I will just give you the link because I do not have permission to reprint the article.

http://path2yoga.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-stay-connected-with-mobile.html

The reason I have gotten to do so many fun things is that during the Yoga Therapy Internship, the homework and test taking does not exists.  I watch my room-mates who are in the 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training study their brains out.  They study for hours each night and all weekend long.  So depending on which program you are in will determine if you can have fun or not!  I think the chanting programs are pretty intense too.  But my feeling is that if you come for a 3-week asana program, or international studies program there will be much less homework.  Anything that ends with a certification is going to be much more intense.

My internship has been a blessing in so many ways.  I think that personally I benefitted greatly by spending this time at KYM.  I realized through watching the Yoga Therapy sessions that 1) discipline with food is the key to many diseases, 2) disease cannot be healed without lifestyle modifications and then 3) the yoga practice can work.  This is not to say that the yoga practice will not help you get food and lifestyle in order.  But you must have all 3 happening to heal  This was a big wake-up call for my ice-cream eating, overstimulated, workaholic body and mind.  It has really caused me to think about how I am living my life and how it needs to change if my body and mind are going to last another 60 years!  I just turned 41 and I want to make it to 100:-)

Another way that my internship shifted my thinking is around prana flow in the body.  It became very clear that working, stretching, pumping the body into submission is not the way to get the prana to flow into an area for healing.  Relaxation, gentle breathing and movement with a one-pointed focus is the key to healing.  Simple practice that require focus and slow breathing heal people- period.  I had always felt like if a practice was not “working the area” that it would not get the prana to flow- a very aggressive approach.  The Yoga Sutra tell us these things- citta vrtti nirodaha and sthiram and sukham….but now I have seen it in practice.

I saw some pretty amazing healing taking place at the KYM.  It has given me faith in this work and faith in my self as a healer.  It is not about me coming up with cool yoga tricks.  It is about me sharing my faith that T. Krishnamacharya Yoga really can heal things like asthma and diabetes.  Now that I have seen so many people who have benefitted from these practices, I believe in the healing to the depth of my heart.  Without this, I am not sure a yoga teacher has any help of healing the student.  So a daily yoga practice, staying in sattva, visiting the KYM to see the work they do are all the keys to helping others heal.

The last thing that has really struck me is how when there is a one-pointed focus, prana flows into the body.  I saw one man with dementia, unable to speak with clarity, eyes hollow, looking like he no longer wanted to be on the planet.  One week later, after having done his practice 3 times a day for a week, he looked like a completely different person.  He had taken his mind from total agitation and distraction to a one-pointed focus through mantra and nyasam one-pointed focus.  The prana flowed in to his body and changed him at every level.  His eyes were bright, his speech clear, his confidence high.  I could not believe my eyes.  I thought to myself that maybe Jesus himself has touched this man and healed him  But no, it was his yoga practice.  Imagine how different he will be in 6 months if he continues.

This is about 45 minutes out of the city (also on the way to Ideal Beach).  I had never been here before, but it is a must see!  I was shocked at how big and amazing it was, having no idea what the driver was taking me to!  In India I tend to just go with the flow.  So if the driver says, do you want to go here……I say sure!  If you love architecture and crafts this is where you need to go.

Each part of South India was given a place on the grounds and when you go to that place, you see actual houses from those areas!  So I went straight to Kerala, the beautiful city on the very tip of India that I want to go to.  There was a big house that said “Hindu House” and it was a house from there that belonged to a Hindu family.  Check this out in the pictures that are attached in the link above!

Also, there is a room with a beautiful wooden table for ayurvedic oil massage.  My yoga mentor at the KYM told me that it use to be the custom for Hindu families to all have oil massage, and then sit with the oil on all day on Sunday.  For men, they often needed it twice a week to keep the heat in their bodies down.  This table looked REALLY old in person- the photo does not show how old.  I could get use to a special room for massage each week!

In the center of the house is an area that drops down.  You can see this young taking a picture of who knows what.  But I think this was probably the area of the house where the rituals were performed.  It seems like auditorium style seating for the family!

Upstairs were many tiny bedrooms with little tiny doors.  I think the doors were 4 feet tall and I am not even kidding!  These people must have been so little!  And some of the bedrooms had bathrooms connected- which have been the suite!  When I was wandering a group of college kids said, “picture, picture”.  I thought they wanted me to take their picture.  It turns out they wanted their picture with me!!!  I laughed so hard because I was all sweaty and filthy from a day of fun.  In the end we spoke and I told them that I was a college professor.  They were thrilled and I told them how to see my school on the internet.  It was adorable.  They were so young and sweet and innocent.  Here is a picture of them.

