MahaMondo

Graham Hill : Less Stuff , More Happiness

After spending most of the week in the epicenter of the Kali Yuga , this vdo from Graham Hill , the creator of Treehugger resonates immensely. Less is more. Quality not quantity.

Aspen Meadows : The Big Dipper

I'm back from my Aspen business trip.

The image on the left is of Matthias Goeritz's on-site installation called the Big Dipper at my favorite place to stay in the West End , Aspen Meadows.

This was my second visit to the 40 acre property , this time almost summer like , and it did not disappoint once again.

I emailed the image to Maharaja & expressed my apologies for not being able to make it for his retreat / darshan in Northern California.

In order to make up for this , I would go on japa walks around the property after a long day of meetings. Enjoying the silence , seclusion & beauty of the property. Very sublime to see a couple of fawns staring at me without fear as I hiked along one of the mountain trails.

Yoga in India Is Not The Same As Yoga In The West : Chad Herst

It has been several months since I last dropped in at Chad Herst's Mysore class in the Mission SFO.

However , he does keep his blog updated regularly. I enjoy keeping up with it as he addresses questions & topics that have been bandied about in the blogosphere .

The difference being that he writes from a very scholarly , erudite & calm manner ( i.e. no sensationalism or profanity necessary to drive home points ). Pretty much the Chad I have known from the couple of times I have seen him in SFO.

This particular post sheds light on the curent dichotomy between what was the classic Indian yogi , the new India & the West.

He describes Classical Indian Dharma versus the Western Path as : " In India, the sense of individuality and uniqueness is not valued in the same way it is valued in the West.  From a very young age, what is valued is one’s relationship to one’s role in society.  If you are a brahman, then, indeed, that’s what you are.  That’s the role you are to play out in society.  

Relatively speaking, life tends to happen to people in India compared to the West.  It isn’t chosen the way it’s chosen here.  And while that is starting to change, now, the change is slow.  So, for example, it wasn’t until recently and in certain very small pockets of Indian culture that one would even think to choose one’s partner in marriage.  That was determined by the caste of the individuals, the parents, and often with the aid of a family astrologer.

One’s role is called dharma, or duty.  A major theme in The Bhagvad Gita, is performing one’s duty to caste.  If that means fighting one’s family members for the sake of upholding the universal law, or santana dharma, then it must be done, like it or not.  

The essence of the training of the yogi in India is the elimination of likes and dislikes, of the overly identified sense of self, called asmita in the Yoga Sutras. And, in turn, identifying and surrendering to the role the society has put upon him or her.

 What we in the West think of as the creative faculty to be at choice in how we live our lives is completely eliminated.  Surrendering to one’s role-be it one’s role in society or in the family unit-is the transformational breakthrough that’s asked of the aspirant. "

Gokulam : Ashtanga4Life

 Ashtanga4Life is another recent visitor to Mysore with a series of photos & blog posts providing a glimpse of the Gokulam experience :

 " A huge part of practicing Ashtanga yoga in Mysore, India is centered around the locals and yoga tourists who live in Gokulam.

Mysore is a fairly large city, and Gokulam is the section of it where the Sri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga institute is located.

From the coffee & chocolate man, to the sweet shop, cows, rickshaws and coconuts, here’s what you can expect to see if you travel to Mysore to practice Ashtanga yoga.

Eventually, he ( Sharath on what it meant to become more spiritual ) just told us. I wish I had written down exactly what he said, but his basic message was that becoming spiritual means changing yourself.

It means learning to keep the focus on the internal world while turning away from the distraction and struggle of trying to change the external one all the time. Surrender. Accept. Change comes from this. "

Mysore , This Time Around : Tesa Celdran

Tesa Celdran has updated her blog with images taken during her latest trip to Mysore.

She always manages to catch the essence,  energy & vibe of each place that she visits.

