In Pune

So we are actually here. I arrived in the hotel in Mumbai 33 hours and 21 minutes after leaving Georgia. Anne and I met up at DFW right at security, had lunch, bought our many bottles of water and got on the plane. Other than being long, the travels were uneventful. We both managed to sleep some along the way.

Once in Mumbai, we got to the hotel, drank lots of bottled water, did some asana to ground ourselves and help my feet not be so swollen (they looked like little sausages!) and then went to sleep. Our taxi came the next day and took us to Pune.

Normally, this is four hour drive but given that it is monsoon season and there were actually floods in Mumbai, it took closer to 5 hours. I have a good pic of the floods but suffice it to say that I was glad we were in a Hummer.

We checked into our hotel for the night and then walked to The Institute where we were able to register for class. It was a bit daunting- that whole process. When one walks into the compound there are two buildings. I thought that the one that looked like it had a formal entrance was the office and I say to Anne, "Maybe that is the office."

Luckily enough, I catch the eye of a man nearby who points me in the other direction. I say luckily, because I think what I thought was the office was actually the Iyengar's home! (Now that would not be how I would like to make my first appearance... walking in, uninvited to The Guru's house...) I did actually see his feet and the back of his head from the courtyard where we were. So that was my first darshan, so to speak.

So we actually go through the correct door... (this is beginning to sound like some weird game show- does the silly, white girl know which door to go through? One door leads to certain humiliation, one door leads to yogic knowledge...which one will she pick? one- she will be forever banned from the Insitute for a radical breach of prtocol, two she will get her heart's desire...anyway.) .. and there is a lineup of Indian men and women staring at us. We look around for a sign that might say "office this way" and see none and so we ask, "Is this where we register?" Someone leads us to the office and we get through the process reasonably unscathed.

There is some paperwork, the visa and passport copies, and so on and an interview- How long have you been practicing yoga? Who are your teachers? ( Pandu gave a big smile when we finally said "Mary Obendorfer and Eddie Marks") He gave us our class schedule. We are assigned 6 classes a week and 6 practice sessions each week. For the most part, we have practice every morning from 9-12 and class every evening from 6-8. Wednesdays are a bit different because the Ladies Class is in the morning so we have practice that afternoon.

We had a really yummy meal that night and went to bed only to wake up at 4 this morning as our circadian rhythms determined. After reading, talking and so on, Anne and I practiced asana and then around 8:00 we went down for tea and breakfast on the lobby. We met a lot of people who are in Pune to go to the Institute this morning. Pretty much any white person you see is here for the yoga. and even though momentary bits of shyness hit me where I feel awkward and so forth, most people seem very happy when you reach out a hand and introduce yourself. I think we are all just a tad bit freaked out and scared.

I called home today to let Kelly and my parents know that we are safe. It sure was good to hear their voices. (This may be a long month!) When we were walking around yesterday Anne said, "Well, the ordeal of getting here definitely makes me think that next time we should stay for longer." And I replied, "Yes, but we have no idea yet about the ordeal of being here!"

We found our way to our flat- which is soooo nice, got settled (It is going to cost about 20 dollars for us to have our meals cooked for us every day! How can this be?) and then went back to the place we had dinner for lunch. It is pouring rain- My pants are completely soaked from the walk to the Internet cafe where I am now writing.

In general, we have been pretty much dealing with the logistics of getting here and figuring out where the hell we are supposed to go and so on that I haven't had a lot of time for introspection or deep insight but here are a few things on my mind:

1. I am very happy to be here with my sister. (I realized at diner that for over 10 years now Anne and I have been going to yoga workshops and eating Indian food after class together as part of our sisterly activities. This is certainly an upscale from that but to see this trip within the context of all the trips we have made over the years to learn yoga, is kind of a wild thing to ponder.) In general, I think that one should always have a close friend along when travelling to a place like India. I would hate to be doing this alone.

2. Which leads me to the second thing that India seems to demand- relationship. One must get out of any shell that they have to be able to function here. Even if the shell is just an inner attitude, a resistance to vulnerability, a reticence to ask for help, a fear of looking stupid or uninformed, one simply cannot remain in isolation here and function. It is impossible to do anything without asking for help and when one allows others to help, the insanity of "the shell" and its many manifestations is instantly revealed. This is a good thing, I think. Not an easy thing, but good.

So classes start tomorrow. I will update when I can. Thanks for reading and posting some. It is fun to know that people are reading and to feel the support from the other side of the world.