Astanga Yoga Studio

Is this a Holiday?

2011-04-13T08:33:00.001+02:00

What do you do with all that vacation time. As Danes we have 5-7 weeks a year if you are a working slob. Way more if you are a student or on the teaching staff. Of course the student group will always bemoan the fact of no money, the time is still there. Time to travel, visit friends and experience something a little out of the ordinary.

Because he had travelled two days in the saddle, Claricles was sore, and wondered aloud to the stranger as they settled for the night, why anyone should travel.
The stranger said,"Some travel because they must, some because they will.
"Some feel a destiny, which is in fact curiosity and recklessness, and of their own accord take long and arduous journeys.
"Some love to live in the whole world, and the whole world often responds by refusing to give them anywhere to call their own.
"And so they wander still; the wood pigeon has a nest, the fox her den, but the wanderer's home is both nowhere and everywhere.
"The wise of every culture have their views about how to travel. It is well said that they know nothing of their homelands who know only their homelands, which implies that to travel is to learn;
"But there are those who travel and learn nothing. It is well said that at the furthest point of our journeyings what we meet is ourselves;
"But there are those who leave themselves behind, and forget themselves enough to err in foreign places, because they believe they are nowhere that matters.
"The wise say, do not travel with a fool. So the fool had better stay at home, because travel will increase his folly.
"When the wise travel they take note of customs, of people, of the way things are done differently.
"By the same token, to receive a traveller in one's home country is an opportunity to hear news and to learn of far places.
"The ideal traveller is he who travels with no baggage but his thoughts, eager to learn, ready to speak of what he has seen.
"But never to speak with exaggeration or falsehood, keeping due respect for all differences and strangeness he has encountered,
"Knowing that he is himself strange to the stranger, and that he seems different to those who are different from himself.
"Such a traveller is never more at home than when far from home. He sees with clearer eyes than the rest of mankind what ruins have been made by man,
"And what works he can be praised for. When he crosses the mountains on his travels, he can see the coming dawn of peace, because he sees further than the rest.
"The good traveller brings the time of peace nearer. He builds bridges across the seas, he draws nations closer together,
"He shows men that there are many ways of living and loving. He teaches them tolerance,
"He humanises them by being a brother to them even though he is a stranger in their midst."

(The Good Book made by A. C. Grayling)

This summer Lino Miele has a retreat in Italy, spend a few weeks with travellers from around the world. Staying in the hills of Marche, a few hours north east of Rome. Enjoy a morning practice, afternoon playgrounds, swimming pool, wonderful locally grown Italian vegetarian food. So many good reasons.

Lino Miele retreat

The dates for the summer retreat are 19th. June - 2nd. July Meeting on the 18th. June
For more details contact Rossana on astangayoga@libero.it

This winter and the idea of another Christmas in a traditional setting is losing its charm? Well Southern India calls. Lino Miele has a two month workshop in Kovalam, Kerala. Yoga practice 6 days a week. Quiet traffic free village by the seaside, Ayurvedic treatments, Temples and mountains, tea plantations, sailing on Rice Boats. Kerala is called God's Own Country. It is a lush and rich area, wonderful local kitchen, the state has the highest level of education in India.

Kovalam

The workshop runs from 11th. December to 3rd. February. With the long travel times and change of climate it is best to aim for at least two weeks. 3 weeks is better, anything over that is a bonus.

Guided Class on the rooftop of Peacock Hotel

Lino Guiding the Friday class

Local fishermen

Simon outside Suchindrum Temple with blessing.

Fruit stall

Shopping

Temple Wagon

It tasted as good as it looks

Ayurvedic treatment (Foot massage)

In the words of Will

2011-04-12T10:48:00.000+02:00

William Shakespeare. "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

The Buddha says a similar thing. "Our life is the creation of our mind."

We are what we think, we create the reality we exist in.
Are we stuck in a reality that we are not enjoying?
Well the science of genetics are saying that we are predisposed to having a negative or positive view on life right from the get go.
Praise the Lord and pass the biscuits, fortunately there is a solution!
We can check in and see what our little brains are chattering about. We can change that internal chatter just by being aware of it.
We become more aware of what we are saying to ourselves on that internal chatter.
This internal chatter is then reflected in what we say.
What are we telling ourselves, what are we saying to the society around us?
Is what we are saying true?
Does it really hold up to the light of day?
If it is a continuous run of negative thoughts and speech then there is usually no real basis for this. It is rarely as dark and threatening as we have convinced ourselves our reality is. Have a close look at what you are telling yourself, is it really true, or is this just a reality that habit has created for you.
We are often so involved in the daily chatter of gossip, irrelevant news, worrying about situations and circumstances that we have little influence over. We are bombarded with advertising and images that draw our attention away from any calm centre.
The practice gives us a few moments during the day to calm our minds and go a little towards that centre that is us. As the chatter subsides we become more attuned as to how we can relate with our friends, our enemies, our challenges with negative ideas.
Keep an eye out for what you are telling yourself, check out if what you are saying has any real truth to it. If not discard those ideas for the rubbish that they are. Keep green, tidy up your "house" and remember to chuck out any garbage that is cluttering up the place.
Check out what you are dragging around through life.

Amager in the sun

2011-04-02T21:53:00.000+02:00

Today is really the first warm day we have seen this year. On with the sunblock and on my bike. I have been looking for an opportunity to get out and see Bjarke Ingels Figure 8 on the edge of Amager Fælled.
I always enjoy being out on Amager, it is so different to the downtown area of Copenhagen were I usually move around.
Riding out over the southern part of the city it turns high tech industrial. The old industries have now moved out of town to cheaper areas in Denmark (Carlsberg) and many have simply moved production abroad. Sydhavn is now Nokia and Siemens country with their new local headquarters in shiny new buildings, hotels and car salesrooms abound.
Over the bridge and onto the quiet cycle paths running a little away from the main roads, beside the wide drainage ditches that crisscross Amager. Turn down beside Bella Centre with its new Conference hotel and suddenly it is all new for me. the Metro runs just to the left of the road and it is looking very futuristic. When I was a boy the vision of the future was always flying cars, it is a relief that the trains have survived and that most sensible form of local transport, the bicycle has been encouraged.
A few miles down the road and there it is, an amazing structure rears up from the flat grassy landscape of a winter brown Amager. The Figure 8 building, it is just such a stand out structure, sleek and beautiful with its fine Scandinavian simplicity and the wonderful choice of materials. 8 Tallet
I wandered around seriously in awe and grabbed a coffee at the café. The café was large, very busy and seemingly filled with young families, maybe the new residents or just tourists out enjoying the day. The café is in the far corner of the building with two sets of steps going away up the sides of the building. It looks out across a wide water filled area to the grassy scrubland that stretches down to the southern tip of Amager. Good coffee, though a little too busy for my liking and only 3 toilets in the café! That was kind of strange, when there is seating for at least a hundred guests and more outside.
Riding back to town the spires of the city churches guide you in. Amager is such a strange mix, caravans and small allotments. brand new houses next to classic 60's and 70's villas. Suddenly changing to forests and run down workshops. Sandy paths and broken tarmac, it really is an assortment of styles and themes thrown together.
Cycling back I was watching the buildings on my left as I was now coming into town further east. this put Ørestad on my left. Many of the new buildings are well thought out and look appealing to live in. Maybe its a guy thing but they seem to be very masculine in their style, just the kind of place for a leather sofa and a big screen TV. And then there was something else Bjerget (the Mountain) another of Bjarke Ingels structures. It won the world architecture prize last year and is quite outstandingly different. The front is covered in wood (cedar?) forming cosy balconies and what looks like a great feeling of privacy. Cars are parked below the building with stairways rising up around an inner metal open wall.
Mountain
Riding on I was deep into the older area of Amager and this garden appeared. I am extremely jealous of the persons ability to prune the trees and plants in the garden. My only compensation is that it was a little anal as all the plants had little white markers beside them, saying what they were.

Back across the "new" pedestrian/cycle bridge and into busy city. Everyone seemed to be out walking. The motor bikes were roaring and screaming, carrying delighted owners after a long winter of tinkering, cleaning and quiet times.
Reading the Guardian in the sun, not too shabby.

Vegan

2011-03-29T10:51:00.000+02:00

From Bored To Death

Jonathan and Ray are at the colonic clinic.

Jonathan reading a brochure turns to Ray and says, "there really is a lot of information in here. You know we really all should be Vegans. I am kind of a non-practicing Vegan!"

Well like Jonathan I am also in that place in life. The idea of Raw Food/Vegan has a certain kind of appeal. I can see the idea in it of having that completely clear conscience, getting that ethical high of doing the right thing.

But really it is not going to happen. Well not in the near future.

I have been a vegetarian since 1972 Christmas day. That was the last time I ate meat.

My buddy was over from California and he was a kind of hunting, fishing type. That is fine and dandy, getting your guns and rods and going out and killing what you eat. I had been living in the centre of London for a few years and it was the time of brown rice and macrobiotic diets. Hari Krishna groups were offering free vegetarian meals. The way forward was definitely not through the industrial production of meat.

My diet had been 90% vegetarian for a few years, eating meat when returning to the family home. By this time even my Mom and Dad had seen the light and were moving more and more towards a healthier vegetable based diet.

We went down Portobello Road and bought steaks for Christmas dinner. His choice! Well they were tough and enough to put me right off meat for the rest of my life. If you haven't been eating meat for a while then it is quite a shock to the system absorbing all that heavy fat, blood and protein.

It was an easy move from there to continue in the way of vegetarianism.

I drink milk and eat dairy products. To keep the cows with milk they are regularly bred and here is the nasty bit. Probably half of the offspring are bull calves, these are fattened and slaughtered. This is something that I have accepted in life, we will always be killing other creatures and beings in our movement through life.

What are you going to do? We swat mosquitoes, tread on ants and bugs, drive our cars and bikes into millions of flies and creatures every year.

Even if I move towards a Vegan based diet I will still be killing creatures, there is no real way to get around the conundrum of unintentional killing.

For nearly 40 years a vegetarian diet has suited me, maybe my ideas will change, miracles have happened!

Life appears to be more and more about making compromises, still working towards the higher ground, learning as we go. We have been given this life and if we will live it to our full potentiality then we will need to constantly revise what we have learned and how that effects our future decisions.

I want to live a happy life. To be truly happy then I will need to feel that those I am involved with are also in a good place. That the decisions I take are not going to create too much harm and pain. I also need to accept that some things I have no influence over. I cannot take responsibility for everything that happens on earth. To try and right all the wrongs would just be paralyzing in its enormity.
Step by step, being aware of what I can and cannot have an effect on, stepping lightly through life.

Breakfast of Champions

On the right road

2011-03-21T15:46:00.000+01:00

Doing a little yoga, becoming aware of what I eat.
Taking care of myself, caring for how the people around me are managing.
Having a calm and steady approach to life.

Is this what we need to be doing?

It is a choice that can be taken, of course it is a very subjective view on life.

For myself I feel very blessed that I have a yoga practice a little grounding in the daily circus.

But then it is a choice and many have made quite different choices to bring themselves to a happy state.

Many are driving around in huge cars, searching for a parking space in life.

Maybe not even aware that there is an opportunity to enjoy what is happening at the moment.

Unaware of the joy that is in the present time.

Always searching in the future for some form of happiness.

Regretting the past and not letting it go, still being burdened by decisions taken years ago.

Who knows what is the right path, it is all a learning process and we are all here to get what we can out this existence.

Who is to say what is right.

Full Moon

2011-03-19T12:31:00.000+01:00

Here we are on a Massive Full Moon, the biggest influence on our watery bodies for the last 20 years or so, 1993 was the last time the moon swung in close and gave us a strong pull. So what?
Well the what is, that the moon has always been a huge part of our emotional and cultural lives. Lunatic, as in lunar, as in crazy like a fox. We are an integral part of the pull and push of the universe. It gets in there and affects us, wild traffic, strange days, it all can get very weird. Stuff that "normally" doesn't happen, just gets up and does its thing.
Take a few moments out today, touch base, sit and let go, enjoy the flow.
It will be hitting a horizon somewhere near you at 18.35 this very evening.

Wikipedia, says that scientific research has shown no correlation between the moons phases and increases in crime, dog bites, epilepsy, schizophrenia. Ah well!

Warren Zevon

Ain't That Pretty At All
written by Leroy P. Marinell & Warren Zevon
1982 Tiny Tunes (ASCAP) & Zevon Music (BMI)

Well, I've seen all there is to see
And I've heard all they have to say
I've done everything I wanted to do . . .
I've done that too
And it ain't that pretty at all
Ain't that pretty at all
So I'm going to hurl myself against the wall
'Cause I'd rather feel bad than not feel anything at all

You know, I just had a short vacation, Roy
Spent it getting a root canal
"Oh, how'd you like it?"
Well, it ain't that pretty at all
So I'm going to hurl myself against the wall
'Cause I'd rather feel bad than not feel anything at all

Gonna get a good running start and throw myself at the wall as hard as I can man

I've been to Paris
And it ain't that pretty at all
I've been to Rome
Guess what?
I'd like to go back to Paris someday and visit the Louvre Museum
Get a good running start and hurl myself at the wall
Going to hurl myself against the wall
'Cause I'd rather feel bad than feel nothing at all
And it ain't that pretty at all
Ain't that pretty at all

Warren can really bring you down with a smile on your lips. His openness and critical sense of what is "right" and having "the correct attitude" is so refreshing. The guy was a breath of fresh air in a world of conventional thinking. Warren I miss you.

Swamiji

2011-03-10T09:18:00.001+01:00

We had the great pleasure of hosting Swami Brahmadeoji at the studio last night. Swamiji had been in Holland and then flew on to Norway where he has been for the last few days. Flying from Holland to Norway he realised he was passing over Denmark and decided to make a detour on his return journey to the USA and the Caribbean.
Eskil collected Swamiji at the airport taking him home to his house and family.
The idea of a Satsang was very spur of the moment, we only got word of Swamiji's intended stop a few days prior to his arrival. Long live emails and Facebook, managing to get the word out, a very interested and expectant group arrived on a cold dark and sleety evening.
Satsang (Sanskrit sat = true, sanga = company) is in Indian philosophy that involves the company of the "highest truth," the company of a guru, or company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the truth. This typically involves listening to or reading scriptures, reflecting on, discussing and assimilating their meaning, meditating on the source of these words, and bringing their meaning into one’s daily life.
We started with a quietening of the mind, settling in, a short meditation. Swamiji quoted a short text and expanded on its meaning. The floor was then opened to questions and answers.
Swamiji spoke of our need to move towards a blissful state. A state of the divine consciusness of life. Happiness was fine, though was very dependent on outer conditions. Someone praises you or compliments you, this brings happiness; however if they are rude or unkind towards you this will show itself as unhappiness. We have to work towards inner strength, calm and peace of mind. This is less conditioned by outer circumstances. The practice of yoga and meditation was highly recommended. Both practices support one another and are the bridge of moving towards the more internal practice.
Pratyahara withdrawal of the senses, is the fifth element among the Eight stages of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga
Swamiji spoke of "spiritual engineering" this has a very appealing sound to our western minds. Get the toolkit out, read the instruction, see it click into place and then start working. This isn't some airy idea that has been pulled out of the ether. It is tried and tested over thousands of years, refined and purified. Getting to the truth of life, why are we here, what should we do with this opportunity, what happens when we die? All these huge questions that furrow our brows, send us off on false trails of compulsive behaviour! We have to start from where we are. If we want to learn how to swim for example, there is very little use of someone instructing you how to swing your arms on dry land. No, you have to get into the water and get a feel of it, gradually learning to float and get comfortable in a new environment.
We have all been given the opportunity to travel this path of discovery.
Swamiji said that "God" had given us a torch to shine our way. Our journey might be 5 kilometres, no torch is going to shine 5 kilometres. However the torch will give us enough light to see the path ahead. If we keep moving along, shining the torch, then eventually we will have lit the way on our 5 kilometre journey.
The sign of a true master is shown in how they receive and respond to questions. Swamiji shows true generosity in his way of accepting the questions and then making the answer relevant for the assembly. There is no sign of irritation, just a welcoming being, willing to absorb the challenges that the audience is experiencing and then creating a positive and universal response.
Swamiji closed the evening with a short Kirtan (Sanskrit: "to repeat") is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions.

Om Namah Shivaya

There were no instruments to accompany us, our clapping hands held the rhythm speeding and slowing.
Thank you Swamiji, we are fortunate to have been given this chance to grab the brass ring.

And the theme is blue

2011-02-03T11:03:00.000+01:00

Here are a few of the multitude of photos from Kovalam. Always challenging being forced into viewing other peoples experiences.

I have kept it short and sweet, no sunsets and only photos with blue as the major colour.

Returning to Denmark I am always struck by the quietness of the streets, no cars hooting, no crows calling, no surf booming on the shore.

Another thing is the colour differences. India is ablaze with wild colours, purples, pinks, fluorescent greens. Here we go for black, blue and shades of grey, a little brown and beige are also acceptable.

Morning terrace

Detail at the homestay

Lino and Desirée's little sweetheart

In Trivandrum or Thiruvananthapuram

The watch repairman

Well I lied! This is my favourite sunset from my friend Liisa.

Normal service will be resumed shortly

What do you want?

2011-01-12T08:47:00.000+01:00

The local chemists warehouse


A close up on some of the goodies on offer.

Wandering around the market streets in Trivandrum can be quite an eye opener. The goods on display are a long way from your local Coop. Specialist shops tend to gather together in different quarters of the city.

The fruit and veg market has all the amazing fruits and vegetables that are quite beyond my daily need of a few apples and a punnet of strawberries now and then. Here are unknown fruits swarming with eager flies, hungry to share their sugary contents.
Moving through the market streets dark and inviting doorways open towards a strange and new world.
At one of the doors I had had an interesting experience a few days before. On returning to the market with a group of friends I asked one of them to stick their head in the door and see what happened. The guy in there shouted at her "What do you want!!" Exactly the same reception I had received. A little startled and frightened she stepped back and then started giggling. My assumption is that the guy is trying to be helpful and offering a little assistance. His sales technique could do with a little polishing.
We wander through life in the hope of finding some solution. Of finding love and happiness, of finding that perfect pair of Raybans, whatever it is, we are out their looking.
We want that perfect life, the perfect posture, we know it is out there somewhere, all the fashion and lifestyle magazines have shown us what is happiness, what is truth. We are constantly searching for something outside, something in the market places of the world.
That happiness, love and satisfaction are not available on the market places of the world, is a little disappointing. This is something we need to take care of by our selves, this calls for a little bit of personal TLC (tender loving care). Getting down with our personal "demons," looking a little inwards, getting comfortable with our own beings.
The perfect Raybans are out there somewhere, the search for them will maybe be less important as a state of personal well being falls into place, though this has yet to be proven.
If some guy yells at you on your wandering through life "What do you want," remember he is only trying to help, or maybe he is trying to sell you some big onions. It makes the journey a little more exciting to never know quite what is on offer.

