A wonderful day! Woke up naturally (always a good start to the day) and practiced in the cool solitude of the apartment. Worked very hard on the realignment of my body in sirsasana – it’s going to take some time before my body will accept this new shape, somehow when my lumbar and dorsal are correctly placed there isn’t enough room for my legs and hips in the pelvis, trying to keep them back in line feels like ancient millstones grinding laboriously against each other or trying to move tectonic plates that are wedged!
I understood with great clarity today that I have been allowing difficult emotions to chase me around the place – like bullies the more you avoid them the bigger they become. The value of yoga practice is to give you a forum to face the suffering head on and only then is there freedom from them. It made me realise that both as a parent and teacher I am doing my students and children a great disservice by trying to protect them and only give them pleasurable experiences. Far better to support them in facing difficulties and suffering so that they become stronger and more resilient.
The more we stay in a posture and meet the negative feelings with a steady breath the more we purify the body, but if at the first niggle or distracting thought we move on, we have lost an opportunity to thrive.
After practice headed to the Mariot Hotel for a swim. It’s great if you want a bit of luxury. When I got there I soon realised that the sunbeds were full of Iyengar students, so I had a lovely sociable day swimming in the ice cold pool and drying off in the pleasant heat, whilst comparing our experiences at the Institute. I felt more relaxed and energised than I have all month. Afterwards Nicola and I headed to their cafe and I indulged in a soya milk hot chocolate – the only place I’ve come across in India where you can buy this. Then we went up to the 24th floor where they have a rooftop terrace. We were greeted with a complimentary glass of bubbly (which I donated to some of the drinkers – don’t envy them going to Prasant’s class in the morning
) It had an amazing view looking out all over Pune . The food was great and I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the rather obnoxious music pumping out of the speakers at full volume.
I strolled home via the fruit market stopping for delicious Chinese gooseberries. I am irresistibly sleepy now, the way kids are when you take them swimming!
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