Express Buzz
K Shivakumar
04 Oct 2008

The ancient, time-tested practice of yoga will be another tourist attraction at the Dasara festivities at Mysore this year. Yoga teachers affiliated to the Pathanjali Yoga Shikshana Samithi, the Vivekanada Yoga Kendra and other institutes have coalesced under one banner, the “Mysore Yoga Okkuta.” Free yoga classes will be organised in sixty centres across the city.

In a bid to help tourists visiting the city get a feel of the ancient practice, the Okkuta has orgainsed yoga classes for occupants at Hotel President and Hotel Viceroy between 6 and 7 am. Tourists here may learn the basics of yoga and meditation. The Yoga Dasara Committee hopes to reach out to at least 3,000 people during the festival this year. Read more..

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Hi Everybody:

I know I’ve been dropping hints, but now we’ve actually done it: the Shala itself will be closing October 13th. That’s a Monday, it will be a regularly scheduled day, 6:30 am and 5 pm classes. Tuesday the 14th is the full moon, we’ll be closed. And Wednesday… we will begin the day as usual, my 6:30 am Mysore class. But it will be at the Santa Barbara Yoga Center. If you haven’t been there, Google it, the venerable Santa Barbara institution at 32 East Micheltorena Street, up there with the finer things in life in Santa Barbara’s Upper East.

How did we get to this point? Well, it began in the summer of 2005. Michele and I took our boys, then aged 2, to Guruji’s 90th birthday in Mysore. We stayed for 6 weeks. Returning to our happy little Shala, we opened a fateful envelope to find that our building had been purchased by a developer, who planned to raze it ASAP. Knowing that the hoops in this town for new developments can be daunting, we thought we might be able to carry on for years. Only problem: the lease that he was offering had a clause in it that he could evict us at any time during the term; not a great lease you might say. Since then, I’ve tired of having an axe over my head. Looking around at prices, we discovered that our building is really the last of its kind in the downtown area, including the “funk” zone, in terms of warehouse quality and size versus price. We would have had to move to Goleta to carry on the way we like.

So, since then, we’ve had our eyes out for opportunity. Things converged last month: Damien De Bastier, who conducts the other Mysore scene in town, decided to call it a day, right at the time that our lease was expiring. Lais Da Silva, the owner of the Yoga Center and an old friend, made us a good offer. There were other offers as well. So, we were in the position to negotiate something that should allow us to make a living (not a given in this biz).

The Yoga Center: I taught there from 1996 through 2001. I began the Mysore thing in Santa Barbara there in 1998. Since then, the tradition has been carried on there by David and Andrea Miliotis and then Damien. We first met many of you there. The place always felt quite good to me, an old church, spiritual and very sensual. We exited in 2001, not because we didn’t like it, but partly because Guruji was encouraging his approved teachers to start their own Yoga Shalas with “no mixing”, partly because we were excited about starting our own thing.

Over the last seven years, standing alone as a dedicated practice space required incredible determination and strength, on a regular basis actually, and this crucible transformed us as teachers, kind of burned the crap out. And we’ve also had an amazing time, unbelievably rapturous in the really good moments. Some of you have been coming regularly since the day we began. A lot has happened on that warehouse floor; we feel thankful for every one of you who have joined us there.

So, what next? We merge into the larger community of a yoga center. They’ve invited us in warmly. It has three rooms going most of the time, many teachers, countless classes a week. We expect the size of our classes to increase; there will be new people to practice with; there will be resources for promotion, the whole thing will be a bit more public. We plan to hold our integrity firm, so expect the experience to remain similar, just a slightly different vibration. We’ve been sequestered quite deep in the Shala, down a dark hallway in a quirky chaotic creative building; many of you like this. We do. But we’ve learned through the years that the average potential ashtangi finds the Shala highly intimidating, especially in the morning- it takes a brave soul to finally get that doorknob open, among those who don’t already know the tradition.

There will be a schedule change: the morning class with me, including Sunday, will be exactly the same. Afternoon: Monday- Wednesday- Friday, 4-5:55 pm, with Michele.

So, yes, it will be happening one day less a week, and it will be moved an hour earlier. We chose this in part because it will allow us to finally have dinner together as a family and in part because this seemed the best option that was offered us. In our poll, most of you who responded said that you could make that work. We appreciate your willingness to do this change. Prices will remain the same, and you will continue to pay us, even for drop-ins; accounting will be the same as it has been. Any of you holding current series will be able to use them at the Yoga Center. If there is a problem with the new schedule and your ability to make the transition, talk to us.

We will be having a goodbye gathering, at the Shala, potluck, on Saturday October 11th, at 5 pm. bring family and partner. For those who choose, you will have an opportunity to say a little something. We want all of you to come to this. And for those of you who have strayed, you may want to check in one more time before the Shala bows before its fate after the evening class on October 13th.

