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Practicing at SYC, Mysore

Writer's picture: BUDDHA’S CAT BUDDHA’S CAT

Ashtanga Yoga at Sharat Yoga Centre | Part 2


7 weeks of practice and it's my turn to leave. I've never had more hours in a day, yet time still flew by. It probably never would have felt like it was enough.


Reflecting back on the beginning - the waking up in the middle of the night, the distractions in the shala, the cold.. the many, many, many ways my mind tried to fight against it and find reasons not to do it. Of course there was natural resistance. I was sleepy, I was annoyed, I was looking for ways to make it easier, clinging onto old habits. I still think it was pretty drastic..waking up at 3am to self-practice in a foreign strange country. I was stepping into the unknown, wondering if it will be worth my while.


December started off with around 200 practitioners and self-practice 6 times a week. Come January, things slowly started to take shape. We began doing led classes on Saturdays with Sharat's audio, and 4 wonderful certified teachers began assisting during Mysore. The shala felt warmer and more alive. I was in awe, absorbing the practice and the energy that surrounded me.


By January the number of practitioners had melted away to what seemed under 100. The huge drop was expected, but still puzzling; definitely an eye-opener though. It goes to show how much resistance each of us struggle with and how we choose different ways to cope.


Anyway, I was happy to be here. Happy to witness the way things unfolded. Shrutiji & the family's endeavour for the community was heartening. They embraced the natural process of change, not attempting to force or rush anything; they gracefully allowed things to fall into place.


I was lucky to spend time with a few 'old timers'. I watched them move through a difficult time of grieving their teacher. Nonetheless, they stepped up and seized the opportunity to practice in his Shala, showing support to his community and his family; showing gratitude for everything they had once shared with him. I listened to stories they shared about Pattabhi, about Sharat, about their student-teacher relationship, about their friendships and how things developed over the decades as they continued to return to Mysore to practice. These are the stories that matter. Stories of genuine human interaction and experiences that shaped, and will continue to shape Sharat's lineage.


On the car ride to Bangalore, I contemplated what I was looking for in Mysore, and what others might be looking for too. A topic with no one right answer. Looking around I could see many who sought to be shown every step of the way, chasing adjustments, attention, certificates, exposure and recognition. Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that (or am I?) , just that the current circumstances have made it a little more transparent. Then there were those who sought something different and, just like me, I'm sure a lot of them had a hard time pin-pointing what it was. I think ultimately we were seeking growth. Expansion of what we could do, be and see. Turns out, Mysore is a marvellous place to do just that - grow. What transpires at SYC Mysore is difficult to translate into words. It is a place where for a given time you submerge yourself into what we read about in the scriptures. A process that gives you different eyes to see with, bringing clarity to so many of life's enigmas.


Lucky me, I'm not going home quite yet. I have one more month in India - this time it's back to Goa. It's funny to look back now and remembered the first time I came to India in 2023 and one month seemed like it was more than enough (maybe even too much), and now after 2 months, I can't wait for one more. Eventhough I still don't see eye-to-eye with some of India's ways, it keeps managing to pull me back for more.


Until next time...

"There are many who by their virtue of their passivity, dependancy, fear and laziness, seek to be shown every inch of the way and have it demonstrated to them that each step will be safe and worth their while. This cannot be done. For the journey of spiritual growth requires courage and initiative and independence of thought and action ."

~ M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Travelled


Reading: Scattered Minds , Gabor Maté

Listening to: ♪ Everybody Wants to Rule the World ~ Tears for Fears


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