My First Days in Byron Bay

So here I am, living in my new house in Suffolk Park. I have three roommates: English Teacher Kathryn, who owns the house, Graphic Designer Kate, who is yogini from Melbourne and originally South-African Shelagh, who is Naprapath and Childcare Specialist. Our house is messy, cosy and very Australian. Beach is near, this neighborhood is calm (drinking is prohibited mostly in this area) and city center is about 30 minutes by bike. Here is very green and different kinds of birds are walking on our backyard. The weather has been sunny, it only rained, when I arrived.

I have now practiced twice with Dena. Shelagh has a car, so I have been lucky to get a lift to the shala every morning. Shala has been packed, it’s quite small room and we have over 30 yogis there. I met four yogis here, who I have seen before in different retreats. I was so happy specially to see Sonja (my friend from Mysore) and Debbie (Dena’s devoted student, with who I practiced in Stockholm and Koh Mak), who both are doing commited practisioners –course with Dena.

First practice on Sunday was led half-Primary, which was a good start for me after long nights at the airports. Dena was practicing with us and she also did some demos for us. Today we started our own Mysore practices. Some of Dena’s students, who are doing three years teacher training with her, were adjusting. All the adjustments, which I got, were smooth and sensitive, so I don’t have anything to be afraid of. My back felt surprisingly good after the flights and coldness (our house is cold specially during the nights, because here is no heating system). Today the energy in the shala was really full on, I think that later people will be more chilled out. I did my basic practice, but started lightly with Urdva Dhanurasana (three smalls and one up). I am happy to practice with Dena again, she is such a good teacher and calming person for my mind.

Yesterday I walked to the center with Kate. It was a long walk, in total it took one hour to go to the center and we both were wearing flip-flops. We went for a lovely sushi lunch (I am just smiling, when I can eat sushi after all that cooked food in India) and checked the main street. Our plan was to go back home by bus, but there was no bus, so we were forced to take a taxi back home.

Today I borrowed Shelagh’s bike and enjoyed the good weather, when going to the town. I finally got new bikinis, so maybe tomorrow I can go to the beach. I found a nice store, which was selling various different parfyme candles and wandered around the town until I ended up to a bookstore. This time I resisted my temptation to buy a new book, I first have to finish Not With Out My Sister. And I got a pre-paid, so I have local number now.

Sun here is very strong, even when it’s obviously the beginning of the winter season (all bikinis were on sale). Tomorrow will be a Moonday, so this week is going to be a short practice week. For me it’s fine to start the practice in a light way and settle down to my new life here first. Tomorrow I will have a dinner with Sonja, so I can finally catch up and here all what has happened in her life after Mysore times. It’s good to see my Mysore friends here, too.