really busy and Guruji seemed to focussing his teaching on his nearest and dearest. Each day there is a small group of select students close to the trestler where he works and as he does his practice he teaches them. There is always an audience that gathers to learn from what he is giving them and often he teaches to include the audience. Today though he spoke very quietly and so I stayed away – he wanted to teach just them. Though from where I was I could clearly hear Abi’s tortured groans as she endeavoured to stay in Sirsasana and follow his instructions.
I cannot help but marvel at his tolerance – I don’t believe I could share my daily practice space with 100 plus ‘yoga tourists’ and I’m sure I would be deeply irritated as they all gawked at a personal lesson I was giving a family member. I went about my practice with Guruji’s voice in the background just a few feet away, almost shaking my head in disbelief – it’s amazing to be sharing my practice with such distinguished company – it’s like a devout catholic kneeling down to pray with the Pope every morning!
After practice I disconnected the pump, drank a 1/3 of a bottle of lucozade and jumped into a rickshaw to the laboratory to repeat the C-peptide test in non-fasting state. Upon arrival I was told I would need to wait until 2 hours after the glucose so I went next door to the ‘Shoppers Stop’ to kill time and found a nice blouse suitably modest to wear in India. Test results tomorrow and it will be interesting to see if there is any slight response in the insulin level to the glucose intake. Clearly there won’t be a full response as I’m type 1 diabetic, but will there be anything at all?
Medical class was quite an experience. I went in with a blood sugar of 7.2 and started with resting poses with my new understanding of correct positioning for the organic body. So AM Svanasana, Uttansana and Prasarita Paddottonasna with concavity in the dorsal AND lumbar spine, head and mid thigh supported. Then we moved to trestler for supported ardha chandrasana with organ body in mind. When I came down Raya came and spoke to me and told me I was firing on all cylinders at once and I need to learn to do just one action, stabilise that action and the move onto next action. Not everything at once as it made me become hard or tense in the pose.
As I was given the next pose I realised I was hypo and checked sugar which in 30 minutes had dropped to 3.2. I disconnected the pump and took lots of Lucozade to bring the level back up, which normally works almost instantly. Today though it took longer and a few more doses of glucose, so my teacher called a halt to the active work and we moved to resting poses. Just as well as I had exhausted my glucose supply – enough to last me at least a week usually. The power in this work is incredible. It is well understood that aerobic activity can bring a sharp drop in blood sugars – but contrast this with the super-tough sequence of standing poses and inversions she gave me on Friday, where the sweat was dripping off of me and I didn’t need even a swig of glucose during it, yet here with a supported sequence designed to work on the pancreas the effect is immediate. It lasted until late in the evening where normal insulin requirements resumed. (later update here – up 3 times in the night for glucose, so effects have continued and will need to adjust insulin regime accordingly).
After class brought Lynda flowers for her birthday and stayed with them for some food.
Had a very interrupted sleep as I woke needing glucose 3 or 4 times. Got up and headed into the institute to observe the seniors class. A different teacher this year, the class was busy with about 35 local senior citizens. She gave them a tough class, which they clearly enjoyed very much.
Just in time for the final 30 minutes of the practice session afterwards. Once home I declined an offer of going to the Mariot for a swim as much as I would have loved to, my instinct was telling me to stay home and rest.
Good thing I did. When I got to medical at 4pm Guruji was there and it wasn’t long before he came over to teach me. He is an exacting and demanding teacher and certainly does not suffer fools gladly. It was pretty terrifying. Sweat pouring off of me, trying very hard to understand and perform what was being asked and not let myself or my teacher’s down. I was deeply grateful for the preparation time and guidance I had had since arriving as some of the actions had already been shown to me.
I just kept going and said very little, which afterwards I was told was the correct way. Towards the end of the session all was a little calmer and it wasn’t quite so terrifying. I was asked to tell what was happening inside as a result of the actions I was given, requring perhaps a greater level of sensitivity than I currently feel confident of, but again I just did my best and tried to be honest and clear.
What an incredible honour, I am extremely priveliged.
On my walk home I had a rare experience of being in an abundance of connected energy so that instead of feeling weary and that the walk was drawing from me I felt I could walk a thousand miles. The feeling inside my organ body at the back was hard to describe – the complete opposite of sluggishness, light, euphoric, vibrant.
Started the day observing the women’s class with Geetaji. Was sad not to be in it but it was interesting to watch and get the opportunity to take some thorough notes. Although she was not too well, her voice struggling despite the mic – she taught a beautiful forward bend sequence.
Spent the afternoon resting and headed for medical class at 6pm. It was perhaps the most physically and mentally challenging experience of my life. I ended up with a face like a big red tomato and in tears – the inevitable release of held emotion, that was actually preventing me from breathing properly – so good that it’s begun to come out I guess. I would however have preferred not to have been quite so observed. Aside from all the teachers and students, there are always many people who come to look and learn. I’d probably be quite upset if the milkman was mad at me, so Guruji’s stern disapproval was intolerably hard to bear.
He has told me I need to put my intelligence aside and be more like an animal, then he might be able to teach me. Part of the problem is being so much in my brain, so it may be that the blog now becomes much more sporadic – spending my evenings writing up notes and blogging is not helping me to be less brain orientated. There was so much heat in my head and body that when I came home I spent a loooong time in a cool shower – as the cold water hit me it was running off hot. I was like a furnace pumping out heat. Managed to sleep okay to begin with but was woken up at dawn by an unwelcome game of hide and seek with a lone mosquito.
Woke up feeling physically well, but mentally shell-shocked.
As I walked to practice the little stray puppy that hangs out by the Toyota Chowk who has always been completely benign, suddenly decided to attack – not teeth bared scarey attack – but little puppy jumping and nipping.I couldn’t seem to deter him, so I bent down to try and push him away and he then started jumping and nipping at my arms. I was aware it wouldn’t be a good thing for him to break the skin so in the end I had to just run away, much to the amusement of watching school kids!
Used the practice session today to cool the body down and recover some emotional equilibrium after yesterday’s trials. Today Guruji was being interviewed so I had my usual medical teacher, it was good to explore the work I’ve been set with less immediate pressure. I got the non-fasting c-peptide result back which was 0.14 ng/ml – a weeny rise from the fasting one. So just a flicker of life in the pancreas.
Moving apartment tomorrow, to one closer to the Institute right next to the park 
Guruji is away for 10 days down south, so I won’t have the possibility of being taught by him again until the 20th. I will use this time well to practice the work he has given me and strengthen myself for the next onslaught. While I am grateful for this space to prepare, I thought class might be a bit flat without fresh input.
Infact it was wonderful, consolidating some of the more familiar stuff and also some new work which was great. Feel like I’m wearing someone else’s pelvis now (someone younger and fitter). I was working with Gerry today and had a bit of a smile to myself that to think I have ended up in a world where Gerry gets to play good cop! A walk in the park after working with Guruji!
Arrived at the new apartment to collect keys, only to find that someone is already in the second bedroom, so poor Nicola had to go back to our old apartment, I will miss her.
The new apartment is like another world, spacious, homely, huge balcony big enough to practice outside and best of all, no more leaky twin tub washing machine. It’s in a quiet and leafy street next to the park. The lift is a bit random though – taking you to whatever floor it feels like at the time. I am now sharing with Eva from Switzerland – I must say I enjoy the opportunity of making new friends and connecting with like-minded people almost as much as the yoga.
Speaking of which I was invited over for dinner with the lovely Laura this eve and had a very pleasant evening eating and chatting. On our way to her place we stopped to buy some veg from one of the many barrows and Laura asked where the kids were. The woman running the stall pointed to underneath the barrow and we bent down to have a look, there they were curled up fast asleep inside a piece of sacking suspended from the bottom of the barrow like a hammock! So very resourceful!
Surprisingly good children’s play area in the park.
It was such a different experience waking up in the new apartment – cool, leafy and quiet. The sun was just up when I went out onto the terrace to take some photos.
My only ‘normal’ class today and it was a cracker! Hall was busy but not unbearable. It’s a wonderful sound to hear the invocation with so many voices filling and lifting the space – quite moving the first time you hear it. Geeta taught a challenging padmasana based sequence. Baddha padmasana bending forwards, matsyasana and plenty of simhasana where we had to ‘pump’ the back thigh crease to prepare us for padmasana in sirsasana. She was in great form, teaching beautifully and making us laugh. Not without the odd telling off too, there is that slight dread that next time it’s going to be you “Hey you Blue t-shirt” everyone in blue t-shirt develops an instant anxiety that the eagle eye has spotted their mistakes. I floated out of there with a brand new pair of buttocks and had to have two coconuts from the barrow outside to recover. One of the many things I love about being here is it seems that just the right thing is available when you need it – on practically every street, refreshing coconut water, fruit stall ,veg stall … (though Gerry tells me Tesco has arrived in India 
)
Later realised I was utterly exhausted – it had been a tough class, so I used the practice session to indulge in the most wonderful restorative sequence. I set myself up right in the corner for chair sarvangasana rolling over into a supported halasana and hands in san mukhi mudra. When I finally came down I discovered that I had been so completely absorbed that the practice session had finished, everyone had packed up and gone and the next class had started!!
Fresh chickpeas!
A wonderful day starting with yoga on the balcony, getting my teeth into practicing the new work Guruji and Stephanie have given. Although I didn’t have a trestle, the fence around the balcony worked just as well.
Met Lynda at lunchtime and headed off in the rickshaw for the Solaris pool out at Koregan Park. It’s getting a bit run down these days and no longer has a cafe or bar so you have to remember to bring your own food. It was deserted except for half a dozen Iyengar students. Palm trees, sun loungers and ice cold water to swim in, great to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Lynda didn’t want to sit under the coconut palms because every year people are killed by falling coconuts and I thought she was being a bit cautious, but sure enough as we were sat chatting, there was a huge cracking sound and a whole section of tree came thumping down.
In the evening I joined Lynda, Gerry and Laura for dinnner, the picture below is of the two children that sleep under the veg barrow and spend their days playing on the pavement, today having a whale of a time with an empty plastic bottle!
Got up feeling a bit ropey after swimming yesterday – very mild cold symptoms. Got ready for practice session at the institute, only to find that I was locked into the apartment – my flatmate Eva had bolted the door on the outside when she left for Prasant’s class at 6.30am.
Undeterred I got out the equipment here and practiced at home instead – it was probably nicer to do here anyway. As Guruji is away there is not much to see during the practice sessions at the moment.
Medical class was really tough today. Lots of abdominal and back body organ strengthening work. At one point I was suspended from a rope hanging from the ceiling, I had to take my legs out straight, catch my feet with my hands and draw my body up between my legs. Raya came and said I shouldn’t be using my arm strength to pull up, but the mid back body. Very tough work. A lot of the stuff I have been doing, Guruji has been giving to his senior students over the last week or two, hence Raya’s understanding of this obscure pose.
Didn’t have the energy to cook, so went for a rare meal out and am happily tucked up in bed.
Day started with observation of the older folks class and then practice session. After practice headed outside for the obligatory coconut and straw. I’m building up quite a coconut habit – at least 2 a day now, it seems way more thirst quenching than mere water. They cost 30 rupees each (30p) and the seller will ask Mali?? meaning do you want a coconut where after you’ve drunk the water you can eat the soft flesh inside. So it’s panee if you just want water and mali if you want to eat the flesh as well. He has a machete type knife that he uses to make a hole in the top and then if you want the flesh, first he cuts a piece of the husk to make a scooping device, then he chops the whole top off so you can scoop out the soft flesh. Yum.
I was given a day off the tough stuff in class today – learning how to take the load off the brain. So supported poses with a helper fixing the occiput down steadily (or this could be achieved with the placement of a weight). I felt I could happily have stayed in dog pose a whole hour like this.
I had a real breakthrough with my sirsasana (headstand) – for years people have been trying to teach me to take the lumbar back, to no avail. The work Guruji has given me to keep the organ body drawn in and up can be done in sirsasana, only here as you’re upside down, you are actually drawing the pancreas towards the floor. Anyway this work done in sirsasana pulls the lumbar into the correct position – hallelujah!
After class headed to the oil shop with lynda. What an amazing place – it feels as if it is unchanged for centuries. It’s like an old-fashioned apothecary, selling pure essential oils, perfumes and incense. Old wooden cabinets filled with mysterious glass bottles of all shapes and sizes. We were sat on chairs, offered chai and bottle after bottle of scent was brought out for us to try. The owner proudly told us that the shop has been in his family for 6 generations and each of his predecessors has a portrait on the wall.
I’m not a perfume kind of a girl, but Lynda slected three different scents (two types of rose and a frangipani) which were then meticulously decanted into teeny weeny glass bottles, placed in a special envelope and finally each put in it’s own small draw skin bag. All for the princely sum of 45 rupees each! (45P) So if anyone at home wants me to bring some back, let me know!
We had dinner at Rupali – a bustling Indian eatery and shared masala dosa and another savoury bread, both gluten free.
One of the murals adorning the outer walls of the institute
The day started with my own practice at home, remembering feeling lousy as I sat and watched Geeta’s class last Wednesday. All the work to strengthen my back body is really starting to take hold and I did best ever navasana. I’m finally tackling those avoided areas of difficulty. Geetaji taught a wonderful class. It was quite a sight to behold, her expertise at wringing out every last drop was on full display “Do or Die”.
It’s sad to say that it does help to be just a tiny bit scared of the teacher to reach this level of depth – we all really enjoyed Gulnaz’s class, but did she wring out every last drop “NO!”
She taught a compelling sequence of forward bends and twists, taking them further and further, deeper and deeper. The uttanasana towards the end of the sequence was enlightening to watch. Everyone was beautifully warmed up, so one and all were taking palms to the floor. Then she had them walk the palms beyond the feet, lengthening the side trunk and walking the hands more and more, more and more. People were getting so deeply into it their noses were practically buried inbetween their ankle bones! Afterwards she reminded them how they put such limits on themselves – how often do we go anywhere near our maximum?
