Sharath’s Conference, Lake and Glow

I was so tired this afternoon, that I slep over one hour before the conference. I walked to the Shala with Ann and we were laughing, how wonderful it is to sleep during the day and not feel guilty or lazy, because you know, that other people are doing the same. Sometimes you need your beauty sleep and here you are free to sleep, when you like. Awesome!

The conference today was super. Sharath was talking about, how important the healthy body is for your mind. Healthy body brings you the stable mind. It’s important to balance your body and concentrate only to yourself during the practice. Then the asana also comes more meaningful. Unfortunately, it’s often so that a new asana brings you a new pain too, but after a while our bodies change and get used to the asana. Sometimes I feel that ashtanga is like building up a new body for yourself. You have to get rid off old bad habits and weaknesses and start from the scratch. Like Sharath said today, yoga is a lifelong study and experience. I also think that yoga is a lifechanging practice, at least it is and it has been that to me. It’s like opening your eyes and learning to watch more carefully.

Sharath was also pointing out, that first you have to be a student and then you might become a teacher. He said that he has been studying yoga many years, but he is no master and he has still so many things to learn. He also reminded us, how important practice is. He said as an example, that he wouldn’t change his one month’s practice for a million dollar. He is so smart and modest that man.

After the conference me, Maria and Kitty from Chigaco went to the ”Lake”. Lake is great! You can see there Indian ladies wearing sharis and trainers, when walking around the circle. We were really lucky today, because the evening was beautiful and sun was just coming down, when we walked around the Lake. It was very peaceful environment and we had an interesting conversation regarding questions, which the girls wanted to make for Sharath. Often you notice that people are thinking same (or otherwise really interesting) questions than you, so I hope that they will ask those questions later and I will hear the answers.

I think that it’s impossible to explain the magic of Mysore or the feelings here during my own practice or Sharath’s conferences. This is like being Alice in Wonderland or Spark in Mysore Magic World. My friend Matleena just arrived here from Finland and I had a quick talk with her after today’s conference. She said to me, that she had watched me during the conference and she said that I am just glowing. Yes. Mysore is very different, you can’t explained it, you have to feel it.