Mural - Shiva and Shakti

The mural at the St Matthews Studio depicts Shiva (the male dancing figure on the left) and Durga (the female figure seated on a tiger on the right).  In the yoga tradition, Shiva is the primordial yogi, the first yoga teacher from the beginning of time. Shiva is the source of the yoga tradition.  Shiva is also one of the Tridev, the three main deities in Hinduism, who are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; and represent the divine aspects of Creation, Preservation and Dissolution.

Here, Shiva is shown in his traditional yogic form. Shiva does not wear silks and jewels; he has long dreadlocks, is clothed in a tiger skin, and adorns Himself with living serpents and strands of seeds from the rudraksha tree. The crescent moon is His crest-jewel.

In his role as Nataraj, the Divine Dancer, He performs the Tandava, the cosmic dance of Creation, Maintenance and Dissolution, dancing upon the body of Apasmara, the demon of Forgetfulness. With the drum in Shiva's left hand he brings material creation into existence. The fire in his right hand symbolizes time and change that dissolves everything away. The upraised hand makes the gesture of fearlessness.  Finally, the fourth hand points to his upraised foot which represents the grace-bestowing power of yoga and liberation, the goal of yoga practice.

On the right of the mural is Durga, Shiva's consort - the Goddess. She is shown as a beautiful woman riding on a tiger, which symbolizes her mighty power. She holds many weapons in her hands with which she battles the inner enemies of Desire, Anger, Greed, Envy, Arrogance and Delusion.  She represents the transformative power of yoga.

A form of Durga called Camundi is the patron Goddess of the city of Mysore. Her temple sits at the top of Camundi hill overlooking the city.  Once a year during the month of October she is brought out to tour Mysore in a great procession for the celebration of Dasara.  She is placed in a silver palanquin carried by an elephant.  Dasara Festival is an ancient tradition of the city of Mysore and attracts millions of people every year. 

Helpful links:

More information about Shiva.

Tandava Dance

Durga

Dasara

Sunbirds of Mysore

The last time I was in Mysore five years ago, the Sunbirds used to visit. These are tiny, sprightly, cheerful birds that flit energetically around. They make chirping sounds similar to a rubber squeeze toy. They are really adorable. One time Lakshmish, the Sanskrit teacher, visited our house and he and I were chanting the Bhagavad Gita on our porch. Two Sunbirds perched on the telephone wire right in front of us and merrily chirped along with the chant.  When we switched to the Yoga Sutras, which doesn't have a rhythmic structure, they looked at each other and clearly chirped, "Okay, we're outta here", and they flew off.

I love the Sunbirds, and on Monday, June 30, I was hanging laundry on the rooftop clothesline and saw four of them flitting around a nearby treetop. I watched them for a few moments and then a male perched on a pipe just a few feet away from me and chirped and sang to me. I felt that he was welcoming me to Mysore, and it made me very happy to finally get close enough to one to get a really good look. They're so small and so fast it's hard to really see them.

Here's a link to a Wiki article about them, but it doesn't convey their personality.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple-rumped_Sunbird

Hip and Groin Pain - Related to Your Sticky Mat?

Recently I shared an article on our Facebook Page, http://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-mats-are-they-really-necessary. Among other issues, the article asks whether using sticky mats is causing or aggravating hip and groin pain among yoga practitioners.

I began experiencing unusual pain and tightness in my right hip about two years ago. At first I attributed the sensations to having hit that hip hard in a motorcycle accident forty years ago, hard enough to create a permanent dent in my quadriceps, although it has never bothered me until recently.  In the past year the sensations have become more intense. At first it was a feeling of tightness in a few poses, like Parivritta Parsvakonasana, to soreness in the groin area that felt like a labrum tear, and then to painful "catching" sensations when going into and coming out of some poses, or just standing up after sitting.  Padmasana, which I've practiced easefully for decades, began to be downright painful after just a few minutes of sitting.  I also began to have hip pain at night in bed.

One day as I was watching students in the Mysore class, it struck me as being odd, and I wondered, "How did it come about that we are all practicing yoga on these plastic and rubber rectangles?"  The next day a yoga teacher I know in Nashville posted the article on her Facebook page.  Upon reading it I realized that my hip and groin problems started shortly after I acquired a new yoga mat, a rubber mat with an ultra non-skid surface. The article theorized that the stickiness of yoga mats allows the practitioner to go deeper into poses without isometrically engaging to maintain stability of the feet.  The sticky mat allows us to "hang" in the poses, putting more stress on the supporting muscles and tendons around the hip joints.

