did i say eat?

The life which is not examined is not worth living.

Plato

Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.

Jalal Ud-Din Rumi

It is day five at Dr. Kumar's ayurvedic clinic...i am doing a 7-day cycle of panchakarma , a system of natural health treatments and cleansing . This is not going to sound too fun, so i'll keep the graphic descriptions to a min. However...I must admit the experience is bringing up and then clearing some "stuff" at all levels, and i am feeling quite good now.

First 3 days, a lovely breakfast of a cup of herbal medicated ghee, yes- that's clarified butter to be exact! Then let it settle in and drink lots of warm water to help it take its effect, treatments include warm oil/herbs being poured in a relaxing pendulm on my forehead...then 2nd 3 days is light simple foods, oil body massages, by two therapists at once, and then a sit in a wooden box for steaming...not quite brietenbush but a personal retreat of some variety. I am playing music and catching up on sleep...no caffiene allowed ,although i must admit i snuck in a few tea bags of mate' so i can keep alert to practice.

"Slippery" is the key word for all this...with oil inside and out to let the toxins slide out of the system gently. (for those of you ambitious readers who are looking up "panchkarma" on google, don't worry i am not doing the "blood letting or the " Varama" oral purge to put it nicely. this one is fairly tame since i was already healthy.

I am missing Gokulam's yoga influence, but self-practic is perfect for right now. In fact i am exploring and enjoying the alone yoga time rather than in a huge room of sweaty yogis for awhile, had a rich realization of the lineage of Ashtanga yoga today...my mind flashed to the image of Pattabhi Jois himself as a young man learning and teaching yoga just a few kilometers from where i was standing on my mat in Saraswatipuram...and then all the places nearby that Manju, his son showed me from his youth and his Yoga stories...like all the different houses they lived in when he was growing up with dad-Guruji, etc. All within walking distance practically to where i am staying right now.

Finally, spent the afternoon yesterday "relaxing" at All India Radio Radio Station where Nagaraj is the Violinist in residence...he and his brother Manjunath (my Gurus 2) played there with Percussionists for a broadcast. Like getting a private concert in a wonderfully cool (its heating up in Mysore as of the other day from "winter" to summer temps.. 70's 80's to 90's) place.

What i will do when i get out of the treatment on monday? Probably go have breakfast at the Green Hotel ...pancakes with syrup!!! and try to stay off the coffee we'll just have to see, it's too good...

cheers,

j

EAT, pray, love

Yes, if you have read the book you know Liz Gilbert titles each of her 3 part travel chronicle with a theme...eat, pray, & love...and if i were to label mine i just went full on in my own "eat" phase having just moved to a family friend of my Violin Gurus to stay, Shivani's house. She and I are cooking up a storm, me mostly watching all the minute details of Indian cooking in a real live Indian woman's kitchen! Yum, heaven.

But next week a different sort of diversion...an 8 day "panchakarma cleanse" at an ayervedic health clinic nearby, bringing body/mind/emotions to balance the traditional natural Indian way...more on that next week.

The name of the neighborhood i moved to is KuvempuNagar kind of reminds me of the name of the city where Amy B is right now KualaLumpur, funny coincidence. Wonder how the Indian food compares!

Anyway, words of wisdom..keep practicing whatever it is you want to get better at...as P.Jois says."Do your practice and All is coming"

love and Bisslebellebath with riata
juliebird

recording muses

It is day two of recording studio time in mysore. A chronicle of my music journey and the amazing people i've shared music with, including material recorded last year in bend as well as new written tracks here. There were some magic moments and some hard work too at a beautiful studio near chaumundi hill. The recording process is a deep immersion in sound and boost/learning experience for any musician.

