So now SKPJ is popping up in my dreams! I'm not to sure why he'd be in a sports shop with 6 burly minders looking at Scotland vs France Rugby tops but there he was in all his guru-ness trying on the tops for size.
Well, the mind's a funny thing. I'm hoping for a visit from Saraswati soon!
Ever have them?
I was in Mysore last night during my dream. Sharath was there, talking to the students round breakfast at Tina's (old place). He stood up and announced 'Students', as is his way, and told us all there'd be a class on that morning. This seemed a bit strange as we were all sat there having just tucked into breakfast. Hmnn.
Then I realised I hadn't paid my shala fees so had to go back to my digs, fish out the piles of rupees to go back and pay. I struggled to get the 10-speed racer bike I had (how'd that get there?) out of the apartment and onto the road first of all stopping to fetch my leather jacket, yup, in bright green.
Go figure.
Anyways, it put me in a good mood that my sub conscious seemed to be working through Mysore images, perhaps getting ready for the trip ahead. Who knows. It's all just a bunch of randomness that you try to make head or tail of with your conscious mind. I tried to let it go but the warm fuzzy glow's been with me all morning. Nice.
So I phoned up to change my flights this morning which thankfully didn't cost anything to change. I knew the flights are cheaper now than when I booked but knew I'd lose everything bar the taxes if I cancelled my flights completely and booked a fresh set. Still, the booking agent was kind enough to wave the fact that I was supposed to be able to change my departure date to after 10th December, so it all worked out in the end.
The good thing is I'll be in Mysore for Xmas Eve now. I sent a quick email to Joseph and discovered he's planning on visiting the orphanages again this year on Xmas day so getting out the day earlier means I'll be able to go along and help out again, something I'm super happy about as it was such a blast when I was there 2 years ago.
The project that I've been working on for the last 9 months is running late so it came as no surprise when earlier on in the month my project manager asked me if there was anything that I could do to get us back on track.
Well, I could delay my trip to India.
So yesterday they finally asked if I could do that and go later on in the month. I'd prefer to be out of here before Xmas hits full swing but the cost and availability of flights out to Bangalore, let alone anything that comes out of the events in Mumbai, might make that a little prohibitive, so it probably means going either xmas eve or anytime afterwards. Hmnnn.
Well, it might be nice to arrive in Mysore on Xmas day.
To my friends in America, who I know drop in to this blog from time to time, I'd like to extend my warmest wishes on Thanksgiving.
Y'all know who you are !!
I've had a blast with you all over the times that I've spent with you during your festivities and I'm sad not to be with you again this year. In any case, hopefully it won't be long before I see you soon.
Have a great day!
G
One of my friends mentioned to me the other day that I was up and down between Glasgow and London it was like ping-pong trying to keep tabs on me. It's certainly felt that way over the last couple of months too, and after a good couple of days of practice with H down in the big smoke it was back to business as usual up here in Scotland this morning. Not that there's anything wrong with the shala, the teacher or the people here, it's just different, and I guess to some degree that's one of the things of the practice I'm finding out just now is how these sorts of things impact upon my practice, or, at the least how it's affecting my judgement of it.
Ok, for sure, it's real easy to say that any down turn in how I perceive my practice is down to a specific change on what's going on around me, that's like saying that a hammer is more effective at bashing nails into a piece of wood just because it's a Tuesday and the room's slightly warmer on those days. I guess it's kinda pointless, other than, of course, that it's interesting that my wee mind choses to make theses sorts of comparisons in the first place.
At the teacher training this past weekend the guest lecturer was talking about the Yoga Sutras and in the afternoon there was a visit from a Tantric yoga practitioner, both of which were there to talk to the students about our minds, one from the perspective of what we can learn from Patanjali and one from their chosen yoga discipline and what they've learned from their own teacher and teachings. It's interesting to watch the students nod their heads when the teacher makes a specific point, the 'Yup, I've done that too', kinda nod, and you almost hear their minds turning over the new ideas as they are presented. It's all fascinating stuff.
Earlier in the day they students had to present a posture from primary series, one each. It makes me smile to remember how I felt when I came to that part in the course and had to do the same exercise within the group I was in. My, how time flies. They all did really well, and I'm particularly pleased that the 2 students I've been helping along with their practice had little difficulty in getting their instructions across nice and clear.
Today I went back to H's shala. Man, it seems such a lonnnnnnng time since I've been here. It was great to see H there chalking up announcements on the board as I walked in. I wanted to get in nice and early so I could take my time and soak up some of the atmosphere of the place again, and hopefully settle in to a peaceful practice as quickly as possible. It was nice to have a quick few words with H before finding a spot and getting down to practice. It was really nice to finally break into a sweat in Surya B for the first time in about 6 weeks as well... I'd forgotten how much warmer the smaller shala is here, and, with the extra bodies generating more heat than they do up North, I've come to appreciate it as by far a much nicer place to practice. And that's before H had started the opening mantra or placed any hands on me to adjust.
It was nice to see the assistants too, of course. I'd really missed having my shoulders worked as far across as S can take them. I sometimes feel they might just pop out their sockets - I know they won't - and it's a such a nice "awwwwww' feeling when she lets go and I get to come back up to standing. I'm gonna be a bit stiffer there tomorrow for sure.
I'd been helping out at the teacher training course this weekend and had to demo some of the poses yesterday as part of an asana workshop. I'd done pretty much my normal practice at lunchtime as a warm up instead of eating - the workshop was in the afternoon - so I was nice a loose when I got started in to practice this morning. It was a really nice feeling.
I've noticed that things have moved on again. I managed to get my feet to the floor in Purvattanasana for the first time in a long time. It felt nice and open too. I guess the hot yoga's helped me out there a fair bit.
It was nice to see the familiar faces in the shala too, though I only got a chance to say hi or smile at a few. Hopefully I'll be able to see the others tomorrow before heading back up North again tomorrow.
