A Mighty Journey - Part One

ah... the joys of being back to Europe... after breaking up the winter with almost 2 months in the Mighty Subcontinent!
I consider myself blessed indeed. And this time I have had the pleasure to share the journey with my partner, who managed to maintain his cool even when I was driven out of myself by the inevitable rickshaw driver!
Lucky that it all happened towards the end of our journey.
So, with me having a tantrum kicking and screaming in the back sit, the driver who of course had to hint at the fact that I was a woman and should keep quiet... we get to the last destination of our journey: Fort Cochin (Kerala).
Of course, I would like to point out that this episode was the first and only one of a somehow "disturbing" nature. Yes indeed. Andrew and I discovered that our relationship is stronger than any upset caused by cheeky drivers, smelly trains, doubtful accommodations, mosquito bites, tropical humid heat, intense yoga practices (yes yes yes) and stomach upsets.

The journey started with a long flight, during which my legs doubled their size - not that my legs need to be any bigger than they normally are! - to Mumbai where we had to wait for

the whole night for our connection to Goa.
And we did try to sleep, oh yes, but not even Andrew with his most refined napping skills managed to nod off. Maybe the arctic temperatures and the stiff chairs are somehow responsible for that (!)
Anyway, Goa welcomed us with its warm embrace. First week is just to acclimatize. With the place. With the temperature. AND with the food.
Now I can truly say: Thank God for a nice can of Coke!! Normally I am against corporations, but, hey, nothing makes you feel better after few episodes of "Delhi Belly"...
So with this little, ehm, inconvenient, we undertake the journey that takes us from North Goa - Mandrem and Arambol - to South Goa. A taxi conveniently shared with another couple, and voilá, 3 hours later here we are walking under the afternoon sun in Palolem, determined to find a reasonable room in Patnem. I miserably had to give up after 15 minutes walk on soft sand with my "modest" backpacks, and reluctantly gave in to yet another auto rickshaw.

I enjoyed our stay in South Goa, very much indeed. Even the moody manager of our guesthouse. The night was filled with the sound of the Ocean, so close to our hut and so noisy, so wild! The moon shining, getting up at 6 am for a yoga class (that never happened!), the lazy afternoons, the practices on the beach...I even managed to drop back from standing, I did it! But I found impossible to repeat the trick on hard ground. I am hoping that that still counts? But of course, isn't Yoga all about the journey?!?!? :-)

September's Sun in Ireland

Intimate is the word for the yoga weekend that Andrew and myself facilitated in a remote corner of County Clare. Interesting venue and location with the yoga room particularly big and attractive, overlooking the wildest Irish countryside. The living and dining rooms were also very nice and welcoming. I definitely recommend Boghill if you want to get away from it all. Or if you want to explore West County Clare... or if you are single and planning not to be single anymore! Because...as we discovered with our uttermost surprise, the closest village to the centre is Lisdoonvarna and for the whole month of September it is home for the biggest MATCHMAKING event of the planet. YES!! It all goes back to rural times, I suppose, when a matchmaker was required to make possible a union that otherwise would be impossible, and to prevent marriages within the same family. Andrew says that in his area (Northern England) there has never been anything like a matchmaker...(that would explain quite few things...) Nowadays being out in the town of Lisdoonvarna on a September's Saturday night is an affair of very packed and bright lighted pubs, LOADS of men, few women and LOADS of caravans parked by the main street. Quite surprisingly there even is a website called Matchmaker and the buzz is FANTASTIC. Read the history of Lisdoonvarna and how it became a matchmaking town.... Andrew found it all a bit intimidating, how blame him when he was the only men out with 3 of us gorgeous creatures, probably looking quite intriguing after practicing several hours of yoga and as we were sipping our modest glasses of stouts looking rather holy and cosmic... We did not want to attract attention anyway, and went back home just after 10pm, with a lovely sense of "WOW, we were part of the Matchmaking festival!"

Talking to people about the summer just gone... everybody is saying that it was a very cold one, but I am not sure if I can agree with it. Probably being in good company while exploring this beautiful land, and finding that the sun was there every time Andrew and I went somewhere different, well, it definitely helped with my enjoyment of the lovely season that is now over.

Sunny days in Crosshaven and Kinsale in June, and then in August in Killarney and in the Beara Peninsula where we braved a Friday night in Allihies and a Saturday morning on Dursey Island. I found the cable car going over very sweet, and very reliable, considering that it must have being used for ...er...quite few years now. In the pictures Crosshaven in June, Barley Cove (West Cork) only few weeks ago (end of August) and Killarney lakes.

Sunny days in Amsterdam as well, where we played to be movie stars in yoga videos. Can't wait to see the result - battering my ego and moving beyond my comfort zone can be a quite interesting process...

Getting all Yogic, in and out!

Quite few things are moving, with many workshop happening in Cork in these Summer weekends, so many infact that sometimes I just don't know which one to go to. Tomorrow is one of those days where Yoga Loft has one workshop (there was one today as well) and also Cork Movement Center has one. I am humbly doing my Sun Salutation event at Unity Yoga with the chanting and the flowing and, despite my sore chest, I am sure it will be a lovely event. One and half hours of a good stretch and uplifting energy.
And Andrew's yoga weekend (just gone) on the lake District in England was lovely, everybody enjoyed the practices and pranayama and meditations were just great!

On the same note: we finalized the Yoga Weekend that Andrew and I are going to do in September. I was trying to upload the poster itself, but Blogger won't recognize it, so I will add the information instead...

YOGA WEEKEND RETREAT With Andrew Wrenn and Francesca Giusti

Friday 9th to Sunday 11th of September 2011
Energizing, Restorative and Recharging Yoga retreat in the beautiful setting of Boghill in County Clare, West of Ireland
www.boghill.com
Deepen or establish your yoga practice and your knowledge of Yoga with invigorating and restorative practices, learning new techniques, experiencing peace and deep relaxation.
During the weekend we will take you through strong aligned based dynamic Yoga Flow (Asanas) , Meditation and Breathing techniques (Pranayama) with the experienced tutelage of yoga teachers Francesca Giusti and Andrew Wrenn.

Francesca has been teaching Vinyasa Flow yoga in Italy and Cork city since 2005. Her classes are empowering, light hearted and inspiring, allowing her students to work to their own level and developing strength and flexibility. She is passionate about passing on the benefits of yoga and she is a very nurturing and attentive teacher.
Andrew teaches regular classes around Manchester, England, as well as leading workshops and retreats in Europe and Egypt. His style has a firm foundation in the Hatha Yoga tradition, specializing in Pranayama and meditation, with an eclectic fusion of yoga styles and postures. Andrew's website www.yogawithandrew.co.uk.

Special Price: 265€ (240£) per person in shared room, 290€ (260£) per person in private room
**PRICE INCLUDES ACCOMMODATION, ALL MEALS AND SEVERAL DAILY YOGA CLASSES **
Deposit of 75€ is required to secure a place.
Contact Francesca on Francesca.yoga.cork@gmail.com

Ego stuff in Scotland

I have been thinking a lot about my ego lately.
Infact, I have been wondering why I seem to have a dilemma with it: why is it that having an ego bothers me so much?
It seems like the eternal unresolved struggle between being and doing, thinking and being, accepting and refusing, being happy and being sad, being part of my yoga community or keeping myself isolated.
The Yin yoga class I attended today at Unity Yoga in Cork with Josh Summers was extremely intense. So intense that I felt like weeping in a few occasions.
There were moments of integrating meditation with the whole process. And moments where I seemed to be reminded by my body that EVERYTHING stems from the innermost nature of our Self. It was like being torn apart.
It also made me remember that I had a bad fall about 10 days ago, where my sacrum hit the floor on my way down some stairs. No carpet, I am afraid, just very hard tiles. I was at the Yoga retreat with Andrew and unfortunately it was a silent day, so I was not able to share my misery with anybody. Just suffering in silence. Something quite appropriate when you are in a yoga silent retreat (!).
I suppose the fall has something to do with my feeling pushed to the edge in any long held hip opener. I asked Josh and he suggested some very gentle backbends and forward bends, nothing too strong, until the sacrum has eased. I have to say that most of the time I forget that I fell on my bum, in every day life or in standing poses I can do everything. But it becomes a dull ache when I am on the floor in certain positions...