I love it here!
After class went to MG Road with Lynda for shopping and lunch. Afternoon spent chilling before another wonderful medical class. Unfortunately poor Julian joined me as one of the students after slipping a disc in his back. I wondered where he’d got to!
About 5 years into my yoga life I was surprised to find during a routine medical that I had gained a full inch in height! Well after this work in the medical class, I reckon I’ve found at least another half inch – I’m like a leaf gradually unfurling!
On my way home walked straight into what seemed like a festival – as far as I could tell, to celebrate the unveiling of the newly adorned Toyota roundabout, now resplendent with huge replicas of Indian musical instruments. There were banners and fairy lights, loudspeakers and speeches, horns a beeping as the traffic was being held up and ridiculously loud and low to the ground fireworks. Complete and utter noisy chaos!
Chaos!
Breakfast!After practice headed off in rickshaw for FabIndia, stopping at Rupali for breakfast on the way – a Thali! see pic. Was tired after having big hypo in the night, despite only taking a teeny 2 units of insulin with my dinner. I chatted to Dr. Manoj about the diabetes work we are doing and he warned me not to place too much importance on the c-peptide test – there are many other ways the effect of the yoga may show itself. To be honest I’m happy just to be here and doing the work – I haven’t my heart set on any particular outcome – having the chance to work with Guruji is reward enough.
We had a lot of trouble finding FabIndia but we ran across this intriguing demonstration by local women – absolutely no idea what they were protesting about, but it made an interesting sight, the whole lot of them in their saris chanting and waving their arms about. We were just beginning to think about giving up and heading home, as one after the other rickshaw drivers gave us a blank stare when we said where we wanted to go – when we were rescued by a lovely young indian man who called up the shop on his mobile and got directions for us. It’s a strange fact that most places aren’t known by their address, but by a nearby landmark. You could be only two streets away from the Institute and nobody would know what you were talking about – you have to ask for the Toyota Showroom and direct them from there! BKS Iyengar is MUCH more famous in the western world than in his own home city.
Tomorrow I have been given permission to attend Geeta’s pranayama class instead of medical 
The system this year for allocating classes is different to last year, when we could choose whatever we wanted as long as it was only one per day. Now most people are doing Prasant Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Geeta Wednesday, Friday, Saturday.
Wonderful practice space, complete with minature Patanjali
Woke up this morning completely deaf in one ear – ever since swimming there has been water slooshing about in there and now the ear is completely blocked. Have been putting drops in hoping to clear the blockage, but instead just filling my poor ear canal even more. Anyone who suffers with this will know how completely disorientating it can be.
Decided to skip practice session at the Institute in favour of the peace, space and solitude of practicing in the apartment. Good call! It was a real luxury to spend some time reconnecting with myself – especially in the medical class where you always have at least one assistant helping you, there can be a tendency just to get ‘pulled along’ without making any real internal connections. And even in the practice sessions, there is a feeling of being observed and lots of distractions that can prevent you from doing any real work. Not to mention complete over-crowding, lack of wall space etc.
Spent the afternoon with Lynne who is compiling research on the medical class students – what effect the yoga is having on their physical, mental, emotional condition. Headed over to Geeta’s Pranayama class for a 6pm start. It was not too busy because only people who have been to the Institute before are allowed to attend. I arrived later than most and found I had a choice between sitting right at the back or literally right at Geeta’s feet. Ah well in for a penny!
I took the risk and sat at her feet. She taught first supine and then seated for digital pranayama. Quite a complex surya sodhana and chandra sodhana. Last year I had been relegated to the beginners class with Rajalaxmi and now suddenly I was in the advanced class with Geeta – it felt like quite a leap! However I couldn’t have been that intimidated as I managed to fall asleep and woke myself up with a tiny snore – yikes, definitely not the time or the place. Even in the supine she encouraged us to actively press the outer shoulder and the outer pelvis down, shoulder blades remaining engaged, not to go into a sleepy or dull state (ahem!). She explained that we were looking for a state exactly between asleep and awake and this is why dawn is the perfect time to practice Pranayama.
In the digital pranayama she taught us how there is stretch of the nostril down on the inhalation and up on the exhalation to create the right channel for the breath to have the right effect on the energy. We sat for a looong time and again I was grateful for the the work I have been doing with the organ body which helped me to maintain the sharp upright extension required. One lady who was struggling was reprimanded “This is the advanced class, you should not be here if you cannot sit”. It was with a sigh of relief we returned to supine and I was able to stay fully present as we ended the class with fifteen minutes of ujayii, inhaling from the tip of the nose staying close to the septum bone, exhaling on the outer side of the nose so that you almost flared the nostrils. As we led for savasana I realised that the room had filled with lots of mosquitos who were probably having a field day with all those plump exposed thighs (mostly in the regulation Pune bloomers).
I suspected it would be a backbend class today so spent some time at home in chair back arch before heading to the institute – experience has taught me that in such a large class the teacher is unlikely to get the chairs out (it’s enough of an organisational nightmare to get a blanket each) and I always feel that I’m not at my best without good preparation.
I ended up at the back of the room, which was a bit of a shame as I am still at least 50% deaf at the moment. It was a TOUGH sequence 6 or 8 parivrtta trikonasanas interspersed with standing back arch, ustrasana, dhanurasana, urdhva mukha svanasana and salabhasana. All this building up to dwi pada viparita dandasana with the feet together – not my strong point and was grateful to be hiding at the back out of the firing line. We finished with forward bends, feeling how the spinal muscles spread again to the sides and halasana, karnapidasana sequence.
After class I had arranged to go with Lynda to have ‘our feet done’ though I had no idea what this entailed. She took me to a flat near the institute with a young female beautician and the tele blaring out indian soap operas. It turned out Lynda had made other plans so she quickly bailed out on me, leaving me with feet in an old babyliss foot spa and the beautician wielding an array of strange instruments. Definitely NOT a treatment for those with sensitive feet! They were ‘threaded’ which involved her pulling some cotton very taut with her mouth and crossing two very tight threads to yank the hair out (yes ouch) and then she ‘shaved’ off any excess skin (weird) and then vigorously rubbed them with something that looked (and felt) like a lemon zester. The torture abated while she slathered them in moisturiser and then resumed while she tackled the cuticles. I kept my attention on the TV which although I couldn’t understand a word was strangely compelling – all close up shots of angst ridden faces and dramatic music. I left half an hour later with thoroughly scrubbed and chastened feet.
Today was the institute’s ‘Annual Day’ it’s 39th Anniversary. We arrived at 6pm to find the whole building dolled up to the nines with petals and garlands and a red carpet laid out over the path. Inside the Iyengar family and students gathered for a series of speeches and lectures. It was a VERY long time to sit. The architect who is working with Guruji to create a fabulous new yoga university in Bellur talked us through the grand plans, which include a huge practice hall, guest accommodations, an infinity pool and large cafeteria. We also got to sit through the same slide show on Yantra’s that Rajiv gave at Yogawest, with a few extra photos he had taken recently and a slightly random lecture on face reading.
At the end Guruji gallantly posed for photos outside the house and many students got shots of themselves with him. I felt a bit uncomfortable and scuttled off home for dinner.
More RIMYI 39th Birthday celebrations today. I skipped the first part of them, opting for a more thorough practice at home (memories of yesterday evening’s agonisingly long sit still fresh in my mind). I arrived at 12.30 which was when I had been told lunch would be served and found everyone still packed into the yoga hall watching some beautiful local girls (and students of the kids class) performing traditional indian dance (see video, Guruji just visible in the final few seconds of recording).
We also had a stunning performance of yoga asana, choreograped to music by the children themselves, including many extremely challenging poses. Guruji seemed to particularly enjoy that one. Traditional sitar playing by a sweet young boy and his sister,who said very formally ‘Please forgive me for any mistakes I make’ and the Indian national anthem on the violin! I felt I’d timed my arrival pretty well given that everyone else had been sat since 10am, though I’m told I missed an amazing band. The catering was very well organised, with a thali type meal and plenty to go round.
In the afternoon headed with Lynda for the organic veg market and did some shopping on FC Road. My activities this month are deliberately low key and non-distracting. My priority is staying focussed for the work with Guruji, which if I’m lucky will recommence tomorrow (gulp). Nicola is spending the weekend at KARE, the ayurvedic retreat in the mountains just outside Pune, which I would have LOVED – but not this trip.
Instead just enjoyed the sunshine, threw open all the windows, washed the sheets and my yoga mat – the great thing about this weather is it’ll all be dry within an hour or two. Cooked a big spinach, chickpea and tofu curry, with gorgeous dark, chewy ragi (millet) flour chapatis. Take note Jenny Jones! Had a comedy moment with the blender and managed to decorate both myself and the kitchen with great luminous green splats of spinach.
Is there anything better than freshly washed sheets?
The plan was to get up and go to the ear / nose /throat clinic to get my deafness sorted, so set the alarm early. Sat up in bed and the ear popped, deafness finally gone.
Good practice session today. Abi’s husband bought the baby up for a visit and it was delightful to watch Guruji play with his great grandaughter, holding her upside down for her first headstand (no doubt plenty more of those in her future!). As I left the session the Iyengars disappeared into the house and Guruji was stood at the open window being unceremoniously clunked over the head repeatedly by the baby amid giggles from Abi.
No Guruji in the medical class today, worked with Stephanie on strong abdominal work, including the hanging in the rope catching the feet one and mayurasana over the trestle. I wonder if Guruji’s input is finished now? The work that I am doing has changed since Guruji’s involvment and is no longer having such a direct impact on the pancreas / blood sugar levels. His approach seems to be more holistic, strengthening and enlivening the surrounding muscles, organs and tissues. Bringing awareness where there was complete lifelessness. Oh and making me release held emotion ….
As I walked through the park this morning I was really struck by the difference between the way men relate to each other here and the more reserved culture back home. It is not at all unusual to see men leaning on each other, arms round each other or even holding hands. There is a sense of complete ease about this – no suggestion that there is any refection on sexuality. I remember on my first trip to India in 1996 being stunned to see two cops walking down the street hand in hand! It’s good to witness this freedom just to be.
Guava Anyone?
Started off observing the old folks class, the days and weeks are taking on a rhythm that is starting to speed up alarmingly. After practice headed off to the market and bought tons of fresh produce. Breakfast of figs, strawberries, chinese gooseberries, watermelon, pomegranate and porridge. Felt so much better afterwards.
Medical class was great – Guruji and Geeta were both in attendance, but I was left just to get on with my programme with the help of Lynda and Stephanie. The work is definitely getting easier, but not sure whether it’s because I’m getting stronger or if I’m not doing it right!
Glided out feeling really well and headed off to see the tailor recommended by Lynda. I had a top to be mended and another to reshape. There are so many beautiful indian fabrics and designs, but often they have no shape to them, so this is a bit of an experiment to see if it’s worth getting them moderated. My daughter Kizzy has also sent a picture of a pair of trousers she wants making, so thought we’d give that a go too.
Had a busy evening on Skype, first catching up with my step-daughter at Portsmouth Uni, whose skype status is ‘probably drunk’ , then big sister Lucy in Bristol and finally the rest of the family back home. Read two chapters of her current book to Josie, so now I’m happily settled for bed!
If it’s heavy, why not carry it on your head?
What an extraordinary day! Started with observing a phenomenal Geeta backbend class. She gave no less than 13 Urdhva Dhanurasana – gradually aligning and refining until the class stopped the gross poses, grunting and groaning and became sleek and aligned and able to work quietly despite the monumental effort they were putting in. She had them starting from dandasana, observing their exact central placement on the mat and placing palms and elbows with meticulous attention, making sure that the body worked evenly, calmly to go up. It was a sight to behold and you could see how people were able to go inwards working in this way.
After class headed for lunch with Gerry, Lynda and Laura followed by a trip to Laxmi Road Market which was quite something. Narrow lanes filled to bursting with stalls and shops selling anything and everything; bindis, fake hair extensions, kitchen implements, clothes, fabric, shoes, belts. A shopper’s paradise.
Went home with a couple of hours to rest before medical. Both Guruji and Geeta were in attendance and once again I had the privilege of working with Guruji. I felt calmer and less emotional than last time. It was still very hard and he was still displeased with me, making similar observations to last time. He said I am a teacher not a student, because I could not submit to him. I was unsure what more I could do – I felt I was doing my utmost. He also said he was rude (as in bad mannered!) on the outside because I was rude on the inside – not sure what to make of that, perhaps he was referring to my uncooperative pancreas! It was a similar pace to last time with the work continuing right to the last second of the class. During parts of it as I struggled to lift and activate those weakest and dullest of areas it felt like the monumental effort required to give birth and I heard myself making noises not dissimilar. This time at least, I managed to thank him before he disappeared at the end of the class.
On the way home I felt light and elated (again reminded me of the relief after a labour is finished). Now I am dog tired and ready for a good rest.
Our second day without internet connection, so gawd knows when I’ll be able to post this. Feeling the squeeze not being able to communicate with the family.
I awoke early and not as refreshed as I would have liked, but it meant I got to the practice a little earlier than usual. As I rounded the corner I saw that Guruji was still sat in his special spot and I went and greeted him. Most days when I arrive he is already up in the practice hall. Since arriving on this trip he has steadfastly ignored my greetings or thanks which in itself has made me hesitant to approach him. This morning though, I was awarded with a lovely smile and he said Namaste. My spirits lifted tremendously with this – I really have found his displeasure so hard to bear.
I found I was too tired to be much good in the practice session. Once again Abi’s tiny daughter came and paid a visit to her great grandfather and mother. They took a ten minute break from the daily teaching session to sit and coo at her and again she got the Guruji headstand treatment. I was surprised to see three hours had passed, I didn’t feel I’d done anything in particular and left feeling a bit fed up to go home for a sleep.
