Dropbacks, Recycled Coconuts, Sanskrit & Dusk

Week 2 in Mysore is in full swing. The shala's definitely more crowded this week than it was after the moon day last week. Usually when I'm done with my practice, most of Saraswati's students are practising and the room is half-full. Today, as I was leaving, the whole room was still jam-packed with students.

The led class yesterday felt better for me physically - I can already start to feel my body getting stronger and more bendy. Not quite the fittest I've been (yet), but things are starting to click again in the body.

After a massage yesterday ("Swedish massage" in an Indian spa. Um... Not sure I would recommend this as a relaxing experience. If you're super grossed out by hygiene standards, then probably not. But look, I'm anal about hygiene... Over here, you kinda relax the standards a little bit), I think coz my shoulder knots got a good rub yesterday, I slept like a baby and had a really nice practice today: focussed, aware and involved.

Sharath adjusted me in Supta Kurmasana, and then again at dropbacks. He came round after my third backbend (I vaguely toyed with the idea of attempting to stand up from the third backbend, but then thought "It's Monday. It's a 6-day practice this week... Nahhhhhhhhh! Take it easier today." Heh.)

So he stood close and I said "Can I try on my own first", and he replied "OK". I momentarily thought "Dammit. No faffing. No hangbacks...?" (I'm not sure, are you allowed to hangback halfway if there's a teacher watching over you or is that not good practice etiquette? Just seems rude to be sucking so much time of the teacher's time by not going straight into a dropback. Y'know...?)

So I got halfway in a hangback and my back felt more open today, and I dropped back with no fuss. As I was standing back up again, I got nervous and didn't use the breath AND came up first with my head. TWO BIG NO-NOS! So of course I danced around a little bit as I stood up and Sharath laughed.

The second one I did, I didn't realize how close he was standing in front of me and as I hauled myself up, I almost crashed straight into him and had to grab him to brake. As I danced around at the top of my mat AGAIN, he said "No running!"

HAHAHA! I really like his sense of humour. :)

By the third one, I think he got bored I was taking so long so he adjusted my neighbour in Supta Kurmasana, and I think I did a so-so attempt at standing back up again. I dunno - this standing up from backbends has been flaky in the past week. I get all anxious and forget to use my inhale, use the legs and leave the head behind as the last thing that comes back up again. So I'm a bit wobbly as I come up.

Ah well... Practice and all is coming.

Today's coconut count: 5. (I think this is my daily record so far.)
I'll write about the legendary coconut stand another time, but guess what happens to all those coconut husks when the yogis have had their fill? ...The goats come in and clean up after us! Recycling in action, fer shizzle!



Another shot of yesterday's Sanskrit homework for Evelyn. I'm learning how to put vowels to consonants now. Today, we learned how to put this all together in an actual word. Wait till you see the homework for THAT! It's gonna be squiggles galore!


And I've saved the best shot for last. My favourite time of day here is dusk. Not because that's when the mozzies come out to play, but coz the light here at dusk glows this really pretty rose/ orange/ pink tint. Everything is bathed in this rose-tinted colour, it's so magically beautiful. I was in Goa about 7 years ago now, and this was the same exact kind of light you get there at dusk too.


Have a Happy 6-day practice this week! :)

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