This morning was the last class of August at RIMYI, and Guruji taught with compassion through Abhi and Raya – a challenging class of chest openings followed by seated Pranayama. The class was only half full, as many of the students have already gone home.

Last night, the Pranayama class was taught by Rajlaxmi, and she was marvelous! As my friend Jill said, by the end of the class it felt as though the room was one big communal lung.

After Pranayama class Jill, Kathleen, Sharon and I went to Vishali’s for dinner, and then after that I went to Kathleen’s flat where we stayed up late laughing and talking about how much stuff we bought, whether we’d have room for it in our luggage, and how heavy it will be, among lots of other things …

This being the last day of the month and my last day of classes, I think now is an appropriate time to clear up some misunderstandings I was given before my trip about interactions between Westerners and the Indian people at the Institute. Without going into too much detail and keeping this as simple as possible, I found the Indian people to be gracious, nice, generous and absolutely lovely. Here’s how it works… a smile in India, no matter where you are, never goes unnoticed and is always returned.

On Tuesday, Nana took us for one last rickshaw ride to see another temple. Along the way, more views from the rickshaw …One scooter, three adults and two large bags of rice.The guy on the block wall must be the GF.Water buffalo (yay) have the right of way.Hoofed animals can sleep wherever they want.Along the way, we drove through the military base area. This is the Indian Army Hospital. Where else can you get fresh coconut milk and corn on the cob on the way to the emergency room?Here is the Command Hospital.The Military Intelligence Training School & Depot.Officer’s Mess.Artificial Limb Centre.Armed Forces Medical Stores Depot.Then we made it to the gates of the temple.

Look what was on the other side of the wall … Yay! Piglets!

And on the way back to our flat… here’s an Army kid school bus.

More child safety.

This afternoon I’ll have one last practice at the Institute before leaving tomorrow, and tonight Kathleen and I are going to a really nice South Indian restaurant within walking distance. We’ve been gearing up and looking forward to it!

Tomorrow we don’t have to be out of our flat until noon, so I’ll have plenty of time to post one last blog from Pune before the long haul to Mumbai to catch our flight.

I’ll leave you with a self-photo I took while riding in the rickshaw. Fumes can get quite bad.

From Pune with Love!

Yesterday was my last medical class. There were very few students, and no “Iyengar” presence. I was on my own, which was good because that’s how it’s going to be when I get home. After class, I had just enough time to wet-wipe my armpits (& other areas), change my clothes and rush back down to street level where Nana would be picking us up.

It was a fairly long drive, and there was a lot of traffic and commotion due to the preparations for the Krishna birthday celebrations that would occur later that evening in many neighborhoods around Pune (& all over India, I’m sure).

When we finally arrived at Nana’s building, some young girls who were playing in the alleyway spotted Sharon and me and came running over to see what we were doing there and where we were going. Evidently Americans aren’t a common sight around there.

We walked up three floors, took our shoes off and entered the small flat where Nana, his wife, two sons and daughter-in-law live together. The living room also serves as a bedroom for the youngest son. The aroma of Indian cooking wafted through the air as we sat on the bed, looked through photo albums and listened to Nana share stories of other yogis he’s spent time with.

Here’s an aerial view of Nana’s wife, Nirmala, and daughter-in-law, Archana, in the kitchen preparing our dinner.

This is the view of the kitchen sink area. They don’t have running water. Yes, I know, there’s a sink, but the water doesn’t come out of the faucet. They carry their water up to their flat in large stainless steel pots.

This is the shrine in the corner of the kitchen. You can also see it in the aerial view, above.

And here are their stainless steel plates, cookware and containers.

Dinner, below, consisted of rice, chapati, deep fried battered onions, bean sprouts, dal and baby eggplant. The baby eggplant (in small dish on far left) was out of this world – spicy & flavorful. Everything was absolutely delicious!

Here, Nirmala is cutting a lime for us to squeeze on our eggplant.

Here’s a closeup of the tool she was using. Yikes! Watch your fingers (& toes)!

Below, Nana, Sharon and I enjoying our meal. Indians eat very late, and the ladies were waiting for Nana’s youngest son, Raosaheb, to get home from work. A typical dinner time in Nana’s home would normally be around 9:30pm. I believe this is customary, as the Indians take a long break in the middle of the day. Many times, businesses (including banks) are closed a couple hours in the early afternoon.

Below, the oldest son, Balasaheb (married to Archana).

Below, Nirmala, and below that is Nirmala and Archana – not only great cooks, but they’re beautiful too.

Dinner was fabulous, and I made a pretty good dent in mine.

