Road To Mysore

Started practicing at Noah’s (Ashtanga Yoga Shala) last Sunday. My month at Brentwood yoga ends tomorrow so I won’t be going there anymore. Matt taught the Sunday class alone and Rolf joined him yesterday and today. Rolf will be at the shala tomorrow before Noah & Kimberly get back on Thursday. For some reason I expected him to be a little younger. He seems like a very simple person. There is no air about him. He just went about adjusting people and occasionally gave tips on how to get into certain postures. I was in the impression that he would be very strict like a drill sergeant but he wasn’t. That’s what I heard and that’s what I expected. I noticed that a lot of senior ashtanga teacher are very unassuming. They don’t pretend to be the guru. They’re just there to help you. They don’t try to use big words or impress you with there wisdom. It’s really about the practice.

When I first moved to LA, I made sure I would practice with all the “big� name teachers. The names you see in the yoga journal or those who had videos or books. I noticed a few things about these teachers. First, they loved to hear there own voices. They would always use big words and had the same message but would say it in a million different ways. In retrospect, they really didn’t say anything. Second, it was all about them. They were the guru and they sincerely believed they were the best. The whole room revolved around them and you were one of the followers. And lastly, you rarely got adjustments. In contrast, good ashtanga teachers don’t say much, give great adjustment and are very humble. Rolf is like that. I’ve also noticed that ashtanga teachers who have distanced themselves from Guruji tend to be arrogant. They want to be the “next guru�. They remind me of a used car salesmen. There are a lot of them out there.

In a previous blog, I mentioned that when I pay $15 per class I tend to be more focus. That’s partially true. Last Sunday, I decided to pay monthly at the shala. My practice the past 3 days were all quite focused. I realize that energy of the room and the teachers you’re with play a big part of it. Everybody in the room is so focused and you can just feel it. I think we draw from each other’s energy. I also know I cannot afford to let my mind wander while I’m at the shala. The last time that happened, Kimberly gave it to me. If I do wander, I don’t make it obvious.

The drive from the shala to Century City took me 50 minutes. I think I took the wrong route. It didn’t bother me though because I expected it. If I were an LA driver, I would have made it in 35 minutes. After yoga, I just feel too centered to be weaving from one lane to another. I just stayed in my lane and waited. I figured that if they decided to fire me because I’m late, I could always get unemployment while I’m in India.

Last Sunday, I watched the movie “Fahrenheit 9/11�. I thought it was a really good movie. Michael Moore just confirmed what I already believed. I don’t want this to be a political blog so I’ll end here.