Food is important, so let’s start there. This is my lunch yesterday of potato and corn with rice, dal fry and chapati. So far, every lunch is always rice, dal fry and chapati, with the exception of the main course. Anita is a very good cook. Maybe I already mentioned this, but she prepares the food and brings it to me Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat for 100 rupees per meal, which amounts to $1.70 per meal US dollar. It’s nice to have a hot meal after class or practice.

Looks like I’m not the only one eating around here…

This old building sitting on a very busy intersection turned out to be a good photo-op. Here are the two sides facing the street.

Below is a common sight. I’m not sure what is on this woman’s head, but many of the women here carry large loads in this fashion. Speaking of fashion, that’s Sharon walking in the background …

Model Colony, which is the area in Pune where we’re staying is really one of the nicer places here. Here’s a view down a residential street worthy of sharing.

But some things are just kinda crazy …

Like this Pune pay phone.

Today is Sunday, and a day off at the Institute. I observed the morning kids class from 8-9 am, which is the only class offered today. It was really fun watching the kids, whose ages ranged from 10-15ish. They were kept playfully moving quickly the entire hour. The names of the poses were called out in Sanskrit only, and the kids knew all the names. They also knew and recited the invocation at both the beginning and end of the class. This was certainly a highlight for me.

Nana will be picking us (me, Kathleen & Manyee) up at 10:30 to take us for some Pune sight seeing. In case I haven’t mentioned her before, Manyee is our 3rd flatmate. She’s from Hong Kong but lives in Australia, with a Chinese/Australian accent that’s very cute.

Two down. Three to go. Weeks, that is.

When we first arrived, it rained fairly consistently. The past 5 days have been very pleasant. The temperature is moderate, probably in the low 70s, and we’ve had a tiny bit of very light rain daily. It’s humid here, but bearable, at least for me.

I look forward to listening to the birds at dawn and dusk every day. It’s a great time to sit by the window and watch and listen. There are all kinds of species at the park … parrots, birds of prey, vultures, crows, pigeons, bats. The bats here are the size of a crow!

Here are more photos from our Sunday rickshaw excursion:

Kids playing soccer in the street.

Ladies Beauty Parlor

Pottery

People in the rickshaw next to us were happy to smile for the picture.

Cows (& a trash heap).

More cows. This bridge has a lot of make-shift homes along it.

Chickens.

Today is 9:30am Women’s Class with Geetaji, and 4pm open practice.

Om Supermarket is a group of roadside vendors, each selling different things. Usually they don’t have change, or aren’t willing to give change or bags … They also won’t take a bill that’s ratty or torn. So, when shopping at Om Supermarket, bring plenty of smaller rupees that are in good shape, and bring something for carrying the stuff back.

What’s this? I’m guessing it’s some sort of squash.

Here’s the lunch Anita made for me today – Masur with dal fry, rice & chapati.

Geetaji oversaw medical class last night, and it went very well for me. I can feel my shoulder opening up, gaining mobility and strength.

Today, personal practice at 9am, then tonight is 6pm Advanced Pranayama with Geetaji.

This rickshaw driver driver is making a u-turn on a one way street.

What’s good to know is that I’m half a world away and I can still make my little Maya giggle and laugh and wave and get kisses. What a joy.

A rose-winged parakeet (also called ring-necked parakeet) like the one above (this is a Wiki picture) landed on our window grill. As I write this, there are 5 females and 2 males on the grill now. Females differ in that they don’t have the ringed neck. I’d take a picture, but if I approach the window, they’ll all fly away.

This is the lunch Anita made for me yesterday. Rice, dal, green beans with peanuts and chapati.

Indian roadwork. Watch your step.

Indian construction site – watch your children …

This Ganesha (approx 5′ tall) is a typical site – a shrine outside a fabric shop.

Local stray. They’re all over the place, and many times they wake me up with their barking.

Today I slept in and skipped Prashant’s 7am class. Practice at 9, medical class at 4 (with Geetaji) and observe Raya’s 6pm class.

This rickshaw driver driver is making a u-turn on a one way street.

Yesterday Guruji oversaw the medical class. I got my sequence from the notebook and began my practice. All the poses on the sequence are modified, and require help to set up. There are many teachers and teacher observers in the class willing, able and wanting to help. It’s like a big yoga butler convention. Luckily, Peggy, who assisted me the day before, was also there and helped me.

Before I knew it, Guruji was giving orders of things for me to do. He came over and moved me to the grill, which is like a security window. At first I frustrated him trying to get my arms into the holes, and he told his assistants, Raya and Abhi (who are wonderful & brilliant) that I had fear, and they shouldn’t let “these people” in medical classes, and he walked away. I thought that was it for me. But I wasn’t able to stay under the radar long. He was right back at me, standing over me, giving direction, having me doing various standing poses with my back to the grill, my arms through the grill, holding, extending, revolving, while he stood over & demanded more and more out of me. This was extremely emotional and challenging.

