Can you teach wisdom?
Can you teach passion?
The only way to teach these really big concepts is to embody them, much like I am learning about gratitude these above are actions, not ideas.
My fire passed on to you!
A workshop on the traditional Ashtanga Yoga Method
http://www.yogasquared.com/elementallove.html
The first Teacher Training Information Session:
March 28th 7:30pm
htt://www.wakeupyoga.com
Friday, February 29, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
A Mind of Winter
One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.
Wallace Stevens
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Elemental LOVE
March 14-16th 2008
Friday night 6-8pm
Saturday 1-5pm
Sunday 12-4pm
Tuition $108.00
Early Registration Price $90.00 (before March 7th)
Elemental Love
Insight into the Traditional Ashtanga Yoga Method
To register contact: Yoga Squared
1923 Chestnut street 3R, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103
phone: 215 496 9226
This workshop has been designed to bring a clear understanding along with awakened awareness towards the Ashtanga Yoga methodology as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. Through the guidance of my teacher, David Keil, who has been authorized by Guru ji, and my two pilgrimages to Mysore (2006, 2007) I will lay proper and strong foundation on which the practitioner can confidently build a self-practice (Mysore Style) to continue their studies. Over the course of this weekend will we explore in depth the foundations of the practice. There will be plenty of practice! We will dissect and study the external postures, and begin to develop awareness of the more subtle aspects, the breath (prana), bandha (energy), and dristi (focus.) Some details that will be covered include the opening and closing mantra’s, some history on the origin of the practice, proper vinyasa counting up to and including Navasana, along with debunking some commonly held mythology. As always I’ll be sharing loads of stories, and my own personal tips and tricks.
This workshop is suitable for all levels. It may be just the beginning of your exploration of this system, or a space for the more experienced to clear up any confusion, and fall in love with the divine details. Jill will be teaching Mysore Style at Yoga Squared starting mid March on Wednesday and Friday mornings. If you would like to begin studying with her it is highly recommended that you attend this weekend!
Jill Manning has devoted herself to the study, practice and teaching of yoga since 2000. She received her initial certification from Integral Yoga Institute in New York City, but has gone on to study with many of the world’s most revered living yoga masters, including Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, with whom she has spent eight weeks at his yoga shala during her 2006 and 2007 trips to Mysore, India. Jill’s other notable teachers and mentors include David Keil, Joan White and Rodney Yee.
A graduate of New York University, Jill has studied the intellectual aspects of yoga as well as the physical and spiritual ones. Her scholarly understanding of the Bhagavad-Gita and the Yoga Sutra’s, along with other Shastras, brings an important dimension to her own practice as well as her teaching style. During her weeks traveling throughout India, Jill immersed herself in the country’s culture (and the Great Ganga). She has studied Sanskrit with Manorama and with Sri Lakshmish Bhat of Mysore, India, to further round her understanding of the yoga tradition and to place an asana practice in a larger context for herself and her students.
What students have said!!!!
“Hey Jill,
Your workshop was a real gift. You have a great grasp of the information and
a real gift at explaining complex theories in a very clear, understandable
way. I enjoyed the way that you broke the practice down both from the
theoretical standpoint, spiritual elements and the physical dimension. But
most importantly for me was the notion that you (I) have to do something
every day in terms of evolving your yoga practice. Even if it's not a full
Ashtanga practice or a full hour, do something. That resonated with me and
inspired me.”
Sara Lomax Reese
“Hey Jill!
I wanted to thank you for another wonderful experience! It was such a great weekend. I do have to say that I was extremely sore this morning when I got up, but I still went and practiced and it felt great. It was not a very smooth practice, but I made it through. It is a beautiful and intense practice and I feel very privileged to have learned the basics from you. You have such a respect for the practice and those that have taught you, and it really shines through in your teaching. Thank you!”
Kadie Cassidy DeVito
Friday night 6-8pm
Saturday 1-5pm
Sunday 12-4pm
Tuition $108.00
Early Registration Price $90.00 (before March 7th)
Elemental Love
Insight into the Traditional Ashtanga Yoga Method
To register contact: Yoga Squared
1923 Chestnut street 3R, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103
phone: 215 496 9226
This workshop has been designed to bring a clear understanding along with awakened awareness towards the Ashtanga Yoga methodology as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. Through the guidance of my teacher, David Keil, who has been authorized by Guru ji, and my two pilgrimages to Mysore (2006, 2007) I will lay proper and strong foundation on which the practitioner can confidently build a self-practice (Mysore Style) to continue their studies. Over the course of this weekend will we explore in depth the foundations of the practice. There will be plenty of practice! We will dissect and study the external postures, and begin to develop awareness of the more subtle aspects, the breath (prana), bandha (energy), and dristi (focus.) Some details that will be covered include the opening and closing mantra’s, some history on the origin of the practice, proper vinyasa counting up to and including Navasana, along with debunking some commonly held mythology. As always I’ll be sharing loads of stories, and my own personal tips and tricks.
