Blog the Dog – Gone Astray-L’ya!

With blog irregularity ever increasing, I thought it best to get A into G and give a little update on the Dinosaur Jnr , Marvin Gaye and Guns and Roses. I.e. Where You Been, What’s Goin’ On Where Do We Go Now – Sing it Axl

It’s the tune we move to that matters, not the dance!

After the tropical treats of India and Thailand we touched down in Sydney without a hitch but damn was it cold. Acclimatisation will not be fun but for anyone out there travelling to Sydney international anytime soon, you’ll be pleased to know they’ve actually got those automatic customs lanes to work effectively and efficiently and getting in was a breeze (Heathrow take note!).

Heading straight down to the sunny but cold shores of the Illarwara Escarpment and staying with one of my closest and dearest’s of almost 30 years. We quickly settled into a balanced lifestyle of booze, food, vinyl records, birthday drinks, hangovers, kids school drops and pick-ups, yoga, guitars, world status debates and the occasional reminisce followed by the laughs of disbelief that we ever made it this far. 39 years young and not a day matured past 12 except for the single malt we’ve been drinking.

2 weeks later Matt and Hayley leant us their trusty Hyundai to head 900km up the coast and back, with the instruction that if it breaks down, just leave it where it lays but also with the assurance that this car is as reliable as the sun coming up in the morning and going down at night. Enough said!

On the day we set off. We did the usual checks. Oil, water, tyres, lights etc, only to find the oil was not even touching the dip stick. Quick trip to the local garage, we topped that up and we were off. 5 minutes later, heading up the escarpment toward the highway the engine light came on. Surely not this soon??? A gentle rub of the dash mixed with some kind words, that light went out to the tune of Freddy belting out “Don’t stop me now, I’m having such a good time, I’m having a ball”. Not really but as they say in ‘Strayl’ya. “She’ll be right!” Off again!

Instead of driving the whole 10 hours (and to be fair, Sherren was doing all the driving at this stage as I had a wee hangover) we stopped for the night at a place called Forster. The locals pronounce it Foster and no they do not sell that beer here. In fact they don’t seem to sell it anywhere in ‘Strayl’ya. It’s a sleepy little ocean side town designed with pensioners in mind and we were told not to expect to see anyone out about town after 8pm. So we sought out the local curry house, chowed down a bad boy vegan version and promptly turned in by 9.

Now with the steering wheel held firmly in my grip, blowing a few raspberries with the image of Toad of Toad Hall in mind (Boop boop, brmm) it was my turn to drive. Look out suckers!!!

For the most part driving these highways, even though they do pass through most the small settlements, can be a little boring and devoid of scenery. Except of course if you’re driving through a back burning forest fire with flames licking over the road and the hazed out red glow of the sun above. That I’d have to say is a first and is quite a sight. And with that being the highlight of the day along with over zealous truck drivers high on methamphetamine riding your back bumper we pulled into Maclean to the sight of Phil in all his glory, sporting his winter bushman’s beard.

Hugs, hellos, beer? Yes please. Welcome to Ilarwill.

Now this part of Skippy’s wonderland is lovely. It’s rural, not too far from civilisation, there’s a real community scene and spirit and a burgeoning artistic scene. The kind of place I we could see ourselves living if only it was a financially viable option. Either way, something to consider once the travel fund has run dry.

A couple of days of catch ups and again we hit the road for a yoga bound trip to Byron Bay. We stopped in at Dena Kinsburg’s studio. Unfortunately Dena and Jack were on tour however we did a couple of fantastic mysore classes with Christian. Definitely a place I’d like to practice again. And with a few nice adjustments under our belts we were back to the serenity of Ilarwill for a few more days. Practicing out in the sun on the deck with Penni and Phil turning up for a few classes.

Needless to say Blue Lightning (the little Hyundai) got us back  to ‘The Gong’ in one piece without any issues at all. A bit more vinyl & wine under the belt and we leave this ‘Land of Sunshine’ for Aotearoa aka Land of The Long White Cloud. And the obligatory family introductions for Sherren.

So where’s the asana practice at?

Since leaving India where we lived and breathed yoga. The diet has deteriorated a little. Combined with the re-introduction of booze, the waistline has taken a wee hit. This in turn has made Marichyasana D and Garbha Pindasana binding somewhat challenging. But aside from that my biggest concern was practicing in the cold weather as central heating does not exist in the temperate climate of New Zealand even though it’s only 5ºc when we wake. However much to my surprise, once the initial bout of stiffness passed I’ve found cold weather practice has opened me up even more. Every day I’m feeling more relaxed in the hips and flexibility in general seems to be improving all the time. I’m actually really looking forward to warm weather yoga again to experience the effect of an alternating climate practice.

