Final Hours in India.

Today is my last day of this long visit to India. This day is so bittersweet, even the weather is trying to convince me to stay. Usually a hot and humid day...today is perfect. It is warm and breezy and I can see mango are starting to pop out on the trees.

This last 3 months has been a great experience. I came for many things, dance, training, family, solitude. I learned so much about myself and felt I found much more than what I expected to. This was truly a great visit for me.







Highlights:

Bharatanatyam. - I now have a very strong base of skills in this art form to build upon. I have set goals and want to dance more. I feel empowered by this dance form and have a great amount of pride in learning it. I feel more connected to god when I dance, so I will continue to dance.








Yoga - I am a certified global Ashtangi. I can now register and teach yoga. I feel wonderful in the knowledge I have learned from my course. I know my personal practice has improved and will continue, but along with that came the education to teach safely, authentically, and to empower others through yogic practices. I want to explore this, I want to help others explore this.


Family - I have spent some serious quality time with my In-Laws. They have got to see me in every capacity, moody, weird, goofy....they saw the real me. This was very important. I am grateful to have had this precious time with them.

Spirituality - I have been blessed in India, truly. I have found a profound and real spirituality on my visit. This feeling replaces a nothingness, or an emptiness that was inside me. I went to a number of temples, churches, and other places of worship. I received profound blessings from Guruji Maharaj in Dehli, and felt a profound connection there. I am still processing this piece...it is heavy. I am happy to talk about it when I get back. I am excited for this beginning in my life.

Charity - I have started laying some idea seeds with my Father-In-Law to work on something both of us have wanted to do for a long time. I am proud of this work. I want to be a part of something bigger, important, lasting....perhaps this is it.

Weddings - I have been to so many Indian weddings of all types. I have had a blast and made some great friends and connections. Indian hospitality is amazing and I was fortunate enough to experience it multiple times.


Gluttony - I have spent, ate, and over-indulged myself at every opportunity. It has been great, but now I am ready to focus. I have been studying my Yamas and Niyamas, reading and digesting how to employ these factors in a modern way in my life. How to employ them in my dance. The real work comes in the USA where the challenge to live them is sometimes hard.

We leave tonight midnight Kerala time. (Noon Sunday for the USA) and will return Monday evening. I am ready to go home and start working on my practice, my daily yoga. It is hard to employ it here as life is so different. I am anxious to see my friends, give them the tokens I got them and catch up on the gossip.
I want to see my family, my kitties, I want to see snow, I want a pizza.

I am now prepared to return home with this new set of eyes, excited to see things in a new way. Ready to love more, ready to live better. I will return again, not sure when for sure, maybe in a year. I will also re-unite with my new yoga family and someday visit the Ashram in Mysore. Until then, Thank you India.

Namaste,
Christy

A Baby Yogini is Born!

I DID IT!!!
I worked so hard for this certification. Ashtanga is very hard. Learning yoga in India is no joke, it is hard in many ways. I doubted myself a few times and was scared I wouldn't pass certification, but I did and I am very proud.

Finally back in Thrissur with my family and my husband. The last month in Kovalam for yoga training was very intense. It was both physically challenging and spiritually awakening. I can finally sit back at my computer and digest some of this experience.


To start, I could not blog while at the training for a number of reasons. First, the coursework and daily regimen kept me very occupied from 6:30am to about 8:00pm I was engaged in the course or dinner and socialization afterwards. Second, my brain was being overloaded with information and my body was being challenged physically, it is hard to reflect on your experience when you are still recovering from it. Third, internet connections were hard. I had to purchase a Netsetter USB for constant access, even then I used it mostly for study or the occasional Facebook check in.

This yoga training changed me profoundly. I am a newly born yogini, I have some different perspectives on my own existence, my own practice, the ethics and morality I choose to employ in my life, and what I perceive as important/necessary in my life. These life changes came from voluntarily forcing myself into an intensively hard living arrangement, a rigorous daily asana practice, the daily challenge of witnessing abject poverty and feeling local resentments and animosity towards foreign visitors, and experiencing overwhelming and unconditional love and support from a group of people who united for the soul purpose of becoming a yogi/yogini. I am humbled by this experience, I am profoundly proud of myself, and grateful to all my teachers.

