Last few days...

Tuesday I and my three other massage course drop out friends went to the Tibetan colony and visited the Golden temple. It was a long drive, about two and half hours and the road was a bit too bumpy, lots of joint release (something we learned from the massage course) but it was worth. The temple is beautiful but it is also kind of sad, the situation of Tibetan people… We took some pictures while also feeling a bit invasive. Yesterday I did some shopping and then had lunch with few people at Patricia’s. Patricia cooks Western food which can be heavenly after spending a month here. I did not realize how much I would get home sick by having a nice dessert with espresso!
When it comes to practice, it is okay. Tuesday I kept falling on my butt when trying to come up from my backdrops. I was a bit excited too with Swarsvati waiting for me. But yesterday was better; I managed to come up four times out of six trials. Today, Swarsvati came and then with the first one I fall on my butt again and she said “I will go, you do it”, so she figured what kind of nervous one I am… After she left, I managed to come up about four times again. However, today when I was at Tina’s for breakfast, this lady was telling how she lost her ability to come up from her backdrops in her last visit here. I thought ‘this is not good for you to hear Ahu’. Yeah it is all in my head, anyways, no going back, sorry Ahu, you waited too long to loose it.
Today I had a great conversation with Lokesh, the tailor, while having my coffee at Stand up café. He is very nice, we talked about how Indian people different than Westerners, etc… Then, I had lunch at Stand up Café at last. I have been wanting to that for a while but did not have the courage. Well, I did not know how to order, what to order… But I asked Lokesh in the morning and he gave me some tips, therefore, I handled it well and managed to have some idlys before leaving!
Tomorrow is my last practice at the shala. Then I am going to Green Hotel for my last night in Mysore. I wanted to have a pleasant stay in my last night, so I am giving myself this treat.

Yesterday, with my two other massage course drop out friends, we went to Lalitha Mahal Palace hotel for the pool. The hotel had a beautiful, quiet garden and the pool was very nice as well. We spent most of the day in there and got sun burned! It was nice to be away from Gokulam for few hours. It felt like a mini vacation.
But the real news is the fact that I did it at last! This morning I came up from my backdrops! There had to be a reason for me to stay one more week in Mysore, right? And this was the reason I guess because I don’t think it will be this soon for me to come up while I would be practicing by myself. It is the shala energy which gave me more confidence and also the tips that I have gotten from various friends here. I think the thing what arises with coming up is more of an opening of the heart. I have been feeling more open but also more exposed in a way that can be frightening… Anyways, I feel glad. In fact, I was so glad that I was almost going to hug Swarsvati. She is relieved I think because she had been giving me looks of “you again? Come up already!” So, she smiled at me and after doing back&forths and one deep backdrop, she said "tomorrow you hold your ankles."
Today I will join my land lady for lunch. She has been cooking since 4:30 am for her special puja lunch. That should be some kind of an experience for me…

Neglected Blog...

Yes, I have neglected my blog for a while. This is because I have been doing the massage course. One week of it is already finished and today is our off day. Tomorrow begins the second week. It has been quite an eventful one. We began as a group of thirteen people and now only seven of us left! Anyways, I guess I can say I am learning something. I can do two sessions now; one on the back, one on the front. What is surpirising for me is that I really enjoy giving massages. I thought I would like receiving massages more but I like both receiving and giving massages and actually, sometimes giving more…
Other than that, practice has been good. I get really tired with the massage course but still, practice is the best time of the day when I feel non of the tiredness. And gladly, I see difference in my practice for the better. I was not really expecting that in only a month but yes there are improvements. I began to half bend during head stands and then, I began to lift myself properly during in between navasanas. Lastly, this morning I realized that I might have a better lift and drag to vinyasas than before; still, not properly in any way but much better than earlier. Before it was so bad that I was not bothering and I was just putting my hands in front and jumping back… now I might begin practicing the lift and drag…
So, I dedicated my off day to shopping since it would be my last chance to do that before I leave next Saturday for Pune. The course will finish on Friday and then I am leaving next day with an evening flight. Today, with one of my friends from the massage course, I went to Rashinkars and actually orders a skirt to be made and then we went to another shop to look for shawls. I got one for mom and one for my aunt’s mom and my friend got four shawls for herself and as gifts. We were also going to look at the sandalwood shop but they were closed for lunch. I might go there when I go Wednesday to pick up my skirt. I actually had no intention to get anything done since I am leaving so soon but I saw this beautiful color cotton fabric, which is kind of pink but more like dried rose color… By the way, Lokesh made me the shirt I ordered at last and it turned out pretty nice so I ordered another one in another color but the maroon fisherman pants are still not done because he did not have the fabric… I hope he will get them done soon!
What else? I will go and see Guruji in half an hour. My one month is up tomorrow and I learned that I can pay him for a week! This is great! I did not know that I could pay him only for a week, so I was bumped thinking that I will be here in Mysore, and will be doing home practice!

