Yogarosa Blog

If you know what Supta Baddhakonasana is, and the effect, recall how you feel in class when the teacher announces it in class. In my 20+ years of teaching, it is the second Sanskrit name of a pose my students recall (first one is Savasana!) So imagine how I felt this morning, when I arrived for Prashant’s class, and the thick black cushioned mats were out instead of our regular sticky mats. That could only mean one thing. Restorative and pranayama class. YES!! It’s just what the doctor recommended. After I settled into my space with my pranayama pillows and blankets, I embarked on a Prashant expedition.  We started with rope Sirsasana or supine poses. Our choice of supine poses. (When I have a choice, I find myself asking , body, which one do you need?) Since I had extra blankets and pranayama pillows, I gave some away to share with some of the latecomers, as sometimes the props are not enough for all. It is expected for those who need less props to practice aparigrahah (non ...

FOMO Fear of missing out is a real thing. Have you ever thought that you wish you had done something that you didn’t, or you went somewhere that you really didn’t want to go to, but didn’t want to miss out? I have been home sick with a very bad cold since Thursday. (5 days). 5 days at home would be inconvenient, but 5 days in India is a different story. Coming from Miami to Pune to study for a month with the best teachers in the world is a big huge treat for many of us. Missing 5 full days is a travesty. Each day, each moment, each class, is filled with learning that is spilled on us so fast, that the learning really comes later on during practice and contemplation. We are really exposed to the teachings here, not everything is absorbed or understood right away.  Part of the adventure of traveling, is that we are exposed to bugs that our bodies may not know. Having been couched and sneezed on pretty much all of last week with nowhere to hide, I caught a very bad cold that...

Geetaji’s Ladies Class  July 11, 9:30-11:45am When Geetaji arrives, she finds her seat and sits straight despite her age and ailments. She is sharp, witty, direct, and seems omniscient in the way she can detect students problems and foresee future problems. She is catching us in our mistakes, and our lack of understanding in the poses. She rightly gets frustrated that some basic points have not been understood, so she clearly points out how to improve. She sees the missing links. And not only reinforces them, drives them into us sometimes with a loud voice, sometimes by explaining the damaging effects of improper actions. She cares so much for our wellbeing, that she hammers into our heads what we are supposed to be doing, and doesn’t let us off the hook until we do it. At least she says “ok some of them are doing.” And for a moment she seems satisfied.  Today she spotted a young woman (in the back of the room) and asked her to come to the front. She asked her what...

Day 5 RIMYI Part of the adventure of coming to study at RIMYI, is the community that has evolved from Iyengar Yoga. Being at RIMYI reminds me of when my children were in Montessori school. The older ones help the new ones, which helps the older ones really engrain what they have learned, and the younger ones look up to the older kids because of all their knowledge.  I remember my first trip to Pune, and the people that helped me understand the rules, many of them unwritten, some of them given out on the first day. I also recall feeling overwhelmed. India is already overwhelming with all the sights, sounds, and smells. The food is always extreme. Extremely spicy, extremely sweet, or extremely salty. Even the bland food always have a surprise ingredient to spruce it up. The change in time, different sleeping arrangements, all contribute to one feeling a little vulnerable.  I have met ladies that have looked a little lost walking around, and just saying hello and in...

Here I am in India. I am not dreaming. It's real. With its sights and smells, this enchanted land rich with history as well as mystery. Where there is a marked difference between opulence and misery. Land of extremes, with mountain tops covered with snow, and steamy beaches all in one. There are mystic and sacred sites, as well as fancy shopping centers. Ultra spicy food, as well as the sweetest of sweets. Palaces with gold trim, and beggars sleeping with dogs in the street. The latest model BMW driving on the same street that a woman and her children call home. But India is real. With all its shocking problems, India is authentic. It doesn't try to please anyone. Perhaps that is the allure that attracts visitors from all over the world. It's dirty, but it has a soul. Noisy, because it has a lot to say. Complicated, because it has so much to teach us about the human condition. Some escape to India to run away from their reality. Some come to fill themselves with ancien...