Yoga ~ Anne Nowell

Sabbatical implies a time of rest and reflection; an opportunity to focus on projects or studies that are difficult to undertake during one’s regular work schedule. My sabbatical in India has come and gone in a flash! I am deeply grateful for this time allotted to study and immersion into Indian culture, whose ancient traditions continue to thrive within its modern lifestyle.

I have attempted in this blog journal to share with you a small part of my experience. As I am “technology” challenged, many stories have been left untold. In this final blog from India, these are photos that could easily have been made into individual posts. When next we meet in the States, I would hope to share many more of the “untold” stories. Till then, thanks for being a part of my journey!

May All Beings Be Happy (that includes us)!

For a larger view, click back and forth on the photos.

Time passes quickly and my time in India will soon be complete.  I have spent the past month working as a volunteer in the Adyar Library. The work has been rewarding but the hours have made it more difficult to get out to an Internet cafe for blogging. Thanks to you all who have followed the reports of my travels. I would hope to see many of you upon my return to the US!  In this post I have made some social observations.  Feel free to comment.

In America, a country that is 224 years young, there is little understanding of  a caste system. Most Americans acknowledge the idea of a population divided into the wealthy, the upper middle class, the lower middle class, and poverty level & homeless persons. In countries with a more extensive history, there are various ways of classifying that country’s population. Certainly many European countries that have evolved under a system involving a Royal Class have developed a population division system not unlike that of the Indian castes.

The word Dalit in India refers to the people formerly known as “untouchables”. Gandhi, much like Martin Luther King, was one Indian leader who was prominent in working to dispel the prejudices rooted in class distinction, especially against the Dalit. In the 24 year time span in which I have traveled in India I have observed the substantial growth of the Indian economy, and from that a movement of the “untouchable” population into what could be called lower middle class. Presently, most Dalit persons have changes of clothes and shoes. Many have bicycles and bus fare. Not all, however, can afford to send their children to school.

The Theosophical Society in Chennai is involved with various philanthropic endeavors from education to animal welfare. In the vicinity of the Adyar grounds there are two schools supported by the Society. The Olcott School is a first through ninth grade facility for the children of Dalit families. These children most likely would not get an education otherwise. As well, the TS Social Welfare Center provides a pre-school and daycare facility for people who cannot afford to provide care for their children. The Social Welfare Center also trains young women in the skills of tailoring and weaving, both viable occupations in India.

In this post I have photographed functions in which these two institutions participated. I do not propose to have an inkling of understanding of the Indian social system. From my limited perspective, it is heart warming to imagine the development of these children who might otherwise never receive schooling. I suspect with education and the accompanying opportunities, there will be increased growth of these Dalit children towards greater self respect and self sufficiency.

Your comments are invited and appreciated.    Namaste

Please click back and forth on the photos for a complete view.

One of the fascinating and fantastic capacities of the human being is in his/her ability to create art out of virtually anything. The evolutionary scheme is partially substantiated by the caveman’s first renderings as he shared his perceptions of life as art. In Southern India among tribal people, the art of the kolam has been developed as a way of blessing and protecting the entrance way to a building or complex. Daily, the kolam is re-designed in an amazing array of variety.

The kolam is usually a pattern of geometric design, often a Yantra, made by sprinkling rice flour between the fingers. A Yantra is a sacred symbol or geometric pattern thought to embody certain energies. When the Yantra is used as a meditative focal point it is reasonable to assume that the energy of the form can impact the consciousness, aka a visual Mantra. For more information on Yantra and Sacred Geometry, our old friend Google Search can probably provide much insight!

For this post I found myself at a Kolam Contest. It appears to be a strictly feminine form of creativity as there were no male participants. I was truly awed at the expertise of the artists and the variety of the patterns. This contest was only using rice powder. When colors are used the pattern is called a Ratnam and there is an additional element of beauty and complexity. I did not stay for the awards, however I suspect that the peacock placed highly just by way of ingenuity. Which is your favorite??  Can we use our creativity to make art out of life in whatever scenario we find ourselves?? I look forward to your ideas.

Best Wishes from India!!

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Time is speeding by, as it has a tendency to do after the age of 30! We find ourselves already in 2010. I send good wishes to you all that it will be an outstanding year in every way!