This workshop is suitable for all levels. It may be just the beginning of your exploration of this system, or a space for the more experienced to clear up any confusion, and fall in love with the divine details. Jill will be teaching Mysore Style at Yoga Squared starting mid March on Wednesday and Friday mornings. If you would like to begin studying with her it is highly recommended that you attend this weekend!
Jill Manning has devoted herself to the study, practice and teaching of yoga since 2000. She received her initial certification from Integral Yoga Institute in New York City, but has gone on to study with many of the world’s most revered living yoga masters, including Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, with whom she has spent eight weeks at his yoga shala during her 2006 and 2007 trips to Mysore, India. Jill’s other notable teachers and mentors include David Keil, Joan White and Rodney Yee.
A graduate of New York University, Jill has studied the intellectual aspects of yoga as well as the physical and spiritual ones. Her scholarly understanding of the Bhagavad-Gita and the Yoga Sutra’s, along with other Shastras, brings an important dimension to her own practice as well as her teaching style. During her weeks traveling throughout India, Jill immersed herself in the country’s culture (and the Great Ganga). She has studied Sanskrit with Manorama and with Sri Lakshmish Bhat of Mysore, India, to further round her understanding of the yoga tradition and to place an asana practice in a larger context for herself and her students.
What students have said!!!!
“Hey Jill,
Your workshop was a real gift. You have a great grasp of the information and
a real gift at explaining complex theories in a very clear, understandable
way. I enjoyed the way that you broke the practice down both from the
theoretical standpoint, spiritual elements and the physical dimension. But
most importantly for me was the notion that you (I) have to do something
every day in terms of evolving your yoga practice. Even if it's not a full
Ashtanga practice or a full hour, do something. That resonated with me and
inspired me.”
Sara Lomax Reese
“Hey Jill!
I wanted to thank you for another wonderful experience! It was such a great weekend. I do have to say that I was extremely sore this morning when I got up, but I still went and practiced and it felt great. It was not a very smooth practice, but I made it through. It is a beautiful and intense practice and I feel very privileged to have learned the basics from you. You have such a respect for the practice and those that have taught you, and it really shines through in your teaching. Thank you!”
Kadie Cassidy DeVito
Friday, February 08, 2008
Meghajala
An assembly of clouds. What a nice image. I was thinkning in the last week or so that it would be nice if yoga teachers could come together and simply share, be together as if we were an asembly of clouds floating and forming together in the vast blue sky of yoga.
Does that sound corney?
If you are a yoga teacher living in the Philadelphia area and this sounds like something you've been longing for send me an email.
yoga@jillmanning.com
Namo Namah
Does that sound corney?
If you are a yoga teacher living in the Philadelphia area and this sounds like something you've been longing for send me an email.
yoga@jillmanning.com
Namo Namah
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Brand New Beginner Series at Wake Up Yoga
8 Tuesday Nights: 7:30 – 9 pm
March 11 - April 29
Fairmount Studio
Contribution: $108
(10% off first class card included at completion of the Beginners Series)
Pre-Registration Required …Spaces go quickly – enroll now!
March 11 - April 29
Fairmount Studio
Contribution: $108
(10% off first class card included at completion of the Beginners Series)
Pre-Registration Required …Spaces go quickly – enroll now!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
2008-2009 Teacher Training
Information Sessions: ask questions of the teachers and former TTs; get an in-depth look at what the program offers, expects, and promises; find out the pre-requisites ... Discover if this is the program that your heart has been seeking!
Friday, March 28th 7:30pm
Saturday, April 12 Noon
Friday, May 9 7:30pm
Wake Up Yoga
2329 Parrish Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
wakeupyoga.com
Friday, March 28th 7:30pm
Saturday, April 12 Noon
Friday, May 9 7:30pm
Wake Up Yoga
2329 Parrish Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
wakeupyoga.com
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Come Away With Me
Taking the time to get away, and devote time to your practice is one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself. Check out the awesome events below.
