Fifth Post From India

Saturday, 09 January 2010, Noon

I took some pictures of the Institute so you can see the class rooms. Check them out in the slide show below.



Geeta did not teach last night. She left instructions with Abby, Mr. Iyengar’s granddaughter, to proceed with a class he designed in 1963. Apparently on Tuesday’s back in the day they did a silent forward extension class. The asanas were called out and we went through the class silent. It was awesome. No yelling. We did the basic forward bends first, then the twisty forward bends, some upright twists and then Sirsasana, Salamba Sarvangasana, and Halasana. It was a very supportive practice although for me it is hard to start my practice off in Paschimottanasana. The twists were my savior because my lower back was starting to feel it even though I was using lots of support.

After class I took my new friends from New Orleans and New York / Los Angles to the Classical Indian music festival. We made it in time for a few notes of the famous flute player Hariprasad Chaurasia and for all of one vocalist. Jonathon knows the history and structure classical Indian music and explained a lot of it to me. It is a very technical and intellectual process that involves very active listening. The show was great and my friends were elated at the opportunity to attend. Tonight I will skip practice and go for the whole evening 4 – 10 pm. Bill and Don are my guests tonight.

Prashant’s class this morning was great. Same format.

Sukasana

Rope I / Rope II - alternating groups
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Upavistha Konasana
Parsva Urdhva Mukha Upavistha Konasana
Bharadvajasana I
Marichyasana III
Ardha Matsyendrasana I
Supta Padangusthasana I
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana
Salamba Sirsasana
Parsva Sirsasana
Parsvaika Pada Sirsasana
Salamba Sarvangasana
Paschimottanasana

Prashant Gems.

Doer – Doing – Done. Know what is going on. Understand the interplay between these three concepts, learn how to “done” the “doer” to “doer” the “doing” and so on. Make Sense?

He mentioned that we needed to insource. To learn about the doer and what it means to be done and doing and so on. Make Sense?

He suggested we finish doing in asana, finish doing in breath and finish doing in the mind.

He said that coexistence is not the right idea. He said coexistence means that we have a problem between us and we decide we can exist next to each other. He suggested that we consider multiexistence where we exist for each other. Prashant makes up words all of the time. It’s fun. He quoted a Yoga Sutra today that suggests if you know THAT then you know everything. And if you know everything you don’t automatically know THAT. He mentioned we have all kinds of beautiful bodies and intelligent people who can perform great duties but often the mind is not intact and there is no embodiment of THAT. Figure that out.

This was Bill’s last class as he is heading home tomorrow. He waited to say goodbye to Prashant. I was sitting there listening in and I got all choked up. I saw a different side of Prashant. He knows Bill now and said anytime you want to come you come. He was super sweet.

I hung out with Bill all day on Saturday while he did a few final things in India. I took Bill and Don to the classical Indian music festival. Don left early but Bill and I stayed around for the whole show. At one point I looked over at Bill and his eyes were closed, he was swaying back and forth slowly and had a big smile on his face. Sweet.

The sarod player, Pandit Bishvajeet Roy Choudhary, was outstanding as was the vocalist Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar.

As we were walking out after the show we ran into the jovial guy who told me the first night that he loved me. Check out the slide show and see a picture of the two of us and of his whole family. Even though he owns a pharmaceutical company he is a singer and wants me to be his manager when he comes to the US tour. The whole family was sweet.

I also met a young boy who was studying to be a vocalist. He is in the slide show with his sister. I knew him when.

Check out the brief videos below for an idea about the content of the performances.











Sunday, 09 January 2010

After a good nights sleep Nana picked me up at 9:30 for a pilgrimage to Sasawad (St. Sopan Kaka) and Jejuri (Khandoba, Shiva). We picked up Don and Heather and with Nana’s son driving a car we headed out of Pune. We stopped at Sasawad first. In the pictures this is the temple with the colorful steeple and paintings. We went through the devotional process of placing flowers and other offerings on the shrines. As with most temples it was important to pay a few rupes. Yup, you can buy as much enlightenment in India as you want. Just like back home.

After that we went to a restaurant for a wonderful lunch and then to Jejuri. Jejuri was over the top. I could have stayed at this place all day. We parked and walked up hundreds of turmeric covered steps lined with vendors selling offering supplies, Bollywood videos, sweets, and everything else. We ran into a few Sadhus and lots of turmeric covered people. The locals liked Don’s bald head and were happy to cover it with turmeric. Check out the photos in the slide show and the little boy drumming and chanting in the brief video. Amazing place.

I made it back just in time for the final night of the classical Indian music festival.

Heather and Lydia (from London) were to be my guests but Heather was too tired from Temple hopping so she stayed in. I rinsed off quickly and went to the festival. Another amazing evening. The highlights were Pandit Ramnarayan playing the Sarangi and Mallika Sarabhai performing classical Indian dance.

I met a young girl, named Anuja, who is studying the pakhawaj which is a drum. She and her dad were at the performance together. Anuja must be about 10 and she asked me for my address in the US and said she will send me letters. I have been blessed by meeting so many sweet and wonderful people. Check out their pictures in the slide show below.

I took a few other pictures and recorded some really short videos so you can get an idea of how the evening went. It was a late night. I got home late and called home which kept me up later but was well worth it.















Monday I woke up tired. I skipped my morning pranayama to rest before going to Prashant’s class and the morning practice time. I have minimal notes from Prashant’s class but the asana was similar to what we have been doing. He was talking about speech and doing the practice for the benefit of the senses. But reminding us that most of the stuff we do for the senses is nonsense. He mentioned that it is of no use to tell people your problems because that can only serve to disrupt their mind. He said tell only an immutable force your problems. Talk to God. He did actually correct a student’s asana today. My practice after class went well.

I figured I would have a nice lunch made by my host Anjali – her meals have been the best – and then rest all day.

I had a wonderful lunch and took a short nap and then Nana called. He has taken it upon himself to give me the whirlwind tour of Pune and the surrounding area and to make sure my needs are met. Yeah, he gets paid well but he still goes above and beyond. Today we visited a Catholic Church, the Christ Church, two Muslim mosques, a Synagogue, the Krishna Consciousness Center, and three Hindu Temples.

I talked with the priest, Fr. Obedas Gaikwad, at the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and he invited me into his room and then opened up the church for me. He told me that this was the oldest church in India, over 300 years old. It was built before the Portuguese and the British came in. I took some pictures and then said the Prayer of St. Francis. What a cool church and what a nice guy.

The Muslim mosque with the tomb like shrine is called Baba Jan. The steward told me I could take a few pictures and then one of the worshipers said no. The worshiper was over ruled because the steward wanted to get a few rupes out of me.

The Krishna Consciousness Center was interesting. Lots of stuff for sale and some sweet chanting going on.

Across the street from the Christ Church is an abortion center. That is an interesting placement of the two entities.

One of the other Hindu temples, the one with the colorful exterior, is a place where Mr. Iyengar goes to pray. Nana and I spent some time together in this one. There was a group of older men chanting in Tamil the whole time we were there. As Nana would say, “Very Nice.”

I saw lots of cows in the streets today. There was cart that was carrying a ton of long pieces of rebar pulled by two cows. A wild mix of the old with the new.

Check out the slide show to see the sites. There is also a picture of the soon to be famous chiawalla man. He makes the best tea.

Now can I go to bed?