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November 28, 2006
Please dont call the Ashtangi Police....
... just because I've been to my first Bikram class!!! Yup, I took the plunge when I asked the local tourist info for help finding a yoga class and the choice was between Iyengar and "Hot Yoga" (which I've never done before).
Once I found the place tucked away in some industrial estate, the teachers were very welcoming. I got my towel placed down for me (to keep me a place where the teacher could keep an eye on me) and a 5 minute basic introduction to the structure of the class. The doors to the studio were rolled down (it was like in a converted garage) and the class begun.
Needless to say it was hot as hell. When I went in the dial behind me read 35 but touched 37 as the class began. I must say that most of the postures were new to me, though you do get the chance to do 2 repetitions on each side which is helpful for beginners. And I must say the instruction was clear enough once I interpretted "put your chin at the top of your tool" as "put your chin at the top of your towel" - it helped a lot.
The postures which were familar to me had different ways of getting in/out of which came as a pleasant surprise. It's nice to learn different things like this as you can take them out with you into other classes.
I did find the constant turning around to do sit ups from lying down a bit of a pain but I dare say that vinyasa's between sides/postures are a pain to everyone else!
One question.... just how do they keep the mirrors from steaming up???
It was interesting when the class ended as I found myself looking at the biggest display of Matthew Sweeney doing the Primary Series on a poster on the wall. I told the teacher and studio owner my ashtanga background "Oh we love Ashtanga" they said in unison (why then aren't you teaching it, I thought).
So I got a 3 class pass which will take me up to Friday. This morning I felt a bit guilty so got up and did a full primary to make me feel better. After a long walk round Noosa national park I'm fit for my coffin!!!
Posted by graeme at 2:48 AM | Comments (2)
November 26, 2006
Non yogic Shenanigans
I forgot to post about what happened during the follow-up party of the Whitsunday boat trip, y'know with the girl who was very keen for me to turn up... Well. When I eventually arrived at the place, guess what? she was a bit worse for wear, had too much to drink (and it wasn't even 8pm) and really wasn't in any fit state for anything really. I guess I'm still living in cloud CooKoo land when it comes to girls, this dream that there's someone nice out there looking for me (as I am her). Eaak. Oh well, the search goes on.
The mad irish man was in good form. When we left the irish bar (naturally at closing) we came across a "Schoolie" (an 18 year old school leaver celebrating the end of his school education) wearing a Superman outfitted (it was a tad small for him and he was over 6 foot tall). So the mad irish man goes up, complements him on his outfit and then instead of asking him to save the world he blurts out "Superman, superman, d'yi know wheres we can get some smack?". It was just hilarious that Superman might take some time out from saving the planet to find this dude some hard drugs!
Hervey Bay is kinda quiet what with Schoolies week now over and I guess most people across the water in Fraser Island. Me? I'm not going. I spent a lot of time talking and listening to people on the boat about their trips there. Sounded like one big long piss up and to be honest I'm kinda like so over doing that. And with the 2-3 hours driving, 2-3 hours packing unpacking of tents etc I'd be happier just lying on the beach for 6 hours away from it all. So that's what I've done. Tomorrow I'm going down to Noosa for my last week in Oz.
This morning I managed a 2 stage practice. First part I did up to the start of primary on the beach, then I moved back to the caravan park to finish from seating onwards. As I've been sitting down for most of the last 2 days and didn't practice Saturday I'm a bit stiff to say the least. Still, if I'd only done one sun salute I would've been happy but to get most of primary done I was really happy.
Posted by graeme at 5:16 AM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2006
1770
Apparently this is where Captain Cook (did the dude have a first name?) first landed when he reached Australia. Going by the lack of anything around this place (ie people) i guess he decided not to stay very long. Meanwhile round the corner in Agnes Water the place is worse than the M25 in a pile up. Oh, apparently it's the done thing for all the locals to come in for a wee cuppa of a Saturday morning and to catch up. Jeez, for the lack of houses there sure is a lot of people.
