Welcome to Karen’s India blog. I will be studying Iyengar Yoga in India during August 2010. Please visit often!
Home
After 30 hours of travel I am home. The trip went well. The toughest part was the car ride from Pune to Mumbai. What is considered normal driving there is crazy – so many near misses. We saw several crushed cars along the road and this did not add to our peace of mind. The airport scene was much better than two years ago, when there were armed guards everywhere and more intimidation and confusion in the check in process. The airport has been remodeled nicely, and check in, immigration and security seemed better organized and easier to go through.
I will be processing the trip and all I learned for some time to come. Right now, I am most happy that I had the chance for such an extensive period of focus on yoga classes, personal practice and study. I am also grateful to have had such such wonderful roommates. We supported and helped each other, laughed together and worked together in community.
I will post again by the end of the week with further reflections and a link for photos!
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Final Week
The final week here has been good. I have been working steadily and can feel the effects of my practice. Certain poses feel easier, more even, or more sustainable. I have done Padmasana (Lotus Pose) and Malasana (Garland Pose) almost every day, and what a difference that regular application makes! My roommate Nina and I have worked hard on our Intermediate Junior III syllbus, and I have gained knowledge and confidence about that list of poses. I also feel I have deepened my understanding of the twists and turns of my body, and have better understanding of how to improve those asymmetries and work in a more balanced way.
Sustained, uninterrupted practice is one of the best things about being here, and I find myself wondering how I will be able to maintain the progress I have made when I return to my regular life. I do know that getting more practice time is essential, a gift I really want to give myself.
We had a special experience Wednesday morning in the pranayama class directed by Guruji and taught by Gulnaaz and Abhi. We started with inversions, and then proceeded to reclining and seated pranayama. The instruction was refined and yet simple, clear and profound. It has affected me for three days, making my breathing easier and fuller, and my mind quieter. Guruji gave the example of a leaf, whose outer edges are thinner and more sensitive than the center part of the leaf. We practiced breathing into a certain area of the torso with finesse (fine-ness) and refined awareness, like the delicate part of the leaf. It was just a beautiful experience. Our final class will be Saturday morning, another pranayama class with Guruji present, so it should be wonderful.
We leave tomorrow, so the packing has begun. It is a long return journey, and I look forward to seeing my husband, my friends and my home.
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Props and No Props
Iyengar Yoga is known for the use of props and RIMYI is prop paradise. Beyond the usual mats, belts, blocks, bolsters and blankets, there are ropes and slings, weights, wooden and iron dowel rods, benches of all sizes and shapes, and many other wooden props, from small wedges to large furniture, invented by Guruji to help his students learn. In the practice hall and the medical classes, we can see the varied use of these items to provide support, traction, and to cultivate intelligent action. It is a wonderful chance to try more elaborate set ups, since the equipment is all at hand and the practice periods are long.
At the other end of the spectrum, Guruji has been asking us to put away all props at the beginning of the Wednesday and Saturday morning classes. We take not even a blanket to sit upon. To some extent, this is a space management strategy, as the classes are quite large. On a deeper level, he is asking us to question our habits and observe ourselves from the view of the “first prop” which is our own bodies. He said we are all too quick to go for comfort and thus stop ourselves from new learning – finding our what we can do today.
Speaking of new learning, I had an exhilerating experience with backbending yessterday. I was working steadily but not overdoing – one of my personal themes for this trip. I had prepared myself to try some “drop backs” – moving into Urdhva Dhanurasa (Upward Bow Pose) from Sirsasana (Head Balance.) Those went well enough, and then it was time to see if I could drop back into the backbend from a standing position. A senior teacher from the US, Jackie Neff, saw me, and asked if I would like some help. She gave a wonderfully clear touch to my sacrum and my sternum, and over I went, and then back up. We did it three times, and each time her touch was lighter, so I did it more on my own. I have never felt the pose occur with such ease. Then she left, and I thought, well, the pump is primed, let me try this for myself. I was able to drop back three times on my own. Getting back up is another matter. But the main thing is the sense of “effortless effort” that I experienced. It gave me a new feeling of body and mind – very light and calm, yet uplifted and positive. I am so grateful that Jackie came to me at that moment and offered her skillful help. How wonderful it is to have the blessing of yoga in our lives!
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