30 Backbends

For me, yoga is therapy for my body. Some days it is invigorating, on others restorative and occasionally it is hard work. Today it was really hard work. Each pose was a progression towards the formidable backbend. A test of endurance, strength and increasingly flexibility, my heart sank when Leo announced that we are to do 30 of them. "30? Did he really say 30?" I whisper to my cohort Helen next to me. "Oui" she says.

In my prime gymnastic years, multiple backbends were a normal occurrence. Now years of sitting, working on a computer coupled with riding a bike have stiffen those once flexible chest and shoulder muscles. The backbend has turned into a foe over time. 

Raising up into position, my elbows stick out awkwardly, my thighs burn and my breathe intensifies. This is going to be hard work and it was. It does get easier as the number count increases and the body begins to accept the strains of the position but there is nothing fun about it. 

How does one recover from such an intense experience? AcroYoga!

A mix of acrobatics and yoga fundamentals, my classmate Steven offers to show me how it is done. After class he hoists me up in the air, twist and turns me with his feet and amazingly balance is restored!

05.31.14

McLeod Ganj

7:34am

It is time to restore balance. AcroYoga!

The Weather

One of my favorite exchanges during my time in India has been one that concerned the weather. Waking up in Jaipur to a second consecutive day of rain I asked the hotel clerk if it was suppose to rain all day, his reply "It depends on the weather." To me, everything about this response is quintessential India. 

The weather in the mountains seems to change in a matter of moments. You can be sitting in the sun enjoying the warmth when the wind picks up, clouds roll in and it begins to pour. A storm brewed outside as I ate breakfast, the wind showed its strength twirling the chairs on the terrace as if in a passionate dance. The rain held off on my hike to yoga but the thunder clapped overhead, and as our session started the rain tap danced on the tin roof. 

But as quickly as the storm came in, it blew by and in the afternoon the sun was shining and the snow capped mountains came out to play. It was a glorious afternoon of mountain views and a hike to a waterfall. 

05.30.14

McLeod Ganj, India

7:40am

The clouds brew behind the mountain and fill the valley with the sound of thunder. It smells like rain in the air. 

After 3.5 hours of stretching and twisting I am treated to this. 

A walk along the side of a mountain to the cleanest water I have encountered in India. 

Bhagshu Waterfall. 

Journey to Yoga

Namaste McLeod Ganj! 

In the planning stages for my sabbatical I flirted with the idea of going to an ashram - yes, this is my EAT, PRAY, LOVE moment so let's do it all - but never came across one in my research that seemed to fit. In particular I was looking for Iyengar yoga and not meditation to drums or hours of silence. It was only when I decided to head to the mountains and Dharamsala, while looking for a place to stay, that I encountered the Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Center. What sheer serendipity!

Hiking over a mountain and through the woods, 35 minutes later I arrive to my first of five days at the Center. You are required to take the beginners class whether you are new to yoga or have been practicing Iyengar for years. The hanging ropes and props piled high in the corner of the room are a familiar sight and confirm that I am in the right place. We are required to come to class with an empty stomach - easy if your class is at 7am, but we begin at 10am and I have already been up for 5 hours. Fingers crossed that my early morning milk coffee and egg sandwich hold me over. 

There are 20+ students ranging in nationalities - British, Israelis, Koreans, Australians - and we fill the room. Leo, our teacher, stands tall on a platform at the front of the class, adjusting his long wavy ponytail as he demonstrates the positions and filling the air with his Russian-accented English asking us what we feel. I think to myself this is going to be a LONG 3 hours but the constant reminder to get out of your head and listen to your body makes the time pass by and soon enough day one is done. 

05.29.14

McLeod Ganj, India

7:20am

Just up the hill, around a corner and through the woods in search of yoga. 

Milestones

My arrival to Delhi marks a milestone. It was a year ago when I decided to embark on this journey and six months since I first landed in India. If you asked me a couple years ago if I wanted to go to India, my reply would have been never. So how did I end up here? I wanted to get outside my comfort zone and India fit the bill. I also really wanted to see the Taj Mahal and attend an Indian wedding. Simple, really. 

One more flight and a car ride until I reach my destination of Dharamsala. It has taken two full days, the longest travel time to a single destination that I have embarked on. 

05.28.14

New Delhi, India

7:12am

 

First leg down, 9 hours to Delhi

Since I began traveling in January I have been on numerous airlines and to many airports. Flying BA and landing at
T5 continue to be my favorite. I opted for an ice coffee this morning rather than my flat white go-to. With a 9 hour flight to Delhi ahead of me, I wanted the cool sensation of ice before having to give it up for the next 6 weeks. 

05.27.14

T5 London

9:49am

Frontback initiative

I thought it important to have a theme to my travel blog. Every morning I will take a frontback of my morning coffee spot and note date, place and time.

I have spent the last two weeks in Lenox working on moving the house forward, cleaning out the old one, riding my bike and hanging with my doggies. Today I leave and fly to India.

05.26.14

Lenox, Mass

8:35am