A Pilgrimage to India: September 6 - 19, 2008
This trip is being scheduled, and in order to know the cost per person, we need to have a firm idea of who is taking this journey. If you've been yearning for an opportunity to travel to the Yoga Motherland, this may be the answer to your prayers. Jill Manning and I are collaborating to create a trip that offers time to practice yoga, reflect and relax, as well as see important landmarks and feed your spirit. Our working plan involves time spent at an Ayurveda Retreat Center in Kerala (the South), followed by a trip to the Taj Mahal, and then some time in Rishikesh, including a boat trip and camping out on the banks of the Ganges River. So, yes, it sounds dreamy. If you think you could realistically join us (which means taking 2 weeks off of work and spending around $2,000 plus airfare), please email me ASAP(Corina@WakeUpYoga.com). Jill and I feel confident we can make this manifest, and I've been corresponding with a very helpful woman in India. Our intention is to have the plans solidified (which includes deposits received) by February 15; if you're in, please contact me well in advance of that!
COSTA RICA YOGA RETREAT
(DURING THE FULL MOON)
IN THE OSA PENINSULA
March 6 - 14, 2009
led by Corina Benner & Jill Manning
You’ve been asking for this. You’ve been quietly yearning for this. By the time it rolls around you will really need this! Finally: the opportunity has arisen: enjoy a yoga retreat to one of the most magical places on Earth, offered by teachers you trust, knowing that the details will be worked out for you. Your only job for these 8days is to relax! Take a big breath in, and exhale audibly with a sigh. Yummmmmm!
Each morning you will have the opportunity to practice pranayama and yin and/or vinyasa yoga. Rise with the sun and greet the day high atop the trees on the outdoor yoga platform with the Pacific Ocean in full view. In the late afternoon another yoga class will round out the day, as the group’s energy determines whether the evening offering will be vigorous, balanced, or restorative, allowing the relaxation to sink deep into your entire being. On the eve of the full moon we will celebrate abundance and fulfillment with chanting, reflecting and laughter. Afternoons can be spent hiking in the pristine rainforest, chilling on the beach, and/or participating in one of the many tours they offer (of course, they come with an extra fee). As a group we will take a Corcovado Park Tour, and a Waterfall tour, and each participant will enjoy a one-hour bodywork treatment.
You have plenty of time to schedule for this, and plenty of time to begin saving your rupees to make it happen. Imagine yourself sipping on fresh mango juice, lounging by the pool, practicing yoga to a symphony of howler monkeys. It’s not too good to be true, and you truly deserve it. If you are an avid yoga practitioner but your partner is not, we may be able to offer a discounted, no-yoga price so your love can join you for what promises to be the retreat of a lifetime!
From $1,575 pp, double occupancy
(for an elevated tent with beds)
Additional Accommodations Include:
Bungalows ($1,815)
Haciendas ($1,675)
additonal charge for single occupancy
BOOK BY APRIL 15 AND SAVE $100!
Does not include airfare to Costa Rica
A Pilgrimage to India: September 6 - 19, 2008
This trip is being scheduled, and in order to know the cost per person, we need to have a firm idea of who is taking this journey. If you've been yearning for an opportunity to travel to the Yoga Motherland, this may be the answer to your prayers. Jill Manning and I are collaborating to create a trip that offers time to practice yoga, reflect and relax, as well as see important landmarks and feed your spirit. Our working plan involves time spent at an Ayurveda Retreat Center in Kerala (the South), followed by a trip to the Taj Mahal, and then some time in Rishikesh, including a boat trip and camping out on the banks of the Ganges River. So, yes, it sounds dreamy. If you think you could realistically join us (which means taking 2 weeks off of work and spending around $2,000 plus airfare), please email me ASAP(Corina@WakeUpYoga.com). Jill and I feel confident we can make this manifest, and I've been corresponding with a very helpful woman in India. Our intention is to have the plans solidified (which includes deposits received) by February 15; if you're in, please contact me well in advance of that!
COSTA RICA YOGA RETREAT
(DURING THE FULL MOON)
IN THE OSA PENINSULA
March 6 - 14, 2009
led by Corina Benner & Jill Manning
You’ve been asking for this. You’ve been quietly yearning for this. By the time it rolls around you will really need this! Finally: the opportunity has arisen: enjoy a yoga retreat to one of the most magical places on Earth, offered by teachers you trust, knowing that the details will be worked out for you. Your only job for these 8days is to relax! Take a big breath in, and exhale audibly with a sigh. Yummmmmm!
