I have made it to the end of week 1! Today was kicked off with cleansing, Jal Neti, specifically cleansing of the nostrils by pouring a jug of salty water through one and out the other one. This was actually not too bad, and has cleared up the sniffles I had. What a way to kick off a Sunday!
Over the course of the week we have completed the basics across most of the subjects. We are still in the Yamas in philosophy, today we covered celibacy. (Yogi approach is not what you might think, yogis believe that forbidding anything makes the mind be drawn to it, so forbidding sex makes people have a sex crazed mind and therefore not able to focus on enlightenment. Much more logical approach vs Catholicism!).
Philosophy class takes place outside, in the sun, overlooking the jungle. It’s very zen and a lovely way to learn, if a bit distracting when the monkeys get going. In Hatha we have learnt the basics and sun salutation, in Ashtanga we are in series A, have finished the standing sequence and are in the sitting sequence. I’m feeling stronger and much bendier. Breathing is helping and pranayama may be one of my favourite classes. In meditation I am able to concentrate for much longer, with legs only going numb twice in an hour now 💪.
In anatomy we’ve finished the skeletal system and are moving through the muscles. Ashtanga yoga, not to be confused with Ashtanga flow, refers to the 8 limbs of yoga. It is really clear how the different limbs compliment each other, and the combination is making me feel more healthy and think about my health in a different light. I’m currently listening to a Zoe podcast about inflammation, it feels like cutting edge microbiome/ gut science is just scratching the surface of the yogic lifestyle.
I am also getting more used to the cold, and even had a full cold shower today to try and embrace the yogi way. (I did have to wait until midday so it would be warm in the sunshine when I finished but progress none the less!).
Monkey invasion at breakfast! There are 2 types of monkey in this part of India. Big white ones and small brown ones. The big ones are friendly and not to be worried about, one morning the trees outside where full of about 20 of them and 2 did steal some breakfast fruits but generally they are harmless. The small brown ones are more shrieky and more likely to attack. They hover around quite a bit but also pretty much harmless.
Days are pretty full on, but I go for a walk everyday before Ashtanga flow class. I am loving the cows everywhere, they are so chilled and almost like dogs. (Apparently elephants used to be like this, wandering around on the roads and very relaxed. However, apparently elephants have larger emotional parts of their brains than us, and they have remembered baby elephants being taken away for the circus etc, passed this on to others and that is why they now charge when they see humans.).
On one of my walks I went with Mithun to sit on the beach at the edge of the Ganga and dipped my toes in. It is the most beautiful and clean river I have ever seen. Lots of people raft down it, it's pretty cold but seems a great way to see more of the river and country side so I will try and do on a day off. Tomorrow is a day off, but I have plans to go and see my boss's mum in Dehradun. Will report back!
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