Morning cap

This morning practice was good. I woke up with the determination that the practice was going to be good beside a sore throat. However, I forgot to do Baddha Konasana and realized that after Supta-Parsvasahita . I had to do it though, so I squeezed it between Supta-Parsvasahita and UbhayaPadangusthasana . I don’t know how lawful it is to do that but I did it anyways… just off the sequence… At the end, Guruji came to help me with the backdrops. At first, he kept telling me to come up but then he realized that I was not able to come up, and therefore, he helped me to come up. He has such a positive input whether he is standing beside you while you are practicing or helping you with an asana or just chuckling by the door when he sees Anna’s daughter… I enjoy his presence very much!
Today I have a sore, bitter throat and I am not sure if it is because I am getting cold or it is because of the pollution of burning garbage all over town.
One question: For whom Mysore is for? Is it really for anyone to criticize other people’s experience here? Is someone is shallow or avoiding their problems if they are having great time here and in the same way, is it such distasteful if someone is having hard time and is recognizing that? Can anyone decide that Mysore is not for some people? I don’t even thing that one can even answer for themselves until they go back and digest their experience…

A new week in Mysore...

Yesterday practice was good after couple of days of sluggish practice. I even feel like my backdrops are getting stronger and possibility to come up from them is getting a bit closer… However, today I was struggling with my new yoga rug… I never used one before and when I got here I got myself a rug. Charlie suggested that Mysore has the best yoga rugs when we bumped into him in the Yoga Show just before I left London. So, I bought a nice one in my first week of my journey, but the first time I tried to use it, I was sliding from it during downward dogs… I thought maybe if I wash it will not be slippery anymore. I washed it but this morning I was still sliding from it. To tell the truth, I am not fan of having lots of nick knacks while I am practicing but sometimes I feel like it might help to have a rug especially since my back sticks out so much and I get bruises from Gaba-Pindasana and also sometimes I sweat too much and I begin to slip from my rubber mat (but now I could not manage to not slip from cotton rug even without tons of sweat…)
Anyways, other than mat issues and practice, things are fine. Yesterday I took a walk to Café world but apparently Café World of Mysore do not follow yoga students’ time schedule. They were still closed when it was pass 9 am. I learned that they open at 10 am. So, I had to walk around until then. I went to Loyal World, got some nuts and walked back. When I was back there were two more yoga students waiting for the coffee, and then one more showed up. I asked for an americano but when I wanted a bit of milk in it, this turned out to be a problem. The girl who was serving the coffee was absolutely against of giving me milk to put into the black coffee. She was saying that it is cappuccino, this is black coffee, cannot be with milk. I was telling her that I will pay for the extra milk but no, she was very upset with me but then one of the other students came to my help and he said “can you give milk on the side?”, she again said something about cappuccino, he said “okay” and then she consented somehow. I thing she was saying that she will punch it as a cappuccino, meaning she will charge me for a cappuccino because of the extra milk. But, at the end, when I was paying the bill, they only charged me for an americano… I don’t know if I will ever go back there again. I somehow enjoy the male dominated stand up café where I can get that coffee mixed with chicory, over which they pour hot milk. I can also go to Shakti house for breakfast and have their French pressed good coffee anytime I am craving coffee…
I also visited Lokesh, the tailor, again. I wanted to see if he could do anything to the top of my dress which he made for me but not possible, it is done. Then I ordered a blouse, which I have seen on another yoga student but different color of it, and a maroon Thai fisherman pants for Pune, so I can practice in them while I am in the ashram. I thing Lokesh is a very nice man. Every time, I ask him "a bit of discount?" and he never turns me down! He gives me bits of discounts like 20 rupees, 25 rupees… I guess he will remember me as the bargain girl. Well, I cannot help it, I like to ask to see if anything happens, but I am not persistent…
One last thing: Kumar began Kundalini meditations this week. So, it will run from Monday to Wednesday. I like it so far...