Each morning you will have the opportunity to practice pranayama and yin and/or vinyasa yoga. Rise with the sun and greet the day high atop the trees on the outdoor yoga platform with the Pacific Ocean in full view. In the late afternoon another yoga class will round out the day, as the group’s energy determines whether the evening offering will be vigorous, balanced, or restorative, allowing the relaxation to sink deep into your entire being. On the eve of the full moon we will celebrate abundance and fulfillment with chanting, reflecting and laughter. Afternoons can be spent hiking in the pristine rainforest, chilling on the beach, and/or participating in one of the many tours they offer (of course, they come with an extra fee). As a group we will take a Corcovado Park Tour, and a Waterfall tour, and each participant will enjoy a one-hour bodywork treatment.
You have plenty of time to schedule for this, and plenty of time to begin saving your rupees to make it happen. Imagine yourself sipping on fresh mango juice, lounging by the pool, practicing yoga to a symphony of howler monkeys. It’s not too good to be true, and you truly deserve it. If you are an avid yoga practitioner but your partner is not, we may be able to offer a discounted, no-yoga price so your love can join you for what promises to be the retreat of a lifetime!
From $1,575 pp, double occupancy
(for an elevated tent with beds)
Additional Accommodations Include:
Bungalows ($1,815)
Haciendas ($1,675)
additonal charge for single occupancy
BOOK BY APRIL 15 AND SAVE $100!
Does not include airfare to Costa Rica
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Mysore Morning
I will be teaching three Mysore Style classes at Yoga Squared over the next week.
Friday, January 11th 6:30-9am
Wednesday, January 16th 6:30-9am
Friday, January 18th 6:30-9am
"If we practice yoga without fail, we will then attain physical, mental, and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood toward the Self."
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
sweet Guruji
Yoga Squared
1923 Chestnut street 3R, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103
phone: 215 496 9226 fax: 215 496 9227
info@yogasquared.com
Friday, January 11th 6:30-9am
Wednesday, January 16th 6:30-9am
Friday, January 18th 6:30-9am
"If we practice yoga without fail, we will then attain physical, mental, and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood toward the Self."
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
sweet Guruji
Yoga Squared
1923 Chestnut street 3R, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103
phone: 215 496 9226 fax: 215 496 9227
info@yogasquared.com
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Upcoming Workshop and Personal Resolution
December has been a very powerful month! Much change, quiet power, and hopefully some growth. The winter solstace week was packed with yogi's, energy, and intention. Here's what some have said,
"I just wanted to thank you again for a wonderful workshop last week. I really appreciate both the physical and mental enlightenment I receive from your classes." L.W.
"I am excited to take all that I learned this past week and work with it in my practice! I am sure that writting all this in an email does not come across with half as much gratitude and excitement as I intended, but I hope you know that you are a great teacher and one that passes down the yogic tradition with such great passion and reverance. Thank you for a wonderful week! I hope you have a great holiday and I'll see you in the new year!!" K.C.D.
"As always, I feel so fortunate to be able to attend your classes and continue to learn from you...your method of teaching and the way you share your experiences with students is truly a gift in my mind." M.S.
My very first opportunity to share my growing passion for the Traditonal Ashtanga Yoga Method is this weekend. Come and share, grow, and deepen your relationship to yoga, and as always your self.
As for all the resolving that is flying in the air I am taking my cue for 2008 from the very soulful genius Walt Whitman. My resolution for 2008
"This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body..."
walt whitman
"I just wanted to thank you again for a wonderful workshop last week. I really appreciate both the physical and mental enlightenment I receive from your classes." L.W.
"I am excited to take all that I learned this past week and work with it in my practice! I am sure that writting all this in an email does not come across with half as much gratitude and excitement as I intended, but I hope you know that you are a great teacher and one that passes down the yogic tradition with such great passion and reverance. Thank you for a wonderful week! I hope you have a great holiday and I'll see you in the new year!!" K.C.D.
"As always, I feel so fortunate to be able to attend your classes and continue to learn from you...your method of teaching and the way you share your experiences with students is truly a gift in my mind." M.S.
My very first opportunity to share my growing passion for the Traditonal Ashtanga Yoga Method is this weekend. Come and share, grow, and deepen your relationship to yoga, and as always your self.