Acceptance and where I’m at: When I started my ashtanga practice, I didn’t think I would ever feel comfortable practicing the full primary series. Now I do but further more I feel I’m in no rush to progress to the intermediate series, it will happen not only when I feel ready but when my teacher says I’m ready too. And if this never happens that’s fine too because I have so many unchartered corners of the primary series to keep me occupied for many moons to come. The biggest lesson has been, every time you progress in a pose you find there is always more to it. So what’s the rush.

I would second everything Glen says above, my practice is about my body and no one else’s and that moment I am moving it.  I have no desire to get anywhere, that doesn’t mean I’m lazy about it, I try just without an end in sight.

8 months in to this trip. The fun stuff is now over and it’s time for the adventure to really begin….. I beg to differ, the fun stuff is just around the corner!

Te Araroa Trail – Here we come!!! - Stay Tuned.................

On The Move

Landing in Chiang Mai, what a contrast stepping into the comfort and silence of this taxi and taking a short ride to our accommodation. After the marathon of taxi, airport, plane, airport, plane and taxi. This 10 minute journey conjures a reflexion of life in India for the past 5 months. And wow Thailand seems the most clean, quiet and orderly country on earth by comparison. It’s actually very difficult to explain but I never really had any positive expectation for India, we were going for the yoga!!! And when we examine most of the individual parts now, we still don’t have any expectation. But all these parts add up to something, that certain je ne sais quoi you could say! Maybe it’s just the simplicity of it all.

Leaving Mother England all those months ago, one of the things I looked forward to the most was the onset of the monsoon season. I had images of torrential downpours lasting days on end but alas the rains did not come. At least not until we were 30 minutes into a 4 and a half hour journey to the airport and then did it come down. Visibility was reduced to a minimum and the roads flowed like rivers. There were fender benders aplenty and ambulances futilely attempting to make their way through the carnage that is Indian traffic (chaos incarnate).

And now with the challenge of a daily practice overcome and deeply ingrained, we move on from shala life, at least for now, only to be challenged again with the routine of asana practice to be done anywhere we can manage for the foreseeable future.

Home For 5 Months

The Moon Over Mysore

The Milkman

Receiving Our Yoga Alliance Certificates

Receiving Our Yoga Alliance Certificates

I was last in Chiang Mai March 2003 and can safely say nothing has changed at all, not even the prices. We were staying at Top Garden for THB550 a night (£10) and although not the Ritz, what it lacked in style it made up for with cleanliness and comfort. And to top it off the owners Victor and Thunya were the friendliest, caring and most helpful hosts anyone could ask for. There was a little courtyard area we could practice in. A little noisy with the 6 am delivery traffic but reasonably sheltered and private. I recommend this place to anyone heading this way.

Buddhist Temple Chiang Mai

My biggest concern about coming to Thailand was and is, finding decent vegan food. I.e. the kind that doesn’t just remove all the animal protein and serve up a vacant dish devoid of nutrients and was amazed at what we found. Taste of Heaven is a small vegetarian/vegan outlet in the old town and what a gem it is. Pretty much ate there every day in an attempt to make it through the menu. By far the best veg restaurant in South East Asia. There were a great number of other restaurants to choose from but didn’t see the point in trying. Other delights to be had were dried mango and fresh fruits from the markets.

Perhaps one of the highlights to be had in Chiang Mai would be to simply come for the food. But we actually came to take a 3 day course in Traditional Thai Massage. We paid a bit extra and signed up with Art of Massage for a 1 to 1 course. It was a lot of fun and we both feel pretty comfortable giving each other a massage and the skill will certainly help ease some of the tension gained from asana practice, although I think I may have broken Sherren already.

Now on Koh Samui, things haven’t really changed here either in 10 years. Although everything is 3 times the price of Chiang Mai and almost on par western standards. We are staying in the town of Mae Nam. It’s in the north and is far far away from the hustle and bustle of Chaweng that is ladyboy/hooker bars, disco’s and droves and droves of English, German and Australian lager louts indulging in copious amounts of booze and ladyboys/hookers. So pretty much far away from all the fun/entertaining bits. After all, there’s nothing quite so entertaining as watching a middle aged lager lout who’s too drunk to stand get carried back to his hotel by a ladyboy. But what it does have is a 4km stretch of beautiful coral sand beach that is virtually deserted (just what is needed to recover from asana practice each morning).