Daily life and some more in Mysore

Yesterday we took a cooking class from Tina. I am sure all read CJ so I do not need to elaborate on it. But few words about Tina: she is very informative, she knows her cooking, she is a very good teacher (authoritative as well!) and her English is extremely good, better than mine. The food was great; we got to eat it at the end. I ate so much I could not eat anything after that late lunch (she makes us starve before tasting the food so we will like it :)) At night, there was Kirtan at the Shakti House. It was my first Kirtan experience and I really enjoyed it. It was for a charity helping poor people in India.
Today, me , Violetta and CJ went to Southern Star for breakfast. Krista was suppose to come as well but she had to attend a post funeral ceremony. I don’t think I will go to Southern Star for breakfast again. It is expensive food which you can food anywhere in Mysore for much cheaper and the atmosphere was not so appealing for me. Yes, it is a fancy hotel and they seem to have a beautiful garden but the breakfast is indoors. I would rather be outdoors than to be in air-conditioned place. Anyways, after that we ventured into the city for some shopping. I got Iyengar’s book “Light on Life”. It is suppose to be very good. Currently, I am reading one of Osho’s book on Yoga which I enjoy…
Then we returned to Gokulam after a weird record shopping experience which we got into because of CJ! After coming to Gokulam, I stopped by Suddha’s to buy myself one of those fancy bags she makes. There I bumped into Matthew and had a great conversation with him. I was telling him how I began loosing all my opinions, even enthusiasm about yoga since I have been to Mysore. And he told me something which sounds very correct: “The real practice begins when you don’t want to practice”. I could tell million of things about yoga before coming to Mysore, how good it is, how much I enjoy and why I enjoy yoga, and how it contributes to my life, etc… Now I feel like I cannot say a thing. But I believe this is not bad at all, I need all my perceptions to be shattered before I build truer ones.

Mysore mess dissolving!

Things are getting better. I sorted out some of the mess, so I feel more relaxed. My land lady is a bit of pushy though, which can be annoying but I have to learn how to deal with those sorts of things. She keeps pressuring me about taking cooking classes from her or making my friends take cooking classes from her, asking for their cell numbers etc… She also questioned me about where I had breakfast yesterday morning… I do not understand it really, I support her by staying there and paying rent but I also want to support other people here who are offering their services and I also want to have the opportunity socialize and meet with new people by going out. I have to learn to have things my way without getting frustrated and overreacting and when it is necessary I have to make myself clear enough. This trip had been mostly about anything but practice so far, but I guess it showed that there is so much yoga in life that I need work on.
This morning was led primary. I am feeling a bit heavy these days, I guess getting close to that period of month, so I had my first sluggish practice in the shala.
My latest plans are taking the core integration ayurvedic and yoga massage course which will run for 14 days (given by Kumar and Rassal) and then leave Mysore on the 2nd of December for Pune. I will see how it will go in Pune. My sister will join me there so I might feel better…
Yesterday CJ was suggesting that I might want to change my blog name to Mysore mess! It is actually not a bad idea :) it would make me laugh at myself every time I write my blog! But overall I have been lucky to meet with some great people here...
Hey I will get a massage from Kumar this Sunday, thanks to Carry!!!