So you have been in Chennai for a while.  You feel hot, sweaty, miserable.  You are shopped out.  The traffic is killing you (especially the horns that they honk incessantly for no apparent reason).  The pollution has given you one too many headaches.  You are thinking about how you might be able to get home sooner……DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!  Just go to Ideal Beach for a few days and you will be like a new person.  It is an amazing resort on the Indian Ocean Seashore.  There are mostly Europeans there who are vacationing.  As you will see from the pictures, it is so beautiful.  The water is blue, the sand is white, the hammocks are comfortable, the swimming pools are clean, the rooms are nice (and even affordable- about $80 per night).  The food is closer to what you might get at home.  So spoil yourself a little bit and take a night or two at Ideal Beach.  Even an afternoon will renew and relax you.  Many KYM students come after class on Saturday afternoon and stay until early Monday morning.  Then it almost feels like a whole weekend without studies.  See the pictures in the link above and you will want to go there now!

Ideal Beach is about 1 hour and 15 minutes if there is heavy traffic (which there is!).  It is out in the country-side, which is fun to see if you have been in the city the entire time.  If you go 4 more kilometers, you will be at Malhalabalipuram- which is a must see if you have never been there.  It is a 7^th century port city that has amazing temples.

Cholamandal Artists’ Village Blog Pics

This is about 30 minutes outside of Chennai (on the way to Ideal Beach if you want to combine the two trips).  Cholomandal is a co-operative enterprise undertaken by about 30 artists who wanted to develop an atmosphere for developing art.  It was an experiment that has lasted 3 decades.  There is a lovely art museum where all of the pieces are for sale.  I personally found so many that I would love to have.  I was really surprised because I am not really in to art museums.  It is really nice because they keep the lights off to save electricity.  Then when you want to walk in to a room, they turn on all the lights that make the art look amazing.  It all lights up just for you as if you shining your eyes on it made it happy and want to show itself!  I am including a few of my favorite pieces.  If you see one you like I am sure you can buy it and they will send it to you!

I just love this place!  It is a newer 5-star hotel that I had not visited on previous trips.  It has the most amazing buffet if you are hungry and want many types of food.  It does have the traditional Indian buffet, but it also has pasta and many other things.  The dessert bar is to die for.  The atmosphere is cool and clean.  If you just need to treat yourself to a good meal (and maybe a beer!), this is the closest place to KYM to do it.

RainTreeHotelBlog Pics

The rickshaw ride is about 1 USD.  There is a gap between Sunday morning breakfast buffet and lunch buffet, so don’t get caught in the middle of the two times like we did (hence why you see no food in this blog).  You can order off the menu if you do not want the buffet.  Be sure to go to the one at 120 Saint Mary’s Road.  The second location is really far away from the KYM.

Henna Tattoo

Henna Tattoos are called Mendhi in South India.  I went to get my first one done today.  It cost 100 rupees to do most of my lower arm.  It took about 30 minutes.

The woman told me not to touch anything for 1-2 hours.  I really wish she had told me this before she started.  Another thing that would have been really nice to know is that you do not want to be in a hot place when you get it done.  You want to stay in a cool place for 3-4 hours afterwards.  When you sweat, the henna begins to run.  So this is why I am telling you this, don’t get a runny henna tattoo like me!!!!  You want it to stay cool, get hard and then crack off in 3-4 hours.  My experience went like this- smudge, sweat, washing it off in the bathroom after 2 hours, having Indian women help me in the bathroom to get it off…….you get the idea.  The women in the bathroom told me that next time it would be much more beautiful and that I was certainly lucky because the current henna tattoo will only last 2 weeks on my arm with the sweaty tattoo.

India is not a place for the ego to survive.  Forget about how things “should be”.  Forget about the timelines you had.  Forget about looking good.  Forget about anything except going with the flow in the moment.  It is actually really free-ing.  Because you figure out that nobody expects you to be on time.  If you change plans half way through, no big deal.  You thought you wanted one thing, but then you want another…just say so.  It is never too late to change your mind.  This is a really unique idea for me to ponder.  I didn’t know there was a place on earth that this existed.  I am sure that if I lived here a few years, I would be a totally different person that I am today.  Food for thought.

A Day of Shopping and The Park Hotel

Piluca, my friend from Mexico, and I went out for a shopping date.  We went to the most beautiful silk shop called Nalli in Mylapore (very near to the KYM).  I had never seen so many floors of fabric and so many people choosing fabric in all my life!  It was incredible.  Piluca chooses the material and then has a tailor make clothes for her and her family.  It was an amazing experience!  I will definitely go back.  It is obviously where all the locals go to buy fabric.