Every new pose, Guruji would have either Raya or Abhi do it first so they could “feel” the pose. He would have them do the correct action, then do the incorrect action so they understood, and then the correct action again. Then he would have me do it. This was great because I was able to see on someone else what he was expecting me to do next (& I could see the effects of the wrong actions as well). Stephanie Quirk, a senior Iyengar teacher who lives in India, also assisted quite a bit. Stephanie is concise, compassionate and absolutely wonderful.

Those of you reading my blog who aren’t Iyengar yoga practitioners may not comprehend what this means, but let me tell you, it was extremely intense, and to have Guruji give modified asanas specifically for me and to spend the amount of time he did with me was an absolute honor and dream come true.

After I was done with the grill work, Stephanie told me Guruji wanted me to work at the column (approx 2’x2′ pillars). She had me take my back to the pillar, squat and extend my arms to grab the back side of the pillar where Abhi and Peggy were there to help lift and extend my arms. I then began to straighten my legs as Stephanie adjusted my shoulders. As my legs straightened and shoulders got higher, my arms were lifted to adjust to the height. Again, very intense.

In between each of the poses, I would stand in Tadasana (the basic standing posture), and my shoulder was so light, it felt as though it could float away.

My last pose (supported Halasana) was more restorative, well received and deserved! Abhi told me to go to Geetaji’s class Wednesday and Saturday, and Pranayama Friday (which Geetaji also teaches). So I will be attending medical classes Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays only until told otherwise.

Now, onto India and more pictures from our Sunday outing.

There are more pictures I’ll save for tomorrow.

Today – 9:30 women’s class with Geetaji and personal practice at 4pm. In between, a walk to the Om Supermarket, which isn’t what it sounds. Trust me.

Nana – Rickshaw driver extraordinaire.

Yesterday was my first medical class. Raya worked with me, as well as Peggy, a teacher from Austin TX, using the sequence Geetaji prepared. Raya is very good, and knows his stuff! It was challenging, like therapy, yet it was YOGA.

Here’s the meal Anita prepared and delivered to me at lunch time. Chapati, squash, dal and rice – enough food for two lunches. Very tasty!!

Today, the schedule is identical to yesterday.

Yesterday we took a rickshaw across town to do some shopping. Nana, a highly recommended rickshaw driver who many of the students from the Institute have used, picked us up at 9am.

Across the Mula-Mutha River.
First stop, Nana bought us chai from what he called the best chai place in Pune.
Sharon, Nana and me.

2nd stop – the perfumery for incense and oils.
Next, the kitchen store.
Wagh & Sons Jewellers.Wagh & Sons has been in business since the 1930s and is Guruji’s jeweller. Mr. Wagh (1st picture) is a student at the Institute and recognized us when we walked in. Notice they’re sitting on cushions behind the counter. I’m having two pendants made and will have to return next week to pick them up.

We also went to another store where I got a Patanjali statue for my yoga studio. This was the most important thing I wanted to acquire while here. Sorry, I didn’t take any pictures here.

On the way back, Nana stopped for us at a Ganesha temple:

The above brass Kurma (tortoise) was in the floor, about 4 feet in diameter.

Above, the ceiling.
And below, on the exterior of the building.

I took many other pictures from the rickshaw along the way that I’ll share throughout the week since my weekdays will be yoga-filled, and not a lot of getting around town to sightsee.

Today – 7am asana with Prashant (I will be observing), 9-noon personal practice time and 4pm will be my first medical class.

Yesterday morning ladies’ class was with Geetaji, with Guruji practicing in the corner & observing. Before class began, I approached Raya, one of the assistants, and told him about my shoulder. You’re expected to let the teacher or assistant know if you have any medical issues, and since I hadn’t been told yet whether I’d be in the medical classes, I figured I better make sure everyone knows. I was sent to the back by the grill to use as modifications as they would arise, and then another assistant approached me and brought be downstairs to speak with Pandu, where I was told I would be in the medical (remedial) classes beginning Monday, and that I could observe the class I had been pulled from. This is a great relief for me. The medical classes will be very helpful and therapeutic, and a tremendous learning experience!

Here are some photos I took of the schedule of classes.

The top schedule is for classes upstairs, which is generally classes for local residents.The classes I’ll attend will be from the downstairs schedule, but I’m allowed to observe any of the classes (upstairs or downstairs).

I love the photo below. This is the monument at the entrance of the Institute. I don’t recall if I mentioned that Ramamani Iyengar was Guruji’s wife, who passed away in 1973. The Institute, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) was named after her.

Here we are (me, Sharon & Kathleen) going over notes after class.

Here’s a picture of the house (or should I say mansion) between our flat and the park.
Really? This sign is posted near the entrance of the park. Lots of cars honking there.

What came first, the sidewalk or the tree?
All around sidewalk safety issue.

Pune bus stop.

Lalit Mahal, a restaurant where we’ve eaten three times. It’s a great little locals restaurant.
Above is a plate served to every table (like chips and salsa at Rancho’s). The red stuff is a pickled dish, usually mango or lime. It’s very odd, but not bad tasting.

And look, they must have read my blog. New bill folder!

Today is Sunday – no classes today. We’ve pre-hired a rickshaw driver, Nana, who comes highly recommended from those who’ve treaded before us, to take us across town to go shopping.