The drive down from Airlie Beach to here yesterday was pretty eventless other than the fact that some dude in a campervan was going the same route and we kept passing each other. It was nice when we finally split directions (I went into Rockhampton and he went on down the coast) and we exchanged meep-meeps on the somewhat tinny horns. I also got to "race" one of the cane trains along the road for about 20kms which was fun.
Yoga? What's that then.... ?
Posted by graeme at 2:13 AM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2006
RTW - Days 52 - 54 Whitsunday Islands
The last 3 days I've been aboard the "Atlantic Clipper" boat sailing the whitsunday islands. Here's a wee stock photograph to give you an idea as the PCs here dont allow for USB connections to upload your own photographs..
I managed 2 mornings to get up around 5.30am and practice of a fashion. It's kinda hard when the boat's rocking gently back and forth and there's a bit of a wind blowing but heh, the views were quite spectacular. I've had a blast with the folks here on board though it's just a bit too much of a piss-up for my liking so I'm going to cancel my trip to Fraser Island for the same reasons. Apparently you spend very little time in the beaches and a lot of time driving places and packing and unpacking the jeep. Hmmmnnnn. I think I'd rather relax on a beach for 7 hours somewhere and be able to do yoga regularly. There was one girl on the boat who was up this morning with me, she was doing Gi Qong. Other than us two, who went to bed before 10pm, everyone else stayed up until 3.30am this morning. That's one heck of a difference and kinda shows the disparity between where I was and where I am now. This morning everyone was retelling stories of their drunkeness and how they injured themselves when totally smashed. It's strange that I would sit there and think how strange this attitude now seems to me.......
Maybe I'm just growing up.... though one of the girls came over to make sure I was going to the get-together tonight in one of the local bars. I just might be tempted to go along to that one as she was kinda cute, and a lovely irish accent to boot!
More pics to follow.........
Posted by graeme at 4:27 AM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2006
Access denied
Over the weekend I came down with the cold again thanks to my insistance on getting in to the sea to go surfing when it was blowing a gale from the south. It was my last chance to do this until god knows when so I decided I was going to go in whatever.
Saturday I went trecking up Mynian falls which was about a 45 minute drive out of Byron. The view from the top of the falls were pretty amazing but the waterfall itself wasn't flowing very much - global warming for you I guess.
Sunday morning I gave my friend from Miami a lift to the airport in Brisbane. Before we left we though we'd turn up to watch the first day of the intermediate series that Sharath was covering this week. There was about 30 people in for primary and about half as many again for intermediate. Only problem was that that the door was closed. When we tried to get in for a peak we were asked to go outside (not by Sharath) so our little plan kinda back-fired a bit. Not to worry, it left us with the prospect of a much longer breakfast than we'd anticipated !! My friends fired off a few pictures of me doing some ashtanga atop of Elvis so when I get the chance I'll post these on the site.
Today (Monday) I've been travelling all night/day up from Brisbane to Airlie Beach. Last night I stopped 60kms outside a place called Gin Gin. When I woke up this morning the only other vehicle that was there was another Wicked Campervan - i'd seen none for over 5 hours beforehand! I left the overnight stop over at 5am this morning and arrived in one piece ar Airlie Beach here around 2.30pm. It's a heck of a long drive and for over 2 hours I never saw any cars heading the same direction as me. However, having said that, I did see a Kangaroo standing at the side of the road. It looked up, had a wee look at me, turned around and neatly hopped off into the bush. It was just fantastic.
Now. I need to sort out somewhere where I can leave the wicked campervan for 3 days. It's schoolies week here so I think I'm in for a bit of a long hunt for somewhere decent.
Posted by graeme at 5:14 AM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2006
Sorry bout that
After only 5 weeks of continuous use, the 'new' mat that I was given as a leaving present by my teacher in Glasgow finally had to go this morning. It was nearly worn through at the toes and, well, to be honest, it was begining to smell. The crux came yesterday when the girl next to me exclaimed "Man, my mat smells" and I'm like, "no, actually, it's my mat that stinks".
