Ashtanga Yoga Mysore aged 50 (well almost)

SO I have arrived in Mysore for the first time in what will be the year of my 50th birthday. I have registered at the shala, and as suspected I am one of the older students.
I think there will be pros and cons of making my first trip to practise at the home of Ashtanga yoga at this stage of my life-My body is not what it once was, and some of the poses do not come as easily as they have done at various stages in the past....The up side to having many years of practise is that the other seven limbs are growing, and I have a pretty firm foundation in the subtle aspects of both myself, and this amazing yoga practise although there is a long way to go.
I have left my nice comfy home and family, to rent a room in a shared space with fellow yogis, with whom I will share this journey......
I have not come to "find myself" as im not lost ( this is what some people thing you come to India for).
I have not come to Mysore to get more poses, nor to get certified as a teacher- I have come to practise yoga at the source, and feel privileged to have the opportunity to do this. Having the time to focus just on yoga, to be fully absorbed, to rest, to listen to the guru is why I have come..... I am very lucky to have a supportive husband and family who know how important it is to me, to take this time out.....let the experience commence.

Neti pot

When I was training to be a yoga teacher, one of the 6 purification techniques taught to us was Jala Neti ( also called Neti or Jaaneti). Purification techniques are sometimes performed as a way of preparing the body for a yoga practice. Whenever the neti pots came out, I disappeared, always needing to be somewhere else at that moment in time… I had many techniques to avoid it: the bathroom, the water fountain, the shop, anything but the Net. Pouring a saline solution up my hooter was really not for me and I have avoided it right up to today. I have got a steaming cold and, as a result, I now have sinus pain, so I have decided to give it another go. Talk about waiting until your back is against the wall! I rushed to the Sivanada yoga studio nearby and bought myself a ceramic neti pot and salt. I had to follow the one photographic image as the instructions were in German!!! Although I did not find it as unpleasant as some people describe, it was not as bad as I remembered. So I will us...

Sharath Jois in London 2013

Sharath Jois will be in London teaching a week of primary and intermediate ashtanga yoga From 25th-30th of August- in a central London location. Booking for this will open mid May. Through http://www.astangayogalondon.com/index2.cfm A rare and wonderful treat to have Sharath in my home town-A big thank you to Hamish Hendry and ashtanga yoga London for organising this. Going to have to set an alarm on my phone- as there will be a lot of takers for this....

All about the balance

A snap from inside my fridge this week. The mix of wine, beer and Vita Coca sort of sums up my family really. The ones that drink wine and beer don't go in for the coco water, and the coco water drinker doesn't go in for wine or beer. In summary, none of us need worry about the other nicking all the drinks. :-)

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