The Scoop, the Dirt, the Word on the Street

We know you've been waiting. Here's some words on the yoga...

We have been in the Shala a full three weeks now and have fully settled in to our routine, meaning that this is the first week without a missing day for holiday, moon, etc.

The Shala has many students these days. Last time we were here we began with something around a 6:30 am time slot and arrived at the coveted 5:00 am time slot by our second month. This time we considered ourselves lucky to receive a starting time slot of 7:45. Main Shala students begin as late as 8:30 these days, and the first time is now 4:45 (which is actually 4:30 am, as Shala time is always 15 minutes earlier than reality). As students progress in seniority per trip they receive increasingly earlier time slots in 15 minute increments, always dreaming of the day they will be the first ones in the door in the morning.

Sharath has given us three time slot premotions in three weeks, not too bad. 7 am seems very late, but we're on our way to early. Led classes are at 4:45 am and 6 am. We are currently in the 6 am group on Fridays and Sundays.

Those who have the first time slot on Mysore days cluster around the door before 4:30 am. When the door is opened they rush in...older more advanced students taking the front row, newer students taking pretty much any other spot, but having to negotiate with each other for preferred spaces, like not up on the stage, on a carpeting seam, or on the edge of the men's restroom. The next time slot is 5:45, then 6am, 6:15, etc. The entry room fills up with yogis with these assigned time slots, and Sharath and Saraswati will call "One More!" repeatedly over the morning to tell students when to come in. Waiting at the entry door is exactly like waiting to jump out of an airplane. You have your mat bag unzipped and you are ready to launch. The trickiest element here is knowing who goes next. Sharath will get irritated if there is any pause in coming forward, yet it can go very wrong if you think you are next and he thinks it should be a different yogi. Therefore there is some hesitancy at times with newer shyer students, just trying to figure these things out. The general rule is, first in the entry goes first in the room, Unless ...someone else walks in who is certified, authorized, or simply has more seniority than you, or maybe Sharath likes a little better. Thus far Aeryk and I have been shown a fair bit of preference...if he comes to the entry room door and sees us, as he did this morning, he will point to us and say "you next - then you", even if we were the last in the door. It does take the pressure off. One young man this morning was so scared to take his turn because one day he had been sent back out three times and barked at by Sharath for overstepping his place. This may now explain to you why it is everyone wants to be the first in the door at 4:30 am!

As odd as all this may sound, the Shala is my preferred spot on the planet right now. There are many things I am enjoying even more this trip than in the past. Sharath seems happier and more relaxed, in spite of or maybe because of rumors that he will be taking a long break from teaching soon. Really, though, I think it is because now he is fully in charge of the Shala. When we were here before, Guruji was still actively teaching, and there was at times a friction or confusion between them. When Sharath was away, students would ease up, break rules, have a bit of fun. Then Sharath would return and with him, the SmackDown! Now everything is always extremely disciplined, but also very calm and stable. Sharath seems very at ease, and we all know what to expect. Or if we don't know, we learn fast!

How the yoga here works: On your first visit, even if you just came off of tour with Cirque du Soleil, you start with Primary series only for your first month. If you cannot complete any posture of primary series, you get stopped at that pose until you can. There are some exceptions to that rule, mainly pertaining to time in or the overall quality of your practice. Many students are not even allowed to do backbending at the end of their practice during the week, or must do them on the marble floors of the restroom with the other finishing postures. If you have completed primary, you will slowly, one pose at a time and usually not more than one in any week, receive second series. This usually happens on month two, three or beyond. On subsequent visits you must return to only primary series for one week, then you can resume to the place you were at on your last trip. By the third week more postures may be added. This is where Aeryk and I are...we received far more this week than I expected, but after this I expect to recieve dribbles of second series only. Aeryk is ahead of me by one posture, as he was on our last visit. At this point it is not about being stopped at level of ability. Aeryk is "on" a posture he completes beautifully. He will be graced to the next one soon enough. We would be stopped if we came to a posture we could not complete. Sharath seems pleased with us, or at least, we haven't received any of his displeasure.

At the end of practice every day is the only posture we get adjusted in, the big ankle grabbing backbend. It is really nice to get adjusted in this every day, something I don't get at home. It is also good that we, thus far, have been strictly limited to the sequence of exactly 3 pushed up from the floor, 3 dropped back and stood up, and 3 "half backs" followed by the big one at the end. While I think my body would prefer to drop back many more times as I would do at home, I think it is super healthy for my mind to just have to do it without much warming up. Sharath or Saraswati is usually waiting at the front of our mats when we are dropping back and standing up. I assure you that if you can stand up gracefully with them standing there, you become master of urdhva dhanurasana!

Conference is held on Sunday afternoons. Now it is very strict, only registered students can attend. Sometimes Guruji makes an appearance, sits up on his throne and smiles at us all. Sharath sits on the floor of the stage and gathers us all as close as we can manage. He sits and talks with us, and answers any questions students ask. It is really lovely, though sometimes sweatier than the morning yoga!

Thus far, we have heard, we should all read the Bhagavad Gita again, preferably a copy from the RamaKrishna Ashram up the road. (I've already bought my new copy). We have been told we should include 20 minutes of chanting after our practice each morning, at home. Sharath has spoken on the importance of diet, mainly the import of having a vegetarian diet, in our practice, both for health and for Ahimsa (non harming). He has emphasized the need for us to follow the Yamas and Niyamas in the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. He has talked about service, about having your employment be a form of service to others. He cracks a few jokes. I find myself really embracing Sharath as my teacher, this time in Mysore. I am trusting him and his vision, and ceasing to second guess his methods.

It is late now in Gokulam, and practice is at 5:45 tomorrow, so I should wrap this up. Sharath's led class is so deliciously hard, I wish you could all see me shaking in Navasana, maybe even cheating during the final lift at the end! I'll need some rest, or as Sharath said last week when we all seemed to wipe out, "More Chapatis!"

Vivian