MahaMondo

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. "

Kurmasana : Sun. AM Mysore Practice

The image on the left taken by photographer & Authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher , Tom Rosenthal , pretty much captures how I felt during adjustments in Kurmasana to Supta Kurmasana this morning at Omkar108 .

David Swenson says in his  Practice Manual , " It is best to learn under the guidance of a qualified Ashtanga Yoga instructor . " And this morning , I had 2 of them simultaneuously adjusting me in Supta Kurmasana , Jorgen C. & Lila Padma.

It did feel like I had a sadhu chanting shastra will standing on my back. Which turned into an exercise in breathing through it all & resisting the " fight or flight response " , while they worked on expanding my horizons .

I am very fortunate to be able to attend Sun. AM Mysore practice after constant travelling or a long work week. Doubly fortunate that these teachers work their knowledge & magic on me.

Which is one of the keys to the physical practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga ; the feeling of expansion & ease , " sukha " that result from the  adjustments of a good teacher . As a student on the receiving end , learning how to surrender & be receptive. Equanimity.

You can't get or learn that from reading a book or watching a video.  

And as Tom Rothensal describes it , " It is not Tom's intention to show perfection in postures , or to teach yoga through photography , but simply to celebrate the sublime beauty of the form and of spiritual India . 

" Om Tat Sat " . Om and nothing more.

Hari Om Tom.

 

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.

 

H.H. Niranjana Swami : Jaya Radha Madhava

His Holiness Niranjana Swami chants "Jaya Radha Madhava" before Srimad Bhagavatam lecture on December 26, 2011 at ISKCON Boston Temple. ISKCON Boston - http://iskconboston.org