Meanwhile i am making plans for my move from Gokulam wednesday. see photo above of the yoga shala/house "gaurd" Prakash and I. This is right across the street from where i've been staying, and i see him every time i come and go from my house. All the hundreds of Yoga students also gather outside my house each morning for fresh coconuts after practice. It's a bit like communal living. I am moving to a home stay for a bit now, then a serene ayervedic clinic for 7 days of " panchkarma" or health cleanse treatment including special diet and massages/trreatments and finally a beautiful ashram near Chaumundi Hill, of the healing music Swamiji Sachidananda Ganapathi before heading north for a week into the foothills of the Himalayas and a visit to the Mishra's school of music.

Last month here will be filled with Yoga, and deep focus on Indian Music learning including some visits to my Violin Gurus' Manju and Nagaraj's house to listen and absorb the family practices and more amazing concert travel with them.

blessings from mother India!

understandings

om!

being immersed in a different culture has its joys and snags both. it makes me realize the significance of exposing ourselves to what seems "different" than our own way as a path to learn depths of love and understanding between any two people.

the indian culture has an wonderful way of avoiding the word "no". seems there is always some way to make each other happy by "nodding" yes, even if the meaning is some other thing. ultimately we are far less separate than we appear and this knowing softens the edges of any mis-understanding.

one positive through the lessons and experiences here is that the overall "relating to others" is enhanced by coming up against cultural differences, sometimes struggling with, and then learning to relate and communicate through them. in some ways cultural differences are just another form of personality differences between people but on a larger scale. even relating to your closest friend and family can seem like being in a foriegn country at times. what to do? try on anothers shoes, for at least a moment. look to the "yes" in all situations, or in eastern thought the power of the "now".

more concerts (TN Krishnan 84 yrs old! and N. Rajam, two violin legends South/ North India played together in Mysore last night --history) Manju has asked me to do a lecture demonstration on western music sat....I'll recruit Udaya Kiran, a brilliant blind Musician and friend here to play jazz and classical piano/keyboard (he also knows western chords so we have some fun collaborating) and David guitar vocals and Aerck from Olympia to play didg.

yoga journey...have not spoke much about it, but my daily practice here continues and is a given as part of my life enhancers. Saraswati moved me swiftly to Kapotansana, a back-bend/breaking second series pose (postures are given in sequence in Ashtanga Yoga, one could stay in the same series for years or quicker before progressing) and it is pushes my challenge buttons daily. My full practice is almost two hrs long but Luckily the music endeavors and time of my practice (8-9am start..late!) force me to include more rest days than usual here in Mysore, otherwise I would be lounging half the day in bed recovering form Yoga practice ! Of course it does get easier with consistant practice but never complacent. I was thinking that somehow my latest rhythms in the physical portion of my Yoga practice (I also practice chanting, breathing and meditation daily which are all Yoga, and even Music can be Yoga) are following the tried and true principles i used to follow in XC skiing. Two days hard training, one day easy cycles to allow the muscles to recover.
Its all interesting and very individual. But i always like to connect all things...I bet Guruji would enjoy some of the amazing concerts i am attending...he loves music and so does his son Manju Jois.

peace to all at home,
j

happy new year

really my 2009 resolution was not to avoid computers...it just turned out that way so far!

things have really escalated and gotten rich and full here in Mysore and I shall catch you up in a series of blogs...

first, some pics from the most amazing night 1.11.09...a full moon concert at a beautiful outdoor sacred ampitheatre (above is the "before" shot), i had the incredible honor to play in the prelude to my Violin Guru Manju's fusion concert...a first for me and here we are (that's my new friend Tobias from Cali who is a brilliant Cajone player and percussionist who is living here for a year to study the violin! ) We played a Brazilian Jazz Choro piece called Desvairada with a few original sections both planned and "improvised" on the spot.

wow

do one thing at least each day that totally scares you! playing for hundreds (something like 900 people there with tons waiting outside that didn't get in) right before some most amazing world famous Indian Musicians...that's good enough for a whole week of courage mustered up! All went well.

love from Mysore

more soon,

Julie Bird