In India, each day is quite full for me with studies, practice, and the day to day of laundry and groceries. In this post I will attempt to explain just what I am doing with my time here.

The alarm is set for 4 or 4:30am. After a glass of ground flax seed and powdered wheatgrass in hibiscus juice(!) I have a morning meditation and prayers that I learned when living with the Tibetan Buddhists. At 5:30am I set out, in the dark, to pick fresh flowers for the Hindu puja that begins at 6am. Puja is a term used for various forms of devotional ritual. A Catholic mass could be seen as a form of puja with its incense and candles. The puja here is entitled the Bharata Samaja and is a 30-40 minute service of Vedic chants acknowledging the blessings of the elements of earth, water, fire, and light. I am learning to chant the Vedic mantras and I find the service to be powerfully uplifting.

Back in my room I have an asana practice which is my own sequence taken from Ashtanga techniques. At this point my intention in asana is maintenance more so than increased prowess. Then onto the dining room for breakfast by 7:30am, followed by group meditation at 8:00am in the meeting hall of the School of the Wisdom.

The School of the Wisdom is a yearly course offered by the Theosophical Society to its members. In this years School thus far we have had a meditation intensive with Ajahn Sumedho Bhikkhu of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, a two week course on the teachings of 20^th Century philosopher, J.Krishnamurti, and a two week course on the Theosophical writings of Annie Besant, revered in India for her “stateswomanship” in helping India gain its independence. We are currently finishing the School with a course entitled “Practical Theosophy”. The intention is to show how Theosophical philosophy can be incorporated into one’s daily life. Classes run from 8:30am till 11:00am. In some of the courses there have been afternoon sessions and papers to present in class. For additional information on the School go to www.ts-adyar.org

Another aspect of my study takes place at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, the school founded by TKV Desikachar to further his father’s teachings. I have been a student of Desikachar and Viniyoga since 1986 and completed a course in Yoga Therapy in 1991 with Viniyoga America.

Since my arrival in Chennai, I have participated in weekly classes at the KYM on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the source text of Ashtanga yoga philosophy, as well as classes on the Gayatri Mantra. Next week I will begin a class on Vedic Chanting. As seen in the photos, the KYM is housed in a beautiful new facility and is a hub of teaching activities for national and international courses. Their website is www.kym.org

Many of you know I have waited impatiently for my schedule to be free and allow for my time here in India. I am so grateful to all of you who have played a part in getting me here by taking my classes and supporting my studios. If you have any questions or suggestions, please send me a line or a post. I am very aware of the blessings involving my trip and will hope to share some of those blessings upon my return.

With Love

Namaste

For a better view click back and forth on the photos.

The heavy monsoon weather has passed and Chennai is now in its winter, reminiscent of tropical climates such as Hawaii or coastal Florida, with sunshine, balmy breezes, & sporadic showers. It is THE time to visit if you cannot tolerate heat.

In this post I am sharing the photos of my living quarters and locale. For many of you it may seem rather primitive, yet I feel I am living in a palace; surrounded by Nature, my needs comfortably met. How much of life is spent trying to provide for a comfort level established by one’s upbringing or society in which there are too many THINGS?? Things meant to bring us happiness and eventually ending up in the garage or storage locker! I have lived like a monk for years and do realize it is not possible or desirable for everyone, still, this Christmas we can consider our relationship to the ecology of owning things ?

I do wish you all a wonderful holiday! The meaning of the season whether you are Christian, Jewish, or other, refers to the increased capacity for light. Light in the heart, light in the home, light in the world!! Holiday Blessings and Love!!

Since many of these photos require some explanation, check out the captions below. As always click back and forth for the full view.

Photo Captions:

1. Doorway to Heaven: This is the entrance passage to the second floor of a building know as the New Quadrangle, where my room is located.

2. Bedroom: What more is needed than a bed, a desk, a yoga mat, and an altar ?!

3. Common washing area for teeth, dishes, or laundry. Yes, I am hand washing my clothes in a bucket! There is laundry service however for the less frugal.

4. View from the patio with clothesline: Being among the trees means sharing with chipmunks, many types of birds, and an occasional monkey.

5. Shower Room: cold water only. In these temperatures hot is really not needed, however desirable.

6. Squat toilet: I have told students for years about squatting and hip flexibility. Toilet paper is a different discussion!