As for all the resolving that is flying in the air I am taking my cue for 2008 from the very soulful genius Walt Whitman. My resolution for 2008
"This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body..."
walt whitman
Friday, November 23, 2007
Stay Engaged Practice Yoga
Two Workshops:
The Rebirth of the Sun
Winter Solstice Morning Retreat Week
Monday – Friday
December 17-21
6-8 am
Tuition: $90Early Registration Incentive: $80 by 12/10/07
SOLD OUT!
The Earth is actually nearer to the sun in January than it is in June—by three million miles! In this week long morning retreat we will explore the light that is always present in each of us. Through movement (asana), simple cleansing (kriya) rituals, breath awareness (pranayama), and quiet sitting we will align with the quality of the solstice, as a time that humans have long recognized as a turning point, a day that celebrates the return of the sun. Our asana focus will utilize the contemplative and cleansing power of forward bends in combination with deep twists. Picking up suggestions from the “great vows” of yoga, the yama’s, and niyama’s, we will weave together the themes of greedlessness (aparigraha), cleanliness (shauca), and contentment (samtosha).
To register, please mail payment to: Wake Up Yoga, 2329 Parrish Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130. Or call: 215.235.1228 to use a credit card. Please include your name, phone number and email address. Thank You!
Foundation First, Insight into the Traditional Ashtanga Method
Friday-Sunday January 4th-6th
Yoga Squared
1923 Chestnut street 3R, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103 phone: 215 496 9226 fax: 215 496 9227 info@yogasquared.com
My intention in providing this workshop is to bring a clear understanding and awareness towards the Ashtanga methodology as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. Through the guidance of my teacher, David Keil, who has been authorized by Guruji, and my two pilgrimages to Mysore (2006, 2007) I hope to lay a proper and strong foundation on which the practitioner can confidently build a self-practice and continue their studies (If there is interest and enthusiasm, I can offer a 2nd installment, with the option of an additional Mysore morning week.) Over the course of this weekend will we explore in depth the foundations of the practice. We will explore and study the external postures, and begin to develop awareness of the more subtle aspects, the breath (prana), bandha (energy), and dristi (focus.) The culmination of this transformative weekend will be a led (traditionally counted) practice of the asana’s we have covered. I hope to cover the opening and closing mantra’s, some history on the origin of the practice, debunk some commonly held mythology, share loads of stories, and my own personal tips and tricks.
This workshop is suitable for all levels. It may be just the beginning of your exploration of this system, or a space for the more experienced to clear up any confusion, and fall in love with the divine details.
The Rebirth of the Sun
Winter Solstice Morning Retreat Week
Monday – Friday
December 17-21
6-8 am
Tuition: $90Early Registration Incentive: $80 by 12/10/07
SOLD OUT!
If you are interested in hosting a week long morning retreat at your yoga studio contact me. Other themes have included Practice as Sadhna, Abhyasa and Vairagya; The two wings of yoga, and Tandava: Where Shiva meets Shakti.
The Earth is actually nearer to the sun in January than it is in June—by three million miles! In this week long morning retreat we will explore the light that is always present in each of us. Through movement (asana), simple cleansing (kriya) rituals, breath awareness (pranayama), and quiet sitting we will align with the quality of the solstice, as a time that humans have long recognized as a turning point, a day that celebrates the return of the sun. Our asana focus will utilize the contemplative and cleansing power of forward bends in combination with deep twists. Picking up suggestions from the “great vows” of yoga, the yama’s, and niyama’s, we will weave together the themes of greedlessness (aparigraha), cleanliness (shauca), and contentment (samtosha).
To register, please mail payment to: Wake Up Yoga, 2329 Parrish Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130. Or call: 215.235.1228 to use a credit card. Please include your name, phone number and email address. Thank You!
Foundation First, Insight into the Traditional Ashtanga Method
Friday-Sunday January 4th-6th
Yoga Squared
1923 Chestnut street 3R, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103 phone: 215 496 9226 fax: 215 496 9227 info@yogasquared.com
My intention in providing this workshop is to bring a clear understanding and awareness towards the Ashtanga methodology as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. Through the guidance of my teacher, David Keil, who has been authorized by Guruji, and my two pilgrimages to Mysore (2006, 2007) I hope to lay a proper and strong foundation on which the practitioner can confidently build a self-practice and continue their studies (If there is interest and enthusiasm, I can offer a 2nd installment, with the option of an additional Mysore morning week.) Over the course of this weekend will we explore in depth the foundations of the practice. We will explore and study the external postures, and begin to develop awareness of the more subtle aspects, the breath (prana), bandha (energy), and dristi (focus.) The culmination of this transformative weekend will be a led (traditionally counted) practice of the asana’s we have covered. I hope to cover the opening and closing mantra’s, some history on the origin of the practice, debunk some commonly held mythology, share loads of stories, and my own personal tips and tricks.
