mmmhello again. This is the first post for awhile. I've just been busy as heck. All my other trips I've had time on my hands but what with the practice, chanting, socialising and a bit of voice lending (paid), sigh! So today I've skived chanting. I kinda wanted to go coz it was individual chanting today but what the heck, I needed to clean the house. Last night I got devoured by some bug or other in my sleep. Welts on my body this morning. Saraswati asked me what is was after she'd backbended me.  I will go to the skin doc today. Another orphanage visit this afternoon. Love those kids:-) The body seems to be softening into this routine. Rise at 4.30 (sometimes snooze it for 10), coffee, stretch out on the ball for 15 mins, neti, nauli and out the door to practice. It is pretty intense in that shala but I'm not fighting it like I used to. Just breathing, sweating buckets and imbibing coconuts! Hey, is there anyone out there? Feedback would be nice. Shanti <3

Led primary tomorrow. Then moonus moonus. Deep inhale..............

Jeez, 
        just got the shocking news that my friend Jamie from Colorado, via Edinburgh had an accident on the trapeze and damaged her neck. She's in rehab at the moment and is learning to walk again. When something like this happens it starkly reminds me of the frailty of life. Jamie is such a vital and strong person. She is expected to make a full recovery. God speed. I remember the first time I practiced 

tittibhasana B- walking

It felt like I was a kid just learning to walk, awkward and difficult. Sending all my love.

Conference was a giggle yesterday. My friend Yossi asked about sleep. How is it possible to fit the early to bed, early to rise routine of the traditional ashtanga practice into a workday routine. Sharath detailed his own timings. Apparently he goes to bed at 9pm, gets up at 1am, practices, then starts the shala classes at 4.30am through to 10 or 11, lunch at midday, more teaching in the afternoon. He said he hardly ever leaves the shala, "only upstairs and downstairs, my car has only gone 20km from here". Really quite inspirational. If Sharath can fit all that in, then I can fit a daily morning practice in! I've got mobile internet now, which seems good. Probably means I'll blog a bit more. Managed to get kapotasana heels on my first attempt in the led intermediate yesterday! This morning there was a satisfying crunch from my lumbar in kapotasana. Yum yum, tasty yoga.

The first led Intermediate this morning. It felt far less brutal for me this year. That's probably because I've been practicing intermediate all year, with the vinyasas. I went  up to karandavasana and it felt OK. Almost doable. Gregor Maehle's book on the intermediate breaks karandavasana into stages, which I think will help me conquer it. Sharath announced that anyone who missed a class would have to pay a fine of RS 2000. Everybody laughed and then he said "no kidding!" Imagine that, a yoga school where you could fine people for missing a class!

Hey, last night I was just playing yoga for fun. I did something brand new for me. I've been able to do ekapada rajakapotasana before if someone helps me grab my foot but getting the grip above the head has eluded me until now. It just slid in. It was so simple and fun and it felt joyful. That's one of the good things about being here in Mysore. New stuff comes. It felt like the world, the environment, all the little ants and people and bananas and everything had willed me into it and I felt grateful for them for their help. Feeling super good about this trip. Went for sushi lunch today which I thought was not so great. Here in my pals Yossi and Tasia's house using their wireless. Thinking of paying RS3500 and getting mobile portable wireless for my laptop.

Yesterday there was a partial eclipse of the sun for 3 or 4 hours. The light seemed to diffuse and layer. I saw some very interesting reflections which involved layering of triangles, similar to mandala. Managed to get a wee video of a Coca Cola truck with added small print. I went to a party and met some nice interesting people last night. People from Kazakhstan, Sudan, Tibet, France. A real international gathering! What fun. Meeting all those people made me want to listen to music from all these places. One guy insisted that I come to his house so we can eat chicken. I think he feels he's got to prove something to me. I haven't eaten chicken in 8 or 9 years but hey, why not. Quite looking forward to it. He'll probably want to arm wrestle me as well:-)