So I bought myself one of these monstrous black mats. I think it's a manduka or something like that, but a lot of the advanced practitioners here have them. It's heavy as hell. Unfortunately I wasn't expecting the effect it would have on my practice. 2/3s of the way through, with my back nice and moist, every time I lay down a very crisp and clear farting noise could be heard between my back and the mat. It got a bit embarrassing and I feared that the girls on either side would wonder what the heck I had had to eat the night before (Indian from the excellent Cardoman Pod). Oh dear!
This morning was the second from last practice with Sharath. I managed to hold up the count in Mari C when Sharath had to re-adjust my arm which slipped out of the binding he was holding for me. It was interesting to note he had no qualms in holding up the count while he helped me out, though it didn't take long to pop my arm back in.
Today I've had 2 of the most satisfying conversations with girls from the dena's intensive. It's just so nice to talk to like minded people and really to connect with them and what's going on with their life. Needless to say one was at breakfast shortly after class. I hadn't had much time to talk with her and had by chance come across a tiny silver heart on a girl's mat that I had been talking too immediately class had ended. I inadvertently tossed it away, for which I was rightly scolded (bad karma), so when I retrieved it I gave it to the girl that I later talked to at breakfast as I thought she'd put in a heck of a lot of work recently. She was really pleased with my token gesture, though she told me later that she'd already lost it - it was tiny afterall!
The second conversation happened completely by accident. I ran into this girl after coming out of the toilets near the beach. She was on the way to have coffee with a friend that she introduced me to. We talked for so long she eventually asked me to join them, and another friend she'd spotted across the car park. It was real nice to sit on the cafe veranda across the beach and just talk the afternoon away over tea.
Posted by graeme at 9:08 AM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2006
Day by the beach
The days with Sharath are fair flying in. I think the whole idea of going to bed so darn early makes time just fly by for me. Before I know it I'm up and on my mat again ready for the next on slaught.
Today was real hard again. I received 1 adjustment in pindasana where sharath took all my weight on his legs and he got me wrists and took them closer to my backside where funnily enough the bind was so much easier. He stayed there for the duration of the count then on 5 moved away from me. With his support no longer there I crashed down rather quickly. "Come down slowly", he said!
Early morning some 20+ students gathered at Wategos beach for a pot-luck breakfast. As Elvis is equipt with enough kit to sort out 3 people I took along the bits and pieces from him that I could. Breakfast was great. Sharath turned up with the BIGGEST camera I've ever seen. Dena had made a remark about his interest in photography before but he had some serious equipment there with him. He spent a fair bit of time down on the beach taking shots of some of the surfers.
This afternoon, after a long walk round the lighthouse a small group of us went to see the film "Kenny" about a guy who works as a plumber for a company that supplies toilets to major outdoor events. It's very, very funny, and some of the one-liners from the guy were so quick to the bone they were hysterical.
I'm beginning to feel a little sad that this little stage of the trip is coming to an end at the weekend. I'm moving on up the coast, but like in all things I know it has to come to an end sometime. Part of me I feel has already left to prepare the way forward. I've met some great people here and I've been really fortunate to spend the time that I have with them.
Posted by graeme at 7:48 AM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2006
Sharath in Byron Bay - Day 3
See earlier post today for notes on Sharath's conference
Today's class was hard for me.
The guy next to me got the same adjustments in Uthitta Hasta Padangusthasana and Mari C.
I got an assist in Prasaritta Padottasana D. A very firm hand on my sacrum with the other on my back. At the end of the count I was firmly rocked back onto my heels.
The count in Urdhva Dhanurasana kills my legs and I was exhausted by the time utpluthihi came around though I managed to 5 simple because Sharath was standing over me. It's amazing how he can inspire you when he's standing very close to the end of your mat.
A few people asked him question outside the hall at the end of practice. I went outside to get some fresh air and was standing there when he came out on his own. I asked if he had a busy day ahead. "No, no just resting". I said there was some nice beaches around here for walking on, which he agreed. "Very windy" he said before catching his lift.