I am just beginning this process of analysis, and frankly, it will probably take months to fully accept the dynamic changes I feel starting to develop in my own being. How I integrate these feelings and changes into my daily American life will be truly another endeavor. Many of the philosophies I learned about were interesting, Yogic science and living sutras are very archaic. I think part of the challenge is deciphering the information, and artfully applying those wisdoms into modern life/logic. This will be my challenge going forward.

Many people have asked me..."Will you teach, or When you return where are you offering classes?"  I am really humbled by this. My intent was really to do some serious mind/body conditioning and to learn how to bring my practice to a more organized daily ritual. I didn't think anyone would want to learn from me. So to answer that question....YES, sure, want to learn? I would be happy to lead a class. I must give this disclaimer though, Ashtanga yoga is hard. It is nothing like the vinyasa-flow, fitness type yoga Americans seek in gyms. It is regimented. I also learned this form in India, so I will lead my class in an "Indian style" which will be very different from what most people associate with a yoga course.

Let me get home and put out some feelers. If you are interested, please reach out and email me on Facebook. It will help me to know who is interested. I would be honored if anyone wants to do some Yoga with me. I learned some great pranayama and lead meditation techniques that I thought would also be great to introduce to a beginner class.

In the meantime I am using the next twelve days in Thrissur to relax, meditate, hang out with my family, and get ready to return back to the USA. In this time-off I will have a few more adventures. I have a wedding betrothal and a overnight trip into Cochin arranged. I need to return back to the studio to do some finishing dance work with Aparna. I need this time to fully digest all I have learned. I will blog more on that. It takes time...I have time.

Namaste,
Christy

Mid-Week Yoga Training Reflections..

So, I started this journey to learn Ashtanga Yoga to develop my own daily yoga practice and to apply the discipline learned through this practice to my dance training, and ultimately my life. I wanted to develop not only muscular conditioning in my aging body, but to develop my mind as well. I was searching for things I believed were not inside me. I was looking to acquire characteristics I thought were outside me.

Discipline.
Duty to self.
Duty to dance/tradition.
Surrender of ego.
Bhakti or engagement with God.


What I am discovering is these elements already live within me. I just need to learn how to engage them.

Today is turning out to be a very special day. It is day 10 out of 30. In day ten I learned how large the universal consciousness is and how small but important I am in it. I learned that being hyper-flexive is not a curse - it just can provide for alignment challenges. Today I learned that I CAN do Tryanga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana (I couldn't when I started the course). I above all learned that secret journey of learning any yoga, whether it is dance, art, or cooking..etc...is to release that ego and to focus on the task. Focus devoid of glory or self adoration, focus truly to its employment, engaged fully in the pursuit of that endeavor regardless of what end it brings to you. This is the full definition of what

Discipline is
Duty is
Surrender is
Bhakti is

A good day...

Namaste,
Christy

Yoga training week two!

Finally another post! Sorry guys, I am not able to document as much as I wish to as the course has me very busy from sunrise to sunset. I have homework daily, and really must relax my muscles in between our vigorous asana (pose) trainings/practice.

I have now completed week one of the Samyak Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training. It is very vigorous. We rise early and must meet at the yoga shala at 6:25am. The Samyak shala is about a 5 minute walk from our hotel. Once we arrive we do morning opening chants, then immediately start our warm-up and entire primary series practice. The practice is in its entirety and we do all the vinyasas in between. The series takes about 2 hours to complete. That is two hours of solid yoga; asana and vinyasa. Like I mentioned, it is vigorous. We break for breakfast after morning practice, then return for a few hours of intense yoga sutra theory, pranayama study, kriya study, and the exploration of ethical yoga practice. We cover in depth all eight limbs, not just asana, alignment, and corrections. Eventually, we will also have anatomy study and prenatal yogic training. On top of all that we must learn each asana in detail and the proper corrections, we also must practice learning to teach, so everyday in groups of five we take turns leading the primary series, breathing, and vinyasas. We finish each day with an intensive vinyasa flow practice, again 2 hours, then chant Kirtans.  That is easily over 4 hours of physical yoga 6 days a week.