7. The beautiful dining room of the Indian Quarters known as Bhojanasala. Krishna as a baby is known as Bala Krishna.

8. Southern Indian lunch: (counterclock wise from the cup) rasa, a thin, spicy vegetable broth; sautéed mung beans; turmeric rice; folded chapatti bread; papadum, a lentil flour cracker; and chayote squash curry. Soooo good!

9. Raja the head cook and a satisfied customer!

10. Banyan tree opposite my building: A banyan tree sends out roots from its branches eventually creating a small forest from a single tree. Here the slender trees are roots of the big tree.

11. The shore along the Adyar property: A lone coconut in the foreground.

12.  Sunset over Adyar: The Theosophical Society property begins at the tree line.

The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 as an organization to promote the understanding of the unity of all Life, or World Brotherhood. Considering that this was the Victorian era, the founders of the Society were certainly ahead of the times. Theosophy has played a major role in bringing about increased awareness, worldwide, of metaphysical concepts, and the understanding that all religions are based on the same Truth. The various religious Teachers may have been different, but all of these leaders were essentially talking about the same principles.

Adyar has been the International Center of the Theosophical Society since 1882. Most of the buildings included in this post are over 120 years old. The property is situated on the Bay of Bengal (aka the ocean) and is a wondrous natural park in the midst of the city of Chennai, the 4^th largest city in India. The Adyar Library and Research Center houses many very old manuscripts and is visited by scholars from all over the world in their research efforts. In the spirit of religious unity, there are throughout the grounds, temples honoring many of the major world religions.

Each year from November through January, the Society hosts a study course called The School of Wisdom. I am participating in the 2009 course, and am thrilled to have the opportunity to spend several months studying philosophy among world class scholars and spiritual teachers. The recent classes have focused on the Jnana Yoga wisdom of J. Krishnamurti.

The monsoons have taken a break, which means that now it is very hot. Imagine Miami in the summer without air conditioning! As I said earlier, heaven and hell can be the same place!  For instance, a huge Thanksgiving feast may indeed seem like heaven going down but the resulting lethargy could be more similar to…… !  I hope you all have a happy and conscious Thanksgiving!! Love from steamy Chennai.

As always, click back and forth for a better view of the photos.

It’s been an interesting week here in Chennai with the beginning of the monsoon season. Torrential rain has made it difficult on almost ever level. Since my mode of transportation is a bicycle, flood rains make it hard to get about for shopping (food and clothing, I am still working on an Indian wardrobe) or Internet (communication with you all) or you name it. I showed up for a class at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram
( more on that in another post) soaked through to the skin, literally!!

Thusly, life has been a bit like living in a terrarium, with everything damp and soggy. Chennai is tropical, and the plant life is amazing; palms, ferns, and flowering trees to boggle the mind. With the onset of rain, the mosquito population has increased exponentially. Now my life involves a combination of skin repellant and citronella candles and benzocaine. A first for me is waking up with bites on my lips!! a bit like collagen injections!!

All this then is the backdrop for a Vipassana meditation retreat with a visiting teacher, Ajahn Sumedho Bhikkhu, of the Thai Theravaden Buddhist tradition. Imagine torrential rain, mosquitoes, and 6 hours of meditation a day! Sumedho is an amazing teacher and I am so very blessed to have this opportunity to practice with him. However it is a bit comical. When the Buddhist’s say heaven and hell are the same thing, they mean it!

It’s a bit hard to take photos in the rain. These were taken during the daily lull in rain and will give you some perspective. Well, if I was looking to be comfortable ……. !  I hope that the love and prayers from the fire in my heart will arrive dry to you all there Stateside.

Namaste

As many of you know, it has taken me a number of years to have the freedom of schedule to return to India. At long last I have arrived in Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, on the southeast lower corner of India.

Since many of you have not traveled to India, in this first post I will share photos of the people who are providing services to make life possible here. Indian business is very specialized. One shop will sell only batteries, another will sell only light bulbs; one vendor has only fruits, another only vegetables. This, then, provides more jobs for more people, but makes shopping rather time consuming. However in India, time (and the necessary patience to get things accomplished) is understood as infinite. There is no hurry!!

Enjoy the photos!! Please click back and forth for a larger view. Remember I would love to hear from any and all of you with your comments.