Homeward bound

From Delhi, arriving in late October during Diwali, the week-long Festival of Lights ....

The airport in Delhi has a number of sculptures.
Here Jane and Tiki add some visual interest
to the Sun Salutation sculpture.

To Chicago, returing in early December during a season that is important to many for a variety of reasons and which is celebrated in a variety of ways ....

What a shock to the system at 4:30 a.m. to turn
a corner  in the Chicago airport and see a huge holiday display.
Certainly nothing like this in the Pune airport or the Delhi airport.

And finally back home to St. Louis.  It has been a journey full of surprises. So much to be grateful for and so much on which to reflect.  Thanks to each of you who has been a part of this with me.

Last day in Pune

Pictures are not allowed at the yoga institute in Pune,
but this is a picture of "rope sirsasana" from
Bruce Roger's studio, Yoga St. Louis
L-R:  Me, Tiki, Bruce

 All of the classes this week have been on restorative yoga and on pranayama (breathing).   As most Iyengar yoga students know, "restorative" poses, which use props to support the body, can be both delightfully blissfull as well as surprisingly challenging.  

Today's class was with Mrs. Navaz, one of my favorite teachers who is very clear in her teaching and is also an extremely caring and compassionate person.  We didn't have my favorite blissful poses, but we did do "rope sirsansana" which is hanging upside down on ropes so your head is down but doesn't touch the ground. 

Then we took a rickshaw to do some last-minute shopping and to pick up something from the Ruby Hall Clinic.  When we arrived at the clinic is was obvious that something was up.  The gates were locked and guards were not letting anyone in unless they had an appointment.  As we waited for our turn to speak to the guards, I noticed the clinic’s posted policy on providing care to the poor and was impressed by it.  As soon as I took a photo of it (see below), the guard said, “No photos.” 

As we left the clinic and walked towards a nearby store, I noticed that the police were directing traffic in such a way that allowed people to go in one direction only.  When we came out of the store, the streets were blocked and traffic was at a standstill.  Someone told us that the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil, a native of the state of Maharashtra where Pune is located, was going to be arriving momentarily at Ruby Hall Clinic for a ceremony. 

We waited for a few minutes, but eventually decided to see if we could get a rickshaw to take us home to get ready to go to the airport.  We soon found a rickshaw and the driver almost declined our request, but right then the traffic started to move and he told us to get in.  Within a couple of minutes the place was jam-packed with cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, and bicycles so that once more almost no one could move.  But our rickshaw driver was determined to get us through, and he did! What incredible maneuvering and guts.  We didn’t get to see President Patil, but it was still an exciting day in Pune.

Don't be fooled by the white hair. 
This fearless rickshaw driver with lightening fast reflexes
 got us through an impossibly huge traffic jam.

Signs around town

Many of the signs around Pune are in Marathi, the official language of the state of Maharashtra where Pune is located, or in Hindi, the official language of the country, as well as in English.

There are a number of signs around town like this to urge people to conserve resources.  Other signs urge people to refrain from cutting trees.

The driver is asking people to use their horn when they pass him so he'll know they're there.

A common sign and decoration on the front of large trucks





Taken from a rickshaw window as we sped by: "Our privileges cannot be greater than our obligation." Much food for thought for us especially in the U.S. at this time in our history.

How very proper.

Still learning  how to be proper ....

Last line of the sign: "Happier you are, the more intelligent you are." Hmmm .....

Weekend activities

  SATURDAY AFTERNOON and EVENING: after class we spent some time exploring a bit more of the local area. 

Below: two architecture students helped us find St. Anthony's Catholic Church. As they prepared to ride away, I asked about the head-wrap of the young women, which is pretty common on women who ride a motorcycle, and they said it was to protect from all the pollution in Pune.

Above: Some of the faculty and students at St. Anthony's Catholic Church after the liturgy for their faith-sharing day.  They were most welcoming of us as the only other people present at their liturgy.  For the time that we were there, it felt like we had stepped back into the U.S.  The English liturgy was identical with that of the U.S., and except for the teachers who wore the traditional dress of India, the students wore regular uniforms.  I haven't seen enough young people going to school to know what the usual school dress is.

