Om Mane Padme Hum

Did a day trip to Bylakuppe with 3 friends today. Will post the photos soon. For the meantime, allow me to share with you this video. (Can't believe I'm already leaving Mysore on Friday.)

Standing Cafe and Chakra House in Sepia

The art of making chai.

The cashier at the standing cafe.

A friend waiting for her order.

The menu.
Breakfast for 20 rupees.
15 rupees masala dosa plus 5 rupees coffee or chai
and you're done for the morning.

Customers waiting for their orders.

The Chakra House cat.

Waiting for breakfast.

Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysore

Visit their website here.

One side of the temple.

The bookstore. You can buy really amazingly cheap books here on yoga philosophy.

Ashram schedule

Random Food Photos

Samosa

Green dosa at Nalpak.

Breakfast at the Chakra House
Spinach and cheese omelette with toast and butter
Grilled tomatoes with cheese

Buffet lunch at Metropole.

Dessert at Metropole.

Veggie Sinigang

Monggo with Cabbage... unusual... couldn't get spinach so I used cabbage instead.

Paper dosa from Gokul Chats.

Broccoli with Soy-Lemon Dressing

I haven't been cooking here but I received this recipe from Dr. Weil's e-newsletter and would like to prepare it for Christmas.

Ingredients

2 pounds broccoli or cauliflower, about 2 bunches Soy-Lemon Dressing (mixed together): 3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

1. Using a sharp paring knife, peel the tough skin from the broccoli stems and cut away the stem ends. Cut off the florets and cut the peeled stems on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch-thick sections. Separate the larger florets, so all are approximately the same size. If cooking cauliflower, remove any leaves and break or cut into florets, about 1 1/2 inches wide. 2. Arrange the broccoli or cauliflower in a steamer tray or on a plate set on a rack. Fill a wok or pot with several inches of water and heat until boiling. Place the vegetable over the boiling water and steam 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. 3. Drain any water from the broccoli or cauliflower. Put the vegetable in a serving bowl, add the Dressing, toss lightly, and serve.

Last Mysore class at the shala today. 2 led classes more then I'll just practice in my room until I leave for Trivandrum on Oct 3.

Basic Curry Gravy

Saute garlic ginger paste in some oil. Add onion paste and saute until the onion is almost brown. Add tomato puree. Add some garam masala and it's done. Mix with your favorite steamed veggies, veg kofta or boiled eggs for a genuine North Indian curry experience.

I met someone who was originally from Rajasthan and she taught me this. Just thought of posting it before I forget it.

Practice was good today. Supposed to give massage later after the Sanskrit class but I called it off because I feel I need the break. Did a massage yesterday... almost a full body one... and I slept like a log. Thought practice will suffer but luckily it didn't. I guess when the body is tired, your awareness increases and you tend to listen to your body more during practice... you get to be more in tune with yourself.

My massage teacher said I was vata-pitta. The questionnaires said I am kapha-pitta. Tiwariji said I was kapha-pitta (at least that was written in my pranayama prescription sheet). I say, I'm kapha with equal vata and pitta. Yeah, whatever. I guess one simply has to intuitively listen to one's self and let no one's opinion bother oneself. There's no need to look for flaws when one believes that one's life is already in balance, otherwise the balance becomes unbalanced.

Life is good.

Practice, eat, serve, love and meditate.

Namaste.

P.S. I just received an article saying that Indian spice in turmeric reduces size of hemorrhagic stroke. Read it here.

Guruji

Sharath opened last Sunday's conference with a topic on doubt. Doubt is one of the obstacles in the path of yoga as stated in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1:29-30). I was doubting whether it was worth extending for another week as it was already the end of my 2nd month at the shala. I still have almost 2 weeks in Mysore to finish the massage course with Kumar so I could either practice at home or go to another teacher.

A few minutes after Sharath started his discourse, Guruji came out of the office and sat on stage. He simply listened, eyes glowing... almost piercing into each and everyone's heart as if asking, "why do you doubt so much?". His presence was enough to make me decide to stay and everything felt right. There was a feeling of complete surrender and a feeling that I've completed my time at the shala.

The time at the Sivananda ashram will be totally different and will surely be an interesting experience.

Tomorrow, Arjuna will unlease the powerful Gandiva to finally end the battle within.

Loving Kindness to All Beings

Whatever beings there may be,
weak or strong, long, medium sized or short,
large or small, seen or unseen,
near & far, those born & are seeking birth
without exception
May all beings be well and happy

And let one cultivate a heart of loving kindness
towards the whole world, above, below and across
unhindered, without ill-will, without enmity

While standing, walking, sitting or lying down
let one keep to this mindfulness.
This they say is the highest living.

Not falling into wrong views, virtuous
Endowed with insight
Having discarded sense desires, surely
One will be reborn in a womb

- Abridged from the Metta Sutra

= = = = =

The frog croaked and will soon bathe in the sacred waters of Triveni Sangam (confluence of the 3 seas).

Neil Barker in Manila

One of my teachers at Yoga Thailand is coming to Manila to conduct an advance anatomy course, pranayama and ashtanga classes. He is a wonderful teacher and is very knowledgeable about the human body both from Western and Eastern perspectives. You can read his complete bio here.

Serve Love Meditate

Everything is set. I'm off to the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram at the beginning of next month. Practicing at the shala has been great but I've decided to see a little bit more of India and experience life in an ashram. The Sivananda Book on Yoga was my first introduction to this wonderful discipline and now that I'm in India, it would be nice to spend some time there and learn about this approach. Will be staying in the ashram for 2 weeks then explore Trivandrum, Kovalam, Varkala and Kanyakumari before I fly back to Bangalore and then to Phuket via Singapore.