Are we sad? I was bummed that summer when we got the notice, my dream of doing the big heartbeat Shala into the sunset dashed irrevocably. Michele, whose feelings are never too far from her sleeve, has been more vocal lately about her difficulties in leaving her baby. She has shared this with some of you. But we’re ready to go forward – she gave me the go ahead to write this email – and the next phase promises to be a bright one for Ashtanga in this town. Also, I’ll be carrying on with the Sunday led primary class at Yoga Soup, 3:45 – 5:15 pm; at this point, that will be our only led class.

Any and all responses to this, please send them our way.

Namaste and Love,
Steve Dwelley

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You’ve heard the horror stories – people getting sick after drinking the water. Well, it can be true so you want to be very careful when drinking beverages in India. Buy bottled water and avoid drinking from the tap. If you get a beverage at a restaurant, ask for it without ice. If you purchase a freshly pressed juice, request all fruit, no water. Luckily you can order water home delivery very cheaply.

Marina Packaged Drinking Water

71 Gokulam Road
Jayalakshmipuram, Mysore 570 012
Telephone: 821-241-7546
Telephone: 821-251-4399
Mobile: 944-820-0200
Fax: 821-241-7546
Marina water is triple UV sterilized, micro-filtered and ozonated. To begin water delivery service, you place a deposit of Rs. 200 down for the first bottle. Every subsequent 20-liter refill is Rs. 50. Then when you cancel your service, Rs. 150 of your initial deposit is refunded. (This are the prices that were effective in 2005.) If you’re going to be staying in India for awhile, this is the best way to insure you always have a supple of clean, safe water.

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These common Hindi words will help you navigate around Southern India. Can you think of anymore? Please submit them in a comment to this post.

Badam

- milk made with almonds
(sometimes pistachios) typically spiced
with cardamon and saffron
and sweetened with sugar

Chapati

- Round flat unleavened bread typically
used for scooping up food or dipping in soups

Chat

- Snacks

Chutney

- Spicy relish of vegetables or fruits
usually served as a side dish

Curd

- Fermented milk similar to yogurt

Curry

- Savory cooked dishes prepared with spices

Dal

- Lentils

Dosa

- Crispy crepes made from rice and lentils;
“Mysore masala dosa” when filled with vegetables

Dubbata

- A lightweight scarf worn by women
to cover their shoulders and/or head

Gungy

- White “meat” inside a coconut

Hotel

- Can refer to a restaurant

Idli

- Small round cakes made from steamed rice
and lentils often served for breakfast

Lassi

- A yogurt drink prepared sweet or salty

Masala

-Spice

Rickshaw

- 3 wheeled motorized “taxi”
with seating for 1-3 people

Roti

- A general term for bread

Salwar Kameez

- Long tunic top with matching
loose-fitting pants worn by women

Sambhar

- Hot and soupy lentils cooked with spices

Thali

- A meal typically with portions of rice, dal,
chapatis, vegetables, curd and a sweet

Tariff

- Rates

Uttapam

- Rice pancakes thicker than dosa

Vada

- Deep-fried lentil and rice doughnut

Wallah

- Street vendor

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• Use your right hand to eat or pass money. The left hand is considered unclean.
• Don’t point the soles of your feet or shoes towards another person or sacred object. Never touch anyone with your feet.
• Avoid public displays of affection.
• Shaking hands, hugging or kissing is not done when greeting others. When in doubt, just follow the other person’s lead.

Temple Guidelines and Rituals

• Remove your shoes before entering temple.
• Ladies should not go to temple when menstruating.
• At the temple entrance, perform “namaste” by joining the hands together at the heart and bowing.
• Do not touch carvings or statues of deities.
• “Kumkum” powder or vermilion is placed on the forehead between the eyebrows, which is the seat of memory and thinking – the third eye known as the ajna chakra. This “tilaka” mark is a representation of God’s blessing.
• Holy temple water is often given to drink. If you prefer not to drink the water, it is acceptable to place it on your head or heart.
• Flowers given by the priests are kept as a sign of blessing from God. Girls often wear them in their hair.
• “Pradakshina” is performed by walking around the temple at least five times clockwise. This is done to recognize God as the center point.
• Take “mangalarathi” by warming your face or body with the fire kept in front of the deities.
• If you like, you may sit to meditate or recite “shlokas,” stanza or verse of a prayer to deities, before leaving the temple. There are often different areas of the temple for men and women, which will be obvious.

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A sweater or light jacket is good for cool mornings and evenings. A rain poncho will come in handy if you are traveling during the monsoon season. Bring a hat and sunglasses for protection from the scorching sun, and if you plan on going to the pool, pack a bathing suit.

Comfortable, open shoes that can be slipped off easily such as flip-flops or sandals work well since you are constantly taking your shoes on and off here. You can also buy these in Mysore very cheaply. But if you plan on doing a lot of walking, invest in a good pair of sport sandals.

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