Douja l'Exploratrice: Week 12/ Living in Mysore

This week (starting on 30 December), I felt I was beginning to catch the rythm in my new life.

As Yoga and Pranayama were going well, I decided to begin Bharatanatyam dance and Hindi lessons. I love to acquire new skills and I feel my mind and body are ready for that. My dance teacher Shetana is just a lovely and spiritual woman who is passionate about her work. She says she is rarely stressed because she lives in the present most of the time. I should do the same, she looks very happy. The first lessons are scheduled at 10am in the same room as Pranayama. I feel like we are infusing a pure and good energy there before my Pranayama class. My legs and arms were so painful that I needed two massages a week for the first two weeks. Then it got better and since then , I went to ayurvedic massage only once a week, on saturday evening just before day-off (to enjoy it better!).

For Hindi classes, Shantala is the perfect teacher. She works in the yogashala where I already observed her quick mind and sense of observation. I need someone who can teach me how to pronounce correcty the letters and help me learn quickly the alphabet and begin to decipher and learn vocabulary. I am slow but Hindi seems easy compared to Arabic or French.

Despite my attention, I got hit by a cow again. The black one. This time, she used the horns to push me out of her way. My thigh was blue and painful for a week. At once, I thought she attacked me for food but after discussing with other people, I discovered that the same cow had troubled past and was probably a bit temperamental because she amounted several other victims. I never thought I would get afraid of cows... Dogs here are really nice and funny. Sophie made friend with one named Kunta who runs in front of you and then throws herself at your feet for caresses and massages. I have a couple of dogs who often play bodyguards with me. I call them "la belle et le clochard" as per Disney's film.

I went to see the ayurvedic doctor for a skin problem and I was not surprised to see I had lost 3kg since beginning of yoga practice. This is way too much for me so I decide to implement Weight Control Program (or How to Get Fat in a Short Time): eat more, nuts, spirulina, sugar and fat. It is not so easy because I have to avoid eating 2 hours before yoga or pranayama.

Sophie is back on Friday so I have to find a new room. Desperatly. Every place around seems to be booked or the few available places are so gloomy... After roaming around for 2 days, I finally find a room in a yogashala on main road, 5mn from my school. The family who runs the place and lives downstairs is very welcoming and the room is big and bright, with a litttle living room attached. No hot water or kitchen but I can have access to their kitchen and they will provide me with buckets of hot water twice a day. It might be a bit noisy but I want to give it a try.

I am very happy when Sunday comes and I can rest a bit.

NYE. Illuminated Maharadja Palace.