Rishikesh – Days 6 & 7

Posted on October 15, 2012 by ctyoga
I’m lagging a little bit with the updates on the TTC – but here i am again…between silent walks, ashtanga vinyasa practice, adjustments, waking up at 5.30am and whatnot, i have nonetheless managed to squeeze in an hr to recap on days 6 & 7 – and if the internet connection is good enough, the i’ll even upload some pix…why not? 
 
So on day 6 getting up was hard, I can’t seem to go to bed before 11.30pm – after meditation, Miyuki & I read and I’ve also got the nightly calls from my father and mother respectively J In Pranayama class we started chanting the mantra Om a few times (up to 21 times) as well as learning 2 mantras: Sahanau Bhunaktu and Patanjali’s one. Getting the correct pronounciation, intonation and pitch is not always easy, especially because Sanskrit might be foreign to some of us. In sirsasana, after A & B, I now attempt C – I need to strengthen my shoulders and arms for this…Kamal has given us some amazing exercises, but they are TOUGH…perhaps not at first, but because we have to add 2 extra breaths each day (we’re up to 18 breaths in each posture today) then it’s gets harder and hard…at the end, your arms are dead. Correcting old habits might be hard, but slowly it will all come together…just need to keep at it. On this night, we had to meditation on our own by staring into the flame of a candle – Tatraka it’s called.  Staring at the outer form without blinking for as long as possible – i had never done this before. It’s harder than it sounds…i couldn’t stop blinking, my eyes were burning! Tears form, but that’s a good thing, it’s cleansing…let the tears fall, keep staring into the flame, and don’t blink for as long as possible – then when you can’t keep your eyes open anymore, close your eyes and visualize the flame in your third eye.
 
Day 7 – personal practice is improving, more aware of my alignment, breath, ribs in, shoulders open, rolling them up and back, pelvis tucked under, belly tucked in. On this day, we did a group meditation where we all stared at the flame of a candle for intervals of 5mins – it was impossible, at least for me, to keep my eyes wide open for 5 whole mins…i must admit that i did get better, there no way was i even close to 1min! Please have a go, and let me know how you did! I want to know how you guys feel whilst doing it and whether you found it easy or hard! 
 
Here are a few pix i took yesterday on our silent walk to the temple and whilst shopping in Lakshman Jhula 🙂
 
 
 
 
 
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Rishikesh – Day 5

Posted on October 9, 2012 by ctyoga
After the 2hr ashtanga yoga class yesterday, we had brunch from 11am…the next class starts at 2pm and its Yoga Nidra for a whole hour! just bliss! Unfortunately tho, i always seem to zone out, sleep almost – and i can never remember everything that is said…as we are lying there motionless…the teacher gives us autosuggestions, we scan our body, he says things, i.e. count backwards from 54, etc etc…and i can always remember the beginning and the end but never the middle…kinda like the opposite of dreams….you never remember the start or end, but you remember the middle….well for me yoda nidra is the total opposite!
 
After Yoga Nidra, we have a lecture on yoga phylosophy and go thru the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita….these two text are very important in yogic and india phylosophy.
 
And then lastly, we have a class on adjustments, and yesterday we started with tadasana….did you know there are as many asanas as there are animal species? 8,400,000! Not sure if all these species are still around today, but that’s a lot of asanas!!!!
 
Dinner is amazing as always, and as always eaten in silence…i’m really loving india food now…i never liked it in London, but here it’s something else! It might have something to do with the fact that the guys who are preparing our dinner make us ayurvedic food…maybe that’s why it’s so yummy! 🙂
 
Last night we had our first meditation class by the ganga river….30mins of sitting in total darkness and in silence….i had to move my legs, tho i sat for the longest i’ve ever sat so far without moving! once i moved, that was it…i couldn’t stop….so my aim during this month are the following:
1. be able to meditation for the whole 30mins
2. sirsasana c and if possible scorpion
3. to balance properly on my feet without letting the weight land more on the outside of my foot
4. better ujjayi breathing
 
I’ll come back to this list and see how well i did at the end of the month!
After this morning’s 2hr ashtanga class i can definitely say that i am more aware of my body and my movements – my ribs stick out and i need to not let them do that! Need to push our chest up, heart up as Kamal says, but without letting the ribs stick out…perhaps i’m saying this now as it’s only my 2nd day, but doing 2hrs of ashtanga a day is really not that bad – or perhaps its because i was pretty much doing ashtanga 5-6 times a week in Milan anyway…
 
We were given homework yesterday, so i need to do that before our next adjustment class – standing in tadasana for 10mins – but standing properly, as we went thru in class, pelvis tucked under, toward the feet, bellybutton up, ribs in, heart up, shoulders open & down, lengthening neck…equal weight on the feet, and imagine you have a block between your thigh & you are squeezing tightly…this is the correct way of standing in tadasana!
 
