My 4th week has come to an end with Sharath. Getting more and more into the flow in the main shala and the crazy feeling of being so many students has slowly passed, and I get more use to it. Its very cool to have all kinds of different levels of students practicing around you. Some are doing 4th serie and some half primary. Its five rows in the Shala and about 12 mats in each, so about 60-65 people can practice at the same time. Sharath got about four people assisting him each patch. Some are really good assistents, some are ok. But we are all there to learn so I am not expecting anyone to be perfect.

I got some more attention from Sharath while he´s been adjusting me. He´ s been telling me off for not having a rug and that my towel was to small, coz I sweat so much. Then one time I came up from my sun salutation B, with bended knees and my arms going up over my head, then I crashed into Sharath who was adjusting the girl next to me in Utthita padangustansana parshva. Sharath looked at me and smiled and said, you try to break my arm huh, Sorry sorry... Well, all attention is good attention, but somedays I just wish I was a bit more invisible, ;) 

Today I was told to do Pashasana, first pose on intermediate serie. I did it and then I started doing my backbends as you do when you finish the serie. One of the guys who was assisting Sharath came up to me and told me to go down and listen to Sharth who was talking to me across the room. What have I done wrong now, I thought to myself. You did Pachasana ? Yes, I replied. Again, he said, I want to see. So I had to do it again and showed him, then he said, Krounchasana, yay, the next pose. So now I am on my way into intermediate serie. It feels really good. 

Alexandra has been here a month and she is going back to Sweden next week. It will be so empty here without her. We have had a really nice time together. She have had bad luck with the weather, she almost thought she were going back home more pale then when she arrived here, but the sun seems to decided to shine a bit more now, so hopefully she will have a bit of tan when she gets back. We been laughing a lot, love how we seem to laugh at each others bad sides and how we always trying to see humour in everything, even the hard times. "If u can't laugh at yourself, let someone else do it for you"  A good friend here asked me today at breakfast, you will miss Alex a lot right? You two seams to have the same humor. Its nice when people around us can notis how we do feel very comfortable around each other.  

Love this talk

From today's conference. Packed with students.

Did you catch ?

Wednesday, 4 November
First Mysore morning done with Sharath. I was a bit early this morning. I took off my shoes and as I just were about to open the door another girl arrived. I asked her what time she had, 6 a clock she answered, oh I am fine then. I slowly sneaked in to see if there was a line outside the big shala room, but there were no one there. Sharath then saw me, looking out from the big room where about 70 people were in the middle of their practice, he asked me, What time you have? 6 am I answered, as fast as I could. You are too early, why you come so early? I was about to leave but then he said tomorrow you come 10 min before not too early, go over there and start. Ops I thought and I tip toed true some students and rolled out my mat.

Did my practice and it felt good, a bit more space then in the led class. My body felt good and it was a good energy today. Many people with amazing practices. Some people I recognised from Instagram, it was nice to see their practice live. Had some problem with my Drishti (gazing point) as I had so much people to look at but I tried not to, its hard in the beginning when you are full of excitement and curiosity. I know, I will be better at going into myself after a few days. I let myself be a bit distracted for now, at least I know I am doing it, will have to work on it. In a few days it will not be as exciting to check out the people I guess or I hope.

In the end i did my backbends and my drop-back. A guy came by and helped me grabbing my ankles and it felt good. I was happy and thankful Sharath didn't stop me at any point in my practice, coz you often hear him tell people to stop and you just wish he was not talking to you. After the backbending I took my mat and was on my way into the changing room to do my finishing poses. Then Sharath yelled across the room, Did you catch? (meaning, did u catch your ankles) I thought he was asking someone else and look back, then I understood he asked me. I nodded my head with a big smile and said yes, was happy he just paid attention to me. He smiled back. Funny to get so happy with a bit of attention, hahaha. Made my day.

