Seeking Enlighten-something

 

 When I first came to India in 2004, I was definitely seeking something. I also think I wanted to be seduced by the exotic-ness that seemed to emanate from everything I saw and experienced. Now coming to Mysore to do yoga again after Patthabi Jois' passing is another level of experience. Coming for a week for a 'tune up' is what I had in mind. I thought it would be nostalgic, instructive, fun. It has been all those things. Now a week after being here and practicing for 6 days in a row (not my usual tally for weekly practice), I am still connected (though my back is kind of sore, as is my belly) more than ever to the practice. 

Guruji is still very much present in the shala. There are a lot of new people who do not have any experience of him, but want to do Ashtanga practice. (I remember when). My time slot is late in the morning, 9:15 since I only come for a week, though now it will be two, and my level is a bit remedial. It's a nice to be there because it is less crowded. Saraswati has her eye on everyone, all of us are addressed as 'you', and each 'you' seems to know which 'you' we are. The questions she asks are, if we did an asana and did we bind in it. She normally knows the answer before we tell her. If we have moved on without her assistance, 'why not you vwait?' Or she looks over while assisting someone else, saying 'no, no, you do this, not that'. Anotherwords there isn't a lot of theory. Guruji's (Patthabi Jois) phrase, 'Ashtanga is 99% perspiration, 1% theory' holds strong. Maybe it's the warm weather, aka lots of perspiration, or the vegetarian diet, or being in the shala where I learned so much in 2 months 6 years ago, but my practice is so much more solid, flexible and ENJOYABLE! 

This isn't a glib statement, but I really do feel 'the guru's grace' doing my practice. I feel so fortunate to have known and worked with Patthabi Jois in this yoga path/journey I've taken. At the same time, practicing in my room on Sunday when I first arrived to Mysore, I realize that I am  my own teacher. That after years of doing my usual practice at Eddie's, being busy with my life, dithering over this and that. When it comes down to practice: it's me, the mat and the breath, period. I've learned this before, it's an easy lesson to forget. Listening to oneself in a life so full of 21st century distractions it's easy to go deaf to the quiet inner voice or even  forget it's there. So, I have one side of my practice being part of a tradition and another side of just doing it. The reminder I came all the way here to receive, again.

Heaven Scent

Today I went to the Mysore palace. I have been to this city before and stayed here for 2 months and never went. I decided to change that and went to see one of the big tourist draws for this town. Well, I could have lived my life complete if I hadn't seen it. It's ok, very Victorian, opulent, very European. It looks like some baroque confectionery, it would be a great stage for a bollywood dance number. It was kinda crowded and kinda hot. I left and went downtown to the Mysore market.

Now to me, this is a palace of a place---food and flowers everywhere, actually everything everywhere. I experimented with the 'Flip' video camera while I was there, will get to posting those results once I figure out how.  I would film and then show the people what I shot. I remember doing this 6 years ago when I had a digital still camera about the same size as the video camera is now.

Anyway, I really enjoy the everything of the market, the people running around, working, stringing flowers, hawking their goods, the colors and the scents.....I love all the flowers. But this time a little boy said to me as I was photographing,'do you want to see me make incense?' I had never seen that before, let alone be asked to watch....So, I followed him down to the stall where he said he would show me. The stall counter was covered with glass perfume bottles on stepped platforms with boxes of incense off to the left.....I hadn't noticed a stall like this before. I shot his demonstration of making an incense stick, his older brother was intrigued by the camera, we chatted. His brother asked me to smell some 'watermelon oil'. WOW! My nose was completely hooked! Then he proceeded to blow scents at me, dab them on my wrists or scarf. Wonderful pure scents. This shop has been operating for 60 years by the same family. He showed me a notebook filled with people telling how much they like and use the oils. The shop is even listed in some non-English editions of Lonely Planet. A french woman comes here to get oils because she prefers them to French parfums and the price is much less. Mysore has a 'sandalwood' tradition and an essential oil tradition. The south of India is big on oils and Ayurveda which incorporates many.

It's another day in India. Just when you think you know what your doing and why your there, you just get turned upside down. In most cases, afterward, you are gently set down after the summersalt. Or you hope that you are. I guess that's why I keep coming back, there is has a magical quality, that can be totally aggravating or blissful and you aren't ever quite sure what you are going to get.