First Yoga Day in Mysore

What a day! Led class with Saraswati was slow and delicious but I don't think my body is in Mysore time yet.  Ut Pluttihi was torture and I completely lost my balance in, are you ready? triangle!, what!!! how is that even possible?... it is.

After class I found myself restless, wanting to organize everything in the room we are renting. The lady of the house very kindly offered me breakfast (delicious dosha) and after eating all hunger went away for most of the day.  Perhaps it helped that I had two cups of chai, from the chai guy on Main Street which is a LOT to say.  Those little cups pack some mean tea, milk and suggar in them!'


On the way to the main Street (as I took my troll towards the chai) I came across Siddu, a very friendly rickishaw driver. He asked me where I was going and I said I was headed to Fab City (the Target of Mysore) but that I was going to stop for chai first if he wanted to pick me up in a few. He agreed.

As I kept walking I passed the internationally famous coconut stand and saw the usual permanent crowd of yoga students, all radiant and happy, how would they not be, we are in
Mysore! of course! as per me? I was in the mood for chai.

Was surprised to see no yogis at the chai place, only an Israeli guy who checked me from a distance and must have thought I was approachable cause I was mingling with all Indians and eventually came over and introduced himself.  He was not here to study yoga and had never been to Gokulam. "Just checking the area"... I pointed him in the direction of the coconut stand right when Seddu stopped briskly with his Rikshee and gulped down the
fastest chai ever. Don't know how he did that, those things are hot! Then we were on the road.

Maybe the excitment of the ultra tea-naited chai made us talk. "Big festival tomorrow" Siddu said, "Shiva", and that is pretty much all I understood.

After Fab City Siddu took me to a place he knew for chals, and know he did!!! The fabrics in the place were amazing and the prices just incredible!.  So I got myself a nice chal (using them is mandatory here is a sign of respect, women must cover their shoulder), and I was very happy with my choice, I did however have to order the shop keeper to stop showing me things, because everything is beautiful, I even went comando on him: "Stop!",  to his credit he did.  "You come next week, you bring your friends".   ***


Then it was meeting the Mysore Napper which was a real treat, so good to put a voice and a personality and gestures and flesh and blood to the woman behind the amazing blog I have been following for years, she is an incredible woman, the kind I like, adventurous!, so we hit it off right away.  I am so happy to meet people I met through blogging, I feel so cutting edge, so 2010s.
And now it is time to finally crash, no idea what time my body thinks it is but Mysore indicates it is 7:30 PM here.  No class for me tomorrow but Sunday is led with Sharath at 5:45, I dont think I ever practiced that early in my life, so that right there will be another adventure.


*** As per the place with the incredible fabrics and beautiful things, it is called Museum
#1A Hosabeedi, 5th Cross, Opp. Mysore Zoo. Indiranagar Mysore 570 010.   Yeah, could Mysore have longer addresses?
Anyway, their phone is 91 821 4262021 e-mail firdous29@yahoo.com.  They ship internationally.


And Siddu, the friendly rickshaw driver: cell 9880417398
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