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Published: February 10th 2006
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Kausthub and I
I asked Kausthub to pose for me in front of the statue of Patanjali at the entrance of KYM. It is Friday evening and I am at my favourite cyber cafe, ruminating about my first week of school at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM). It was a busy week, with school each day starting at 7 a.m. and finishing at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., depending on the day. So I am tired.
But first -- everyone wants to know how to pronounce Mysore. It is pronounced exactly how it looks like it is pronounced, and with the emphasis on the first syllable. MY-sore. That's it.
My name for this entry -- off to a great start -- is actually an ironical statement as I very badly twisted my foot on the second day of school. It is still painful and black-and-blue and I can walk only short distances. And of course I cannot do much in the way of asana practise (the physical practice of yoga). So my experience of being at yoga school in India is thus far coloured by my sore foot (had to work the phrase "my sore" in!).
I have been meditating on this occurence and applying yoga philosophy to it, and seeing it as part of my path. Among other things,
Becky and I
In the small world category .... Becky used to live in Toronto and we discovered we know many of the same people, including my ex, Curtis. She lives in Vancouver now. it has really slowed me down -- and I have been going top-speed since I have been in India -- and it is giving me a chance to see KYM in action. Unlike most yoga centres, the emphasis at KYM is on applying yoga therapeutically, and a lot of people with injuries and illnesses show up there to see a yoga therapist. It is a busy place -- a yoga school, a healing centre, and much more. Check out the website to learn more about this great place: www.kym.org.
So, I am getting lots of attention and tomorrow I will be given a special practise to do. (I twisted it at KYM, actually -- coming out of the bathroom too quickly! I slipped off the stair. But boy oh boy, I sure twisted my foot at the right place. Within seconds, Dr. "N.C.," one of the senior yoga therapists, came out and checked it, ascertaining that nothing was broken. I was given an ice pack, a bandage and helpful advice, and they have continued to be kind and thoughtful all week.)
The one-month program began last Sunday when we had an orientation session at KYM and most of
Jayanthi
Jayanthi is our chanting teacher. She is great -- very exuberant. Most of our teachers are women -- strong, Indian women. the 34 students in the program were there, welcomed by Kausthub Desikachar (Krishnamacharya's grand son), some of the teachers and the director. They were very clear in their welcoming address about the mission and emphasis of KYM: service. Their interest in yoga is to be of service to the community. It was a great way to start the prgogram.
The other students in the program come from 14 different countries, and represent a wide range in terms of age and occupation. There is, for example, a nurse, a naturopath, yoga teachers (of course), a massage therapist, and a graphic designer. Most are women, but not all; and the median age is probably about 35. A MUCH different crowd than the youthful, tanned, tight-muscled crowd at the Ashtanga Yoga Shala in Mysore, I can tell you....
Each day we start with a one-hour asana practice, and then a one-hour break for breakfast, They serve us a South Indian breakfast in a little outdoors courtyard. Then, we have a class in Yoga Theory followed by a class in Yoga Philosophy. For those who chose it, a class in Vedic chanting follows. We have to walk two blocks to the chanting
welcome image
This lovely design in flowers was waiting at KYM to greet us on orientation day. centre, which is in another building. After that is a long lunch break. I have been going back to my hotel each day by autorickshaw to rest my foot. School begins again at 3:15 with a class in the Application of Yoga. This is the most intertactive one: we do real and theoretical case studies. Then, a half-hour tea break, served with biscuits. The day ends with a meditation class from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., which is sometimes followed by special lectures. This week we had two -- one on the origin of Sanskrit and the Vedas and one on yoga and religion.
It is a very full program, and the teachers are excellent. The approach to yoga is very practical and down-to-earth. And they are very clear about their orientation and mission. So far, I have no criticisms or complaints ... except ... I wish the centre were in a quieter, less crowded and polluted place. I'm sorry, but I am not fond of Chennai. It is no more polluted than Delhi -- in fact, perhaps less so -- but it is a very different place. More intense, more commercial, more humid (right on the coast). In
Patanjali
This statue of Patanjali stands at the entrance to KYM. Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutra -- the bible of yoga. comparison, Delhi seems very civilized to me. New Delhi is a planned city, and the capital of India. Chennai grew from a conglomeration of villages.
There is some history here, though I haven't seen it yet. Chennai, formerly called Madras, was the city the British first settled in. I may hire a car and driver this weekend and look around. I can't walk too much, so this may be the way to go.
Speaking of drivers, I have to go back and forth to school four times each day, at a cost of 40 rupees each way. Most autorickshaw drivers are rogues -- they try to overcharge you and hardsell you into going to certain stores where they get a commission -- so I prayed to find a really good driver, who could drive me each day. And I was rewarded! I met Buntmanapam, who is a really nice man (unbelievable among tuk-tuk drivers!!!) and a careful driver. He is going to drive me every day, and I feel so good about it, as finding and hiring a driver is a big hassle.
The next three weeks will be dominated by yoga school, which runs until March
me and Krishnamacharya
There are photos and images of Krishnamacharya in every room. This great yoga master continues to inspire. 3. I have established a routine at New Woodlands Hotel -- it really helps that I have a fridge -- and I am reasonably happily settled, my sore foot and my lack of fondness for Chennai aside. I am really glad I have had a chance to spend so much time in the south of India, and I love Kerala and Karnataka, but I feel much more of an affinity for the north, I think. I like the food more, I relate to the people better, I am interested in learning Hindi (which they do not speak down here) and I like Delhi, among other things.
So, my trip has slowed right down and taken a quiet and more serious turn. And I am glad I have this chance to have yet another experience of India.... though I really miss Delhi, Ajay, his family and my friends in the north ... especially Rebecca ...
I will write more about Chennai, KYM and my yoga studies in a future entry. I am too tired to discuss anything "deep" but suffice to say my course at KYM is giving me lots to think about. Yoga is such a huge
back of Mo and Tiffany
Mo and Tiffany were in my teacher training program in Toronto last year. They are a bit shy about having their picture taken! science and philosophy.
And without meaning to be negative, I will end by describing the "worst" thing I think I have seen yet in India. I try not to dwell on the negative aspects of this country, and I usually don't take any pictures of the poverty, dirt, limbless beggars, rats, piles of garbage and other shocking things you see on a daily basis here. I am trying to simply accept, and have compassion, for the variety of people and the variety of living conditions here. But yesterday as I was limping through the front parking lot of my hotel, I saw a man in a kind of G-string come out of the sewer completely covered in shit. He obviously went down there as part of his job, probably to fix something. I was on my way into the restaraunt for lunch and I found the image shocking for many reasons. To think that this is how this man makes his living .... while I am paying $1,000 U.S. to learn about yoga and how it can help us cope with life and become more compassionate. I am still processing this experience, biut I am thinking that the best
waiting for chanting
Here are some of my fellow students, waiting for chanting class to begin. The classroom style is typical at KYM, and we always sit on the floor. thing I can do with my training is actually what they say at KYM: be of service.
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Shawn
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more of the real thing
I would like to see pictures of the undesirable things in India to get a more accurate perspective of the place.