Mr. Softee

2011-01-06T11:11:00.000+01:00


Traditional foot massage, Kerala

I have had a little discomfort in my upper back for a few months. Nothing disastrous, just a little twinge as I move out of some of the poses. I reckoned it was from carrying my messenger bag around on the same shoulder with too much junk in the bag.
Down Kerala way there are a number of great opportunities to get put back into shape. Many of the traditional foot masseurs have grown up practicing the local ancient form of martial arts. Kalaripayat part of the training involves learning the massage technique. The idea being to feel the body and be able to repair any injuries occurring during training.
Having a small injury from battling my way around the wild streets of Copenhagen I have grabbed the chance to get knocked back into shape. Today sees the end of my treatment, 15 massages over a period of 18 days. Christmas and New Year came and went, giving a small break in the process. It started with foot massages and then the Ayurvedic doctor came in and had a good feel, deciding that hot pads and then small dams of hot oil on my back would be a good solution.
My back feels great, not that I had any real discomfort in my daily life.
My masseur was pleased with the treatment and praised me with the words; "You very softy now!" What every boy needs to hear.

Here is a little India moment: Fata Morgana
The hotel I am staying at arranges pick ups at the airport as guests are arriving. It is wonderful to see your name on a little sign. Getting shuffled off towards an ancient Ambassador through the crowds of expectant family members waiting for the bread winner flying in from the Gulf.
A guest was due to arrive. I had been involved in arranging the booking and had given the date for the pick up. The flights generally arrive early morning, that is a new date from the take off time, rich opportunities for mistakes. I had told the hotel the guest would be arriving on the 4th. The taxi was sent off with a sign. The guests name was very unusual, so no problem there.
A few hours later the taxi driver called the hotel. "Sir, we have a problem, sir!"
He had called the hotel owner the night before with the same words, worrying that there was no-one up. He was prepared for anything. The driver had picked up the guest and he had duly arrived at the hotel. The problem was it was the wrong guest!
She had the "right" name, she was on the "right" flight. The challenge was, she was due to be picked and driven to an Ashram a few hundred kilometers away.
The hotel owner rang the Ashram and the driver was sent back to the airport and the "right" driver found.
The next morning the "right" guest was due in (I had by then figured out the dates), another guest was coming in on a flight 15 minutes later. The agreement was to wait for both guests and drive them back to the hotel. The one guest came in and the one with the unusual name never appeared.
2 attempts to collect, the taxi driver was beginning to suspect a plot.
There is a good explanation as to the guests no show, but lets not get into that.

Abandon yourselves

2010-12-29T13:25:00.000+01:00

Lino Miele, Kovalam

Abandon yourselves on the floor.
This was Lino's instruction to us as we finished the guided class and settled into relaxation.

Just savor the word, Abandon.

To give up to the control or influence of another person or agent.

To give up with the intent of never again claiming a right or interest in.

To withdraw from, often in the face of danger or encroachment.

To withdraw protection, support, or help.

To give (oneself) over unrestrainedly

To cease from maintaining, practicing, or using.

To cease intending or attempting to perform.

I recall as a child moments that seemed to stretch into an eternity as involvement in a game created a new reality. The outer reality was abandoned, there was only the game, there was only now, time and space stood still. Sunny afternoons playing under the hedges of a quiet English countryside. We were safe and secure, lost in a world of our own creation.

Here we are again entering that zone as we drift into relaxation, entering that state of abandonment. Letting go and releasing. Knowing that we are safe, that we are in caring hands.

This being India there are always certain conditions that need to fall into place before life can move along its jolly path. In the practice we work with Dristi, Breath, and Locks. To Blog I need WiFi, Internet and power. One of the three have a tendency to slip away at a moments notice. They come back and stand in a row waiting to be used, though with the sneaky ability to just slope off out the door when you least expect it.

An Indian moment: the other day I was in Trivandrum, this being the State Capital of Kerala it has the biggest and presumably best book stores. I had a list of books I needed to order. Author and Title.

Do you have these books? Head shake.

Can you order them for me?

Not in store sir!

Yes I know they are not in the store, can you look them up on the computer and see if you can order them for me!

What is name sir?

Here on the list, all the books and the authors.

Nothing here sir!

We asking manager sir.

The manager is sitting at a bare desk with his suitable mustache, tummy and serious demeanor.

Can you order me these books?

Not in store sir!

Yes I know they are not in the store but maybe you can order them for me?

How long you here sir?

Another 4 weeks.

You take my phone number and call me.

Will you be able to order them?

You have publishers name?

Of course I didn't have the publishers name!

He had called Top Trump!

That was that.

I also tried to get a series of novels that have been written on India's greatest story Ramayana. They are by Ashok Banker. Here is a quote from Wikipedia "He is currently best known for his Ramayana Series, a freely imaginative retelling of the ancient Sanskrit epic poem. The series is ranked at No.1 on the "Internet Book List".

Complete blank! Not a sausage! Here I was offered a cartoon from the childrens section

Ah well the rickshaw driver was waiting and a dip in the ocean is also very relaxing.

Lunar eclipse

2010-12-20T07:44:00.001+01:00

The full Lunar eclipse happens tomorrow night. There will be no view of the eclipse here in Southern India. On December 21st. just before dawn the eclipse will be showing in Northern Europe.
Last year Southern India was witness to a full Solar eclipse. The picture below was taken at the height of the eclipse. The view is taken through a pair of binoculars and the complete corona can be seen on the rooftop of Paradesh.


Complete solar eclipse seen through a set of binoculars.

Sun Earth Moon
Floating in space unencumbered, attached and bound to each other through invisible forces of energy.
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost of our existence, never touching and yet only existing because of each other. Moving through time and space in a pattern that rarely changes or is disturbed. The far galaxies adding a distant influence, sending in Halley's Comet every 75 years or so for a little thrill. Black holes creating swells and eddies in the cosmic sea.
Our personal little trio are Breath Drishti Locks, we chug through space and time bringing our attention to this happy trio. Our personal galaxy is the mind, the swells and eddies of the mind can step into our space at a moments notice. We are deep into the trio of Breath Drishti and Locks when a personal Halley's Comet jumps into our space. Mosquito SMACK! Sweat running into an eye. Then back to the Trio. Occasionally it all hangs together and we loose ourselves in the moment. We reach that moment of Solar or Lunar eclipse when the Trio aligns and it all comes together. To hope for this to happen daily is too much to expect of the forces at play, that we get a little taste of that unity every so often is more than enough to know that our path is worth treading, that we are floating towards that place of quiet energy.

Settling in

2010-12-19T07:31:00.000+01:00

Arriving in the tropics is always a great joy, to meet that constant warmth, the lushness of the surroundings, deep red earth and ancient rocks.
It takes a week or so for mind and body to accept a new pace, a different rhythm to life. The flashing smiles of the local people as they move by carrying out their daily tasks.
Clothing is down to a minimum, flip flops and shorts, sunblock and shades are the schedule.
Yoga with Lino early morning, some are starting before dawn, walking to the shala with torches along quiet dark lanes. My start time is after the dawn and the village is beginning to waken. The building workers are starting their heavy day in the sun, mums washing children by the well. As we finish the practice the warmth of the day has set in, we take a coconut and head back to our hotels and guest houses for a shower and breakfast.
We are extremely blessed to have this opportunity to come all the way to a tropical paradise and practice a form of yoga that we have grown to love over the years. We are all here on vacation, a few weeks, a month, two months, how fortunate to have that time for ourselves, to have the money to travel out here and slip the ties of a working life for a period.
The yoga shala is filling up rapidly as we draw closer to the Christmas rush. Out of the shala time is spent sharing chai with old and new friends softly passing time together in the shade of coconut palms, feeling a soothing breeze blowing in from the Arabian Sea. Time to catch up, to read, to give space for that little project to mature and find its space in our lives.
Kerala is renowned for the good Ayurvedic treatments that are available here. Kovalam has become a centre for the treatments with several excellent clinics offering an ancient healing system to a hungry western clientele. Ayurveda is as ancient as yoga and has always been closely tied to the yoga practice. Do the yoga for your personal health and mental well being, Ayurveda will take care of the rest, bringing a balance to your diet and life through a series of treatments.
There are a lot of bandits down here offering bogus treatments and shoddy facilities. Fortunately there is a group of people who have visited the area over a longer period and can advise against the worst of the cowboys. The classical massage here is a foot massage, where the therapist uses his/her feet to massage you, working herbal oils deep into skin and tissue.
It can be quite challenging first time to be asked to strip off and then be stepped on by surprising strong Indian masseurs. Lying on an oily mat in a shady room feeling the body being worked strongly, listening to the small yelps coming from your self as the therapist finds those hidden spots that you kind of hoped he would miss.
The alternative to massages are full blown Panchakarma, this will usually extend over a month of treatment. Panchakarma is the classical cleansing process were all the crap (poisons) that have accumulated over the years are cleared from the body, a rejuvenation process that is more time consuming and goes way deeper than the massages. Panchakarma is described as a cellular wash, everything is shaken up and woken, all the poisons are moved towards the bowels and eventually flushed out. If you have been having a stressful year then a month here in the loving hands of the capable doctors is worth its weight in gold, combined with a steady yoga practice you are doing the best you can do for your self.

Dr. Unnikrishna between clients

Travel time

2010-12-10T01:55:00.001+01:00

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Usually a journey of a thousand miles starts with a crying baby and a set of worried parents. Being the compassionate beings that we are we send them hope that the baby will settle, and that they will not be sitting next to us on the next 6 hour flight.
A journey is always a challenge to move physically in time and space. Moving from the cooling winter winds of Denmark to the balmy breezes of the tropics. Time zones crash into sleep patterns, diet changes, adapting to new foods and making an attempt to absorb the impact of a totally foreign culture.
Life at home moves along in a rhythm that we feel a degree of comfort with. We know what to expect from the situations that appear during our daily pattern of life. Traveling to another culture there are all those strange do's and don'ts. In Denmark it has become relatively normal among quite casual acquaintances to hug and air kiss, one side maybe two, you feel it, you know your way. Coming to a society where gender patterns are quite different it suddenly becomes strange. This afternoon I met two of the guys from a hotel that I have stayed at regularly for years (recently moved to another hotel; whole other story). As we met they hugged me and drew me in. This is quite new, they seemed a little unsure but willing to give it a whirl. I was with my partner, the greeting for her was a light hand shake, and bring the attention back to man talk.

The monsoon has not quite moved on yet, the day before our arrival 19 cm. of rain fell in this area during a 24 hour period. There were pools on the grass area at the airport and puddles on the road as we drove in, apart from that no biggy. 19 cm. of rain is a huge amount, 19 cm. on a flat surface is a serious puddle, as it runs off and collects in the lower lying areas it is going to have some seriously destructive power. The hilly road into the village was quite ripped up, still drivable in the trusty "Ambassador" with a few oofs! aaughs! on the way.

Indian SIM card in the phone, re-connected to the world of Facebook and email. There is a period of mild panic as the ability to Google any question slips out of reach for a few hours. Status quo has returned to my reality.

Practice with Lino Miele starts for me on Sunday. He has been here a week and will be in Kovalam for two months. The retreat was originally established by John Scott and Gwendoline Hunt, Lino stepped in a few years later as John's family commitments kept him home in England.

Dont you just hate when that happens.

2010-12-04T17:29:00.000+01:00

I have lived with this blissful idea for years now.
I have been completely convinced that I am right in my assumption.
How can it be that an idea is destroyed so easily, that the assumption disappears in a mouthful.
It is most disappointing.
Having spent so much time and energy convincing myself how right I am.

Raw food is not for me.
It will be dissatisfying in a cold Nordic climate.
I will not enjoy the experience.
It will be like sushi (now I am sorry to disappoint, but sushi is just cold, sticky and salty).

As a favour I went along to a raw food café that has just opened near the studio.
It was a humbling meal.
The rush of flavours and textures was quite overwhelming.
On paying I gushed to the girl who had made the food.
Telling her I was a raw food virgin and that she had been kind and gentle with me.
Totally blowing away my ignorance and innocence.
I have had raw food cakes before but this was something way beyond that.

What do I have to hold onto?
If my dearly held beliefs can be destroyed so easily, what hope is there for me.
Should I stay indoors for a while, reducing the chance of some other belief being blown out of the water.
This is quite disturbing to realise how easily I have set myself up with an opinion that had absolutely no hold in reality.
Never the less I was completely convinced that I had every right to hold that opinion.

This probably means I will have to look at a few (start small) of my dearly held opinions and see what hold they have in reality!

The place we ate at was http://therawtribe on Blågaardsgade. Sunny Nørrebro, fantastic, raunchy and brilliant. Try it if you need a little convincing. It is shockingly good.

Art for arts sake

2010-11-29T14:42:00.000+01:00

Arne Salomonsen our guy with the artistic talent has set up a series of his work at the studio. We will be showing Arne's work for the next two months. Here is an opportunity to absorb yourself in paintings by an artist with deep and long standing roots in the mythology and spirituality of the Indian subcontinent.

As members you can enjoy the work at any time. You are welcome to invite family and friends along to have a look. The only condition is that they remove their shoes before walking around the studio.

We will arrange a small private viewing Sunday 5th. December where you are all very welcome, details to follow in a newsletter from the studio. Arne will be at the studio if you would like to discuss any of the work with him.

The attached photos are taken on a mobile phone. Please do not judge the art through the medium of a crappy iPhone picture, come by and enjoy the depth and texture of reality.

Hanuman Naga

Contemplation

Sri Yantra

Lady Gaga

2010-11-19T14:04:00.000+01:00

This morning Ekstra Bladet (the biggest boulevard paper in Denmark) rang me to ask if Lady Gaga had been by the studio to practice?
Now being an honest type I said no. Helping the journalist to find a few of the other top end studios in town.
If I had been a bit quicker on my toes I could have said, "I am not allowed to mention anything!"
Truth be told if she had come by I probably wouldn't have recognized her. If you are constantly dressed to kill, turning up in street clothes ready to practice is a completely other look.
She is probably unable to even contemplate doing that with the paranoia that surrounds fame and fortune. Living a life behind bodyguards and security, is that what she had hoped starting out?
Contact becomes very stilted and awkward. Is it me they are interested in or just riding on my fame?
Lady Gaga if you want to come by next time you are in town you will be very welcome. We will try and react as normal human beings. Bring the security guys, the doors will be closed to the press and other onlookers. You and the other students can be allowed to have that hour or two of complete personal time.
We all need and appreciate having the personal space that a great yoga practice provides in our daily lives.

what is this about

2010-11-08T14:52:00.000+01:00

The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit.
What is commonly referred to as "yoga" can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word asana, which refers to the practice of physical postures or poses.
Asana is only one of the eight "limbs" of yoga, the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well being than physical activity. In the West, however, the words asana and yoga are often used interchangeably.

This is pulled straight from a web definition of yoga.

If it is the union of mind, body and spirit what about old school drinkers in the bars of the world.
They have a wonderful commitment to their daily practice. Leaning on the bar getting fully involved in the continuous practice of drinking or hustling the next beer from their buddies. Striking a pose, one foot on the floor the other on the footrest. Slipping outside for a bit of pranayama with an unfiltered cigarette. A complete experience, mind body and spirits (no that was spirit, ah well, close enough).

Getting your visa

2010-11-02T13:46:00.001+01:00

This morning I cycled to the Indian Consulate to get a visa for my trip to Kerala.
The basics about getting a visa is do not argue with the receptionist.
They have "the force" and are willing to use it.
The guy a few people ahead of me had this exchange with the receptionist.
"What do you mean I have to have a coloured picture?"
"We will not accept black and white photographs!"
"It does not say anywhere that you only take coloured photographs!"
"We will not accept black and white photograph!"
You can kind of see a trend developing in this conversation.
"I have traveled a long way to get here!"
"I am sorry sir you have to get a coloured photograph."
"I have been waiting here for over two hours!"
"No you have not sir."
"Look it doesn't say anything about coloured photographs!"
"Sir you have to have a coloured photograph."
"Does that mean I have to go out, get a photograph and then wait for another two hours?"
"You need a coloured photograph and you have not been waiting two hours."
He tries to make her keep his documents which she is not interested in doing, leaves the building. Returning three minutes later, I am thinking that was quick, he must have some kind of printer in his van. But no, he is back waving a piece of paper saying it says nothing about black and white photographs.
The receptionist says she needs the colour photograph and he had better hurry as they are closing soon.
He had not returned when I left.

This approach is one of the things I learned early in life.
Consular services are noted for one thing and that is a particular lack of humour.
After returning from Canada I had decided to fly back and carry on my career as itinerant ski bum or something to that effect. The flights to the states were cheaper and I wanted to visit friends on the east coast.
Being unemployed at the time I wrote Gentleman under "occupation".
I was called in at the visa department and asked to explain.
The guy there was not amused, stamping my passport with no right of entry, no transit visa.
You live and learn.
6 months on a Kibbutz wasn't a bad alternative!

And so it begins

2010-10-15T07:33:00.000+02:00

Petri arrived late last night, flying in from Finland. He will be with us for the next 3 days running a workshop, sharing his knowledge and quiet presence.
As Copenhagen sleeps we move gently through the city, passing the remains of nightlife as they hang on corners calling and laughing with friends.
The studio is quiet and warm, ready to absorb us in its embrace. Practice is concentrated and in its calm way very intense, the shala is energised when a truly wonderful teacher is in residence.
This weekend we have the pleasure of hosting Petri and having him with us to celebrate our first year.
Tomorrow we spend a few quiet moments together, dance and eat, time to celebrate a years passing, a time of many positive experiences.

Navaratri

2010-10-10T21:36:00.000+02:00

We opened the studio on Navaratri last year with a wonderful ceremony and blessing from Swamiji Brahmadeoji

Navaratri, what is that?

Navaratri, is a Hindu festival dedicating nine nights of devotion to the Goddess Shakti. Navaratri started this year on the New Moon 8th. October.

Millions of Hindu women consider Navaratri the year’s central festival, the one they most deeply connect to. These nine days dedicated to Shakti, provide an opportunity to seek blessings and commune with their own divinity. It is a time for sacred gatherings, austerities, selfless acts and intimate prayers. Navaratri is not just for the ladies; everyone turns out for the joyous worship, festivities, plays, feasting and dancing. All this to venerate the Mother Spirit giving life to everything.

What do Hindus do for Navaratri?

Navaratri starts on the new moon of September/October. On the first day, it is customary to plant seeds in a clay pot which will sprout over the next nine days. In some communities, women prepare a specially decorated kalasha, a vessel symbolizing the fertile womb, representing the Goddess. Especially in cities in Tamil Nadu, families create elaborate shelf displays, called kolu, of handmade clay dolls. Adding new dolls each year and handing the collection down to the next generation results in some grand displays.