Left:  Enjoying a cup of chai later in the evening. 

After going to an exhibition of work from weavers of the region, we decided to go to a movie in a nearby theater.  We arrived on time only to find out that the movie was in Hindi and that another movie that we wanted to see had already left the theater.  So we had something to eat and then headed home. 

No rickshaw would give us a ride because we were too close, so we had to cross an extremely busy street on foot in the dark.  Some young guys were there also waiting to cross, and it seemed like we were never going to be able to do it.  I've learned that you watch the locals and do what they do -- and they weren't moving. Finally the guy next to me said, "Let's go," and grabbed my hand, and I grabbed Tiki's hand, and she grabbed Jane's and we all got across.  Nice young guys helping elderly women across the street.  Their mothers would have been proud of them.

SUNDAY

Tiki and I got up early Sunday morning to go to the Zen garden at the Osho Meditation Resort.  (Jane's foot is not completely healed yet, so she needs to limit the amount of walking that she does.) 

Five years ago when the St. Louis group was here, they visited the Zen garden and were able to take pictures of the garden.  It's a sign of the times that pictures are no longer allowed since the terrorist bombings, not only in Mumbai but also directly across from the Osho complex at the German  bakery.  (And the same precaution of not permitting pictures is enforced at the Iyengar yoga institute as well.) 

The garden is only open to the public until 9 a.m., and by the time we found it, it was 8:40.  So not much time to spend there, but we still had an interesting walk.  See the photos below which show a small temple which we encountered on the way to the garden.


Left:  Three young girls pray at one of the many small temples through Pune.  Note the two bells.  The higher one is for adults to ring when they come to pray.  The lower one is for anyone who can't reach the other bell.

Below:  One of the children who has just prayed at the temple climbs up to ring the lower bell.

Right:  Later, in another part of the city we passed another small public temple right near a busy intersection.  Here a man is preparing the temple for people to come and pray. A couple of minutes later we saw a man stop and pray there.

On the way home Tiki spotted a sari store, so we hopped out of the rickshaw and were treated to a display of gorgeous saris, many of which were completely handmade.  Here the gentleman explains about the designs in the sari and which state in India it represents.

 

Shaniwar Wada:  In the evening we visited Shaniwar Wada, an 18th century palace and fort.  We came because we had heard about a "light show" that they had, and we expected to see something pretty spectacular.  We should have figured out that when you pay 25 rupees (50 cents) for a light show, it's going to be less than spectacular.  But it was still interesting and we met some nice people.

While we were waiting for the light show, a group of youth came and placed candles in memory of those killed in the November, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.  (A couple of weeks ago I met someone whose son-in-law was killed in the Mumbai attacks.)

View from the balcony

Our apartment has a nice balcony off one of the rooms, and we sometimes eat breakfast out there.  We're on the 4th floor and have a nice view of the trees and plants around us.

HOLY BASIL PLANT (not what we know as basil)  Many people in India consider this a  sacred plant and have one in their home.  Its healing properties are well-known.

COCONUJT TREE -  there are many coconut trees in the area and many coconut stands, including one just outside the yoga institute which is frequented on a daily basis by many students.

ALMOND TREE



MANGO TREE - too bad that mango season is already over. I always associate mangoes with Mexico, so was surprised to find out that they originated in India.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  It's been kind of hard to believe that today is Thanksgiving since we have been blissfully deprived of all the ads and commercials which usually fill the air waves this time of year.

But we did have a wonderful celebration.  We went to Soul Kitch, a restaurant which is close to the yoga institute and which offers a fantastic buffet.  It's the kind of place where you have to pace yourself and not eat too much of anything, and we did a good job of pacing ourselves. 

(Wish I had remembered to bring my camera, but unfortunately I forgot it at home.)

