I am going to try to blog about my personal practice and what I discover each day.  We will see how long I can keep this up!

Today’s practice was pranayama and going to Nuvana’s level 3 class.  In my pranayama practice I stayed in reclining poses while I practiced a viloma (interupted) breath.  While I was praciting I remembered that a teacher said I should invite the breath in, like a much loved friend being invited into your home.  Whenever I felt the struggle of the mind trying to take over, I would remember these words and “invite” rather than force the breath.  This thought made the breath lighter and the chest open more freely.

In Nuvana’s class we did a sequence to activate the Chandra Nadi (moon energy channel).  During a 10 minute downward dog in the ropes, my breath became more like pranayama as Nuvana instructed us to allow the abdomen to lengthen and to notice our breath.  The practice was a facinating study of how subtle body movements can affect the nervous system.

This si my first blog post since arriving home from India.  With Sunset Yoga Center’s new WordPress website, I can now have my blog within the website.   I am planning on blogging about yoga on a semi-regular (I hope) basis.   Look for new posts soon!

Thursday, August 26, 2010
This will be my last post before I head home.

The experience of being here a second time has been vastly different than the first. The most glaring differece is the lack of Geeta. All of us miss her teaching, her presence and her intensity.

Another difference is my ability to cope. Last time it was deer in the headlights! This time most everything has been familiar, if not comfortable.

My last thoughts are about connections. It has been touching to get to know many of the teachers on a more personal level. They are warm-hearted and dedicated to the Iyengar family and have been kind to us.

In 48 hours I will be on my way to Portland, hoping for ripe home grown tomatoes from my garden and the love of my family.

August 24, 2010
I have uploaded many pictures to Sunset Yoga Center’s Facebook page. Go check it out!

Today is a holiday and many people have the day off. I know I don’t have this quite right, but today is “brother and sister” holiday where the brother pledges to take care of the sister for the rest of her life. Gulnaz’s brother explained that there many, many holidays here. I think he said over 100 a year!

We had a lovely lunch at Gulnaz’s home. She invited Chris Beach, Karen and I over and fed us wonderful food.

I was reminded today of how wasteful we can be with energy and how being practical is more important than keeping up appearances here. Karen and I found a shop that Care and Karin told us about. It looked like it was closed because all of the lights were out, and no one was visible. As soon as we entered two young women came from the back of the store and turned on all the lights and welcomed us. Once we left they turned out all the lights! Not something you would see in the US.

The power outages that were so frequent on my first trip are much more intermittent on this trip. We have blackouts on Thursday afternoons, instead of every morning. Our building is equipped with a generator so the refrigerator and a few lights work, but last Thursday we forgot and the washing machine turned off mid-cycle. We had to wait four hours for the power to return and the washer to resume its duties.

Class with Gulnaz today was more backbends.

August 24, 2010

Friday night class with Raya and Saturday morning’s class with Chandra (Mr. Iyengar directing) had as doing many backbends. Having two intense backbend class just15 hours apart made me both tired and exhilarated. The pose Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow) has always been challenging for me. It is one of those poses that usually makes me think “oh no, not this pose”. But having to do so many brought me closer to the yoga ideal of ease and stability in the pose. My breath was relaxed and my arms began to figure out how to straighten. Progress through practice, another yoga idea, became manifest.

After last weekend’s trip, we were grateful to stay home and rest. I went out to dinner with Jen and her roommate Kathy from Australia. We spent the afternoon with Chris Beach working on our Jr. Int. III certification poses. Care and Karin invited Karen and I over for a lovely dinner with Lou Holtz. And we saw Barb off – she is on her way home as I type this.

Confession time! My overwhelming desire for dessert overcame my vow to stay out of the mall and we went to the gelato store at the food court. After observing everyone staring at me on the elevator Karen said “Let’s face it, you are a novelty wherever you go”. At least nobody asked for pictures in the mall! We ended our weekend by watching Good Will Hunting.

I can feel the curtain of departure beginning to fall. Several people left over the weekend and more are leaving mid-week. Karen and I are planning our last shopping trips and we are going to have a good bye lunch with Rajlaxmi and Gulnaz tomorrow. I am eagerly thinking more of home!

August 20, 2010

August 20, 2010

August 20, 2010

August 20, 2010

Nuvana is here and Barb, Karin, Care, Karen and I all had lunch together in our apartment! It was so fun to have sunny, smiling Nuvana in our midst.

Then, Jen, Karen and I headed out to shop. We hit the stainless steel store and I got a nice spice storage container and some serving utensils. Then we spent half an hour pouring over scarves. I ended up with four – all in tones of gold. I love the beauty of the scarves and look forward to giving them as gift!

Class tonight!

August 20, 2010
It is 12:30 am and I can’t sleep so I have decided to blog. Even a couple of hours of listening to my favorite music has not helped make me sleepy. Maybe it was the chai tea I had about 4pm that has made me feel so wired. The honking has subsided to an occasional horn. The busy main road that is slow and packed during the day turns into a speedway at night transforming the cacophony of whimsical horns into the sound of vehicles whizzing past at high speed.

Thursday ended with another visit. Rajlaxmi and Gulnaaz (teachers from the Institute who were also part of the convention) stopped by our apartment after Pranayama class. We had a good time. They indulged me and let me show them my son’s wedding pictures (he was married in July). They were very interested in our wedding customs- Catie’s wedding dress, where the wedding was held, and what was involved with the ceremony.

I am missing my 30 year class reunion that will be held this evening in Portland (Sunset High School, class of ’80). I actually would have attended, but I guess I will have to wait until 35 years.

Nuvana Is set to be here today (Friday) and I am looking forward to her visit.