Medical was much the same, I knew Guruji would not be attending today as I heard him leave instructions with Stephanie to repeat yesterday’s work. The practice hall felt hot, over-crowded and chaotic. Somehow nothing quite clicked and it was hard to recreate the same sense of purpose. I think I might practice at home tomorrow and see if I can get more solid grip on the work I am doing in quieter surroundings.
Had perhaps the best practice of the month, staying at home suits me so much better. Headed off to Laxmi Road in the hope of finding presents for the girls, this experience also better solo. The time to wander in and out of shops without inconveniencing anyone else. No pressure, no hurry. Well perhaps not quite ‘no pressure’ – if you even so much as glance at a stall or shop there is an immediate “Yes Mam?” said in an expectant and demanding tone. It gets kind of irritating after a while, so today I greeted every loud “Yes Mam?” with an equally loud and expectant “Yes Sir?” and nine times out of ten we ended up smiling at each other and they just left me alone to get on with it.
Went into a marvellous fabric shop and purchased 6 different fabrics to make into tops when I get back to Bristol. Should keep me busy in my dressmaking class for a good while.
Pranayama with Geeta this evening and again I found myself sitting right at her feet. Before the class had even begun we got a telling off for waiting for instruction and watching her put her socks on when we could have been preparing ourselves to sit well. She told us watching her put her socks on was ‘very spiritual’ in dryly sarcastic tones. The thing is, I’ve got very fond of Geeta over this month and fully understand why people have previously talked about her as being motherly. It’s certainly not motherly in a soft, nurturing kind of way – much more in a ‘tell it like it is, cruel to be kind, whichever way you play it is the wrong way’ kind of motherly and yet all the while she is giving with every ounce of her being. It would be much less effort to ignore all our faults and just deliver the information.
The class followed a similar format to last week, alternating between long periods sitting for digital pranyama – Surya bhedana and Chandra bhedana and lying down ujayii breathing. She said we always start and finish with ujayii and we even die with ujayii – death is not something to fear but another gift that we receive. I find her teaching very clear – she is very adept at articulating elusive ideas in a colourful and often dryly humerous way.
After class headed off to eat on my own as I had nothing prepared and it felt too late to start cooking. Went to a new place just at the crossroads and had a very pleasant meal with plenty left to eat tomorrow. If you want a ‘doggy bag’ you have to point to your leftovers and ask for ‘packing’. One of the good things about eating Indian in India is there is a choice of gluten free options to have instead of chapatti or naan. Today I opted for uttapa – but could also have gone for a dosa.
A very pleasant and productive day.
Pranayama week began today with Geeta’s class this morning. A sequence of supine poses and rope sirsasana / chair sarvangasana followed by ujayii and anta kumbhaka. The tone was very different to how we teach pranayama back home – very severe and strict despite the peaceful nature of the subject matter.
After class went off to the perfume shop with Eva and Lynda and got the oils people back home had requested. Some of it was for Tanya who had asked me only to get if it was completely pure. As I was buying the neroli oil, I was double checking it’s purity and he let slip that he had a higher quality one but insisted that we wouldn’t need such a high grade oil for our purposes – he was extremely reluctant to sell it to me and was quite cagey about mentioning anything again in case I made him sell me any other unnecessarily high purity oils that he deemed me undeserving of!
Went to Laxmi Road again in an attempt to find fabric for my daughter’s trousers – but no luck, they simply don’t seem to sell that kind of cotton here. Lynda took me to a packed Indian eatery right in the heart of Tulsi market and the food was delicious.
We had a farewell dinner for Laura tonight who is leaving tomorrow. I was rather chilled to hear from Kirsten that the little puppy who had been jumping up at me and nipping at my legs had a crowd around him today. He was writhing around on the floor with blood pouring out of his mouth and she wondered if he had rabies. Then Gerry said he’d read in the local paper that nine people had died from rabies in Pune recently. I think I may have had a very lucky escape….
A wonderful day! Woke up naturally (always a good start to the day) and practiced in the cool solitude of the apartment. Worked very hard on the realignment of my body in sirsasana – it’s going to take some time before my body will accept this new shape, somehow when my lumbar and dorsal are correctly placed there isn’t enough room for my legs and hips in the pelvis, trying to keep them back in line feels like ancient millstones grinding laboriously against each other or trying to move tectonic plates that are wedged!
I understood with great clarity today that I have been allowing difficult emotions to chase me around the place – like bullies the more you avoid them the bigger they become. The value of yoga practice is to give you a forum to face the suffering head on and only then is there freedom from them. It made me realise that both as a parent and teacher I am doing my students and children a great disservice by trying to protect them and only give them pleasurable experiences. Far better to support them in facing difficulties and suffering so that they become stronger and more resilient.
The more we stay in a posture and meet the negative feelings with a steady breath the more we purify the body, but if at the first niggle or distracting thought we move on, we have lost an opportunity to thrive.
After practice headed to the Mariot Hotel for a swim. It’s great if you want a bit of luxury. When I got there I soon realised that the sunbeds were full of Iyengar students, so I had a lovely sociable day swimming in the ice cold pool and drying off in the pleasant heat, whilst comparing our experiences at the Institute. I felt more relaxed and energised than I have all month. Afterwards Nicola and I headed to their cafe and I indulged in a soya milk hot chocolate – the only place I’ve come across in India where you can buy this. Then we went up to the 24th floor where they have a rooftop terrace. We were greeted with a complimentary glass of bubbly (which I donated to some of the drinkers – don’t envy them going to Prasant’s class in the morning 
) It had an amazing view looking out all over Pune . The food was great and I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the rather obnoxious music pumping out of the speakers at full volume.
I strolled home via the fruit market stopping for delicious Chinese gooseberries. I am irresistibly sleepy now, the way kids are when you take them swimming!
Great practice at home, I should have done this all along – I am feeling much stronger and happier with my own yoga. After practice headed to Dimplex – a small shop selling handmade batik items; yoga shorts, t-shirts, mat bags as well as Iyengar Yoga supplies; ropes, belts, blankets etc. After I had placed my order I was shown the workshop in the back where there were 3 women working. One handpainting the wax for batik and 2 on sewing machines making yoga belts.
Back home I made another batch of delicious coconut and pistachio truffles. I blended; soaked dates, creamed coconut, grated fresh coconut, cocoa and pistachios and formed ball shapes which were rolled in grated coconut and put in the fridge to set. Seriously yummy.
Medical class was great. I continued to follow the exact sequence given by Guruji last time I worked with him. I feel I’m making real progress with it now and am very sad to be leaving on Friday (though very excited to be going home to family).
Was pretty fed up to get back to the apartment and find still no internet and no answer from landlady’s phone. Must be a whole week now and I’ve no hotel booked for Mumbai and haven’t been able to Skype the kids either. Bah Humbug!
Sewing the yoga belts
Slept about 11 hours last night! I had expected to be up in time to practice before observing the older person’s class, but alas having woken at 5.30am and decided it was too early, didn’t open my eyes again until 8am. The health of this place is really beginning to sink into my bones.
Enjoyed my walk through the park to the institute, the morning energy is lovely, there is always something happening, always something to see, smell, hear. First I walk past some kind of temple where at this time there is always music – bells ringing, cymbals clashing, chanting. A joyful cacophany of worship. Today outside was an old oxen and cart.
Then the park itself is a bustling hive of activity – there are always half a dozen or so women sweeping up the leaves from under the trees and gathering them in huge baskets which they carry on their heads. It’s a liitle like painting the golden gate bridge though – a never ending task and I’m not sure why it’s necessary anyhow, wouldn’t the leaves help to preserve mositure and nutrients for the trees above? You know how they say you’re never more than seven feet away from a rat (or from someone who’ll tell you you’re never more than seven feet from a rat) – well in India you’re never more than seven feet away from someone sweeping. It’s a national occupation and the sound of a swishing besom is an almost constant back drop. It’s hard to understand why – what would happen if all the sweeping stopped? We seem to manage at home without continuous sweeping.
Guruji was in attendance at medical class but didn’t work with me today. Sometimes I think he is observing and next time he comes he will have planned the next course of action. Gerry got some personal tuition from him in sirsasana during the practice session today. I spent some time selecting and ordering photos for Yogawest and also getting quotes for ropes for the new studio I hope to open in the coming months. Finally the internet guy came to fix our internet, I felt like hugging him so pleased I was to see him!
Oh what a BUSY day. Regretfully skipped observing Geeta’s class in favour of practicing myself and getting on with the jobs that need to be done before I return home. However I did get a full report from Eva (see below) when she floated through the door after a ‘Geeta special’ pranayama class.
“The eyes have to sit in the pockets of the cheek bones and the brain will follow and quieten, eardrums also withdraw inwards. On the inhalation observe how the eyes rise again. They are like naughty children who continue to repeat the same behaviour, and in the same way as with a naughty child you have to repeat often, kindly and firmly the behaviour you expect of them.
In the viloma she used the pauses to put the eyes back in their pockets. The chest opening had to come very naturally – not as a result of a command from the brain.
I spent a long time trying to speak to Air India and even with my unflappable yogic calm it was impossible to get anywhere with them. Incorrectly advertised telephone numbers, menu systems that didn’t work and when I finally did get throughto the right person I explained the problem and yep, you guessed it, they hung up one me. I am NEVER flying Air India again!! On the trip out here I rang them no less than three times to check and double check they had ordered me a gluten free meal for the flight and then checked again when I checked in. When the meals came out and I asked for my gluten free one the steward looked utterly mystified, as if I’d asked for the moon and then proceeded to give me a bread roll! I ended up with a little sachet of cut fruit served with cut fruit, with a side order of cut fruit and cut fruit for dessert. It would have been funny, except somehow on a plane the food becomes a magnificently important event and I was HUNGRY.
Headed out for my final shopping mission to get Josie a little indian outfit and also a supply of ragi flour which I can’t get in the UK. You get millet flour, but not this dark coloured chewy stuff that I love. I am feeling quite anxious about how I’m going to pack all this stuff to get it on the aeroplane, am hoping the ropes are not too bulky.
When I arrived for medical I was surprised to see Guruji on the stage lying in savasana with an enormous weight on the thighs – this was what I needed for my head, my brain was hopping about all over the place. My sequence stayed pretty much the same, with some adustments from Guruji where he felt a pose could be done more effectively. Each time he makes a change you are required to give a quick response as to it’s effect. One very nice pose (and I use the word ‘nice’ in the yogic sense, meaning exquisitely uncomfortable) is a rope sirsasana on the ceiling ropes so I’m dangling in the centre of the room, I fold the elbows and then weights are tied to the forearms. This makes the whole organ body feel like it’s being drawn into a long, skinny line along the length of the spine (it also drags and scrapes your bare calves on the rough, fibrous ropes, ouch).
When I came home I realised the taxi company hadn’t confirmed my online request for Friday’s cab, so I rang them and yep, they hung up on me too …….
Sure is quiet around here! Half the people have gone already and not many of next month’s intake have shown their faces in the practice room yet. Though the newbies are fun to watch as they catch their first sight of Mr Iyengar relaxing on a deck chair on his porch not five feet away from them. Lots of whispering and surrepticious glances! It is surprising how freely he mixes with everyone, though mostly students keep a respectful distance.
Speaking of which, after I had greeted him this morning it was my opportunity to talk to him about how I was feeling from the work he has given me and to thank him for his teaching. I hesitated and the moment passed as someone else came to discuss matters with him. I’ll try and catch him (and my courage) before practice tomorrow.
I have a car booked to take me and Nicola to Mumbai tomorrow afternoon stopping en-route at the Mumbai Yogashraya to purchase ropes for my future studio, which Lynda assures me are of a superior quality to the ones I could easily have purchased here! I’ve also got twenty empty bolster covers to fill with cotton in the UK as the size and weight of the filled bolsters makes shipping expensive.
This month’s work has been challenging and interesting and hasn’t led at all where I originally expected it to. We have worked very little on the rinsing and stimulating actions that we focussed on last year, with very obvious results on my blood sugar levels. Instead with Guruji’s guidance we have focussed on work that has strengthened and energised the organs of the back body. He gave me a supported Navasana in such a way that I was actually able to feel my pancreas and with this I was able to draw it right up into the body – energetically it feels as if it’s lifted and toned. Interestingly, whatever pose I work in, if I can get this ‘drawing up’ feeling in the pancreas (which is between the stomach and the spine, behind the V shape of the front ribs) it completely corrects the positioning of the lower body – abdomen feels long and lean and no more lordosis. So now I’m doing ‘navasana’ in tadasana, sirsasana, full arm balance etc. It just goes to illustrate how it’s all connected and I’m so glad I’ve found a way to work on this – it just didn’t feel right trying to slam the lumbar back artificially. I do hope to continue the work when I get home, with a view to coming back to Pune as soon as I’ve raised the funds.
Things I am going to miss about Pune: 1)The excellent yoga and excellent teachers 2) Sunshine 3) Luscious fresh fruit 4) Spiritual Vibrancy
Things I am NOT going to miss about Pune: 1) This bloody rock-hard bed (I am getting arse ache just sitting on it, never mind sleeping on it, might as well put a sheet on a concrete slab 2)Pollution 3)YES maam? 4) The utter impossibility of organising anything in a straight forward manner.
When the cab company (that is the one most often recommended by others KK Travel) that didn’t respond to my online booking and then cut me off when I rang them, finally rang to confirm the booking I was very relieved – that is until the confirmation email arrived with the WRONG date on it. Three phone calls later (each one getting passed around, so that I had to explain the same thing and answer the same questions continuously) they are refusing to send me a confirmation with the correct date on it, I just have to trust that they WILL turn up…
Managed to arrive just in time to see Guruji – I knelt down and told him that it was my last day and thanked him for allowing me to come and for his teaching. He said “God Bless You” and blessed is exactly what I felt.