Dessert was good, too.

Group photo.

What an honor for Nana to welcome us into his home and share his family, food and culture with us. We are truly blessed.

Earlier in the day, I took a walk with Kathleen, and captured some photos of the community coming together to decorate and prepare for the celebrations that were to take place in the evening.

Later, there would be a competition for teams of men who create pyramids to try to break the pot in the middle, which has a religious significance.

Bling for the celebrations.

We didn’t venture out to see the celebrations after Nana dropped us off, but we could hear the drums and music loud and clear, even with the windows closed.

Parting picture, below, is of a female ring-necked parakeet that sat still long enough in the palm tree below our window for me to zoom in and capture her.

This afternoon – coffee & chocolate! Then Pranayama from 6-7:30pm, followed by dinner with yoga friends.

Namaste & Love from Pune!

It’s Thursday and I just got done with a 2 1/2 hour practice! A lot of the students who signed up for August have already left, so the practice room was very quiet, which made for a very peaceful practice. Time just slipped away from me…

Our flight back home is just around the corner and we’re planning our last hoorays. Nana has invited Sharon and me to his house for dinner tonight. His wife is cooking for us. Tomorrow night we’re going out to a favorite local Indian restaurant with some yoga friends, and Saturday Kathleen and I are going to a South Indian restaurant that’s supposed to be very nice.

On a recent outing, Nana stopped at a beautiful nearby wildlife sanctuary in the middle of a Model Colony neighborhood. Model Colony is the name of the suburb in Pune where we’re staying. When we pulled up in the rickshaw there were some boys in the street playing what looked to me to be Kick the Can. I recognized it immediately, reminiscing about my childhood, playing in the neighborhood with all my friends. None of them spoke English, but through my trusty rickshaw driver/interpreter, I learned the name of the game – “Dabada,” which means … drum roll … “can!” I quickly made friends and, after the can was kicked, these boys posed for a picture.

After I took their picture, I motioned my arm and said hurriedly “Now GO & hide!!” Then the boy who was “it” came running back with the can, which was really a plastic bottle half filled with sand, and I delayed him by taking his picture.

It really is the small things in life that make me happy 🙂

Here’s a short video I took at the park. It’s special to me because, well, you’ll see at the end. Please be patient. The video may take some time to load.

The nature reserve was closed, so we weren’t able to walk through the park, but we were happy to see that it exists. Looking from outside the fence, we were able to enjoy the serenity.

& LOOK!! A frog! (again… it’s the little things…) Sorry, it’s a little blurry. This little camera isn’t so good at zooming in on small objects.

Another day, I went to Dimpex, the batik place where they make their own products. I ordered a specially-made batik Ganesha t-shirt that I received today that I absolutely LOVE. I’m wearing it now & don’t ever want to take it off. I also ordered a t-shirt with my website logo on the back and a person doing a headstand with a backbend on each side. It turned out so nice that I’ve decided to order a bunch to sell at my studio. Here’s a picture of the ladies in back of the store creating t-shirts. That’s a big vat of dye in the middle.

And these are the owners – such nice people! I love them.

Sadly, this afternoon is my last medical class. I plan on soaking it up! Then dinner at Nana’s.

Parting thought for the day… Motorcycles can be “Good Scarriers” too.

From Pune with Love!

This morning we were treated again with Nawaz’s amazing teaching at the women’s class. It was all about the breath, taking the anterior posterior back (yes, there is such a thing) in to lift the sternum, and opening and broadening the chest. The Pranayama was basic, but there’s so much to learn at every stage, and each teacher brings new understandings that it is always worth learning and re-learning.

There are only three more days of classes left before we leave Sunday. I can’t believe that I was given this incredible opportunity and that it’s almost over. With that said, let me try to squeeze the rest of my 1,000+ pictures in the upcoming blogs. I suppose if I don’t get through them all, I can always continue my India blogging until I’ve expired all my pictures and stories.

Last weekend, I had lunch at Lalit Mahal again. It’s only a short walk from our flat. Here I am with yoga comrades Sharon and Jill (Australia).

Here’s a small residence we passed on the way back. Notice the clump of old broken bricks in the driveway. There seems to be a lot of piles of bricks everywhere. Odd.

There’s a vacant lot that appears to be an abandoned construction site. It’s surrounded by chain link fence, which would explain why it’s not filled with trash. I think it’s kinda cool, so I slipped my lens through the holes in the fence and now you get to see it – the enchanted abandoned construction site.

I like this brick wall.

Typical sight of rickshaw drivers taking a break. This is a “hot” rickshaw corner. There’s always one here if you need it.