I would say that the class that I will be teaching tomorrow at Unity will be a challenge. I will be doing a Yoga class for sitting in the lotus posture, a very appropriate theme after attending a Yin Yoga event.
I took inspiration from seeing Andrew sitting comfortably in lotus when he practices his pranayama. After some research (and asking him!) I came to the conclusion that for some bodies padmasana is the perfect meditation pose because it locks the body in a steady sitting posture, with the spine at its best alignment with the natural curves intact and with a perfect upward direction. It is inspiring to see contemporary yoga practitioners being able to sit in padmasana without struggle.
The retreat in Scotland was lovely, there were intense moments and I absolutely cherished the time I took, once more, to be within myself and to dedicate time to stillness. The ego came in, though, wanting my practice to be better and more advanced, to be able to do free stand Pincha Mayurasana and hand stands. Being frustrated because I wasn't being helped the way I wanted it. I am aware of this weakness that sometimes overwhelms me.

I posed for some yoga pictures at the Samye Ling Buddhist Centre where the yoga retreat was taking place, and under the rain we ended up having a good laugh at the whole thing, forgetting that posing in Virabhadrasana or Urdhva Dhanurasana in a tight attire might not have been completely appropriate for the spiritual environment we were dwelling in...

Full Wheel Pose

Yet another contribution to Yogatic, this is for those who are quite flexible in their shoulders....

This is for everyone!

I so wanted to publish this picture I took in Tiruvannamalai, it shows how far we can go in matters of spirituality... His posters were everywhere in town. I haven't actually gone to the guy, but it sounds very very promising!

Also I like this link with a bit of everything "spiritual" you can do in the Mother Land as it talks about satsangs in India

Enjoy the silence!

It was one famous song by this band... Depeche Mode, this was their name, it took me a while to dig into my memories of my teenage years in the 80s. The video was particularly fascinating I remember: a king moving from landscape to landscape, with his little chair, sitting observing fantastic sceneries, all on his own...
And this is what I have been doing, since coming back from Mother India: enjoying the silence of the Irish countryside. I haven't even met yet with most of the people I normally meet. The pleasure of being still and to contemplate being it's alive in me. I am blessed with loads of activities that I am enjoying, even going back to work, you know, has its ups and downs but I feel good.
The sensation I had once I got into my room at about midnight, flying straight from Delhi (quite a nice flight, I have to say, I enjoyed watching the movie "Black Swan" and others...) was like when you are in the desert. The SILENCE fills up your ears. The stillness of the house and the neighborhood... even though Daniela and her partner were at home, still I felt like a sense of loneliness. The luxury of my bed with a SUPER thick mattress, the softness of the feathers duvet, the smoothness of the cotton sheets. I had forgotten all that. And I was actually happy even without all that!
Driving my car into empty street (they all look empty to me!), and seeing dogs on a lead... a dog on a lead?!?!?!? and all the different sizes and shapes of the dogs, actually interacting with us humans! Well, dogs in India are nothing you want to become too friendly with, at least in most cases they don't even register the human presence, all busy as they are dealing with their own clan issues.
And everybody is so pale! Everybody walks around with a purpose. What is this purpose, I wonder? Don't we know that there is NOTHING here that needs to be done, that needs our blood sweat and tears?

Ritorno

Leggo con orrore (beh, non tanto poi...) che il mio amato fiume Ganga é parecchio inquinato, anche a Rishikesh! Ed io che, posseduta dai miei tanti momenti sprirituali, mi sono avventurata nel bagno quasi quotidiano durante mia ultima settimana a Lakshmanjula! Unico particolare scomodo: la temperatura freddissima delle acque, ma quello si sa, basta muoversi un po' e poi si esce e ci si mette al sole... tutto con un bel pareo che copre il corpo il piú possibile. E pensare che la maggior parte delle volte per favorire l'atto propiziatorio di benedizione delle acque, non mi sono nemmeno fatta la doccia dopo, proprio per mantenere le proprietá curative della Grande Madre.
Sembra che la quantitá di gente che vive a Gangotri, il villaggio piú vicino alla sorgente e a Nord di Rishikesh, abbia giá un impatto sull'inquinamento con rifiuti umani e industriali che si gettano direttamente nel fiume. Comunque io il mio momento di grande disturbo intestinale (si puó dire, vero?) l'avevo giá avuto a Tiruvannamalai, e anche parecchio forte tanto che me ne ero rimasta a letto un giorno intero, sorseggiando coca-cola sfiatata che la mia coinquilina (un dottore, fra l'altro!) mi aveva gentilmente comprato.

Tornare in Europa, e a Cork, é stato un viaggione! Ma non ho avuto nessun disturbo particolare, a parte una immensa stanchezza che, come sempre, mi prende a London Heathrow. Questa volta ho viaggiato dalle 2 del pomeriggio per arrivare alle 18 ora locale (tipo le 23 ora Indiana...) e il tempo é passato veloce devo dire, ho visto due films: "Black Swan", che mi é piaciuto anche se mi é parso un po' scontato (Natalie Portman veramente brava, ma poi bella!!!), e poi una commedia divertentissima chiamata "Due date", un film alla road trip...
Comunque, il volo per Cork ce l'avevo dopo 4 ore... un martirio! E poi salire sull'aereo, tutti che parlano di lavoro, tutti presi nelle proprie vite distratte, senza un briciolo di interesse per tutto quello che va al di lá. Ma chi sono io per dire queste cose poi? Che ne so io???

Il lusso sfrenato del mio letto: ahhh, che bello il piumone soffice, il materasso quasi ortopedico, le lenzuola fragranti di bucato! Daniela, la mia graziosa coinquilina, si é offerta di farmi il letto e, arrivando a mezzanotte, mi ha fatto il piú bel regalo di tutti.
Il silenzio, poi! Da quando sono tornata, cioé da 3 giorni, non so darmi pace da quanto silenzio c'é intorno casa mia (normale, visto che siamo in campagna) ma anche di quante poche persone ci sono in giro. Auto che viaggiano tranquille per la strada, niente clacson assordanti... nessuno che si butta in mezzo alla strada senza vedere chi arriva, i negozi semi vuoti e nessuno che mi guarda, FANTASTICO, posso passare inosservata, alé!!
I cani sono al guinzaglio e sono di diverse razze, di tutti i colori e taglie, e sono cani che hanno una relazione con gli umani! In India i cani non ti considerano per nulla e possono essere pericolosi. Non ci sono le mucche che girano per strada con le loro pance gonfie di plastica e rifiuti... qua le mucche, in campagna da me, sono bianche e nere e pascolano placide nei loro prati verdi, beate loro!
Detto questo, non cambierei nemmeno una virgola di tutto quello che l'India é. E' un'esperienza fantastica poter passare del tempo in India e assaporare tutto quello che ha da offrire. Mi sento veramente fortunata. E adesso vado a letto perché domani ricomincia il lavoro...

holy Waters

This post will be quick, I only have few minutes left and then I want to take advantage of the glorious Sun that is blessing us with its presence and plunge in the Ganga once again... Because dipping in the Holy Waters has been one of my past time during the hottest hours of the day, and although it is always a shock to my system, it fills me with new Energy. Shakti Devi for you!

