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!