Today I made the hard decision not to reschedule my flights again so I could catch Sharath's tour in Auckland when it gets there in December. I'd dearly love to go, and blog about it, but what with my flights out of there at the end of the week things are just getting a bit expensive. I'm spending as much with Sharath for 1 week as I was with Dena for the month. Balance is a hard thing to measure sometimes, especially when the ego wants things, wants to do stuff, and gets all huffy when it doesn't get it's way. Still. I'm hoping to practice there at the drop in class in the afternoon.
Anyone know of an ashtanga teacher in Dubai?
Posted by graeme at 2:32 AM | Comments (0)
Sharath - Conference notes
This stuff below is my notes from the conference. ie it's what I inferred was said rather than what was actually said....
Sharath started by saying its important to have a Guru.
Guru has the knowledge, he's dedicated to this method and teaches that, the right path, as passed to him from his Guru.
Even if you have lots of money, if you don't decide to dedicated to one guru then in effect you have nothing.
Can you explain Driste?
There are 9 dristes (he named them).
Keep practice with Driste and eventually it will become easier (to keep driste)
For those not in Mysore, is it ok to skip postures?
Yoga is purification, cures diseases, so important to do in correct sequence.
You have to have openness and faith (in the system).
The slower you proceed with postures the better.
Keep practicing the posture you can't get yet.
Disease starts from extremes.
Practice helps purify the blood via heat taking toxins outside.
Needs to be fresh air coming inside to shala (thus why door open!).
Have faith in practice.
When you are injured do practice slowly maybe to 1/2 primary then add postures again from there.
Only do this when injured, not when lazy (laugh).
Sometimes when you get up and you dont feel like practicing and you get onto mat you have your best practice.
You need to ask yourself how will this practice (today) help me, help my life?
Continue practice all your life.
People get injured when go to teacher who only has 1 month teaching certificate.
Utpluthih - Breathing fast or slow?
Medium, even breathing.
Action should only be in your chest, your abdomen should not go in or out.
Breathing should be deep to generate internal heat, not like external heat (as in heated room) as this is bad for you as not breathing fresh air (taking in other people exhales)
Pranayama?
Only when asana perfect as must sit for long time for some pranayama
8 Limbs altogether or sequentially?
4 limbs internal, 4 external.
Yama, niyama, asana together as must include first 2 limbs in asana practice.
Asana should change your lifestyle as long time practice
Spiritual Texts you would recommend?
Many texts there are
Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Upanishads.
Need to do practically as no point in reading books then forgetting as soon as you put them down.
Sutra 2:46?
Steady in 1 posture, should feel comfortable
More practice, more steady, more comfortable therefore you master this posture
Until then keep practicing
Importance of Vinyasa?
Just sitting in one place doing asana not good, must circulate blood in body
Meat eating and primary series?
Ahimsa = non violence (to animals if you eat them). Been vegetarian all his life
(Quotes sanskrit)
If you eat Ghee your mind becomes sharp
To extend lifespan drink milk every day
Too many vegetables leads to disease
If you eat meat all you get is more meat in your body
He had read an article in England that showed that Vegetarians have longer lifespans
and in another conference someone had asked same question but another student had said that our teeth are shaped to eat vegetables, not pointed for eating meat.
It's never too late to become vegetarian but must change slowly.
If your body is weak your mind is weak (ie to resist meat).
Eat 10 chapatis become strong (laugh)
6 day a week practice difficult for some people
Must build up gradually
Changes in the mind through asana practice will help you realise god.
Practice once/twice a week versus 6 day practice
One or twice ok if you are doing yoga only for fun
Serious student need dedication
Why no practice on moon days?
Too much energy in atmosphere, could injure yourself.
In India never do anything (important?) on moon days.
What is mind and relationship to prana?
Mind is like monkey always running everywhere.
Need to control the mind, bring to one place.
Asana bring to one place when concentrate on practice.
When breathing is correct you can control mind and it will be stable
3 important aspects - gazing, breathing, posture
Do you do anything specific in evening to prepare for morning practice?