How is Navaratri observed in homes?
Each night, the Goddess “holds court,” and special food offerings are presented as prayers eulogizing Her powers are chanted. Guests are invited to showcase their artistic skills, and all enjoy sweets and other treats. Women dress up and visit female friends and relatives, taking a tray of offerings which includes the betel leaf and nut that bear the gravity of a formal contract of friendship and loyalty. Other items on the tray include beauty accessories, fresh turmeric root and coconut symbolizing goodwill and fertility. They fast, pray morning and evening, and give food and cooking pots to the poor.

Shakti

How are Shakti’s forms worshiped?

In South India the first three days are dedicated to Goddess Durga, the fierce Mother who decimates negative forces.

Durga, you do not mess with Durga!

For the next three days, Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity, is revered.

Lakshmi

The last three days are dedicated to Sarasvati, the Goddess of learning and wisdom.

Saraswati

In this way, Hindus honor women as the protectors of the family, extol their powers of fertility and endurance, venerate them as the source of good fortune and revere them as repositories of culture and learning.

Our Birthday party is on the last night of Navaratri, we are blessed to find concordance with this great celebration. The power of love and the all embracing strength of womanhood prevails.

Meditation

2010-10-07T20:42:00.000+02:00

This Saturday at the studio Henning Daverne will be starting his next meditation course. If you have the slightest interest in Meditation, or just learning to sit and be comfortable with yourself, then maybe this is an opportunity for you.
meditation

Autmn evenings

2010-10-03T16:16:00.000+02:00

Leaving the studio Friday evening the light caught me and called for a photo. I only had my phone with me. This is looking back down Blegdamsvej towards Skt. Hans Torv and over towards Nørrebrogade.

What's happening in the big wide world

2010-09-30T19:27:00.000+02:00

How amazingly fortunate we are to be here in Copenhagen, a city with the exuberance to delight and enchant its citizens.

Westend on Vesterbro, this passageway has become a changing canvas for some great street artists

Don John

His work is on the other side of the passageway.

These are words of true wisdom. "Chocolate is not just for breakfast."

Fish dinner

2010-09-30T18:22:00.000+02:00

This morning I saw a video on the Guardians web site about the illegal fishing that goes on day and night off the coasts of some of the poorest nations in the world. There is no check as to conditions on board ship. Most of the ships have licenses to send fish to the European market. The group who made the video were originally just moving around the oceans checking on how the fishing was being carried out and by chance became aware of the appalling conditions being endured by the crew of these "pirate" ships.

Fish for dinner

It is one of the dramas going on in our world. Many of the dramas that we are bombarded with daily seem virtually impossible to do anything about. We become cold and impassive, there is a massive demand on our ability to help, to do something for others. We need to care for ourselves, to feel strong and have an excess of energy to be able to even think of solving others problems.

It becomes very challenging to have others troubles thrown at us through the news media. The news is generally atrocious, disasters and drama sell, good news is a losing wicket. The only good news is on the sports channel and then it is usually only 50% who are in agreement that the news is good if it is their team that has been thrashed.

The fishing situation is something that can be changed and now that the information is out there, it will be moved on. Life will change and alter, the boats will gradually be regulated, conditions on board improved.

We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. - Albert Einstein

Wise words Albert; the collective think tank will get it in action and a set of solution will evolve.

Where is Wally?

2010-09-28T10:59:00.001+02:00

Last night I was driving through town in my partners little car. It is light grey and as anonymous as they come. I was driving with my daughter lovely guy, delivering the last bits of a move to various spots in town.
As we cruise the evening streets of Copenhagen we keep noticing guys in serious pieces of road gear. Audi RS-4, Mazda sports, dropped BMW's, massive exhaust pipes, completely macho machines. All driven by single guys, or at very best a guy friend in the passenger seat.
It is strange that the message just hasn't got through yet about all that compensatory power. Here they are being totally blocked up on their leather seated testosterone cruisers and alone.

1. you are locked in a metal machine and cut off from reality.
2. you are more interested in metal and petrol than the the softness of a relationship.
3. you are spending all your money on a machine, what about a little dinner for me?
4. what are you compensating for?

The guys who are getting the long looks are those out in reality.

The ironic Find Holger (Where is Wally) characters riding their fixies, Bullets or LongJohn's. These are the guys meeting life, smiling (very subtly, can't lose that mr. cool image) cruising, meeting and greeting. Riding with friends, stopping to talk (you just can't do that in a car).

Boys sell the Beemer, get a bike and say hello to life. Everyone will be better off, maybe you can start smiling, enjoying yourself. Life seemed so appealing in a big leather clad power machine, but it is just cut off and sad. Sell it, ride or walk and have a sense of real enjoyment.

Dive into life, switch off the Garmin GPS, get a little lost and find your way.

Charlie Brooker

2010-09-20T15:07:00.000+02:00

Charlie Brooker is a journalist/columnist on The Guardian
Here he is describing the joy of eating a snack at McDonald's.
"It was a bit like sinking my teeth into a small, soft woodland creature with a light dusting of flour; one which thoroughly enjoyed being eaten and responded to each bite by gently urinating warm oil down my chin."

Hilarious description, though seriously unsettling.

This is something he does regularly, enjoying the delights of fast food. If eating a meal which is meant to satisfy and nourish him, then why OH why keep going back to such an experience? There is something more than simple nourishment going on here.

Eating a food type that kicks in so many other senses is more than a food, it is a habit, it is a need. Like that super size bar of chocolate that lurks in a cupboard calling the faithless to eat! "I will just have one piece!" An hour or two later all you have left is a wrapper, a feeling of discomfort and serious lack of self esteem.

Most of us have these soft boundaries were we slip away from ideals, sliding down the slope to what our Grandma's would have called "a fate worse than death."

Is it really so bad? We need to maintain a sense of equilibrium in life. Our normal way through life is gentle and kind, we are no longer attacking the neighbors or fighting on the streets. We are civilized beings, chugging along giving a hand to our fellow man, being charitable and compassionate.
That we sometimes slide a little, eat or do what we know is not for our best isn't going to kill us (well not right away) there is a need to be kind and compassionate towards ourselves. To take care of ourselves and sometimes let go, dance, sing a stupid tune, laugh out loud at your own jokes, be a frail vulnerable human bean.

Then we go and beat ourselves up for being weak and stupid! NO! NO! NO!

We have grown up with a deeply rooted protestant culture of solid work ethic, enjoyment has to be paid for, slips from the straight and narrow will be punished. These ideals are our cultural background, though they have been an accepted norm for many years does not make them an unchangeable truth. We need to have a honest look at the feelings which surface as we move along a path that is new and changing for everyone of us. We make our way through new situations constantly, how do we maintain a feeling of balance, a positive outlook to life and what it can bring?

McDonald's solution is not one that suits me, being comfortable with the choices we make is a good start. Constantly beating ourselves up, feelings of guilt are not going to help anyone. Unless you have committed a serious crime today you are probably doing better than you think. Whatever the drama/problem is, it is only a moment in time, even this will pass and a new dawn will shine on the horizon.

Its all in the telling

2010-09-15T10:49:00.000+02:00

The National Health Service in the UK has felt a need to help its staff with English. The NHS has many foreign staff, doctors, nurses arriving from all over the world to cover shortages.
That in itself is a little disturbing, a country not being able to provide enough trained staff to cover its needs. That is another discussion.
Anyway the NHS has been able to draw on staff from abroad. The staff arriving in the UK have good English skills, however many of the patients are elderly and their language can be a little challenging for the young people coming in from other cultures. To help the staff the NHS is now running crash courses in the rather special language of the elderly.

Here are a few examples, see if you can reply in a way that would comfort a patient.

1. I need to spend a penny!
2. I can't find my jim jams!
3. I am tickled pink!
4. I am feeling under the weather!

Language is a strange creation, changing on a regular basis. There are those who will always rail against change insisting that "language" or whatever their bugbear (another good word Bugbear) must remain stable. The French government has a whole organisation involved in creating french versions of all the new words that evolve. This conservative approach will always be frustrating for those engaged in trying to stop change. There is often an insistence on "things" remaining as they were, being fearful of allowing change to happen organically. "Tradition is the illusion of permanence."

1. I need to use the bathroom/toilet.
2. I can't find my pajamas.
3. I am feeling great.
4. I am feeling a little down.

Inner City Art

2010-09-12T18:58:00.001+02:00

There are the big galleries in town and they have an audience.

At the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo

Then there are the streets that we ride and walk on every day. The streets also have their artists, the art is more permeable, fading and changing with the seasons and mood of the city.

On the corner by the Empire Cinema, Nørrebro.

A rather ugly metal container gets a helping hand

Kissmama sends out the word for a kindly treatment


Not sure of the guys name, he does fantastic paper drawings of local characters and glues them up for us to share.

This is a great parking opportunity

Party Time

2010-09-11T19:12:00.001+02:00

In a months time we will celebrate with Petri.
Officially we opened in September last year. Swamiji Brahmadeoji came and gave his blessing.

Swamiji will travel to Denmark next year.
More on this later! It is worth waiting for, he will be with us for at least 3 days holding a very special and seldom series of talks.

The weekend of Petri's workshop feels very fitting to have a little party. He is the first teacher who came and held a workshop at the studio.

Petri will be there, we will finish the Saturday session with a meditation after the technique class and then something for everyone; Dance. Not your ordinary run of the mill dance with the guys hanging out against the wall and the ladies bopping to the beat, no this is something very special.

When we have danced to our hearts content there will be food. Vegetarian Indian dishes. OH mama, we gonna party tonight.

To have an idea of how much food there needs to be prepared we will need a shout from you all if you are coming. Drop me a mail robin@astangastudio.dk or let me know at the studio. If your partners and lovers would like to take part then you get the picture it needs a little bit of organising.

A year, doesn't seem like a lot, it is a huge chunk of time for all of us, so much has happened, so much has evolved. Lets get together and celebrate.

Transformation

2010-08-17T14:40:00.001+02:00

This was the key word at my old company during the period 2006-2010. The company would be setting sail on a series of new endeavors. One of the main ideas was social responsibility, or triple bottom line. How to get a large organisation to move steadily towards having a sense of responsibility for its employees. How to get the same organisation to have a sense of responsibility towards its suppliers and customers. That the raw materials and supplies we bought in were ethically produced, that the products we created were just as ethically produced. That the customers could buy and use the products with a sense of right, there was no feeling of guilt in using our products. The company is Novozymes A/S with its headquarters in Bagsværd. The company has completed the transformation. For a company like Novozymes it was not a particularly challenging journey as they have always worked from a high moral base. The ideas are now formulated and implemented, the supply lines are traceable, every section of the production process has been viewed critically and problem areas noted. The areas that need changing are placed in a systematic process that forces the necessary movement to take place within a limited time frame.
This is a huge organisation that has been turned around within a relatively short period of time.
We are also working on turning ourselves around, moving towards a social responsibility. Moving towards being comfortable within our own skins. To be truly comfortable there is a need to have both the physical and spiritual side of our beings in place.
A large company uses many systems to steer and control the path that has been set out by the companies directors. ISO 9000, ISO 14000, GMP, Safety groups, Team Building, all manner of organizational tools.
As individuals we also have this need to feel in place, to be at ease, what do we use to get there?

A generation or two ago the church was the leading light in giving us a form of moral guidance. The need to seek guidance through formal religious groups has faded rapidly. There is now a tendency to float through life on a rudderless path, we seek immediate gratification for our needs. There is an underlying dis-satisfaction to this way of being. To drift with no sense of direction often leads to a feeling of loss, of sadness, it is just not good enough.
A physical practice that is regular gives us that sense of well being. Once a week, three times a week, maybe even a daily practice. It is a stable point in our lives, a little life raft in the flotsam and jetsam of needs and desires. From the physical practice comes that place of calm, a new beginning, a reboot. We are in a neutral state, able to reload, move forward in life with a calm and steady heart.
I am eternally grateful to have crossed paths with a practice that I find both challenging and supportive. To have that space in my daily life that is steady and solid, caring and giving.
It is maybe not as documented as an ISO 14000 process but it works for me, giving my life direction and joy. A little joy in life ain't that bad.

Waddya talkin about?

2010-08-09T12:36:00.000+02:00

Marianne has mentioned us with kind words in her Blog; http://cirkusprinsesse.dk/
Birgitte has mentioned us with kind words in her Blog; http://birgittesyoga.dk/
And now Karen Pallisgaard Quist has sent our name out into the ether; http://youmeyoga.com/
Karen is the health editor for Femina/In/Psykologi, three major Danish magazines.

Publicity is a strange beast, we are willing to step up and give our words of wisdom, when the newspapers or TV need a sound bite. Our despair and shock is obvious when the clip is cut down and used in a manner we cannot recognize. Our moment of fame has been destroyed and we stand foolishly in the blaze of lights with a look of anguish on our sweet and innocent faces. Stepping up and giving opinions is always a thin line fraught with dangers. Our opinions are usually very subjective when we are questioned about a situation that is fraught with emotion.

Now Yoga; that is objective, right? We will only tell the truth about a subject that is so important to us?
The nitty gritty of it all is that Yoga is something that gives us a state of being that we would like to share. It has helped us and millions of people before us to achieve a life of openness and calm that no other form of practice has really achieved. Yoga is not a belief system, you get on your mat, breath in and breath out, entering a place of meditative calm that opens and prepares us for the challenges that our daily existence sends our way. We have a baseline that is neutral allowing us to see a little clearer in the jungle of emotions and decisions that we have to handle constantly.

11 plus

2010-07-30T14:00:00.000+02:00

The Merman steps in

In the 60's I owned a beautiful small sailing dinghy, an 11 plus designed in 1956 by Eric Parlain. I have searched Google but as yet have not been able to find any pictures of the craft. I spent a few summers sailing on the Thames in this lovely boat with its rolled decks and built in buoyancy. It was quite a frisky dinghy tipping me into the murky waters of the Thames on many occasions.
My Dad and I drove down to Brighton to buy it and hauled it back to Surrey on its trailer. The money was from a paper round I had done for a while. A great purchase, lots of fun, plenty of embarrassment as I learned to handle it. By the end of the second summer I was getting into other things and the boat was painted and readied for re-sale.
The next Easter I was up in the Peak District of England, camping with the Senior Scouts. It was really cold and we were cooking food just outside the tent trying to protect ourselves from a bitterly cold wind. We managed to set the tent alight, no great damage, more a blow to our delicate egos.
On returning to Surrey my Mom and Dad were leaping about with excitement. The boat had been sold, my Dad had got the same price for it as we had paid a few years previously.
That wasn't what the excitement was about! They had used the money to buy a new house; well put down a deposit on a new house.
We all piled in the car and drove over to the Hampton Court area in Surrey. The house was not completed yet, but it was amazing. A brand new 3 storey house right on the Thames. Views of the river from all the upstairs rooms. The deposit was something like £125. The house cost just over £2000.
A number of years later my sisters and I had moved away from the house and my parents decided to move to a smaller property on the estate. They got £6000+ for the property.
The house is now worth between £350000-400000.
What though is the real value of that property? It was somewhere that our family lived and grew, evolved as human beings. It was the framework for our daily life. A place to share experiences, there is no way to put a fiscal value on experiences.
We seem to be moved more and more towards being told that financial solidity is the true happiness.
All the shows on TV about how the rich and "famous" live, Cribs on MTV, the street guys who now live in sterile designer homes stuffed with chandeliers and huge cars.
This are not what gives our life any value, it is what we experience in our daily chugging around. What opens our eyes, gives us new insights. It is sharing a smile with a stranger, learning from friends and colleagues. These are the values that have meaning for us in life.
Sure it is "nice" to have enough money to get by, to go out and buy a few toys, but a good life is going to be our attitude towards ourselves, towards our fellow man.
To have wagonloads of cash is no guarantee for a happy and satisfying life, na boys and girls, its all about our attitude.
As the Boy Scouts say, "Be Prepared!"

Ladies flying along on the road to discovery

You never know what life is going to chuck your way. If you are gathering experiences and looking honestly and positively at what life is about then you will be able to handle what the days and nights send your way. That is a value worth working on.

The video is my Grandson eating Wasabi nuts. So what is the big deal, it's Wasabi nuts!

What is the price of that?

2010-07-30T12:49:00.000+02:00

There has been a lot of discussion in the media about chicken production. The choices of organic or industrial production. Industrial production has units of up to 40000 birds. Organic has a maximum of 2000 with access to grass and fresh air during the growth cycle.
The industrial produced birds live for 40 days and grow to 2 kilos.
The organic birds are 70 days on reaching a similar weight.
Consumers were asked why they chose industrially produced birds instead of the organic.
The answer was price, price, price.
Not a word about the ethics of a creature being treated badly.
Not a mention of the ethics of creating an industrial production around living creatures.
My decision was taken many years ago as to whether or not I would be involved in supporting something I considered to be deeply unethical.
The discussion is still going on. There is no way to guilt people into changing habits, that is not a path to follow. However a wake up call now and then about what is going on in world around us is OK. It is something we can change.
10 years ago the organic movement was basically the territory of middle aged hippies and the upwardly mobile city dwellers. The movement is now so integral a part of our daily life as to be a natural choice. COOP are market leaders in the movement. The change is happening and in reality at quite a rapid pace. It is maybe a little slow for the 110 million chickens who are slaughtered annually in Denmark, but then what the hey, they are CHEAP!
One of the main supermarkets has changed the name of its industry chickens from "kærlig" (love) chickens to "Tasty" chicken. Not a taste that sits well with me, but then I guess that has been made quite clear.

Gwendoline remembered

2010-07-22T15:23:00.000+02:00

Guiding beginners in Kovalam.

My wonderful teacher came to me in my practice this morning.
How can it be that nearly 6 years have passed since Gwendoline slipped into a river in spring flood to be washed away from us. Her memory is clear and bright, she is close by, her eyes shining as ever.
Giving her guidance and assistance through a practice that she discovered late in life.

Gwendoline had practiced yoga for many years and was becoming bored with the practice. On her return to Wellington New Zealand she heard about a young teacher who had recently returned to NZ. John Scott was the lucky coincidence. Gwendoline and John got on like a house on fire. Gwendoline rediscovered the joy of a yoga practice.

Soon after she started with John he said he was off to the States to do a series of workshops and would Gwendoline take over the classes in the meantime. Her immediate answer was NO, only to be persuaded by John that she was perfectly capable of running the classes while he was away.
The next day Gwendoline ran her first class alone, it went fine. Later that day John rang her; how nice she thought, he is ringing to see how it went. "Where are you John, it seems like such a good connection?" "Oh, I am back in New Zealand!" The immigration authorities had checked his bags and found brochures for courses! "Here as a tourist are you?" So he was back on the plane and a long flight to New Zealand.

Gwendoline and John started the Kovalam workshops and had run them for a number of years. In the meantime John married and had a couple of children, settling in England with Lucy. It became too demanding to travel every winter with small children and Lino Miele stepped in to help Gwendoline out with the workshops.