Surprisingly managed to get absorbed in my practice even though my departure was so imminent. Headed home with two hours to eat, pack and relax with a cup of tea before heading off to Mumbai in a taxi booked with Nicola. Almost as soon as I was through the door the phone rang and it was the taxi driver from KK travels confirming the pick up location – trouble was he didn’t have a word of English and I didn’t have a word of Marati. From previous experience I knew this was not a good scenario, so I rang KK travels who said they’d sort it.I got a call from another driver whose English was great and confirmed the pick up for 2pm.
I was not best pleased when at 1pm the door bell went and there was the original driver – I was completely unable to make myself understood that he was way too early and not who I was expecting. I rang KK to see if they could help and when I eventually got through they said ” No Mam, our drivers are not so much educated, no speak English”.
Mostly they are used to just taking people directly to the airport, so to avoid any confusion or difficulties with communication I had booked via email with the two addresses of the Yogashraya for the ropes and the hotel, complete with maps of their locations. As a further precaution I also saved route maps on my phone. Of course this did me no good whatsoever as the driver hadn’t been given the information and he couldn’t read my maps. In the end we rang the Yogashraya several times and got them to explain their location and we stopped at least twenty times to ask people for directions, it took FOREVER. Despite leaving at 2pm Nicola started to be worried about missing her 1am flight! Now for the second leg of the journey, but this was to the airport hotel, so that had to be straightforward right?
Mumbai is a BIG place, the traffic was terrible and the driver not the sharpest. Another 20 stops for directions and many sweaty hours later, we finally pulled up outside the Hotel Kohinoor Continental. Sweet air conditioned Heaven! It was so good to arrive: comfy beds, showers, kettle in room, bliss. I wished we had arrived earlier as they also have a nice outdoor swimming pool. I managed about 2 hours sleep before my 3.30am alarm to get to the airport. As the plane waited for take-off I was surprised to see how close the slums were to the runway – they came right the way to the fence not 200 yards away. My last view of India as the plane taxied down the runway at dawn, was of several slum dwellers pulling down their trousers and crouching on the bare earth. Goodbye India!
Hotel Kohinoor Continental
Posted in Advanced, India, Intermediate, Teachers, Yoga
Sam Xenofou, a Yogawest student of many years, and a newly qualified Iyengar teacher (to be teaching at Yogawest from December!) has spent November in Pune studying with the Iyengar family. She emailed us some photos and said:
Just taking a moment in early morning class today. Observing young ones who can flex , older ones who can balance, others who can do it all , but as Prashantji said ” yoga is not a work – out is a work – in and postures are like a blackboard … We don’t study the blackboard but rather what’s written on it. So be more Yog rather than Yogaa …..it’s all beyond the physical….. Now that’s why I came here …. We have great physical teachers in the West but please let’s not forget what yoga really is about.
I will let you find the difference between Yog and Yoga ……………. Namaste.
See Sam’s photos here:
and come to class with her on Saturdays at 11.30 in December.
Posted in Classes, India, Teachers, Yoga, Yogawest Students Abroad
This year, Rajiv is teaching a weekend workshop on the last weekend of August. As we will be closed for holiday in the 2 weeks leading to his workshop, bookings will need to get to us before we close on August 16th. There are 3 days scheduled and those who have been to his workshops before know that it is an event you can’t miss! For those who have not met Rajiv before a few words of introduction: Rajiv is a longtime student of BKS Iyengar and a director of the Yog-Ganga Centre for Yoga Studies in India. He and his wife Swati are the authors of Yoga for Children which has been reprinted many times.
More information and a booking form can be found here.
Andrea is leaving Bristol in May to live in India. It has been a pleasure to work with Andrea and we are very sad to see her go. She will be missed by her students and the whole of the Yogawest team, and we wish her and Chaitanya the best of luck in their adventure. Andrea’s classes stay on the timetable and will be taught by other teachers (mainly Diana). Keep an eye out for the updated timetable coming soon.
Posted in India, Teachers, Yogawest Students Abroad
Tamara was away all January to visit the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune, India. You could follow her blog on our website. She posted regularly and we loved following her yoga experience!
Tamara’s return means that the antenatal class on Wednesday evening at 6.15 – 7.30pm picks up as well! We now have a special offer for ladies signing up for the Pregnancy classes. Interested?
Do you have a friend who is pregnant and would like to try pregnancy yoga? If you encourage them to sign up for 6 classes, both, you and your pregnant friend will get one yoga class for free!
The pregnancy classes are suitable for beginners or those already practicing (13 weeks pregnant or more).
We have a regular Friday morning pranayama class at Yogawest taught by Edgar Stringer. Suitable for all levels, if you are new to the practice, please let Edgar know when you come.
Classes are usually the first Friday of the month, but during holidays/half term/special events it may be scheduled for the following week so please check the online timetable for information.
Jan 10
Feb 7
Mar 7
Apr 4
May 9
June 6
July 4
Tamara is in India for the month of January, studying with the Iyengar family at the institute in Pune. Read her recent posts below and see her full blog including pictures here.
Tamara in Pune, India at the fruit market, photo courtesy of Jenny Jones.
1 Jan
Class started at 7am with Prashant. We arrived with ten minutes to spare, of course all spaces were taken by this point, but somehow we managed to squeeze in right at the back. January is the busiest month at the institute and the room was packed. Among the students were Rajiv and Swati Chanchani. We started with cross legs twist, bharadvajasana, rope sirsasana, trikonasana, parsva uttitha hasta padangustasana, parsva upavista konasana and ended with a choice of Viparita Karani, setu bandha or janu sirsasana. Poses were held for a long time. The focus of the class was Prashant’s discourse on joining mind, body, breath in the asana and creating a good strong network of communication in the body. We did trikonasana from the shoulder blade, the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. We should be able to start from any point and through that strong network communicate throughout the body. Very little (if any) instruction was given on the physical work in the asana and no corrections were given.
After class was the personal practice session, where students are free to use the hall and equipment for their own practice. Without my noticing Guruji made his entrance into the hall and began his practice on the backbender with the assistance of Abijata. How amazing to share the same practice space!
Later we observed the medical class and it was fascinating to watch the team of teachers in action. Guruji, Geetaji and Abijata were all present and Guruji was very involved in the treatment of a number of students, especially a young girl of around 8, who once treatment was finished ran around playfully much to everyone’s delight. As observers we weren’t told what each medical condition was so we could only guess at what was being done and why.
In less busy months observers would be asked to assist, if only to fetch and carry equipment. However with so many senior teachers present our help wasn’t needed – partly a relief – you wouldn’t want to get anything wrong and partly a disappointment, it would have been useful to begin putting some of the work we have been doing with Stephanie Quirke into practice.
Tomorrow class with Abijata and Guruji!
2 Jan
What a day! Class began at 9.30am and after yesterday’s experience of being at the back with all the traffic noise, we made sure we arrived 45 minutes early and chose a good space. Abijata took the class with a microphone and relayed instructions directly from Guruji – it was amazing! I was so moved to be receiving instruction from the master himself. The class was excellent and I learned much. I am brimming over from all this new learning and that was only the first class! The method of teaching between Guruji and Abijata worked brilliantly. Abijata’s instructions were crystal clear and her delivery assertive but with humour.
First a lecture on coming to class with an open mind – as Guruji put it, if your cup is already full how can you receive anything?. We were to leave our egos at the door and approach the class as students whatever our certification as teachers.We began in swastikasana with no props unless truly needed. Lifting up the sides of the spine, every single vertabrae involved in upwards extension – we were told we were pushing our spines forward and there can be no extension in this case. There should be 32 tadasanas in your back!
We did a dynamic standing pose sequence: Prasarita Padottonasana, Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, Vira 2, Ardha Chandrasana, Vira 1, Vira 3,Parsvottonasana, Prasarita Paddottonasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sirsasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Janu Sirsasana, Upavista Konasana, Paschimottonasana, Sarvangasana, Karnapidasana.
So much brilliant teaching contained within that I felt completely engaged and challenged throughout. Spirits soaring all round, yesterday’s despondency about class size and difficulty hearing etc. transformed
Later on in the day I was in the lobby looking at books for sale, when I noticed Guruji sat just opposite me. There we were face to face. I nervously bought my hands together at my heart and bowed my head. When I raised my gaze he gave me a nod of acknowledgement and I felt an unexpected sense of grave respect contained within.
Administration info for future students (Correct currently, likely to change at any point!)
We were told by Pandu after class that anyone who hadn’t completed registration by 5.30pm this eve, need not come back tomorrow – no excuses. Registration not always straightforward. A sheaf of documents required: 1. Acceptance letter 2. Photocopy of passport and visa 3. Letter from landlord / hotel confirming residency at that address 4. Balance of payment 5. Passport Photo 6.Completed Registration form.
In previous years there were 2 separate timetables allotted to students (Geeta’s or Prashant’s cycle of classes).Now everyone is on the same cycle, but we are free to choose any other class on the general timetable, provided you only attend one class per day.
3 Jan
Today we had a choice of classes; Prashant at 7am or Gulnaz (timetabled as Abi) at 6pm. We opted for the later class. We arrived at the institute at 9.30am for the personal practice session but found there wasn’t room anywhere. We bought a chair, pranayama pillow and blanket from the shop and headed back to the flat to practice instead.
We returned for Gulnaz in the evening to find it busy but manageable. She taught standing poses followed by seated forward bends, all with no props.
To me it seems the overwhelming message we are receiving in the classes is to MOVE not all this slow careful thinking with the brain, but dynamic movement with the body, just GO don’t keep putting the brakes on. So fingertips to floor in trikonasana and whole palm on the floor in parsvakonasna. Gulnaz’s class contained a lot of work in urdhva namaskarasana and we did this in Vira 1 and 3 – the classical pose but not often taught.
We left class feeling strong and motivated and headed for the fruit market. There was a fabulous array of fruit, looking forward to breakfast – pomegranate, strawberries, fresh figs, chinese gooseberries, guava, banana and porridge
I feel that I am adjusting to city life, the noise, the fumes, the traffic. Also feeling very priveliged to have a bright spacious apartment and grateful not to be stuck in a hotel.Its great to be able to clean and prepare salads and fruit and not just be stuck with what is safe to eat in restaurant. We have hired a cook for the month who comes in daily to prepare simple food, enough for lunch and dinner. The cost for the month is £15 and we supply the food. Bliss!
Photo courtesy of Jenny Jones.
Holy Moly! I reckon there were 200 plus people in class in a space smaller than main studio of Yogawest. First we were told to go mat to mat, then we were told to fold our mats in half and use every spare inch. The organisation done by Gulnaz with microphone took 20 minutes before Geeta even entered the room. I wish cameras were allowed inside as I’d love to have captured the scene for you. Never again will I think a class is too crowded to teach, that was the mother of all crowded classes and still Geeta managed to teach some beautiful pranayama.
We had to make the brain like the balloon with the air draining out on the exhalation and the chest with the balloon inflated. Even the pores of the skin had to recede. Despite the close proximity of so many people I was able to find some internal space and enjoyed the clarity of her teaching very much.
The group had been divided so that all the first timers at the institute were in one area. We began lying down in crossed legs on a tri folded blanket and worked on creating the necessary quietness inside, we did some ujayyii to aereate the lungs and then seated ujayyii with a pause at the end of inhalation.
After this the first timers were asked to leave while she went on to teach some digital pranayama to the students who had attended the institute before.
I felt a bit sad about this as whether you have been to the institute before doesn’t necessarily dicatate your level of maturity as a practitioner. However the separation according to your level had to made somehow and this was how it was done. I found out from Jenny later that the remaining students had received the bxxxxxxxing of a lifetime for their lack of knowledge / preparation. They were doing anuloma pranayama and Geeta was extremely discouraged to find that most did not know what this entailed. She fired questions at individuals and was upset that people did not know. The whole class left humbled and chastened at their lack of preparation and self study.
So I doubt we will be the only ones buying Light on Pranayama from the institute shop tomorrow and we’ll all be there with nails shorn ready for next weeks class!
We arrived 45 minutes early to class and had that sinking feeling as the shoe racks came into view already full to bursting. It was with some relief we realised that the shoes were for Prashant’s class that had started at 7am.
Good! The crowd would be split, unlike the previous evening. Guruji and Abijata’s class was again busy but manageable. The parameters for ‘busy’ have changed for ever!
A standing pose sequence was taught: Tadasana, trikonasana, parsvakonasana, vira 1, ardha chandrasana, vira 3, parivrtta trikonasana, parivrtta parsvakonasna, prasarita paddottonasana, parsvottonasana, adho mukha svansana, paschimottonasana, janu sirsasana, paschimottonasana, sirsasana, halasana, sarvangasana.
It was gruelling, I was internally begging for mercy by the 4th repeat of Vira 1. At this point Abi said “I was intending to teach you a whole sequence of standing poses but you are so slow to learn we are stuck here still!”
The class was again packed full of learning from the very beginning in tadasana to the very end in sarvangasana. The attention and concentration required to follow was demanding and constant. A new focus in every pose and also a consistent theme running through the entire class. Teaching at it’s very best, this is exactly why I am here and I am so grateful to have finally made it!
I plucked up the courage to go and thank Guruji afterwards for the class and received the same nod of acknowledgement.
Now you might think after a class like that we would have had the good sense to stay home and rest, but no after a brief respite to eat and write notes, somehow we found ourselves in a rickshaw weaving through heavy traffic to Laxmi Road Market. This was a real assault to the senses; the Ganesha Temple (see pic above), the stalls selling garlands and coconuts as offerings (shame you can’t smell images).
Home via the fruit market again
The institute is completely closed on a Sunday, so the day was ours to fill as we pleased. I opted for a morning practice followed by afternoon at The Mariot Hotel at their rooftop swimming pool. Have spent the evening skyping partner and kids. I have really started to miss them badly and its hitting us all at the same time. My youngest (Josie 5) was upset tonight. Thank god for skype – I’d bought the book I’m reading her with me and we were both able to curl up while I read a chapter to her – I’m not sure who it soothed more!
