RIMYI Update 3

Weeks 3 and 4 at the Institute have flown by. Last week were the intensely demanding classes focusing on back bending. This week thankfully, is pranayama week, which all of us are grateful for. Throughout the month: Geeta continued to teach Thursdays and Fridays; Guruji continued his teaching through his granddaughter Abhi on Wednesdays and Saturdays; Senior teachers Raya, Gulnaz and Chandra continued to rotate their teaching that reflected concepts taught by Guruji and Geeta; and, Prashant continued to spinalize our minds, body and breath.

Today in the ladies class, Guruji said we were all unprepared for pranayama so that is why we did a strong practice of primarily inversions to prepare us properly for seated pranayama. We did Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana with hand variations turning the hand out and towards us, Adho Mukha Vrksasana with hand variations, Pincha Mayurasana with hand variations, Sirsasana with narrower elbows, Dwipada Viparita Dandasana with the rolled mat spinewise, and an intense chair Sarvangasana lying over a vertical bolster with upper arms threaded under the low rung of the chair legs and forearms reaching up to the chair seat. The length of our spines, the support of our back muscles and lift of our chests that we learned in the asanas, prepared us for seated pranayama.

In a medical class this week, I was asked to take a few photos of one of Guruji’s oldest long time student who was in heavily supported back bends. Guruji told me where to stand to shoot. I went to where I thought he told me and then he proceed to tell me to move 2 inches to the left and to squat down in order to position the camera correctly. He was on the other side of the student and although wasn’t looking directly at what he wanted me to shoot, knew precisely what shots he wanted and was very specific about the angle and direction of each shot. His years of having photos taken of him while in poses, was clearly reflected in his art direction of shots I took. There is nothing casual about his yoga practice, yoga teaching or yoga photographing.

Geeta’s pranayama classes have been poignant and profound in her ability to move us into a state of self observation and self reflection. Luckily all her classes have been put on CD’s this month because when I come out of her pranayama classes, I can’t remember much but feel the effects of her teaching in my body and mind. I don’t know what her practice consists of now, but it appears as though her teaching to us strongly reflects her own self study.

Today I plan to observe the exhilarating children’s class, which I’ve been observing every Sunday morning. A couple of weeks ago the children were learning all different forms of ekapada rajakapotatasana .... not easy poses! Tomorrow, Monday, will be my last asana class before I get on the plane a few hours later to fly home.

Now its time to get serious about my packing!

Scenes from around a temple

And Eat Your Fruit

Nana know where the best of everything is located, including the best fruit. The little berries in the upper right side of the photo are goose berries from Rajasthan. We've been eating lots of papayas.

Dinner at Nana's

Nirmala, Nana's wife and Archana, their daughter-in-law made a delicious dinner for Anna, Susan and I. Nana's eldest son, Bala is in the blue shirt. The younger son, Rav, was there earlier but left for work. Archana is married to Bala. The photo at the upper left is of the family shrine. I told Nana, the shrine seems to have expanded since I was there 2 years ago. He said, "yes, more gods are looking after his family."

RIMYI update 2

Geeta taught again this week, for a Thursday night Pranayama class and a Friday evening twists and forward bend class. She is truly back in full form teaching a rigorous class Friday night and seeming to enjoy seeing us work our you know whats off and threatening to retire because we weren't getting it. She said her doctor told her she could go back to teaching but she said when she sees her students doing the wrong actions, it goes into her muscles and she gets very, very tired. Geeta looked good this week and her teaching was strong.

Raya taught a great standing pose class with inversions Monday night. At one point when we were in Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) instead of giving us specific instructions, he said "make this your poem, your essay, your painting, your canvas, your symphony." He was saying to use our yoga creativity to make the pose our own. He spoke to my heart and it was a beautiful metaphor for deeper penetration.

Prashant taught a class Tuesday night where we did only 4 poses in 2 hours learning how to use one body part to inform another. When in supta padangustasana or utthita hasta padangustasana, we used the extension of the up leg to inform the spine or the chest or neck or mind or breath; then vice versa. We held poses a long time while we meditated on the action and results. I came out of that class feeling terrific.

And finally Guruji's brilliance continues to blow me away in his teaching thru Abhi on Wednesday and Saturday. How the web between the thumb and the index finger can have a profound effect on necks, shoulders, side torso in urdhva hastasana. Guruji is relentless. If the actions are not coming, he will not allow Abhi to continue until we get it. He shows on her where we are going wrong and makes her come back to teach until we get it. Sometimes we might do the same pose 4 or 5 or more times. Saturday we were learning new actions for Adho Mukha Virasana. This pose that many of us do to warm up in the beginning of a practice where we get on our knees and just flop forward was given completely new life. I have never found Adho Mukha Virasana so challenging as how it was taught to us yesterday. It was actually nice to feel like a beginner again. I continue to say the man is brilliant. I know I am being repetitive but I can't help myself. The man is brilliant.

Mango Lassi

Aside from yoga, eating is a big part of the day. The best mango lassis are made here in Pune at a place called Shiv Kailash. You can see on the faces of Susan Wong and Nana that they are truly enjoying theirs. They use fresh yogurt with mango ice cream ..... oh, so delicious! The place is usually so crowded that Nana drives us there and we sit in his autorickshaw drinking our "shakes." Its like going to a drive in!

Medical Class

I’ve attended the therapeutic/medical classes every day since coming to the Institute. The first day I told myself I would sit on the sidelines and observe but soon I was whisked into action by assisting with prop getting and simple adjustments. The first few days I met and worked with a couple of senior teachers from the US. When Anna arrived last Friday, everything changed.

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  Since her arrival, I’ve been attached to her like glue. Anna is in the medical classes to attend to a neck problem that started when she was injured many, many years ago and has been compounded by subsequent accidents. She has had the senior Indian teachers, as well as Guruji guiding her. I’ve been photographing the process, which started relatively easy with many supported poses and adjustments by the teachers. Yesterday everything was intensified.
  
  Guruji got personally involved in her recovery and began to direct her program. He taught a class yesterday to the ladies, channeling his instructions through his granddaughter Abhi. Anna did not take the class because of an additional problem, torn knee ligament, but luckily she was sitting right next to Guruji and took meticulous notes. Little did she know that within this class would be gems of wisdom for her to practice by. He told her later that evening that this class was for herand that she must attend to the principles given.
  
  To say I’ve been overwhelmed with what I’m learning in these therapeutic sessions is an understatement. It is truly a humbling experience being around this brilliant man and his very able Indian teachers. Guruji’s mind and hands are like quick fire. He has no patience for incompetence or slowness. To watch this man work with his fierce determination at age 92 is nothing short of amazing.
  
  The senior Indian teachers have been generous, gracious and thoughtful in how they work with the “patients” in the therapeutic classes. There are young children; teenagers, middle aged and elderly people all together being assisted through yoga therapy. There are knee problems; back problems, neck problems; heart problems; cancer patients; psychological problems; feet problems; hip problems; elbow problems; and a myriad of organic problems and more ….. all in this asana room doing yoga with great assistance. It looks chaotic but each patient has one, two or more teachers working with him or her in order to access the poses for their recovery.
  
  There are days I feel overwhelmed when assisting in these classes. Yesterday was one of those days. Anna assured me that feeling inadequate here was normal. All I can say is that I am on one big learning curve over here.
  
  It is also wonderful to see how the teaching in the regular classes seques into the teaching in the yoga therap/medical classes. The big difference is that in regular classes we are self-contained and use few props with no assistance. But many of the instructions are the same and are being used in the medical classes.