No
Padmasana sit for long time maybe
Practice is all you need
Practice is meditation
Mula Bhanda
Squeezing Anus
Helps control mind
Keep practicing will make your body very light
Uddiyana Bhanda
4 inches below navel, keep very tight
Many postures require this
I missed out the recounting of a Guruji story that helps relate a point as it was kinda long and I didnt want to miss it (about a man who was at different level of practice he didn't realise he was married).
Posted by graeme at 2:02 AM | Comments (1)
November 13, 2006
Sharath - Day 2
Day 2's class started in the same vain as yesterdays, except with more people and less room. The door was still left open but thankfully I found out why much later on.
Today I learned that Sharath has a good sense of humour... at my expense. I got a quick adjustment in pravritta trikonasana this time (close my fingers in my upper hand). Throughout the class today there was more "Leave your legs" ie keep hold of your legs with your hands, let your head go back whilst keeping your leg in the air (as an example); a double count of 4 as he adjusted someone near the back of the class; a long hold again on the last navasana; and a count of 9.5 in utplutihi (which I'll spell differently each time till I can remember the correct spelling). But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.
Yesterday I did a silly thing. I washed my mat (as it's become somewhat smelly). Thing is it didn't quite get dried in the sun so I found myself practising in a small pool of water this morning. It made jump throughs a piece of cake but I knew I was going to come a cropper in backbends. I couldn't get any grip with my feet or hands they just slid all over the place just as Sharath walked over to say "Lift up". I did try but flopped all over the place to which he replied with a quick chuckle and a big smile. He probably wasn't laughing at me but remembering being in that situation himself at some point (atleast that's how I'd like to think it was going).
Oh and I managed to 3 today in utlputihi (told you it would be different).
This evening there was a discourse with Sharath. Here are some pics from this..
Attentive audience
Sharath at ease
Sharath answers another question and gets a laugh (some quib about heating rooms being bad for you!)
Spot a familar face...
Post talk everyone catches up before heading off.
I've got about 9 pages of notes from the question/answer session that Sharath took. No-one asked about the new shala opening in Florida but I'll post what I can make of my notes when I get a chance (it's way past my bed time!)
Posted by graeme at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2006
Sharath in Byron Bay, Oz - day 1
The first day of Sharath's tour in Australia and New Zealand started here this morning. A class of around 70 people turned up at the community and arts center to take class with him. He came in, said a quiet word to himself in the corner, took of his tracksuit bottoms and sat until Dena had made sure that everyone that was supposed to be in was in.
There was about 7 rows of mats, 15-16 in the front row back to about 5-6 mats in the back, quite close together but plenty of room between rows. Sharath called everone to Samastithi and we we're off. No welcome hellos or hullabaloo, just straight into practice.
"Don't hurry", some students getting carried away and getting ahead of the count. It happened another 3 times before we all got the message. We'd heard his classes are quick but his pace this morning seemed fairly reasonable, atleast comparable with the CD and he definetely waited for students in Mari B and D and off course in Garba Pindasana as well.
He adjusted quite a few people. I got my hand straightened in Trikonsasna, and a hand on the square of my back in Janu A; the guy to my right, new to the practice got lots of helpful advice early on; and the guy on my left got the works in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana which surprisingly was a quick count.
Sharath covered the entire room giving the count initially from the front row then moving to the middle before seated then to the back of the room before coming forward again and generally going to where helped was needed. He double adjusted the guy on my left and held my elbow down in Mari C at the same time. He's got a strong, firm grip and it was just what I needed.
In Garba Pindasana Sharath seemed to take pleasure in walking around the class skooshing people with one of Dena's water bottles to help them get their arms in through their legs. And yeah, I got hit in the fore-arms a couple of times as he passed. Another surreal yoga moment!
The count in headstand wasn't too long though he held us to the 10 count in the half bend. I think he'd been saving the tough part for Utplutihi as the count was excruciatingly slowly partly because he was going round telling people "No cheating" for those who had their toes clamped behind their elbows. I actually came down before he counted "2!", and I've been holding 25-30 breathes in Mysore classes at the end of last week. So it was tough, real tough.