This workshop is suitable for all levels. It may be just the beginning of your exploration of this system, or a space for the more experienced to clear up any confusion, and fall in love with the divine details.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Change is Coming!
I am revamping my blog, and will continue to write about all things yoga. I hope to highlight my favorite things about practicing yoga in this beautiful, and very conflicted city. What could be more interesting than exploring what yoga is in the home of the cheese steak?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Bombay, Good Bay
Mike and I are getting ready to leave this country that is beginning to feel like a second home for both of us. Mumbai is breathtaking! The last time I felt this in awe of a city was the first time I “discovered” New York.
I am excited to get back to the city that I love, and really jazzed to get to teaching. It’s funny being outside of Mysore how the practice of yoga redefines itself. The street side puja’s, the daily pilgrimages to Holy places, I have been practicing reading all the street signs (the Sanskrit alphabet is very similar to the Hindi alphabet) with every Indian who will indulge me. It tickles them, and thrills me.
I will be returning to teaching next week starting 5:45pm Tuesday, 16 October 2007 at Wake Up Yoga, and returning to my regularly scheduled 10am Saturday class 20 October 2007 again at Wake Up Yoga.
For those who want to begin a yoga practice I am teaching a Brand New Beginners series at Wake Up Yoga, space is limited so register early! Tuesday nights 6 November until 18 December.
If you are looking for a private or semi-private yoga session contact me via email, yoga@jillmanning.com.
Workshops coming soon, so keep checking my website http://www.jillmanning.com/
Many Blessings
See You Soon
I am excited to get back to the city that I love, and really jazzed to get to teaching. It’s funny being outside of Mysore how the practice of yoga redefines itself. The street side puja’s, the daily pilgrimages to Holy places, I have been practicing reading all the street signs (the Sanskrit alphabet is very similar to the Hindi alphabet) with every Indian who will indulge me. It tickles them, and thrills me.
I will be returning to teaching next week starting 5:45pm Tuesday, 16 October 2007 at Wake Up Yoga, and returning to my regularly scheduled 10am Saturday class 20 October 2007 again at Wake Up Yoga.
For those who want to begin a yoga practice I am teaching a Brand New Beginners series at Wake Up Yoga, space is limited so register early! Tuesday nights 6 November until 18 December.
If you are looking for a private or semi-private yoga session contact me via email, yoga@jillmanning.com.
Workshops coming soon, so keep checking my website http://www.jillmanning.com/
Many Blessings
See You Soon
Sunday, October 07, 2007
After All We Are Indian’s
Mike and I have been on the road now for 7 days. Again, I am reminded how Mysore, well really Gokulam is like no other place I’ve been in India. It’s like Intro to India. Don’t get me wrong it is and will always been dear to my heart and it certainly is India, but if you’ve been there and only there I think you are missing the big picture.
We started as many journeys begin with a really long and beautiful but bumpy car ride. Exactly and approximately 8 hours. When you are on the road you eat lunch where the driver decides to eat lunch. Lunch usually is one thing, this time it happened to be Thali at a less than clean establishment. A world far from Green Leaf.
Arriving in Hospet it felt like these people had not seen a white person ever. The excitement and curiosity always thrills me. People will pinch your cheeks and tell you how beautiful you are. Everyone wants to know your name and give you a proper hand shake. When the cameras come out it gets wild, everyone wants their picture taken, and the children really want a “single,” a shot of just them, this request is almost impossible to grant, but I managed in some cases.
Mike and I spent the next days commuting to Hampi, the former seat of the largest Hindu Empire. It is best known for its surreal rock and bolder landscape. It is quite breathtaking, and possibly the hottest Mike and I have ever been. I’m finding it is not the place that I most remember it’s the people that I meet along the way. After a particularly hot and long day I exited a temple and this tribe of women called me over to just sit with them. They gave me cookies and we talked as best we could, I don’t think I ever smiled so much. Mike was wandering around in the distance and of course I was asked about my husband, and why don’t we have children. All the little girls then ran to retrieve my husband grabbing him by the hand calling him “husband” and declared that they were our children. I took some photo’s, gave my husband some cookies and we left.