Lino had a long and romantic association with Copenhagen. There came a time when Lino wanted to start a more formal school in Copenhagen. He had established the school in Helsinki which was to become the largest yoga school in Europe, possibly in the world. He gathered a small group of nervous yogi's and asked if they were willing to establish a little something in Copenhagen. He knew this great teacher, Gwendoline who would come up and help out.

Gwendoline arrived in Copenhagen and we started off in an old swimming pool (covered) on Østerbro.
Gwendoline could only be with us 3 months at a time due to visa problems, she was not a citizen of EU.

In Copenhagen, what every 70+ lady does!

Suddenly there we are with this little powerhouse who could do anything with us! She was funny, demanding, challenging, everything a great guide should be. I spent time with her in Finland, Copenhagen and several times in Kovalam.

Adjusting Tim Feldman

During her first stay in Copenhagen Gwendoline celebrated her 70th. Birthday. She said, "I am stronger today than I was when I was 60!" Now that is not something you hear everyday.
Gwendoline stayed in my apartment the last few times she was in Copenhagen, we would go out on bike trips to see the city, taking pictures of the statues and generally having a jolly time. Saturday morning 06.45, knock knock on my door! "Hi Robin, ready to go?" "Mmm, yeah, sure, be with you in a moment!"

In Copenhagen

I was painting my apartment when a friend called and told me the news.
Someone so full of life, literally pulled away and lost.

Holidays

2010-06-08T11:43:00.000+02:00

What are you doing this summer?
What are you doing this winter?
The only reality is to live in the now, right?
Yadda, yadda, yadda, I wanna go on holiday, I wanna get away!
Life in the right here and now is great, I feel very blessed and grateful.
However the sun is shining and the summer is here, isn't it wonderful to feel that there is a future, that we can plan for other experiences.
To get on a train or hit the road, even fly somewhere exotic, before we are guilt tripped into walking and cycling everywhere.
Where to go, what to do?

I have spent some great times in the summer in Finland. Finland in the summer! Isn't it just mosquitoes and moose? I have joined the summer retreat with the Astanga Yoga School in Finland. They arrange a retreat on one of the islands in the archipelago off the coast of Turku. Sauna, swimming great yoga, brilliant food. It was run in conjunction with Lino Miele for many years, a very international group, great company and an experience over and above expectations. Lino is no longer traveling to the Houtskar retreat, things change and move on. The basic idea is still in place and probably worth a look see.

Houtskar retreat

A little of the local flora, very delicate.

Another of the great places to go in the summer is Lino Miele's retreat at Ca leSouré in Marche, Italy. The retreat is set in the hills of Marche about 3 hours from Rome (Italian speeds). The retreat is set on an Agro Tourisme converted farm, incredible local vegetarian food cooked by the family, Mama sits in the dining room welcoming guests and appreciates a little praise on the wonders of the place. The area is famous for truffles, good wine and generally the good life.
Ca leSouré Retreat

The morning of my 60'th Birthday in Ca leSouré

Ya know ya love it, right?

And then winter approaches, what to do in those dark months of Denmark. A choice is to try India, the warm heart of yoga, Mother India. She welcomes the winter tired travelers with refreshing fresh coconut juice, the enveloping warmth of the tropics. The last many years I have joined Lino and his assistants in Kovalam for as long as time and money will allow. Kovalam is a small seaside village in the state of Kerala, there is no traffic in the village (apart from a few motorcycles and scooters that squeeze through the lanes). The access roads are on the outskirts of the village leaving the central area as an oasis of "calm" in the madness that is India. Kerala and Kovalam are easy access points if it is your first time in India. Kerala is relatively well off, the area has wonderfully fertile land and a climate that allows two crops of rice a year. Fruit and vegetables grow in abundance and the local food is excellent with a large number of pure vegetarian restaurants. Swimming in the balmy Arabian Sea and considering the time of year is worth the trip in itself. The yoga practice is daily, in a large and airy space sitting on the top floor of an hotel. Practicing yoga at treetop level in the tropical warmth is wonderful.
Kovalam

Morning practice in the shala, treetops are visible through the blinds.

Il Maestro Lino Miele

Happening this weekend in Copenhagen

2010-06-05T09:42:00.000+02:00

Swamiji at the studio

Swamiji has given us the time in his very full calendar to spend three days with us in Copenhagen. If you have the time come by the studio and share the deep knowledge that this man has to give.

This is a man deeply steeped in the ancient knowledge of India. A knowledge stretching back many thousands of years and kept alive with the master to student tradition. Swamiji will talk on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra's and is open to questions.

He guided us through a meditation yesterday evening and will do the same this afternoon and Sunday afternoon.

Its a guy thing

2010-05-30T14:38:00.000+02:00

As a guy I appreciate certain things in life as being unchangeable:
Never having to ask for directions;
Never needing to read instructions;
Having the right to wear socks with sandals, if its for a fancy do, then using the white ones with the three colour stripes;
Always knowing the answer, even though I have no idea what I am talking about, I will give my opinion;
Having the right to wear Ferrari shirts and caps even though never even coming close to owning such a beast.
Wearing nylon training sets with an enormous paunch, they are so comfy!
Always knowing the quickest route and willing to share that knowledge;
Being under the conviction that 3/4 pants suit us. Lets get this straight they suit no-one! Maybe if you are a 2 meter model or a tattooed steroid machine, then no argument from me, otherwise NO! They are Capri pants and a fashion disaster waiting to happen;
So today I am getting ready for practice and on the table are instructions of how to care for your Black Mat. I glanced through it and one of the points was use the woven rough side to practice on. I have had a millennium mat for 8 years. Love it, the best mat ever. Actually I have 3, one at the studio, one at home and one in India. Live with it, this is another guy thing, having the equipment. Yoga is very low maintenance on equipment, that's why I NEED 3 mats.
I am practicing away at the studio with my mat turned the way it always has been turned, shiny side up. I asked Arna, "what do you think, should it be this side up or the side with all the patterns up?" She looked at me as if not really believing the question! "The patterned side up! Of course."
8 years I have been using the Millennium and suddenly a little 20 watt bulb goes off in my head. As Homer Simpson would say "DOH!" I have seen loads of people using the mat the other way round, in all that time no-one has said anything to me about it. To tell the truth I thought the people using there mats with the patterned side up had made a BIG mistake.

The perfect coffee!

2010-05-29T22:01:00.000+02:00

How often do we strive for finding, getting, achieving that perfect 10?

When we go out shopping it is to find, well for example that perfect pair of shoes. We have maybe never seen them, but in our minds eye they are there. The mission for the day is to hunt down this elusive product. We head for our usual stores, willing to ride all over town. If that does not find the "booty" then the net is taken into use. Searching through page after page of possibles, we know it is there, maybe it is not created yet, with enough effort and energy it will appear.

The same with a simple pleasure of a well made coffee. We know where to go, what to avoid. Again there is a willingness to ride that extra mile to get just the right mixture of taste and ambiance. A coffee from a cafe has to live up to many criteria. The service must be good, the room needs a certain style. The style should not be too classy, downright funky will do. Service is quick and friendly, price is not a serious contender here. Price can vary depending where you are in town, this is not the be all and end all of the experience. If milk is involved it should not be too hot. If froth is involved it should have a certain solidity, a certain firmness, if the barista is up to scratch a little flower/heart/swirl would be very welcome.

And so on to yoga practice. What is perfect? What is a 10? What are we trying to achieve? In a way that coffee/shoe/bag idea slips away as I step onto the mat. I am entering another world here a world without needs and demands. A free space, a space for personal growth, a caring for my well being. Maybe it still has a touch of the wants of coffee/shoes/bags though I feel that it is more moving into the now. A grabbing the moment and accepting where I am. Rather than going out and searching for perfection I am willing to accept that the moment is perfection. That this breath is where I am at and the next breath will carry me somewhere else. That somewhere is a dream, like the dream of the perfect coffee or that pair of shoes. It is down to being where I am at right here, right now. Just breathing in and breathing out. Sometimes it is crap, sometimes it is great, often it is hard and demanding. Fortunately it is a pleasure, once I have hit the mat, the decision has been taken to go to the studio and do my thing, then I feel wonderful. The practice maybe a challenge, but I am there and working through it in the knowledge that it changes. The practice is a fantastic leveler from the highs of "cor" did that, to "whoops," well have to try that again tomorrow.
The perfect 10 is on the mat, having the ability to breath in and out. Think of it, how fortunate are we to be able to do that, to have time and the ability to practice being in touch with ourselves, with getting in touch with something greater than ourselves.

And then a nice coffee afterwards anyone? I know a great little place. Oh dear and it was going so well!

The Yoga of coffee

2010-05-27T11:30:00.000+02:00

Espresso:

Short and powerful practice, full on, wham bam and outa here. Addictive joy, back for more of the same tomorrow.

Grandé:

With that sweetness on top, a longer deeper practice. Getting to grips with something new, a challenge overcome.

Cortado:

The powerhouse of coffee. An easy strong practice with the gentleness that a little milk gives to soften any harshness.

Single Latté:

A light and gentle practice, long and easy. A practice of floating calmness.

Double Latté:

Old School Indian Style

Power Up, lets get it on. A changing, evolving practice, full of energy, yet a soft and gentle energy.

Cappuccino:

Latté in a cup with a little chocolate on top. This is cosy, lets hang out and do a little practice, mmm, my word that feels Good!

DeCaf whatever:

Again Indian Style

You need a little sugar with that?

We all have those days without the real hit, its OK to just walk through sometimes. Tomorrow will come and the flow will return.

Lino has left the building

2010-05-24T14:37:00.000+02:00

Monday afternoon in Copenhagen, and a 3 day weekend of quiet intensity slows to a steady calm.

Lino has moved on in his travels, we are left with the muscular and spiritual imprints of a great masters touch and words. His guidance becomes part of our daily practice, some will be forgotten, some will be a new vision of what the practice can hold for us. We are all approaching yoga from different viewpoints and have very different expectations. A workshop is a time to reflect on where the practice is taking us, where and how do we move on from here.

Lino has the ability to get close to the students creating a sense of security, allowing for openings and development.

As our daily lives return, the intensity of the workshop will fade. As we continue with our practice glimpses of the workshop will return.

Lino has promised to return on the 13-15 May next year. For this we are extremely fortunate. Lino is a very sought after teacher and to have the promise of a return next year says a lot about us and the relationship Lino has with Copenhagen and the students here.

Thanks Lino for the weekend, thanks for your time and energy.

Product Placement

2010-05-19T21:01:00.000+02:00

Movies have become the greatest window for advertising. I go to the movies and spend half my time spotting, what car is being driven, what clothes are being worn and very often which computers are being flashed.

Last time I was at the movies it was Roman Polanski's Ghost Writer. A great little thriller. The real sit up and take notice moment in the movie was Ewan Mcgregor's wonderful green canvas bag. I must admit to being a bit of a bag man. I have bought way too many "essential" bags in my time. I assume that it is a relatively harmless passion.

The real reason for spending time writing the blog is for you all to get your antenna out and find me that bag!
The time before last in India the big rage was silk bags, everyone was buying them. There was a feeding frenzy getting them produced at the local tailors. I thought "Ooh, wonderful presents for friends, back home! Maybe even sell a few." When I arrived home I could not give them away! Third world fashions in the first world, it just does not work. What seems right in one environment just does not swing it in another. What looks fabulous in the bright light of tropical southern India is completely different to the wants and needs of a Copenhagen fashionista in the cold late winter.

One thing I am pretty certain of though, is that bag is out there somewhere with my name on it!

.

On The Road Again

2010-05-18T14:12:00.000+02:00

Bhagavad Gita says "there is no beginning, no middle, no end" we are simply energy moving in and out of form.

Moving from being a child to a teenager, from a teenager to an adult. From an adult to a mature being and then if the bus doesn't run you down, to old age and finally to death. All of these stages are a form of death. When you are a teenager, where is the baby that was you? That being has changed, you are no longer a baby, this is a form of death.

Death has become such a fearful force. We spend massive fortunes on avoiding the unavoidable, anti-aging creams, health spa's, crazy diets, extreme forms of training, entertaining ourselves with travel and sport.

We are all on a journey through time and space, if we relax and be in the moment fear will fade. Death has been a powerful part of our christian culture and is used as a tool to keep the plebs under control. "If you do not behave well here, then you are screwed when your time comes to meet the man!" If we live in fear of change (read death) then our opportunities of appreciating what is available for us to experience will be reduced to nil. We have been given a chance to be in this human form to learn and change. The Buddhist say, your chances of being born in a human form are the same as a turtle surfacing on the ocean and putting its head through a brass ring.

Change is inevitable, apart from death and taxes it is one of the few things we can be sure of here on planet Paradise Hotel. I guess it is about embracing the changes that are offered to us. If we live in fear then we close down, everyone becomes a terrorist (the latest tool to keep us in check).

Spring is here, summer is around the corner, how much of a change is that from the cold clutches of winter. The new gentle leaves are showing, blossom sends it sweet scent to awaken our senses.

Do not seek death.
Death will find you.
But seek the road which
makes death a fulfillment

Dag Hammarskjöld

The Legend Lives

2010-05-18T10:31:00.000+02:00

On this day, just a year ago Sri K. Pattabhi Jois passed away.

Around the world today many of his students have been remembering him in various ways. One of the ways has been to do 108 sun salutations. This is what I chose to do. It was a challenging but perfectly do-able practice, though towards the end I struggled to maintain Ujjayi breath. I am not sure that I will do it again.

I have great respect for the man and his constant energy and caring in sharing this wonderful practice. It is just the idea of doing such a practice seems a form of self flagellation. Many religions have this way of celebrating the death of a martyrs or great spiritual gurus. It is not really the way I wish to remember a great man.

When Gwendoline died I sat and meditated sharing time with the spirit that was and always will be Gwendoline. This is a form of sharing time and respect with a being who has moved on, leaving this physical form.

The yoga practice is a daily reminder of what Guruji and his fine students like Gwendoline have given us. Our respect and honour to those who have gone before us can be shown in the way we approach our lives and fellow man. The way we engage ourselves in a practice that connects us with something much greater than our small ego's shuffling around in the confusion of daily life.

Wakey, wakey!

2010-04-20T10:33:00.000+02:00

Slept deep and well. By 04:30 I was awake, stayed under the covers until 05:30.
By 06:30 I was shaved and showered, the first coffee of the day had been sipped with delight. A sudoku solved, the day is looking good. I feel energized and ready to take on the thrills of a brand new Tuesday in Copenhagen.
My pathetic man cold has abated. Helena gave me some super tablets and Arna donated a tub of Spirulina with Alma. I have been well cared for in my time of manly need. Actually I was quite heroic during this time of "illness" hardly moaning or complaining.
I was out early today, the roads were still waiting for the rush of traffic. As I turned off the main drag into the graveyard, the calm and quiet of this old space settled on me. Halfway down the path I drew alongside one of the gardeners and called to say I was going to overtake him on the inside. He turned smiling and said I was welcome to overtake but he had the key! We cycled along together chatting and sharing our appreciation of this wonderful area in the middle of the city.
If the way is barred then why rush and crash into a locked gate. We are all on a journey and there is no reason to push and shove at an immovable object. It's about pacing yourself, seeing the opportunities as they arise or being patient and waiting for them to open before you.
He stepped off his Christiania cycle, undid the padlock and pulled the iron gate open. The road opened before me, we said "enjoy the day" to each other and parted.

Worlds navel

2010-04-19T13:58:00.000+02:00

Here I am sitting in the centre of the universe. Where I am is the centre of my universe, my reality evolves from here. This is point zero. My reality works from here.

This is both true and false, I am the centre and I am a cellular entity within a vast body of consciousness. If my life stops, my breath stops, will the universe collapse? No I will be yesterdays news, the wrapping paper on the fish and chips of tomorrow.

It is all so important and yet irrelevant, my decisions are like the butterfly wings in the jungles of South America. They set off a ripple of action that can have worldwide consequences. The way I relate to the environment around me is going to affect a long chain of events.

The very idea is daunting, almost to the point of crippling inactivity. Is this why the Buddhists sit contemplating the great questions of existence? By doing nothing, will we have no effect on what takes place around us? Just by sitting we will create an effect. We cannot live our lives in a state of total inactivity, we are social beings, we need to move and relate, eat and drink, produce and consume. We cannot exist in a state of total inactivity, we will always have some effect on our fellow man.
Moving from point zero we will set a series of actions and reactions in motion.

The Buddhist philosophy of moving from a meditative state when relating to the world spreads a sense of peace and calm. How do we attain that state of being nonjudgmental and peaceful in our daily life? We move through the constant barrage of inputs from the cities that most of us have chosen to live in? We are surrounded by buildings, traffic, advertising, people, all of them sending energy and signals to us.

This is the reality we exist in, we are not sitting in a cave in the Himalaya foothills, no we are standing in the queue in Netto, waiting to cross a busy street, trying to get that last bargain at the sales. This is our reality! How come we do not implode into a pile of frustration?

We have all evolved our way of getting through the day. Some are convinced that "it always happens to me," others have the feeling that "Oh well it happened to me today, tomorrow will be different." The idea that what is happening is a permanent unchangeable situation is daunting. One thing in this universe is certain, stuff happens, change happens. What is today's reality is definitely no guarantee for what tomorrow will bring.

What we are doing now is going to affect what happens later (to a certain extent). Icelandic volcanoes and other wonders of the world will also go in and shake up the reality we exist in.

The sun shines, it is Monday, yoga class was a success, brunch was great, the wind blows cold, these are a few of the days experiences, I have faith life will continue to surprise me.

Copen lovely hagen

2010-04-16T16:09:00.001+02:00

When the dust settles
Check out especially number 4 & 5

So the plane wont fly, the trains are booked solid. Accept the fact that you are stuck in the greatest little city in the known universe.
Might as well enjoy your time here, rent a bike, cruise the lovely inner city, stroll through the parks, ride along the coast and eat a freshly made ice cream. Alternatively spend a little time at the studio, have an hour or so in your own company, get to re-connect with that comfortable side of yourself.
A yoga practice is going to be considerably more cheery than staring at canceled flight boards and worrying when the situation will change.

Susan Hedman, our star attraction for the weekend is stuck at home in Finland waiting for the dust to settle.

The Icelanders are apologizing for creating dramas across Europe again. If you live on a volcano then no-one can really blame you if it all gets a little volatile from time to time.

Litter Louts

2010-04-13T11:06:00.001+02:00

We had finally discovered how to get the word out that we existed. Sunday afternoon a couple of us headed down to Sankt Hans Torv and put some of our beautiful postcards on the bikes that were parked there. Brilliant, now we have a surefire method of getting in contact with a wider group in Copenhagen.

Monday we did the same, heading out and postcarding another area in town. Feeling very pleased with ourselves we then planned how to get out to the rest of town.