Not so fabulous

So I am not having fabulous time in Mysore. I apologize from all those who would so much would like to be here… It seems like my three month stay will not be even two months but only one month. My one month will end around 26th of November. On the other hand, I want to take the massage workshop Kumar will be giving together with Rassal, but that begins on the 17th of this month and ends on the 1st of December. This means that I will have 6 days in Mysore where I will not be going to the shala, since I will not pay for a whole new month for 6 more days. I am not sure if this will be easy, if I will manage self practice here while knowing that the shala is boiling with breaths of many, alive and so powerful…
Well, no decisions yet, I will wait and see how I feel in a week. Then I will decide whether not to take the workshop and leave as soon as my month is up or take the workshop and stay longer and do self practices before the workshop.
I am not embarrassed or anything about having such difficulty adjusting because I have heard of many who had such problems on their first trip… You live and learn, and I think I will leave Mysore with some kind of knowledge. After leaving Mysore I will go to Pune as my sister insists. She loves it there and I usually love what she loves, I mean I have faith in her. Yeah, well she warned me about Mysore but then I did not listen… Anyway, it is my time to explore and every exploration does not have to be fabulous…

The mess...

I got myself into a mess with the housing situation… it is a long story and I am tired of telling about it. to cut it short, I am still not settled. I really believe that India magnifies things that people have issues with. I am staying with friends and waiting for some money and also waiting to meet with this lady who is renting out the room which is at the top floor of her house. I need to be positive, and so much. By the way, this keyboard sucks so I will not be able to write much.
We did self practice on Saturday afternoon, not wanting to take two days off and also just to be testing the roof and see how practice goes there, we might have much of those practices at the end of December when shala closes for 12 days! There was a moon party on Saturday night but neither of us wanted to go so badly, so we stayed in and had a quite night. Led practice this morning was good but I was really tired at the end of it…

Under the spotlights!

I have neglected my blog for a while because Anu’s was closed and internet in the other internet place was not working properly. But not much missed. This morning was led primary for everyone. While, us, the 6 o’clock group was waiting outside, we heard a loud noise and then electrical wires began sparkling. It was this big tree across from the shala, further up, falling down and hitting the wires! Luckily no harm was done to any living creature. Guruji came out and asked “what is going on?” And then everything proceeded as it should. When our group went in, I first put my mat to the left, on the second raw but then I realized that our group was much less crowded (I actually suspect that some people from our group sneaked to the earlier group, anyways…) and to avoid being squeezed in there, I began moving to the back where it was much more spacious. However, just when I was settling in, Sharat pointed me and said “you, come here!”, and then pointed the spot right in front of Guruji which opened up after the people from the earlier group, who were paying respects to Guruji, left. So, I did my practice under the spotlights. Thank god I did no silly, funny thing, and finished my practice without being embarrassed.
Tomorrow is no practice and Sunday is a moon day but I am planning to the a bit of something tomorrow. But of course all this depends on my living situation. At the moment, I am waiting, and hoping to be moving to this flat! Please cross you fingers for me!

Guruji affect

This morning, I practiced right in front of Guruji’s office and next to the wall. The wall made things a bit tough sometimes but still it was great. I was surrounded with men so there was lots of male energy around me, but in a good way, just strong energy. During Prasarita Padottanasana C Guruji came and said “head down, hands down”. It was funny because my hands were hitting against the wall and I was trying to move a bit back so I can get down… At the end, during backbends, Guruji came and began waiting in front of me. After the third one, he gently pulled me up and made me do three back drops one after another and three back&forths and the last back drop with moving hands in, each time saying “exhaaal”. They were intense and deep and great! After practice, when I went to pay my respects to Guruji, he asked me “where are you from?” I said “Turkiye, Turkey”, he said in a bit confused way “Turkey?” I guess he does not get many students from Turkey. So I said “I was in London for a year and my teacher was Cary Perkins”, then he said “one year?” well, it has not been a whole year since I began practicing Mysore style and unfortunately I could not practice for a whole year with Cary but I was in London for a year so I said “yes” and left…
So far, practice in the shala has been very inspiring, energizing! I really appreciate this opportunity and I really believe it will bring out what I have inside and improve my practice. The only bummer is that the shala is closed for 12 days at the end of December. What to do, what to do?? Got a decide.
One last note; I still have moments of “What the hell I am doing here”, especially when I go to bed at night. I guess one reason for that is, I still cannot let go this other very busy world and be here wholly and some other reasons as well…