The Feminine here is so present. The lovely beaches along the River are spotted with rocks and we, westerners women, find refuge behind them as we modestly wear our sarongs around our bodies to protect us from the gazes of the boys... Not that it helps very much though, as they still stare and slow down as they pass by, or they even whistle from the boat as they go for the rafting.
The water is fresh and clean, light blue in color and really makes you want to jump in again and again. Some days I stay in longer and I even indulge in a swim, it depends on how Shakti I feel!

Tomorrow is my last day in this fabolous Country, the one that this time gave me so much Joy and so much Presence. I will catch the train tomorrow night and I will be in Delhi in the morning, just on time to catch the afternoon flight to Heathrow.

E' Festa in India!!

...forse mi prende un po' di nostalgia, ora sono veramente agli sgoccioli con 3 giorni ancora da passare nel sub continente ed il mio imminente rientro in Irlanda vicino.
E pensare che lunedi' prossimo (ossia fra una settimana) saro' di nuovo al lavoro, una fortuna, pensando che ci sono tante persone che il lavoro non ce l'hanno, io ne ho due! Tutti e due part time, ma comunque...

Oggi e' una festa importante per il calendario Indiano: il giorno di Holi, quando la gente si tira addosso la polvere colorata e finisce a ballare per la strada con la musica a palla che viene dagli altoparlanti che, nel nostro caso, un ashram di qua ha piazzato in un posto strategico. Voglio precisare che la maggior parte di quelli piu' eccitati sono i ragazzini, ovviamente maschi, che si son buttati via nelle danze piu' azzardate, tirandosi acqua e colori l'un l'altro. Noi, moderati occidentali, seduti sugli scalini di un negozio vicino, osservando divertiti la quantita' di adrenalina che, insieme con i colori, si sprigionava dai corpi in movimento... Una bella mattinata, perche' nel pomeriggio era gia' tutto tornato piu' o meno alla normalita'. La maggior parte dei negozi e dei ristoranti chiusi, e tutti che si lavano nel Gange, con la polvere chimica creando pozze di colore nel grande sacro fiume. Devo dire che ancora una volta la Grande Madre mi e' stata vicina, aiutandomi ad evitare i gavettoni di acqua colorata che, ragazzini un po' piu' giovani, si divertivano a tirare dai balconi e dai tetti delle case. In questo caso con la complicita' delle madri e delle sorelle piu' grandi, e tutti allegramente salutando "Happy Holi!".

Questa festa celebra la vittoria di Lord Rama (una incarnazione del dio Vishnu) sui demoni che hanno rapito la sua consorte. Una festa veramente importante e sono contenta di averla vissuta. Persino i templi erano chiusi, cosa che mi e' parsa veramente strana...Hanno riaperto nel pomeriggio, e le famiglie in pellegrinaggio sono riapparse all'improvviso cosi' come i venditori dei deliziosi snack di lenticchie speziate, i venditori di piume di pavone e di cartoline commemorative...

Water

The element of the sacred Ganga is of course Water that flows below the bridges at Rishikesh, the home of Yoga.
Water brings a fluid energy to the meditations, something different from Arunachala, where the element of Shiva there is Fire. The meditations are equally deep, maybe there is more intensity in the South as I find it more concentrated, less distracting with worldly things. But enough of airy fairy talks! It is beautiful to be here, with the River so strong and the sound of the water coming from below when I sit in the sun on the roof top of the Saint Seva Ashram where I stay. Lakshmanjula, with its hundreds of hindu pilgrims coming to visit the several temples, is absolutely lovely.

There is also a satsang going on, a proper Baba who comes from Brasil, who inspires many with his sweet way of talking and he charmed me with his language, so sensual and smooth, I find myself not listening to the translation anymore, but almost understanding Portuguese almost like it was Spanish... Also the music, oh My God, the Brazilian know how to have a good time, we all know that, so the bhajans (devotional chanting) are absolutely ecstatic, with plenty of drumming and guitars and flowers throwing and all the rest.

What to say about the Yoga? Well, after few classes with Usha and her super militaristic Iyengar, shouting orders to a class of 60 people (the room would comfortably hold about 40, maybe?) and feeling terrorized anytime she screams "you people... stretch your little toe, more, more, more!!! roll the skin of your thights in and up! send the inner corner of your shoulder blade down, more more more more!!!"...after all this screaming I decided that I had enough of Iyengar for now and I joined a teacher who wouldn't say much about alignment, but he would thank the students after taking an asana..."that was very good, thank you all!". Quite a change, eh? There is also another class that I liked, being similar to what I have practiced with Clive at the retreat, incorporating good pranayama and classical Hatha yoga postures. That, and the Ashtanga in the morning, are maybe my best bet.

The Sadhus are everywhere. In the South, in the sacred town of Tiruvannamalai, they are older men who hang out in groups, not interacting with westerners. Here you see these young and dark orange turbaned men, they look at you most of the time with a a big chillum in their palm, and some of them smile "Hari Om!", "Namaste". It seems they want to interact, but infact I think they want some coins, and I have also seen women. It is difficult to have change handy all the time, and by the way, most ashram are meant to feed the poor, so I believe they are not starving.
Being GAY (as my friend Andrew would say...) and going to the temples has been lovely, I had great time having my bindi (is it the way they call the red cumcum spot in the forehead? I should know by now!) done, being given malas after donating 50 rupees and being asked to walk around the sacred Shiva lingam (an idol who represents the power of the god Shiva) chanting "Om Namah Shivaia". Which I did, much to the amusements of the 2 guys of the temple, they laughed their heart out. Maybe my chanting skills need to be improved???

Oh and yes, the food! So many differences between the South and here, again in the South much more lightness, almost no bread but lots of pancake things called dosas, made with bean's flour... here there is the classical array of foods similar to what you get in an Indian restaurant in the west: naan, curries and greasy paneers, but very very tasty. I think I am a bit disturbed by the oil, they seem to use an unidentified vegetable oil, very refined, maybe soy?
I finally gave in and tried the sugar cane juice, they squeeze it at every corner of the street, and I hadn't have it yet because I was concerned about the hygiene levels but hey, there are not fresh coconuts here (we are not in the south!!!) so no fresh coconut juice to replenish your vitamin intake, which you have to watch especially when traveling...So I went for a big glass of sugar cane juice and it was delicious! I had it for my dinner tonight, since I had a rather rich lunch, I was joined by a young family and a young couple who would stand with me at the stall, all drinking happily as the light of the day faded, with the sacred chant of the Ganga going on in the shops around and the last pilgrims leaving the temples... one of those moments of normal life in India that makes me think how beautiful it is to be here.

Acqua

Sono nel bel villaggio di Lakshmanjula, frazione di Rishikesh, vicino ad uno dei due ponti sospesi che attraversano il Sacro Gange. Sono qua da una settimana ed un giorno, sono quasi a meta' del mio soggiorno e mi sto godendo le lezioni di yoga, il sole, il cibo dell'India del Nord, e i discorsi di un Baba che parla di amore e di liberazione... il tutto in quest'ordine.
Lo yoga e' parecchio interessante, mi ero preparata ad un "mercato" dello yoga e di lezioni a tutte le ore e di tutti i tipi, e chiedendo in giro mi sono avventurata dagli insegnanti che mi sono stati suggeriti da altri viaggiatori, visto che, come ho sperimentato, non perche' siamo in India le lezioni di yoga sono tutte buone (infatti molte volte e' proprio il contrario!).
Lo stile Iyengar e' ormai uno degli stili che pratico e sul quale si puo' andare sul sicuro, visto che gli insegnanti vengono da una scuola veramente severa. L'insegnante svizzera, Usha, una signora che vive in India da 30 anni, ha abbracciato in pieno lo stile del buon Iyengar in persona: la severita' incarnata in una signora dai 50 ai 60 anni, strillando ordini perentori su come le dita dei piedi si debbano stirare, la pelle delle cosce salire verso l'alto, le spalle ruotare all'indietro e lo sterno sollevarsi. Una classe piena di corpi pigiati (circa 60 persone!) dove tutti siamo stremati dagli ordini che cerchiamo di seguire alla lettera, perche' se no chi li sente gli strilli??
Ma non tutti sono cosi', ci sono altri insegnanti che non fanno Iyengar ma che sono altrettanto bravi e soprattutto ti fanno lavorare sul corpo ma anche sulla mente.