Monday afternoon I checked my mail and had a "cease and desist" order from Copenhagen Town Council. It is apparently against the local bye laws to advertise commercial activity on the streets of Copenhagen. The experience is that many of the cards are thrown away and it is difficult to clean up. That afternoon and evening I back tracked the areas we had postcarded and picked up all the discards.

From being a cutting edge spiritual and physical centre of energy we dropped down the scale to becoming litter louts. Litter louts are as reviled a group as those who walk their dogs without having a small plastic bag in obvious display, ready to collect little fluffies additions to the local environment.

The Town Council had been informed of the "crime" by a guy who has the job of keeping an eye on the city streets. He had sent in 13 colour photos as proof. There was a similar crime in the 60's that became notorious. Arlo Guthries song Alices Restaurant here the local force used 27 eight by ten glossy colour photos.

We will have to re-think how to get the word out that we exist. It needs to be a positive message.

Of course a life on the edge can get a certain amount of press coverage and notoriety. The starlets of Hollywood have used it very effectively in the last few years. One of the problems with that plan is that I do not drive a car and the appeal of me stepping off my bike with no underwear is not quite in the same realm of reality. I could always crash the Company Car into a bush somewhere and then run from the scene. Though I think that all that would happen is that some happy camper would score the Short John, give it a swift coat of paint and live happily ever after.

Q&A

2010-04-10T19:39:00.000+02:00

Krishnamacharya

We have been looking at questions and answers for the website. What are the normal considerations when starting something new. Can I manage it, is it going to suit me, what do I get out of it?

Is yoga a religion?
Yoga is not a belief system (religion). Yoga is a broad system that allows us to become a complete being. It is a system of tools, morals, ethics, philosophy, physical practice that opens us to become aware of who and what we are. Yoga is a system for mental and physical health.

Do I need to practice early in the morning?
The short answer is no! You may find that you wish to start the day with a yoga practice. Initially it is wonderful just to have discovered a practice that improves your state of being. As you become more comfortable with having regular practice there is often a natural tendency to move the practice to the beginning of your day.

I am stiff, can I do yoga?
There are no prerequisites to starting or practicing yoga. If you can breathe, you can do yoga. It is a personal, non-competitive and non-performance oriented practice. It doesn't matter at what age or fitness-level you begin. There is no race to get to any specific goal. It is best to work with what we have, to be gentle with ourselves, allowing the practice to let us go where we can that day. Our attitude towards the practice is more important than whether we are stiff or flexible. Allow the breath and movement take us where we can go. Through the steady practice of yoga, you will develop the strength, endurance and flexibility you need to be fit and healthy. All you need to do is show up. As Guruji says, "Do your practice and all is coming."

Do I need to become vegetarian?
No. Though as you practice regularly there can be a natural move towards a change in what you eat and how you relate to the world around you. The Astanga Yoga Studio http://astangastudio.dk is a vegetarian space

What is Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga Yoga is the system of yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. The system includes a number of series, each series consisting of a set sequence of poses or asanas. Ashtanga Yoga is a powerful and dynamic practice, in which poses are linked to one another through the synchronization of movement and breath.

How does Ashtanga Yoga differ from other types of yoga?
The primary difference between Ashtanga Yoga and other forms of yoga is the use of vinyasa, the principle of flowing movement synchronized with the breath. In addition to creating strength, flexibility and a purifying sweat, using vinyasa as the foundation of the practice, draws the mind inward, which creates a meditation-in-motion, a state of well-being, mental clarity and an open heart. Another difference is that Ashtanga Yoga follows prescribed sequences of asanas (postures). Each asana grows out of the one before it and is preparation for the next. Adhering to the sequence also prevents the practitioner from focusing only on his or her individual strengths while avoiding his or her weaknesses. When practicing in this way, ample opportunities arise to develop the virtues of patience, faith, acceptance and non-attachment.

Can I combine Ashtanga and other type of exercising?
Many do, dancers, free divers, runners, swimmers, rowers. The practice improves your cardiovascular ability, calms your mind, definitely a plus. The yoga practice is great for balancing your immune system.

Is this practice like Power Yoga or Vinyasa Flow Yoga?
Power Yoga and Vinyasa Flow Yoga are very recent forms of yoga that have been introduced by Western practitioners. Power Yoga/Vinyasa Flow do not follow a set series of positions (Asanas). Power Yoga/Vinyasa Flow Yoga is more a fitness based approach to yoga.
Ashtanga Yoga is a platform for a whole philosophical system. It is challenging, as there are no shortcuts. However the practice is a very worthwhile journey. It is the real deal, you cannot fake it.

Why are the Mysore classes not held on the Full and New moons?
Traditionally, Ashtanga Yoga is not practiced on moon days as the lunar cycles have a strong affect on our personal energy. The Full and New moons are the strongest points of the lunar cycle and it is said that because our energy is strongly affected on these days, there is a greater risk of injury and that injuries suffered on moon days take longer to heal. Stay home, rest, honour the moon and enjoy the day off. In the western world we also have a long tradition of respecting the affect moon phases have on our well being. The word “lunatic” is based on observations of the lunar effect.

What should I bring?
As the practice produces a purifying sweat, we advise you to bring your own yoga mat and a towel to practice. If you don't have your own yoga mat, we can loan you one for your first few classes. Wear flexible, lightweight and non-binding clothing such as shorts and stretchy workout wear. Yoga is done in bare feet.

How often should I practice?
Traditionally it is designed as part of a daily practice. As you start the practice it will take time for the body and mind to accept these new challenges. If you can find time in the beginning to practice 3 times a week the benefits will quickly be felt. It is better to practice on a regular basis. 3 times a week to start is better than 2 times a week and way better than 1 time a week or even 0 times a week. The practice is designed to support your life, sometimes life grabs you and throws you a loop. Accept this and come back to the practice as the opportunity arises.

Should I practice at home?
While Mysore classes empower students to develop a level of independence, it is advisable to practice with a teacher. Home practice is an option for students who have developed a level of proficiency in the practice on days when they cannot attend classes at the Studio. Practicing with a teacher gives your practice an added edge, you are in a yoga space with no distractions.

What do pain and injuries tell?
Pain and injuries are wake up calls. As we start working with our physical bodies in a new way there are always a few muscles that tend to shout for attention. We have all been to 10 pin bowling and woken up the next morning with a seriously painful butt. The body has been used in a new way and there will be a reaction. Muscular pain and irritation is a natural part of doing any form of physical practice. This is something we need to just live with, it passes quickly as the body gets used to new movements. If the pain is sharp and sudden then we need to back off and look at how we are approaching the movement. It is better to have a steady regular practice that builds slowly. If you try and force positions, maybe only practicing a few times a week then there is a greater chance of injury. Be regular in your practice, be kind to yourself, be patient. We have a long life ahead and it is best to walk through the poses, than rushing full tilt at a brick wall and being surprised that it does not give way as you slam into it. Practice in a warm space, do not skip poses, be gentle, practice regularly.

Mantra, what is that and why do we say it?

Firstly it is used to focus, to bring us from our daily life into the yoga practice. The mantras show respect for the long and ancient lineage of yogi's who have developed this wonderful practice. The mantra creates a vibration bringing us to another state of being. Mantra recitation is an ancient practice to focus the mind and create a specific state. The mantra is in Sanskrit, one of the first language in the world.

Why do I feel emotional?
It is quite normal for emotions to surface during the practice. We are opening body and mind, accept these emotions and allow them to be released. Be brave and allow them to be part of your practice. Do not be ashamed, do not run from them, be there and observe as they arise and move on. It is a good sign, a blockage is being released.

Gwendoline Hunt 72 years young

Spring bounces

2010-04-06T09:52:00.000+02:00

This was very much then, a long cold one

Oh, how we have struggled and survived!

At last we have reached a period of soft mild weather. Winter has been long and chilly, icy, to be more precise.

Copenhagen starts to throw off its winter coat and the new growth slowly shows itself. The trees outside the window have soft red shoots and full buds.

There is activity in the gardens, leaves being cleared, lawns being hustled back into life. The finches and sparrows are calling to each other in the hedgerows.
Easter has slipped by with parties, family gatherings and a feeling of renewal. Easter is the death of winter and the rebirth of the year.
The spring equinox has passed and a new period opens before us with the promise of long bright, warm days.

The sunshine starts to warm our winter bones

Holidays getting planned, sandals dragged out of wardrobes, shoe stores going into overdrive on the sandal front. I hunger after the time when getting dressed is slipping on shorts and a T shirt, no socks, just a pair of sandals and the feeling of warm air gliding by.

Acts of Random Kindness

2010-04-04T07:06:00.004+02:00

Dr. Unni getting a little massage.

Positive psychologists have found that one of the most effective strategies to lift people from depression is for them to help others.

We are hardwired to get a reward of feelgood hormones in return for a positive act towards others.

This is easy to forget in the day-to-day chaos of life. It is a thankful task moving towards creating acts of random kindness. The friend or stranger who benefits will feel uplifted, you will move on with a smile on your lips.

An act of random kindness, can be an unexpected smile, a hand that reaches out to guide or assist. It need not be something huge and certainly no money needs to change hands.

Give it a swing, see what happens. It is a win win situation, you feel great and the recipient moves on with an uplifted heart.

Pilgrim waiting to sail out to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial

Just doing it

2010-04-04T06:05:00.004+02:00

A moment of quiet calm

Moments of freedom and play

Do it today

Procrastination, putting things off, reduces our sense of well-being.
Taking action increases our feelings of being in control, of being part of something greater than ourselves.
The more actively involved we are in our life, the more positive we feel about it.
We say 'That needs doing', rather say: 'I'm doing it!'
Or worse, we will say "I will try and do that". Either you are doing it or you are not. Try lifting your arm! Are you lifting your arm or trying?

If a child is upset then you immediately take action to calm them and bring them back to a state of happiness.

It would be wonderful to bring that sense of immediacy into our own lives.
If we feel upset, do we then take action? How often does guilt slip in there and tell us: "Maybe I deserve this".

Can this be true? Where do these feelings of guilt slip into our daily make up? We have a long cultural background of being ruled by a powerful force that has used guilt as a means of control. This force is no longer a relevant part of society's make up, however the many years of using guilt as a controlling force have left a heavy shadow as to how we relate to each other and most importantly, how we relate to ourselves.

Look at how your life is evolving, is this something that you want? Is this something that you have maybe been guilt tripped into doing? Be honest, if it is just to please someone else who is genuinely being served.

Just doing it; is a fine balance of maintaining your own happiness and being aware of how your actions affect those around you.

As they used to say in New York Blues, "Be careful out there"!

Gratitude

2010-03-17T13:55:00.009+01:00

A gentle conversation

A new perspective

Hanging out

Generally we do not regret decisions we have taken, we regret only the ones we have not taken.

We have taken a decision to give ourselves a bit of personal time.
To spend an hour or two a few times a week just taking care of number one.
Communing with breath and movement, a time of quiet and calm.

We often make ourselves too busy to look after ourselves properly.
We have taken the step to focus on a practice that is enriching and fulfilling.

Give yourself those few hours to look after yourself, be a little egotistical and put your needs up front.
If you are feeling relaxed and strong the world around you will benefit.

If you churn away and wear yourself out who are you gaining?
A burn out is no help to anyone.

You are a precious being with the opportunity to be great, do not deny yourself this chance.
Your pleasure, becomes your friends and families pleasure.
Your happiness will become the happiness of all those involved with you.

Excuse me

2010-03-14T19:36:00.004+01:00

Eskil just sent me a BBC link with a story of the largest gathering of women on the planet. It is interesting just for that fact 3 million women gathered in one place. That it happened in India in the town close to where I have spent a yoga vacation for the last years makes it doubly interesting. It takes place in Trivandrum, Kerala.

The women were gathered at the Attukal Temple to celebrate Hindu goddess Bhagavathy - one incarnation of the potent goddesses Kali and Saraswati.

In the ancient religious texts, Bhagavathy is said to annihilate evil and protects the good in this world - she grants every wish of her devotees. This is also the fervent hope of the women who come year on year.

At the end of the ceremony a small plane hovered above the masses showering flowers.

We have a peaceful gathering of 3 million women. The article goes on to describe the police presence, 3000 officers, 600 of whom are women.

For me the most amazing detail in the article is this one: Fifty portable toilets were also provided. Read that again; 50 portable toilets. This is such an incredible detail of organisational disaster. 50 toilets for 3 million women, 3000 police officers. Do the math, it makes 60600 women for every toilet, that is quite a queue.
Remember what your Mom said go to the toilet before you leave!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8544038.stm

How to crack a problem

2010-03-05T10:04:00.003+01:00

The classic problem gets a new twist.
Wisdom for cash!

If I win the lottery everything will be better, I will be happy!
If you are a negative little toad right now and you get a serious amount of cash, will you change?
You will more than likely just become a wealthy negative toad.
Winning the lottery is secondary, it is getting to grips with all those head games we play.
Its like the old Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared".

If the lottery win comes your way and you get the western dream of serious wealth, wouldn't it be better if your life was already in place. You had looked at greed, jealousy, anger, revenge. Maybe even moved on to a place of peace, happiness, satisfaction, acceptance. Once you are in a good place that desperate need for an external solution fades.

Maybe you win maybe you don't. Whatever the outcome you can journey through life with a sense of personal worth, a sense of joy and sharing.

By the way if you reach that point and you win the Lottery remember me, huh, huh! Pretty please??

Delete that

2010-03-02T11:53:00.003+01:00

I have over 9000 photos on my iPhoto! I am pretty good at cleaning up and there are still a serious number of pictures. When I am out traveling friends download their cameras on to my computer, it clears their camera memory and gives them a back-up. This means that a lot of the shots are not mine, they are still there, lurking about ready to be used and misused as I see fit.

One of the pictures I always delete are those of my feet. How many shots have we all taken of our feet, just checking something, adjusting the settings, or carelessly clicking. Now why do I do that?

What is it with feet that makes them so irrelevant that we will just cancel them out.

A few years ago I was over in England visiting my Mom. It was summer and I was wandering around the house barefooted. One of my Moms friends was visiting and she burst out suddenly, "My God June look at his feet, they are beautiful". So as you can see I have it from a reliable source, a fine English lady, that I have great feet.
Feet have become rather neglected as we spend a lot of the time with them stuffed into boots or shoes.

My feet have stepped into the light since starting Astanga Yoga.
My gazing point is often towards my feet, I literally stare at them for periods of the practice. I grab my toes in many of the poses. Slip my hands over and under my feet. Grab my feet and pull them into more and more challenging positions.

Maggie having a close look

The grand statues in India are generally barefooted. It was the natural way to move around.

To move around nowadays in India or anywhere is going to cause a serious amount of wear and tear on your feet. The surfaces have become hard and unforgiving. A long life of working in the outdoors without shoes is going to degrade feet quite badly.

The feet of a new born child, my grandson.
What will his relationship be with his feet?
The first steps are taken, he is now running, climbing and exploring.

Our feet are our true contact with earth, they keep us grounded.
Maybe its time to bring them out of the closet, let them see the light of day.
Time to enjoy my base. If I am not sitting on my arse or lying on my back then it is my feet that are carrying me through life.
Maybe it is time to save those shots of toes and feet, caught in awkward positions. Give feet a chance: Now who was it that said that?

Addiction?

2010-02-27T16:45:00.006+01:00

The modem has been down at home for a few days. Our supplier figured it was a cable problem as a few houses in our area were having trouble. It came back and then disappeared again. We called our supplier (dealer?) and they reckoned it was our modem that was down. This being Friday they could not get a guy out to us before Monday. This morning the modem was flashing away and we had connection!
It is horribly shocking as to how much I missed that connection!
The ability to "connect" with friends and the world of cyber contacts had been ripped away from me. 10 years ago this would not have been an issue. Today the idea of being off-line for a matter of hours becomes a drama. What have I missed in that time? What has been so important that it could not wait for a few days. The truthful answer is exactly nothing. However it has been a disturbing time, a realization that there is a feeling of addictiveness towards being connected.
I have no plans of going into rehab to solve the problem. The plan is to get my phone to function as a standby. If that will not work then the next step is to get a mobile connection. There is no way I am willing to step back from being connected. It is an addiction and maybe in time it will soften and change.
At this stage in my life I am not going to retire to a cave and get it on with myself. No, I am going to chat and lark about, dart from one "important" site to the next. Googling my way through the challenges that life presents.

Obama and the Lama

2010-02-19T13:57:00.002+01:00

There must be a good rap in the title!

President Obama, leader of the richest nation in the world meets with the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of a nation that has been occupied for 60 years.

The President has taken over a nation in a state of ruin, spoiled by greed and lack of ethics. He is given, and takes the opportunity to meet and talk with the Dalai Lama. A man who has held his own against a constant barrage of misinformation by the Chinese government. A man who can offer an alternative to values we hold dear in life.

America has set its sights on becoming the richest and most powerful nation in history. That goal has been achieved and there are few who will deny it. Being rich and powerful is not always the answer as has also been shown. Many Americans feel empty and lost, nervous of failure. If you do not have a great income and a guaranteed pension and health care plan there is a feeling of dread that it will all slip away. This fear has been clearly demonstrated during the last years as the American economy has imploded leaving many families homeless and jobless, relying on a state that has spent the last many years withdrawing from any need to support the weaker groups in society.

I doubt whether President Obama is expecting any help from the Dalai Lama, though a seed may be sown as to another viewpoint. What the President is doing is giving his time to a man who has called for dialogue and peaceful co-existence for many years. The Dalai Lama has maintained his spiritual view of how to handle the Chinese government and their rather fearful insistence of denying that the Dalai Lama has any rights to speak for his people who have suffered terribly under the Chinese regime.

The Chinese government has moved in the period the Dalai Lama has been in exile from an extreme communist state with a fierce grip on its people. To now one of the strongest and fastest growing economies in the world. The government of China is still purportedly a communist controlled state though now with a large number of entrepreneurs making huge fortunes. The state maintains its tight control on its people. A government run by men with the right answers and opinions!

That the Dalai Lama has kept smiling, has never resorted to violence in word or deed is a remarkable achievement. It is time that the Chinese government gave space to other ideas and lost their fear of change. They have a nation that is powerful and safe, a nation with one of the longest cultural histories, a nation that we would all like to honour and respect. Time for a little largess?

The search for happiness

2010-02-15T07:52:00.003+01:00

The world's oldest Sunday paper relaunches this week, it will aim to build on a heritage founded on the age of reason.

John Muholland is the editor of the Observer

"The Observer's mission statement from its inception in 1791 reads: "Unbiased by prejudice – uninfluenced by party. Whole principle is independence, whole object is truth, and the dissemination of every species of knowledge that may conduce to the happiness of society."

The Observer was born during the age of enlightenment, as a new set of values emerged at the core of western societies – freedom, democracy and reason. Rationality replaced dogma, science trumped conjecture, empiricism bested speculation. Even more importantly for the Observer, the idea of liberalism – the ventilation of diverse opinions and a tolerance of same – took root at this time.

