Some Sunshine in Pune!!

If I am ever advising people about what to bring to Pune during monsoon season, I would say an umbrella is not enough. (and one of those clear bubble umbrellas that were popular when I was a kid would be great). Galoshes, and a rain suit would not be out of order. Boy does it rain and rain hard!. finally, for the first time since we have been here, the sun came out and has stayed out. Heartened by this event, we walked around some this morning before practice and tried to find the grocery store, MORE, that was rumored to have more western items. We weren't sure quite where it was, so ended up turning around and heading toward the Institute, the institute is this absolute oasis of peacefulness in Pune. Just entering the gates is calming. It was still sunny after practice, so we tried to get to the grocery again, ended up not taking the right street but finally found it. What an ordeal! navigating the traffic here is a life threatening experience, first there is the opposite side of the road phenomenon, second the number of bikes, rickshaws, busses, all going at different rates of speed, honking constantly. Avoiding puddles, walking on and off the side walk, all while holding an umbrella, well, let's just say it is exhausting. The grocery store was not really all it was reputed to be and then there was this absolutely epic line, which is a posting in its own right, another time. A brief note about the yoga. Last night was our first class with Geeta. It was amazing. The "Real Deal" as Dean Lerner remarked to Christina after class. It is standing pose week. we worked a lot on grounding the femur bone and the head of the humerus. It is really fascinating seeing an Iyengar teach and comparing that to all the 'rules' of Iyengar yoga I've assimilated through the certification process. there is a link, but it is sort of like Plato's theory of forms, we are just participating in an image or a replica of what is most real... I was also struck by another connection with my Plato studies as I reflected more on Prashant's talk yesterday. Socrates wanted to teach philosophy, maybe not as a subject, but as a process as a way of life, and his students often focused more on him, becoming "Socratified" so to speak. After class, Christina and I came home wrote down the sequence and practiced it again this morning. It is great to have the time to devote to my practice in this way. Today in the practice hall, Guruji started off with the backward bending pose over the ceiling ropes. The Vanity Fair picture, live! He spent a lot of time working with his grand daughter and that was a fascinating process to observe. In all, I'm having a great time!