He did have some words of encouragement for us all... "Too much surfing" !!
He's got a cheeky wee smile on him, always happy to help and just the right mix of making things easy in some bits but difficult in others. I can't wait for tomorrow.
Posted by graeme at 5:08 AM | Comments (1)
November 11, 2006
The all of a sudden it's all over
The intensive finished yesterday morning. It was a funny old affair as Dena decided to play Sharath's CD from New York. It was a bit sticky (the CD) so at one stage Dena exclaimed that she didn't realise that Sharath could rap. It was funny, most of the girls flaked out laughing and Dena had to restart the CD after cleaning it.
At the end of the led class we all sat in a circle to say a wee word of thanks, some of our feelings and from 3 of the girls some tears. It was very moving. A lot of the group are travelling great distances to be here, which is a huge reflection on Dena as a teacher, and I'd certainly make this trip again. Thankfully I'm staying on for Sharath's first week so it wasn't so much as good bye as see you on Sunday.
Last night I went to see Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". I strongly urge you to go see this, take your friends and family. In fact, grab someone of the street and take them too, preferrably you're local politician. It's one of these films that I think should be free to everyone to see. Whether they'll show it on TV is any guess as I'm sure there are people out there who would pull out all the stops to prevent this reaching the masses. The film covers the drastic consequences of global warming, isn't one of these feel good films, as it slowly just chips away at any resistence you might have to stopping doing what you're doing and start caring about the planet that we all live on (though I'm hoping that most of you do actually care tonnes about this place as I do). Go see it when it comes through your local cinema.
Pics. Got the camera working...
Byron bay main street
This is one for wedding photo of the year. Who says it doesn't happen???
The beach at Tallows... Would you leave here easily???
Byron Market... it took me 4 hours to get round this lot!
Brisbane.. The big smoke!
Well since my baby left me.... I've found a new place to stay....
Posted by graeme at 5:15 AM | Comments (0)
November 9, 2006
Elvis has entered the building
It's been peeing down here recently... so much so that the thunder storm took out the internet connection at the place I've been using for the last couple of weeks.... darn, had to resort to the more expensive back-packers connection.
Let me see.. what's been happening. Oh, did I mention the rain?
2 days ago I sat in on a conversation that my friend was having with Dena. They were talking about asana practice and the girl said she was always trying to get her muscles to relax... To this Dena replied with an "aha" moment. "You need to get your muscles to listen, you can't make them". ahaaaa !!!
Later, one of the adjusters was asked his view on relaxing down onto the supporting leg of the adjuster during Mari C. His advice was to try and avoid it as essentially it won't be there when you're practicing on your own so why use it as a crux to start with? Good point.
Dena talked the other morning through the start of the class in a short meditation. She got us all to think freely for 3 minutes, thoughts were to come and go as they please. Then we were to imagine ourselves talking a walk along the shore line of a beach with the sea as our mind with thoughts coming and going with the tide. I tried to think of it as being there but conscious that it was external to me. Then she got us to think of ourselves as the sea. All of us the same thing. It fairly drew me in.
I really like it when she brings the class to a start and translates the opening mantra her way. She thanks the guru who prepared a path for us and the people who have all gone before us, the people whose own practices and experiences have lit the path that we are each now following, the people who practice with us today who share the journey with us. I liked that. A real sense of belonging.
Oh it finally happened. Someone came up to me and said the gob-smacking words.... "I've found you're journal".. Aaaarggh. Thankfully it was one of the girls from the yoga intensive at Denas (from Sweden). She said she came across it by accident but it was still a bit of a shock (in the nicest way) to be outed. It's actually a good think I think (and quite fitting seeing as how this is my 300th blog entry)
Today Elvis entered my life. No, I'm not going crazy or become enlightened (not yet anyway!). Elvis is the van that the people up at WickedCampers.com allocated me this morning up in Brisbane. He's so colourful you wouldn't believe it. When I get batteries for my camera (and get it to work) I'll get a picture of him in all his glory and post it up. We'll be travelling together for the next 3 weeks. Man, this is gonna rock.
