Yoga, Anyone?

I just checked my class roster and lo & behold, there are still spaces available in my spring Path of Yoga class, PHE 200F. Here’s a link, just in case you want to register for the Karly 2.0 version, lol! http://my.yc.edu/

Another cool update: my Fall Com 134 class is aware of a good bit of news: my book for that class is being published by Linus. I emailed the book chapters while waiting for my first flight at Sky Harbor – and here’s a link with the ISBN & everything, http://www.linusbooks.com/more_details.php?id=188 woo hoo! It’s called Bridges: Making Meaningful Connections and will be available for my spring class, soon to be on amazon.com, hurray! (The interweb is a beautiful thing... :-)

Was delayed in Heathrow, but so was my final flight to Phoenix, so all is well. Yeah, I’m home safe & all is well :-) P.S. Yes, I really did spend three weeks in India with just a carry-on & a backpack. Makes going through customs wayyyy easier ;-)

Dirty Feet

That was the first thing I had to get over in India, as there is much construction at the ashram and well, shoes off wherever you go. So just add water and dusty feet translate to muddy dining areas, bathrooms you name it. Can you say, “relax with what is?” (or “cultural relativism” for my Soc 101 students?)

Meanwhile, another ashramite was challenged by tiny children scampering around the construction sites barefoot and guys running about on top of half-constructed buildings without harnesses (that’s her line of work back home).

Endlessly fascinating what we tune into, as I kept filing away images of the women in saris hammering rocks, carrying water jugs and planks on their heads at the construction sites. (Uh yes, vestiges of the caste system alive and well…and the admonishments not to feed dogs or give cookies to children… more on that this spring Soc 101 students…)

So back to the photo -- my shoes were trashed in short order. I didn’t think to bring a pair of Crocs, but that’s my advice, dear readers, next time you’re in India, bring Crocs. Wash n’ wear, unlike these Naots. Ah, I wasn’t fond of them anyway. But check it out, cool soles, eh?

Cross Cultural Awareness

Looks a little scary, eh? Well, there are Western toilettens mixed in, too, but always a long Western queue, what to do? Does patience outweigh "adventure," hmmm?

So the first thing I noticed at the ashram was this interesting head nodding gesture (up & down and side to side at the same time), which I first deciphered to mean, "yes, sure that's fine," but later learned it could mean pretty much anything, lol! Let Johney explain it further in this clip, lol!

In India, it's also polite to say, "no no I couldn't," and then they insist. And then you acquiesce. I rather like that dance, lol!

It's a Puzzla

Okay, just a quick note, because a few of you might be curious on how that all went... (Yes, I promise Jen W., no more posting at the ashram, I'll just "soak it in" these last few days :-)

So...I remained upright in a seated position the entire night, the second night in a row of all-night meditations. And I'm oddly not tired. Even uh, refreshed?! Must have slept. Or something? And the lions, tigers and bears all ran away... so all there is left is to just... be in the moment? Ponderous, eh?

Whir, Whir, Whirrrr!

Ahhh, I'm going to need a good bit of R & R when I finally get off this ride, so be nice. I feel like I've been through a rock tumbler (or some equally spinny, grindy machine), as we did another all night meditation last night focusing on letting go of stories, baggage, little satchels of hurt (oh my!) and another all-night meditation is just a few hours away (I think with the same lions, tigers & bears theme...)

Some of you know how I am on no sleep (can we say "sensitive"...?) 'nuff said.

Meanwhile, yay, no British Airlines strike after all, woo hoo! Thanks to Cynthia, Om, Janell, Jean Marie & everyone at Team Karly for reassuring me that the SS Minnow would stay afloat with Thurston & Lovey on deck even I got a bit waylayed in -- what's that acronym again? bf-I?

Will try to post again, although my marching orders are to "minimize contact with the outside world" -- wha wha what?

Shiny Happy People!

So the latest meditation was one in which we found a person we hadn't spoken with & then were to "connect" with them through direct eye contact (uh, gazing, staring) to recognize the Divinity Within (remember, this is India, an ashram, you know the drill).

This went on for some time, was a little unnerving at first, but then at the end, it became one giant kumbaya fest with much laughter and giddiness among all. Which lasted until about lunch, lol. Then it was back to somber faces, irritation and complaints about who is behaving badly... Which is why it's just me & my laptop at the moment, lol!