This course is hard. Many of the students in this course are very seasoned Ashtangis. I am impressed and moved by their passion to teach. I am learning all I can to improve my own daily practice. Ashtanga is hard, I personally think it is the hardest form out of all the yoga derivations.  It requires a dicipline and the daily asana practice can be quite challenging, especially the sitting series. I am hanging in there, working super hard, and growing stronger and more flexible every day.  We all sweat buckets in class. I have not honestly sweat this much continuously in my life. I am now getting quite comfortable wearing wet spandex, and I am getting used to the smell of my own and others perspiration. It's a fucking badge. I worked hard for that stink!!


Sorry guys at home, don't have more to post yet. I am working hard, studying, making new muscles and new friends. Each day so far has been a gift in fitness, discipline, and release of ego. I will have more contemplation after the course, and of course time to digest. Thanks for reading and stay warm back home.

Namaste,
Christy

Back Online and in Yoga Training.

Saloni Aunty and I after receiving Durga Ma's blessings

I have been away for quite a bit. I traveled to Delhi for my buddy Nishant's wedding. I spent two days in Rohtek, then to Delhi for the actual wedding. Lots of food dancing, dols, bhangra....so so much to tell. I will share in another posts in a few days. Still also waiting on the amazing photos!

Bade Mandir, Temple of Guruji Majaraj

When in Delhi, I went to the Chattarpur Mandir and the Bade Temple. I received personal blessings at both temples ... at Chattarpur I received a Chunni (veil) and received Durga Mata's blessing, and at the Bade Temple I received a special honor of offering Guruji his evening prasadam. Both of these things were great honors, and very auspicious for my Yoga training. 

Chattarpur Mandir

Chattarpur Mandir

I arrived in Kovalam three days ago. I had my Samyak Yoga puja and initiation. I met all the students. They are yogis/yoginis from around the world. (France, Belgium, Canada, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Australia, India) A great talented group, lots of passion for the yoga and already in the 2nd day I can see great teachers emerging.



Yoga training is hard....straight up. This is not a walk in the park. I am on my second day and I am sore. We work hard in our yoga sessions. The practice is very quick and I am new to Ashtanga, and I feel like I am thrown in a blender at high speed. We spend at least two hours in nonstop Ashtanga Yoga, Suriya Namaskara, and primary series poses every morning. Intense practice. I am getting very fit. We have theory for a few hours, hands on training in corrections and deep analysis of each asana (pose). We study chakras and pranayama (deep,connected breathing practice).  And we must lead the class and teach the poses. This is so far an amazing experience. I am learning to push hard, but to also release that ego, listen to my body and be involved in my practice. I am sore, tired and must study every night.

So sorry for the short post. I will catch up soon and write more about some of the hilarity and adventure I have had over the last few days, but now I have to prep for tomorrows class, do some meditation, eat a snickers (my treat) and then crash on the bed and get up and do all this again tomorrow at 6:25am.

Namaste,
Christy

Saying goodbye for a bit to my second home.

 Today is my last day in Thrissur. The last 4 and 1/2 weeks here have been great. I have visited my Indian family many times in the last four years, but this time was the first time I went alone for an extended period. I wanted to spend some quality time with my Father-in-Law living here and getting acclimated to Kerala. While here I also wanted to dedicate time to advancing my Bharatanatyam dance training, set up some important future plans, and show my family that India can be my second home.

An Indo-American marriage comes with many more responsibilities than a typical American marriage. All marriages have responsibilities to family, however, culturally Indian marriages have additional spousal responsibilities. I am the "eldest daughter" that means my responsibility to care for my Father-in-Law is both my duty as well as Ajith's. I wanted this time with my Father-in Law because I love him, but also to show our family, and maybe myself as well, that India is not a place where I couldn't live, or care for my Father-in-Law properly if needed. This will maybe be hard to understand for Americans, but over here I needed to show people and family that it is possible. 