The world has changed, as has the Observer, but these beliefs are still at the centre of the paper.

The Observer remains an independent voice and one that is committed to liberal and social democratic values. We're committed to other issues too. We like fashion and food and football, for instance, but what distinguishes the Observer are its values. These are the philosophical scaffolds holding the paper in place, which help create a distinctive (not better, or worse, but different) voice on a Sunday and build on the paper's legacy and its proud history as the oldest Sunday paper in the world.

And what a history. The Observer supported the Chartist movements for political and social reform in the 19th century. It backed the rise of early trade unionism. It sided with the North against the Confederate slave states in the American civil war. It played a vital role in helping to establish Amnesty International and Index on Censorship and became the principal supporter in the British press of Nelson Mandela.

The Observer's core strengths and what we could provide in an age when readers are increasingly at the receiving end of a media tsunami. Amid that chaos there is a role for a Sunday paper that offers increased reflection, discursiveness and analysis. But it also has to offer engagement, passion and a commitment to highlighting issues in line with the founding principles of the paper. The Observer has to stand for something, and to stand out as a result.

The paper that appears next Sunday will be substantially changed from the first edition of the Observer on 4 December 1791. But we will also have a great deal in common. That first edition set out its blueprint for Sunday journalism as one intended to "apply the strictest attention and care to greater objects of general concern", but also promised to report on "the fine Arts,emanations (sic) of Science, the Tragic and the Comic Muse, the National Police, fashion and fashionable follies". It still holds true".

The relaunch of a Sunday newspaper with time for reflection, with an open view to society, with a vision of a fair and joyous way of life. It almost sounds like the Good News Papers that have tried and failed. This is an old British established newspaper that has had a serious look at itself and is coming out fighting with an engagement in how life can be. Something to strive for, a life of happiness.

We are constantly bombarded with news in a way that creates a feeling of uselessness, of inability to take responsibility. How can we handle the stream of disasters that make up the normal newscast; for me there is a tendency to shut down. It is too much to handle, before one drama has been absorbed, the next one is being reported. It becomes a form of visual pornography as we view these situations taking place around the globe with no hope of affecting them.

The news desks have the attitude of grabbing us by the short and curlies and gluing us to the screen or headlines. There is no time for reflection or evaluating, it is just a constant stream of disturbing images. We are as wild animals caught in the headlights of life unable to step aside or make a considered opinion.

Sundays have been the day for a quiet time, a space for reflection. A time to sit and mull over what the week has brought and how we will handle the coming time. Even this time has now been absorbed into the new God of consumerism. Shops and nurseries are open, we are drawn away from a quiet time of reflection to go out and shop or entertain ourselves. When will we get time to sit and be, to just have a time of quietness? A time to absorb and reflect, to gain energy and prepare for what is to come.

Where are we to find space in our daily lives to reflect and take a time out? There is an obvious answer; it takes a small effort to remove ourselves from the daily humdrum and slip into the studio for a safe, quiet time.

I figure on still reading the Sunday papers. Following the Guardian online and watching a bit of BBC. My hope is to find space to follow a path of happiness, to be able to handle the challenges life chucks at me in a relatively calm way.

The Robin Hood Tax

2010-02-10T10:10:00.002+01:00

So finally a tax to be pleased about.
Death and taxes are unavoidable. We know they are coming, we would rather not think about it. Just do not want to know.

An English organisation has started campaigning for a tax on the banking system. The idea is to tax all transactions that do not involve clients. A tax on speculation!

Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral ++) has made a great video with Bill Nighy setting out the case.

You can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYtNwmXKIvM

The idea of what to do with the money is not quite in place yet. There will be plenty of it as the sums mentioned are huge. It will need the major economies to be in some form of agreement otherwise the banking world will simply move transactions to states that are not in agreement.

A small step for the banking world, a huge leap for mankind?

The man drawer

2010-02-05T15:20:00.003+01:00

An English comedian has a little spiel on men and their foibles. One of the things guys do is to have a drawer to put a few things in. If he is in a relationship he will claim not to need any space, maybe just a drawer to put a few things in. Now what a guy puts in the drawer is nearly always the same.

Sets of keys from the last places he has lived.
A spring loaded measuring tape.
Various cables for bits of tech. equipment that he probably no longer uses.
Coins and small change from foreign travels.

Why keep the keys? They are no longer relevant. Are we going to be requested at some time in the future to go on a secret mission to our old apartments. Your mission is to approach the property through the side gate, open the shed door and unlock the cupboard on the right. Travel across town and enter the cellar of your old apartment. None of this is ever going to happen. Are the keys thrown out? Well no, they might come in handy, even though you no longer have any idea where they fit.

The measuring tape is an essential tool, every guy should have one, I have two. They can be whipped out and used at anytime. When your partner is out you can wander around the apartment with the measuring tape slipped on your belt. Zap, ready to measure at any moment.

The cables are just ridiculous (as if the rest had any relevance) why confuse an already muddled brain by offering alternatives solutions. If the equipment is chucked out, why not get rid of the cables at the same time. Sadly this is never the case and we spend hours struggling with finding just the right USB connection, maybe this one will fit. Even after going through the drawer and not finding the right connection we never think far enough ahead to actually chuck the useless cables out.

At least I know I am not alone on this. So ladies please have a little patience with us, we are a simple people and easily amused. If we are allowed to keep our toys we will cause you very little trouble. We can even be set tasks of tidying up the drawer. Probably nothing will be thrown out, at least you know we will be quiet for a few hours and you know where we are.

divinely discontent

2010-02-03T12:36:00.006+01:00

"Getting drunk or doing exercise works.
Life coaches work if they turn the "i" in Frank Sinatra lyrics to "you". You did it your way.
In the words of Deepak Chopra, I will remain divinely discontent."

This is from a comment in the English newspaper the Guardian. He/she is referring to an article refuting the premise of Homeopathy.
A group of doubters gathered and took "overdoses" of homeopathic medicine in public in an attempt to prove its lack of effectiveness.

I have no great interest in the problematic, what interested me was the quote from Deepak Chopra. "I will remain divinely discontent."

Is this not what we strive for, to find that elusive solution? A solution that seems so close and yet so distant. We are divinely discontent, moving through life searching and sifting.

How did we react/relate to what just happened?

How are we relating to something in the future. How do we project our patterns onto the future.

Today I was cycling along (OMG not another bit of bike philosophy!) there was a lot of slush lying in the gutters. Between the road and the cycle path there was a big bank of snow. The cars and trucks were sometimes running through the slush and spraying it across the cycle path.

As I cycled along I could feel myself getting more and more angry about the cars and trucks. Here I am projecting what will happen when a car hits the slush and sprays me. Let me tell you that my reaction pattern was not very calm and considered, there was punching, throwing slush, even urinating in public. Well you will be pleased to hear that none of that happened. My ride was completely uneventful, dry trousers and a calming of the mind. So why do I let my crazy horse mind get carried away?
This is a long way from divine nature, though certainly in the deep and dark realms of discontent.

To be aware of the tricks and games our mind gets us involved in is a good step on the path. Of course it is great fun to let the mind shoot off and fantasize, it is entertaining and we need a little R&R. Life need not be a serious search for anything, a fun search can get us to some very interesting places as well.

Today foray into the world of slush and budding anger was maybe not the most healthy use of my time. To have realized what a dork I was being is probably enough of a lesson. And certainly a feeling of gratitude that I did not live out my wild fantasy of what would have happened if I did get sprayed.

I remain yours Divinely Discontent.

Here

2010-01-29T19:00:00.004+01:00

Where do you come from?
What does it matter where we come from?
We come from here, we have to work out what to say, what to do from where we are.
And we are here, in whatever state of mind or physicality; we are here.
It is a cultural pattern to want to know each others background.
How did we get here?
Why are we here?
Maybe it is just a conversational tool, an opener. Where do you come from?
It opens up the route plan of how we got to here.
How did we get here, very little was planned.
If we look back 10-15-20 years is there any way to have predicted that we would be here?
It is a daily miracle that we get through what life sets in our path.
This is something that we have to have confidence in.
We cannot plan a life, we have no Apps on the iPhone that will sort it.
We have no foolproof GPS system built into our daily chugging around on the path of life.

So where do you come from is a safe question, that we can answer with a certain feeling of confidence.
How did you get here, immediately throws in a huge quantum soup of possibilities.
This cannot be answered with any degree of confidence.
Then the, where are you going? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hardly know how I got here, how should I know what 5 years is going to bring!

The yoga practice has the same conundrum.
You start a practice in one state of mind, within a matter of a few breaths that has changed completely.
The start of the practice has you in one state of mind, by the end of the practice you are mentally and physically a completely other place.
This has all taken place within a matter of an hour, to an hour and a half!

How are we going to predict anything when all the patterns that are available are constantly permeating, anything is possible.

The only time we are close to anything real is that moment when time almost stands still, meditating, a state of ecstasy, a state of real fear. These are the moments when life's realities come into focus. What is real, what is important?

The moments when we touch on being here.
The where you came from, where are you going seem a tad irrelevant.
To be in that HERE moment is not exactly a tool we can handle in a daily life.
So we play games, we go to the movies, we read books, we practice yoga, we fiddle about on Facebook, we entertain ourselves.

Part of the entertainment is figuring out, where we came from and how we got here.
The story varies every time it is told and retold. Information that seemed relevant at one point now fades and new angles are added.

So tell where is it you actually come from, you have kind of a funny accent!

World Yoga Day

2010-01-27T18:26:00.003+01:00

We were sent a link today about this event. Eskil and I dived right in and got onboard. This is something worth putting a little effort into. The initiative was originally taken up by a Yoga teacher living in Berlin.

Samira Radsi is a film director and yoga teacher living in Berlin, Germany. One Saturday morning after a long night with little sleep she was counting milk bubbles in her Cappuccino when the idea for World Yoga Day popped out of nowhere. When the fabulous Sandra and Björn joined her the idea started to walk. The milk bubble count was 6844.

Sandra Von Lieven is a freelancing interaction designer and graphic design teacher living and working in Berlin, Germany. Of course she's an enthusiastic yogi too and always searching for projects that actually do make a difference. She's still not sure if someday – maybe – she will be a yoga teacher too, but until then she will be designing web sites, shirts, flyers, dvd-covers, yoga mats, business cards, brochures, and maybe… milk bubbles?

Björn Wyrich, an IT professional, is also living in Berlin, his favorite city in Germany. Nevertheless he's traveling much because of his core business Cinematrix. Also inspired by birds, bees and the legendary flocking milk bubbles he loves to fly with the swarm. And so he did his very best to set up this accessible website for Samiras great idea of a WORLD YOGA DAY for charity. Let this union of yogis become an energetic swarm and JOIN US now!
In 2008 Björn became an enthusiastic and certified Tantra Practitioner. May love be with you all.

This year the funds will be given to Medecins sans Frontieres. MSF are working in the earthquake zone of Haiti, giving immediate and essential help to the people of the island.

The idea is a rolling yoga practice. 2 hours in every time zone. Everyone will practice between 11:00-13:00 in their time zone. This will give a 24 hour yoga practice around the world.

If you are in Copenhagen on Sunday, join us for a practice at the Astanga Yoga Studio.
Blegdamsvej 32 1sal 2200 N. It does not matter if you have tried yoga before, we will be there to help and guide you.
It is not what you do, it is more about being part of something energising and giving. Come and take part, come and watch, come and donate.

Saying goodbye

2010-01-23T16:32:00.003+01:00

Longer vacations, intense workshops. We establish strong bonds with each other and the hope is that it will remain.

During longer vacations and workshops we can experience a closeness with the other travelers or participants. The goodbyes can be intense, we do not want this special time to end. We do not want to let go of the feelings we have established. A special period has been created and now is the time to move on. To move back to a regular life, away from the intensity of workshop or vacation.

We cannot live our lives afraid of the next goodbye, we know that goodbyes are not going to stop.

To be in a state of balance, not to worry about goodbyes or hellos. They are one and the same.

That is easy to write, though I am not sure that I can live up to it. When saying goodbye to my dad at his funeral I burst into tears. My buddy said to me afterwards he had thought to himself, "Oh well Robin is a Buddhist, he will hold it together." How wrong could he be!

Goodbyes are a small death, a finishing, a closing and completion.

We know in our heart of hearts that they cannot be avoided, there is a tendency for denial. "See you in a bit. Take it easy. Have a good one." It is rarely a straight goodbye.

So see you in a few days!

35 degrees

2010-01-20T15:57:00.006+01:00

That is the average difference in temperature from Sunday to Wednesday. Quite dramatic and yet expected. Moving from the tropics back to Scandinavia mid winter is always going to be a little on the dramatic side.

As I landed in Copenhagen airport and came into the baggage hall I was knocked out by the silence. The hall was filled with hundreds of travelers, the baggage carousels delivering bags up to the expectant passengers. It was just so amazingly quiet after the impact of India. No crows, car horns, bells, waves crashing on the shore, mantras being blasted out at 100+dB. Just quiet, really, really quiet. Everything was functioning as it should be, bags arriving people moving through the hall. The lack of drama was the real culture shock of landing in Scandinavia. You do it, you get on with life with the expectation that it will all work out. And it does, 99% of the time the world we move around in is without life threatening drama. There are no dogs wandering across the road, motorcycles pulling into moving traffic without looking, massive trucks bearing down on you. No the baggage carousels roll and our bags arrive, we glide off into the cool efficiency of a life that happily is without too many shocks.

The old Chinese curse of "may you have an interesting life" really is not relevant here. Our bags arrive and we move on with a life that is calm and secure.

Much as I enjoy being in India, it is unnerving to see life being lived so close to the edge. My comfort zone is quickly knocked out of place if I am traveling on the roads of India. There are just too many uncomfortable situations. The Indian idea of road safety is to build a large concrete barrier, if a wheel comes off, a tyre blows out, you slam into a solid wall. This is a society with no crumple zones, there are no soft landings. It is keep your eye on the road, hand on the horn, pray to your God and take care out there.

Though I am now out of shape for cycling; I miss every light on Falkoner Allé, Jagtvej. It is with a grateful heart that I set out into a society that has had the capacity to take care of its citizens. A place where you can move safely and securely at your own pace.

City of dreams

2010-01-15T07:07:00.005+01:00

Trivandrum, the capitol of Kerala state is about as far as you can get from a city of dreams. It is a run down Indian city with heavy traffic, broken roads and failing infrastucture. It is what is available and as a tourist in the area has a certain draw for shopping and markets. The ride into Trivandrum can be by bus (for the brave and sweaty), rickshaw (for the very brave), or taxi. My choice is always taxi, the idea of having a little more metal around me on the Indian highways is the only way to go.

The day we arrive in the city there are flags and posters everywhere for the DYFI which I think is the Democratic Youth Federation of India. An offshoot of the communist party, Kerala has been governed by the communist party for long periods. They are at present the ruling party in the state.
Check out the poster of Che Guevara as a symbol, it is Benicio Del Toro who played his character in Che. Interesting!
The city is literally wall to wall with flags and posters for the DYFI. An enormous effort has gone into advertising the congress. I wonder how much effort is then put into effective governance. It always appears more important to show that something is being done than the actual doing. That first spadeful, the inauguration, the show of face, these are always in the newspaper.

The city is now becoming a mix of Indian and western influences. India had many years as a closed society, with little access from western markets. This is seen in the Ambassador taxis that still ply the streets. Designed in England in the 40's and dropped in the 50's the designs were bought by Tata and production began in India. The design has basically stayed the same, no development in design taking place.
The opening of markets has thrown some challenging contrasts on the streets of India. The new shiny Levi outlet against an Indian Drug Merchant with his store of natural ingredients.

This guy is a classic example of the old and new bumping into each other. He was working his way up MG road (Mahatma Ghandi) pushing maybe 200kg. of produce uphill. We were in the taxi, hooting and darting. He plodded steadily along and kept pace with the intense traffic for a remarkably long time.

We shopped at this beautiful old cloth store in the quieter side streets of Trivandrum. It has been around for a goodly while. This is the oldest part of the store, the remainder has been modernised. I bought a few towels and paid at the cash desk. So far so good. Then it went Indian on me. A guy takes the computer print out bill and my money. Slips his shoes off and walks into the old part of the store. At the end of a long grass carpeted open veranda sat the boss. He walked up to the boss, handed him the receipt and money. The amount was entered into a large ledger and change given. He walked back, slipped his shoes on and came into the store. Walking past me he grabbed a rubber stamp, marked my bill PAID and handed me the change.

Welcome to India.

Lights out

2010-01-12T07:19:00.004+01:00

Walking home last night the stars were very bright and clear. The waning moon had not risen, leaving the evening dark and clear. A new moon arrives this Friday, together with a solar eclipse.
I had my torch lit as the road is rough and steep, constantly broken by the monsoon rains washing away the hand laid tarmac. Suddenly I come across a small group of local guys huddled around the back of a rickshaw. I can hear that one of them is working away in the engine bay. I stop and ask if they need a torch, "Yes please." The torch is taken out of my hand and they carry on. A few minutes later a guy turns up with a lit candle, their alternative light source. A slightly older guy has already removed the rear driveshaft, completed in the light of mobile phones.
A new driveshaft is ready to mount, collected by motorcycle before I arrived. The job is completed within 10 minutes, this is rally mechanics. A hammer, screwdriver, spanner and set of pliers is all the mechanic has. It is enough, with a minimum of fuss he fixes the driveshaft in place, re-secures the back axle. The guys tip the rickshaw off the jack and start it up. A little oil spilled on the road is the only sign of anything having happened here.
Darkness settles again and the night is left in its quietness.
The now somewhat oily torch lights my way home.

The secrets of life

2010-01-09T07:16:00.003+01:00

Being in India is all about discovering the secrets of life. I have been here a few weeks now and have been initiated into a couple of the greatest truths known to man/woman.

These truths I have decided to share with you.

Take a deep breath and lets get right down to it.

The first truth is how to make the perfect crust for apple pie!
This is an essential truth in the daily drama of everyday life.

1. Sieve the flour.
2. Mix the butter and flour carefully, take your time here to make it small and crumbly.
3. The water you use to mix the ingredients together should be from the freezer, icy cold.
4. Add a pinch of salt and let it rest in the fridge for an half hour to 3 hours.

This is a truth that can be joyfully shared with friends and family. Invite them by to be part of the wonderful truth of a full tummy, a time of happiness and love.

The second truth is a little more vague:

I can guide you on the way but cannot expose the full extent of the relevation.

This is more a Dan Brown search for the true meaning.

The best coffee in Rome!

Normally this is a subjective evaluation, however my spies and missionaries have spent many hours researching. I can give you this information as an objective valuation. This is the truth.

Behind the Pantheon are already two coffee shops rated as the best, one is Sant'Eustachio, the other is Tazzo D'Oro.

