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Feb 13, 2006

I am not sure how to explain Prashant's class Tuesday night. It began with a 20 minute Sirsasana that included long holds in the revolved positions as well as Eka pada and Parsvaikapada, all repeated twice each side. We held Sarvangasana with leg variations for an equal amount of time. After that we experienced practicing Trikonasana from different perspectives, observing while we were in the pose and after and comparing the different perspectives and their effect on the pose, breath and mind. Prashant goes to great length to try to explain this process in very lyrical terms as well as using very practical illustrations; but it like trying to express the inexpressible. It is impossible to express the concepts and perceptions with words. Some of the faces watching him seem blank, or maybe confused. Others nod their heads and smile. Some of the metaphors he uses are quite poetic, some so realistic that you know at once what he means. Our hips are like Mike Tyson, strong and thick, lacking in sensitivity and awareness. The breath that moves in the floating ribs is a touch as if you are stroking an infants hair. We have long holds on one side and then some times the other, or he stops to try to explain that which can't really be explained. Prashant goes to great lengths to try to give us the clues we can use in our own practice.

In your next practice try repeating Trikonasana over and over. Do it once "from the joints" do it another time "from the knees". Do it for your breath and do it by your breath. Keep on like that, and see what you learn.

Yoga has the power to teach us to be fully aware, but Prashant says most of us are too busy or too lazy. "Busy people and lazy people will never complete the world. They are too involved in being busy or too lazy." Only someone who is present 100% can complete the world. The molecules move equally fast in the lazy body as in the busy body.

The Wednesday morning Ladies' Class began with standing poses again: Trikonasana then Ardha Chandrasana. We were told to take the head back in line with the buttock. "The brain moves faster than the body, so move the body first." After uUttanasana, Geeta called Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana, and we held it for what seemed forever each side. "Do not come down!" Geeta admonished. This was followed by Virabhadrasana III. Then a long, explorative Parsvottanasana where we were to move the hands (in Paschima Namaskarasana) further up the back toward the head with each stage of the pose. This is difficult, but worth doing.

We moved on to sitting poses, forward extensions with an emphasis on the twisting action in each pose. When one of our group of foreign students was unfamiliar with a basic hand position in Parivrtta Paschimottanasana, Geeta took the opportunity to chastise us for wasting her time by coming without being prepared. She should be able to expect that experienced students are ready for in depth teaching, and she should not have to waste time every month repeating basic points. She is, of course, correct. The class finished with quiet, but long inversions.

Back at the flat, lunch was waiting for me and a friend. We had palak paneer, an Indian standard of spinach and cheese. The cheese is not at all like a western cheese. It is made from curds (yoghurt) that are drained and pressed, then cut up into cubes to be stirred into the spiced spinach. We also had bindi, okra that is friend crispy with various spices. Of course, there is always rice and whole wheat chapatis.  I had gotten some sweets, balls of coconut, and sugar and probably ground nuts of some type. My favorite variety of this concoction has a date inside. I am told that there is also one with mango inside, but I haven't come across that yet.

After lunch we compared class notes. It is always helpful to do this because different people remember different things. Just after my friend left, Lynlee stopped by to use my phone. I can make local calls and receive overseas calls. She was hungry, so I reheated some of the leftovers. Still there was enough left for a large lunch the next day.

The Thursday night Pranayama class was beautifully crafted. Even the instructions from the first moment of sitting and the first Savasana contributed to the experience and depth of the breath that came at the end of class. I made pretty good notes after, but also plan to get together with another student, Zoe Stewart, on Sunday to go over some of the more subtle points.

Then last night we had a vigorous class that focused on twists and forward extensions. It, of course, included some standing poses with that focus. At one point we worked long and intensively on Parivritta janu sirsasana. Then had a quick Paschimottanasana then immediately up into Ustrasana. That was an eye opening experience, or maybe I should say lumbar and tailbone opening experience. The Ustrasana was preparation for Parighasana. The class continued in this vein. Dhanurasana to prepare for Anantasana. Go practice and figure it out. During the inversions Geeta kept at us to "take the tailbone in and buttocks in. Do not let them hang back like bumps".

The time during the afternoons from 1 - 3:30 can hang heavy. It is our free time. We are 11 1/2 hours ahead of EST, so it is not time to call home.  Then there is the "electricity power load shedding" where the electricity is turned off in part of Pune between these hours, so there is no internet to work on, and even no opportunity to catch up on things like laundry because of no power to heat water or iron. Most shops are closed for lunch and a nap until 4.

Today (Saturday) I plan on meeting Karen at the Institute around 3:45 to practice. Not so many come on Saturday, I am told, so it should be quiet. Sometimes during practice hours it is almost mat to mat and feels like a circus. Mr. Iyengar is usually there in the morning practice hours of 9 - 12. We can watch him as he goes through his daily (and always different) practice. It is fascinating. He is completely quiet and still, even though he may look as if he is bent double, backwards over a tall stool. His breath is quiet and even, and the cells of his skin are soft. He often helps one person or another, usually one of the Indian students, or his grandaughter, or one of the senior teachers who is practicing nearby. At these times quite a crowd will collect around him as people want to see and hear.