Drunkest Guy Ever

Can't think of anyway to relate this to yoga: it's just funny sh*t.

Mysore Guest on Tuesday

Hey folks

Word has it that our Texas Ashtangi friend Laurence (student at Tejas Yoga, where they take many fantastic yoga pics, including the one below) will be making an appearance at Tuesday night's 6p Mysore class (Oct 19). He has a nice strong practice and will likely be joined by a few of our Mysore regulars. Of course, the more the merrier - come join us!

FRESH the movie

As part of our one year anniversary celebration (in addition to free classes Mon Nov 2 - Sun Nov 8), we'll be screening Fresh, a documentary about the industrial food industry and efforts to find alternatives, on Saturday November 7th at the shala. Not sure on the time yet - probably six or so. We'll also have a potluck, so we can eat food while we watch food. Fresh draws heavily from Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma (which you should read if you haven't).

The distribution of Fresh echoes it's subject matter in that it will NOT be nationally distributed in theaters. Instead, the movie is going for a word-of-mouth, grassroots popularity, and is available for small screenings, through purchase of a license, promotional materials, etc. We heard about the movie because it was shown at a church in the QC.

Initially, this movie seems not exactly yoga-related (or maybe more accurately it's not asana related). But as closely as dietary choices are tied to yoga practice, we think this movie is a good fit with how we roll. The dietary practices traditionally associated with yoga practice, from vegetarianism to fasting do not all stem entirely from the same intent (fasting is a body purification ritual; vegetarianism is both body purification and an extension of ethical observances). And, unfortunately, any practice can be "good" or "bad," ample proof of which is found in many things, including these two:

1) the recent formulation of the diagnosis of "orthorexia," an unhealthy and possibly fatal eating disorder centered around an obsession with healthy food

2) Hitler was a vegetarian*

Fortunately, any practice also has the potential to fulfill the yogic aim of raising consciousness, or bring conscious attention into aspects of the life otherwise lived mindlessly. Lunch, anyone?

Curry, Pastels, and Other Things from India: Addendum

Note: the pink rug was the first to sell. Shows what we (I) know.

Curry, Pastels, and Other Things from India

How to buy sh*t from India:

1) Drop a line to your Indian contact, who you met in Mysore, who surely doesn't have a website, let alone an option to order anything online, but is happy to be "making small business" with his "American yoga friends." Sure, you could buy wholesale from an American company but—guaranteed—you are buying rugs and bags that THEY purchased from an Indian shopkeeper.

2) Now, how to pay…credit card? Forget about it. Too convenient! No, you will pay via

Western Union. Other than sending money to my new Nigerian friend to help him get his riches out of the country (to be split with me), who even uses Western Union anymore? And yet, they show no signs of slowing. This is because they make a KILLING on Indian transactions. Think about it: 1.2 billion people times anything is a lot of $$.

3) Wait.

4) Don't get squirrelly - keep waiting.

5) Ok, better contact the seller. He says everything is good on his end. Try the post office. Nothing. Hm.

6) At last!

7) Part of the reason the shipping takes so long (probably) is the charming Indian system of

packaging. All materials to be shipped must first be taken to your neighborhood—you guessed it—tailor! It's all sewn up into a colorless, cloth Christmas present and then sent out via sea or air. It's almost too cool to open.

8) But when you do break down and cut into it—oh, the sights and smells! It sounds like a punchline, but truly the silk and cotton products shipped from India smell, well, like India.

Mostly like spices: curry-scented bags and rugs. You'll look in vain for a little spice pouch, but in fact that scent is right in the stuff (until you wash it and/or practice on it, replacing the scent

with your own…)

9) Pastels. They like things bright and loud in India and boy do they ever like pink. Who wouldn't? Who wouldn't want to walk into Mysore class with, say,

that second rug on the right there? Brian? Jeff? *Note to self: specify colors in the future*

10) Mark up, mark up, mark up! The sky's the limit!

Ashtanga Holiday

The Ashtanga "work week" runs from Sunday to Friday, with Saturdays off. Additionally, the tradition has no practice on "moon days," meaning the days of the new and full moon. This adds up to about six days of rest per month for the orthodox/insane student.

You can imagine the build in excitement during the week looking forward to that Saturday rest. Or maybe you don't have to imagine, because you feel the same thing about your 9 to 5. Anyway, with most Ashtangis having psychological and behavioral polarities at least as wide as the average person, they have been known to limit all things indulgent (sex, a full meal, staying up until the time reaches double digits) to Friday nights.

Now just imagine: a few times a year, the new or full moon falls on a Friday or Sunday. (This is one such time, with the full moon today; the next new moon will be as well.) Are you seeing the implications here? Two consecutive days off. An Ashtanga Labor Day. Remarkable. Put away the herbal tea and break out the coffee—hell, make it half-caff!!

While a grueling pre-dawn practice regimen tends to foster good evening behavior (hangover + Primary Series = sadness), they really let 'er rip on one of these moon/off-day coincidences. We experienced one such event in Mysore, and the area around the shala resembled a college campus more than a suburb, with coeds mingling, prancing, and catwalking from party to party. Pretty safe to say even with no practice some new, er, positions are tried out on such a moon day.

We also spotted Sharath and his wife celebrating 48 hours of leisure by eating an elegant dinner. In their car. Which was parked on a secluded side street (they're the Brangelina of Mysore). It was obvious they didn't want to be disturbed but, then again, how could they have known we'd come by? So we knocked on the window and said Namaskara. But I digress…

PS A Google image search reveals that there are two famous Indians named Sharath. One teaches yoga, the other is a ping-pong—excuse me, table tennis—wizard. Can you tell the difference (or decide which looks sillier?)

Sweating room only

Getting comfy…

(30 seconds pass)

“T'ank you wery much! You go home, take rest!”