Head out from the Pantheon until you find a large marble foot, Via del Pie di Marmo.
On this street is a small coffee shop, usually with a queue. This is it! The best.

So here we have it not one but two truths. It can certainly pay to read these days.
We are always searching for answers, here you have fallen on two answers to questions you maybe didn't even know were troubling you.

Being Grateful

2010-01-02T07:29:00.004+01:00

How can I sit here in the glorious warmth and energy of Mother India and not feel grateful. It is the most amazing opportunity to sit on a sunny terrace, shaded with soft white cotton canvas. Eating a breakfast prepared with loving care. The food is all homemade, vegetarian, no eggs. Marina says she uses a little yogurt instead of eggs, whatever it is it works.

To be able to travel and enjoy a state of grace.
To practice a form of yoga that I find ideal.
To be together with friends.
To have the energy and desire to take an active part in daily life.

These things seem too obvious to be worth mentioning.

Gratefulness shows itself when we appreciate the smaller things that go right in our life.
The bus that slides up beside us as the rain starts and carries us on our way.
The greeting from a stranger that cheers us on our way.

Gratefulness shows its true form when we appreciate that even in adversity we can be grateful. Grateful for the lessons and guidance that we can learn from our challenges. This maybe takes a day or two to sink in but it is there.

For example: A lover who has broken with you is not answering your emails or text messages. The attachment is still there, the hope that they will change their mind.
Coming to the realization that the relationship is finished. This is a harder one to swallow and takes a little time. Gratefulness is found in the release from attachment and allowing oneself to move on. To be free and open again. To have let go.

The Year of Love

2010-01-01T07:05:00.003+01:00

I have it from the highest authorities that this year is the year of love.

2010 is The Year of Love.

My source insists on remaining anonymous, let us just say she is a stunningly beautiful Oxford professor.

If you are informed how time will show itself from a reliable source then it is not something that you argue about. If this source is at the same time brilliant and charming then are you not more inclined to believe? She is a scientist, so this must have been calculated down to the minutest detail, therefore not a belief system.

We can move forward into 2010, with the complete conviction that love will be with us.
I would like to say have faith! However that seems somewhat redundant, we are talking of scientific facts here.

As we enter 2010 with a steady conviction that we enter The Year of Love, then that is what will show itself. As we approach life in the coming year with the knowledge that we are surrounded by love, that is what we will experience.

Thanks for the heads up!

Enjoy 2010 it looks like being one of the ones to remember.

All is well

2009-12-26T12:41:00.010+01:00

Arriving at the cinema last night was a scene from Bedlam. Cars and motorcycles everywhere, people milling about, the road jammed solid. Our taxi driver said one of the films opening that night was with a Malayalam superstar.

The taxi was not allowed to stop and we did another circuit before miraculously being allowed into the cinema area and parking. Our friends were waiting on the steps with a fistful of ticket, done deal.

The screening room was at the top of a large building, we walked out onto the rooftop in a balmy night and were then guided into the balcony area of the cinema. The area we had been sent to was relatively small, if we stood up we could see the rest of the screening room below us. It was vast, a massive room with row upon row of seats.

The film we got to see was 3 Idiots with Amir Khan (Lagaan, Ghajini). A full on experience, phones ringing, texting, shouting, hooting with laughter, high fiving. Brilliant film, not sure if it was in Malayalam, the audience certainly got all the jokes. One of the guys explained a few of the details during the Intermission. We had a hugely enjoyable evening. 3 hours of great entertainment.

One of the main characters had a lot on his shoulders, actually all three of the "Idiots" had huge demands and responsibilities forced on their young beings. The main character Amir Khan had a little personal mantra "All is well" that kept him sane during times of pressure. It gave him enough energy to be able to handle the demands life sent him as well as helping his buddies in times of need.

How often do we wish to have that little excess of energy to manage ourselves and help the world around us. During the 2 World War the British were told to "Remain calm and carry on." These few words helped people in times of extreme stress, the bombing of London, V2 buzz bombs, evacuating the children of London to the countryside.

It is a helpful handle to grab onto, to have a few positive words. The opposite is giving up, "No matter what I do nothing helps!" What we verbalize is so important, it sends a signal out to the universe that bounces back and either knocks us down or lifts us up.

Not sure what my personal mantra is; it changes as circumstances change. Generally I believe it is a positive message I try and send out. Anger, frustration are also there; with time I have learned not hang on to these feelings. It is OK to experience them, but important to let them go. I do not expect frustration and anger to be part of my daily make-up, if that was so it would colour my approach to the world, becoming a self perpetuating force. No; frustration and anger become a good story to tell. A story to share of how stupidly I have reacted or the world has reacted towards me.

Today is the 26th. December and seems to be keyed into the European psyche to just blog out. Staggering from one chair to the next, one glorious meal to the next, a day of quiet conversations, playing silly games and generally hanging out. How fortunate to be in a position of sharing jokes and having the energy for games. To be able to release tension and take time out to just be. Thank you.

Christmas day

2009-12-25T07:03:00.008+01:00

The sun rises early in the tropics, 06: something and sets 12 hours later. All that Daylight Saving Time seems a little irrelevant in these parts.

I was at the shala early morning to watch Lino give a guided class, the photos are from this mornings class.

Back in Europe most people are just getting over the big celebration; Christmas Eve or in England sitting around opening presents and preparing for Christmas dinner.

It all seems rather distant in the warmth of southern India. In a few hours the yogi group will gather for a vegetarian buffet at Lonely Planet. This has become a tradition for Lino's group in Kovalam. Vegetarian food and the warmth of the tropics, sitting eating Christmas lunch under fans to keep the temperature at a reasonable level. There will be the usual fights as to whether the fans are on or off, some people just can't stand a slight breeze. Oh well it is like any family that gathers, there are always recurring dramas that show their pretty faces at such times, all part of the celebrations.

This evening the plan is for a trip into Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) and see a Bollywood blockbuster. It is a little dubious that we will get in, the cinema did not answer the phone and we have not been able to pre-book seats. A wild ride on the Indian highways is maybe all we get from the trip. Maybe we can hustle up a coffee or chai, it is always a blast to move through the scenery of Kerala and see what life chucks at you.

Floaters

2009-12-21T16:55:00.003+01:00

As yogis much of the discussions are around digestion. What are you eating, how does it effect you? Many are getting Ayurvedic massages and rejuvenating treatments at the Ayurvedic doctors. The doctors set great faith in cleansing. This can be done with a little castor oil or an enema. Maintaining a sense of humor is a sign of good mental health and with all the Enemas and oil treatments the grounds for scatalogical jokes are endless.

As we sat and ate at a restaurant we haven't visited for a while our gaze fell on the desserts. Crap Coco, seems obligingly relevant. The true meaning is Chocolate Crepe. Crap Coca seems to fit the bill way better.

Settling in

2009-12-20T03:15:00.003+01:00

The flight out here is now a distant memory. We have started the second week of the retreat with Lino Miele.
Many more people have arrived, groups now coming in from different areas, 15 from Estonia, 10 from Russia.

Last year was quiet in the first week, building up around Christmas and staying quite busy. This year started big and seems to be going to be huge. The energy that surrounds Astanga Yoga continues as more people open to its delights.

The weather here is very conducive to an early morning practice. The heat of the day has not kicked in, there is that early dawn sense of expectancy to the day.
Walking to the shala in the dark before dawn, lighting the way with a torch along small paths. Moving below palm and fruit trees, sleeping dogs stir as you pass, barking in surprise.

The practice space is set high on a hotel roof, we are on the third floor in a roofed area with open sides. The sides are covered with bamboo mats that can be rolled up to allow a little more of the warm air through.

Working through the practice, meeting the smiles of old and new friends Filling a water bottle with the filtered water and head on up the hill again for a shower and breakfast.

A new day has started well as I lie under fan listening to the birds calling, and the neighbors working their land.

Hangin' in there

2009-12-19T17:03:00.002+01:00

Can it get any better?

We already have the best looking shala in town!
The prettiest orchids!
Showers to die for!
Teachers who are attentive and caring!
And now folks, somewhere to hang your mat!
The banging and sawing are done.
It has happened.
No longer will you have to carry that black mat back and forth to the shala.
For a nominal fee you can get your own mat space and let your mat be at the shala.

Now does it get better than that?

Merry Merry

2009-12-19T16:28:00.003+01:00

Christmas has arrived.

In the tourist towns of Kerala the mantra is Merry, Merry, Christmas, Christmas, money, you give money.
The young lads dress as Father Christmas, a red cloak and a white beard, dance in front of the restaurants and see what they can get.
It is an innocent form of hustling, playing on the guests generosity and guilt.
Unfortunately for them there is an almost constant barrage of claims on our generosity and feelings.
Massage, fruit, leather sandals, tacky souvenirs, chill'a beer, plus all the beggars who are shipped in for the holiday season.
No business! You promise! Tomorrow?
A little cash falls their way and they get to hang with their buddies for an evening by the beach.

Sign of the times

2009-12-15T05:55:00.004+01:00

Language is a wonderful thing! Translating language is even more delicious. The possibilities for misunderstanding and jokes are innumerable.
My host here has just told me of a sign he and his wife saw a few weeks ago.
Outside a restaurant the owners proudly announced, "We are still eating children for free!"

Safety First

2009-12-15T04:26:00.003+01:00

When growing up I have always been told told to take care in traffic, look before you cross the road. Do not get in strange cars! Watch out for your fingers when using a hammer. Cut towards your friends not yourself!
The kind of stuff that is drilled into you as a kid and then repeated as your children are growing up.
I wonder what is said in India? The guys working the roads and fields seem to have flip flops as the only form of footwear. Danish safety officers would freak and shut the place down.
Last year the village had an update on the power system. Holes were dug and poles secured. At the foot of the hill a small relay station was set up. The concrete posts were raised by hand, using ropes tied around various trees. The guys then climbed the posts and set up the cross beams. All in place within a couple of days of hard solid work.
The two guys getting ready to ride off on the motorcycle had been part of the team. They are both wearing sandals, no crash helmets. The guy on the back has in his lap a bale of rope, an adze, a pick axe, a machete and is just getting a 2.5 meter iron bar ready to rest on their shoulders as they drive off home.
My Mom would have freaked!
The relay station is protected with solid iron bars and a death head warning sign. Unfortunately the bars are wide enough for anyone to stick an arm through and the fuses and power connections are within easy reach of anyone silly enough to poke around in there. I do hope their Moms have made sure they don't stick things in power sockets?

This is India

2009-12-14T13:49:00.005+01:00

As the sun slips into the Arabian sea I enjoy the warmth of the evening on a terrace high above the bay. Arriving here a few days ago the body is gradually adjusting to the constant warmth that is the tropics.
Every time I come south and east to the western tip of India I get a sore throat. Initially I think it is the sudden change of climate. Now as I look across the valley I reckon I have sussed it. There are 7 fires burning in and around the village.
In Copenhagen all the garbage is collected and sorted, what can be re-used is set aside, some is buried, some is burnt in an incinerator with an extreme temperature, the gasses are then filtered before being released into the atmosphere.
Here it is gathered and sorted, wrapped in sacking and transported out of the village. The years that I have been coming here there has been an ongoing discussion as to where an incinerator should be built, it hasn't happened yet. What happens to the bales of garbage is anyone's guess.
The 7 fires that are burning now are a local solution to a problem. Everywhere you walk there are remains of fires where garbage has been burnt. This is normally not sorted, just swept together and lit with a match. One of the biggest fires burning across from where I am is at the Leela Hotel, a 5 star resort charging serious money to stay. An embarrassing situation to find themselves in. Environmental problems do not seem to make the news.
If you go to Google Maps and zoom in on India many of the areas have no definition. There is simply too much low level smoke for the satellite cameras to get a clear picture.
India is home of the spiritual journey, a place that requires extremely good health to survive that journey of discovery.
On Friday morning we swam briefly in the sea. The water is clear warm and inviting. After a few moments we realize that we are being bitten. It turns out that it is not bites, it is stingers from jelly fish. The previous nights the fishermen had been out and dropping explosives in the water. Drifting in were large pieces of destroyed seaweed and all the jelly fish. On Friday during the day the fishermen had marched in protest to the local government offices in protest at the lack of fish in the sea.
When you talk to local residents about these things they shrug their shoulders and say “This is India”.

Chocolate

2009-12-05T18:18:00.003+01:00

Why is it that every nation is convinced that their chocolate is the best? Friends travel home and the first thing they will say is "Oh I will bring you some chocolate from Never Never ****".

Some of these countries are as far from the tropical zones as you can imagine. There is still this national pride that our chocolate is the best! Is it a left over from teen dreams, lying around on the sofa, watching TV and gorging on chocolate?

In England we have Cadbury as the main supplier of sugar and brown stuff. The European Union came very close to banning the English from calling their bars chocolate as it had such a low chocolate content.

The most recent offer of "the best in the world" chocolate came from a friend who is off to a small nation situated far north in the middle of a cold sea.

Maybe the only reason we let people get away with these claims is the promise of free chocolate. It is difficult to be critical if you have your mouth full of sugar and chocolate. What are you going to say? "No thank you, none for me I only eat Fair Trade chocolate on alternate Sundays when there is an no R in the month". "No the best we can get out is, mmmm, marvelous, the best I have had all day"!

By Monday evening I will be able to share with you whether my critical senses have survived or there is a crushed chocolate fan at my feet.

Coming from the land of good food "Battered and deep fried Mars Bars" I am definitely a voice to be taken seriously in the world of food critics.

Talking of sugar loaded products, jam is something the English do rather well, plucking local or home grown fruits and then creating jars of delicious jam to share with friends and family. Today I tasted a Blackberry jam (Blackberry is the king of jams according to my humble opinion) that would have had them swooning at the local village fete. Here in Denmark the local fete does not seem to exist, you know the sort of thing you have seen on movies. The vicar gets all the local ladies who lunch and the scout and guide groups to tie a few balloons together set up a tent or three and have a jolly time with flower, vegetable, cake and jam contests.

Here the jam is presented in a plain glass jar (very tastefully chosen design) and you have to ask if it is home made. This is so Danish. A nation of highly educated people who keep on learning and investigating, quietly impressing the world around them. Here no one shouts about what they can do, they know what they can do and that is enough.

Jam is never going to take over the offer of the "best chocolate in the world", who is going to put jars of jam in their baggage? No the problem survives and we are forced to struggle on with these heavy decisions. If I say your chocolate is rubbish, will I get more when you go home again?

Open space

2009-12-04T12:37:00.003+01:00

Open Space.
What does that mean?

A concept with many versions.
Once you have the basics of the practice in place you then have the opportunity to evolve.

Your life demands a long working day? Here is an opportunity to slip away and flex your spirit, to flex your body, to find that grounding.

Open Space is an opportunity to start and finish your practice as you wish. You are free from fixed times, what a relief! No need to synch your calendar, just slip away and get on the mat when the chance arrives.

Open Space is a gift, maybe the best gift you will get this year. Open Space is not just for Christmas it is for life.

Open Space will enrich your life with a vast array of possibilities.

Open Space is yours from 05:00 until 22:00. Night times are best for a good nights sleep. Your body and mind will be more jolly after a practice, a good start for a peaceful sleep.

Mysore classes are running from 06:00-09:30 and again 15:30-19:00. Start and finish as you want, join the classes, latch onto an hour. Or just open the door, walk in on your own time and spread your mat out. That is Open Space, it is your space, use and enjoy it as you see fit.

Open Space offers you a sanctuary from the demands of daily life, a time to be with yourself, to breathe and move, to relax and calm your soul.

The Heart of Yoga

2009-12-01T11:28:00.006+01:00

Krishnamacharya

Krishnamacharya is the link from the ancient knowledge to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois taught and shared Ashtanga Yoga for well over 60 years.

In old cities there is a tendency for certain trades to gather. You go to a street in the city and all the cloth stores are there, or traditionally tinsmiths, silver and goldsmiths. There is a synergy in gathering many similar trades in the area. The townsfolk know where to go and can recommend the area to friends and foreigners.

This has now happened in the area we are in. We are situated just west of the lakes between two major roads in and out of the city. The area is already filled with research centres, university departments, hospitals and higher education colleges.

The new group to gather in the area are yoga studios. We are all offering a wonderful opportunity to the local community. A place to take care of ourselves, a place to be, a place to share the joy of a practice. All the yoga practices are based on the ancient writings of Patanjali, the first great gatherer of yoga tradition.

The studios that are now centered around the Sankt Hans Torv area all have a different approach. This is an ancient knowledge which has evolved in many directions. Each lineage placing emphasis on certain areas of the knowledge. There is no true path, we all have our own road to walk. The basic idea of all the practices is that we become comfortable with ourselves, we create a space to open up to something greater than personal goals.

Some of the studios emphasize heat, some alignment, some work more with breath. There is now a marvelous opportunity to experience different forms of a practice within a very small area of town. A chance to find the practice that suits you. Stop someone with a yoga mat and ask them where and what they practice.

Many factors are at play here. Can I afford it? What are the facilities like? How is the atmosphere at the studio? Do the class times suit my schedule?

When it all comes down to it, each studio is comfy with the practice they offer. Anything else would be dishonest. The studios have all been started by individuals or groups who have a deep love for what they are offering. It is something they practice on a daily basis. As their personal practice has evolved the need to share what they have discovered becomes the basis for starting a studio.

On jer bike mate

2009-11-28T10:54:00.004+01:00

I am on my bike again cycling to the shala for an early morning practice. Suddenly there is something new shining above the wall of the graveyard I ride by. Normally I ride through the graveyard, this morning I was out earlier and the gates were closed. There above the middle of the wall is a neon sign, seemingly floating in space. A translation is "The Earth carries your impression".
I take a photo and ride on. Has it always been there and I just haven't seen it? As I ride back a little later I am desperate to get it clarified. It is still early in the morning, the shops are only beginning to open, the passers by are taking no notice of it and most of them look in a state of shock to have suddenly found themselves wandering the streets at that hour of the day. I stop at an optician to check out a new pair of reading glasses, saw a guy with a must have pair and am now in search mode to hunt them down. I ask the optician if she rides by the graveyard on her way to work? Yes she does, has she seen the sign above the wall? Yes it only appeared a few days ago. Wonderful, mystery solved!
We reckon it is a piece of street art for the coming COP 15.

A few things here:

1. My assumption that an optician cycles to work!
If I was asking in England it would be do you drive by the graveyard? It is the norm in Copenhagen to move around the city by bike.

2. It is a piece of amazingly well placed art.
30000 cyclist pass the area daily. In a way a pat on the back to them, what kind of footprint are we placing on earth.

3. It is a religious symbol.
We live in a Lutheran society with a strong work ethic. It is placed on the line between life and death. Floating in space like the planet we cling to. A timely reminder to consider how we treat this gift of life a little before the final bell tolls. The feeling of having a right to this is slipping though our fingers as we become more aware of the consequences of our actions.