Il fiume richiama al raccoglimento: si fa tanto yoga, fisicamente ci si muove e si suda, come alla lezione di Ashtanga dove sono andata alcune volte nei giorni scorsi, facendo anche due lezioni in un giorno, ma il bello e' nella meditazione. La parola fa un po' impressione: MEDITAZIONE. Ma che sara'? Sicuramente bisogna essere speciali per meditare. E poi, come si fa a meditare? ci ho messo talmente tanti anni per farmi passare la paura della meditazione, mamma mia, e ora quello che mi piace fare e' "sedere". Sedere per terra con gli occhi chiusi e osservare.
La presenza dell'acqua aiuta. Il sacro fiume Ganga, o Gange, (come dice la mia mamma: non importa farsi il bagno, basta una spruzzata sulla testa se uno vuole fare una preghiera!) scorre azzurro e , sembra, pulito.
Il bagno non mi dispiacerebbe, ma l'acqua e' gelida. Magari fra una lezione di yoga e una visita al tempio, un giorno mi faccio coraggio. Oggi ne ho visitati 2 di templi, e tutti e due mi hanno dato il segno rosso sulla fronte.. come si chiama? bindi? Non mi ricordo... Comunque, nel tempio principale i due tipi che si occupano dello Shiva Lingam - il simbolo del dio Shiva, un idolo abbastanza grande- si sono buttati in terra dalle risate vedendomi fare il giro intorno all'idolo e cantanto "Om Namah Shivaia!" Ero l'unica forestiera, tutti gli altri erano Indiani, e oggi stranamente c'era un po' meno gente in giro. Questo posto richiama tanti pellegrini che vengono a visitare i templi anche dagli stati lontani del Sud.
L'energia dell'acqua e' piu' delicata, piu' interna rispetto all'energia della montagna sacra di Aruachala, dove ho passato tre settimane prima di venire qui. La montagna e' l'elemento del fuoco, la meditazione e' ancora profonda, ma diversa, un'energia piu' maschile. Vicino al Ganga e' tutto piu' femminile, anche se devo dire, ci ho messo un sacco di tempo per trovare il tempio dedicato alla Grande Madre! Shiva e' ancora uno dei piu' gettonati, Om Namah Shivaia!

"...why you don't get married?!"

... this and other questions, like "how much money do you spend in India?","how can you spend so little?!?!?", "how old are you?" and other more trivial ones, I have been asked by this travel companion during an afternoon in Bangalore.
The bus from Tiruvannamalai, a tin box with wheels and a very noisy driver, deposited this guy and me on the motorway in Bangalore, and, pointing to an obscure point over the horizon (somewhere beyond a bridge...) the driver and his assistant shouted "airport bus, airport bus...!.
I was sweating already as I was put under pressure to jump off the bus super quickly, task impossible to attain due to my quite large backpack, and I was already asking myself: where do I go now? But no worries, the guy from Rajastan says "I am also going to the airport!" and so we set off, tottering along the motorway, to a busy location that looks like a bus stop.
Thing is, nobody knows when the bus to the airport is due, so we decide to share a rickshaw. This proved to be a fatal mistake, because the journey is about an hour and half: the 2 of us squeezed in the back with our bags, and a long time to kill with a nice conversation. So the questions flocked down and for the first time since I am in India I feel obliged to make up an excuse for not being married. What to say? Something along the lines I might get married next year?(hahahaha!!). At least that seemed to pacify him for a while...

The airport in Bangalore is brand new. Nothing like the dirty smelly and busy building I remembered from 3 years ago: all manicured and shiny with marble and green gardens, the rickshaw was not allowed to get in so my travel companion got furious as he paid (he did not want my money - it was worth keeping him company after all!). We climbed on a bus and we managed to get there on time for him to get on his flight. The amount of business men traveling was impressive, all young and seriously engaged in important conversations over their mobiles, casual and smartly dressed with impeccable shaves and hair cuts.
The flight to Delhi went on with no problems and I spent only the night in the big city. The following morning I was already at the New Delhi train station, on my 7 hours train to Haridwar.

Haridwar is a Holy Hindu place, set to pilgrimages to the Mother Ganga. There is a Puja (fire ceremony) at sunset near the Shiva temple by the river, the officer gently asked for my "donation" of 100 rps... "not compulsory, of course!" and I witness the commotion of hundreds of people offering prayers and prostrations and baskets of flowers to the Ganga, the same colorful amount of humanity that makes me smile and warms my heart. Several of them getting rather wet, and of course, children begging and cripples too...

Two nights in a nice ashram, stuffing myself with greasy North Indian food, and here I am in Rishikesh. I have chosen the quiet(ish) spot of Laksmanjula, east bank.
The ashram I am staying in is not a real ashram, there is no curfew and there are nice rooftops where one can contemplate the Ganga and practice yoga. Oh yes, the yoga! There is a class every step you take, all advertise as being "traditional" and even promoting a kundalini awakening...but how do you know who is good and who is not (so good)?
Well, we'll see what the Universe has in store for me. I am up for trying and also for giving myself to the sunny banks and waters of the sacred river. Pity there is a modest dress code here too... suntan, adios!

everything passes by...

...and it is time to leave this place of sacred mountains, shady ashrams with lots of good meditations, and sacred temples shining with lights and colours on the day of Shivarathri.

The lights and the coulours started in the afternoon, well before sunset, with fire offerings in front of the big main Shiva temple in town. There were little butter lamps that got lit up decorating the courtyard ground, a real wonder that you could see from the top of the wall that runs around the perimeter of the temple... pity that camera's battery decided to die just before sunset! Or maybe it is actually a blessing.

The amount of people is just overloading. Sounds and people, the courtyard where the great elephant gives her blessing was bursting with humanity, the temple at the side of the elephant where the people rings bells to let the deity know that you are approaching was ringing incessantly with bells and with children laughter.
I rang my bell, and I went for the walk around the sacred water pool, admiring the little lamps that devotees had placed all around, giving the place a magic sheer. I also lit my lights, two little bundle of some perfumed herbs placed in a tiny terracotta dish and burning with devotion, spreading an acre smell of gee and smoke.

It is good to be here at the end of the season, the weather has gone a little fresher after the rain of few days ago, nice breeze when you sit on the rooftops.
I enjoy watching how the ever present westerners come and go, all of us grateful to be reminded of the game that we are part of. Constantly absorbed in the ever chatting mind, totally controlled by it and insanely considering our natural state... But how natural is it if it deprives us of seeing that TRUE beauty lies within? without having to get all philosophical, like some of us do... it would be so easy just to sit and go back to that magical stillness that is always there, the one that is behind the mind.
There are good teachers here, some of them come and go as well: Mooji with his strong following of few hundreds people has gone last week, and also Cesar... But my favorite is Verner: he lives here and he doesn't have a website, a Swiss with strong body, gentle words and sweet smile. He is here to remind of the message shared with Clive and friends in Bobdla Park. A true Yogi with balanced words, he talks about the heart and the awareness, he knows that there is something deeper than the dry absence of the mind. He is a child of Amma.

Asana and pranayama are still going quite strong, apart from some days where the body had to get rid of some bacteria or other (yes... it finally happened!!!), this time the energy of the Mountain didn't stop my physical practice.
Tomorrow I am leaving to Delhi and I will be in Rishikesh for the last chapter of this journey that it is always fascinating.
Om Namah Shivaia.

