Saturday 21 September 2013

The Monsoon and the Mundane

#Monsoon: I spoke to someone yesterday who has been in Mysore for a few years and has never known weather like it! It has not stopped raining for days now and to be quite frank, I'm bored of it! In weather terms, I might as well be at home! Grrrr. Saying that, I am sat in bed with my window open, gazing out across the yard onto the park where the haze is slowly lifting to reveal hundreds of dragonflies hovering by. The sun is out! Happy! I will make the most of it this morning and walk to the cafe for breakfast!

#Breakfast: If you ask any of my friends here about what they do all day, it is eat and do yoga! Breakfast is the biggie though, as the two cafes we frequent alternately have a scrumptious menu. I generally alternate between pancakes with banana, cinnamon and chocolate sauce or spinach, tomato and cheese omelette. Washed down with a coffee and an Ardash smoothie. Some days I have all of it, plus chai (bottomless), depending on the time. Breakfast has turned into a 3-4 hour affair! I've never experienced anything like it! If this isn't a totally self-indulgent lifestyle I don't know what is.. and then more hunger sometimes even resorts into manoeuvring to a cafe for an actual lunch! It is probably a good thing that a) my practice is a sweaty mess and lasts for 2.5 hours and b) that I have had dysentery for the past 10 days.





#Shopping: More self indulgence, post breakfast/lunch someone generally needs to buy something, so an hour or two browsing the little boutique shops created for westerners or the local wallers selling crafts and chocolate! On our way from the chocolate man's shop the other day we came across some puppies, followed closely by a cow! Soooo cute! All the cows are pregnant at the moment though, so I've been informed, so can get a bit feisty! We ventured down town a few days back and found an oil shop, hidden in a back room...felt like we were in a drug den to be honest!



#Photoshoot: Yesterday I splashed out and had a photoshoot done by a fantastic and talented photographer Christine Hewitt. (www.yogicphotos.com) Check out her website, she's fab! It was very hard work but she and her assistant made the whole experience awesome and fun, I think we got some great photos which I will share later on the week and hopefully which I can use when I get back for a website or such like. I would highly recommend Christine, without hesitation and her prices are ridiculously cheap compared to what you'd pay back home.

#Art: I have also met a crazy American artist who is doing some awesome stuff which I really like! (www.johngilbertart.com)

and oh yeah, nearly forgot...

#yoga: Don't come to Mysore thinking your practice will get any better! I'm obviously talking for myself here, still...I think mine's getting worse, it's hilarious! I never expected my teacher to split my practice so soon. So I'm now doing second series up to yoga nidrasana (both legs behind head) every day apart from Fridays and Sundays, without the 'warm up' of primary...and it's killing me! Talk about 'Beginner's Mind', my entire body feels as if it has only just begun the practice! But I'm loving the physical practice again, albeit slowly and hopefully my desire to delve into the other aspects of yoga might come back again too...who knows. I still don't really want to talk about yoga or read about yoga, or do anymore yoga classes here, the physical morning practice is enough right now and I'm in the right place for it, so I'm content just to let it be as it is. I did buy the Selected Writings of D.T.Suzuki, Zen Buddhism, at the bookstore the other day in an attempt to coax myself back into the whole thing, it's next to my bed. I may read a chapter tonight. I may not. Who cares?!


#Lazing: What yoga people here do all day ;-p

3 comments:

  1. "If music be the food of love, play on; / Give me excess of it, that surfeiting, / The appetite may sicken, and so die"

    Richard x

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  2. Ha ha, indeed, eat (hang out with friends) and do yoga, that's a typical day in Mysore :-). I have the same feeling, sometimes I think I should be doing more than just practicing ashtanga in the morning but I think this is my karma at the moment, one morning practice and then the rest of the day to do whatever, I might get busy later. Zen Mind, Beginners Mind is in my reading list but I might start with a book that Ciara recommended me "The Artist's Way" ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Ooh, I like the sound of that book! You should read Suzuki when you can, he makes 'practice' so simple, love it!

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