Cheese Balls anyone? … to go with the Tomato Balls I posted a couple weeks ago.

A goat just hanging out, eating trash on the side of the road.

Here are some random photos I’ve taken from rickshaw rides.

Child safety always comes first.

Yay!!! Camels! And, of course, Indian people always willing to smile for the camera.

Yay! Another camel a few blocks away. I’m getting pretty quick with the picture taking …

Yay again!! Cows (eating trash, of course).

And let’s have a Yay for the cow in the middle of the road – always a photo op!

Nana slows down for me so I can get a better shot. I think he thinks I’m nuts …

These bamboo stakes are what is used to hold the next floor up during construction. I see this on every construction site at this phase.

Random:

This afternoon, I’ve got practice at 4pm. Then, evidently it’s Krishna’s birthday today and there’s supposed to be some kind of celebration this evening, so we may venture out to see what it’s all about. I wouldn’t want to miss any good photo opportunities.

I’ll sign off today with a quote from Nawaz’s Pranayama class this morning. “Let go of the psychological garbage.”

From iNdia with Love.

It’s Pranayama week in Pune, which means that (at least so far, but it’s only Tuesday) all the classes have a Pranayama theme. For those of you who don’t know, Prana in Sanskrit means cosmic energy / breath. According to Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, “Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention.” (YS II.49)

To my surprise, the medical class was shortened a half hour to allow enough time for a half hour of Pranayama. This meant that I had to quickly work through my medical class sequence so I could squeeze all my poses in within the 75 minute timeframe given. Mission accomplished, and the short, but sweet, Pranayama was fabulous.

This morning I had another great 2 hour practice. I don’t ever plan on practicing for 2 hours. It’s just that once I get started, one pose leads to another and before I know it 2 hours have gone by. I just have to be careful to not work the shoulder too hard so I have enough shoulder stamina for the afternoon medical class.

At the Institute, it’s customary to “prostrate” before Guruji (kneeling and touching his feet). This morning was very special. I walked up to him, looked him straight in the eyes and said “Thank you so much.” He smiled and I kneeled down to touch his feet. Then I looked at him again and repeated my thanks. His smile was so big and his face was so compassionate it brought tears to my eyes.

Then, about 45 minutes later, I noticed Geetaji had entered the room and was sitting at the platform. I took my opportunity to also thank her in a similar manner, looking her in the eyes, and receiving a warm smile in return. I am so grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to study here, and for the direct medical class input for my shoulder surgery recovery, and am glad I was able to give thanks to both of them before I leave. I was also happy to see Geetaji in the asana room. She hasn’t taken part in any of the practices or classes the last two weeks because of a death in their family. Maybe this is a sign that she will oversee the last two women’s classes and Friday Pranayama class???

On one of our shopping trips… Look. Pune has Domino’s Pizza.

And Pizza Hut!

As I’ve mentioned before, safety is always a priority in Pune.

Here’s Mohammad (from Cashmere) putting the hard-core sell on Sharon.

And this is a whole display of Ganeshas next door to the Cashmere shop.

We drove through a very nice neighborhood.

And we saw cows. I love cow sightings!

And this scaffolding truck (see yesterday – the construction workers across the street taking the bamboo scaffolding down).

I think this house must leak …

Waiting at the bus stop.

And two women out for a scooter ride.

On the agenda for the rest of today is another rickshaw ride with Nana, then medical class followed by class observation.

Today’s final words… I think I may be addicted to ghee.

From Pune with Love!

I had a great day off yesterday and tons of fun shopping. The people here are so nice. First of all, it rained almost all day, as our newly found Iranian friend, Navid, who lives in Germany and is on a 1-month neurology internship in Pune, told us as he took shelter in the gem store. Don’t get impatient. Depending on your device, it may take a little time to load these videos.

When he said that, I didn’t realize he wasn’t Indian, but also didn’t expect to hear that saying in India. But evidently it was one of the first things he learned while studying English in school.

There are a few typical pictures I still have to share from the drive back from Alandi.

The apartment/condo building under construction below is in the middle of nowhere …

Water towers.

I have no idea what this is.

Cows & dogs dumpster diving.

Why not kill two birds with one stone … It appears this guy stopped to take a leak and make a phone call.

Notice this row of homes that appear to be nothing more than huts, but they all have some sort of dish tv.

Meanwhile, back at the flat. Here are some birds that decided to hang out on our window sill one evening. That’s our table cloth hanging to dry under the window.

And you know those utility boxes we have on the sidewalks that are sometimes painted with art and are always locked up? Well, here’s what they look like in Pune.