One last thing... Silly comment on the side of the pool in the back-packers ... "Please do not wee in the pool" :>
Posted by graeme at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)
November 6, 2006
The practice that wasn't
I had to give in today. Enough was enough. I only got as far as Janu B on the right side when the overnight pain in my right shoulder just got to unbearable. I couldn't hold my weight in my right side, chataranguas were becoming real painful, and jump backs pretty much non-existent. Added to this the fact that I was chocha with the cold my head was bursting to implode at any second. Down dogs were no fun, and anything that involved putting my head backwards was just a nightmare. A restless night's sleep didn't help one bit either
So at Janu B I called time. Went straight to finishing, decided that shoulder stands weren't going to happen either (sinus pain) and the headstand was out of the question. I lay for about 2 minutes then thought I'd best get myself out of their for want of not dragging the energy down in the room, especially for the two people I was sandwiched between.
I sat outside for quite some time on my own, working my arm up, round, back and forth. Jack (Dena's Husband) had been taking the class (mysore) and would you know it he popped his head out to check I was ok. I told him my woes and he suggested some "beach relief" to get over it. I said I'd be back tomorrow morning.
Right off I went to Woolworths and stocked up on more drugs which I took with gusto. Simply lying on the sand for most of the day seems to have helped with the shoulder and I finally feel like the cold's shifting gear again. I'm hoping to beback to normal if not tomorrow then certainly by wednesday.
Been catching up on my reading. Found a copy of "7 years in Tibet" from which Brad Pitt's film was born. It's and interesting read especially as there's more detail on the treck across Tibet and the lifestyles of the people in Lhasa.
Posted by graeme at 8:37 AM | Comments (0)
November 5, 2006
Byron in the rain...
is kinda boring actually, there again, it does give you a lot of time to sit around over breakfast talking to people.
Today I ran into my first travelling yoga teacher, a lovely girl called Tiffany from Santa Cruz who's been up the Gold Coast doing some Bikram classes there. We had a great long chat about all things yogic, asana, styles, teaching, classes, food and the like. I mentioned that Sharath was going to be here in the next week and she seemed very keen to get involved. Hopefully the center isn't full up already for her.
Other than that I did pretty much zip all other than watch the rain. I did have my leg propped up over the bannister for a good while giving me hamstring a great stretch which was cool. In the evenings I've been hanging with Maria from Denmark... She's been doing the PADI open diving course here (which sounds like fantastic fun though it starts at 8am most mornings, way too early for me). We went out for Sushi (yum yum) day before and Thai tonight. Thankfully the rain had subsided by the time we'd finished though it was noticeably cooler. Dancing up at the Main Beach hotel was pretty neat and for a town where all the revellers were supposed to be at the full moon party the place was pretty packed.
Today I've been at the once monthly market which is just fantastic. I spent about 3 hours just wandering around looking at all the stalls and their wears. Under the blazing sun it was good to get some shade and catch up with some friends who I'd spent Xmas dinner with in Mysore nearly 2 years ago. Funny how things can change so much in a couple of years (they have a gorgeous 3 month year old baby girl who cooo-ed away happily on my knee).
Cold's not getting much better. :<
Posted by graeme at 5:54 AM | Comments (0)
November 3, 2006
Cough, cough, splutter
Its the end of the 3rd week here at Dena's and my body's beginning to give up the ghost. Yesterday after class I found my throat getting sorer by the minute. It may have been something to do with the time I sat at the beach with the dorm mates as they ate their pizza (I had fruit :<) when it was practically blowing gale. For these parts it was freezing.
So today, thankfully, I have 2 days off to rest and recuperate though there's a mother of all parties happening in Byron Bay tomorrow night for halloween (yeah I know it was the start of the week). There's tons of stuff going on a rumours have it there may be near on 2000 revellers at the gig. Me? I just want a quiet night and to go to bed early! Quelle saddo.
Apparently Sharath's visit here is reaching maximum. Some 70 odd ashtangis are turning up for the first week. As I missed his trip to London in March I'm looking forward to seeing him here and participating in his class this time around. Heck, I might even buy one of the t-shirts!!!
