Why Am I Going to Mysore???

After 15 hours in a metal tube, I have arrived in Delhi. I will stay here briefly before moving south to Mysore. The last time that I was in Delhi, it was 120 degrees and the air pollution was horrible. The city seems much more reasonable in the winter. I think that everyone needs to experience driving on Indian roads at least once. I am not sure how even to describe the experience--50000 vehicles of all kinds trying to squeeze into the exact same spot at the exact same time. I was fairly certain that we were all going to die several times on the way back to the house.I have never witnessed a more chaotic scene, but it all seems to work out. What is most surprising is that there is no aggression  or anger in the way the drive.There is some kind of flow that that propels everything in the direction in needs to go--but it is both terrifying and mesmerizing to witness. Other than the roads, I know that I am in India because I have had to take bath with a bucket and the power went out for a few hours.

My brother-in-law, amma, and the bride-to-be after a delicious dinner.
The pulled out all the stainless steel utensils for me
 because they know how much I love them.

I am staying with my in-laws while I am in Delhi. They are so kind and welcoming. My mother-in-law insists on force-feeding me parathas and chapatis and delicious food of all kinds. The taste of everything she makes is so clean and vivid. They have truly welcomed me as a member of the family, and I know that it has not been easy for them. My brother-in-law has very recently gotten engaged, and there is lots of excitement and activity surrounding that development.  I was able to meet the bride-to-be yesterday, and she is charming, attractive, and intelligent. She will make a good match for my brother-in-law.  I know that everyone in the family is eager to see him suitably married. Unlike my marriage with Animesh, which is definitely not traditional by Indian (or American) standards, my brother-in-law's marriage has been arranged by the parents. Fortunately, everyone, especially the newly engaged couple, are all very happy and excited by the upcoming nuptials.


As I was telling people about my trip to India, there were lots of reactions: "Oh! You are going to have your own Eat, Pray, Love experience!" or "Are you doing this to become a yoga teacher?" or "Are you going to some kind of yoga resort?" or "I would love to check out and take a break from everything for a month!" To be honest, I am not sure what my exact motivations are for  spending a month in Mysore. I am definitely looking forward to practicing at the "source" and to soaking up some of the tapas in the KPJAYI shala. Beyond that, however, I am trying not go into this with any expectations about what I will experience. I have only seen the movie version of Eat, Pray, Love, and although I enjoyed it, I do not think I am on a spiritual quest or trying to get away from or find new purpose in my life. It has taken a long time, but I really appreciate my life as it is today and the person that I have become. There is not anything particular that I am running away from or hoping to find somewhere else. Certainly, I am always looking for opportunities to grow and to learn more about myself and my place in the world, but I am not looking for some kind of radical change. Moreover, I am not going with the motivation to become a yoga teacher. In the ashtanga tradition, there is no formal teacher training; instead, students receive an authorization to teach from Sharath after having spent several extended periods in Mysore. I do not have a strong compulsion to teach yoga; I am still very much a yoga student. Of course, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Sharath, the ashtanga lineage holder, but I am not travelling to Mysore to practice in the presence of Sharath. I have attended many of his classes already when he has visited New York, and these were significant experiences for me. With so many students and so many new faces all the time, I doubt that there will be much individual attention in the shala.  When I try to understand exactly why I taking a month out of my regular life to practice in Mysore, the explanation that makes most sense to me is that I am making a pilgrimage--I am paying respect to the tradition and to the parampara, by going to practice at the source.  Catholics go to Rome, Jewish people go to Israel, Muslims go to Mecca, fashionistas go to 31, rue Cambon in Paris, and ashtangis go to Mysore. The pilgrimage is not required, but it might complement what is already a satisfying practice.

Me, amma, father-in-law and brother-in-law

Who knows what might happen throughout the month and how my perceptions and my practice might change? More than anything else, I just want to devote a whole month to my practice and see where that takes me on physical, emotional and even spiritual levels. If nothing else, I love to travel and to experience new places. I love the feeling of disorientation and excitement when everything is new and nothing makes sense. Beyond that, I am looking forward to eating lots of dosas and idlis and drinking lots of fresh coconuts.

I fly to Bangalore tomorrow and then have a 4 hour bus ride to Mysore after that. I am looking to reaching my final destination! Well--it is not really the my final destination. I will be staying in the Anokhi Garden guesthouse (http://www.anokhigarden.com/) owned and operated by a lovely French woman named Marie) for the first two nights, then I move into an apartment where I will spend the rest of the month.