In partenza da Tiruvannamalai

Ho la bicicletta bucata, un'altra volta, un altro segno che ormai me ne sto per andare da questo posto sacro che coinvolge con i suoi rituali e le sue verita'.
Sono qua da quasi 3 settimane, il tempo si percepisce in maniera diversa quando sei vicino a questo tipo di energia. Ieri era la festa di Shiva, il dio che si e' manifestato nella montagna Arunachala, e il tempio in citta' era un tripudio di luci e di colori che si sono accesi con il tramonto.

Il tempio e' formato da varie piramidi e si estende su una superficie grandissima, cosi' che ci si mette un po' per camminare e per raggiungere la parte principale, con il suo commovente elefante che da la benedizione quando gli dai una monetina... Ieri poi con tutta la confusione la povera bestia ha dovuto fare la sua parte per tutta la notte, una bellissima femmina con un'infinita pazienza per noi poveri umani...
Ci sono statue del toro sacro Nandi che tradizionalmente e' il mezzo di trasporto di Shiva, e tutte le statue vengono lavate con latte e yogurt, mentre il tripudio di canti e di invocazioni fa venire la pelle d'oca. Le famiglie in festa, bambini scorrazzanti, un palco dove le fanciulle della scuola di danza locale si sono esibite nel loro saggio di fine d'anno (hahahaha) e che poi ha accolto una danzatrice professionale che, con le sue mossettine e le sue dita agili, ha raccontato storie di divinita' dai testi sacri. Tutto condito con musica altissima, costumi con tripudi d'oro e di colori accecanti, e fagottini di cibo serviti in carta da giornale, prezzo 5 rupie (circa 10 centesimi?), riso piccantissimo e palle di una pasta dolcissima di color arancio fluo.

Ho, come sempre, avuto belle meditazioni durante il mio soggiorno vicino all'ashram di Ramana Maharshi. Ho approfondito la mia ricerca su come la mente ci puo' raccontare un sacco di storie e come ci identifichiamo in quello che crediamo la nostra mente rappresenti. Ho conosciuto belle persone, principalmente uomini, fin dai tempi di Goa mi sono imbattuta in persone incredibili. E con alcune sono sicura che l'amicizia si approfondira'.

Shiva's tridents

I notice a large number of tridents in different locations around the mountain Arunachala.
As Full Moon approached, hundreds of pilgrims coming from all over South India filled the road around the mountain and offered sweet green limes to the tridents, pushing them onto the spears so that they now look like big children's toys, with a sweet smell around them, the fire still burning from the ritual of the walk around the hill.

It is called Pradakshina, a ritual that is repeated every full moon, where salvation from sins is attained as you walk around the base of the sacred mountain that is a manifestation of Shiva Himself. Powerful stuff.
This year I chose to watch as the crowd passed in front of me, fresh faces of young women wearing their best sarees, young men freshly shaved and wearing perfectly ironed shirts.

Getting here from Agonda, Goa, has been smooth and sweet: I covered the journey of crossing the Sub continent in 24 hours. Not too bad, if you consider that, after the 14 hours on the train (night train - I slept like a baby!!) the rickshaw driver i got in Bangalore had no idea where the bus to Tiruvannamalai was going depart from.
The Great Mother was with me, as we managed to get to the bus station 5 minutes before the bus departed. Once again I reminded myself of the reason why I avoid by all means to be in India cities: the noise, pollution and chaos are just overwhelming.

And here I am, Tiruvannamalai, and Arunachala that didn't really smile at me when I arrived: it took me a while to soothe into her embrace, where the energy is strong and the practice of going beyond the "me and my life" can really be practiced.
I relax into what is, I manage to get a glimpse of quietness before the movie starts again.

24 ore sulla strada

Ho lasciato l'Oceano con la sua energia rassicurante, le onde rigeneranti ed il sole cocente e, dopo 24 ore di viaggio, sono arrivata a Tiruvannamalai, dove l'energia dell'Ashram di Ramana e'quasi troppo intensa per me.
Dopo il ritiro di Yoga nel quale le pratiche di Asana e Pranayama hanno portato alla superficie una quantita' di cose irrisolte, e che hanno causato emozioni intense, essere qui e' come sentire il peso di un'energia diversa.
Sono salita sul treno a Margao alle 21 di qualche giorno fa (mi sa che era proprio il giorno di San Valentino...) e sono arrivata all'Ashram di Ramana Maharshi il giorno dopo alle 19. Il viaggio di 14 ore sul treno notturno e' stato come al solito un'esperienza unica e piacevole, dormire come un sasso cullata dal ritmo del treno viaggiante, con l'unico disturbo il russare di piu' o meno 5 o 6 persone allo stesso tempo... In un compartimento composto da donne e uomini della stessa famiglia, non mi e' nemmeno venuto in mente di incatenare lo zaino come viene consigliato sulle guide turistiche. Venditori di Chai (the) e caffe', e deliziosi snacks hanno rallegrato il mattino.
L'arrivo a Bangalore e' stato diretto dalla Dea Lakshmi, divinita' della buona fortuna: dopo aver bevuto acqua di cocco fuori dalla stazione, il tassista di rickso' che ho scelto ha sbagliato strada non so piu' quante volte (bellissimo respirare a pieni polmoni il traffico della grande citta'... mi ha fatto ricordare il motivo per cui evito ad ogni costo le citta' indiane, superaffollate e maleodoranti), per cui arrivare alla stazione degli autobus per andare a Tiruvannamalai si e' rivelata un'impresa. Ma come dicevo, Lakshmi mi e' rimasta vicina perche', proprio quando avevo perso ogni speranza, ecco che sono arrivata alla stazione che l'autobus stava per partire! 7 ore su un autobus locale sono un'altra esperienza che non amo ripetere, ma alle 7 di sera, giusto quando ormai era buio, sono approdata alla base di Arunachala, la montagna sacra personificazione di Shiva.

Ho difficolta' a lasciare andare il passato e a non essere governata dalla mente, che spinge ancora una volta a incasellare, giudicare, ribellandosi alla realta' del momento che mi vuole testimone del torrido e afoso clima in questo posto affollato di stranieri che cercano la rivelazione spirituale.

Ieri notte, con la luna piena, i pellegrini hanno rinnovato il rituale della camminata intorno alla montagna Arunachala, un percorso di 14 Km che quest'anno non ho ripetuto, ma ho voluto sedere ad osservare come le donne, con i loro migliori sari e fiori nei capelli, e gli uomini, rasati a perfezione e con le loro camice stirate di fresco, in gruppi di famiglie si fermano ad ogni piccolo tempio sulla via, onorando il fuoco dei bracieri e prostrandosi alle divinita', offrendo limoni dolci e verdi al tridente di Shiva, camminando intorno ai pinnacoli, in un tripudio di devozione che non puo' lasciare indifferenti.

Mi sono ritrovata ancora una volta a cercare contatto con altre persone, con Tass (amico australiano di 3 anni fa) abbiamo condiviso una intensa conversazione sui nostri cammini spirituali. Lui ha raggiunto un livello molto profondo, e si e' stupito di trovarsi a parlarne con me, ancora una volta contenta di raccogliere confidenze.

Playing in Ma's Garden...

I never thought I would agree so much with this: one can dance in the Garden of Delights that is the present moment! One can and must see that it is our true nature and we are going against it if we ignore and forget about it.

The Yoga retreat saw me playing a lot, playing with my edges, as usual wondering if I am doing the right things. Wondering if the answer to it all is a well accomplished asanas. Playing with mine and other egos. Practicing discipline getting up at 5am for meditation and pranayama, keeping the pace with extremely advanced yogis performing a series of advanced asanas. All this with talks on the TRUTH and more pranayama and silence.
The contact with Nature was mind blowing, a wonderful little nature park with fresh clear spring water, unique in India, birds and a water hole (little lake of rainwater) to swim in with a real crocodile. The group and the group dynamics, all blessed by the presence of our guide, all sparking each other. THE SPARK within each one of us.