Am off to find a chemist for some drugs of the non hellucinegenic variety, which in Byron is harder than you think...
Posted by graeme at 3:27 AM | Comments (1)
November 2, 2006
Ingrid
Today's class was somewhat better than yesterdays... not so unpredictable. I've gotten in to the habit of starting my practice quite quickly after Dena says the magical word "Practice". I've found that just getting stuck in has helped me get on with things, get on with the day, and get on with practice.
Unfortunately yesterday's unpredictability seems to be catching as I'm sure one of the girls caught Dena in the mouth when she was being helped with Tic-Tacs. Ouch. All I could hear were lots of apologising and Dena saying "And I thought we were friends!". You gotta hand it to her for whats she's going through to help us other yogis and yoginis out.
Seems word of my almost 10 minute stand waiting for an assist in Backbends yesterday has filtered through the rest of the class. Down at the beach this afternoon, or this sabo as they call it here, I ran into one of the guys from the class and he wanted to know how long I had been standing there. Seems as I thought one of the last girls out of the class had mentioned it to Dena that I was standing there in the middle of the shala floor pretty much on my own. I explained I didn't know what to do. She'd said on the first day for those wanting drop back assistance to come to the top of their mat and wait, not to look around the room for assistance that assistance would find you and come across. Well, I didn't know if this was part of the process to see if you would take the instructions literally or not (I did). It wasn't that long to wait as I told the guy at the beach when I was with John Scott I did Bhujapidasana practice 16 times before John came over to help - he'd told me to just practice back and forth until he could come over. Funnily enough he kept saying "I'll be with you in a minute".
Patience is part of this practice for sure.
On a more personal front I'm sure the folks back home would want to know how I'm getting on with the female population of Byron Bay?? Well, it's kinda busy here on that front, though no real connections yet for me, as everyone's on a different sort of timetable for me. I get up anything between 5 and 10 hours before everyone else depending on their level of drunkness the night before. I also dont drink the stuff here they call "Goon" which is 4 litres of wine (made from eggs and milk of all things) which you can get for 9 bucks (about 4 pounds). Then there's the nationalities. My accent is proving hard for some people to comprehend, but popular with the Swedes!! So far I've made friends with people from Canada, Sweden, Germany, Holland, Denmark, America, Japan and of course England. The 3 other Scots I met here were great to hang out with as well.
There sure is some pretty girls around here, but then there's the one girl who hasn't said diddly-squat to me yet but is helping me work through a lot of the lessons I should've learned with the girls who I've known back home.
Sometimes words can't convey the right meaning and as Dena says we have to seek the shelter from the expectation of the outside world in the one place we will always be welcome - within.
Posted by graeme at 5:17 AM | Comments (0)
November 1, 2006
A little unpredictable
Today I was a little clumsy in practice and that's putting it lightly.. Not only did I pull Dena off balance when my foot slipped in backbends (she dropped me on my head), but I also tried to knock her over with my first attempted handstand. Oh, and did I mention trying to side swipe her when I twisted and fell out of the handstand. Not bad for a days work. I'd been waiting for about 10 minutes for an assist in backbends and I think that during all that time I was dropping sweat down onto my mat. When Dena came over friction wasn't going to be on my side long. After the fall out from handstand she said "You're a little unpredictable today".
My guts had been churning the entire class though I've been getting more sleep since the dorm mates moved out to go north. Still, this afternoon I managed to fall asleep in the dorm for 3 hours. Man, I think my body needed that.
I've been hard on myself recently, forgetting that I used to practice mostly at nights when my body was more open. Now, in the morning, I'm still looking for the binds that I could get them. Even Halasana in the morning used to be problems.
The mind's been playing lots of games with me recently. When you practice opposite someone who's doing what I can only imagine is 3rd series it's difficult to focus on your own driste and keep focussed without thinking "Gawd, I've such a long way to go". I wonder if this 3rd series-er ever knocked his teacher off her feet too???
Posted by graeme at 6:33 AM | Comments (1)