Nalli Fashions- 9, Nageswaran Road,  Opposite Panagal Park- T. Nagar, Chennai  600 017- Telephone- 044 2434 4115

Shopping made us really hungry.  So we went to the Park Hotel.  They have a lovely space to sit and socialize.  The pool area is really upscale.  They have several great restaurants in the hotel.  Although there is an amazing Indian Buffet daily, we chose to go to Lotus.  Lotus is a Thai Restaurant to die for!  On this holiday they had a table for soup.  You could choose the base of your soup (I chose coconut) and then say what you wanted in the soup.  I think it may have been the best Thai soup I ever had.  It was light and very tasty.  Then we had a Thai buffet of many different dishes.  Finishing with the dessert table.  Yes, it was more expensive than your usual Indian meal, but worth every bite!  Sometimes you just need to sit in a quiet place, with good food and good company and rest.  We stayed long after the meal talking and enjoying the atmosphere.  It was a lovely afternoon!

The Park Hotel- 601, Anna Salai, Chennai 600006, India
- Telephone- 044 4267 6000

Yesterday Piluca took me to her favorite Jeweller in Mylopore to find toe rings.  Women in India wear toe rings (usually silver) to show they are married instead of finger rings.  I chose the traditional kind, instead of the modern ones.  There are 2 thick silver rings on the second or third toe of each foot.  I like having pretty feet, as I am a Yoga Teacher!  Here is the name of the Jeweller in Mylapore if you want to go get toe rings.

NAC Jewellers- 58, North Mada Street- Mylapore, Chennai-  600 004- Telephone- 044 4399 6666

What to Eat in India for BreakfastThe first question I get asked when someone hears that I am going to India is, “What do you eat over there?” I think eating is such a fundamental need for us.  We know that if we have food, we can probably survive.  And in each person’s mind they are asking themselves, “Could I too do something like run off to India?  Would I be able to survive if I chose to take on this adventure?” The answer is yes, and not only would you survive, but you would flourish.  My guess is that you would be eating much more healthfully than you do at home.

Here are some pictures from breakfast with my good friend Chase yesterday.  He is affectionately called “Eater-man” by a friend of mine.  This is a high compliment because it means that he has strong internal fire (read metabolism) and can eat a lot but still stay lean and clean.  Chase delivered when he sat down and ordered 3 separate dishes for breakfast!  First there was the idly and sambar.  This is a small rice cake with 3 chutneys that are very spicy.  It also comes with sambar, which is a not so spicy mixture that you pour on top of the idly.   Many Indians eat this for breakfast each day.

Another South Indian dish that is common to breakfast (and any other time of the day) is called dosa.  This is like a huge thin pancake with filling in the middle.  It is not spicy at all and tastes very good.  You could eat it plain with no filling, or choose from a variety of different potato fillings inside.  Then you tear off the dosa with your hand, making sure that you get a little filling in each bite, dipping it in a yummy sauce and throwing it in your mouth without getting any on your shirt.  Good luck with that one!

The third dish that Chase ordered is called pongal.  It is so delicious and not very spicy.  Have you noticed I am giving you hints about things that are not very spicy?  After a while, you just can’t take any more spice.  The Indians are use to it, but the delicate digestive track of an American cannot handle so much spice meal after meal.  Here is a recipe for pongal if you would like to make it at home.

Sweet rice known as ‘Pongal’ is cooked in a new earthenware pot which is placed where the puja is to be performed. Fresh turmeric and ginger are tied around this pot. Then a delicious concoction of rice, moong dal, jaggery and milk is boiled in the pot on an open fire. According to the ritual, this Pongal rice is allowed to boil and spill over. Once the rice is cooked, it is tempered with cashew nuts and raisins fried in ghee.

Ingredients

» 1 cup Rice

» 1/4 cup Moong dal

» /2- 1 tsp jeera

» 1/2-1 tsp peppercorns

» 1/2 tsp pepper powdered fresh

» A few Cashew nuts broken

» 1/2 cup dessicated (shredded flakes) Coconut

» A pinch of Turmeric powder

» Ghee

Method

1. Fry the Moongdal a little till you get a light flavor.

2. Mix the dal with the rice, add 2 -3 cups of water (the rice should cook very very soft)

3. Add turmeric powder, coconut, a few peppercorns and a 1-2 tsp of ghee to the rice and pressure cook till done.

4. When done, take a kadai add sufficient of Ghee to it-the more ghee, the better it tastes, add jeera, pepper corns and cashew nuts.