We were told at the travel agency the car ride from Hospet to Goa was 4 hours. Around the 4th hour we were nearly half way there. It was a tough car ride. When we arrived in Goa I had enough of India. Little did I know Goa would become one of our all time India highlights. The weather is dreary, monsoon rains appear out of nowhere, and the regular India dirty becomes combined with mud and the sand makes for a new level of grime. At our hotel we are the ONLY Westerners. The hotel offers bus tours of Goa, and I really didn’t want to get on an Indian bus and be the only non-Indians. Well, it turned out to be the best bus tour ever. The whole trip was 6 hours. At first everyone kept to themselves. We were dropped off at a site and then told how many minutes before we needed to be back on the bus. The family behind us began to translate. After about two hours I felt like Mike and I were in their family. We began talking and joking and they had two daughter one 21, and one 16. Very Western. The 16 year old plans to go the college in the U.S. Where? Somewhere in Florida because that’s where the Backstreet Boys are from. Even the Indian’s whose English was just so-so begun to bond with us and us with them. The culmination of the trip was a boat cruise, again about three hundred passengers, 2 whiteys! The ship had its own “disco” for dancing. Ladies entered for free, for men 50 Rs. It was a blast; everyone knew all the Bolly Wood moves and lyrics. We danced with our new Indian family, even Mike.
As we exited the ‘”Paradise Cruise” I had expanded my vision on what it means to be Indian. When I complimented the 16 year old on her dancing, and that everyone knew all the moves she quickly replied, “After all we are Indians.”
Part two of Goa to come: How to Bargin, Indian Style. Plus Adventures in Mumbai.
I’ll be back teaching at Wake Up Yoga starting Tuesday October 16th at 5:45pm, I can’t wait to see you all!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tandava
I feel like I have been away from home a long time. I am not saying this in a bad way, but this is how I feel right now. I think this 2nd trip to Mysore has been affecting me, as I have wrote many times, more deeply. Everything feels less shiny, and new, less exotic, and different. It feels like home. The small group that shows up every morning on their mats feels nothing like a scene at all. It is just people showing up to practice. For a few weeks now there has been no Sharath to impress (which will ever happen, but we all try anyway) no Guruji to squeeze. It's just practice. I had one of my favorite quotes on practice up a few weeks back, and it continues on brilliantly:
I think the reason dance has held such an ageless magic for the world is that it has been the symbol of the performance of living. Even as I write, time has begun to make today yesterday-the past. The most brilliant scientific discoveries will in time change and perhaps grow obsolete, as new scientific manifestations emerge. But art is eternal, for it reveals the inner landscape, which is the soul of man.
Many times I hear the phrase "the dance of life." It is an expression that touches me deeply, for the instrument through which the dance speaks is also the instrument through which life is lived-the human body. It is the instrument by which all the primaries of life are made manifest. It holds in its memory all matters of life and death and love. Dancing appears glamorous, easy, delightful. But the path to the paradise of the achievement is not easier than any other. There is fatigue so great that the body cries, even in its sleep. There are times of complete frustration, there are daily small deaths. Then I need all the comfort that practice has stored in my memory, a tenacity of faith.
Many times I hear the phrase "the dance of life." It is an expression that touches me deeply, for the instrument through which the dance speaks is also the instrument through which life is lived-the human body. It is the instrument by which all the primaries of life are made manifest. It holds in its memory all matters of life and death and love. Dancing appears glamorous, easy, delightful. But the path to the paradise of the achievement is not easier than any other. There is fatigue so great that the body cries, even in its sleep. There are times of complete frustration, there are daily small deaths. Then I need all the comfort that practice has stored in my memory, a tenacity of faith.
I have not danced formally in 10 years. I am often asked at the end of a yoga class that I have just dropped into, "wow, are you a dancer?" I have had many reactions to that question over the years. Sitting here in India, where the image of Shiva, as the cosmic dancer can been seen in shops, and on auto rickshaws, all over everyday. I feel certain that everyone practicing yoga is Shiva dancing, exploring their own way out of delusion and darkness into light.
Tomorrow will be my final practice in the shala. I will miss it so.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Love
The Mysore chapter of this journey is coming to its end. Trish and I walked to practice this morning. It is so quiet at 4:30am. Many of my predawn walks to practice have been so nice. So many stars lighting the sky. Practice this morning was all about integration. Have I really been putting things together, or have I been pretending to. I felt awake, and confident in what I know, and confident in what I still have to learn.