Another 6am start, must get to bed earlier!
Sequence – Uttanasana, Baddangullyasana,Sirsasana Trikonasana x 6, Rope Adho Mukha Svanasana, Marichyasana 3, Swastikasana bend forwards, Savasana in Supta Swastikasana.
The main themes I picked up from his discourse were:
Pragmatism not dogmatism – using discretion when to apply force, determination and when not. We say “I’ll do as much as I can” we believe this is what makes us sincere students of yoga, why? When we eat do we always eat as much as we can, when we shop, do we shop as much as we can? Why do we have to perform posture as much as we can? Stay until we die there? Determination is manifestation of ego. Although there is certainly a time for determination – quietly and with discretion for example to overcome lethargy.
Illustrated in Trikonasana, if you let go the legs a little how you can more easily access the sacrum, rotation there.
We worked on closing off the determination / ego and working with mind, body, breath awareness.
We worked on using the breath in many different ways. Making the breath the giver and the asana the receiver. Making the asana the giver and the breath the receiver.
I came out of a class in a very peaceful (and yes yogic!) state and floated home for some more practice.
In the evening we observed a beginners class. Yikes! How we pamper our beginners! They used no props and gave short, sharp
instructions. No details just the minimum. Class included some really tough poses; sirsasana, vira 3 and bharadvajasana 2, nothing held too long and nothing taught in depth.
We finished off the evening with a lovely thali and a very busy walk to Ferguson College Road, it’s when you’ve to cross a sea of speeding, beeping traffic you just wish you could press a button and wait for a friendly green man. Dream on, but somehow if you can find the rhythm you make your way through it.
Barely managed to drag myself out of bed bleary eyed at 6am, still dark as we set off through the park from our flat to the institute. The weather is unusually cool for India at the moment and shockingly I had to dig out a cardi from the depths of the suitcase.
It was a classic Prashant class (hark at she, the Prashant expert after a week!). Many repetitions of simple poses and plenty of food for thought:
Asana should be iconic not photographic. The temple does not need to be outwardly beautiful, we go there to worship and receive the bounty of the peaceful energy there. It does not matter what the outward presentation of the pose is, the bounty inside is what is important.
We worked piece by piece within the pose 1. With body awareness 2. With Breath awareness 3. For the mind 4. For the senses
Then worked on combinations 1 and 2, 1 and 4, 2 and 3 etc. And finally all four simultaneously.
After class we headed to the upstairs studio to observe a Senior Citizens class. Absolutely fascinating to watch. The first time I’ve seen props used, the teaching was excellent (Sushma), the pace slow but continuous, the tone kind but still firm. So for example Prasarita Paddottonasna from Urdhva Hastasana to fingertips on bolster x 3 up and down on the inhalation / exhalation then move on. Will definitely get to all that I can manage to observe over the month. And who knows I may start one of my own when I return.
In the afternoon we headed off in the rickshaw (Complete with face scarf to try to avoid the fumes) to Dorabjees (International supermarket where you can find everything from soya milk to Evian water, which Jenny accidentally spent £3 buying a very small bottle of!).
Looking forward to a small lie in and Guruji and Abi tomorrow.
Started class thoroughly disgruntled after arriving 45 minutes early and still losing my space at the last second. Ended up sharing a mat that had seen better days right at the back window. The demand for absolute concentration began from the second the class began. Don’t sit down sit UP as if you are sitting on thorns you don’t want to sit down heavy, instead stretch UP. Is your skin of the shoulder blade in contact with the bone? If no then you are disconnected. The prana is the force you employ to connect psycho and soma – mind and body. It was absolutely insisted we maintain this connection, even the invocation was interrupted “Is the skin of the shoulder blade touching?” Not casually MAXIMUM. This is my favourite expression that is peppered throughout the class whenever a half-hearted effort is detected (imagine shouted with full Indian accent to get the complete effect).
Jenny was positioned close to Guruji and Abijata today and was able to observe at close quarters how the teaching is relayed. At times as Abijata is teaching, Guruji is leading her through the pose too, so she can feel first hand the teaching points she is relaying.
An interesting development for me today, as of next week I will be attending the medical class as a student to learn how to work with my Type 1 Diabetes and Coeliac’s Disease. It all came about as a bit of a fortunate misunderstanding! I hadn’t even realised this was a possibility and was actually making an enquiry about assisting with the medical class as a teacher. Anyway a wonderful opportunity for me to learn how best to work and it will be my one-a-day chosen class for Mondays and Thursdays so I won’t have to miss Guruji / Abi or Geeta pranayama. I can’t say I’ll miss the 6am starts either.
10 hours sleep! After snuggling up in bed and skyping with my step-daughter Aggi (in first year at Portsmouth Uni) last night had a full 10 hours before Jenny felt compelled to come and check I wasn’t infact in a diabetic coma!
Right so today is the day for a really thorough practice, feeling a bit unyoga-ed. Began working through Guruji’s class from yesterday trying to really embed and understand the teaching points. Prasarita Paddottonasana keeping the back hip sockets DOWN, makes the legs very dense, very connected.
First the electrician turned up to give us more sockets in the front room, so decamped to the bedrooms and tried to shut out the noise of the drilling, only to find someone else was drilling outside so had it in stereo. Then the Cook turned up, followed by the Landlady, at the same time Jenny had an important business skype – it started to feel a bit like a Carry On Film! Carry on Yoga? Ah well Gulnaz this evening…
Jenny had an appointment to see an Ayurvedic Doctor opposite Fab India, so Nicky and I jumped in a rickshaw with her to go and check it out. Thursday is one of the days where there is a choice of classes and Nicky had opted for early morning Prashant. Today the imagery he used was that of a painting. The asana is just the frame. You don’t go to the store and just buy the frame. The breath, the internal energy is the picture.
Fab India is full of beautiful bedding, clothing, cushion covers etc. High quality, well made and more expensive than your normal small shop stuff.
Back home and straight out again for Gulnaz. She was evidently surprised at the size of her class – I guess we’re not the only ones looking for some variety to balance the early morning Prashant classes. I strongly suspect next week she’ll have a bigger class still, as she taught a blinding class and there were a lot of observers. A thorough forward extension class starting with the most intense Uttansana concave back sequence I’ve ever done – we had to look up enough to see her whole head AND she was up on the platform. By the end we’d held it so long I felt my dorsal was burnt into my back. Followed by forwards bends reaching beyond the feet (bramacharyasana), ubyaya padangusthasana, urdhva mukha paschimottonasana 1 and 2, krounchasana catching the wrist around the heel before extnding the leg up. So no more complaints, am definitely feeling yoga-ed now.
Tamara blogging from Pune, photo courtesy of Jenny Jones
Class wasn’t until 6pm today so we had the day for ourselves. Practiced at home, working with each other on forward extensions. Great to have a (real, live, willing) yoga buddy!Unlike my normal press-ganged ‘volunteers’ As my poor long suffering partner and children will testify.
Enjoyed transforming my space in the apartment with my own colours and cushions, making myself at home. Thriving on the wonderful variety of fresh fruit on offer. Every morning the fruit man pushes his cart down our street and I have finally realised that the loud singing I’ve been hearing is his way of announcing his presence. Will try and get a pic tomorrow. Have a new fruit to try today which Hindi name is Chikoo – I haven’t the faintest idea what it is, looks like a cross between a potato and a round pear.
Arrived early for Geeta’s Pranayama with nails dutifully shorn and a head full of the different digital pranayamas incase we should be put on the spot. Fat lot of good it did us. I was sent upstairs into the nursery class with Rajalaxmi while Jenny remained downstairs with Abi.
Rajalaxmi gave us a good explanation of the main points of sitting well – the back armpit cutting forwards . We started lying over the bolster with extended exhalations then we were seated on the bolster for a thorough explanation on the pranayama mudra for digital pranayama. First though was an extended lecture on the fashion for long nails. How can you call yourself a yoga student if you have long nails? How can you be a teacher to others if your own practice does not include the digital pranayamas for emotional stability? Are you aware just how unhygienic long nails are?
All the while I was sat there comfortable in the knowledge of my freshly clipped nails. Turns out they were STILL not short enough. Rajalaxmi showed how the tip of of the fingers have to slightly burrow under the bone (higher than the fleshy, flared part of the nostril) to find ‘the secret passage’ where a much more delicate control of the breath flow can be found. When done this way my very short nails still dug into the flesh.
The class was very informal with individual students able to call Rajalaxmi over to check whether they had got the action correctly.
Meanwhile Abijata downstairs was teaching supine for preparation, then seated for ujayyii and viloma. She tried to explain the subtle movement of lifting the chest from the inside rather than the gross adjustment of hoiking it up from the outside. The breath was to be invited in as a revered guest.
No internet access tonight, so today’s post will be late.
What a full on day! Right I want to start by correcting an earlier inaccuracy that is nagging at me. Right at the beginning I said the teaching hall at the Institute was smaller than Yogawest, but I’ve come to the conclusion it’s actually much bigger. It’s a really strange shape with lots of angles and long and thin – there’s no way it could physically fit that number of people if it was smaller.
Had a dreadful night’s sleep last night. As the internet was down I actually managed to get into bed before midnight (we’re five and a half hours infront of the UK). Just as I’d happily drifted off there came a huge explosion outside. It frightened the life out of me (and Jenny) partly because we had no idea what it was. There were no sirens or sounds of panic and eventually I nodded of again, only to have two smaller explosions again at close proximity – though these were no louder than very loud fireworks. Spent the rest of night tossing and turning and felt I’d just dropped off when it was time to get up and head in for Guruji and Abijata.
This was possibly the most intense experience of my yoga career. As usual the requirement for absolute concentration began from the very first moment and continued to the very last. There is no winding down, no sense at any point that the work is done and now it’s time to take it easy. In Sirsasana as we were endeavouring to put into practice the many different teaching points that were being relayed, the sweat was rolling down my back, pouring down my face. When I came down there was a complete imprint of my hands, arms and head on the mat. And this was only the very beginning. We were led through the Parivrrtas, turning from the abdominal viscera, the seated twists, Urdhva Dhanurasana – lifting from the top waist just below the armpits. Abijata demonstrated on stage to great effect the difference this made and then Guruji asked her to explain that she was using support because she is now carrying (pregnant) and that we were to get the same results without the support. There were some magnificent groans and sighs reverberating around the room, but good humour after one particularly uninhibited groan that made everybody laugh. We were all pushing ourselves well beyond any previously held belief of where our limits lay. Still the pace was kept up; Adho mukha svanasana, Sarvangasana (we worked so hard here that even my tongue was trembling uncontrollably), dropping back in to setu-bandha and finally Paschimottonasna – not resting, working so that the bottom back rib was in deeper than the top.
By this point I was literally weeping – the yoga had taken everything I had and there was no room left for anything else. If you’re holding on to anything you just have to let it go. I headed off for a quiet walk home to reflect and came across a barrow selling beautiful flowering plants. The perfect therapeutic activity – I bought a selection and headed back to the flat to plant up a pot for the balcony.Gradually we’re making the space feel like home.
In the evening Nicky and I headed over to the rather posh Mariot hotel for a green salad and soya milk hot chocolate. What a treat!
Another lovely day off. Started with practice – I am really noticing the influence of the work we are doing here. Standing poses now much more dynamic – buttock bone below the thigh in the bent leg poses – no more hovering! Also I think before I came here I was 90 per cent in my head, 10 per cent in my body – whereas now the balance is really shifting the other way.
Then headed off to Solaris Pool, Koregaon Park to meet Nicky. Often the rickshaw drivers will have a range of deities displayed in the front cab to keep them safe, I was intrigued by the flying-scorpion-monkey-dog hanging from this driver’s roof. Perhaps a blending of more than one deity in a single body? Sort of three for the price of one? Upon arrival I was greeted by sunloungers, palm trees and cold cold pool. What more could I want?
After swim and a little sun we headed to the Yogi Tree where we had it on good authority that we could get safe green salad. Great super-healthy menu, probably because of its proximity to the Osho Ashram. I had tofu, brown rice salad and ginger juice that was bright pink. I was a little concerned until the waiter explained it was from a little added beetroot, not as it appeared from shocking pink food colouring.
On the way home as it was getting dark I had a sobering reminder of the poverty that exists side by side with all this new wealth. As we crossed the bridge back over to the other side of Pune there were so many famlilies huddling round cheerful little fires as their food was cooked at the roadside. The contrasts here are so stark – all the glitzy new shopping malls with UK prices, the rich Indians beeping self-importantly round Pune in their Mercedes and yet still the slums, the people living on the streets, the ragged and weary begging for a few rupees as the rickshaw stops at the traffic lights.
So to tomorrow and my first medical class …
Tamara’s day off, photo courtesy of Jenny Jones
Lay in bed until 9am, happy not to be getting up early for Prashant. Though of course I heard afterwards it was a wonderful class – backbends; brick setubanda and padmasana, chair back arch -legs in padmasana, rope sirsasana, standing backbend (preparation for drop back), ustrasana, urdhva dhanurasana, ending with bharadvajasana. The rule is, you may only attend one class per day, though actually if I was being particularly diligent I could have got up and observed Prashant’s class.
Instead I am giving you Nicky’s experience of the class in her own words: “The theme of the discourse – arrival and departure – the analogy being flights – from some airports you can get flights anywhere but not from others ..so from some you can arrive from anywhere and depart to anywhere but not all..
The same in yogasana, you can arrive in the asana from many places ..physical, mental, from the senses.. and leave from anywhere..it is a manifestation of many qualities..
If you go for a picnic you bring certain things with you ..what do you bring?…what is your condition?…if you come to a yoga class what do you bring? what is your condition?
Prashant then said how do we hear? (the instruction)..do we hear with the intellect, with the mind? How do we hear? What do we hear? When we listen to music we hear differently to when we listen to yoga instruction..How do you see? when you observe asana that is being shown?.
