How to make a lassie

Rishikesh is an aspiring Yogi’s dream:
~ More Ashrams than hotels
~ Pure vegetarian and Ayurvedic food
~ A ban on Alcohol
~ Hindu prayers and songs flowing through the streets
~ Yoga instructors galore of all styles and disciplines
~ All kinds of travelers and pilgrims interested in a similar path

My yoga experience at the Ashram was lacking and I was just not feeling satisfied. I decided to look elsewhere and discovered a myriad of options. That day Bob and I moved from the Ashram to a family run Guest House down the road. After three days of treatments I stopped my Panchakarma to focus exclusively on Yoga. Dr. Maurya recommended I meet Sarinder Singh at the Raj Palace Hotel. My first class was like coming home. It all felt so right, so comfortable. I immediately connected with Sarinder’s kind and loving energy. His attentiveness to each individual and knowledgeable adjustments instilled confidence. He gave me renewed hope of healing my left hip that has been in pain and tightly locked for the past year and a half. My entire practice has been redefined and injected with insightful alignment principles, relaxation techniques and a suite of new Asanas to open the hips, shoulders, spine and mind.
Occasionally during the class, Sarinder discusses the benefits of meditation and has used a few creative analogies:
~ If a seed is split in half it cannot grow. As a whole and under the proper conditions, the seed can grow into a beautiful flower with solid roots, a nice fragrance and beautiful petals. Similarly, acceptance is our blossoming. We can become more balanced, peaceful and whole through meditation, asana and pranayama. The flower is the centre of nature while the soul is the centre of our being.
~ Do you look at yourself in the mirror before you leave the house? This is a common habit to make sure our physical appearance is OK before we interact with the outside world. How do we check our mind? How do we look inside ourselves? Through meditation, we can look at our mind to observe inner selves, recognize our negative patterns and eventually through practice and patience purify our thoughts. Turn your mind to the inside.
~ How do you make a lassie? By mixing milk with curd. In order to make the curd, we must first boil the milk, add a little bit of curd and let it sit in stillness for a very long time. We can then enjoy a tasty lassie. Again, by observing of our thoughts, breathing consciously and relaxing the body we can quiet the mind. Access peace and true happiness.

I have the best intentions to practice meditation. I understand the benefits but don’t know why I am not making the time to sit in stillness with myself. I have found an early morning session at another Ashram where a Swami will guide you through meditation techniques. But alas I have yet to attend. What is holding me back? Why am I clinging to old mindsets and not exploring new possibilities? I will set my alarm for tomorrow morning and try to go. Stillness in action …

Now back to Yoga classes … Last Sunday evening, I had somewhat of a different experience with another teacher at a hotel just down the street. I ventured into the yoga room, curious to explore alternative teachers and styles. This young man had quite the opposite vibe and it didn’t help matters that I was the only student in a space that resembled a dingy cave with room for a maximum of three people. The routine started off fine but quickly digressed as we moved through the standing postures. The door was locked behind us, curtains drawn and the room became more and more claustrophobic with his monotone instructions piercing my eardrums. With each adjustment I felt his presence becoming closer and closer. At one point I had to set my boundaries and let him know that his adjustments were making me uncomfortable as they were beginning to infringe on the nether regions. You want to give the yoga teacher the benefit of the doubt but at the same time you have to listen to your inner voice. And this time it was shouting loud and clear. The class finally came to a close with bazaar yogic breathing techniques that I had once witnessed but never practiced myself. He told me that if I lifted my shirt he could see my belly motions better and therefore help more. I abruptly declined and managed to get myself through the practice as well as his final relaxation that resembled a 45-speed record set to 33. Needless to say I ran out at the end of the class and didn’t look back.

For the past 8 mornings I have found a really neat teacher that focuses on Iyengar techniques and Restorative Yoga. Suryans’ classes are a great compliment to Surinder’s evening set. The Iyengar approach slows things right down by deconstructing each pose to truly understand it and feel the alignment principles in action. We practice each pose multiple times and use a lot of props such as bolsters, blankets, blocks and straps to assist the body while in the pose. Tomorrow I am going to start a 10 day course with Suryans. They are installing ropes on the walls to also assist us in the postures. It should be fun to tie ourselves up and then release down completely into the poses. I am sure Downward dog will be an entirely new experience. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.