4. It is a political symbol.
What are we leaving our kids, can we lighten our impression? Something has got to give. It is all up for discussion, consumerism is so deeply part of our make-up. Is this an addiction that we can let go of. If we stop buying all the crap we desire will I be able to buy my new reading glasses?

Being here now

2009-11-25T19:02:00.006+01:00

Just stepped out of the house and gone next door to pick up the washing. I can't help being amazed at the wonderful place I live in. A quiet old building in the centre of one of the greatest cities on earth. The evening is dark and warm, calm and clear, gazing at the lights in the apartments across the streets, the tower clock of the Town Hall.

A time of peace and expectation, Christmas draws near, a period of socializing.
I ride around this city daily and apart from occasionally dodging cars and pedestrians life is peaceful. This is the norm in Copenhagen, no big dramas, no floods or earthquakes. Life carries on in its quiet way.

This has not always been the case. Even here where I live some serious dramas have taken place. In the closing months of W.W.2 a squadron of planes took off from England to bomb the Gestapo HQ. in the Shell building right across from Nørreport station. The first group found the building easily hitting low down on the structure in the hope of bringing the building down. The building was a reinforced concrete structure and did not collapse as expected. On the top floor a large group of resistance fighters were being held, partly as a protection against just such an attack. 8 of the fighters were killed in the attack, the majority of the fighters managed to escape from the building in the ensuing melee.

One of the planes was damaged on the fly in, hitting a power pylon in the railway yards. This caused the plane to lose control, they managed to jettison one of the bombs as they crossed a broad road in the railway area, it hit an apartment block and killed a group of residents. Flying on into the city the plane eventually crashed into a French School just behind where I live. Over 200 were killed in the ensuing fire that broke out. The next wave of planes coming in mistook the target and now headed for the school dropping 6, 500lb. bombs on the wrong target. The firestorm that developed destroyed the homes of over 900 people.

The third wave of planes coming in realized the mistake and headed for the original target.

The School has now disappeared, leaving only a statue of Jean d'Arc in commemoration of the tragedy that took place.

So what has that got to do with getting the washing in?
It is that sometimes we kind of miss how incredibly fortunate we are, to be able to experience the moment and if we are even luckier, to share that moment with friends and family.

And the lights came on

2009-11-23T19:09:00.003+01:00

So Finally.

I have lived in Copenhagen for 8-9 years now. There have been a few things that have puzzled me in that time.

One of the major questions has been this!

If you have a beautiful technical college in buildings that have been purpose built, tucked away on the outskirts of Frederiksberg, just bordering Copenhagen. Why Oh Why are the lights not on. This is a college full of technicians, learning media trades. How do you signal that you are there, how do you show that you exist? The first thing is turn on the lights! Hello is anybody home?

Maybe the lights have been on before, maybe I just cycled by at odd hours and they are saving power.

I can sleep better at nights now, knowing that someone has got it together to find the light switch and power up, we are just over here, come and look, see what we are doing!

The trees and lights of Christmas are all moving into place on the main squares and streets, ready to show us the way. Shining on this beautiful city, spreading light in a time of winter darkness. November has been a wet and dark month, the Christmas lights will bring a sense of relief, a brightness and feeling of expectation. A joyous precursor for the time of year of sharing and being close to family, friends and colleagues.

Picture perfect

2009-11-19T16:40:00.005+01:00

Finally we have got it together to hang a few pictures.
It is putting up that last piece of skirting board.
You complete a major task and settle into the sofa for the next installment of Ugly Betty. At the back of your mind there is a little something gnawing away, like a small dog worrying its bone. What is it? Why can't I just sit here and blog out to the joys of a mindlessly funny TV show.
Its that bit of board that's missing! The pictures that have been sitting in the corner for weeks waiting for a decision.
We actually have done the deed, made a committed effort and hung a few posters and pictures.
The picture of Guruji, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is an important one. We have been allowed to use the picture by Govinda Kai

http://www.lunaticmonk.com
Govinda Kai has taken some of the finest pictures of Guruji, capturing the essence of the man.

Originally we had the picture on the wall as you came into the shala. We have now changed it and given him a more honourable placing. He is on the main wall above the Sri Yantra facing out towards the students, a placing he deserves.

On the left wall as you enter the shala we have hung a series of position posters, nicely framed in black. There will be a series of four posters. We are waiting for the last one to arrive. It is Lino Miele, doing the third series. There was a mix up at the printers and it was returned today for a re-run. We will be in place by the weekend.

Moon Days

2009-11-16T14:27:00.004+01:00

Ya hear all these stories about Moon days. Don't practice, take care, things can go wrong. Being a cynical westerner my tendency is, suck it and see. If it is proven to be correct then I will "believe" it.

In Astanga practice the advice is take care on Moon Days, at most do a light practice do not push it. At best take the day off. The very few times I have come to grief in the practice it has been Moon Days. Full Moon, feeling invincible, can do anything. Practicing at home one time I fell out of a pose, completely lost balance in an instant. The next moment lying in an embarrassed crumpled heap on the floor. That time it was my ego that took the biggest hit.

Today is New Moon, as I cycled back home from a visit to the shala; delivering a Birthday gift. I noticed that traffic was in its Moon Day pattern of behaviour. Aggressive feeling of disregard for each other. As I came out of Elmegade crossing Nørrebrogade a guy pulled directly in front of me, slapped on my brakes and had a little grumpy mouthing at him. A few hundred meters down the road a bus drives really close behind a female cyclist and hoots, then accelerates past her and cuts in to a bus stop, she is then trapped between the kerb and the bus.

I ride past the bus and cross one of the main streets into town. The bus is close behind me and I am not a happy bunny. The road narrows here, no cycle path and parked cars on either side.

Wham! the carrier on my Short John smacks into a 4 wheel drive car door. I am skidding along the road. This time my grumpy words come out with a few of the finest English swear words known to man.

The guy is as shocked as I am, the bus glides by, no danger there. It happens so fast. Adrenalin kicks in, my shoulder, knee and hand are painful, my right knuckle is bleeding. We exchange names and addresses, shit happens.

I guess I have to accept that Moon Days can be challenging.
It is finding that balance between stupid male bravado and paranoid reaction. Both are probably going to do you in.

Election time

2009-11-10T20:37:00.002+01:00

To be said with a strong Japanese accent.

This is Copenhagen, this is Denmark. Very liberal, very democratic. It seems like pretty much anybody and anything can stand for election.
We have local elections coming up in a week or so. Who is going to run our towns and districts for the next 4 years.

The Nihilistic Peoples party are standing for the truly important issues.

The poster reads:

Stop the Church Bells

Fuck being saved; we have a hangover.

Their other campaign slogan is based on a series of posters with the candidates face and name on them. The punch line is: Vote for "Charlotte" (or whoever the candidates name is) and waste your vote!

Interesting points of view.

I just went to Wikipidia and looked up Nihilism:

Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Moral nihilists assert that morality does not inherently exist, and that any established moral values are abstractly contrived. Subsequently there are no moral values with which to uphold a rule or logically prefer one action over another. Nihilism can also take epistemological, metaphysical, or ontological forms. Meaning, there is no point to anything, as in, any action taken has absolutely no value to the meaning in which is was taken. There was no purpose to taking it in the first place.

So I guess they have a point, or they don't have a point, which maybe is the point.

It stopped me in my tracks.

In the reality of Frederiksberg we have no Nihilists, they were too bored to stay.

This is a long standing Conservative town caught in the middle of a predominantly Social Democratic Copenhagen.
The Mayor here is running a campaign for more cars and more parking spaces, Conservative.
The Social Democrats are running on improvements for cyclists and maintaining social services.
The polls are saying that this could be the first time in a seriously long time that the left wing parties will have some say in governing the town,if not actually winning a majority vote.
This is the first time I will be voting in Frederiksberg and I know which way I will be voting.

20 Years today

2009-11-05T19:33:00.003+01:00

Wallace and Gromit

Not even a Wensleydale?

Father figure

2009-11-03T06:23:00.004+01:00

This year I am lucky enough to have the time and money for a trip to India. Spending a few weeks in Kovalam, Kerala State, way down south in the tropics. Lino Miele has run a workshop/retreat there for many years. Fabulous shala on the roof of an hotel, practicing at the same height as the coconut palms.

Before traveling to India there is a little issue with a visa. Could be a simple issue. Who are you? Where are you going? Why are you going?
This being India it is a little more complicated.
One of the questions is: Fathers name. Why could that possibly be relevant?
Further down there is another one: Fathers Nationality. + Previous Nationality.
I am 61 years old, my Dad died 7 years ago.
Is this a reflection of a very male dominated society?
No mention of my Mom, she is still around, they could send her an email and check if I have been a good boy!

The Consular services live in there own small world, though they seem to be a good reflection of the society they represent. India being incredibly bureaucratic. Before landing in India you have to fill out a form on the plane that asks you nearly all the same questions, including Visa number, Passport number. Bags are dragged out and rooted through while sitting in the wonderfully cramped seats of an international flight.

One thing that is guaranteed with Consular Services is there total lack of humour.
When I was younger I had been living in Canada for a while and had returned to England. After a while I thought that I would go back to Canada and work again. Flights were cheap through New York and I had friends in the States I could stay with. On the application form it said Profession: being unemployed at the time I wrote Gentleman. I was duly called in to the American Embassy in London. The guy asked what I meant by Gentleman; being young and cocky I explained my present state of unemployment. He looked at me for a few seconds quite incredulous, then whipped out a couple of rubber stamps (this is the late 60's). Right of Entry Refused. Right of Transit Refused. So much for America then! Guess its plan B and a few months on a Kibbutz.

Many years later my cockiness came back to haunt me as I wanted to travel to the States again. One of the questions on a visa is always; have you ever been refused entry. Of course I lied, fortunately the file had been dumped by that time, pre-computer, so I slipped across the border to the "Promised Land".

Its early

2009-10-30T09:23:00.004+01:00

What is it about getting up really early, cycling through a quiet city. Party goers wandering home hand in hand, newspapers being delivered, garbage trucks moving through the streets, police cruisers and taxis going off shift.
The night is shaking itself into place and ready to settle into the dawn of a new day. The quiet calm of expectancy hangs on the city walls. Whatever the day brings this old lady has seen it before, prepared, ready to absorb the twists and turns of a new dawn.
There is a feeling of wonder, of taking part in a secret ceremony, of being witness to something unique. The shadowy darkness gives an intriguing vision of a world we know so well, the imminent possibilities of the day are still masked in darkness.
Arriving at the shala the lights flicker into action, a warm space floating through the firmament, neutral, welcoming. Radiators burble into action, mats are rolled out and the deep ujjayi breath becomes the sound track for the next hour or so. Relaxation, shower, a little moisturising (ya gotta admit it is autumn and getting drier). Slide out the door and head for a local café for a little replenishment. Outside the window the street is getting busy, cyclists cruising by on their way to work and school. The day brightens and expectations dreams and plans start to take shape.

Breathe

2009-10-27T12:50:00.004+01:00

I have just had a bit of a cold!

As a guy talking you can imagine that a bit of a cold is really nothing. A COLD is enough to moan and whinge to the world for at least two weeks, closely followed by a deep expectation of sympathy for actually managing to survive such a traumatic experience.

Anyway, I have just had a bit of a cold, it lasted 2 days with a sniffy nose for a week or so.
What it does is effect my ability to breathe deeply. Kind of strange.

Breath is so essential for our well being.
If we become stressed then breath shortens and we move towards hyperventilation.
As we move into a deep meditative state it tends to slow and lengthen.

Cycling around town these days is a little challenging, girls keep dinging their bells and rushing by. Why is it nearly always girls who ring their bells? And how do they ride so fast, chatting with friends or talking on the phone, apparently unaware of the deep feeling of inadequacy they leave in their wake.

I have just come to a horrible conclusion, maybe it has nothing to do with my ability to breathe deeply, could be I am innately lazy and slow. Damn now that is something else to fret and worry over!

If it is my lack of ability to pull in a lung full of good city air, that is fine, it will pass and normality will return in a few days.

It takes a bit of a wake up call to realize both the importance and incredible fortune of being able to breathe in a natural and normal way. On the mat breath is an essential part of the practice. We do it, we share the experience with the others. For a couple of hours a day we are keyed in, breathing and moving in a powerful symbiosis.

What happens when the shala doors smacks behind us? Is all forgotten, do we slip into our old patterns. We are suddenly responsible for our well being in a "normal" state, no longer in the protected environs of a Yoga Studio.

How is your breath right now? Deep and calming, shallow and quick?

Whats in a name

2009-10-23T20:54:00.002+02:00

My postman has a reasonably well developed sense of humour or a reading disability. A parcel has arrived from England. New trousers that I ordered from a cool English store; Fat Face.
Tomorrow I have to go to the post office and pick up a parcel from Fart Face.

Why do we do this stuff?

2009-10-21T11:03:00.005+02:00

Yesterday as I arrive at Skt. Hans Torv to share a little breakfast with a few friends I spot it. My heart does a little flutter. Not love exactly, more pure lust. There it is parked among the multitude, that perfect example. That shape of my dreams. Simple, elegant with a rough edge.
After breakfast I cycle across town to check out the store. Here the story gets complex. Not only do they have a store full of great bikes the also have Principia and Batavus. This is so unfair, how can one make a choice in such a situation.
Fortunately I take a breath and leave the store with my money still neatly folded.
On arriving home Helena states the obvious.
1. we do not have space for more bikes.
2. I already have two great bikes.
So why are we (its not just me, is it?) totally keyed into wants and needs?
If I have two good bikes already, why does my desire function kick into overdrive when I see a new design, a new look. Have I spent too long watching TV ads, being bombarded with consumer pressure. Is it my duty to go out and buy, buy, buy?
My foreign relations adviser has now now given me some guidance. We should be guided by needs not wants. Just have to figure out if this is a need or a want!

Is this the way?

2009-10-18T09:50:00.004+02:00

In life we search for direction, some guidance, some meaning! I find myself being drawn toward tourists in town in the vague hope that they will ask me a question that I can answer. It would be wonderful to have those answers. Generally there are more questions than answers, if we arrive at an answer it will normally open up a whole Pandoras Box of new questions.
Petri Räisänen is in Copenhagen this weekend as a yoga teacher. Running a workshop at the Studio. So how is that? To be at the front of the class with the answers? Petri guides us in a way that allows us to find our own path. There is no pedantic must and must not. The path is wide and we are given the freedom to pursue our own way. This is the path of yoga, we are all on our personal journeys.
There is a daily bombardment from media and the western culture to live up to certain ideals. Who has set these ideals, are they healthy, are they really something worth striving for?
To move toward a state of health and happiness seems like a reasonable goal. The yoga practice is a great tool for achieving these states. We move into a closer contact with our physical being. We maybe even consider what we eat and drink, bringing a small amount of balance into our intake. Even here it is not necessary to be freaked and manic as to what we do. We walk a broad path, enjoying our food, enjoying our lives is more important. If our state of being is balanced it is easier to handle what gets chucked at it.
Here we go cycling on through this life, taking and making decisions as they appear. The answers will be closer to the "right" answer for us if we are coming from a balanced state.

Watch out, Yogi on the road!

2009-10-15T18:08:00.006+02:00

So how is the life of a traveling teacher? Man they travel! We are picking Petri up at the airport tonight. A flight in from London at 23:05. This is just one leg of a long days travels.
The idea that a yoga teacher lives a quiet life in virtual retreat is blown out of the water. This is a life of seriously strenuous traveling. If you have taken a few flights in your life then you have some idea as to how hard it is to maintain a sense of equilibrium.
Petri will not be in bed until well after midnight. Teaching in the morning by 06:00. With three intense days ahead of him. Respect for the man in agreeing to run the workshop, in finding time in his schedule for us and mostly for maintaining a smile whilst doing it all.
Petri will get a chance to have a look at our beautiful city Friday and Saturday afternoon. Have to see if he wants to borrow the Company Car or my lovely Batavus, a true gentleman's ride.

I did it guy way!

2009-10-11T15:49:00.004+02:00

As in the Frank Sinatra/Sid Vicious song!
The deed is done, the order is out, no turning back on this strange path.

10 cups of fuzzy logic.
There will be warm greetings and hot porridge for the morning yogi's.
As the seasons turn towards that dark and insular period of autumn and then the chill of winter, we will need a little encouragement. Fear not yogi's of Copenhagen, the warmth and satisfaction of hot breakfast awaits you.
Delivery is now set in the safe hands of UPS and we wait with baited breath.
What do we say, milk or soy, or both?

Old geezers

2009-10-10T10:36:00.005+02:00

Every morning I ride through Assistens Kirkegaard (one of the first big graveyards outside the old city walls).
There was not a lot of interest in getting buried there in the beginning, too far away! So the city did a Hello/OK coup. They managed to get a few of the big cultural names of the period to agree to be buried out there. War Minister Johan Samuel Augustin 1785 was one of the first big names. After that it was the place to be buried. H.C. Andersen; Soeren Kirkegaard; Niels Bohr are all buried out there. The graveyard became a Sunday picnic spot, a place to get out of the claustrophobic city centre and enjoy a little R&R.
It is a huge change to turn off a main road across town and enter this quiet world of ancient yews, towering poplars and cared for grave sites. You literally turn a corner into a completely different state. From moving through a fast paced road with goals and challenges, you enter a world of peace, a world of calm.
This is our daily journey in life, we have all these things that NEED to be done, to achieved. Then you turn a corner and the relevance of these goals seem rather distant, whats the point, why bother. There is no permanence. I guess it is finding that balance of keeping your life together, while still appreciating the cosmic joke of it all.
On the way to the shala this morning I stopped to buy a liter of milk. As I came to the cash desk an ancient couple entered the store. They were holding hands and smiling. The guy said to the shopkeeper, "let this young man go first!" His wife was beaming at me. I am 61 years old; people in shops and cafés now say sir to me. Very relative state of being. Looking through my eyes I am a grandfather, retired, moving into another stage of life. From their viewpoint I am a young guy! Made my day!

Done?

2009-10-07T09:59:00.004+02:00

We are all cleaned up, we are lovely shiny people.
OK so how long does that last? About a millisecond before the new project starts.
Are we always starting something new? As long as there is a sign of life then renewal takes place.
For us it is a reception desk, custom made with flowing organic lines. And what do organic lines mean? A whole lot of sanding and adjusting.
Those clean and shiny areas will now need a dusting, a clean up. What were we planning on doing with our time anyway?
A few electrical hitches and we get close to 100%. We have been unfortunate with our choice of internet connection. TDC have been unreliable, that seems to be the problem. Our check-in system is internet based and it has had its share of glitches. Could be my lack of experience; though it seems to be connections freezing and then sending us back to a start position.
We have faith in the process. It is leading us towards a well functioning yoga shala were everyone can feel at home. A space to meet and share experiences; a yoga practice, a cup of tea and see what develops from there.