Monday, September 15, 2008

Reincarnation?

Sorry for the long absence. Excuses:

Death by viral fever Tuesday night.

Death by bacterial infection, a.k.a "Kody stomach", Thursday morning.

Death by Quarter Reports all weekend.

But I'm feeling all better, first quarter is done (!!!), and I'm on the road to enlightenment....or at least to Bylakuppe, Karnataka for field trip week with the 8th grade. Bylakuppe is a Tibetan settlement and I'll be chilling with Buddhist monks and nuns for the next 6 days.

Tons of pictures and a good post on my return, bien sur.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Grounding

This afternoon my head touched the floor in prasarita padottanasa. For two years the floor was miles away; the last few months the crown of my head has been a loooong three inches from the floor. Like a good little yogini, I have hung out there, breathing, not forcing, strong in the legs and core, waiting. Waiting for today? Inhale, lengthen, fold forward. Inhale, lengthen to straight back, fold...and....an ever so gentle boom.
Crown.
Ground.
Incredible.

Finally grounded today, perhaps, thanks to Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles. Thank you for removing those last three inches of air, and a belated happy birthday to you. All of Kodaikanal seems to have delayed your birthday: the town was quiet on Thursday, the actual day. Today I woke to wild drumming from all directions, and what sounded like gunshots at 2 or 3 minute intervals. The booms and bangs increased in frequency all morning, until one "atom bomb" was going off every few seconds. Several processions of drumming, dancing men led multiple Ganeshas (mounted on tractors and cartops) through the streets--back and forth all morning, with no apparent destination. I was just informed at dinner that sometime this afternoon (perhaps right about when my head was grounding??) the processions ended at lake Kody, where Ganesha had a bath.

Sad I missed it, but...MY HEAD TOUCHED THE GROUND IN PADOTTANASANA!

Happy Happy Birthday also to my dearest Ficklius. Your gift from afar: I spent most of the day planning our Kerala/Karnataka itinerary for January. Big cyberspace hugs til then (can't wait).