Who goes first???

I woke up at 3AM this morning with the sound of the pouring rain. For a while, I thought it was so nice and then suddenly I remembered the clothes that I washed and hanged out! That was enough to not let me go back to sleep until I have to wake up. I was at the shala by 6AM. There were several people waiting. I began waiting as well and then more people came. The last person who came in asked me who came the last, and I said several people came in after me but I am not sure. At this instant, they were only shouting from inside “one more, come in!” So Sharat was not coming out and picking out people. Few more people went in, and then people began getting anxious, who goes next and who does not. One girl said to me it is not who arrived first, it is who registered first, and then I think someone else asked her when they told her to come in. She said “6:30 but I came a bit earlier” (30 minutes earlier!). And the woman who came the last authoritatively told us that it is only the very old students of Guruji goes by registration (or privileged in some manner I guess) and the others go in according to when they arrive that morning. As soon as she said this, they called her in even though she was last to arrive! I loved that, it was so good! It is also amazing how they feel what is going on out there, in the waiting area. Sharat suddenly began picking people instead of shouting one more. So, I was called in a bit after. I was put right in the front, in between two people who were practicing intermediate. The girl on my left, I have practiced with her side by side on one Sunday at Hamish’s. After she finished, Hamish came in her spot! It was very inspiring to be practicing in between all these people who had great practice. They let me do my practice again without any intervention. At the end, Sharat came to help me with backdrops. I said I can drop back but cannot come up, he said “you come up first then you drop back”. He made me do three going back and forths and one drop back.
After breakfast I went into town, to get myself gold earrings! I first went to the shop I was recommended but I found nothing there that was like what I wanted. So, I went into the smaller shop which was next to it and there I found the perfect gold round earrings with dangling stones! I bought them and came back. On my way to home, I stopped by Kumar’s house just to see if I can make an appointment with him (he is super busy). He was at home luckily. I told him that I would like to have a massage from him and also that I am considering to take his next massage class. First, he said that if I am still here in December, I can take it but then he said that he will begin this super intensive massage course with another person. It is 7 hours a day for 14 days. He said that is why he is so busy and how he will not be able to give any massages during that time. But that sounded perfect because I want to take massage course and he said you get so many massages when you are doing the course. I am so excited and I will definitely take it. One other thing which makes me so sure that I want to take Kumar’s course is that there was a big Osho picture in his house and there were Osho sayings written around. When I told him that I am from Turkey, he said this other person who would lead the class with him goes to Turkey a lot and I might know him. I told him that my sister might know him since she works in Osho center and goes to Puna every year, and she will be there in January and me too (hopefully!). Then he said that he will go to Puna in January also! He also told me that he does Osho meditation everyday and I should stop by! I am very excited because I feel like this is the other thing I should definitely do here and him being an Osho devotee is also very comforting and would make sister so happy!! Cannot wait to let her know!

