I can't even begin to marvel how sneaky India can be. The subcontinent has a habit of kicking me out of my comfort zone. India tested me everyday... sometimes in her wicked spasms of humour, several times a day even. She wreaked uncertainties on my yoga practice... my patience, endurance, focus, shanti... heck she even deflated my ego.
The India I've come to know, is a great place to learn the yogic lesson of giving your best effort, but not getting hung up on the results. In my time here in Mysore, I've come to learn that things here don't often go according to plan, but if I'm cool with expecting the unexpected, what needs to happen usually does. And it all comes together at some point in time when the soul is ready to receive.
Here are some of my personal favourites :
1. We had hired an auto rickshaw driver to take us to the yoga shala everyday at 5am. He diligently turned up at our gate for the first 6 days, and one cold rainy morning, he was nowhere in sight. He did turn up the next day however, and when we asked him about the no show, he said, it was rainy, too cold to come and decided to sleep in (he even added a head wiggle for good measure). On the subsequent morning (and the mornings thenafter), he failed to show up again.
Conclusion : Auto rickshaw drivers here are quick to try and whip an extra INR10 from tourists by faking a faulty meter, but do not seem to want to commit to a regular piece of business.
2. A 10 minute walk to anywhere in India, if told by an Indian person, is actually 30 minutes.
Conclusion : When in India, adjust to Indian time.
3. It can be raining cats and dogs during the monsoon season, but a burst pipe causing water shortage in the neighbourhood can take up to 5 days to fix, thus causing drought indoors.
Conclusion : Irony is best taken with a head wiggle.
4. India is the land of organized chaos. Traffic rules are made (and made up!). Vehicles do not seem to stop when approaching a roundabout (known as a 'circle' in India), but instead everyone honks and charges to the centre of the roundabout, AND THEN try to figure who has the right of way. Surprisingly, at zero accident rate.
Conclusion : India has very creative drivers.
5. Traffic rules when it comes to road crossing : Cows stopping mid-street to poop, horses and occasionally people who are lost in thought and take their own sweet time to cross the road have the right of way.
Conclusion : See no. 6
6. Holy Cow : here's the unwritten law on Indian roads. Bicycles and rickshaws make way for auto rickshaws (or 3-Wheelers). 3-Wheelers stop for cars. Cars make way for buses. And EVERYONE stops for the Holy Cow. Cows are big and venerated in India. When a cow crosses a road or decides to siesta in the middle of one, they are king!
7. You can never rush the Indians. They never seem to be in a hurry. On the other hand, you can hardly find an impatient Indian.
Conclusion : C'est la vie (with a head wiggle).
8. Oh, and about practising with the Master. Just when you think you're getting into a pretty strong practice, the Master steps in and shatters any egoistic thoughts. Whether it is purely a kind gesture, or a form of testing your focus or dristhi, the Master uses one of those battery operated mosquito swatters, (you know, the ones that creates a spark and a loud crackle when mossies are caught), and happily waves the swatter in front of you when you're frantically balancing in Virabhadrasana III.
Conclusion : You may wobble and you may topple but at least you'll be dengue-free.
I love India. I mean, what's there not to love? She cracks me up daily... opens my mind up to new possibilities... and teaches me to be less uptight because there is no such thing as perfectionism, and nothing is ever permanent.
And over the next few weeks, I made peace with India and opened my soul to a heart opening, spontaneous yoga practice. I flowed with the tide of change, accepted that transformation begins with imperfection, and learnt to shift my perspective on life, which surprisingly led to great contentment.
The India I've come to know, is a great place to learn the yogic lesson of giving your best effort, but not getting hung up on the results. In my time here in Mysore, I've come to learn that things here don't often go according to plan, but if I'm cool with expecting the unexpected, what needs to happen usually does. And it all comes together at some point in time when the soul is ready to receive.
Here are some of my personal favourites :
1. We had hired an auto rickshaw driver to take us to the yoga shala everyday at 5am. He diligently turned up at our gate for the first 6 days, and one cold rainy morning, he was nowhere in sight. He did turn up the next day however, and when we asked him about the no show, he said, it was rainy, too cold to come and decided to sleep in (he even added a head wiggle for good measure). On the subsequent morning (and the mornings thenafter), he failed to show up again.
Conclusion : Auto rickshaw drivers here are quick to try and whip an extra INR10 from tourists by faking a faulty meter, but do not seem to want to commit to a regular piece of business.
2. A 10 minute walk to anywhere in India, if told by an Indian person, is actually 30 minutes.
Conclusion : When in India, adjust to Indian time.
3. It can be raining cats and dogs during the monsoon season, but a burst pipe causing water shortage in the neighbourhood can take up to 5 days to fix, thus causing drought indoors.
Conclusion : Irony is best taken with a head wiggle.
4. India is the land of organized chaos. Traffic rules are made (and made up!). Vehicles do not seem to stop when approaching a roundabout (known as a 'circle' in India), but instead everyone honks and charges to the centre of the roundabout, AND THEN try to figure who has the right of way. Surprisingly, at zero accident rate.
Conclusion : India has very creative drivers.
 |
| Side saddle and helmet-free |
Conclusion : See no. 6
6. Holy Cow : here's the unwritten law on Indian roads. Bicycles and rickshaws make way for auto rickshaws (or 3-Wheelers). 3-Wheelers stop for cars. Cars make way for buses. And EVERYONE stops for the Holy Cow. Cows are big and venerated in India. When a cow crosses a road or decides to siesta in the middle of one, they are king!
7. You can never rush the Indians. They never seem to be in a hurry. On the other hand, you can hardly find an impatient Indian.
Conclusion : C'est la vie (with a head wiggle).
8. Oh, and about practising with the Master. Just when you think you're getting into a pretty strong practice, the Master steps in and shatters any egoistic thoughts. Whether it is purely a kind gesture, or a form of testing your focus or dristhi, the Master uses one of those battery operated mosquito swatters, (you know, the ones that creates a spark and a loud crackle when mossies are caught), and happily waves the swatter in front of you when you're frantically balancing in Virabhadrasana III.
Conclusion : You may wobble and you may topple but at least you'll be dengue-free.
 |
| Snap, Crackle and Pop |
And over the next few weeks, I made peace with India and opened my soul to a heart opening, spontaneous yoga practice. I flowed with the tide of change, accepted that transformation begins with imperfection, and learnt to shift my perspective on life, which surprisingly led to great contentment.
No comments:
Post a Comment