They started us off with 7 or 8 appetizers -- just a bite or two of each.  Then we had soup, salad, bread, and cheese.  (Even in a good restaurant we have to be careful about eating uncooked foods, so that kept me from filling up on salads.  Lettuce is definitely out of the question here.)  This was followed by an entre which we could choose from the menu and then we shared everything.  We had seen the dessert case when we walked in and assumed that we would get to choose a dessert, but they brought us one of everything:  7 small desserts.  And then I finished off the meal with a tiny scoop of mango ice cream.  A delicious experience.

Entrepreneur of the month

India has impressed me as a land of entrepreneurs.  Many people operate their own businesses out of spaces that are no bigger than the snowball stand on Metairie Road.  And some have mobile businesses, moving a cart or other display stand to some location for an hour or more each day.

One of the entrepreneurs who has impressed me is a woman who sells yoga T-shirts a few feet from the Institute.  She knows the schedule of classes and has her products displayed either on a motorcycle or on a car, depending on the mode of transportation that day, when class is over and students are pouring out of the Institute.  She is very friendly and outgoing, gives out her business card with contact information, and has a good product to sell -- affordable yoga t-shirts with a couple of nice designs and a wide variety of colors.  She takes orders, if she doesn't have something immediately available.  She also lets you exchange something, if it doesn't fit.  And she has a booming business.  She gets my vote for the entrepreneur of the month.

Left:  The "T-shirt entrepreneur"; the gentleman in the back always accompanies her.

Wednesdays

Jane has been our "social director" and has coordinated get-togethers at our apartment on Wednesday nights so that we'd get a chance to visit with some of the other students at the yoga institute.  Also, Wednesday is the only night where no one has an evening class.  Yesterday Jenny Williford from IL shared her special chai-making skills with us and Tiki prepared an incredibly delicious meal of poha.



Jenny

Tiki

This week at RIMYI

It's hard to believe that this is our last full week at RIMYI. 

Monday, Nov. 21:  Geeta's class
We did lots of poses that had back-bending actions.  When they rolled out thick mats for us to do drop-backs from headstand -- and provided teachers to help anyone who needed it -- it  brought me back to Mrs. Babin's dance studio when I was three years and learning backbends in acrobat class while being helped by the older students.

Tuesday, Nov. 22:  Prashant's class
Asana focus:  lots of twists       Philosophy focus:  "mind on breath; breath on mind"

Wednesday, Nov. 23:  Abhi's class
The class included both balancing poses and twists.  For one of the balancing poses I was within a few feet of Mr. Iyengar, but because of some large yoga props, I was out of his line of vision, yet close enough to hear what he would say.  He was not happy at all with our very imperfect poses and kept Abhi and her two assistants busy giving them instructions on what to tell us so we'd improve.  With only five minues left in the class, Abhi told us to lie on our backs, so I got all ready to relax into savasana.  What a surprise to find out that we still had five backbends to do, pushing up from the floor, before class would be over.

Thursday, Nov. 24:  Pranayama class
Had a wonderful teacher for class tonight.  She can explain things so clearly and took us stepwise through different breathing exercises.  This class always flies by quickly.

Traffic sign near the yoga institute

Needless to say, this sign which is placed at the entrance to a very busy street is totally ignored by every type of vehicle.

A wedding celebration in Pune

On Sunday we happened upon a wedding procession in which the groom and his entourage was on their way to the bride's home.  Jane did a video of the event and then posted it on YouTube.  A unique and lively celebration!  That's the groom (below) in the silver chariot.

India's comfort food: Khechedi

Last night Jane asked Tiki, who is an outstanding cook, to teach her to make one of Jane's favorite foods, Khechedi (also spelled Khichadi, Khichdi, khichuri, khichari and many other ways).  Click here for an interesting article and great recipe for Khechedi.

As is common with outstanding cooks, they start off by saying that it's a very simple recipe.  But by the time they've finished, there are quite a number of ingredients and special tricks of the trade.  Such was the case with Tiki, so Jane documented the whole process.  In the end we enjoyed a delicious meal consisting of khechedi and stir-fried green beans (par-boiled first) with garlic.