5. Add the cooked rice mixture, add pepper powder, salt and mix well with the ghee and jeera/cashew nuts.

The pongal is ready!!!  You can add some more ghee at the end if you need. It is best eaten fresh and hot.  You can serve it with Coconut Chutney, or Onion/Tomato Raita.

You might notice that all of the dishes in the pictures come served on a beautiful banana leaf.  Something about eating off of a banana leaf makes you feel closer to nature.  I just love it.

Oh, how could I forget South Indian coffee and tea?  There is only one word for it, AMAZING!!!!!!  You see, I have been trying not to drink coffee and tea for some time because it disturbs the prana in my body.  I have a lot of internal heat and coffee and tea just makes me even hotter.  So each day I try to “walk on by” the delicious tea.  It is Chai flavored with creamy milk and sugar.  You can guess how many days I am actually making it past the tea (not very many).  South Indians drink it all day long, even when it is 100 degrees outside.  So my advice to you is to just allow yourself this guilty little pleasure while you are here.  You can quit caffeine when you get home again!

When you finish a meal they always bring an after meal mouth cleanser and digestive aid.  Basically it is cumin seeds with sugar melted all over them.  The too are delicious.  And, like most spices in India, are given for a reason.  To help the digestive process begin after the meal has ended.  There is much emphasis on this in India.  The spices in the food are all for a purpose, like nature’s medicine.

I will write another blog on lunches and dinners so that you have some ideas about what you might eat during those meals.  But don’t worry you will have plenty of nourishment for your adventure in India.  The only thing I would recommend is that you do not eat from the street vendors.  You never know what type of hygiene standards the vendors use.  I choose just a few restaurants that I know are safe and stay eating in these few places.  I also drink bottled water all the time, never the water that is put on the table from the tap.

Getting off the airplane you can smell the heat.  I have only been here a few hours (and yes, it is 2:00 a.m.) and I am already feeling the sweat of a good detox.  The lines for immigration were not too long tonight (20 minutes).  But we waited for the luggage for over an hour, which is not usual.  The driver I had set up to pick me up held a placket with my name on it.  All of the plackets with “missionary church of….” were trying to get my attention me because they were just sure I was their client!  I do look like a Minnesotan, Lutheran Ministers daughter.  What can I say, I am!

I love the airport with the Ganesh altars all over, removing obstacles from my journey.  The money exchange” Thomas Cook” who charges a huge fee (40 rupees to the USD instead of 44 rupee exchange rate).  So I only exchange enough money to get me started.

My driver has taken me to my guesthouse.  Unfortunately my room is locked and they cannot seem to find the key.  It is late, I am tired and India is chaotic as usual.  I just want to Skype my husband before I go to bed and get some sleep.  But the password to the Internet is also a mystery to everyone at this hour.  India is so good for the growth work that I need to do around the concept of patience.

But all is well.  I feel alive and happy to be here.  Mother India has welcomed me home into her arms once again.  I am here in the guesthouse at the kitchen table writing this blog.  So maybe I pull out my little pillow and blanket and sleep on the floor…. who knows.  I am willing to sleep on the floor, but I really have use the bathroom and there is none in sight.  Oh boy…….India.

Update:  It is 1 hour later.  The doorman has climbed back into bed and put a sheet over his face.  My driver has now left without telling me.  I honestly thought he was going to find me the person who was supposed to welcome me.  I could not believe it when I went outside to see his car gone.  I still have to go to the bathroom!  So I decide to get out my little travel pillow and blanket and sleep on the cement floor next to the kitchen table.  I lock the doors and turn out the lights.  I am just about to exhale myself into a “let go completely, deeply and permanently mantra” to drift off in to sleep when the most annoying doorbell I have ever heard in my life goes off loudly!  Well, maybe that is good news.  So I go to the door and peak through the hole to see a small Indian boy with a key in his hand.  He has come to let me into my room.  Just when I have given in….he arrived! How perfect.

He has let me into my room, which I am very pleased with.  It has a double bed, a nice ceiling fan and air conditioning if I want it.  It has a T.V.- which cracks me up because I don’t even have a T.V. at home!  It has many storage cabinets that lock, which means I can leave some personals here safely.  It has a fairly nice bathroom, very spacious and tiled from floor to ceiling.  Lakshmi has left me 12 bottles of Aqua Fina water in my room and I can actually brush my teeth tonight with the bottled water- yeah!  So I have unpacked and organized myself, because for me it is 3:00 PM in the afternoon CA time and I am a Virgo- ha ha!  I think having everything in place in my cabinets gives me the illusion of security.  And now off to bed…….I feel so happy to have gotten here safely and with only a little fuss.