This morning i woke up at 5.30am as we started early – well from now on we will always start early – 6.30am with Pranayama overlooking the ganga river…and boy was it cold! Man i was freezing this morning! We chanted a mantra, and talked about OM (AUM) it’s importance and how to say it correctly…
 
before i go, i promised you photo’s…and here they are! for others or more check out: http://www.facebook.com/ctyoga
 
Namaste! _/|\_
 
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Rishikesh – Day 3 & 4

Posted on October 8, 2012 by ctyoga
Yesterday was the start of the 200 & 500hr teacher training course…we met everyone…there’s a total of 12 of us from all over the world: Japan, Thailand, Spain, Czech Republic, US, Argentina, UK & Italy….don’t ask me to name names because it’s a miracle i can remember my roommates’ name! Miyuki 🙂
At the introduction, we were basically given the schedule…i initially thought the first class started at 7.30am, but i found out that it actually starts at 6.30am(!), i also thought we had Sundays off….well not really…we do and we don’t…we still have Sundays where we do stuff: silent walks to a temple up the mountain, kriyas….
A usual day consists of getting up at 5.30am, 6.30-8am Pranayama, 8.30-10.30 Ashtanga Vinyasa Mysore, 11am-1pm Brunch, 1-2pm free until the 15th October, after that teaching practice, 2-3pm Yoga Nidra (cannot wait for this), 3.15-4.45 lectures/phylosophy/workshops, 5-6.30pm adjustments/workshops, 7-8.45pm dinner (eaten in total silence) and 9-9.30pm meditation – twice a week together as a group, and twice a week on our own. From the moment we finish meditating, we need to remain silent until we wake up the next day!
 
Boy oh boy.
 
So light it ain’t, but it’ll be good nonetheless…i will try to update you as i go along…i can only log on after our mysore practice which ends at 10.30am until about 1.30pm – before yoga nidra starts…however, i’d like to shower and eat so realistically i’ll only ever log on between 11.30am and 1.30pm….
 
On a lighter note….i went to the famous Ashram The Beatles stayed at when they came to Rishikesh…in 1968 The Beatles stayed at the now closed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh. John Lennon recorded a song titled called ‘The Happy Rishikesh Song’. The Beatles composed nearly 48 songs whilst at the ashram, many of which appear on the White Album. I took a few pix for you guys.
We snuck in so as not to pay the 200Rs. bakshish money! We snuck in thru the jungle…there was a snake, big spider webs, big spiders and lots and lots of insects….we had to sneak back out again! Tho this time it was much easier…if you’re wanting to sneak in, remember there’s a pathway to the left hand side of the main gate 🙂
 
On our way back, we walked past the Ayurvedic Cafe, had a drink and some food, Mung something rice with vegetables – yummy!!!
 
And then i had to run to my ayurvedic massage….an hr of pure bliss…my whole body was covered in oil, from my hair to the tips of my toes….it was so good. And only 300Rs.
 
This morning we began the course with 2hrs of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga from 8.30-10.30am – led by the amazing Yogi Kamal Singh…he helped me get into sirsasana c and then into scorpion pose….ahhhmazing!!! after that we had brunch and i bought a few books…will give you a rundown of the books i’ve bought so far just in case you’re interested! 😛
 
That’s it for now…i’ve tried attaching pix, but at the moment i can’t seem to! 😦 will try again tomorrow!
 
Namaste x
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Rishikesh

Posted on October 6, 2012 by ctyoga
I have finally arrived in Rishikesh, after a 7.25hr flight (very comfortable might i add with Jet Airways) and a 7.5hr car journey to Rishikesh…i left at 10.20pm Milan time, arrived at 9.25am Delhi time, and arrived in Rishikesh at 7.30pm!
My 200hr Ashtanga Vinyasa Teacher Training course starts tomorrow, Sunday 5th October, at 5pm.
So far, my initial thoughts on Rishikesh are great…where we are, swargashram, is just by the Ganges river, there’s a hustle and bustle of motorbikes, endless honking, people everywhere, cows, cow dung and monkeys! Ashrams everywhere, so many! As well as the endless little shops on either sides of the street, holy men walking around, music playing…it’s so alive!
I’m going to my first ashtanga vinyasa class today at 5pm taught by Yogi Kamal Singh….overlooking the river and tomorrow i decided to get an ayurvedic massage done – 300Rs for 1hr & 10mins.
I’ve also come across a lovely cafe to eat, Moon Dance cafe i believe it’s called, will double check and let u guys know…an ondulating set of metal stairs lead you to the restaurant, a big terrace…and they serve everything, and i mean everything…from american/british breakfast to mexican, to nepalise & tibetan food! I had some Nepalese food which was delish and just 120Rs.
The best exchange rate i found was 1 euro = 66.50Rs
and just to give u an idea of costs, here are a few i remember:
Nepalese lunch 120Rs
Ayurvedic Massage 300Rs
Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga class 300Rs
1 bottle of water 20Rs
adaptor 45Rs
internet 20Rs/hr – skyping 40Rs/hr
Taxi ride from Delhi airport to Rishikesh 3,000Rs
 
I will try to upload some pix and i’ll give you feedback on the yoga class as well as tomorrow’ ayurvedic massage! 🙂
Namaste! _/|\_
 
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YogaFestival Milano | 12.13.14 October 2012

Posted on September 26, 2012 by ctyoga
Although i won’t actually be here for it :(, you guys can definitely go and actually, you should go!
This year’s Milan YogaFestival will take place on October 12.13.14 – lots of free classes, great local and international teachers! Kinds wish i could go…kinda…cuz i’ll be where? INDIA! To be more exact, Rishikesh…purchasing my ticket TONIGHT!
 
Oh and another great International teacher will be gracing Milan in November – more to come! but for now check this out:
 
 
http://www.yogafestival.it
 
and if you want to volunteer, email now: volontarioyoga@gmail.com
 
Ciao!
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