Moving forward

This was meant to be published yesterday but blogger is not cooperating in these days. Mercury retro does it I guess...
Sunday OCT 29th
Today was led primary at 5am. I woke up pretty early and I am staying so close to the shala but I was late! Well, I thought if I would be there too early no one would be there, but that was wrong, everyone gets there early to get a spot and especially on Sunday mornings because there is only one primary led class on Sundays and so many who comes to that one. Anyways, I managed to squeeze myself into some corner and managed to do the practice somehow from that corner! I learned my lesson though!
Practice was good, very good. Sharat led it and I like his pace. While leaving I asked him 6:30 tomorrow morning, right? He said “you came at 6”! That made me happy because last Thursday, he was already gone for his own class in the middle of my practice. So, now I might get some guidance… even if I do not, it seems like just practicing here seems to be making lots of difference in my practice. For example, I tend to have hard time with left side when binding for Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana but today Sharat was walking around me so I said to myself “okay just catch it and lean forward… don’t think much.” I guess sometimes fear can make you do somethings that you think you cannot do…
Other than practice, it seems like I making friends. I enjoy Christine’s company who also stayed at Shakti house for a day when she first came in. We had breakfast at Shakti house with this American couple who also just arrived…
For the rest of the day, I don’t have any plans. I will see what comes up.

Running around...

Today was supposed to be a rest day but I have been running around. Woke up before 8am, went to Tina’s for breakfast since they had no breakfast at Shakti house. It was very good food, I had high protein porridge and it was really high protein! I met a nice Italian girl there and told her about my housing situation, my reservations about staying without being able to cook. She had a friend who will need a roommate in November so she took me there. Her friend was also very nice, she told me that I can stay in their living room for couple of days if I need to. Then on my way back to Shakti, I saw this other girl whom I met during my first day at dinner. She also told me that there is this place where her friends lives ad there they might have an opening soon. So, she took me over there since it was only five minutes away. I guess it is the rule that you say what you need then you get help, I was worrying so much last night and when it is all in your head, problems get bigger than they really are. Everyone knows something or someone and they are willing to help you. Anyways, her friend was also very nice and actually she turned out to be Eric’s student when he was teaching in the States. The room in that house is going to be available tomorrow, I saw it, it is okay, but I guess the previous place I saw was nicer. Then I went to talk to Shiva. Told him that I need a place where I can cook. He said there might me this flat available after October 3rd. He told me that I have already paid Gita some money so I better spent a week in her house and see if I find something better. He also told me to go and get a contact number (which means go get a SIM card for my phone) so he can contact me when there are flats, rooms that he can show me. I ran to a phone shop, but they needed a copy of my id so ran across the street to do that (the rickshaw, scooter/motorbike frenzy is making me dizzy, takes long time to cross the streets), then back to the shop and it took a while for me to figure out what I was getting, why it did not have a pin number (it just does not have that is what I figured) and what I was paying for in terms of minutes, how to make international calls (conclusion is just don’t, let them call you!), I guess I drove the guy crazy with all the questions... not to forget, they want a photo of yours as well! I also got an adaptor for my charger. Then I went to Gita to tell her that I will stay for a week. She is so nice! She said that she cooks for yoga students and her food is not so spicy but she was very understanding. Therefore, I will spend a week there. Her house has a very good energy though, it feels so right for some reason but I need to be able to do some simple cooking… When I was moving in, she had some yogis for lunch. She asked me if I want to try her food but I declined because I just did not want to interfere with these people’s lunch since they made a reservation for this special, intimate lunch beforehand…
I will see what comes across… Tomorrow is led practice at 5am! Cannot wait.

Mysore begins!