Thursday, 5 November
Okej, I will NOT be too early today. Sharath shall not yell at me today. I came 15 min later then yesterday and it was as a big line in the room next to the practice room. Sat down and asked a girl next to me what time she had, 6 am she said. Fine, it might go really fast to get in coz many people were at the end of their practice anyway. Sharath came into the room and asked, You got 6 am, raise your hand ( I raised my hand fast) and he continued the sentence, who got 6,30 ? He looked at me, you got 6.30 wait outside the door. No, no I got 6 am sorry. Why you lift your hand then, he said. Aweeeee I can never do right, I thought. After maybe 30 min it was my turn to finally get a spot inside and start. Sharath yelled out "one more" and I entered. He came up to me and asked, have you had coffee today? No I replied, ohh Thats why you not wake up yet. I smiled and started my practice as the day slowly started and the sun lighted up the sky outside.

Friday, 6 November
Had a smooth start today, came a bit early but got in straight away. Had a good practice and two days in a row now Sharaths been standing infront of my mat when I come up from my backbends. He is helping me catching my ankels. Always thought it would be hard to get his attention but it feels like he sees every little thing I do, if I come to early or to late, even where I leave my shoes, hahahah. Tomorrow there will be led class again.    

      

Shri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute

Monday, 2nd of November

Had my first practice this morning in the main Shala with Sharath. It was an interesting morning like I never experienced before.

When i went to register last Friday, Sharath gave me a card with my name on it and also the start time for my batch. I get to start at 6 am everyday except from Mondays and Saturdays coz we have led classes on those days. Mondays led class I have 4.30 am start and Saturdays 6 am. I am very happy with my timings, its not to late and not to early.

A girl I live with also had 4.30 am led class on Mondays so we said we go there together this morning. She told me we should be there really early so we won't have to practice next to the toilets. I was happy with company and I wouldn't  want to practice next to the toilets either, so I was keen to go with her even thou we might have to wait outside the Shala gates for a while. Unfortunate this morning it was raining. We came there at 3 am, waiting patiently outside the gates and it started to fill up with loads of people. Everyone had their umbrellas and were prepared with plastic bags to sit on. Not me. We were early so I knew we wouldn't get the worst spots in the Shala but it was a hectic feeling anyway where people were so ambitious to get good spots. Oh forgot to explain about the "Shala Time"  The time we get on our cards is not the exact time, coz the Shala time is 15-20 min before. So todays class at 4.30 am is actually about 4,10 am. We arrived at 3 by the gate, so about a hour before class would start.

After sitting by the gate for an hour finally they open and we got in. I got a good spot, happy. It started fill up fast. It came way to many people to fit in the Shala. It felt like chaos. Then Sharath raised his voice and announced that everyone who got their led class at 6 am on Saturdays should come back to next batch. My god, I had to roll up my mat again and left the room. I was so exited to just be in at last and to soon start the practice, my first time in the Shala and after that long time waiting outside the gate. Well,  I left the Shala room. Outside there was about 50 people who had been told to leave. We all just sat down outside on the stairs and heard Sharath count for the other students inside.

Regular students who comes often they know that the first week is always primary series, thats why only this week the led Monday class would be same timing as Saturdays led class. Usually it would be led second serie on Mondays after the 4.30 class but not this week. A bit confusing for a first time student there, like me.

But in the end I got in and I did my first practice "In the main shala" with Sharath and it was a really cool feeling. Got a good spot as well, yay! Sharath was in a good mood and made many jokes thru out the practice. Before we started Sharath was on a mission to catch this cockroach that was running around pretty close to my mat. When he finally caught it, he asked if anyone wanted breakfast and offered it to some of  the close by students.

We had to practice tight, the mats were mat to mat, no space in-between. Fingers and hands often touched the person next to you in down facing dog and we had to go up and down on the mats in many poses, to not be in the way for each others. I got kneed in my boob once from the guy next to me, when he was doing Maricasana A. He was a tall guy with long legs so I felt more bad for him as he had problems coz he needed much more space to do stuff.

I been spoiled before with loads of space and a teacher that can spot me if I do something wrong like breath to fast or skip a breath or cheat and take extra breath. This is all very new to me in the main Shala. Takes time to get into it. It will be good for me though. The energy is so strong, its so many ambitious people there and they got this drive. I like that in a way, but it can also be a bit intimidating, so this will teach me a lot how to handle and look at things, and see how I cope with it. I am exited for this week, can't wait for the Mysore classes. 

Random photos from Mysore