Gokarna and its beaches has been a haven of rest and indulgence. It has been a soft landing ground to gradually practice our techniques, keeping alive the spark and merge with this life.
Next move: tomorrow going to Goa airport to see a friend off and taking my time to reach Arunachala, before heading to Rishikesh. It is almost time to look at flights again... Trying not to get into the movie of "me and my life", but the good food and the good company of Om Beach will be always in my heart, together with the intense moments of the yoga retreat.

...there is nothing better than....

I just LOVE idli for breakfast, and masala dosa at any time of the day! they are both typical south Indian dishes and they are so nutritious and delicious that I even went to Mapsa with the excuse to get the money from the cash point just to go to the local restaurant to eat them properly.

Time in Arambol is going fast, totally enjoying the drumming and free street performers showing their arts at sunset on the beach... the best way to escape the voracious and BIG mosquitoes that get active in the hour before and after sunset.
I hang out at the "magic park" where this morning I attended a rather militaristic yoga class in the Iyengar style by this German guy who really mean it!! Other places are crowded with people smoking dope, including my lovely guest house, and I just don't fit in... but hey, this is India and there is space for everybody.
Luckily tomorrow I am removing myself from the seaside, with the distractions around me, and I will immerse myself in deep yoga, pranayama and meditation.... until the 4th of Feb.

"In India you are never alone.." or " In India non si e' mai soli..."

Eaten alive by mosquitos in Arambol: this is what my 3rd evening in the Spiritual continent has reserved for me. The Goan riviera is still in full season, very different from my previous stay in 2008 where I landed on the chilled out beaches in March - almost everybody was gone. This time, in January, the very extensive spaces by the sea are quite full of people chilling out, and there is a restaurant/shack on the beach every 10 meters or so, even in the area between Mandrem and Arambol.
Also yoga has mushroomed here like mad. There are yoga classes practically in every resort and guest house. Where do they all come from? And are they any good? (I have been to one so far, and the teacher was a lovely young Italian fellow, very sweet...).
No great adventures so far, just 2 nights in a typical Goan resort with the typical shacks close to the beach (not by the water, too busy for me...). I got friendly with Rachel and we kept each other company as we both landed in the sunny land from London.
The flight saw us upgraded from simple "economy" flyers to "business", with an amazing service, champagne like it was raining, several new films to choose from and even a proper bed to sleep in, complete with pijamas! I so wish I took those pijamas, they would be so handy in the chilled Goan nigths! For the first time in my life I felt the flight was too short...

Il detto che in India non si e' mai soli risuona nelle mie orecchie: il mio insegnante di yoga di Firenze, il grande Roberto, me lo disse in occasione del mio precedente viaggio in Novembre 2007. Ovvio che, nel mio secondo viaggio, non manco di fare confronti...E' un po' come aver visto un fantastico film, o letto un bellissimo libro: ogni volta che si rivede o si rilegge si sa gia' come andra' a finire. E questo toglie un po' di piacere. Devo pero' ammettere che per ora non mi sono avventurata troppo nella vera India. Goa e' un posto facile, si prende il sole e le spiagge ti accolgono accoglienti con le loro baracche e i loro ristoranti di canne. Tanta gente non me la ricordavo proprio, quando ero qua a Marzo 2008 la stagione era alla fine, mentre adesso siamo in piena rumba! Sono tornata nella mia pensioncella dove per raggiungerla devi fare 100 metri fra le frasche e la notte non c'e' una luce nemmeno a pagarla, ti devi mettere la lampada in testa per vedere dove metti i piedi e per non romperti una gamba... ma il mare e' a 30 metri e le palme, quelle sopravvisute all'incendio per tenere a bada le sterpaglie, sovrastano il paesaggio...
Il volo e' stato un successo: ci hanno spostato in prima classe, dovuto a un overbooking, e fra lo champagne, il cibo che potevi scegliere con tanto di menu, il servizio impeccabile, i film che nemmeno al cinema e la poltrona che si trasforma in letto, devo dire che questa volta il jet lag non si e' fatto sentire per nulla! Ho conosciuto Rachel, ragazza della Cornovaglia, e siamo insieme andate a stare in uno di questi villaggi di baracche a Mandrem. Niente di eccezionale, veramente, e appena ho ritrovato la mia pensioncella mi ci sono rifiondata... non c'e' il bagno in camera e i servizi sono proprio "all'indiana", ma per 4 Euro a notte ho pensato che ce la posso fare!!

Yoga: Arm balancing pose

I have forgotten to remind how important it is to press on to the whole hand, especially on the base of the index fingers... I could also do with talking less I think! I don't have a "real" class in front of me to relate with, so sometimes it can be difficult to give specific instructions.

Anyway, Happy Christmas and Happy New Year everybody!!
I'll be flying to Bologna tomorrow (in a bus to Dublin at 9am) and hopefully I'll be at home at 10 pm... I won't be on time to say goodbye to nonna, but she knows I mean well in everything I do. Don't we all?

Winter's Joys.

(these up here are my neighbors, picture taken today as I went for a walk)

I have just learned from FaceBook that not only Cork has been snowed in... Beautiful Tuscany is under a blanket of snow as well!
It was nice to come home from work yesterday, after stopping at the local supermarket for salad and fruit (typical winter warming food!) and find that it had actually been a good idea not to go to Unity Yoga for my practice... Infact, as I was rolling on the floor in my living room, a strange glow seemed to be coming from outside. When I emerged from the yoga and opened the curtains at 8 pm... voilá, everything was just nice and white. Even my car was not recognizable (which was probably a good thing), so if I was gone somewhere between 6 and 8 it would have been somehow challenging to come back home...

Dublin was lovely once again, thank God last weekend the weather allowed me to travel! There were black mountains of ice everywhere in the city, but nothing scary. The temperature was actually quite nice. I had the time to go to a "Chakra balancing" Jivamukthy yoga class at the Yoga Dublin Studios on Sunday with Sybille (and I loved it! the chanting was just superb, and all my chakras felt nicely tuned up :)), before I went to the "Thousand ways of Light" event with Chloe Goodchild .
It wasn't a simple chanting event, oh no no! There were poems, a beautiful choir and several individual "voices", all to create a magic evening.

India is starting to become more and more a reality... My new backpack is big enough to let me bring the essentials (basically it is almost full now with only my sleeping bag!), and the passport is - hopefully - in the post returning to me, just on time to go to Italy on the 27th. Christmas this year will be quiet so I will be able to donate my time to the needy, and tomorrow's class will be vibrant and uplifting. It will go ahead regardless of the weather.

bbrrrrrr....!!!!

Le temperature sono da neve, ed in effetti ne é caduta un po' sia a Cork che a Dublino, mi dicono gli amici di facebook... Ma io non mi rassegno e vado al parco regionale a Ballincollig per la mia passeggiata giornaliera, visto che c'é un sole fantastico e sembra un peccato rimanere a casa.

Jane mi ha invitata (o meglio...mi sono offerta di essere la sua accompagnatrice visto che aveva due biglietti gratis!) all'Opera House ieri sera a vedere
"The Swan Lake" ossia "Il Lago dei Cigni" che é stato bello, non avevo mai visto tutto un balletto classico dall'inizio alla fine. Le Ballet Du Trockadero avevano presentato alcuni brani da morire dal ridere (quando li ho visti a Londra), ma non conoscevo la storia. Ovviamente la prima ballerina era russa e aveva una figura che non ti dico... alta alta che sulle punte non finiva piú, con tutto quel gentile movimento di braccia, che delicatezza!
Poi, siccome a noi gente d'Irlanda per motivi economici e politici le brutte notizie in questo momento non ci piacciono, il finale é stato cambiato con un bel "e vissero per sempre felici e contenti!" Quindi il cigno non é morto affatto, anzi mi sa che si é pure sposato con il suo principe.