Many people that have not lived here, or have visited as a tourist, have very romantic ideas about India. It IS a wonderful and spiritual place. It IS a place of lovely people and beautiful weather. The colors of India ARE intoxicating. But beyond all that surface there is a harsh reality to this place that, because of my marriage, is now something I must adapt to. Being in India beyond the resorts and tourism enclaves has challenges. Shopping is nearly impossible by myself. Some areas are unsafe for women - you can't really go out at night safely. Additionally, I will never really blend in and that makes me a target. Thrissur can also be hard to navigate.. no.. absolutely impossible to navigate. My family would never let me get in a rickshaw by myself here in Thrissur ... it would be too hard to manage. I can never really visit India as a tourist. There are both positives and negatives to this. Luckily, with this trip I get a little of both worlds, I can be an adopted Indian daughter, live in the real India, and be a tourist!

Speaking of being a tourist. I am going to Kovalam for the whole month of December. Kovalam is a tropical destination and is known for its tourism trade as a center for yoga-auryuveda training.  Like many tourist destinations it is beautiful, but also has scams. I have been fortunate to be accepted into a very reputable yoga training site. I will be training with Samyak Yoga of Mysore.

I have done much research for the last few months on Yoga training sites. I knew the style I wanted to train in (Ashtanga) and I contacted many organizations. I wanted to find a site that was in India to coincide with my visit here, but the actual location in India was not important. I found this program fit my requirements. I applied and was accepted. 

Samyak Yoga is run by 3 traveling Yogis. They are all Mysore trained in Ashtanga Yoga. They are world class teachers and offer teaching courses in various places around the world. In the winter months they teach in Kovalam (Kerala), however, they have training in France, Bali, Japan, and other parts of India at other times of the year. I chose this program because of its high level of integrity, its rigor, its registration with Yoga Alliance, and because it is internationally recognized. 

This program will be hard. Here is the daily schedule that they emailed.

*Tentative schedule 6 days a week with 7th day for rest and personal study.

6:30-8:30 – Up at sunrise for Ashtanga Vinyasa (traditional practice)

Breakfast

10:00-11:00 – Lecture/study

11:00-11:30 – Pranayama

11:30-12:30 – Teaching Methodology

Lunch

12:45-01:30 – Group Class/Teaching Practice

04:30-06:00 – Intensive Vinyasa Flow (Practice)

06:00-06:30 – Kirtans/Chants/Meditation

Dinner

7:45-8:30pm – Testing/Reviews

This program prides itself on the establishment of a mindful and disciplined daily practice. It is not just asana (poses) memorization or vinyasa oriented. It has a highly spiritual aspect to it. We will learn proper yogic ideas and training, train in the sutras, in Sanskrit, in chakras, in Ayurvedic ideas as well.  We will learn to practice yoga both physically and ethically. This school takes pride in who passes the course and who teaches under their name. All students must apply for acceptance and test to receive certification. It is not a yoga retreat, but a school and it is well received. It is recognized/accredited by Yoga Alliance, which means when I pass I can register and be accredited by Yoga Alliance as a teacher. It is not the hardest program out there, but it ranks at towards the top in authenticity. Samyak makes good teachers, the Yogis have trained in the Gurukula system under a common master in Mysore and take their brand and their mission very seriously. I am honored to be accepted to this program. Excited to learn from these men, and will do my best to pass testing and receive certification. 

Who knows what the future brings. I would love to come back and work towards developing a teaching practice back home, this idea is in my head, but for now my focus is learning and establishing my own daily Yoga.

Namaste, 

Christy

A small forced convalescence

I am resting a minor, but potentially dangerous toe sprain for the next three days. Aparna and I have made the appropriate decision to stop dancing on it as the swelling increases when I have vigorous dance sessions. The sprain happened  a few days ago during one of my home practices on the porch. I was doing very fast foot-work drills and I got too close to one of the chairs and very rapidly clipped the leg of the chair with my pinky toe. It hurt like a [insert expletive in any language]

Tai Tai, Dhit Dhit.....OUCH!!!

The result; I have finished my Bharatanatyam training for this month. I will return back to Thrissur in January for a few weeks, it is then that I will return back to Kalabharati's studio for four or five lessons to recap/ review, finish the Padam, and receive my certification. I will also have an additional "dress-up" lesson (wheee) in proper stage make up and how to wear the costume properly. Fun things ahead, but for now NO DANCING, ice, and enjoying the gorgeous windy Kerala weather....A small forced convalescence.

