Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Last days in Goa

I have not been writing because it is just not as fun to write in internet cafes … So without much notes from me, time to leave Goa almost arrived… I will be leaving Goa on Friday night. This will be my first bus journey in India. I guess it was time for it. I will leave at 8pm and hopefully will be in Pune 7 am in the morning. Then I have 3 days until I begin working in the Osho meditation resort. But of course I will already begin the Osho life since I will not be able to attend the meditations between 9am and 4 pm while I work.
About Goa and practice with Rolf and Marci… It is just wonderful to study with them! I found my teacher at last! I knew something terrific would happen in Goa before coming here, I kept telling my mom that there will be something very special in Goa and yes there is something very special in Goa, my teacher. The practice has been very intense with them and I just feel the difference that begin taking place in my practice so it is kind of heart breaking to leave at this point; however, I plan to come back definitely after Pune. I might even stay less than 3 months in Pune and be back in Goa in March or the alternative is that finding Rolf and Marci wherever they are in April, for sure they will be teaching somewhere in India according to what they have said….Yes, this one month is definitely not enough… I have been craving this kind of practice so much, it has been very nurturing for me. Rolf is a great person and teacher. He pays attention to each student equally… I have so many positive things to say about him! And his presence is very easing, peaceful…
With my practice, I have been working on Laghu Vajrasana quite hard and it began paying off. When I arrived here, I was doing nothing similar to it and now it is coming on well with hands on ankles, arms staight… Then, Bakasana A is added to my practice last week. Also I work on jumping up to hand stands with two feet together, which still seems hopeless, Mau class them my bunny hopes  but with patience and time they will come along as well…
On the other hand, I am also excited about going to Pune. I am sure it will be very nice there as well… it will be a heart opening experience again… I am so lucky that I am equally excited about the place I am going to as I am sorry about leaving Goa!

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Time in Goa

I have been very lazy with the computer since I came to Goa… so here goes my first entry which I have actually written the week I arrived…
November 26th… It has been almost a week since I arrived to Goa. Rolf makes everyone practice primary series in their first practice. The first couple of days, they were teaching in Purple valley, and then they went back to their own shala at Arpora. We have self practice Monday through Friday, Friday being self practice primary series for everyone. In the beginning of the new week, Rolf told me to go ahead and practice until where Nancy took me in second series which is up till Supta Vajrasana. Then he told me to do hand stands after my back drops… After I did it against the wall, he helped me go up to hand stand in the middle of the room and then drop to back bend which felt nice. After practice I had a massage from Subuddha, an Osho devotee to whom other ashtangis had been going to. It was a very strong massage, maybe too strong for my liking… The next day, the practice was strong, hard… I practiced laghu vajrasana so many times, Marci helped me… Then with hand stands, Marci made me work against the wall, but trying to come up with both feet and knees together, hopping… It was difficult (still is)… but I feel that it will help me get stronger…
Goa is nice; I stopped worrying what to do rest of the day since the practice is tyring enough for the whole day. The Indian girls in the beach can be overwhelming, trying to sell you sarong, shirt, jewelry, etc… Then there is the juice bar in Chapora to which we usually go to after practice. There we see a lot of lost Western souls, they look like they have been there for ages and they look like they have been stoned for ages….
I tried to use a scooter in the weekend twice but I seem to be no good at it and so my friends take me at the back of their scooter to the shala…. Most of us stay in Vagator; shala is 15 minutes fast drive away, in Arpora….


December 8----Now it has been two weeks, I feel the practice kicking in. Marci and Rolf do not allow any cheating… Laghu vajrasana, straight arms, hands on the ankles, go down to top of your head. I practice this many times in my practice, but 5 breaths is not possible yet, two is possible. This week Rolf said, next week you will be able to do it. Then, Friday’s primary series felt like a piece of cake, so light and short… Today my flat mate Gibran is leaving, ohh also Steve and Sachi are leaving... I will miss them so much, it has been great fun! Most of us live in Sea View; it almost became a dormitory for us… Raj is the owner, a nice man...