Palms Together

This morning moon was huge on the sky. Sometimes it’s a little bit scary to walk to the Shala during the early hours, because it’s so dark, but this morning moon was bringing light on my path. Early group is now full of new students, but I had no complaints about my spot. I was so focused on my practice, that I didn’t see much else going on around me.

I did my regular practice, but I modified the poses, where the pressure is big on neck. I felt good, strong after four days rest. I did Supta K, I started slowly and then I felt hands on my back. I checked the toes and I knew, that it was Sharath, so I relaxed. I didn’t do maximum pose, but Sharath closed my hands and I did very strong Bakasana afterwards. Sharath came to support my back, when I was doing Urdva Dhanurasana and then all of the sudden, he lifted me up. Sometimes he does things like that. That he does something new before I can think about it or start to resist the pose. But my back felt good and he asked: ”More?” and I said: ”Enough.” He respects my limits very well, but if he sees that I can do something more or new, he won’t hesitate to make me do it. I think that this kind of teaching method only works, if teacher knows the student completely and the student trusts his teacher totally. I don’t need so many words with Sharath (even his English is good), I just need my faith.

I know, that in many yoga schools they don’t teach opening and closing mantras and I remember, when I started practicing, it felt so ridiculous to do the mantras. I was even laughing, because it didn’t make any sense for me. But after I got over that, I started to love opening and closing mantras. I feel that opening mantra brings the energy of the group practicing together. Sharath said during the conference on Sunday, that even when Guruji is not anymore present here, he can feel his energy in the Shala.

With the early group we start our practices on our own and Sharath walks in about 15 minutes after that and then we do the opening together. Practice feels a little bit different after the mantra. It feels like some force is taking me over, my mind turns inside and I am starting to feel the breath in my body. I am doing my closing mantra alone before Utplutih, so that I can have a little break before last demanding pose and then totally relax in Savasana. I don’t know what other students do during their mantras, but directly after mantra I always say thanks to Guruji, Sharath and my Mysore friends. I do the same, where ever I practice. I am very thankful to share this practice with the people in the Shala now and with my other friends, where ever I practice. Sometimes their energy is keeping me up, sometimes I carry them. We all are here together. We all are the same.