8 Dec 2011

Independence Day and Practice Routine

So Finland’s Independence Day passed by like any other ordinary day here. I couldn’t get online and didn’t really see any Finns in Mysore on Tuesday, so I missed the whole party. Abroad you miss all the national festivals, friends’ weddings and other parties. After my last trip I made a quiet promise to celebrate well all these parties, when back home. But what can I do? This is gonna be my fifth Christmas abroad, second in India and I can say, that my mum isn’t too happy about that. But Gypsy Girl just needs to get around, even when it’s Christmas time. I still hope that all my Finnish friends celebrated Independence Day properly!

I am getting into my practice routine. I can sleep long and I am actually sleeping, which is very rare for me. I am a terrible sleeper and last time here couldn’t really sleep at all. Sharath doesn’t like any extra preps or streching inside the Shala, so I have to wake up a little bit earlier to do my extra core exercises to warm up my back. Then a quick shower (read: water from the bucket splashed around), tape on my toes and I am ready to… queue. Yes, when you are not with the first group, you have to wait (sometimes half an hour or more) and pray for a good spot at the same time. You don’t wanna end up being on the back of the Shala, because the floor is really hard and cold, you don’t wanna be next to the window, because it’s cold, if you are shy, you won’t like the spot next to the main door, because all the people are staring at you and nobody likes the spot, where the carpets are on top of each other. Sometimes I am wondering, if Sharath wants to test us with all these tricky spots. If he just wants to see, how we will react, when we must just surrender and accept our random spot. I have my favorite spot and Sharath knows that, so yesterday he gave me my favorite, which made me very happy. I have heard that students have literally fight over a spot. So if you like a certain spot, you will learn to queue.

Yesterday there was a funny incidence, when Sharath was calling us in one by one. There was a new student, really tall girl and when Sharath called: ”One more!”, she walked in, but Sharath started yelling at her: ”Not you, too tall!”. This is normal here (sometimes he calls: ”One short!”), it’s nothing offensive, because the Shala is so packed, that tall students can’t fit everywhere and Sharath tries to find them nice spots. But I bet that that girl was devastated.

My practice is going allright. Nobody is touching me, I do my thing and say thanks to Sharath and Saraswati afterwards. This is fine, because I know, that Sharath is waiting my back to heal and he is letting me to take my time. Some people are getting worried, if teacher is ignoring them. I don’t worry about that, because I know, that Sharath is watching my practice. He has eyes on his back, too. I am sure that he knows exactly, which poses I am skipping (Chakrasana among other, because it hurts) and I know, that he is waiting me to show him nice Urdva Dhanurasana before he will start to comment on my practice. This might sound strange, but I don’t have to speak with him that much. Because he is my teacher, I am on the same page with him anyway. I trust on his valuation completely.

Today was the first day, when I took Urdva Dhanurasana up here. I have to be really careful with that pose, because it can take my sacrum off again. My practice was superslow today and tomorrow will be a fast led again. I am happy that this practice week is short. I have more energy and strength left for tomorrow’s led, than after normal practice week. Friday is off, so we are getting a long weekend. Next week is full practice week, so no rest, but hard work. Time to get my routine on!

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