Unfortunately the food situation on Samui is dire. It is a polar opposite to Chiang Mai. Even if I wasn’t eating a vegetarian/vegan diet, I would consider the food here to be among some of the worst in the world. There is literally one menu that every restaurant on the island uses. And this comprises of deep fried, refined carbohydrates, drowned in a sea of msg. After 5 days of it I’ve actually considered doing a water only detox for the next 6 days just to avoid eating. Thankfully the breakfast at our resort is pretty good, providing muesli, fresh fruits and salads. We’re just bringing our own coconut milk to the table to avoid the dairy.

So beautiful beaches and a continuing laid back approach to life aside, we’re really looking forward to the first Australian leg of this journey and catching up with some of life’s finest and fairest friends.

Angthong National Park

Sherren's Doing Some Work for a Change!

Dessert Island Moves

14 Weeks. Crikey!

Foreigners go sightseeing

Sherren

We splashed out and decided to hire a taxi for this day of sightseeing.  Glad we did as we did have an idea to walk to the first destination… It was hot, it’s always hot!

Chamundi Hill, it is a hill with two temples and a bull, not really very high at all, but it is a long way and up a winding road, we didn’t see anyone walking it and the approach road was pretty quiet.  Once we arrived at the top it was packed, although I didn’t spot any other Westerners there were plenty of monkeys, our driver pointed us in the direction of where we should go.  The surrounding area reminded me of the funfairs we used to go to when young, lots of colourful stalls selling tat and lots of people.  We picked our way through the crowds, I was trying very hard not to loose Glen, and when you aren’t allowed to hold hands this is very difficult.  A very helpful man told us to only pay Rs30 entrance not the Rs100 foreigner rate, and where to leave our shoes, this very helpful man helped us circumnavigate queues and get into the temple pdq and gave us the required flowers, red powder and mini seed statues.  Before we knew it another lovely young man took us into the temple and we made an offering to be with the gods (Rs100) in return he blobbed some red on our forehead and gave us a garland of flowers round our necks (which attracted persistent wasps).  We were ushered to look upon a golden idol, a white blob then joined the red one.  We were shown the best spots for photos, another older temple and were out of there, having paid the lovely young men Rs200 each for the services of Temple Guide and Supplier of things needed.  Neither of us are Hindu and we had no intention of doing Puja’s and if we had been asked would have both politely declined, more interested in the buildings and the history [the temples like a giant cupcake (no offence meant) the main room is in the basement and the fancy topping is just that nothing inside], that said because of the crowds and their intentions you cant really stand there and admire the architecture … As we left the same people were still queuing and didn’t seem irritated at having foreigners ‘push in’. 

BTW pushing in is acceptable if you only have one or two things at the supermarket queue, you can end up going backwards for the number of people going ahead of you.

 

At this point I was a little worried about our budget for the day, we aren’t here on a shoestring but are working towards a budget that will get us through the next two years and maybe even longer, on the agenda was a further temple at Sri Rangapatna, would this also have a temple guide and flower man?

Mysore Palace was second on the agenda, Rs200 foreigner rate, this was more a lesson in how Indians visit places of interest rather than about the building and location.  Externally it was very grand and there were some lovely walls, arches and gates. No one was looking at these but snaking their way through the buildings rooms as fast as the crowds and their little legs could carry them. There were opportunity for overtakes as most of the young men stopped at mirrors to smooth their hair.  It was overall very British, painted ceilings, walls and pillars but nothing much to look at the building itself was finished in 1912 and feels modern in comparison with the buildings we can visit in London.  Again we had to surrender our shoes and it was at the point of sitting to put then back on that the request for photographs began.  I have experienced this in India before, when I was about 20 years old and somehow I thought that now I am respectfully called ‘Auntie’ it may no longer be an issue. That said every young man wanted to sit with us and have his photo taken, small children were pushed towards me to hold hands, in fact not just the young. Quite different to the children in Mysore who just want what is in your supermarket bag, I of course refer to the children living in the Slum. The children look well fed and have lots of energy to play, I don’t think they are hungry, that said children are always hungry!

On a sad note they have Temple/Palace Elephants which were doing rides around the grounds, they didn’t look like they were having much fun. We saw Indian children take their shoes off and go stamping on the tops of their dung, is this just for fun or is there a reason, google cant tell me?