No seriously, this is one of the most amazing & powerful experiences I've ever had & won't fully "sink in" until I'm back and can regroup. All is well in India! :-)

The Walking Meditation

So this morning, we did an extremely cool walking meditation, in which you cultivate an awareness of the beauty (and presence of the Infinite – this is an ashram after all) in every aspect of the world around you. (This includes people who rinse out their mouths in the dish washing sink and walk off with others’ shoes, lol!) You might try this one the next time you’re out in nature, just a Karly Yogini tip of the day.

P.S. Many people are smiling, getting nicer and playing well with others. And I don’t think it’s just because they want to borrow my laptop.

Roll With It, Baby

So we’ve been doing these letting go meditations for the last few days – letting go of all the “stories” we create & lug around -- physically, mentally, emotionally – you know the drill.

And I hadn’t freaked out about slow internet or no internet, well, since the last time I did ;-) Ironically enough, despite all the letting go meditations, it all came ba-ack, in full force. Irritation, annoyance about not being able to log on and get my work done. It’s hard to let go in meditation when you’re holding on and ruminating, lol!

So Word is my outlet as I wait for pages to load & document my frustrations about the slowness of it all… The other thing is, my time at the ashram is so very structured, from 5:55 am until 11 pm at night (when curfew begins) that there’s not a moment to spare. The latest solution I’ve come up with is to roll out of my lower bunk when the symphony of cell phone alarms starts going off at 4 am, sling on my backpack, distract and then slink past the hall monitor, dash across the ashram grounds and then hang out in the cold outside the Net Café to log on with no one else to drag the connection down. True bliss!

(Seriously, after I wrote that yesterday, I did manage to let go for the whole day, as the internet was down again today. What are you going to do, eh? And then miraculously enough, it was back late tonight, no one else knew, and here we are. Okay, now that’s true bliss.

Minor Amusements…

Part of the process here is waiting… “just sit” we’re often told. One hilarious new thought for you, “the Coca-Colalization of a society prompts people to lose the ability to just sit & be” – which is also happening in India…

Meanwhile, there is much squabbling among the ashramites – people (unaware, I contend) walking off with others’ shoes and clothes, and otherwise engaging in “objectionable” behavior in various and sundry ways – rushing lines, as again we’re often in queue for something – books, tea & biscuits, bathrooms & buckets. Yes, a heightened sense of judgy-wudgy-ness – i.e., “others are doing it wrong,” which is kind of hilarious in this environment. As the saying goes, “raise your consciousness, lessen the pain.” Then these little annoyances are just people being who they are, doing what they do, in various states of awareness (cluelessness, lol!) or not…

Please Settle Down

Yes, it’s Final Grades time & gentle students, the internet has been down for the last day and a half (yes, I'm relaxing with what is, lol!) Meanwhile, I see ya’ll are having a few snow day closures... Please know that I’m reading & grading away and will post your grades just as soon as I’m able. So please refrain from sending that 4^th email – plus, I’ll feel compelled to read all of yours last, lol!)

Meanwhile, here at the ashram...lots of meditation and yoga going on (natch) including an overnight meditation until sunrise which was oddly energizing. Great food and ayurvedic tea for the colds passing around the barracks like a little Petri dish.

Again, all is well, this is an amazing process – action-packed, but rest-assured, I’ll get to your grades just as soon as I can, Namaste J

The Death Meditation

Yesterday, we experienced the most amazing guided meditations! First is affectionately dubbed the Death Meditation (I know, sounds like a blast, lol!) But it was actually about exploring different layers of fears that we have that make us fear death & dying… pretty fascinating & extremely powerful…

And then the “desires” meditation (I don’t remember what that one is called), exploring all the things that keep us “wanting”…. all those things outside of ourselves that we think are going to make us happy… (i.e., what keeps us “earthbound” & reincarnating, remember, we’re in India J)

Really, I’m fine and well, having a blast, so don’t worry! This photo is apparently a well-known temple that my cabbie stopped to let me take a picture of, pretty classic :-)

P.S. With any luck, I may actually score a towel for later tonight when I wash my hair in a bucket, lol!

