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ASHTANGA YOGA - MYSORE DIARY 2007-2014 / PART 2

20-JANUARY-2007 


Namaste! Today is Saturday, we had led class at 5.45 (so we got up at 4.30 in the morning). Like every Saturday with Sharath's students.
Yesterday was a newmoonday so nothing - no practtice, today a led class, then sunday free day and then monday normal again -Mysore style Class.
Yesterday I felt i had a rather unsuccessful day, always different from what you think, but still very intense, in the sense of a change of direction. At least it was a new beginning. Took a riksha today for half the day and of course paid way too much, but now afterwards I know how to do it. Next time I know.

Visited the sitar teacher, who was in Bombay at the moment, then the golf court, asked about times and prices, bathed in the swimming pool of the Lalitha Mahal, and finally got an English-German dictionary, ordered a Vinyasa Yoga book, visited the supermarket for the first time for cooking stuffs and then finished the outing.

It was crazy cold in the riksha in the morning, and I was freezing during the night as well. The temperatures vary here between 10 and 30-35 degrees C., and flipflops are your constant companion...I didn't bring socks, I didn't expect so much cold. But Mysore is almost 800m above sea level! So today I exercised with long leggings, long t-shirt and sweatshirt.
However, it heated up, as I happened to have a side spot in the shala from where Sharath often gave his instructions. You do get sweaty when there are always  instructions like - strech legs, directly Chakrasana, why you hurry, after I did more of a shoulder roll, or when he just counts the strenuous postures more slowly, or like in Navasana "don't hold legs, eat more chapati..." :)

I am learning to count the primary correctly in Sanskrit, which I had never really been interested in before. Going deeper in the first series is actually fun and spurs me on.

Then  mmy "home" -  yes, I moved to another house this week. It's not the ideal flat, I could imagine it even quieter and more romantic, but I'm already quite happy with it. Life is clearer and calmer with a decent home. However, you realise that you live in India.
By the way - I am reading Bombay-Maximum City! Very worth reading, gives a real impression of Indian conditions as they are not only found in Bombay. Leets say - like today when you want to make a chai and find out, that there is definitely no tap water left to wash the pot. 
That means - no water for flushing the toilet, no water at all. Since this morning and probably until at least tomorrow I guess, because it's still not on. So you try to scrub your black feet with a quarter of a litre of drinking water, including a little body refreshment. It works! And you get practice at i and - got used to it...aaah - just heard, we will get water again tonight, hopefully. The internet cafe wants to close, it's 10 at night. Good Night!

23-JAN-2007 


 

Hello dear ones! The water shortage in our house lasted 2 full days! At the end of these 2 days you have learned to shower with one litre of water! You start with your feet because they are black and you have to use real soap and scrub for 5 minutes to wash off the biggest dirt. So I scrub one foot, pour the water slowly over it and catch it again for the other foot. The rest over my face and a little body refreshment is also included. Great! I was always satisfied, if I could manage with half a bucket for showering and washing my hair. But now- it works with that minimum too.
And what a joy when the water came!
Then-
Everybody washes busily their clothes and takes a shower...so then the water run out again in the evening. So ....Indian friends brought us a bucket of water by motorbike and that was enough for the toilet and until the next morning. The city only pumps a certain amount of water into the tanks from 12 o'clock at night until 8.30 in the morning. The additional water reservoir in the house has not been used for 2 years and is therefore not functional. So far it's been fine, let's see how it goes on. This morning I was able to practice at 8.15 am. This is the first shift after Sharath comes from his grandfather's main shala and then teaches his own class. Sharath comes at half past 8 and then we chant the opening mantra.

Today Sharath  didn't say anything during the backbends, I guess it can be done better.
Dropbacks should be without pause - down into up, don't move the feet. It probably works better to go down and up more slowly, and without thinking. My knee hurts like it hasn't done for a long time, Mars -Saturn triggering, the usual story every 2 years. More humility, more devotion - that is what the knees are saying.
I read in the Riksha today - God will do the rest what you can not do! So nice!

Namaste until the next one!

ASHTANGA YOGA INSPIRATION

 

ANDREA PANZER  &
GOVINDA SCHLEGEL
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