Continuous Growth

I faced my fears and woke up at 5 this morning to go to my very first real yoga class in India. I figured, if I'm going to make this my lifestyle, then I might as well start getting familiar with it now. Everybody in India wakes up early. In such an overpopulated place, if you want some time to yourself you have to get up before everyone else. And it's true, I actually don't mind waking up before sunrise (granted, I was able to get to bed at a decent time the night before). There's a very peaceful inner stillness that I love about the aura of sunrise.

This teacher's style of instruction was different from teachers I've learned from in the West. It was simplistic and soft but strict at the same time, I could tell he knew a lot and I didn't question his methods. Surya namaskar (sun salutation) was very different than I'm used to, but with every round I tried to perfect every single pose and transition with humble devotion. After each round, everybody chanted part of a mantra that I wasn't familiar with. We finished with a very long savasana. I lost myself inside my head. I didn't quite fall asleep but I was definitely in that in-between phase. Then he guided us in some different pranayama (breathing) techniques.

So, for those of you who are interested, here's videos that explain the new pranayama and mudras I've been working on the past week here in the land of yoga:

Anulom Vilom Pranayam - Alternate-Side Breathing

Purifies mind and body, useful in relieving stress and anxiety, benefits sinus and lungs, effective for weight loss, basically your all-around everything breathing technique.

Kapalabhati - Skull-Shining Breath

Clears stale and residual air from the entire respiratory system, saturates blood with breath and prana, strengthens abdominal muscles, heart, and lungs. Raises energy and prepares the mind for meditation. 

Bhramari Pranayam with Shanmukhi Mudra

This one was new to me, and I highly recommend just trying it out as you read this! Causes your brain to vibrate which stimulates the hypothalamus, which in turn tunes your neuro-endocrinal systems. Calms the nervous system and brings your mind into a peaceful mental state.

Besides yogaland, I also spend today drawing abstract trees with my group of special ed students at Lady Andal, and hooping in 100 degree weather with my crazy hoopers and little artists at Seva Sadan. Fridays are the best, here. I spend it with all of my favorite students. After school I read outside for awhile, and Devaki gave me a tour of the canteen where all of our amazingly delicious food is prepared. The cooks were all men, surprisingly. I asked if they would teach me to cook Indian food on weekends, and of course they said no. No women allowed in their kitchen.

I ventured to the orphanage and the girls were just getting ready for bed, but they invited me to watch their prayer again. Some of them showed me their rooms, which were clean and empty. Each girl had a cupboard to call their own, filled with various trinkets, decorations, and mini-shrines to whichever religion they claim. There were no beds, they sleep on the hard floor. During prayer, some English and some Sanskrit, for some reason I almost cried. There is something so inspiring about the power of their spirituality which glues them together, giving them reason to endure this cruel world.

I am learning and growing so much with every day. It's an internal struggle. I miss home, I miss having people to talk with, I'm tired of living inside my head and expressing my thoughts and feelings to this computer rather than another person, but the lessons I'm learning are worth my temporary discomfort. And writing myself through it all helps. I hope you all enjoy reading my nonsense.

Om shanti shanti shanti om

Let there be peace, let there be peace, let there be peace