So I made it to Mysore. It was a tiring journey. My plane from Istanbul landed at 3:30 am to Bombay and then I had to wait for 6 hours for my other flight to Bangalore. When I arrived to Bangalore, the driver Shiva sent was there, thanks god. On the way to Mysore, even though I tried to keep my head up and have my first glimpses of India, my head kept falling like a junkie’s… I thought that when I arrive to Mysore, I will sleep all day but once I was there, I was all awake. I even managed to register with a bit of goofiness on my part because I did not have enough money when paying Guruji! Well, he was nice, so I went back to the ATM machine and got more money and I was set.
Yesterday was my first practice. They called me to come at 6:30am. I was really nervous that I would do something silly, fall onto someone or something. Guruji was not around much and later in the middle of my practice Sharat left, I guess to lead his own classes. Saraswati helped me with coming up from backdrops! She is so strong, I have never been pulled up that strongly before. SO I did the whole primary without being stopped, but I am not sure if that will be the case for the rest of my stay. Today was a led class. Sharat told us to come at 6am but we waited outside for a good half an hour. Then we were led by Guruji and he is FAST!
Other than all this, yesterday I went to the city, to this store recommended by Shakti house and got a yoga rug for 280 rupees! Today, I went to Ashok bookstore in the city with C who just arrived this morning around 4am, she is also staying at the Shakti temporarily… kind of made a friend I guess… Ohh also, I found a place, a room in an Indian ladies house, she is renting out her rooms to female yoga students. I am suppose to move in tomorrow but now I have doubts because I will not be able to cook!
How do I feel? I kind of want to be invisible some of the times. It fells awkward. I guess part of me developed an anthropologist eventually after this one year program at LSE . I feel responsible, feel like intruding in local people’s lives. But then I am aware that they make their lives on yoga students…
Still searching for the truth, but it seems nowhere close yet…

The big day!

Yes, I am off to Mysore this evening! I am so excited! And this morning, after so many weeks, I had a rocking practice! I woke up at 5:30 am, it was great, I have been having hard time waking up since I have been here in Istanbul, and I was worrying how I will mange in Mysore, I guess I will need be at the Shala around 5 am, right? I believe this is related to the wonderful Skype talk I had with Cary! Now I understand how important it is to have a good teacher, even talking to her over the internet can influence my practice for the better, think how it can help when I study with a good teacher! It was great to talk to her before I leave for Mysore.
I know it will be great! And as Cary said, I am so lucky to be going to Mysore in my first year of practice. I don’t care at all what others thing here about Mysore, I know I will benefit a lot, my practice will benefit a lot externally and internally! And about all that bandha talk, as I assumed, Cary told me that it is not so realistic to expect someone to get bandhas right in their first year of practice and she said you learn it almost intuitively as you practice, suddenly it clicks. Anyways, I should stop worrying about all this talk in Istanbul, criticism of Mysore etc… I am beginning a great journey! I will for sure have much more interesting stuff to write about when I am in Mysore!

Lazy me

I am not lazy with my practice, I am lazy with my writing. I have been reading; I read a book, I read the papers, I read other people’s blogs, I comment on other people blogs but I am not writing my own blog… Well, sister is back from Israel so it will be more fun to hang out in her house, without her super bored cats attacking me to feed them or pet them or release them from the house. Now I can spend more time there and use my beloved imac.
Last week, there was only one led ashtanga class, I was planning to go to Saturday open class too but then I thought it would be just fair to give my body a rest after no rest for almost two weeks. Also, I began realizing that there are things I need to do before I take off to Mysore such as ordering more contact lenses of which I have non left etc… I was actually considering getting laser surgery to get rid of glasses and contact lenses but I am going back to my no way stance, it is just a inner voice which does not approve of it…
Anyways, last Wednesday’s class was good and before class I got to talk to Eric for a while. He is negative of Mysore which is no news by now. He told me that I might need to take joint supplements since my knee had been bothering me a bit and since it is known that they are not so gentle on knees in Mysore… He also said it might be my mind playing games with me before I leave… I don’t know about how they are over there, I just want to go and see for myself. I don’t like to take people’s words for everything especially when there are so many controversial opinions about something… I just feel like I will be all right there and I really need it. And about my mind playing games, well that might be true, I am a bit nervous, keep thinking at what asana they will stop me and all that… but I am being gentle with knees, I know they like to go on their own pace.

Moon day practice!

