India blog 1

The trip to Mysore

My dear friend Lilian gave me a ride to the airport last Friday. My flight to Dubai was suppose to leave at 2.30 pm, but, whilst sitting in the plane, we had to wait an extra hour before we finally took of. On my left was a very nice Indian bussiness lady sitting that was on her way to visit her family. Her children were living with their father (she was divorced) in India and she was working in The Netherlands, only able to see her children every three months. On my right, a lady with husband, from Sri Lanka was sitting. She was very nice as well and both 'destinations' of my trip were sitting next to me, which was a funny thing to realise.
As we had a six hour flight ahead, there was enough time for some chatting and some movies! I do love watching movies in the plane. First I watched One day and afterwards Puss in Boots, which was really funny. Too bad my headphones were not all the time stereo, so I had to tape the plug to the chair (and hold on to it) to be able to hear the movie properly.
Dinner wasn't arranged as well.. My travel agent (booked through e-Bookers) probably didn't let Emirates know that I'm a vegetarian, so instead of a nice warm meal, I got some salad leaves, two pieces of tomato, one artichokeheart, one slice of peper and that was about it. Ofcourse there were aome crackers as well and for dessert a very doubtiful chocolate cherrie pie, but it was to artificial to even try to eat it... They did make a call to my next plane, so that I would have a decent vegetarian breakfast on my next flight.
We had a twenty minute delay as we arrived, which was fine, because I had to wait over three hours anyway for my next flight. The airport in Dubai is huge! It took me over thirty minutes to walk to my gate. While walking I was passing lots of shops and I noticed that if I'd ever wanted to buy an smartphone or pad or anything like that, Dubai would be the place to buy it, it's way cheaper there than at home.
Since I only slept for about an hour in the plane, it was a challenge not to fall asleep while wating for my plane to Bangalore, but I managed, kind of. In Dubai it's three hours later than in The Netherlands and my plane was leaving at 3.40 am local time, so it wasn't thàt late, but my last night home, I only slept for three and a half hours, so I was quite tired.
My second flight (4 hour flight, arriving around 9 am local time) took me to India and, as I walked outside, the sun was out and it smelled like a mixture of Bali and Nepal.
Now I had to get my luggage (backpack and surfboard - i know - people probably thought I was crazy, bringing a surfboard to India), get some money out of the ATM and find a taxi to get me to Mysore. Since I was instructed to pay 2.000 rupies for the taxi to Mysore, it was not easy to find one right away, but the airport manager eventually helped me and after about four and a half hours I arrived at my destination.
Bunny and two of her three daugthers (the oldest one is married and doesn't live at home) were welcomming me into their home,which is going to be my home the next two months. After a shower and some food I went to bed and slept for three hours. When I got up, Maya (from the yogaschool in Rotterdam) just arrived and we had dinner all together. Thanks to Maya, I could't stay here. She is leaving in two weeks and then I will get her room. Till then, I have Bunny's room (and bathroom) and she sleeps in her youngest daughters room.
After dinner and some chatting, it was time for bed again and I had a really long sleep which was great.
After I had some fruits for breakfast, I got organised a bit and in the afternoon I went to the Shala to register so I would be able to do ashtanga yoga the next two months. Since I haven't had any response on my registration through internet and the three emails I send afterwards, I was a bit worried.
I got there early and ended up talking to a nice Indian man that had been taking classes here since december and was going to stay another two months.
The registration was no problem! I had to fill out a form and then one by one we had to go into the office to pay (+/- 27.950 roepies for the first month). Since it was Sunday, Sharath was giving a conference that started at 4 pm (according to the clock in the Shala, which is actually 15 minutes ahead - just like my watch... coincidence?), so he started the conference and talked about the yama's and niyama's, while the new student were sitting and waiting in line to pay for the yoga.
