Ashram - week 2
Week 2 is done. I'd be lying if I didn't say that it was a relief. Admittedly it's gone a lot faster than week 1 which really felt like the world might end and I was never going to escape, but I think I've got used to the early starts, the long days and all the God bothering. Not that I'm turning!!!
Sooooooooooooooooo what's been happening with me in the last 2 weeks. Well, first we arrived from Mumbai which was the car journey from hell and I was all psyched to get to the ashram and get cleaned up and stuff, only to discover that I would be cleaner just sleeping rough. There's 4 of us to a room and it's so great that I am sharing with Cara, as I'm not sure I could cope in this lifestyle without someone I knew I could trust. The other 2 people in the room are nice, especially S. She's from Edinburgh and has a good head on her shoulders and knows to take it all with a pinch of salt. Then there's F. She's from Sweden and is messed up in the head. Her whole life revolves around alternative therapies and essentially looking for how to escape her life. We've started calling her Energy as that's all she ever talks about! Energy in the ashram, energy in people, energy in her head and her body - enough of the energy chat! We've already come to logger heads about her space-cadetness, but we've made up now as the thought of sharing that small space for the next 2 weeks was just too much.
The yoga is hard. I thought I'd be all blissed out and enjoying the feeling of relaxation and feeling all stretched and the like. Instead, I can hardly walk my hips have become so stiff and I feel like an old woman! The teachers are always going on about how yoga is like the ultimate anti-aging serum, but I reckon I've aged by at least a year! It's good to learn all the poses, but I do find myself getting pissed off when I can't do things and the teacher is like 'this new asana is really easy, so just stretch your leg behind your head'...you get the picture. We've also started learning to be teachers this week. Everyone is getting themselves in a right stress about it, but I'm just glad to have something constructive to actually do! I'm bored of wandering around and having no purpose. To be honest, most of the things I am 'learning' about myself are to do with what I don't like, or don't want in my life. I have cried a couple of times - frustration, general annoyance, the feeling of being so trapped - I like my scandelous Western lifestyle. I like choice, I like food, I like not having to share with 4 other people!!! Bring on the end of week 4.
It will have been a good experience when I get to the end and I'm sure that I will find a use for it in my 'real' life, even if it's just awareness of stress-relief techniques and such like. Plus I can bore you all with yogic philosophy and the different asanas that you should be practicing!
One of the most frightening things I've done since I've been here is singing. Now I know you didn't think that you would have to sing to be a yoga teacher, but apparently you do. In fact, you have to spend quite a lot of the day singing mantras and prayers and omkars. A small side note on omkar chanting, apparently if you chant every day for 30 minutes you will get whatever you desire in life; you'll stop the aging process, you'll go straight to heaven and be blessed with 7 sons....this is the kind of SHIT that drives me craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy, but as one of the other girls on the course said 'It's only a theory and treat it as such'. Wise words and about the only thing that is getting me through the bollocks. So where was I...oh yes, singing...so now what we have to do in the mornings when we finish our practice, because we finish with a prayer. Sandeep-ji (yoga teacher: ji means sir/respect) normally chants the prayer, but not now! Now one of us numpties has to stand up and sing in front of 37 other people in a language we don't know and then we have to do omkar chanting too! Yikes. So by now of course you realise that I've done this. I actually volunteered - what got into me? Yes, I stood up in front of the room and sang. (I'm actually sitting here just shaking my head!) At least now I don't have to worry about it for the duration of the morning yoga session (6.30am-8.30am) and lots of people were very complimentary to me about it afterwards. So really, it wasn't that bad I suppose.
Food. I never knew that I liked it so much. We have no choice in the food that we eat here and although it's fairly tasty not having a choice is rotting away my soul. I haven't barely eaten a breakfast for the last 2 weeks and I LOVE breakfast. I weighed in again this morning and I've lost another 2 and a bit pounds. That's over half a stone in only 2 weeks. Therefore today I have bought: nuts, figs, Indian sweets, crisps, water...........fooooooooooooood! I have learnt a couple of good things about pacing yourself when eating and chewing your food properly and the like, but I think it can be adapted to real life without too much of a struggle. You'll know if I've turned to the dark side if I stop talking during meals and only look at my plate as you shouldn't make eye contact when you eat!!!
What else....We've passed the half way mark now and I am counting down the days - only 12 days of yoga and teaching left and then we head to Mumbai to get our ridiculously early flight back to sunny Scotland.
Oh yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How could I have forgotten! Zain is my hero and did really well in his interviews and exams and that means that he has got an ace job lined up and .............................we're moving! We will be moving to Edinburgh in the summer, so as of July/August it's farewell Glasvegas and hello Edinburgh.
Thinking of you all during my meditation sessions which is strictly forbidden, but that's just between you and me. Plus I never knew I was such an anti establishment kind of person. What these things teach you, huh?
posted by Yogini @ 8:03 am
4 comments
4 Comments:
Aww Isla you really made me laugh!! I am really really trying to imagine you standing up there is some weird yoga camp singing some prayer stuff!! Aww the image in my head is really funny and Tevfik keep looking at me funny each time I giggle!! I actually cant believe you are sticking to this although in another way I can as its you!!
Glad to hear the 'guaranteed' Edinburgh news and well done to Zain.
Will e.mail with all my chat over the weekend at some point. xxx
PS- 2 further points...
1. You have always been anti- establishment!! and
2. I am surprised at the fact you have now mentioned in 2 separate blogs about chewing your food!! Don't you remember the day it took you 30 chews and me 4 chews before swallowing a mouthful of egg fried rice!!! xxx
Bloody brilliant, this is blog is keeping me sane whilst I am stuck producing an event for a month surrounded by four white walls!
Can't wait for July/August for a proper catch up!
Great to hear about Edinburgh - you must be delighted!! Isla, I have to say that this blog is captivating.. you need to publish your ashram experience - you have such a witty way of writing.. exquisite details.. it would be a real page turner! Brilliant, brilliant. Looking forward to catching up and see what you have learned from all this 'on a deeper level' - a follow up on some of our chats in BKK. Love you.. Sarah
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