I decided to try an experiment and use only my cloth Mysore mat for standing poses to force myself to engage more.  I emailed Ramanand Patel and sent him the link to the article and asked him about it. He suggested I stop using the mat. He reminded me of the importance of practicing Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, and the revolved form of both poses, plus Ardha Chandrasana every day, especially keeping the weight on the back leg.

I passed this advice along to three other students who had previously talked to me about their persistent hip, groin and upper thigh pain.  After about three weeks, one student told me her leg is much better after she stopped using her rubber mat, and another student told me her hip pain went completely away after switching mats.

If you are experiencing persistent hip, groin or upper thigh pain, and you are using a very sticky type of mat, like a rubber mat, I suggest you try a not-so-sticky mat or a cloth mat for a few weeks and see if you feel a difference.  As for me, my hip is much better.  In addition to changing mats and paying more attention to staying engaged in the standing poses, I've also added more poses to my daily practice to strengthen the hip muscles: squats, more Virasana, and holding standing poses for longer periods.  My hip feels nearly normal. On Sundays I play the harmonium for the hour-long Guru Gita chant.  At the end of the chant on Sunday, I realized this was the first time in over a year that I played the entire chant sitting in the same position without any discomfort at all.

When Sharath taught here in Louisville in 2003, we took him for a cruise on the Belle of Louisville, and he really enjoyed it. He laughed and said that next time we will do the workshop on the boat. I pointed out that it would be hard to balance on the Belle, but he said that would be okay.  It reminded me of something David Swenson said once, that one should be able to practice on almost any surface.  Perhaps that's something we need to contemplate.  Are we too dependent on having to have just the right mat, just the right yoga clothes, etc..?   

Bitter Melon, Pepper Soup and other Recipes

After our Ayurveda class, Transitions to Winter on November 16, several students have asked about the recipe for Pepper Soup and more information about Bitter Melon (Gourd).

Here are recipes for both from Mysore, India, from the cookbook, Exotic Cuisine of Mysore, by Pratibha Kattemalavadi. Ingredients can be found at Patel Bros and ValuMarket.

Pepper Soup is often fed to us when we are not feeling well, cooked by Nagarathna Rao, our Mysore Mom. This recipe sounds similar to hers:

I cup Toor Dal (mung dal may also be used)
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 pinch asafoetida
1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2-3 curry leaves (available fresh at Patel Bros)
Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan and fry 1-1/2 tsp cumin seeds, pepper, coriander seeds, and curry leaves. Remove from heat and belnd in a blender without water. Coo the dal in 4 cups water . Add salt, sugar, the blended spice powder, and squeeze the lemon juice in. Boil for a few minutes and add this seasoning mixture:
Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan and fry 1/2 tsp cumin and asafoetida for a few seconds.
Soup can be served with rice, but Nagarathna always served it by itself.

Bitter Gourd Spiced Curry
 5 medium sized bitter gourd
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tblsp fried chana dal (split chickpeas)
1 tsp foenugreek
1/2 tsp tumeric
1-2 green chilies
1 tblsp white sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tblsp tamarind paste
1/2-1 tblsp salt
3-4 tblsp sugar

Cut bitter gourd into small cubes. Dry fry or roast sesame seeds until it stops popping. Remove from heat. Blend grated coconut, mustard seeds, fried chana, tumeric, green chilies, fried sesame seeds together with water to make a fine paste. 
Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds and foenugreek, and when they are finished popping, add the bitter gourd cubes. Fry until golden brown. Add tamarind paste, salt, sugar and 1/3 cup water. Boil for 1 minute. Add the blended spice mixture, cook for 3 minutes.
Serve with hot rice.

More information about Bitter Melon and its sues and properties can be found extensively on the internet, eg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia

Being on time and other topics....

Recently we posted a link to an article Why Can't I Come In Late to Yoga Class?  It generated quite a few Likes on our Facebook page, and responses thanking me for posting it. I didn't post it, though. We have several people who are admins for our Facebook page and can post things. I don't really have the time to do a lot of that, and I appreciate our social media maven, Angela Weisser, who handles that for us and also sends out our email newsletter.

I have a problem with lateness myself, so that's an area in which I am not able to cast the first stone. It's something I've been working on, though, as I said in a comment to that post.  Somewhere I read that chronically being late might indicate a belief that's one's own time is more valuable than others' time.  I've tried to work on that tendency ever since. 

Perhaps because I have this tendency myself, I more readily notice it in other people.  I see that the same people are always late to class, and are usually late by the same amount of time, every time.  I also read an article on another news magazine website (I don't remember which one) that said that researchers had done experiments that showed that chronically late people try to pack too many activities into their day, and under-estimate the time it takes to do something, like drive to the grocery store.  Most people give it "30 minutes", but chronically late people will estimate "23 minutes" and try to pack something else into that 7-minute period.