Jane chopping veggies for the Khechedi

Preparing the Khechedi

A visit to Parvati Temple and Saras Baug in Pune

Tiki at the Parvati Temple complex in Pune

It has been both fun and enriching to be with Tiki during this time in India. 

Even on the couple of times when we've had a guide at a tour site, Tiki usually knew more than the guide did. 

When we're at a museum or other cultural or religious site and I'm reading the description of something, Tiki will come up and start putting the whole thing in context, referring back to her own experience of growing up in India and her understanding of Indian history, politics, culture and religion.  What was simply interesting at a superficial level immediately becomes much more meaningful.

Tiki buying flower for an offering at the temple

Marathi is the language spoken in the state of Maharashtra where Pune is located, though many people speak both Hindi and English as well.  Since Tiki speaks Hindi, she is the one who normally gives the rickshaw drivers directions on where we want to go.  What a huge help for us!

A temple at the Parvati complex

Above:  Just like in Mexico City at the Basilica, children often rush over to practice their English and are eager to pose for a picture.

Women we met on our 10-minute walk from Parvati temple to Saras Baug

Below:  The temple at Saras Baug

Save a tree, Save a forest, Save the forest

It's not unusual for grocery stores to charge 3 Rupees for each grocery bag in order to discourage people from using plastic bags.

Some department stores and specialty stores are providing bags made from newspapers.  One such store attaches a label to its bags which reads:

"SAVE A TREE  *  SAVE A FOREST  *  SAVE THE FOREST

The manufacture of paper is one of the major causes of deforestation.

A newspaper bag represents one of the most energy efficient means of recycling paper.

The use of plastic is ecologically destructive.

The use of handmade paper (produced from alternative material like agricultural waste, cloth rags, etc.) promotes small industry."



The people who have been helping us stay healthy and be well-cared for

Just about every day we do a daily run to get fresh fruit and veggies from one of the nearby markets or produce stands.  The market (above) generally has a wide variety of delicious produce.

OM SUPER MARKET delivers purified water to our apartment. It is a basic storefront and while it looks small at first glance, it stocks an incredible number of items from floor to ceiling which are not available at the fruit and vegetable market.  We ask for whatever we need at the front window and an employee brings it to us. 

OM SUPER MARKET is also a well-known location that happens to be a 5 or 10 minute walk from our apartment.  Since streets are not well marked, it's easiest to tell rickshaw drivers to take us near OM SUPER MARKET when we're trying to get home, and then we just direct them the rest of the way. 

L-R:  Manisha, our cook, and Sangita, her sister-in-law who helps her.  This is Manisha's first job outside of her home, and we are delighted to come home each day to her delicious meals.

While Pune can be a rather dusty city, our apartment is somewhat protected because of the amount of vegetation around it.  Still the landlord has Sujata, a delightful young woman, clean the floors and bathrooms three times a week.

First-Aid

Yoga teacher Mary Flemming, who worked in the ER for 15 years, pads Jane's sprained foot with layers of toilet paper, a yoga  eye wrap, and duct tape so that she can get around more easily

Early this week Jane fell at the apartment and hurt her foot.  She immediately did the usual "rest, ice,  compression, and elevation" but was not able to put any weight on it at all.  When she started looking around for where to get crutches, another friend remembered passing a place that said "Nurses Shack" that had crutches, walkers, etc.  We all went in a rickshaw to find the place, and it turned out to be nothing bigger than a booth at a festival.  But it did have the required crutches. 

The next day she saw a doctor and got her foot x-rayed (Total cost:  $12).  Fortunately nothing was broken. 