Da quando sono apparsa su Yogatic! non faccio altro che guardare i video di yoga che ci sono online. Ce ne sono un sacco, alcuni abbastanza deprimenti, ma altri veramente fatti bene. Tanti sono molto americani, parecchio tipo Jane Fonda... alcuni insegnanti sono bellocci, altri un po' meno...
Comunque da quello che si dice e si pratica, l'importante non dovrebbe essere l'esteriore, giusto? Ed io che sto usando il DVD di Shiva Rea per praticare, e mi piace pure!! L'ho sempre snobbata perché era troppo surfista ammmericana, ma mi sento veramente bene dopo che ho praticato con lei. Bisogna sempre arrendersi alle evidenze.
Quello che non mi é venuta bene stamani é la meditazione. Sto studiando la posizione seduta ideale per riuscire a non muovermi per un'ora, ma stamattina mi ritrovavo con le spalle curve! E poi distratta! Ci vuole pratica, ci vuole.

Floor SunSalutation with Francesca

This is my debut on Yogatic... I certainly look big! (It is only the camera effect, everybody looks bigger on video :0))

Filming in Cork!

Winter is in full swing in Cork. I find amazing at how quickly the leaves can leave (!) the trees... almost as fast as they come up in spring, I'd say.

I managed to spend a fortune at the Cork Film Festival (and throughly enjoying every minute of it...even the frustration of being overcharged by a volunteer over the phone who could not speak my language!), at the same time missing one of the films I really would have liked to see, just because I didn't know it was being shown! Well, the truth is I knew the title in Italian, but how the hell would I know that "Mine Vaganti" is translated as "Loose cannons" in English!?
Anyway, I certainly watched others that I liked, like ...er... oh yes, the documentary "Dreaming the Quiet Man" was very good. I learned so much about John Ford and his tribute to Ireland filmed in 1951 or sometimes around that date. It was very good and very funny.
But, about films, what about my debut on Yogatic? I still cannot overcome a slight embarassment everytime I look at the yoga video. I certainly learned a lot about my teaching, and especially about my talking!! I am seriously grateful for the fun opportunity that Esther gave me, she is an excellent yogini and so full of ideas and ready to share them with others! Well done to her, and her husband for the filming. Om Shri Saraswataye Namaha!

Amma is back...

Consiglio caldamente a tutti quanti di passare un pomeriggio (o anche un intero fine settimana, perché no?) in presenza di Amma, senza avere paura di sentirsi parte di una setta, perché non c'é nessuna setta o religione di cui lei parli o faccia parte! É una donna di umili origini, semplicemente ambasciatrice di pace e operatrice di caritá, che sa arrivare al cuore di tante persone.
Io trovo difficile raccontare la mia esperienza ogni volta che la incontro. Ho visto piú di una persona alzarsi con le lagrime sul viso dopo averla abbracciata, ma io non ho avuto nessuna voglia di piangere! perché avrei voluto farlo? Mi ha regalato uno dei suoi sorrisi piú innocenti, sbarazzini e radiosi. Dopo il mio abbraccio, come sempre in silenzio, mi sono seduta nelle sue vicinanze, ho aspettato che finisse la sua catena interminabile di abbracci, e dopo 6 ore o piú che ha passato a distribuire la sua gioia, quasi galleggiando e circondata dalle sue protettive assistenti, si é ritirata per un breve riposo prima di ricominciare a distribuire il suo darshan alle persone che erano giá in fila per incontrarla, due ore dopo!
La sua ultima serata e nottata a Dublino la vedrá protagonista di canti, testimone di balli e celebrazioni . Vestita in un abbagliante sari verde e incoronata come una regina, sará celebrata per tutta la notte da una veglia interminabile di amici di Amma...

London, Yoga and I

I haven't written anything since July, gosh, this doesn't seem to be right... What about the nice Irish Summer that we had this year? Why didn't I comment further on the long warm evenings that have brought the smile back to so many Irish faces?
Why didn't I articulate my writings into an analysis of the reasons why my yoga classes seemed to be almost empty for the months of July and August?
I don't have the answers to these yet, but if all is down to the long sunny evenings that have brought people outside to enjoy their long walks, well, it was all worth it.
By the time September arrived, people didn't really come back to my 8pm classes, but not to worry, I had a wonderful trip to London to plan instead.


Studying with Sarah Powers has been challenging since the beginning, when practicing with her well constructed Insight Yoga DVD I went through different phases...the first of "this is really hard", followed by being annoyed by the slow flow of the Vinyasa section, then being put off by the feeling of fragility in my lower back after her long held poses Yin style.
Without realizing it, I ended up digging into my own practice once again, finding a resistance towards the meditative side of it, and being really aware of this resistance. I decided that I HAD to study with her and as soon as I saw her workshop coming up at Triyoga in London I booked myself in.



Working with resistances and obstacles, Sarah made us inquiry into what comes up during the practice, adding a very competent analysis of our reactions to certain experiences. Without stopping on the mat, the circle of "action and reaction" can really be used to open a door to mindfulness in our everyday experience.
Her language is so articulate and rich and as I was listening to her I really appreciated her being such a master with words. Her poses and figure are so elegant that you cannot avoid but contemplate her beautiful body and steady presence. Gracefully gesturing and speaking in a soft voice amplified by the speakers in the big room where at least 60 people were diligently following her clear instructions, we moved from a meditation practice to a strong physical standing sequence, to a challenging Yin practice. And some days we did all this - but in reverse!

The classes were very well paced, stimulating the energy meridians in the body, and they left me full of vital energy, open to accept the simplicity of the room I was staying in, the amount of people overwhelmingly crowding the streets of London, the distances between my chosen points of "action", the distracting energy of the Shoe Galleries at Selfridges skillfully placed on Oxford Street. I moved effortlessly into the Tube, changing lines as many times as required, walking many miles in my brand new Doc Martens (an investment I had postponed for too long! and a wise choice as I cannot imagine a more appropriate footwear for the trip).

I even went to see Les Ballets Trockadero de Montecarlo, a fun night where the classical approach to dance is coupled with the irony of an all men ballet that performs the most challenging repertoire dance pieces. Really enjoyable.
The National Gallery trip was once again a real treat. Everybody knows that I immensely enjoy being able to walk into a museum so full of valuable masterpieces, where the only charge is a voluntary donation of 2£... I once more admired the Renaissance artists that so well speak the language of devotion and they are ambassadors of our Italian heritage... and all the others more recent that I did not remember but, together with Caravaggio, once more talked to me about surrendering to one's passion...

Mari e Monti

27 Giugno 2010, Galtees Mountains:
Ci sono volute le ore di cammino, 5 o 6, ma il panorama delle languide colline irlandesi tutte riscaldate da questo sole onnipotente é stato veramente impagabile. Io come spettatrice mi sono stupita di tutto questo e con le mie ginocchia un po' malmesse sono salita come una vera capretta di montagna, ma la discesa...é stata tutta un altro discorso! Da circa 800 metri ci ho messo non voglio dire il doppio, ma una marea di tempo in piú rispetto ai miei compagni di scalata. Che vedevo sparire, piccini piccini, a fondo valle. Tutta gente con come minimo 10 anni in piú di me sulle spalle. Ovvio.



Pleasantly surprised with my climbing skills, after more than a year without being higher than sea level: with my full breath I conquered the highest of the Galtee's top, like a proud little goat. But, alas, the descend proved to be too much for my poor yogic knees, and I watched as my 3 climbing partners happily trot past me in a joyous reach for the valley, whilst I struggled with my feet and ankles that seemed to have suddenly turned into jelly... What to do? You are either born a mountaineer, or not. Or maybe you can cultivate your mountain skills?
I actually know someone who could give me a FULL lecture on the subject.
Well, not today. No more mountaineering lectures, thank you.