Being late to class is not such a big deal except for all the students who came on time and often have to wait for the latecomer to get it together so class can begin.  If class is full, often other students have ot shuffle their mats around so the late person can fit in.    

Chronic lateness is a samskara - an ingrained habitual behavior or way of thinking.  One of the reasons we practice yoga is to free us from the thinking and behavior patterns which limit our freedom.  The first step in changing our pattern is to recognize that we have it.

Now... how about the people who are chronically early?  I get to the studio early so I can set it up the way I want it with the flowers, lighting, candles, music, etc., so it presents the right atmosphere for my students. I also need quiet time before class begins to mentally prepare.  It's very distracting to arrive at the studio 30-45 minutes early and students are already waiting at the studio to get in and throw their mats down.  15-20 minutes early - that's okay. But 30-45 minutes early?  And then wanting to chat and ask questions?  Not cool.  If you come to my class early, please practice silence.  Time before class is my quiet time to set up the studio and get ready to teach.  

Mysore Teacher Training

How does one become a Mysore Ashtanga Teacher?  When I was in Mysore in 1999, Pattabhi Jois told us in conference that he wanted to have a teacher training class in which he would pass on the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, but it would be by invitation only to experienced teachers.  My heart fell at hearing those words because I was still an Ashtanga "baby"... I had only been practicing for five years and could barely make it through primary series.  Back then, I could not have ever imagined that I would be invited to that class! 

In Ashtanga Yoga, no teacher trainings are recognized (with the exception of those given by Sharath). One becomes a teacher by practicing in this tradition for a long period of time, and one day one is recognized to be ready to teach.  This is the traditional system of yoga.  You cannot declare yourself to be a teacher; you can only be made a teacher by your teacher.

My mother had taught me Padmasana when I very young (nine?). I taught myself headstand by practicing it in my bedroom after learning that it was a yoga pose.  I picked up a few poses here and there from various sources along the way, but I did not have a yoga book until I was about 19 or 20 years old.  I practiced a few poses with great difficulty (I was very stiff) from age 15 until I moved to Louisville and met Maja Trigg, founder of Yoga East in 1990.   When she retired in 1994, I studied Iyengar Yoga with Judi Rice for a while and then fell into Ashtanga Yoga by finding a video of Richard Freeman, then a book on Ashtanga by Lino Miele. In 1998 I met David Swenson. In 1999 I met Tim Miller and he told me to go to Mysore. When I arrived in Mysore in August 1999, I had practiced full primary series about 10 times. By the time I left Mysore I could finish primary series, but it was not easy for me.

I would have given up Ashtanga Yoga except that I saw Pattabhi Jois in New York in 2000 and 2001 and each time he encouraged me to return to Mysore to study with him.  It always astounded me because I was such a raw beginner.  From the time I began to steadily practice Ashtanga Yoga it took me ten years to complete primary series.  In those years I always felt uncomfortable taking students to Mysore who would introduce themselves to Pattabhi Jois as "Laura's student". I knew that I had not yet met the formal criteria for teaching, but Guruji would always smile at me so I knew it was somehow okay.  In 2004 Guruji gave me his authorization to teach.

In 2009, my ten year anniversary of studying in Mysore, I first stood up from a backbend - which qualified me to begin Intermediate series.  I was honored to be invited to the first Ashtanga Teacher Training class - the one in which Guruji envisioned that he would pass on the tradition.  Sadly, Guruji himself passed away one month before the class was to have begun, but Sharath taught the class and told us that he was passing on the tradition in just the way he had been given it by his grandfather. 

It was a powerful and empowering experience to teach Ashtanga with Sharath watching and critiquing us.  I felt so blessed during the entire experience, knowing that this was Guruji's intention for us.  Ten years ago, I never could have imagined myself as being in that class. 

To teach Ashtanga, one must imbibe Ashtanga - to drink it in. It has to become part of you.  For me, my morning practice is my offering to God, Lord Shiva, who has guided my steps along this path which has brought me so many blessings.

May I offer these blessings to you, the students.

The Metta Suttas

The Buddha's Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta)

This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born,
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.

　
And here is a slightly different version read by Thanissaro Bhikhu:

Here is an essay by Thannissaro Bhikkhu about bringing wisdom to the brahmaviharas: 

And Finally! An overview from Wikipedia on brahmaviharas and metta.

– with thanks to Jude Vanderhoff for suggesting the Metta Suttas, providing the text and compiling the resources.