Monday, December 31, 2007

Ashtanga World

Happy New Year to all of you!

I hope that this year brings you health and happiness. Last night we have a nice gathering here to bring in the new year. We gathered together for a group meditation. The community here is very special and just feels like an extended family. We have people from England, Belgium, America, Israel, Thailand, Canada, Italy, and I am sure many more to come. It's nice too because most people tend to stay for several weeks or more so you really get to know people. I am sure that some of you must be curious about what my day to day activities entail so here's a brief overview......
Yoga practice begins at 7:30 each morning. This lasts 2 hours and is done in the Mysore style. That means that each person is doing their own practice but in a group setting. If you are new the teachers (Prem and Heather) will teach you the sequence but then once you are familiar with it you follow your own breath. They just move around the room giving students help and adjustments as needed. In Ashtanga yoga there are 6 series of poses. I do about 2/3 of the first series along with opening and closing poses. As you are ready for new poses the teachers will just add on another pose to your practice.
So, after practice I walk down to the kitchen area and get a fresh king coconut. I cut it open and drink all the milk inside and then eat whatever meat is there too. Then a couple of us walk over to a neighboring beach for a swim. We swim out across the bay to a rocky point and then back. It's a good little workout after practice. Following the swim and some beach time which usually includes some spontaneous handstand practice or headstands......I head back to rocky point. By now it's 11:30 and time for breakfast.....a huge bowl of fresh fruit....bananas, papaya, pineapple, and mango. A bowl of fresh buffalo milk curd is also served. The curd is made daily nearby and is never in the fridge.....in fact not much is ever in the fridge. Cooking in the tropics is an adventure and so is dealing with the ants and flies that are everywhere.
The rest of the afternoon is filled with a variety of things that include body surfing on another nearby beach, reading, trips to town, or other learning opportunities. A lot of teachers are attracted to this place and everyone has something to share. Tonight we are having a pranayama workshop. Then every evening at 7:30 there is a community meditation hour. It is just an hour sit in silence.
If you want to see more check out ashtangaworld.com and I will post some pictures soon. Sri Lanka is a very special place and the people here are friendly and kind. Although there has been violence in some parts of the country it is very safe here.
Many blessings to you in this new year.

Love, Jacob

1 comment:

Chris Nordquist said...

Great to hear all is going so well over there, Jake. (Not that I ever had any doubt that it would!) Thanks for keeping us posted.
I've been thinking about you a lot over the Holiday as I read a most wonderful book (and that I highly recommend you read as well): Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. She reminds me A LOT of myself, and in an attempt to heal from a nasty divorce and subsequent depression, she runs away to Italy for 4 months (to experience pleasure; i.e., EAT), then to India for 4 months to become more spiritual (doing yoga, chanting, and meditation in an ashram; i.e., PRAY), then ends with 4 months in Bali, where she learns to balance the two and finds--you guessed it--LOVE! Wonderful book. Made me think of you.
Wishing you all health, wellness, and allgood things in 2008.
Much joy,
--chris