I survived a 4.30 am led classes here in Mysore. Thats it! :-) I missed last Sundays led class because I was still awake at 2am and due to get up at 3am (it didn't happen). So when my alarm went off at 3.15am and I had had at least 6 hours sleep, I was on it! By the time I reached the shala at 3.45am-ish, there were lots of people sitting outside the gates in the road (yes, in the road). I had been told there would be the "gate keepers", those who sit facing out into the crowd as though to keep a watchful eye on proceedings and the rest of us facing them as though expecting a sermon. It is a very surreal sight. The calm friendly group sat peacefully together turns into something quite different as the shala lights come on and the gates are opened  (imagine the Harrods sales but with yoga mats instead of posh handbags). I decided to put my mat in the lobby and not run the gauntlet of the shala. This turned out to be a great spot for me and was, in fact, the fir...

I really like how David Kiel Anatomy talks. Here he discusses Janu Sirasasa and my nemesis pose, Setu bandhasana. I would highly recommend his adjustment DVDS too (if you teach and like to adjust students of all abilities).

I have been here in Mysore at KPJAYI for 9 days now. This is my 3rd trip to Mysore and thus far my most introspective. The shala is VERY busy but the energy is quite calm. There are lots of students waiting in the lobby area to be called to practise in the morning, again a very calm and civil bunch of yoga students (or perhaps I am more calm and civil :-)). Time is a funny thing here. No-one seems to stick to it. The cleaner said "I will come at 11am on Friday" she came at 1pm on Saturday. The man who fixed the internet problem said "Madam, I will come at 7.15pm on Friday"; he showed up at 10.15 on Saturday (at least the quarter past the hour was consistent in his case). Time goes really fast or incredibly slow; it can sometimes feel like a twilight zone. Sharath is on excellent form; smiley and happy and moving around the shala in his usual nimble way. His mother Saraswarti no longer assists him in the main shala (although she still teaches in her own shala). ...

Gratitude is not the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. Cicero (106-43 BCE)

Through actual practice in his daily life, man well fulfils the aim of all religion, whatever his denomination. Dalai Lama. The Little book of Buddhism

This was a letter written by Eddie Stern of Ashtanga Yoga New York and Broome Street Temple that I found on Facebook. It's a wonderful explanation about moon days. Eddie Sterns letter to Barry Silver about moon days It is possible that the student who asked you about any prohibition of practicing yoga on the full or new moon days was doing so because of the observances of Pattabhi Jois. Much has been made of this observance, with all sorts of ideas about why he does this, and what significance it may have. However, the reason for Pattabhi Jois's observance of these days is quite simple. As you know, the Maharaja's Pathashala (Sankrit College) was closed each month for classes on the moon days, and the day before and after. Studies were continued by the students, but no new lessons taught. One reason for this was that on amavasya and purnima, certain rituals had to be performed by the teachers and students alike, who are all brahmins - for example, the pitr tarpana w...