In this relaxation time I am going to eat, cook, pack, clean, do laundry, do a bit of hair ring crafting. Enjoy the last sweet moments with my Father-in-law.

This month has been wonderful. I have not often mentioned details of my Father-in-Law (Appachan), but he is an incredible man. I often kid with him...."I don't know why I am spending thousands of dollars looking for a Yogi, when you are the most centered person I know."  Appachan is a model, and in fact, I suspect I have already learned more from him then I ever will from anyone else.  

My Father-in-Law is widowed. He lost his wife about 10 years ago. Grace, Ajith's mother, I never got to meet. Appachan lives alone here in Thrissur, he is a retired Sociologist and published author, and now holds a prestigious role as the Chairmain of the Children's Welfare Committee for a government run children's home(s) for boys and girls in Thrissur.  In this role he makes legal welfare decisions on very serious and delicate cases involving children that are seized by the state in matters of various domestic abuses or crimes. It is a high-ranking authoritative position and at times it puts him in danger. 

Most of the crimes he deals with are of horrendous sexual abuses against children. India, like anywhere else has child abuse, incest cases, and sex trafficking. He has seen it all...imagine the worst, most vile atrocities on children, and he has seen it and intervened.  This has become his life's purpose and he cares for these kids very truly. He is worried for the future of their welfare, and is often fighting a corrupt government system that looks at these children as dispensable human trash. 

Without getting too far into this (it's complicated)...my trip here has many facets. I am doing my personal dance and yoga study, I am visiting and getting to know relatives and friends, but my third reason I have not spoken much about. I will mention it here briefly as it is very serious and important to me.  It is worth mentioning. I am also here to work with my father-in-law on creating a non profit organization that will create safe shelters for children who suffer abuse in Kerala. 

Right now in Thrissur this concept does not exist. These organizations are rare in Kerala, and my Father-in- Law only has a year and a half left as an appointed chairman. Once his time is up, he cannot be re-elected as chair. He has served two terms and that is the limit for this role. He is concerned for the future, there is massive corruption, and few people that care about the welfare of these children. We  have discussed and decided to see what steps we can make in making a change. The long-game plan is to have a safe home/shelter for children to freely come to escape the abuses of home/work/life. How this plan will proceed is what we are currently discussing. This idea has been in the making for a while, but it is not a easy task. It is complicated and we are working out best ways to accomplish this long term goal.

I completed my Masters in Nonprofit Management in preparation of this idea. It started as a seed and has been at least two years in the making. Timing is now right, and I came here to sit down and involve the necessary people. I have also been visiting and meeting people here that are sympathetic to our cause. People we may work with or need in the future, I have also visited the children's home on many occasions to get a sense of what is the current situation. I will talk more on the specifics of this once firm ground is established. When I return back home I now have a green light and can completed some of the steps I have been waiting to start, but right now here in India, we are fleshing out the structures and operational plans. There is much to consider and I wanted to be here to pitch some ideas to Appachan and others and get the ball moving. 

As you can see this trip is big, possibly complicated. I have been wanting/planning to jump off into this pool for a long time. I have been patiently waiting for the right time, and luckily for me that time frame started to reveal itself. This trip has had so many wonderful life-changing doors and facets for me. I am growing so much. My personal mantra since my 38th birthday has been.."I want to live the next half right, and on my terms".  I am true to that. I am now putting dream plans in action, learning the things I have always wanted to learn, trying to grow beyond myself to include others in a meaningful way, tossing aside the conventions I was taught were "right", and going forward with a personal jet-pack of AWESOMENESS strapped on my back. No boundaries. 

The next phase: Yoga and intensive spiritual and physical practice.

Stay tuned, the next blog will be about my upcoming Yoga training. I am hella nervous, and hella excited. I am gonna meet some rite-hippies, some wandering yogis (yoginis), some super ripped-up euros, and in the middle there will be me. I am excited, I have already met (online)some of the very cool people joining this training. I am eager to learn from them and to meet the extraordinary Yogis (and Yogini) that run this organization. Check out Yogi, Rakesh's blog. Pretty cool.

Stay tuned, 

Namaste, 

Christy