Try hearing from the hind ear, front ear, inner ear, outer ear. With the vision try and see through the front of the eye, the back, the side..
The class ended with laughter as Prashant spoke of I-anger!
Its possible to think you were in a different class to another student as each persons take on a Prashant class is different!!”
I practiced at home, though Jenny went to the Institute for the scheduled practice session and reported back that the excessive numbers have thinned out a bit. Also she got the benefit of watching Guruji teach a student Pinca Mayurasana, so I think it is time to take my practice back there.
Ordered a big bag of salad online from http://www.greentokri.com. What astonishing value! A carrier bag full of leaves, 2 big bunches of dark green rocket, cucumbers and tomatoes delivered to the door for 150 rupees!!! (£2) The delivery day for Model Colony area is Monday and you can text, email or ring your order through. Amazing!
Showed Rika (our lovely cook /maid) a picture of my children today – the point was to show her my children so that she could tell me if she had any. We have been told not to “spoil” her by overpaying too much, what we can easily manage with our budget is not so easy for people living on local wage. So we thought it would be nice if we could show her our appreciation by buying small gifts for her children. Not sure how much she understood – she kept pointing at Josie and laughing saying “You? No?” in disbelief. Anyway despite the confusion managed to ascertain that she has 2 children – 1 big 1 small.
Headed off to medical class at 4pm and worked with Stephanie and a couple of assistants. Wasn’t sure whether I was going to spend the afternoon lolling about on bolsters in various states of bliss (treating the coeliac’s) or whether it would be afternoon spent in various different kinds of hell, stimulating the pancreas (treating the diabetes). Guess which I got?!
Intensive forward bends with Pranayama pillow under ribs, using the back ribs to press the front ribs forward on the pillow. Sequence of Janu Sirsasana, Parsva Janu Sirsasana and Parivrrta Janu Sirsasana. Then some killer abdominal work perched on the edge of the platform with legs extended out straight – she’s building me up to 2 minutes hold. Jathara Parivartanasana hugging the pillar to keep side ribs in contact, backbender sirsasana, sarvangasana, pindasana, parsva pindasana, set bandha.
Now medical science says my pancreas cannot be stimulated to produce insulin once Type 1 Diabetes has set in. Yet whenever I do this kind of work with Stephanie the pump has to come off and I end up glugging the glucose as there is too much insulin in my system (what I have taken manually with the pump and hypothetically what I am stimulated to produce with this work). Would be fascinating to find a way to study this empirically.
Felt strong and vibrant after the class, just the right balance of working , strengthening and calming / resting. Thank you Stephanie!
Jenny went to Gulnaz in the evening and I had to try not to have ‘class envy’ as it was again a really thorough, challenging class – lots of padmasana work, ardha matsyendrasana 2 and marichyasana 4!
I want to do them all! I am seriously thinking of booking my place for next year – I want to carry on with this learning while the opportunity is still here. So any of you Yogawesties that have been meaning to come to Pune, now is the time to get organised!!
Bit of a pants day. Went to bed too late and then had robust hypo in the middle of the night. Yesterday’s pancreas squeezing activities still making their mark. Struggled out of bed for Prashant’s class and pre-dawn walk through the park.
I’ll pick out a few key points from the class: “Postures consume energy, Asanas generate energy” “Doing to the maximum is not Yog, Doing very little is Yog”. We have to learn the different ways of working with the breath, the bandhas and kriyas, breath retention so that we become like a nuclear reactor and can generate energy.
We again worked on a few key backbends and twists. In Bharadvajasana 1 we had to first establish a breath pattern before turning. Then as we turned we had to take great care not to disturb the pattern we had created i.e we made the breath the absolute priority. Prashant told us that doing this way meant that women remain women “Women are becoming men and men are becoming extra men!”
After class went to the upstairs studio to observe Sushma’s Senior Citizen’s class. It was very busy today and again had the feeling of watching someone very skilled at their job. Great learning.
Got home and collapsed into bed for a couple of hours sleep. Managed a bit of practice before an evening walk around Pune to gather bits and pieces that we need. Have made the decision not to do any more Prashant classes on this trip. My practice needs to evolve further before I can really get much out of the classes – a bandha or a kriya is mentioned in his very quick dialogue and you would have to be so on the ball to pick it up, know what it was, interpret it and put it into action before he has moved on to the next thing.No instruction is given. At this stage in my practice I am getting so much more out of the other classes – each one is precious and I don’t want to waste a minute! I am also a little puzzled as to how his method of working and Guruji’s can co-exist in the same Institute – he is very scathing about classes where you are given precise physical instructions where he feels the priority of uniting mind, body, breath is lost. It is one of the Great Pune Mysteries along with Why does the park close right in the middle of the day for 4 hours?
Am researching a little weekend trip down to Goa for the weekend of the 25th when the Institute is closed for the weekend. Thought I might try the Blue Lagoon beach resort. Will get the sleeper train down on Friday, a bargain at 260 rupees and fly back up in time for class on Monday Any Pune blog-readers welcome to join me!
Had a productive organising kind of a day here. Managed to get up in time to do a little Pranayama before class this morning and have realised this may be the key to preserving my energy once I am back to my teaching schedule / busy family life. I feel unbelievably jammy to have had this opportunity to step right outside of normal life and follow my passion in this way (Big thanks to my partner Louis, currently bearing the double load x)
Another cracking class from Guruji and Abi this morning. We managed to get a good spot close to them so we could hear Guruji’s dialogue with Abi. It’s a fascinating interaction to watch – the fondness they have for each other is so apparent. Guruji is going through his daily practice while teaching through Abi and yet it really does seem that he is aware of every single student in the room. It is quite extraordinary to be in a room packed full of people all working at the very limits of their ability – absolute commitment is required from every single person, for every single second. Aside from his exceptional knowledge, it is his persistence and insistence that sets him apart and he expects nothing less from you too. If a point isn’t understood, he doesn’t shy away from it, he keeps on going until he is satisfied that you have GOT IT. And then he will come at it another way so that you have DOUBLE GOT IT and woe betide you if you let it slip with the next instruction, they build up one on top of the other and you have to try and keep them all going at the same time. Maybe I am imagining it, but I genuinely feel that I have a connection with him and the teaching is for me personally – I believe this is the sign of a good teacher, when every student feels that he is teaching directly to them.
Today’s class mainly focussed on forward bends and parivrtta forward bends – infact exactly the work I was doing in the medical class with Stephanie (told you it was for me personally!). We worked on bringing the intelligence into the ‘dark’ areas of the feet and knees. We learnt how to open fully and maintain the one-pointed concentration there. We did another sweat inducing sirsasana and came down with such relief, only to be sent immediately back up because we let the attention slip from the ‘bund’ of the foot on the way to the floor!
After class Nicky came for lunch and we took class notes. We have booked an Ayurvedic Retreat for the weekend, leaving after Guruji and Abi’s class coming back on Sunday evening I have also broken my own rule that has held strong for 17 years – not taking buses in India! I have booked an overnight sleeper bus to Goa on the following Thursday evening so that I will have 3 full days in Goa before flying back up for the last few days of classes. Bus takes 13 hours, flight is 1 hour, but because that is the holiday weekend it is really booked up and only the expensive seats are left. I am intending to make the absolute most of my time here!
Managed to stay awake far too late last night and then just as I was about to turn light off, Lynda popped up on Skype from New Zealand which is 7.5 hours ahead so she was in morning mode!
Woke up early for personal Pranayama practice then had a couple more hours sleep. Did practice at home then headed in for Medical class, again working with Stephanie. Today I started more restfully, supta baddha konasana over 2 horizontal pranayama pillow and rope adho mukha svanasana before starting the intense forward bend sequence working from the bottom back rib -lifting in and up to push the front rib forwards.
I worked hard and then had the same scenario as last class – the pump had to come off and I needed glucose. Once this happened I was moved onto more restful poses. First supta virasana then inversions: Sirsasana and Sarvangasana with feet hooked over trestler – suggested by Abijata so ‘there would be no load on the organs’.
It’s very difficult to understand exactly what is happening – vigorous aerobic activity would cause the sugar levels to drop, but I am sat on the floor doing supported forward extensions. The sugar drop I experienced last week was roughly equivalent to what I would expect from a 8km run, particularly in the way it was sustained over a period of time, so the levels were affected overnight and well into the next day. If I was doing a ‘normal’ yoga practice I would not expect to see any effect on the sugar unless working aerobically (strenuous standing poses for example) and even then it would be very short-lived. Either the pancreas is being stimulated to produce insulin or the body is becoming much more sensitive to the insulin I am taking. Spent the evening researching online to see if I could find any anecdotal evidence of similar experiences or diabetes reversal.
Jenny came skipping back from Gulnaz’s class, another good one and a new pose she’d never been taught (and neither have I) – parsva salabhasana!
Pic below is of our jolly laundry man- the clothes come back so beautifully washed, ironed and presented, it seems a shame to actually wear them! There is a lot to be learned from him – he works from his road side shack which is a haven of good vibes, cheery music playing in the background, he unashamedly charges 50 rupees per piece (That’s what 60p? even for smalls) which is loads and he does his job brilliantly. Simple.
Day 18 Rajalaxmi PranayamaThe day began well – singing in the shower so happy to be here! After 15 years of childcare it’s so nice to get the chance to rediscover who I am when the cloak of responsibilities is shed (albeit temporarily).
Headed into the Institute for practice session to find it was every bit as busy, but I figured I have every day of my normal life for solitary practice and the atmosphere was cooperative rather than competitive. Was able to use the platform to practice the killer abdominal thing and am beginning to make friends with it.
Completed my inversions at home and then headed to Mariot to meet my friend Lorna who is staying there, we had a swim and then sorted out her travel arrangements for Goa.
A speedy rickshaw ride later and we arrived just in the nick of time for Pranayama. The old timers had Geeta in the main hall and the first timers were upstairs with Rajalaxmi. First I’ll reproduce Jenny’s words on Geeta:
“Just had a Pranayama class with Geetaji – she was nicer to us this week, but I still have a sense that we have disappointed them. She says that we give Guruji a headache since every time he teaches us something ‘new’ we forget everything that has gone before. This particularly aimed at senior teachers who have been coming a long time. She said something like ‘It is his destiny’ and gave a small sigh. Maybe he’s thinking he needs to come back and teach us all again in his next life”.
Meanwhile upstairs Rajalaxmi taught us a really thorough and warm Pranayama class. Her explanations are vivid and easy to understand. We began for the invocation with the correct positioning of the hands joined infront of The Atman – not higher up the breastbone as so many of us mistakenly do. There should be no muscular effort but the palms together like two friends reassuring each other of their presence.
After supine pranayama we sat for some very basic digital work with Kumbhka on the inhalation (only inhale from the back armpit to the front for Kumbhaka). As we ended with savasana we were told “Nothing belongs to you, not even your exhalation, just let it go and surrender yourself to the Mother Earth. Do not impose inhalation on the body, just let it take care of itself spontaneously. Surrender yourself to its rhythm”. Bliss.
On my way up to Pranayama Stephanie pulled me over to ask if I would speak along with Doctor Manoj at the Annual Day Celebrations tomorrow about my experience with Type 1 Diabetes and Yoga. EEEEEK. Oh and double eek because we have booked to go to Ayurvedic Retreat tomorrow. I had been feeling uncomfortable about missing the Annual Day but comforted myself with the knowledge that the Institute is completely oversubscribed at the moment and that not only would our presence not be missed, we would be doing them a favour by leaving more space for others.
Small dilemma before I realised my priority is here and my absence would certainly be noticed if Manoj is talking about me and I’m not there. So the others are heading off in a taxi after class tomorrow for Massage, Ayurvedic Consultation etc. and I will attempt to organise my own transport tomorrow evening after celebration is finished for the day.
Well that was an unexpected surprise! We were awaiting Guruji and Abijata, but in came Geeta – explaining that as the institute is closed at the end of the month for the weekend, during Pranayama week she had come instead today to teach Pranayama.
I felt very moved during the invocation to find myself sat in front of Geetaji – I had not been able to attend the Convention when she came to the UK. Sadly she was not in the best form, very cross with everyone and I found myself feeling acutely uncomfortable, not wanting to take something that is not willingly given.
For a while the telling off paused and we did get to the day’s teaching. I am so sorry to have missed Geeta’s teaching in the preceding years and also feel sad that she has come to this place of absolute intolerance of us all (reminded me of me, during my last pregnancy!)Honestly, I just felt she was too unwell. More than one went home in tears
Waved Jenny and Nicky off in their taxi for the Ayurvedic Retreat. I arrived at the Institute at 6pm for the beginning of The Annual Day celebrations. We were in the main yoga hall for some talks given by The Doctor, Zubin and a Philosophy Professor who is also a long term student of Guruji.
Guruji had a kind of throne between the two pillars facing the stage and received a rousing round of applause as he came in , beaming, smiling emitting good energy all around. Now the one time we were allowed to take photos inside, where was my camera? In my suitcase downstairs. Grrrh. I took some pictures with Myka’s camera and will upload them when she emails them through. I had prepared a few notes, as recommended by Stephanie, for my part which was to talk a little about diabetes and what has been happening while I had been attending the medical class.
As it turns out The Doctor’s lecture was overrunning and I was never asked to take the mic, for which I was eternally grateful. I had a taxi booked to meet me outside the Institute to take me to the Ayurvedic Retreat (www.karehealth.com). He was waiting as promised in a rather rickety old car and it turned out he didn’t actually know where we were going, which was a bit unfortunate because neither did I. Somehow I managed to get online from the back of the car (it’s surprising how many people’s password is password!) and got some directions from good old Google Maps. I also rang the retreat and they talked him through it. So off we went, no seat belt in the car for me so I was clinging on to the door handle the whole way. As we climbed up and up out of Pune the temperature got cooler, the road got bumpier and the driving got riskier.