Swan Dive Forward

So here’s what I’ve learned so far: when you try to check email and the internet connection is excellent (just not for you), there is an inherent flow in the “obstacles” in your path and you just have to go with it. Uh, maybe I’m a little too connected to work? And need to just relax with the fact that I can’t grade as efficiently as I’d like and sometimes those email responses will have to wait the 48 hours stated on my syllabus?

Yes, our schedule is pretty action-packed, starting with yoga at 5:55 am, then we go from class to meditation to class until…well last night was about 1 am. So I’ve been attempting my online connections at meal times, which means, uh, sometimes I miss out on the food. (You are forewarned if I look a tad bit thinner when I come home – oh the sacrifices, lol!)

But I’ve learned some cool little nuggets that I will definitely be sharing with y’all spring semester and/or when I get back – new vinyasa sequences, asana variations, not to mention more “chakra talk.” There are some fascinating mind-body correlations with the “blockages” that we experience in chakra energy.

Okay, so I’ll post in a few days – or whenever I can get online again, lol! Just know all is well & everything is happening exactly as it’s supposed to. Guess I’m being forced to disconnect a bit & I’d best not resist those messages from the universe ;-)

Those Pesky Expectations

I know. I know better. Waaayy better. But after too many hours on a couple of 747s and a cab ride through Bangalore at sunrise (yes, this is a photo of my cabbie), I arrived at the ashram… and they had no room at the inn! Oh they assured me it would be resolved “later.” Yet I couldn’t seem to help myself but be quite the little nudge, checking on it throughout the day, getting them to hold onto my behemoth laptop bag and overstuffed carry-on at the Welcome Center (which they could not guarantee would be secure, glee J

Then, thennnn in the Internet Café, I managed to log on, but it was incredibly slow and I couldn’t open anything. And when I tried again later, it was down and out. “This is India,” everyone would tell me with a chuckle, “sometimes it’s out all day.” So I started um, freaking out. Just a little. How would I get my work done? How would I answer my emails? Aaahhh. Doesn’t help that I was a wee bit jet-lagged and nodding off in every workshop session, then kicking myself because I couldn’t focus.

Throughout the day, I was confronted by my own, uh, expectations. When I asked about meals & how that all worked, my new ashramite friends mentioned “you do your own dishes, it’s like camp.” Hmmm, not much of a camper girl here (but yes all, I’ve gotten into the groove).

And in my mind’s eye, I thought my “dormitory accommodations” would be sharing a room with three other people (not like 45). So now I know what Army barracks are like, lol! When I finally got settled into my bunk around 11, the bunk mate across from me took pity on this Elle-Woods-seeming creature and offered to explain the “systems” in place for the bathroom (which involve an assortment of buckets and such, lol!)

Once I was finally ensconced in my bunk bed, my head was going a hundred miles a second. More battles with reality. What have I done? What was I thinking? Can I just cancel and go home? Would I ever be able to sleep on this bunk bed with 45 randomly coughing people and my head going nonstop? Thankfully and finally, it did stop.

And luckily, sleep does wonders in making things a little clearer J So now I’m off to an asana yoga class, with a lovely Indian woman who also teaches psychology, woo hoo! I remember why I’m here, all is right in the world. Only this morning, everyone is sick around me (even the lovely woman who took pity on Ms. Elle.) Send positive thoughts! And no, I’m not drinking the water J

In-Flight Entertainment…

I realized on the way over to London that I’d never landed in Heathrow, so consequently, had never flown the delightful British Airways. Besides the funky-quaint amenities in their care package (a night shade, toothbrush and black socks), they had equally funky tunes on their rock/pop channel. So maybe I don’t get out much, but I know not from David Gray, the Eels, Calvin Harris, Little Boots and Pixie Lott, with this lyric, “I got your email…that you don’t get females.”

And then in all this mix, Alison Krauss, on the rock pop channel? This one, “So Long So Wrong,” helped to drown out the loud French trio in back of me on the way to London, Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu!

Meanwhile, waiting in line to take this photo, I met a tech writer from amazon.com on this way to meet his team of writers in Bangalore, who wanted to take a picture of me by the sign (but I didn’t think you needed that, lol!) And then on the leg to Bangalore, my seat mates were a genetics professor from Washington, who was taking his daughter to visit home. I told him of my ashram plans, got another mini-lecture on safety, followed by his parting words: “just act like you’ve been here before.” Okay, I can do that...