In the office I got a little card that mentioned my name and the times I had to be in the Shala for my practice. Monday-Thursday I had to be there at 10.30 am, which is very late! New students always start at 10.30 and about every week (depending on how many people leave), you'll have to start 15 minutes earlier (some people start at 4 or 4.30 am I've heard). Anyway, I actually don't really mind! At least I'll be well rested when starting my practice. Sunday and Friday there are LED classes and that means that there will ben many many people in a relatively small Shala (school), the mats touching each other. Friday I'll start at 7.30 am and Sunday at 6 am (which is quite early, but then again, when I did ashtanga in NL, we always started at 5.30 or 6 am, so I'll be fine).
After the conference we (Maya, Paul, Eva and Migi - all people that live in NL although Migi is from Venezuela and Paul from Belgium if I'm right) went too drink a fresh coconut water (which is the best and only 12 roepies (about 18 eurocents) - that will definitely happen at least twice a day from now on. And then we went home, had some dinner and after dinner...
Well, I was really worried that I was going to miss playing music while I was here but there is a guitar here and I'm allowed to use it, so I'm really happy! and it's a very nice, new western guitar. So I played guitar and had a chat with Maya after dinner and went to bed around midnight, since I didn't had to get up really early. I will start teaching Chiko, the youngest daughter (18 yrs) how to play the guitar in 2 weeks after she had finished her exams - she studies aryuvedic medicine.
In the morning I took a shower and went to the shala - 2 minute walk. After about 10 minutes it was my turn to practise 'one more' and I got a space in the back next to the women changing rooms. First I lay down my mat, then I changed and then it was time to start! I have to say, I really was a bit nervous: I wanted to do well although ofcourse doing well means listening to your body, using bandha's and breath, but still, I wanted to do well in the postures as well.. (no surprise for the people that know me..). If there's a posture you cannot do, Sharath (the teacher) will stop you and from that moment on, you're not allowed to go any further untill he tells you to. So it is possible that you get stuck somewhere in the middle of the primary series and you'll never do the whole series while being here. That is how it is, I knew that and I'm fine with that, but I really like the more challenging, second part (after navasana) of the primary series, so I hoped I would be allowed to do it even though my navasana could be better and my garbha pindasana is still not going too well when I have to roll down and up in a cirkel nine times.
When in Navasana, sharath told me to move to another spot in front. At first I didn't notice he was talking to me - very annoying - I didn't have my glasses on or my contacts in, but well, what can you do...
Beides Sharath, there are some other people in the shala that will adjust or help you during your practice. Someone put me into supta kurmasana and someone helped me rolling in garbha pindasana.. Well actually, I got my arms through my lotus legs and held on to my head and started roling, but I got stuck. Then I took my arms out and at that moment (ofcourse) Sharath passed my and he said: 'no, put your arms through', and so I did and tried again and again I got stuck halfway. Then one of the other 'teachers' came to me, gave me some advise and helped me in the end, which was really nice... Well, at least I was allowed to continue! The dropbacks went great and when I was in Urdva Padmasana, Sharath told everyone to finish the rest in the changing room, because it was chanting time.
Every day at midday (mon-wed-fri for beginners, tues-thurs-sun for advanced) there is a chanting class, 30 minutes.
So I finished my finishing series in the changing room, changed clothes (my yoga clothes were really wet - it's quite warm inside - which is an understatement) and went outside for a coco water before joining the chanting. We had lunch at home with Paul, Eva and Migi and afterwards we all (except for Migi) went to the swimming pool in a hotel nearby (taking the riksha to get there. We did some swimming, sunbathing and had a splendid time in the sun (just read on the internet it is snowing in the Netherlands lol). In the evening we went for another coconutwater, did some groceries shopping, cashed some money at the ATM (still had to pay my rent) and went home, made myself a big cup of fresh mint tea with honey and lime, had a really nice dinner and now it's nrealy time for bed. I promise you that I won't write as much in my next blogs, but there's so much to tell the first couple of days!
Next week I'll probably start a class to learn sanskrit and this wednessday we (Dutchies) will be going to a cooking class (only 200 roepies - about 3 euro's, and you can eat everything you made). Lot's of fun things to do and nice people to meet here: so far, so good.