Back to self practice for a few days now, I had a 7am start time but I'm so scared of being late that I end up coming way to early. So I sat in the foyer waiting for everyone with earlier start times to get called in, but Sharath poked his head through the door around 630am and pointed to me "You, come in now and start on the stage. Move places later."... "ME?" oh, ok. I picked up my mat, and walked through everyone's mat cracks (in between mats, lol) and rolled out my mat on the stage. If you haven't been to the shala in Mysore, it's a large room, with carpeted floor, and at the front of the room there is a marble stage, maybe 2 feet high, and fits usually 4 mats very comfortably. Sharath sits up there on a chair for conferences, etc. It's a little intimidating being up there, but at the same time, you actually have a bit more space, so maybe it's good!
Of course everyone in the room (60 people at a time or so?) are facing you, however, I assume (and hope) everyone is so focused on their own practice that they are not actually staring straight at me. Still though, as much as I kept bringing myself back to my drishti, bandha, breath, but sometimes I still couldn't help but think "I better do my asanas really well today because everyone is looking!" I stayed up there until the end of garbha pindasana then Sharath said "Move your place" and I got a spot on the carpet. I didn't get any adjustments in any poses today until backbending. I really don't need many, except for supta kurmasana. I stayed a little extra long down there with my hands bound and just my toes crossed, wondering if anyone would see me and cross my legs behind my head for me. I was up on stage after all!! But nope, no help today.
By the time I got to my drop backs Saraswati had come in to the room and started helping and adjusting, so she walked up to me after I did my drop backs on my own to help me with the next set, the hands free ones. I told her I have a little back injury and pointed to the place, and I said, "you have to be nice to me!" because I have been warned that she is super intense pulling people into deep back bends and getting then to grab ankles, etc. She was super gentle and it was just what my back needed. It felt a little sore while doing them, but it doesn't hurt now, so that's a good sign.
I'm about to pack and up move to Santosha Cafe today, out of this hotel, and much closer to the shala, so I can walk and not rely on rickshaws to get me everywhere. I have started to figure out the city layout and streets though. I know how to walk to the shala and some of the main places, but it's still pretty far. I'm excited for the change!
*Here's two videos I made in Mysore, just some shots of the streets, the cows, the people, etc :)
"A little trip through Mysore"
"The Streets of Mysore"
Enjoy!!
Of course everyone in the room (60 people at a time or so?) are facing you, however, I assume (and hope) everyone is so focused on their own practice that they are not actually staring straight at me. Still though, as much as I kept bringing myself back to my drishti, bandha, breath, but sometimes I still couldn't help but think "I better do my asanas really well today because everyone is looking!" I stayed up there until the end of garbha pindasana then Sharath said "Move your place" and I got a spot on the carpet. I didn't get any adjustments in any poses today until backbending. I really don't need many, except for supta kurmasana. I stayed a little extra long down there with my hands bound and just my toes crossed, wondering if anyone would see me and cross my legs behind my head for me. I was up on stage after all!! But nope, no help today.
By the time I got to my drop backs Saraswati had come in to the room and started helping and adjusting, so she walked up to me after I did my drop backs on my own to help me with the next set, the hands free ones. I told her I have a little back injury and pointed to the place, and I said, "you have to be nice to me!" because I have been warned that she is super intense pulling people into deep back bends and getting then to grab ankles, etc. She was super gentle and it was just what my back needed. It felt a little sore while doing them, but it doesn't hurt now, so that's a good sign.
I'm about to pack and up move to Santosha Cafe today, out of this hotel, and much closer to the shala, so I can walk and not rely on rickshaws to get me everywhere. I have started to figure out the city layout and streets though. I know how to walk to the shala and some of the main places, but it's still pretty far. I'm excited for the change!
*Here's two videos I made in Mysore, just some shots of the streets, the cows, the people, etc :)
"A little trip through Mysore"
"The Streets of Mysore"
Enjoy!!
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