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Yoga & Vedanta Philosophy

The Guru’s Light: Remembering Sharath Jois

November 18, 2024
vande gurūnām...

vande gurūnām caranāravinde….

I got the news of Sharath’s passing early morning on a Tuesday.  In this age of AI and fake news I thought it was fake news.  But as the truth settled in, so did an unexpected and profound sense of loss.  Even though I had only met Sharath in passing (during my brief brush with Ashtanga Yoga in Mysore), I feel strangely bereft, as though the loss was personal.

I’ve followed the Ashtanga lineage closely and have drawn inspiration from countless teachers within it.  I have many friends who are devoted to the Ashtanga yoga practice.  As practitioners we never think of teachers as human, bound by the same mortality that binds us all.  The passing of legends is a vivid reminder of life’s impermanence.  As history shifts and the ground beneath our feet starts to shake – I find myself asking how I want to step into the future.

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Travels

Colonial Echoes and Gelato Flavors: Mysore’s Hidden Charms

September 2, 2024
The Metropole Hotel in Mysore has interesting nooks that make for great reading corners.

Our recent holiday to Mysore had a hint of colonial charm and was peppered with interesting flavors of gelato…

I believe there’s a difference between traveling and holidaying, and both are mutually exclusive.  When I travel I see, observe, learn and do.  When I holiday I assimilate.  On our recent visit to Mysore, I found myself appreciating its tranquil charm in a way I hadn’t before. The broad, tree-lined avenues, the elegant colonial architecture, and the notable absence of towering buildings and construction sites transported me to a bygone era.  I could almost picture a white Ambassador “speeding” importantly down the road…

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Travels

2 Days in Bangalore (Beyond MG Road)

August 25, 2024
I love this picture of St. Mark's Cathedral from Cubbon Park, it really gives a sense of how large the park was once upon a time.

I love this picture of St. Mark’s Cathedral from Cubbon Park, it really gives a sense of how large the park was once upon a time.

Kalindi’s arrival has brought many good things into our lives, including dear friends who had lost touch over the years.  I guess the arrival of new life is about hope and optimism, something that everyone can relate to.

I’m in touch with some of my earliest yoga students.  Recently Louise and her daughters visited us in Bangalore.  I used to teach Louise in Wellington, and reading this blog that she wrote about my classes back then made me nostalgic.  It’s been about 12 years since we last met!

What do you do with friends who’re coming to Bangalore for the first time?  I mean there’s only so much coffee you can drink as you marvel at the great weather.  I’ve lived in Bangalore since 2005, and pride myself in knowing a bit more about the city than the average resident.  So I took it on as a challenge and asked myself how I can showcase my city beyond MG Road.

So we had one of those slow weekends, the kind where you can slow down and fall in love with Bangalore all over again.  This is how you can make the most of 2 days in Bangalore…

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Pregnancy/Parenting Notes

What I Wish for My Daughter on This Independence Day

August 15, 2024
Kalindi and I on her first Independence Day.

Kalindi and me on her first Independence Day – India’s 78th.

While I was pregnant my husband got me a notebook that has writing prompts for letters to our unborn child.  A time capsule of sorts, to be given to the child on their 18th birthday.  The other day the prompt was “My wishes for you are…”.

As a woman living in one of the fastest developing nation, I straddle the delicate balance between the haves and the have nots.  I often wonder about independence.  For most women in India today, to be independent is to be financially independent.  But over the years I’ve noticed that making your own money is worth nothing if you don’t have the freedom to spend it.  Thus, independence for a privileged woman in a developing nation, is a nuanced concept.  Privilege itself is a nuanced concept.

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Postpartum Pregnancy/Parenting Notes

Exercising After a Cesarean Delivery – 4 Things to Remember

August 4, 2024
new haircut

I’m five months postpartum and this past week I fit into my old low-waisted skinny jeans.  I’ve written about honouring the first forty days and the importance of postpartum repletion.  I believe that’s something every woman who has given birth should do, regardless of c-sec or normal delivery.

After those forty days I was eager to quickly get back into my ‘usual’ routine.  I was being inundated with old wives’ tales about exercising after a cesarean  – such as not walking too fast or bending forward for an entire year, and even the myth about the chronic pain after an epidural.  So, as usual, I did some research.

I believe the following four guidelines optimised my recovery.

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