So I am arrived, I know not where- I’ll find out when the sun rises. There was a tiffin waiting for me full of promise. Unfortunately I had forgotten peopIe come here to follow strict ayurvedic diet –and to detox, lose weight etc. So was a little deflated to find some green liquid (not nice) some yellow liquid (in my famished state, good) no rice and two chapatti / paratha type things of unknown ingredients which I could not risk eating because of my coeliacs, though I’d just about have sold my soul to – it was very tempting as there was a good chance they were made of millet! Noone on reception and no response from Nicky or Jenny who were probably fast asleep at this stage. No phone signal and no internet access, so no blog till I get home tomorrow. I have a 6.30am wake up call with herbal tea ready for 7am yoga class in the morning, so will attempt to sleep now!
I Was woken pre-dawn with promised cup of herbal tea, had an actual hot shower! and headed off for yoga. The sky was a hazy purple over the lake as the sun began to come up, but I didn’t appreciate the true beauty of the place until an hour later when the surroundings became clear in the crisp morning light.
Tropical birds and trees and a open vista over the lake. Colour and light and bird song. Divine.
I arrived at the fully equipped yoga hall to be told by Jenny that, really we would be better off doing our own practice and the teacher may or may not come.The retreat prides itself on being led by BKS Iyengar and his pictures adorn the walls of the studio (I think he may have opened the building when it was built). There were actually quite a lot of resident students there who all began with 12 sun salutations (rather aptly as indeed the sun was rising). When the teacher did come he taught a very interesting beginners class – not at all sure you could have called it Iyengar. Still I appreciated the studio, the views, the space and so much equipment – an Iyengar students paradise!
After class went for breakfast followed by Ayurvedic consultation. It was my first one and I discovered I am strongly Pitta type. I was given a list of foods to avoid / seek out and told I need good yoga / excercise and good sleep to be balanced. Well yes.
Headed off for my first treatment – a full body massage. Haha not for the faint hearted! First stripped, then given string and paper loin cloth, smothered in fragrant oil from head to toes (even face and hair), then thoroughly pummelled, then steam cabin which – well I had to laugh – it’s a kind of wooden box you get into with a hole for your head, fed with steam coming through pipes attached to a pressure cooker on a gas ring!! Still was very effective, finally covered in salty brown goo and washed off in shower. Skin was smoother than a baby’s bottom and I was completely relaxed.
So relaxed that I lost my insulin pump and had the whole staff including the manager searching high and low – they insisted I chill out and eat lunch while they looked for it, so nice. Just as I was fearing the worst and praying that one of my insurances would cover it, one of the housekeeping girls found it. Made her day and mine! and of course left her a nice tip too.
I saw the strangest bird in the trees. It’s chirping attracted me and then I noticed it had along curled tail that it rolled forward when it chirped – it was so coordinated it almost seemed to be the tail that was emitting the chirp. I watched it for some time and was most surprised when it scampered up the tree on four legs – so not a bird at all, some kind of squirrel / chipmunk / bird? Can anyone enlighten me on this one? Never seen anything like it – Oh and Jenny did see it too, incase you’re momentarily considering madness / hallucinogens.
My stay finished with a second treatment that involved hot oil and alternately being whacked with a hot poultice bag and chopping hands. My muscles were quite tender after the amount of yoga I’ve been doing, but still was great. Arrived home feeling rejuvenated and ready for the next week of classes. Finished the weekend with a lovely dinner at The Ambience with Nicky and Cindy and planning on going to visit Women’s Shelter and Orphanage tomorrow – would be great to organise things so that it’s easy for people to give something back while they’re here.
Day 21 Orphanage VisitJenny got up early to observe Prashant’s class while I planned to have a lie in – my neighbours and their revving car antics had other ideas. Ah well, up for some Pranayama instead.
At Midday went across to The Ambience to meet the driver who was to take us to the orphanage. Headed off into the fumes and traffic for what was to be an unexpectedly long and arduous journey. After an hour of careening along we passed back by where we had started from. At this point I thought Nicky was going to spontaneously combust. Another hour later we eventually arrived at the first of the Maher homes where we received a warm welcome and some much needed refreshment. We were met by Sister Lucy herself, the head of the whole organisation – a modern day Mother Theresa.
After food she sat down to tell us her story (in brief here). She grew up in a sheltered and relatively privileged environment in Kerala and was shocked upon reaching adulthood to find the suffering that was to be found in other areas of India. She became a nun because she wanted to help the poor and was working on the outskirts of a slum in Bombay when she was approached by a pregnant woman in need of shelter. Her husband was violent and also involved with another woman. She had no means of offering shelter and had to send the woman away. Later in the evening there was a commotion in the nearby slum. She hurried to assist – the husband had poured kerosene over the woman and set fire to her. She rushed her to hospital but both mother and unborn baby were dead.
Never again was she going to turn anyone away. Maher means Mother’s home and there is ‘Always room for one more’.
I was very impressed with her frankness, her openess and her warmth. Her work is not just confined to battered women and orphans, she helps wherever there is need. Food is cooked daily in the kitchen of the home and taken to the nearby slums. She appoints teachers and social workers and goes into the slums to feed, clothe and educate. She will pick up anyone in need of help – women and children rescued from prostitution, the mentally ill, children who have no choice but to beg are given an education and daily food instead. Although her background is Catholic she has equal respect for all religions and she has no time for the caste system. The woman and children are given training in various trades and put through school – she even funds them through University and beams with pride as she recounts the success stories. She invited us to a wedding on Friday – the sixth this year of one of her girls.
We visited two of the many Maher homes and were greeted with songs from the children. Then we went to a slum and went inside the school she is funding there. So basic – a tin shack, with a few toys – one rusty old bike between maybe 25 kids, but they looked clean, happy and well fed thanks to Sister Lucy’s work. They’ll also have a proper education and a real hope of a good life.
Sister Lucy is not just the figure head of the organisation, she is available 24 hours a day and often gets very little sleep. She and Suprabha (her assistant) tell each other they may not get much sleep, but they know because their work is good, the sleep they do manage to get will be sweet.
To donate for people abroad:
Maher S.B Account no. 0261101061493
Swift Code – FD Pune CNRBINBBBID
IBAN NO: DE41500700100953458710
Canara Bank, Deep Heights, Nagar Road, Ramwadi, Pune 411014, Maharashtra, India
For people in India – please give Cindy cash she is visiting for wedding on Friday or they need toys, bed sheets and saris.
Slept late and missed the opportunity to observe the Senior Citizen’s class. Yesterday’s trip was really worthwhile but it meant I missed an excellent backbend class last night and slept through a class I wanted to observe this morning. I think you do have to keep any other interests to a minimum if you are going to maintain the focus required to get the most out of your trip to The Insitute.
Here are Jenny’s notes / observations on yesterday’s Prashant class:
‘A now familiar theme of the relationship between body-mind-breath-senses-consciousness in the performance of asanas. Phrase of the day was ‘composite dynamics’. Instructions were to exhale further and further in each asana and finally to perform Udiyana Bandha – a sucking in of the abdomen after exhalation – and see what happens! Not to be undertaken lightly and definitely not during menstruation. He talked on esoteric philosophy; the tongue is the root of all wisdom with all sense organs represented – sight buds, hearing buds, sensation buds, smell buds as well as taste buds. Needless to say in modern culture the tongue can only be described as ‘stupid’. We should beware of the senses pulling us away from ‘yog’, also the draw of physical action. No limb of yoga is dedicated to the body. You can’t perfect the body first and then work on the mind…
(Jenny thinks that the senses are a bit like a dog on a lead, pulling the owner after it as it chases smells, rabbits, postmen, cats, other dogs….)
On the positive side – how to get a hold on all this? Set up the right ethos for your practice: clean and tidy your room, burn incense, create calm, quiet conditions, have an image to focus on (most of us use Patanjali) and exclude bright light.
Try this in your practice when calm and steady in tadasana: eyes open, find the centre of the eyeballs, now look from the edges of the eyes. How did each one make you feel? (You can let me know in your comments!)
Final quote from Prasant: “I may not be civilized, but I am cultured.” At least I think that’s what he said!’
I headed in for medical at 4pm. Today’s the day I decided to really test what is happening re insulin and pancreas practice so I took only one unit of insulin with breakfast. Normal range for blood sugar is 4 – 7 mmol. I tested upon arrival at class and mine was 15.9 mmol. I took no corrective dose. After a sequence of pancreas poses (Started resting SBK horizontal, rope AMS, Janu , Parsva Janu, Parivrtta Janu, Parsva Upavista, Parvrrta Upavista, Pillar Jathara Parivartanasana, Pasasana, Sirsasana & Urdhva Dandasana, Sarvangasana, Pindasana, Parsva Pindasana) it was 5.9!. Something really quite amazing is happening. Stephanie says I should write to Guruji and request an extended stay next year to work intensively on it. Any volunteers to put this to my partner and children?
After class I booked some lovely accommodation for my Goa trip this weekend on beach front at Patnam Beach. I think Lorna is now going to fly down on Thursday afternoon, while I’ll follow on down after medical class on Thursday night in the overnight bus. I have a flight booked back on Monday morning in time for Raya’s class in the evening. Then I’m into my final week – flight home on Friday.
We went to the OM Supermarket for supplies – we’d heard you can get soya milk there, but it was one of those ones where you have to stay behind the counter while you ask for what you want – no browsing and often problems being understood – so we hopped into a rickshaw for good old Dorabjees. Speeding and weaving and dodging through the traffic it occurred to me how well I’ve adjusted to life in an Indian city. I could live here – just to be close to such excellent teaching. I really feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders when I am led in this way rather than always being the teacher it’s great to be taught!
Bed now so I can be bright eyed and bushy tailed for Guruji in the morning – hope it’s backbends! Yesterday’s blog had a bit of a malfunction some of the text was missing – it’s all there now.
Yes once again expecting Guruji / Abijata combo and in came Geetatji, thankfully in better form today. Some wonderful Geeta instructions: In Sarvangasana it should be like flying, never sink down heavy, the cervical the dorsal has to lift up, FLY! and in Savasana imagine there is a staircase going down the throat and the tongue has to descend down those stairs.
We did a bankbend sequence (AMS / UTT sequence, Sirsasana, AM Vrksasana, Standing Back Arch x 5 interlock the fingers to roll back the shoulders and swing your arms inbetween your legs, ustrasana – divide the knee, the bottom half belongs to the shin, the top half has to lift up with the thigh same interlocking and swinging, Urdhva Dhanusrasana, Dhanurasana, Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana, Rajkapotasana prep (bhujangasana arms, dhanurasana legs), supta swaskiasana, chatushpadasana, sarvangasana).
Geeta has the same ability as Guruji to make you work harder than you ever thought possible (though not as constantly), in Sarvangasana she had us bending the legs into virasana and pounding the pelvis and thighs forward, so much we had to push there was groaning and almost gutteral moaning – in response to which she said “That sound, yes that is it, that is the movement”.
We spent the evening shopping, shopping, shopping on the MG Road, note to self – DO NOT BUY ANY MORE PRESENTS FOR JOSIE. We had fun and both enjoyed not being with partner who is (and I quote) “Glazing over” at the first shop.
Veg man taking his siesta atop his barrow.
Mini Blog today as heading off for Goa bus shortly – internet connection uncertain over the next few days.
Woke up feeling wonderful after Geetaji’s class yesterday, lots of springy energy in legs, sacrum and spine. Couldn’t put my finger on why – partly I think it is the cumulative effect of the programme here. Day after day after day of well taught yoga. Partly I think it was the work we did pushing the pelvis and thighs forward in virasana sirsasana / sarvangasana – I think I’m losing a lot of energy there normally.
Medical class at 4pm. Stephanie was caught up working with Guruji on a patient so she didn’t have time for much input. Didn’t manage to make the movements quite as effective and my motivation wasn’t as strong today, so the results good but not so profound. Sugar started at 11.9 and ended at 6.1 – those kinds of drops can happen just anyway, so nothing conclusive. Fingers crossed for a smooth journey tonight – all fine so long as the taxi shows up, it can find the bus pickup place and bus arrives (often they can be delayed by many hours!)
Jenny has just skipped in after a super-dynamic backbend class with Gulnaz. Is there a niyama which states “Though shalt not covet thy neighbour’s class”?
Possibly one of the most stressful nights ever. First my taxi failed to show up, then as I set off dragging my enormous suitcase down Lakaki Road I had the misfortune to happen upon the least competent rickshaw driver ever. After collecting Lorna from the Mariot we headed off to the bus pick up point with only just enough time to make it. Frustratingly it soon became apparent the rickshaw driver did not know where he was going. In desperation we rang the concierge at the Mariot who managed to contact the bus company to get the bus to wait for us and gave our driver fresh directions. Many wild goose chases and phone calls later we were still driving around hopelessly – up back alleys, the wrong way up dual carriageway twice. Eventually he spoke directly to the driver of the bus who arranged to meet him somewhere he did know, but somehow he messed that up as well. Two and a half hours squashed into a rickshaw only for the bus to leave without us and we ended up back where we started (and had to pay 850 rupees for the pleasure). The concierge at The Mariot booked us on to another bus at 11.45pm which again agreed to wait for us. This time there was a problem with the booking, they couldn’t accept cash or UK card, so that bus again drove off into the night without us. Just when it looked like all hope was lost our hero at The Mariot once again found us an air conditioned sleeper bus, leaving right now that would take cash on the bus. We set off, this time in super luxury Mariot car(and super pricey at 2200 rupees for this short spin to the pick- up point). Our bus was found without any bother and on we got, only to find that they actually had no sleepers for us at all – instead we had to share an unbelievably cramped, low ceilinged space used for luggage.
