Unwinding

Though today was Sunday, it was more like a weekend day than a class day, since I only had yoga. It was the best lesson I've had yet. Lately Rupesh has been pushing me more with certain stretches (I'm not sure if they're even asanas), and for the first time today I found myself completely stretched to the floor without any energy trying to force it. I wasn't making a concerted effort to reach a certain point, but I found myself there anyway, simply by virtue of paying attention and relaxing into whatever position I found myself having to stay in. The point of Hatha yoga (physically) is to hold the asanas, which is really hard not just because I have the usual urges to adjust or fidget but also because stretching is one of the most annoying kinds of discomfort ever. Still, to slowly come out of a position with muscles shaking feels really great. I'm sure someday when they're not shaking uncontrollably it will feel even greater.

Browsing YouTube the other day in Java, I found a silent black and white film of Krisnamacharya, the founder of Ashtanga yoga. He was the teacher of B.K.S Iyengar, among others. This film is fantastic, it shows him demonstrating certain asanas and the pranayama exercises. The intensity of his practice and the complete control he has over his physical organism is startling just to watch. My mom, who is a longtime practitioner and sometime yoga teacher, told me a few specifics of what he's doing in the film--like when he sticks his tongue out, it's because in the crazy high temperatures of India they had certain ways of breathing that balanced the body temperature. Here's a link:

A little later Tais and I went over to one of the gompas (monasteries) near where we live, which happens to hold the stupa of a high rinpoche who is actually here in Nepal for Losar. All of the gompas have been doing puja for days already in preparation for the new year, to clear away obstacles and minor bad karma accumulated in the past year, etc. It's basically like a Tibetan version of Yom Kippur, from what I can tell of the idea; however, it's not nearly as somber, though it is as serious. We sat for an hour or two while they did a visualization and service for Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), which Tais actually had transliterated (and translated, but into Portugese) text to. It was quite an experience. The horns are just as earsplitting as shofars (ram's horns used at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, ten days after Yom Kippur), and much more constant; they also make the kind of sound that sends chills up your spine and gives you goosebumps.

Because the ceremony was an elaborate one, we got to see the cham dancers, five boys who must have been between the ages of eleven and fifteen. They were wearing extremely impressive costumes that included heavy boots, layers upon layers of fabric, tassels and ornaments, and crowns. The dances consisted of turns, some on one foot (I hesitate to make this analogy for fear of being disrespectful, but it's like a slow, symbolic, beautiful "hokey-pokey"). When they leaned into the center or stopped after turning (because they eventually made a round of the whole hall), they shook a vajra bell in the left hand and a clapping drum made of human skull in the right hand. Yes, human skull. It was a fearful and tremendously impacting noise and the whole affair was memorable...though for them it didn't seem particularly fascinating, as they do sit in the hall and chant for who knows how many hours every day.

They gave out gifts as well, to all the monks and to the nuns and few guests who sat in the back, including myself and Tais. The gifts included practical items like a pink towel, toilet paper, pen and pencil, notepad, toothpaste, baby powder, soap, butter tea, bread that tasted exactly like the challah we used to make at Hillel nursery school, and a Kit Kat. We especially appreciated the toilet paper! (No, really...we ran out, so it was a perfect gift.)

The remainder of today was total leisure time. I went back to the Hyatt and read to my heart's content in the lounge, and then we went and took care of business in Thamel. It's been a very pleasant weekend, so I wonder what challenges this week is bound to bring...hopefully, since it's Losar, not too many high hurdles to jump.

In regional news for those who haven't heard, there's a crazy chill going on in China, and it's definitely extended to Nepal's general area. It's still ludicrously cold and I've actually become accustomed to seeing my breath inside my bedroom, especially when I grudgingly pull the blankets off to get up. In addition, gas prices have gone up and people are mad. In further addition, four women in Indonesia recently died of bird flu, which apparently is going around in Eastern Nepal as well. As a precaution, Tais and I have temporarily become full-on vegetarians--the momo feast was our last meal as meat-eaters, at least for a while.

Tomorrow Losar week begins (the first day is Thursday). Wednesday is officially reserved for cleaning (it's the traditional day to do so in Tibet from what Ama-la said), but tomorrow and Tuesday will be full of lama dancing at various gompas around Boudha. Besides the celebrations, I start lessons with the Ayurvedic doctor tomorrow afternoon--they'll go on for the next month, until Amchi Namgyal returns from India with his wife and their new baby!