The basic schedule at ashram would be:

0520 hrs	WAKE UP BELL
0600 hrs	SATSANG
0730 hrs	TEA TIME
0800 hrs	ASANA CLASS
1000 hrs	BRUNCH
1100 hrs	KARMA YOGA
1230 hrs	COACHING CLASS (optional)
1330 hrs	TEA TIME
1400 hrs	LECTURE
1600 hrs	ASANA CLASS
1800 hrs	DINNER
2000 hrs	SATSANG
2200 hrs	LIGHTS OUT

It would be a nice change to the create-your-own-schedule atmosphere here in Mysore.

The 5 Points of Yoga constitute the essence of the teachings of Sivananda Yoga. These are the proper exercise, proper breathing, proper meditation, proper diet, and positive thinking and meditation. Simple yet holistic and a complete approach to classical yogic lifestyle.

Om Namah Shivayah * Om Namah Shivayah * Om Namah Shivayah

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

The Journey to Cape Comorin

Just in case you'd like to explore India and use the train. You can find out basically everything from their website.

Was hoping to take the train from Mysore to Bangalore (BLR) then to Trivandrum (TVC) but there are too many people on the waiting list from BLR-TVC and I've been told that getting a ticket on my preferred departure date won't be guaranteed with 20 people still on the list.

Next option was to fly either with Kingfisher or Jet Airways.

I had to walk home to get my passport as the online booking form required it so I did and came back. I was ready to pay when it asked for the contact number that is on record with the bank. For some reasons, I don't know my number but it's on my Philippine simcard which I left in the house. That would mean, walking again for another 10 minutes and back. Laziness prevailed and I've decided to do this tomorow. I guess it's the Cosmos' way of telling me to wait until tomorrow as it is full moon today. Whatever the reason maybe, only the Universe knows.

Will just sleep it over and try again tomorrow.

The above photo does not depict the modern trains here. It's actually more convenient than you'd think it is especially those Express ones. However, this was something that used to come to my mind whenever I'd think of trains in India.

Think of LRT 1 and LRT 2 in Manila. If you only see photos of LRT 1, you'd think all trains are as chaotic as LRT 1 until you take LRT 2.

Got too excited to travel south to Cape Comorin where 3 bodies of water meet, the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. They say there's a rock there where Swami Vivekananda meditated before becoming one of India's greatest philosophers.

Maybe if I sit there I'd be enlightened and become great as well, wahahaha. (Yeah, you wish!)

Will see tomorrow if that travel plan pushes through.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti.

Idli/Idly

Conference was early today at 9:30am. Moon day tomorrow so there's no practice. Had to do pranayama after asana practice so there was no time for breakfast before 9:30. Went to Gokul Chats for paper dosa but for some reasons dosas were not available today. Had idly instead. It actually tasted like the Philippine puto only that here they serve it with coconut chutney and sambar. In the Philippines, they either top it with cheese, flavor it with pandan, or serve it with that ever famous Philippine stew. For those who've been vegetarian for a long, long time, you wouldn't want to know what it's made of.

Found a photo of Indian breakfast items. Haven't tried everything yet though but should soon.

Yoga and the Animal Kingdom

Last week, the Great Heron was set free...

This morning, a swarm of locusts filled the sky...

Will the frog croak soon?

Coconut Chutney

I learned this just this morning when my landlady prepared breakfast. It was delicious.

Fry dry chana in a little oil... add green chillies... mint leaves... sliced onion... cook until the chana is brown. She said it has to brown for the taste to come out.

In a blender, process coconut meat (in the Philippines, this coconut should be old enough to make gata/coco cream) with a little water. Add the spice seasoning and process into a smooth paste. Add a little more water if you like.

Serve with chapati and ghee.

Auntie prepared another dish but I wasn't there when she cooked it. It was chana/chickpea-green bean dish which was really yummy. I told her that my father doesn't like Indian dishes because, like most Filipinos I know, he equates Indian cuisine with curry.

I don't think any of my family members read my blog so they'd be surprised to have an all Indian veggie-dishes this Christmas. I'll force them to eat it or else I'll yank them all into supta kurmasana, hahaha.

Ahimsa... ahimsa... ahimsa.

Om santih, santih, santih.

Life continues...

People come... people go...

You sleep... wake up and brush your teeth...

Pour warm salted water into one nostril... water drips the other...

Insert rubber tubing into one nostril... out through the mouth...

You sit... and start observing the breath...

Mind working... images appearing... emotions emerging...

Bringing the attention to the breath... the mind fixed on counting...

Pictures fading... mind calming...

Inhale... 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10... glottis closed... chin down the chest... holding the breath...

1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11..12..13..14..15..16..17..18..19..20... chin lifts... glottis opens...

Exhale... 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11..12..13..14..15..16..17..18..19..20...

Cycle resumes... and life continues...

Sinigang!!!

Boil 1L of water. Add ginger paste, a handful of sliced onions, tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes until the veggies are soft. Add squash and cook until soft. Add eggplants, string beans. Cook until soft. Add a bunch of sliced cabbage. Add tamarind paste, coriander and squeeze in juice of 1 lemon. Salt, black pepper and chili powder to taste. Cook with lots of patience and love. Photo to follow.

This was the Chinese buffet that I prepared yesterday for friends here in Mysore. Yangchow fried rice, mixed vegetable stir fry, chili garlic paneer, spinach and cashew stir fry. Daisy (from Singapore) also prepared vegetable noodles for Chie (from Japan).

I now have Sanskrit font in my laptop. If you can read this, I'll cook dinner for you. ;-)