My relief at finally getting on a bus was gradually replaced by a growing sense of panic. I needed the loo, there was not one on the bus plus I was trapped on the inside of this tiny space with Lorna between me and the small gap to get in. I endured probably 4 hours like this before the first stop, where I was able to use a roadside toilet (Imagine how bad it could be and then add some). Thankfully I was able to explain to Lorna who was now awake for the stop, my predicament with the claustrophobia (by this point I was trembling from head to foot) and I was able to go on the outside with my head in the gap. Again the relief was short lived – I felt I couldn’t breathe it was as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air. It dawned on me that everyone else seemed to be breathing just fine and I was in fact hyperventilating. I dimly remembered hearing that you have to inhale less and exhale more to correct it, so I spent the next two hours doing viloma on the exhalation which helped enormously, as long as I didn’t stop. Once the bus was coming to its final stops the crowd started to thin out and we were able to get a bunk each and breathe freely. Hallelujah, the relief……
Mere seconds later our final setback was realised – the bus wasn’t going to Margoa at all, the closest stop to our destination was Panjim. Darn.
So another 2000 rupee ride later we arrived at Patnam. And here I’m delighted to say the misfortune ended. It’s just beautiful, perfect. I’m sitting on my shady porch at the lovely Home Beachfront hotel listening to the waves breaking on the shoreline surrounded by palm trees. Bliss.
There’s no place like Home!
Slept deeply and soundly so woke up refreshed and the previous day’s travel a distant memory. Started the day with a dynamic yoga practice – trying to assimilate the various pointers we have received from Guruji over the last three weeks. I am relishing having the space and the energy to practice this way – work / family life often leaves me only fit for restorative work, although I was interested last week to observe a late evening’s beginners class that approached this problem of tiredness with sharp, focussed,energetic sun salutation / baby backbend sequence.
As I practiced some pranayama it occurred to me the process is a little like my experience yesterday, diving in the sea on my arrival – the stress, the toxins are broken up and dissolve into the vast space of the inhalation breath. In this way we can cleanse the mind, body, breath.
Headed off to April 20 for a lovely fresh fruit salad and to catch up on blog and emails. Although I came to India to do yoga, this part of the trip is also so important. The chance to be in such a beautiful natural environment and to absorb and assimilate the warmth of the sun, the cool of the sea and fresh vibrant food. This will help to bring me to health along with the yoga.
In the afternoon jumped into a rickshaw to the local town of Chaudi to get a few supplies. It was market day so there was plenty to see, taste and smell. Hoping to organise a dolphin trip for the morning ….
My last weekend in India – this time next week I will be safely back in rainy UK. Both dreading it and looking forward to it in equal measure – can’t wait to see the kids 🙂
After dinner last night wandered up the beach and happened upon a German couple booking a boat trip for this morning, so I invited myself along – you pay per boat (2000 rupees) so the more people aboard the less it costs. Slept terribly – partly because I knew I had to get up and partly because it’s so damn noisy. Packs of dogs barking, the driver’s of the overnight trains absolutely uninhibited in their copious and gleeful horn use, birds, locals – you name it, it was having a ball on or near my room.
Got up as the sun was rising and went for a little stroll along the shore. At night the beach belongs to the dogs and they were running along beside me, snapping at my dress and the ends of my shawl. I however was in no mood to play after they had kept me up half the night. Nowhere was open yet for breakfast, the beachside restaurants littered with sleeping bodies – no luxury hotel rooms for the locals.
Instead I returned back to my room for some pranayama and really enjoyed the freedom in my breath after a month of good practice. The pranayama is coming easily and sweetly, enabling a finer, subtler experience. As Guruji says “the breath should be welcomed in like a revered guest” the heart has to be open.
At eight I headed off (with Lorna who had decided to join us) to the meeting point – a fine sized boat in front of the Namaste cafe. The two man crew arrived shortly after and it soon became apparent that launching the boat was going to be no simple matter. It started off with me, a couple of kids and the two crew.The rocking and pushing was coordinated by a simple, rhythmical chant. Half an hour and about ten more people later, we finally managed to haul the boat the twenty or so feet into the water.
We sped off out to sea, past Palolem beach and over to Butterfly beach where we went ashore and had a look around. It is a small, isolated cove named for the large butterflies which were flitting around. Not quite as idyllic as no doubt it once was, due to the rubbish left behind by previous visitors.
Then we spent an hour or so cruising around hoping to spot dolphins, though by this time it was late for prime viewing. First we sighted a few glimpses of baby dolphins then some bigger. They were darker in colour than the most well known bottle nose dolphins and they seemed quite shy. By this time there were a few other boats cruising around and every time there was a sighting all the nearby boats would hone in on that spot – we didn’t feel so happy to be part of that circus so we headed off back to Patnem for a deliciously cooling swim.
Spent the final day making the most of being here, relaxing and enjoying the beach. Looking forward now to getting back to Pune for the last week of teaching – presumably pranayama. Flight at 13.45 tomorrow so back in time for evening class.
http://youtu.be/AXL8rXkDXYU – A fleeting glimpse of dolphin http://youtu.be/UkOQnZcq61I – Launching the boat
http://youtu.be/m2P-JRg18GE – Children chanting at slum school in Pune
I must have had a sixth sense when I put blog up so early yesterday. The internet was down for the whole beach area throughout the evening. Spent the time doing forward bends moving on to the more obscure padmasana ones which come so much more easily in this hot weather.
Slept well and woke up just before 8am for last swim in warm sea I am likely to experience for some time (particularly as our Summer holiday this year is west coast of Ireland, brrrrrrrh!). Just time for a little yoga and breakfast before heading off in taxi for flight. I had allowed 2 hours for the 1.5 hour journey, which was just as well because we needed fuel and the filling station was in chaos. Every pump had its own impatient queue and nothing was going to happen anytime soon as a fuel delivery meant that the station was temporarily closed down. I felt surprisingly relaxed as the minutes ticked by and the car got hotter and hotter, which turned out to be justified when after finally filling up and leaving, I got a text from Air India to say my flight was delayed (could have squeezed in another swim!).
En route to the airport we passed an accident where a motorcyclist and all his parcels had come off his bike in the middle of the busy carriageway. A few other bikers had stopped to help and my driver pulled up close and stuck his head right out of the window. ‘Ah good’ I thought, he’s going to offer his assistance. Instead, having got a really thorough ogle he made a little click of disgust and sped off to the airport. I asked if there would be an ambulance available and he indicated there would – but I wonder how it works here? Do you have to prove you have funds before they will assist you?
Upon getting to the airport I was hurried to check in by an attendant, when I mentioned the text informing me of the delay he said it was not delayed at all. Oh. This gives me a little thrill of worry about my travel arrangements for getting back to UK on Friday. I have a total of 4 separate flights that need to coordinate and flow seamlessly …….
The flight seemed almost obscenely quick in comparison to the 13 hour bus journey – take off, peanuts and orange juice, land – 45 minutes!!
Reya’s class was worth coming back for, though we didn’t get to any actual pranayama – mainly we worked on what happens in the abdomen in the various leg positions, whether seated, supine or inverted. He gave a rather impressive demonstration of a good padmasana in sirsasana – not the weak crossing that we all settle for but a really compact cross is needed to draw the length into the abdomen and keep the lumbar long. At the moment I would be lucky to aspire to his weak version, never mind the strong one. He also strongly warned against tying the legs together in supta virasana and implored us not to continue passing this method onto our students. He showed clearly on Uday how it causes the thighs and groins to become aggressive and hard and the abdomen to narrow and tense. Instead the feet should be made wider and then rather than slamming the legs together the outer knee has to lengthen and turn in from there.
He finished with a lecture: when westerners come to Pune, don’t come looking for your understanding to be validated – come with an open mind not to pick and choose what you’re hearing to suit what you think you know. The wind blows in many directions not just one and so the teaching emphasis will vary many ways. And then very important, that once you have ‘mimicked’ you move on – by far the most important teaching comes from your own internal genuine experience.
Got up and headed over to observe the Senior Citizens. As I arrived Guruji was sat on the bench just beside the door to the Institute. I went over and greeted him, feeling much more relaxed around him than when we first arrived. There were 35 in the class today – a testament to the excellent teaching they receive from Sushma.
Both the practice session and the observations have become SO much quieter, a lot have gone home already – missing Pranayama week, the crazy fools!
Had to completely amend my medical programme today to accommodate menstruation / the dreaded Delhi belly. Stephanie also gave me some grapefruit seed extract which is excellent for intestinal parasite / infections. This can’t be bought locally so it’s a good idea to bring it with you. My programme consisted of lots of supine work, with plenty of support so as to climb up on to it and make lots of space between the lower ribs and a real separation between abdomen and chest. (Supta baddha Konasana, Supta Virasana, then repeat both t-shaped 4 bolster support, like setu bandha chest, finished with x bolsters) It took a while, but eventually I could feel the tension releasing and the breath becoming spontaneous, deep and healing. Guess I’m tensing up with the travelling fast approaching Friday.
In the evening I headed over to Dorabjees, Jenny decided to skip it because she’s recovering from a cold and the fumes are always terrible. I was slightly nervous because it gets dark early (it’s also Winter here, even though daytime temperature is 30 degrees). Got quite an aggressive and not very careful rickshaw driver. Usually even though I spend quite a bit of the drive with my eyes squeezed tightly shut I kind of know it’s fine and they know what they’re doing. Not so with this one – he kept making bad judgement calls and screeching to a halt until eventually he actually did smack into the side of another rickshaw, unleashing a torrent of abuse in Maharati and driving off. Felt the tension I’d shed creeping back in and was very glad to get out of there in one piece.
Rounded off the day reading a bedtime story to Josie (and inadvertently Jenny!) over Skype. Only four days till we are reunited. Final Guruji class in the morning.
Woke up pre-dawn from a deep and sound sleep and lay listening to the quietness gradually transform into a cacophony of sound. The birds voiciferously announcing the rising of the sun, slamming doors, revving engines, unselfconscious footsteps on the staircase – an Indian city doesn’t tiptoe around the wishful sleeper.
Hopped out of bed with a spring in my step, more singing in the shower. My mood is noticeably chirpy on the mornings where I have a Guruji class to go to – Is there any better reason to get out of bed?
Arrived at The Institute enjoying the much more chilled atmosphere in comparison to the frenetic early days. Many have gone home and those that remain know there’s no point getting too territorial about mats and space cos nine times out of ten someone from the Institute will come and completely rearrange things.
Sure enough we were told to remove all our carefully placed sticky mats and instead we had military lines of thick mats, three per mat.
Reya led the Invocation and when eyes were opened there was Geetaji! She keeps telling us she is retired and it’s the last time we’ll entice her out and then she’s back.
She was noticeably more at peace than the previous classes and was able to give her beautiful teaching unhindered by irritation… ok, well almost: (Uttanasana; AMS; Virasana Seated – eyes closed, coiling the back ribs in, lift the lower breast UP; Sirsasana (menstruation chair back arch) – Be on the crown of the head. Connect the legs into the hips, if you do in dull state, stay for 15 mins, what’s the point? When buttocks go back mind becomes dull, buttocks forward mind is sharp, becomes a mental challenge; AMS; Prasarita Paddottonasana – For menstruation don’t roll the buttocks up; Chatushpadasana; Sarvangasana (Menstruation setu bandha on viparita karani box, bolster for head, feet level) Other schools of yoga (incorrectly) teach with the legs forward, buttocks back – this is the only way they can soften the throat. Use this viparita karani shape to bring the soft well to the throat and then maintain as you assume the correct pose; Paschimottonasna – Not to take the head down in isolation from the spine. Whole spine has to move DORSAL /BACK RIBS IN/ DOWN to the floor to take head down. Hold feet strongly, open armpits; Supine Pranayama – Allowing (rather than pulling) the breath to fill the vessel slowly. Extended, smooth exhalation – let the inhalation follow but don’t force. Exhale smoothly and with that exhalation wash everything away; Seated Pranayama – If you must have a sense of ‘I’ somewhere, make it in the chest (not the brain). Anta Khumbhaka retain inhalation Listen to the voices inside – they will tell you what has to lift, what has to move.
“Lift your diaphragm UP and make a kind of plinth for the Lord (Krishna) to be seated. You cannot make a small seat for the Lord”
As the class finished , I realised that for many this was their last class of the month (I’ve got one more medical tomorrow). I’m so sorry to be leaving but so glad to have been. Any of you Iyengar teachers and students that have always been meaning to come to Pune, I strongly urge you to get organised if you want to be here while Guruji is still teaching. He is 95 next year – you do not have time to lose!
We did a trial pack to see how much the suitcases weighed – there is a guy called Vasant who sells Iyengar kit and also offers a posting and packaging service. It’s quite pricey to send stuff home – about £80 for 20 kilos (that’s six bolsters and some belts) but of course so much cheaper for the actual purchase. Currently in the Institute shop a bolster costs 330 rupees (less than £5).
Last day tomorrow 🙁
Well a mini blog to say goodbye! Am exhausted and up in the morning to catch the first of many flights home. My mammoth trip is Pune to Goa, then Goa to Bangalore, Bangalore to Paris, Paris to Bristol.
Do yourself a favour, if you are coming to Pune from UK just get yourself a short direct flight from Heathrow to Mumbai! From Mumbai you can get a taxi (takes 4 hours and costs about £10) or you can fly (about £50). Jenny has started a Facebook group, full of info. and a good way of hooking up with people to share taxis and apartments or air any concerns with people who are experienced Pune regulars. The group is named Visiting Iyengar Institute (RIMYI) Pune? and anyone can join. Or you can type in https://www.facebook.com/groups/252155194915746
Medical today was divine and feeling much better. I do have the option of getting up for early Rajalaxmi class tomorrow which is 7-8.30 am, but suspect by the time I get to bed it’ll be too late for such an early start.
After practice went to the Mariott with Nicky for swim in their ice cold pool (do they refrigerate the water??). It was interesting to swap experiences with Nicky who had a much more Prashant orientated month and loved it. She really got a huge amount from it and was going off to book for 2015. Evening spent organising and packing, can allow myself to think about seeing the kids now.
