Kate Taylor's Yoga Site

Sunday is a led class and was my first day back after 3 days away from the Shala. I woke up feeling great and the practice was great too. I took it a little easy on the forward bends to make sure I didn't overstretch my lower back, but basically did my usual practice without any modifications. I am completely amazed to be feeling no pain in my back after my experience on Friday.

I am told that his is what the ashtanga practice does to a person - it pushes you to your limits and just when you think you cannot take it anymore you have a breathrough and are moving forward again, remembering why you practice and why you love it. I know I will have more days of pain as I progress through the series, but I hope I remember this experience and can see the light at the end of the tunnel when I am once again thinking that ashtanga may not be for me.

After practice i had a perfectly leisurely Mysore day - went to the Green Hotel for breakfast and some browsing at the Sunday organic market. After that, a few of us went to the Southern Star hotel (now called Regallis) and paid $5 each to hang out at the pool and read and play ping pong. The scene at the Southern Star has been written about in various books and blogs, which make it sound like quite the yogi social scene. In my opinion it has been pretty laid back the few times I have been there. Usually there are 5-10 yoga students hanging out reading and chatting. Not much strutting around like peacoks as the books portray. I think the locals are a bit mystified and intrigued by all the americans in bikinis and board shorts, but they are polite and we try to be the same.

On the topic of leering....(or near the topic of leering, I suppose) one of the nice things about Mysore, in my experience, is that the men here are pretty respectful in their interactions with foreign women. Most of us do cover our shoulders in public and try to dress modestly. In my normal day-to-day activiities I have never seen any whistling or clucking or staring, which sometimes happened in other places in which I have travelled. I have heard that North India is a little more challenging to travel in, especially as a solo woman, but I feel very safe in Mysore.