Tag Archives: Yoga

Personal Encounters

I find that I learn so much more about Indian culture from talking to people than from sitting in class.

Today, I spoke with Dheeraj, a man I volunteer with for the Right to Food Campaign, and he signs his last name as Kumar, which is not his family’s last name, because surnames are associated with caste. He chooses to not associate himself with caste, as many people do for political and personal reasons. I found this so interesting because in an urban setting, it isn’t often that issues of caste (a hindu social class system) are brought up, but it is still very much a part of society.

I realize I haven’t blogged much but I keep having these “love India” and “hate India” moods depending on my encounters. Generally, I am learning a lot and am enjoying myself, but catch me after a rickshaw ride and I will be in the worst mood possible.

There was one thing I wanted to share though. I am taking a yoga class and I am completely in love with it. I want to say I have always loved yoga, but this would be a lie. I loved yoga when I started practicing at 12 years old, and I enjoyed it for a long time after, but when I got to college, I didn’t practice and I would try to attend classes of different types and I really couldn’t get into it again with so much on my mind. I was afraid that it just didn’t work for me but I have been going twice a week again (forcing myself at first) and gradually it got a little better. I was so far from myself that I couldn’t enjoy or appreciate time alone connecting to my soul. I think I was afraid. I am finally at the point where I look forward to it again. We are all amazing on the inside, and we should enjoy that time exploring ourselves immensely.

To share my experience a little more deeply, I want to explain what yoga means to me. It is not a Hindu or religious practice but a way of life, excellence in everything you do and care about. Anything can be yoga, but the point, according to the yoga sutras, is to find your core, return to a natural state of happiness and peace, and to cleanse your mind so you can be live through the truth, not the clouded perceptions we acquire. Physical practice combined with breathing and meditation help in achieving the goals.

Another really cool thing about India is that despite western influence, you can find an abundance of natural medicines, makeup and beauty supplies, and all for super cheap. Aryuvedic products (products made from natural animal-free sources) are very popular, but whenever I go to a salon, people still try and convince me to use American brands because they are more expensive and popular, but definitely not better.


Location: Delhi, India

Hippies in London

So today I’m writing in an attempt to amuse myself from the boredom that is finishing my essay about International Security following the Cold War. It turns out, that as much as you want to add humor to a paper about energy insecurity and environmental problems, it’s just not proper or l-e-g-i-t-i-m-a-t-e to end a paragraph with “between Iraq and a hard place.” Normally I’d just be facebook-ing, but because I’ve cut myself off from the Internet, I’m writing from an Internet-less caf�. I’ve had to avoid going to this caf� lately, because there have been days that they start making my drink (a black Americano) before I even walk in. While I usually love this at Saints, since I don’t actually know them, it just makes me feel lame.

In other news, I’ve enrolled in this 30-day Bikram yoga challenge, and I’m on Day Five. Bikram yoga is sort of like traditional Iyengar yoga, only it’s done in a room that’s 105 degrees, 40% humidity and 50 other half naked people. It’s awesome. I have to go every day so that I get a free 30 days at the end of the challenge. I don’t think I’ve ever ached (or sweated) so much in my entire life, including the horrid days that ensued with the Tennessee marathon (still less bad than for Ains!). But it’s really becoming addicting, and it gets me to wake up at 6:00 in the morning during the week, so I don’t have to go at 5:00 pm with the model population of London. After the Saturday morning class, I decided to have an organic weekend, so I had a bowl of steel cut oats, pulled on some leg warmers, ballet flats and an oversized sweater, braided my hair, and wandered through Borough Market, buying local, fresh produce for the week. (And fudge… As gifts!) It felt super hippie, which I usually avoid at all costs, but it was fun to walk around without make-up on and feel like I was giving back to the environment, by… well… doing nothing.

On a super exciting note, all of my classes are cancelled for the week. They call it a week to study and get caught-up and whatnot, but it seems to really just be a pre-Spring break week. Yet we also get all of April off. There is either something very wrong or very right with the education system in this country. I do plan on taking full advantage of it by getting all of my essays out of the way this week, as David and Rachel are visiting this weekend, followed by Johnny’s friends next weekend, and then a whole WEEK with my wonderful friend squad! But if the monotony of this essay proves anything, there will be a LOT of blogs to come before then.


Location: Borough Market