5 Days.....

Plenty to do before Friday (fly-day) so this is the final stretch I guess. There's bound to be stuff about the UK that I'll miss, but the weather isn't on that list. It has been like the Russian front this week.

It has been quite a few years since I have visited somewhere 'new', that is, somewhere that I've never been before, and it's an exciting feeling. I hope it's like what I know about Asia. We in the West seem to live & work with a lot of anxiety & stress, which doesn't appear to be case elsewhere. The 'simple life' approach that seems to take hold, when you spend any length of time in Asia, is nice. Bye bye to sub-zero temperatures and towns where you need a permit or money to park on the road side.

I guess I am going to have to tolerate the HGV's a little longer though!

Anyway, that has pretty much addressed the 'won't miss' list.

On the 'will miss' list are, of course, friends, family and colleagues. The people make this place what it is. 

I'm going to really miss the shala too. I know it's been said before, but when you get amongst a bunch of people so dedicated to their practice, over a long period of time, they become friends, yet you barely ever say a word. It is quite profound. I have put it down as a classic illustration of 'satsang'; i) 'The company of the 'highest truth' ii) The company of a guru and iii) Company with assembly of persons who listen, talk about, and assimilate the truth (source: Wikipedia).

7 more days.........

Boxing day. Woke at 6.30 today. That's late for me. A year of doing Mysore style practices in London has trained me to habitually rise early, supplemented by early nights. The routine for the last year has been bed between 8.30 & 9.00, then a 3.40 alarm. I would have coffee and read for a few minutes, and then drive up to the shala to be on the mat by 5.45. The world is a wonderful place at that time of day. I know now why a morning practice is recommended.

This morning I re-read a bit of Desikachar's book about his Father, Krishnamacharya who, I was amazed to learn, had the equivalent of 7 PHD's. The book is called 'Yoga. Health, Healing & Beyond'. It's an amazing book for focussing the mind on the depths of this practice. For example, the vinyasa (the synchronization of breath and movement); who would have thought this through deeply enough to recognise that it is in itself a self-study. i.e. engages attention upon the consequences of our actions. Moving stuff! and this is just one millionth of this wonderful practice.

Buy this if you can find it.......

While searching for this photo, I noticed that it's selling on Amazon at over a hundred pounds. How bizarre!

Enough said, for today.

Christmas Day 2008, and the last of my quality time with direct family. Just 8 days until takeoff, and flicking through Graeme Montgomery's 'Mysore Style' book, earlier today really brought home that this is finally going to be a part of my life. Things didn't feel this real, since the visa popped through the letter box a few days ago.

There have been a few negative murmerings, "oh it's going to be too busy", "you'll be queueing in the mid-day sun" but whatever. I'm finally getting back to the source, and finally going to find out what drives all of the amazing teachers that I have had the good fortune to work with in recent years, and to find out what it is that pulls them back to Mysore, in most cases, annually.
Anyways, I promised myself that I wouldn't fill this blog with idle chit chat, and that I'd keep it as a diary, that anyone interested could share, enjoy and maybe even benefit from. It's going to be my first time in India, so some of it could get a bit flowery. But, I've seen Asia, so I'm cool with 'motorbike economies', and I've seen Dhaka, so I'm prepared for witnessing poverty. I will try to keep it interesting.
Merry Xmas!