what am I doing here???

...one of my facebook mates asked me that - what am I doing in India? Today and yesterday have been good to reflect a bit on that question. There was no yoga practise yesterday or today, so mainly relaxing round Gokulam.

I've been practising yoga for about 8 years, the last 6 years of which have been a style called Ashtanga, as taught by Sri Krishna Patthabi Jois, who, in turn was taught by Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, a great yogi and teacher who taught and helped many people. Krishnamacharya also had a strong lineage of teachers...

A traditional method of learning Ashtanga under Patthabi Jois method is known as "Mysore Style" - Mysore being the city I'm in at the moment, practising with Patthabi Jois daughter - Saraswati.

I started my Ashtanga practise in Adelaide with Simi and David Roche, then on to Sydney and North Sydney Yoga with Angelika Knoezer who bought Graeme and Leonie Northfield and Dena and Jack Kinsberg to our school each year to teach. The practise involves a set of asanas, or postures, performed 6 days/ week.

All the while speaking with people who practise this style, a question often asked is "have you been to Mysore" - the source of the teaching and a place to really get in touch with your practise

So, for the past 6 years this question has been spinning away in the back of my head. I've had a few half plans to make it over here...then, at the end of 2008, circumstances conspired to open the door fully to this opportunity...everything fell into place, if you will...and, here I am :)