She writes on her blog:-

“I think there will be pros and cons of making my first trip to practise at the home of Ashtanga yoga at this stage of my life – My body is not what it once was, and some of the poses do not come as easily as they have done at various stages in the past….The up side to having many years of practise is that the other seven limbs are growing, and I have a pretty firm foundation in the subtle aspects of both myself, and this amazing yoga practise although there is a long way to go.

I have left my nice comfy home and family, to rent a room in a shared space with fellow yogis, with whom I will share this journey……

I have not come to “find myself” as I’m not lost ( this is what some people thing you come to India for). I have not come to Mysore to get more poses, nor to get certified as a teacher- I have come to practise yoga at the source, and feel privileged to have the opportunity to do this. Having the time to focus just on yoga, to be fully absorbed, to rest, to listen to the guru is why I have come….. I am very lucky to have a supportive husband and family who know how important it is to me, to take this time out…..let the experience commence”.

How great is that????? AGE IS A STATE OF MIND remember.

I’m looking forward to following her journey.

Here is her bed:-

Her view:-

Her means of transport:-

I am really not very good at it though and I’m not sure I really get it. I have never been good at learning languages and all the unfamiliar words – bungas and triganasna’s and om’s and whatever else she keeps saying are going right over my head. I couldn’t become a yogi. Way too many new words to learn.

I am still aching from my yoga class on Monday. Each week seems to get more complicated and faster – although I do feel a slight improvement occurring each week. I now know that the Down Dog, Cobra series thingy is called a “vinyassa” and you have to do loads of them. I haven’t quite got my head around that yet. I do one and then stop. Because it seems to me that one is enough. Then having realised everybody else is on to the next one I have to do the moves really quickly to catch up. Even after doing the initial vinyassas and moving on to more difficult warrior poses you are expected to do yet more vinyassas in between. She made the mistake the first few weeks of giving us the option to do another one if we wanted. We all just sat there choosing not to take her option. Now she doesn’t ask. We just have to do it…..

It’s all very well to keep reminding us that yoga is non-competitive but I can’t help looking about to see what everybody else is doing. I don’t seem to be able to do one pose without being so delighted that I’ve actually completed it, that I spend the next few minutes looking around with glee to see what the teacher is thinking and what all my friends are doing and to have a little rest and it is then that I realise I’m already supposed to be three quarters of the way through the next vinyassa.

I don’t think I’ve got the right attitude.

She tried to get us to do a “jump through” this week. No bloody way. You have to start in a press up position, bend your knees, come up on to you toes, stick your arse in the air as high as you can and then be brave enough to try and jump your legs through your arms to come to a sitting position with straight legs on the floor. My legs are NEVER going to be able to swish through my arms. Not a chance. You have to be a cheetah to do that. Apparently I can’t do it because I stop breathing at the wrong moment. You have to breathe through the move.

If only it were that simple.

Although remembering to breathe is important in life.

Perhaps it really is that simple. Perhaps it really is all about the breath. “Breathing gets you everywhere”. Maybe that should be my new motto. Although it’s taking me a long time to get used to the idea of using “audible breath”. It seems almost rude breathing loudly next to someone. It’s such a personal thing, breathing that I don’t yet feel ready to share the moment….or pretend to be Darth Vader.

Talk about reducing life down to it’s lowest common denominator.