Siddharta’s Hotel was the recommendation for lunch and we had very nice South Indian Thali for Rs90 each, we decided over lunch that we couldn’t face another temple, plus it was by now very hot and humid so we chose to skip Sri Rangapatna.

On to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, the promise of a boat ride and crocodiles.  Rs300 each, foreigner rate.  Most of the Sanctuary is on an island, it was a nice small shady walk on the main land with some benches for courting and watching the bird life, mainly Herons and Storks. The highlight, fruit bats and a kingfisher.  We didn’t take the boat, I don’t think there would have been anything more to see. It was shady and we sat long enough for our driver to fall into a deep slumber which after a little giggling Glen woke him from.

Last visit of the day was to Brindavan Gardens, Rs15 each Rs50 for the camera.  The Gardens are very formal with fountains and to the side of an impressive Dam, we weren’t expecting much but this was the nicest visit.  It was quiet, the fountains and gardens were pretty and we whiled away some time just admiring the view and letting the day’s adventures and experiences sink in before our journey home.

We did blow the budget but have recouped and are back on track.

Glen

I think the most entertaining aspect of the day for me was that the two of us seemed to be the star attraction no matter where we were. It seems that everyone wanted their picture taken with us and in some cases were just trying to sneak a sly shot in while pretending to photograph something else.

Chamundi Hill was fun, even for this staunch atheist. I find the fanatical believers of any faith fascinating (and disturbing in the sense that they’ll one day bring about the end of all humanity in the name of….). And the fact that such a simple pilgrimage could enrich the believer’s life so greatly makes absolutely no sense to me but hey, I’m just along for the ride.

I wouldn’t add Mysore’s sites to the wonders of the world (but we’re here and it would be a shame not to take a peak) and in fact felt the most photogenic scenery was the lush green country side of rice fields littered with clusters of coconut palms and banana’s that we encountered in between the sites we visited. Sadly I don’t think the locals see the natural beauty in these spaces (maybe they’re just places where peasants work)

Yoga

Sherren

We finished with Saraswathi on the 14^th of May and are back with Jai at Mystic Yoga School.  Jai gives some great assists and although we miss the early start and the atmosphere of the Shala.  Jai is a great teacher and the small class means we get lots of lovely assists and alignments, and we get to practice with some friendly people.

Glen

I felt a little sad to finish up with Saraswathi. After all we’d spent 10 weeks practicing with her and have learned and progressed so much. But I think one of the things I’ll miss the most is the behaviour of the other students. There was one guy in particular who when I entered the changing room, looked him in the eyes, smiled and said “good morning”, looked the other way and ignored me. Well we were never gonna be friends after that. This particular guy liked to sit in the exact same spot every day. And when someone got to his spot every other day before him he would walk past and tut while I revelled in his displeasure. I had a pet name for this bloke – C**t.

In fact I have pet names for most people. Only they’re not all so offensive. We were also practicing in the shala with Genghis Khan (splitting image), Fraulein (a very lovely German lady – at least we think she was German), Superman (a young Mexican kid who looked like he was trying to fly all the time and very rarely on his own mat – he actually looked more like The Greatest American Hero if you remember that but wore a Superman shirt so he got upgraded), The Cookie Monster (he was a dead ringer). You get the idea.

Now you may ask why I give pet names to all these people. Well the fact is (and this is by far the most negative experience I’ve had in the world of yoga), since practicing at KPJAYI we have found 95% of the other students just ignore your hello’s and attempts at conversation. The snobbery we have encountered here is second to none. Therefore if you don’t know someone’s name, just make one up. Even in the street other westerners just ignore your hello’s and your attempts to help them when they are clearly lost. Seems Google Maps know better these days.

One other negative experience I didn’t want to mention but will is that I also had money taken from my bag in the changing room. I came out the shala one day and headed off for a coconut and when I checked, I had a feeling some money was gone. Now we all know what that feeling is like when you’re absolutely sure but can’t be certain. So next day I put a certain amount of notes and denominations in then lo and behold, money missing. You wouldn’t think this would happen among yogi’s but it did. So my advice is tuck it under your mat. Just goes to show though, that there are pieces of shit people in the yoga world too.

But not wanting to leave the KPJAYI experience on a negative note. I would have to say it's been one of the most fulfilling and challenging things I've done. And if any lesson has been learned it is acceptance. Accept where you are with your practice as the more you progress the more there is to learn, so what's the hurry? Take your time and enjoy the ride!