" Mysore does seem a ways now , but here are some views that will always keep it near , this time around. "

It is wonderful to see Mysore through her eyes , seeing the mandirs & markets that lie beyond the yogashala that is the locus of pilgrimage for most practitioners. 

Tesa captures the magic that draws many back to Mysore.

The image on the left is of  Bala Krishna , Sri Krishna as the Divine Child.

Saravanaa Bhavan NYC : The Abode of Lord Muruga

It is a tradition now for me to take a photo of my business thali at Saravanaa Bhavan & SMS it to my teacher , Jorgen C.

Was around 3 years ago that he clued me into this bastion of Southern Indian vegetarian             " comfort food ".

I try to schedule my flight into JFK late in the afternoon on a Sunday so I have enough time to check in to the hotel & either hop on the subway , or take a leisurely walk to SB on 26th & Lex .

My walk last Sunday was particularly delightful as I saw all the cherry trees in bloom on the median strip in Park Avenue. Glorious spring weather.

The puri that you see above has to be eaten immediately with the incredible yoghurt , rasam & pickles.

JYS Greenwich CT : Wed. AM

Jois YogaShala at 8 Dayton Ave. in Greenwich last Wed. AM.

It's pretty serene & less cluttered in comparison to Encinitas.

JYS Encinitas will be conducting Evening Chanting Classes while Saraswathi & Sharath are there from Apr. 17-29.

Recitations from texts such as the Yoga Sutras , Bhagavad Gita , Santi Mantras & various Slokas & Stotras.

Bozeman : Big Sky Montana & the East Coast

Here's a shot taken at the Bozeman airport upon my arrival on Monday.

Wild weather mood swings with it getting almost summer-like & sunny  when we drove up on Tuesday to Big Sky headed to the YC .

Thursday was winter-wonderlandish once again with snow falling continuously.

I had intended to drop-in for the afternoon Led Class @ Down to Earth Yoga near Main St. but ended up taking my associate to an early dinner. Next trip then.

Flying out to NYC this Sunday , & am looking forward to having a business thali @ Saravana Bhavan after I check-in to my hotel. 

Hoping to make it to evening artik on Tuesday @ New Gundika Dham Boston.

Will also endeavor to attend Eddie's Fri. 6 AM Led Class @ AYNY.

And yes , I've got a ton of meetings on my schedule to get to as well in both Boston & Greenwich ( & possibly stop by the new JYS Greenwich. Sharath has rescheduled his Led Class from 6 AM to 8:30 AM ; might be a tight squeeze to attempt to attend on Thurs.)

Just witness it all & breathe.

 

Nyepi Bali : The Day of Silence

Nyepi is the Balinese " Day of Silence " that was commemorated yesterday prior to the celebration today of the Balinese New Year 1934. It is a Hindu holiday marked by silence , fasting & meditation. Thanks to the folks from Gaya up in Ubud for sending me the reminder via email on Monday.

Realizing Mysore : Sans Politics , Just Energy

Kaz who writes the blog Realizing Mysore , has this insight into all the current monkey chatter re Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in the Western media :

" For most of the students here, Mysore is the method of their practice. Few have been to the place, or understand how Guruji's Lakshmipuram room good for 12 people helped give birth to their practice many decades ago.

They are more concerned about what is happening presently on the mat and how it's reflecting in their daily lives than being caught up in what the NY Times magazine is saying about yoga, or what's happening to Anusara's John Friend, or the controversy around Jois Yoga as illustrated in Vanity Fair--all of which does make me want to launch into some grand yoga debate.

However, I think there's something really beautiful and uncomplicated about the students I've been working with this week.

Regardless of whether or not they have the memory of Mysore itself imprinted on their system, as they dive into their practice they are tapping into Mysore's magic, the lineage in its purest form, sans politics, just energy. "

Well put Kaz , sans politics , just energy. Om Tat Sat.

As Guruji said , " The empty pots make the loudest noise. "

* The image is via Tesa Celdran , who is also currently in Mysore , her 3rd return trip if I am not mistaken.