On the other end: What to say when you have been in 36 degrees, with a 90% humidity, and suddenly you find yourself in barely 18 degrees (exactly half the temperature...)?
Such has been the shock to my system that I thank God I didn't have to go to work on Monday, yesterday, but I spent the day looking at the pictures taken only 2 days earlier, with my friends on the warm breeze of the Tirrenium Sea... thinking: was it FOR REAL? was I dreaming? Is it possible that only a couple of hours distance people live in such a - wonderfully hot - climate?



Lo shock della temperatura come questa volta sfido chiunque a superarlo senza sentirsi sbattuto come da un continente all'altro...come da una stagione all'altra. O che invece che su un aereo, per sbaglio chissá, due giorni fa sono salita su una macchina del tempo? Dai 36 gradi abbondanti della Toscana torrida di Luglio, sono approdata ai 18 scarsi di una Cork piovigginosa. E semivuota. Ma quello mi piace, mi fa piacere non avere tanta gente intorno, gli edifici bassi, le casette a schiera e nessun palazzaccio come quelli delle periferie depresse delle grandi cittá. Dove i 36 gradi con umiditá 90% ti fanno veramente odiare l'estate. Anche se io non ho di che lamentarmi, Via Del Bigio é sempre piacevole, torrida, afosa o no... e poi con i cari amici che mi scarrozzano al mare, mi sento quant'altro fortunella, dico la veritá.

Weekend nella Capitale: Yoga e Chanting a Dublino

Questa foto l'ho fatta nel centro commerciale di Stephen Green a Dublino, un posto carino davvero, specialmente con il sole...
E questa estate Irlandese quest'anno ci fa anche un po' abbronzare, persino a Dublino dove ho passato il fine settimana fra il parco St Stephen's Green, studi yoga e chiese dove il grande Krishna Das ci ha condotto nel magico mondo dei canti Devozionali, chiamati anche Kirtan (in the north of India) o Bhajans (in the south).
E' una pratica potente, che ti riporta alla vera essenza di quello che veramente conta: il cuore, non la mente, che indica il cammino.
La mia pratica questa settimana l'ho aperta con un richiamo alla gratitudine e a tutte le cose che si danno per scontate ma che ci benedicono nel cammino quotidiano: le mucche che pascolano davanti alla porta della mia nuova casa, l'insalata che cresce sul patio, il silenzio della campagna, l'acqua del canale dove si puó andare a passeggiare, l'aloe vera che cresce nel soggiorno, la voglia di viaggiare che fortunatamente non mi ha abbandonato, gli incontri che si fanno nel cammino della vita, la voglia di imparare a stare di piú all'aria aperta, il sapere che da qualche parte "esiste", accettare lo stado d'animo in cui mi trovo ed il sapere con il cuore che non mi serve niente al mondo per essere piú felice di cosí.
Perché la felicitá é solo uno stato d'animo.

Pure Bhakti

...Man, what a weekend!
First the weather, indulging in sunny intervals for the whole day Friday and Saturday, mild afternoons of blue skies and green leaves.
Then the place: Dublin is absolutely buzzing and vibrating in this Summer full of things happening. I particularly liked the guy making giant soap balls on Friday in Grafton Street, for the delight of small and big people, and without asking for anything in return, just a big smile on his face.
And, on top of all this, the choice of accommodation:190€ really well spent, to be in the real centre of the capital, just a street to cross between me and Stephen's Green, the Green Heart of Dublin, with the Luas 10 steps away, St. Anne's Church just few minutes away, and yoga studios available to chose from.
But the best was the Kirtan and workshop with Krishna Das

Where in the world can you chant your heart out, moving into a space of deep stillness, feeling joy and passion and listen to your prayers and celebrating life and celebrating FAITH...the essence of Bhakti...
I have often meditated on the devotional aspect of the practice in yoga. What do we celebrate? Is the chanting of the name of the Divine something that separates myself from the Divine? Do I take myself too seriously when I do it? But no, this is PURE HEART, to feel, to be with, to embrace and to lose yourself in, with no fear.
"It ain't easy, but it's really simple!"
Sita Ram, Hare Rama Rama Ram, Sita Ram, Hare Rama Rama Ram...

The sign of the Season... Ecco la bella Stagione!

This is me today, like all the population of Cork city I have decided to spend the day by the sea. Inchidoney beach looked like Rimini on the 15th of August (well...almost!) with congestions on the road, traffic jams and cars illegally parked.
All the above didn't diminish the satisfaction of being by the Ocean, soaking up into those oh, so beneficial, UV rays. And then I read on the Sunday Times that since January this has been the warmest year in I don't know how many centuries... my arse! excuse the language... I have suffered this year like never before, with neck pains and frozen olive oil in the kitchen (well, that might be due to the unfriendly temperature in the house that I just left yesterday) not being able to get rid of chilblains on my fingers until well into March. But, hey, statistics! The fact that every person in Europe you talk to complaints about how bad the past winter has been doesn't count...against statistics!
It is not even dark yet (only 10pm), but I am now going to bed in the warmest room, cozy and compact and all beige, with the loveliest view over a calm field... nursing my burned shins!

Oggi come ogni tanto faccio mi sono presa una pausa da tutto e da tutti e me ne sono andata alla spiaggia bellissima di Inchidoney, Clonakilty, County Cork.
Non é che é stata una trovata tanto originale, devo dire, perché c'era tutta Cork e addirittura é stato uno stress trovare parcheggio e le code ed il traffico! Ma nemmeno all'ora di punta quando esco dall'ufficio c'é 'sto casino, mamma mia!
Comunque, i succhi di carota magari fanno anche bene, peró dopo 3 ore al sole battente i miei polpacci hanno detto "basta" e mi son dovuta incamminare alla macchina, non prima di aver fatto una bella passeggiata fra tutta la gente che letteralmente affollava la spiaggia (e dire che e grande assai!) e provare l'acqua. Che non era tanto gelida, devo dire, ma ovviamente il bagno manco a pensarci.
Dice che questo sará l'anno piú caldo in una marea di tempo, chissá, io ho giá sofferto il mio, di freddo, e per un po' cerco di starci alla larga.

10 YEARS OF PRACTICE!

Lanzarote, May bank holiday weekend, year 2000... it was the beginning of my devoted and FAITHFUL love for Yoga. Tomas Zorzos came over from Oviedo, Spain, and with him I started in this journey that has seen me through my life in a way that I would have never believed possible. I am so blessed, and even more by being able to share it with people around me.

I am celebrating this evening with a friend and her nieces and nephew, since she is baby sitting I am going to bring my 2 cakes and have lots of fun and games!!

In questo fine settimana, a Lanzarote nell'anno 2000 iniziava ufficialmente la mia pratica di Yoga.

10 anni non sono tanti, é appena l'inizio del mio viaggio... il bello dello Yoga é che non si arriva mai da nessuna parte e ci sono cosí tanti aspetti della stessa filosofia!

Al momento oscillo fra la mia pratica di asana (posizioni di yoga) alla pratica di Bhakti yoga (canti e riti devozionali) e pranayama (pratiche di respirazione). Sono come un elastico che si avvicina e si allontana alla meditazione/contemplazione. Tutto ció che accade, cose belle e cose brutte, le vivo con la consapevolezza che la mia pratica mi sostiene e mi ristora....

E stasera per festeggiare, sono invitata a casa della mia amica Jane che fa la baby sitter ai suoi nipoti (e a suo figlio) e porteró i miei due dolci, la TORTA DELLA NONNA e il famoso DOLCE AL CIOCCOLATO di Marcone...! yummi non vedo l'ora!!