And now we move on to new pastures and are practicing once again with Jai at Mystic School. As Sherren says, he is a fantastic teacher and a lot will be learned from him. In a weeks time we both start our Teachers Training Course with Jai and can’t wait. Our reasoning behind the TTC? Well, for the next 2 years we will be on the move exploring various remote parts of the world and will have no-one but each other to seek advice, alignment adjustment and assists from. And who knows, if we pick up enough experience on the way you never know……………..

So anyone wanting some lessons as we pass through. Just let us know.

Food and Dead people

Sherren

We have had some great meals out, once a week Glen gets a break from the stove,  On the way to Rasa Dhatu we came across a funeral procession, it took a while to work out what we were seeing as neither of us had seen this celebration/procession before. The deceased was rope tied into full lotus sat on a pedestal being carried to his resting place, the drummers drumming the way and followed by many people. 

Q; Will I ever be comfortable in full lotus?

A; Practice and all is coming!

How true!

Glen

7 days a week Sherren makes breakfast. The staples are fruit, oats with coconut cream and raisins or banana pancakes made with besan flour served with fruit and you guessed it, coconut cream. These two breakfasts are my top 2 and as a result have not bothered to expand the menu.

We buy our fruit from the street cart opposite the Ganesh Temple. This guy gives us a great price and usually has a decent range. Got 12 bananas, 1 watermelon, 2 pomegranate, 2 mango and 4 avocado for £2 (Rs200) today. We actually went back to the stall beside the Honda bike shop that ripped us off so long ago and guess what? He ripped us off again. So will never go back there (thus far he is the only person to overcharge us anywhere in India)

Next to the rip off merchant is a little shop that does all sorts of snack foods and in the evening little stand up meals. We found this place while looking for somewhere to get banana chips and have been regularly coming back for our junk food fix since. We usually get salted banana chips, salted potato chips, Bombay mix and in the evening they do fantastic vegetable samosa’s. Warning to anyone thinking of indulging. The gasses produced after ingesting the Bombay mix have the potential to kill an elephant.

6 days a week, I make lunch and one day a week we eat out. Thus far the restaurants we’ve eaten at are:

Anu's – World famous among yogi’s and in no need of rating as number 1 on trip advisor.

Tina's – A popular place, and frequented often by ourselves. Order and pay at the counter you’ll be hard pressed to spend Rs100 each. Even if you’re famished.

Sixth Main – Good Thali and cheap.

Jwala – I didn’t like this place. Service was awful and food was average and overpriced but have heard good reviews.

Green Hotel – Expensive (by Indian standards) and you can get a beer or wine (we didn’t), decent food more like what you’d expect in a UK curry house. Awesome salad.

Green Leaf – Good Thali and cheap. Big menu too.

Anima – The firm favorite and number one spot in my eyes. Cheap fantastic set lunches and amazing dosa in the evening.

Mystic Café – Average at best by me, giving them the benefit of the doubt we were the only ones eating and out of season. Hoping it improves as the food will be part of our TTC package.

Rasa Dhatu – Vegan and Sherren’s favorite. Expensive (by Indian standards), great salads.

Hotel Siddharta – Good Thali and cheap, in the heart of Mysore.

Sri Druga Hotel – A stand up café where they have tables and you sit down. Small wholesome meals for about Rs25 to Rs35, which is ridiculously cheap.

Sherren

I guess some may be wondering at this point if coming to Mysore and specifically the Institute to study yoga is worth it.  We are here out of season, and perhaps through the English winter when it is busier people have a different experience. That said we are already talking about coming back!  Despite what may appear to be negative experiences there are also many positives not least local people particularly shop keepers, and residents who are more than happy to chat being very kind and helpful. Of course if you wish to be accredited by Sharath Jois you have no option but to come and keep coming.  On the other hand there are amazing Ashtanga teachers all over India and the rest of the world and so much to learn from each of them, I would say if you are not interested in accreditation, look around. If you can have the best of both worlds and do both KPJAYI and study with others then do, if not and you have to choose one or the other I don’t think there is any clear advantage of practicing at KPJAYI. More important that you practice daily and have a teacher who can guide and encourage you whoever that/those may be. If on the other hand you are just establishing a daily practice or are even completely new come to Mysore and KPJAYI as the experience is total emersion, there is nothing else to do to distract you and you can practice and rest.

Does anyone else see a chicken?