The guys on the construction site across the street are taking the scaffolding down – 8 floors up! Notice the safety gear and harnesses.

And below, the cement mixers are hard at work.

I guess having a house built around me while I was growing up and being married to an electrician “sparks” my interest in these things.

Today begins my last week in India. I’m still really enjoying it, but I’m looking forward to going home. If not for FaceTime, Skype, email and texting, I’d probably be horribly homesick, but being able to say good morning to your evening and good evening to your morning has made being away for this extended period easy. I’ve been able to stay in touch with my family and keep tabs on the new parents-to-be with hopes that delivery remains pending until my return.

I have taken nearly 900 photos and have captioned every one of them on my photo stream. At this rate, I should easily surpass 1,000! Sorry if some of the pictures are a little blurry, but snapping a quick photo from a bumpy rickshaw isn’t always easy.

I had another great 2 hour practice this morning and I have medical class this afternoon, followed by class observation. With only three medical classes left this month, I’m looking forward to making the most of them and learning as much as I can.

I was requested by my Boise friend, Don, to get a photo of the “shoe deposit” area outside the Institute for the cover of the IYNAUS magazine, Yoga Samachar, which will be about Iyengar Yoga “community.” I’ll leave you with one of the pictures I submitted (permission granted by Pandu).

The flyer top center is an appeal for someone to adopt a dog.

From Pune with Love!

This morning, I observed the final children’s class of my Pune visit. I have enjoyed so much watching these kids stay with the energy level for a full hour of jumping in and out of poses, the names of which are spoken only in Sanskrit. There were at least 75 children in class, and while most of the children stayed on task, there were those with minds going in all directions – Citta Vrtti (fluctuations of the consciousness) in Sanskrit. It brings back memories of kids’ pee wee soccer when the goal keeper has his arms entwined through the net as the ball comes flying past him.

As RIMYI is closed on Sundays (with the exception of the 8am children’s class) the rest of the day is a free day for me. Sharon and I are going shopping, and I swear this is my last shopping trip! I had to buy another piece of carry-on luggage yesterday to transport all my “stuff” back home. Part of the bulk is the four blankets and bolster I bought so I could do some restorative in my room while I’m here, and then there’s the Patanjali for my yoga studio, and clothes and other “stuff.”

Here are some photos I took on our walk back to the rickshaw. Remember the kids on the bikes? Well here they are again with their friends…
How many people can you fit into a VW Bug? How many people can you fit into a telephone booth (what’s that?)? How many people can you fit into a rickshaw??? It’s hard to see in this picture, but this rickshaw was packed with people.
Interesting-looking water tower.I got pretty close to this bull.But then when it started moving toward me, I went across the street. It did too …Another shrine. They really are all over the place here. This one is just on the side of the road.Back in front of the temple, this man is putting some sort of marking on the foreheads of these boys…Below, that’s Nana in the middle (looking back), and Sharon on the left.There are lots of food vendors. This guy is selling what looks to be a deep fried grilled cheese sandwich and some other deep fried food. I did not try this.At the rickshaw, this guy was very curious. Where are you from? America?Can my friend take a look at you too?Ah heck… The more, the merrier! I kinda like the short bald guy with the partially zipped up jacket.Making friends doesn’t end at the rickshaw. As we drove through Alandi, this group of men were also quite happy to see us.… and these guys really wanted our attention.This couple asked if I’d also take their photo. As I took the picture, the attractive man with the dyed red hair happened to steal the show.I took a better photo for the couple, and notice the guys in the background are still waiving!

As we drove away, Nana said to me with a huge smile on his face, “Chere, you make many friends!”

Just before leaving Alandi, we stopped and shared a meal of Channa Masala, rice pilau and garlic naan. Num num.

Of course, we bought Nana’s meal, too. Slight obstacle… no utensils.

Whew, I’m tired reminiscing and posting all that. I better rest up for my shopping spree outing.

I’ll close giving recognition to the Camelbak All Clear Microbiological UV Water Purifier. This little device that charges by USB has been keeping me healthy by purifying and making my water safe to drink. This is hands down the best thing I brought with me to India.

From Pune with Love.

Yesterday I talked about a beginner Pranayama class taught by Nawaz that I observed Thursday night. I had not heard of Nawaz before, but while observing the class, I was impressed with her knowledge, clarity & ability to teach with maturity. Although I benefitted from observing the class, I really wished I’d taken the class. Wishes do come true, however. Nawaz taught the advanced Pranayama class last night, and I got to experience her teaching first hand. Class was wonderful.