I finished up the month long Sanskrit class. Today he wrote a long passage from the Gita in the transliteration on the board and we had to write the whole thing out in Devanagri script. I made no mistakes! I will miss Laksmish. He is a great teacher, and very serious about the study of Sanskrit, but more so that yoga teachers know this stuff. He is a beautiful person. Mike and I just got back from chats (snacks) at Nalpak. I am sure we will be headed to dreamland soon. Only one more practice remains, and then Mike and I are of to try to "get" all of what India has to share.
I finished up the month long Sanskrit class. Today he wrote a long passage from the Gita in the transliteration on the board and we had to write the whole thing out in Devanagri script. I made no mistakes! I will miss Laksmish. He is a great teacher, and very serious about the study of Sanskrit, but more so that yoga teachers know this stuff. He is a beautiful person. Mike and I just got back from chats (snacks) at Nalpak. I am sure we will be headed to dreamland soon. Only one more practice remains, and then Mike and I are of to try to "get" all of what India has to share.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
"Paining"
Rickshaw to A. Shankara Chetty Jewellers 35 Rs
One A.D. Stone Set Nose Screw 298 Rs
Rickshaw to Aadithya Adhikari Hospital 35Rs
Prescription for Piercing Needle and Personal Syringe 8 Rs
Nose Pricking Fee 100 Rs
Getting your nose (re)pierced at an Indian Hospital Priceless
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Fantastic
My blog posts go up considerably later than they used to now that Mike is here. Full Moon today, but I did a little practice while I locked myself out of the room and needed to wait for Mike to return from wandering the city and finishing up our travel arrangements. I certainly couldn't go out in public in Mike's boxer shorts and a top that I had been wearing for three days. Mostly it was the boxer shorts. Entirely inappropriate.
Mostly today we ate. We went to the Hotel Metropole, for us it is like India's version of Congress Hall. They have the best lunch buffet in the prettiest atmosphere. If you sit there long enough you'll forget you are even in India. Somethings that can be an alright thing. Walking home after such a meal is always a good thing.
Now here we are back at Shakti house getting ready to settle in for the night. I can't believe tomorrow is my last Mysore style practice. I'll end my practice here with a Friday and Sunday led class. Wow it has been an amazing month.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
M as in Mango, G as in Goat
Just for those of you would were worried about my health, I am feeling 100% better. Practice today was a pleasure. As Mike settles in here I am reminded why I missed him so much. When I came home from practice he was out and about, and didn't get back until 8:30am. We sat with all the yoga students and Mike just fits in with even trying or changing anything about himself. I love that about him.
We have finalized our plans. Leaving Mysore on the 30th we are going to explore Hampi, and travel on to Goa, and them make our way to Mumbai. I hope to blog throughout the trip this time. So, stay tuned.
After we left the travel agency we just wandered through the streets. We shared an ice cream cone from the street vendor. Tomorrow is a full moon day and I think Mike and I might go out to dinner at a normal time. I'd better get my Sanskrit homework done, early class in the morning.
I miss everyone at home. Can't wait to see you all!!!
We have finalized our plans. Leaving Mysore on the 30th we are going to explore Hampi, and travel on to Goa, and them make our way to Mumbai. I hope to blog throughout the trip this time. So, stay tuned.
After we left the travel agency we just wandered through the streets. We shared an ice cream cone from the street vendor. Tomorrow is a full moon day and I think Mike and I might go out to dinner at a normal time. I'd better get my Sanskrit homework done, early class in the morning.
I miss everyone at home. Can't wait to see you all!!!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Argh, India!
I am having one of those days. I was sick all day yesterday, from what I have no idea. To say that my practice was a struggle this morning might be the biggest understatement of the trip so far. Then I found out that my travel agent left the country, so as of this morning we once again had no travel plan. My final music lesson was this morning and of course he was very late.
Mike and then had lunch. His first India meal, I was sick enough to need Domino's pizza last night. I was pretty good, and didn't upset my stomach. We just got back from the travel agent again, and I think that we've got something now. Hopefully she won't leave the country between now and tomorrow. It is India, you never know.
Mike and then had lunch. His first India meal, I was sick enough to need Domino's pizza last night. I was pretty good, and didn't upset my stomach. We just got back from the travel agent again, and I think that we've got something now. Hopefully she won't leave the country between now and tomorrow. It is India, you never know.
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