The finished product

Class this week

MONDAY, 11-14:  Jumpings and rollings

Raya taught us today instead of Geeta.  Was the first time I've ever been in a class with 80 minutes of jumpings.  He started with sun salutes and then mixed it up in a fun way by including all of the standing poses.  Raya is such an accomplished yogi and made the jumpings look so easy as he "floated" into the different poses.  Trying to do the same thing was quite a different story.  Someone observing the class of about 75 people said it looked like a train wreck.  When we practiced again at a much slower speed the next morning, things were beginning to improve.

The jumpings were followed by rollings back and forth from paschimottanasana to halansana -- and then sometimes he would throw in a few other things to get us up and down.  This was the most fun part of the class for me.

TUESDAY, 11-15:  The breath

Prashant taught class today, and his focus, as always, was on the connection of breath-body-mind.  He told some interesting stories to illustrate various points.  At the very end he would announce the next pose so fast that I never could understand him.  Afterwards I heard other people comment on the same thing, so at least I was not alone.

WEDNESDAY, 11-16:  From Guruji to Abhi to us

Abhi taught class today for about 100 people.  One of the things she focused on was straight arm balance.  Mr. Iyengar was practicing in the yoga room the whole time, so he sometimes called her over to talk with her.  A couple of times he had her bring us all over to his area so he could explain something to us while Abhi demonstrated, like how to stretch the back body in straight arm balance.  A wonderful opportunity for all of us to have such direct input from this incredible yoga master.

THURSDAY, 11-17:  Pranayama

This is a pretty basic class, but I always learn something new.

FRIDAY, 11-18:  Backbends with Geeta

Another incredible class.  We're working on basic poses but at a much deeper level than before.  Did lots of variations in shoulderstand.

SATURDAY, 11-19:  Backbends with Abhi

What a class this was.  Definitely pushed me to my max.  We did lots of repetitions of each of the poses.  At one point Abhi said, "Just one more backbend."  After we did it, there was a slight pause and she said, "That wasn't the last one.  Let's do it again."  Later I found out from one of the young teachers who was in the class that Mr. Iyengar had called her over and told her to have us do the backbend again.  Abhi went to bat for us saying, "But they very tired now."  He just insisted, "Do it again."  The teacher, who is in her late '20s or early '30s commented on what a demanding class it had been even for her.

Traffic Control

Jane came home tonight with an almost unbelievable story.  She was in a rickshaw that, along with other rickshaws, got pulled over for making a left-hand turn at a red light -- which is equivalent to making a right-hand turn on red in the U.S.   It obviously is a violation here, but given all the chaotic driving I've seen, it certainly seems one of the least serious violations.  But like "speed-traps" in the U.S., it apparently raised revenue for the police department.

Inches

The driving in Pune is far more hectic than what we experienced on the drive from Delhi to the Taj Mahal.  The latter looked chaotic, but local traffic definitely surpasses that.  If we're not walking, autorickshaw is our normal means of travel.  If it's a busy time, inches separate motorcycles, rickshaws, cars, and bicycles as they weave in and out of each other.  More than once I've thought we were going to collide with something/someone, but the drivers have had great reflexes and we've always been safe.

Above:  Leaving in an autorickshaw for another adventure.  Asked Jane to take a picture of the rickshaw since it was named "Jyoti," which is also the name of one of our long-time teachers who now lives in Vermont.

Weekly schedule

Each day we have a two-hour class and a 2-3 hour practice time scheduled.

So far the teachers have been:
Monday - Geeta Iyengar, Mr. Iyengar's daughter
Tuesday - Prashant Iyengar, his son
Wednesday - A combination of Abhi, his granddaughter, Gulnaaz, and Raya  (Mr. Iyengar sometimes watches the class upside down while he is in a supported  backbend.  On a regular basis he confers with the teachers during the class-- while they have us in a pose like downward dog -- and they carry back his instructions, sometimes prefacing their comments with, "Guruji says ....")
Thursday - have a different teacher each week for pranayama
Friday - Geeta
Saturday - Abhi, Gulnaaz, and Raya

Classes have been challenging but possible.   I would guess that we have from 60-80 people in each class.  Has been fun meeting people from around the world who come to study at the Institute.