I have been silent for a while, well maybe a bit lazy… also I keep my laptop in my sister’s apartment since she has a wireless internet connection, so if I don’t spend so much time over there, then I lag behind my writing…
In between my last blog and now, I committed a violation. I went to a class on Saturday, which was also the moon day. It was Eric’s class but not an ashtanga class, it was an “open” class. So, we did lots of balancing which was a bit dreadful but very beneficial for me since my balance is not so good. I guess I will go this coming Saturday as well, especially because we have only one ashtanga led class this week because of some schedule adjustment for a visiting Kundalini yoga teacher. But then starting next week, we will have three led ashtanga classes! Then I am off to India (hopefully)! I am still waiting for self-practice classes, maybe they will be in schedule when I come back from Mysore.
Okay, nothing so interesting going on. Still trying to come up form my backdrops but it does not feel likely any time soon… I guess I will feel lots going on when I get to Mysore, so I will be more interesting to read. Also, what can I say when I am practicing by myself most of the time. Ohh one thing is my right knee. It suddenly began hurting yesterday, on the inner side, it is a weird pain, like burning… it is not too much but it got me worried a bit, I want to be injury free when I get to Mysore.
And my achy tooth, it is getting better. I guess I will be fine before my trip!
One last thing I have to add is I love The Flaming Lips!

Not a threat

This week’s led practices at the shala were actually fine. I think I am getting used to the environment and the environment is getting use to my presence. Monday evening Eric decided to do second series! Of course we did not do the whole second, but the asanas we did were okay… I am still finding it unconventional but this is how my journey is shaping, so I should go with the flow as long as it is not something so unacceptable. Yesterday evening was fun too. First of all, as usual I got to the shala half on hour before the class. However, this time I could not go to the room to sit in meditation because Eric was giving a private lesson, so I had to sit with my favorite character in class, that woman who had been distressing me. I guess this is universe’s way of straightening our attitudes. So, we had to communicate for about a half an hour, well of course we did not have to but we did. I told her about my trip to Mysore, we talked about being vegetarian, becoming a teacher, how evening classes are a bit of a drag… I guess she is actually harmless. She has some insecurities and that is why she was the way she was to me in the beginning. But I think she realized that I am not a threat and I am just there to do my practice… I actually think that we might even have some of the same insecurities but the way they come out from two different persons is also different… I usually become self depreciating… Anyways, enough of analyzing…
I keep in touch with my yoga friends in London. I miss them so much. I miss morning Mysore classes. Actually, last night Eric wanted to do a Mysore class but people were too afraid of not being led and, so they objected. I think they are not aware that they will do fine, no need to be a pro. I guess that is how everyone feels in the beginning, I did not think I could do self practice classes until I took Tony’s introduction to ashtanga yoga workshop… and then it took a month for me to actually go to Mysore classes but that was because I thought I would not be able to wake up at 6am in the morning. Now I miss waking up early and going to shala to practice with everyone else. I also wake up early to do my own self-practice at home but for some reason, I don’t feel quite awake, like I did when I practiced in the studio with everyone else. Ohh I miss Cary very much as well. I keep in touch with her too, and we will see each other in Mysore, we will have a whole month to spend together!
The latest update on the tooth ache is that it is getting better, less achy but at night it gets worse… will see my dentist today. On Monday, I cried in the dentist chair ☹ I had so many troubles with my teeth, dental surgeries and all, now I freak out and also it was hurting and he kept asking all these questions… Hopefully it will be over before my trip.

Root Canal

I am having a root canal done to one of my teeth. Yesterday, my dentist cleaned the canals but at night my tooth began aching. Still I went out with my sister who had really wanted to get me out. But I did not survive for long. It had been a while since I have been in Istanbul nightlife scene, but it seems like I have grown out of it. It was so smoky I thought I was going to suffocate. Not drinking actually felt good, I was myself which is really much better than drunk me. I stayed a bit and then after having few people’s drinks spill over me, I head home for the sake of my lungs. Today my tooth is still achy : (, if I forget and chew anything on it, it makes me teary. I will go to my dentist on Monday. I hope he can fix it.
The good news is I have my ticket to Mysore for October 24th, and I already reserved a room at Shakti for my first three nights in Mysore! When I am there, I will try to find a cheaper accommodation for the rest of my stay!