The Women’s class this morning was again taught by Guruji through Abhi and Raya, and it was another great (& strenuous) class! I continue to work at the tressler for support for my shoulder, and with some modifications I’m able to do all the poses.

Back to Alandi and the second temple we went to.

This lady is putting garland on a deity as her baby cries.

Tomorrow my blog will tour our walk back to the rickshaw and more. Right now, I’m heading out the door for 4pm practice at the Institute.

I’ll leave you with a picture of a sweet sleeping baby I saw today after lunch at Lalit Mahal.

I had a great medical class yesterday – another challenging pose added to my sequence and additional modifications to some existing poses. After that, I observed a beginner Pranayama class taught by Nawaz. Nawaz, an older Indian woman, taught the class with maturity, clarity and conciseness. She was a breath of fresh air (pun intended).

At all the bookstands in Pune, there are books written in English. A sign that English isn’t spoken much in Alandi is the fact that none of the books sold here are written in English.

A very common sight – women carrying goods on their head.

Interestingly, there’s a “gasket” used to pad the top of the head and make the carrying of objects easier. Those gaskets are used as yoga props for various needs and they come in different sizes. They’re quite popular in the Iyengar Yoga world, and hard to get. I’ve ordered a set for my studio, and have also been asked to bring two sets back for a friend in the states. Hopefully no one will want me to bring anything else back because I’m out of room in my luggage!

Now this was scary. You can’t see the Good Scarrier driver because he’s around the other side of the vehicle wrapping twine around these cans that go well past the bed of the truck. I’d sure hate to be behind him on a bumpy Alandi road.

These two boys road their bikes past us and then stopped and waited for us. They both learned English in school and the one on the right was quite friendly, following us around for a long time, smiling and practicing his English.

At the end of this walk, we came to our second destination – another temple, which I’ll share tomorrow.

This morning I had a short practice. Sharon and I are going to do some shopping this afternoon and then Pranayama class this evening.

I’ll leave you with pictures of what I indulged in yesterday with Kathleen and Aubrey – Chocolate Chip Cake and Chocolate Excess Cake, and of course, coffee.

I can only tell you about the temple because cameras are not allowed inside.

First, we purchased some garlands to place on the shrines inside the temple.

This is also where we shed our shoes. Nana knows this vendor and likes to make sure our shoes will be there when we return for them. Very nice people, and happy to pose for me.

This is where everyone else leaves their shoes.

Because it had recently rained, the pavers were wet, slippery and gooey.

There are lots of vendors outside the temple selling garlands, friendship bracelets & the like.

Little did we know that we would have to wait in a long line to get into the temple. The line was set up the same way the lines at Disneyland are set up. In fact, it felt as though we were in line for the Pirates of the Caribbean, except we were the tourists.

At one point, the line interweaved its way through a small room wherein there were seven lanes zigzagging back and forth. There must’ve been close to 200 people in that room, and of those 200 people, I was the tallest… and I didn’t look like everyone else… and neither did Sharon. I could see everyone in the room, and all eyes were on me. Robb, you would have soared!

As we zigzagged through the line, we passed different people as they stared, smiled and touched us. There was a good looking young boy, probably 12-14 with his family, who spoke English. He asked where we’re from and I told him he speaks very good English. That made him smile. It made his family smile, too. It made everyone else smile, too. It made me smile in a big way. In fact, the euphoria I felt was absolutely incredible. The people were so nice.

The lady in front of me spoke very broken English, and I struggled to understand her, but she told me I couldn’t put the small rose at the deity because it had a scent. I didn’t understand why, but I did what I was told.

The inside of the temple was very small and only a few people could be inside at a time. It was very old and encased in concrete or other kind of block. We spent only a short time there before being moved on. We saw other rooms of worship, and in one of the rooms where there was very beautiful tile work, we sat with Nana as he told us the story of St. Dnyaneshwar, his two brothers and sister, and how St. Dnyaneshwar took “live Samadhi” at a very young age – he was entombed alive in a state of Samadhi.

After we left the temple and slipped our icky, muddy feet back into our shoes, we moved on for some chai. This is the view from inside out of the chai vendor.

… and here’s Nana and Sharon sitting across from me. Did I mention that Nana is the greatest rickshaw tour guide in all of Pune? He knows everyone, remembers their names, knows where everything is, and knows all the history. We are so lucky!

That’s all I’m sharing today, but fear not, I have more pictures from Alandi I will be posting tomorrow.

This morning I had a great 2 hour practice, I have medical class at 4pm and will observe one of the 6pm classes. Right now, I’m headed out for coffee and chocolate cake!!

From Pune with love.