Dear Friends and Fam,
What a day at KYM! Classes started at 7.30am this morning: a gentle asana practice followed by THE BEST class schedule I could have imagined! The classes were 50 mins each, a little bit like high school, and they were all taught by wonderful women! I am particularly pleased by the prevalence of women in an Indian Yoga institution as traditionally yoga has been taught by male teachers. It's inspiring to be taught by such a wonderful team of eloquent and knowledgeable ladies whose passion for teaching and for sharing their wisdom is immediately apparent.
Here is a little breakdown of the classes. (Warning: you might want to look over the numbered section below if you are not a yoga dork).
1. Theory of Asana and Pranayama - taught by Nrithya, this class will focus on recontextualizing the physical practices of yoga (postures and breath work) within a global understanding of yoga. In other words, we were told: "Dudes, remember that yoga is primarily a means of dealing with the fluctuations and problems of the MIND!"
2. Yoga Philosophy - for the next 20 days we'll look at the practical aspects of yoga philosophy, particularly the Vedas (pronounced Wedas in India- awesome) and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Sangeetha, our teacher, summarised yoga as a three step process: LISTEN - REFLECT - ACT. She asked: "The Vedas were passed on orally, so students had to be trained to listen. And why is listening important?" Anyone still reading, what do you think? (Hint: the answer is closer than you think...)
3. Healing Chants - our beautiful teacher Ganga has a voice that flows just like the river she was named after (and much clearer...) We practiced chanting the sound "MA" again and again. A little like the Kanye West song, without the Hey and most of the words, and more like a mantra. Seriously though, it was beautiful.
LUNCH BREAK (for which I made a quick trip back to Footprint for a beautiful plate of hot puris and spiced potatoes cooked in coconut milk.
When I put the first bite in my mouth I felt a surge of joy.
Center piece to the dining table.
The post lunch classes were:
4. Pranayama Practice - in which Rajeshwari moved us through a series of breath exercises (sitting, standing, lying, and sitting again) in order to make us experience the difference between conscious and unconscious breathing. It was a simple a practical class that left me feeling centered and light.
5. Yoga Application - more than any of the other classes, this one reflects KYM's emphasis on yoga as a form of therapy. According to Kala (and she's preaching to the choir!) yoga should be tailored to each practitioner, always working from the most comfortable level. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.
6. Meditative Practice - the day closed with a wonderful session of meditation practice, intermingled with chanting a dedication. Today's object of meditation (it will be different each day) was "Saluting the Teacher". It was a beautiful practice, and at the end we were asked to remain in Savasana and rest completely for a few minutes. A beautiful close to the day.
Today I also met some beautiful people. There are 24 students in the program, and they come from all over the world: France, Israel, Chile, Russia, Lithuania, Canada, UK, Denmark, Italy, and more! It's something special to see all these people coming from different parts of the world gathered in a room breathing, moving, chanting, and resting together. Makes me go all lovey dovey.
I walked back to my hotel and took a few shots of what I saw along the way. There are no photos allowed at KYM, but I'm hoping to get some portraits of our teachers so you can meet these beautiful women.
A small temple and its keeper, texting.
Unidentified shop with lots of full bags. Mysterious.
Just grazing at sunset.
Smiling for the camera.
While looking for the guest house where some friends are staying, I mistakenly entered an apartment building. What resulted was a short series of... still lives?
Outside the sun set and the light turned blue.
I feel like I will never get tired of the trees on these streets.
I love the feel and look of these buildings.
Lights, people and traffic at 6.30p on a Monday.
Bar stools for waiting for the bus? Very casual.
The couple sitting on the sidewalk was unexpectedly intimate in the midst of all the traffic and honking.
Thank you for your messages, thoughts and suggestions. I love hearing from you, it feels great to know you are out there reading :-)
Ciao and kisses,
B
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