Thoughts to ponder ....

"Look for the Water in the Wave."     Thich Nhat Hanh

"Let the backs of your legs flow like a river."  Raya - 11/9/11

"Where prana and apana meet is yoga."  Geeta Iyengar - 11/7/11

"Let your downward dog pose (adho mukha svanasana) be done by you.
Let it be done on you.
Let it be done for you.
Let it be done with you.
Let it be done to you.
Let it be done in you."    Prashant Iyengar - 11/8/11

"Are you staying in a pose or are you maintaining yourself in the pose?"  Prashant Iyengar - 11-8-11

The streets of Pune

As I walk to class each day or go to the fruit and veggie market the sights and sounds of Pune are quite distinct.  Turning the corner onto a main street, the oncoming traffic generally resembles a motorcycle convention -- and that's just a normal day's traffic.

I generally pass a person doing various kinds of repair work as he sits on the ground in baddha konasana, cobbler pose, with the bottoms of his feet together.  Is one thing to do it in class for a few minutes, but quite another to sit like that for much of the day.

Across the street from him a group of elderly men often gather on the curb, with one squatting in the street in malasana, his upper arms on his knees, looking perfectly comfortable as he chats with his friends.

I now understand how it is that pedestrians, especially from the U.S., can get hit here.  Even after a week here it still feels strange to have to look right first, then left before crossing a street instead of vice-versa.  Jane, who has been here several times, has been a big help in getting me oriented to crossing streets safely.

Class with Abhi, Mr. Iyengar's granddaughter

Wednesday, November 2:  Abhi, Mr. Iyengar's granddaughter, taught the class.  She is getting such in-depth instruction from Guruji on a daily basis and then passing it on to us.  He was in the room for the entire class.  At times she would put us in downward dog pose and go over to Guruji so he could consult with her.  Abhi's instruction is so clear -- does very effective demos.  After that first class someone said, "I could go home now and I'd have enough to work on for an entire year."

First class

On Tuesday, November 1, we had our first class with Prashant, Mr. Iyengar's son.  His focus is on philosophy in the asana, more than on the physical details.  For the first fifteen minutes I couldn't understand a word he said.  I just looked to see what the person next to me was doing, and I thought "this is going to be a long month."  But afterwhile I began to catch a few words and was more comfortable.  After class Tiki said she hadn't understood anything at first, and she's from India.  At least I wasn't alone.

Mr. Iyengar

I first got a glimpse of Mr. Iyengar, known by everyone as Guruji, as I went to pick up a yoga mat for class.  He was doing a supported backbend, and his chest looked enormous -- just like in the pictures in Light on Yoga.  Is incredible to think that next month he will be 93 years old.

RIMYI: Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute

Monday, October 31:  We arrived at RIMYI to register for classes.  The Institute is nestled in a residential area and makes maximum use of the space available.  It's a sign of the times that there is security outside the gate and that registration requires a copy of one's passport and visa, a passport photo, and a letter from the apartment landlord and their electric bill.  (This is also required if one wants to get phone or internet access in India.)  Even though we're renting from one of the teachers at the Institute, we couldn't complete our registration until we had the required letter and electric bill.

All of us are thrilled with our schedule.  Some classes at the Institute start at 7 a.m., but fortunately we did not get those.  We're also given a scheduled time when the Institute is available for us to practice.  The Institute is about a 10 minute walk from our apartment.  Definitely brings back memories of walking to language school in Cuernavaca thirty years ago ....

Back to Delhi and on to Pune

Saturday, October 29:  arrived back in Delhi at11:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 30: 
Kathy and Danni had an early a.m. flight to Pune.  Jane, Tiki, and I went to see a few places in Delhi before our afternoon flight to Pune.

 KUTAB MINAR:  the oldest existing mosque in India.  I continue to be amazed by the beauty of the architecture here.

LOTUS TEMPLE:  this is a Bahai temple.  What a profound sense of peace and welcoming by all.