MahaMondo

Gaura Purnima 2011 : Mayapur Elephant Procession

Next weekend is Gaura Purnima , the celebration of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance. This video shows an elephant procession in Mayapur during last year's festival. I am in Calgary & Vancouver next week but will be back in time for Maharaja's Gaura Purnima program Sat. noon.

Kino MacGregor : Burning Through Samskaras

Kino MacGregor breaks down the transformative path of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. " The best yoga practitioner is one who will leave the world a better place than when they first entered. " Jai !

Sannyasa : Parampara

I just got back from my regular darshan & seva with Maharaja.

It is always heartening to know that he is in good health. He spoke about his upcoming 40th Sannyasa anniversary in May with me. 

As described in the Bhagavad Gita , a sannyasi is someone who has completely dedicated his activities to the service of God for his satisfaction , without any material desire.

Over the course of the 40 years since he recited the vows to live his life as a renunciate , Maharaja has distinguished himself as a courageous leader , Sanskrit scholar , writer , commentator & guru.

I am very humbled & fortunate that he passes on the tradition & teachings of his parampara via his guru-shishya association with me.

In the guru-shishya tradition , knowledge is imparted through the relationship between guru & disciple. The lessons I have learned from Maharaja are devotion / bhakti , obedience & commitment. All marked by his trademark humor & joyful nature. HDG Ki jaya !

La Condesa : Austin

La Condesa is my new " happy happy " spot in Austin. An addition to the shortlist which consists of the Hotel San Jose , the Ashtanga Austin YogaShala & the Thai Market Cafe' which we stumbled upon after a meeting next door ; with " farang " cooks to boot.

My definition of a " happy happy " spot is a place to take associates or clients to dinner with enough options for vegetarians like myself , a cool ambiance & a groovy local crowd ( in the event that conversation turns boring ).

La Condesa fits the bill as the chef used to work at La Esquina in Soho NYC , right around the corner from where I was staying last winter.

With its modernist vibe & old school Michael Jackson , Earth , Wind & Fire soundtrack , it put me in party mode without having to succumb to one of their top shelf tequilas or margaritas. The chips and   guacamole , chile relleno with quinoa , sauteeed spinach & spicy Boca Negra are fantastic. Modern Mexican    Cuisine as inspired by the Condesa District in Mexico City. Pricey but worth it.

If anyone tells you Guerros on So. Congress is the place for Mexican food in Austin , you are better off eating the overly salty chips at Chipotle.

I am heading to San Diego this week & am intending to practice with Manju Jois on Thursday morning.

Sri Sri Radha Kalachand Mandir : Dallas

Always the hi-light of a trip to Dallas is attending 6:30 artik then having dinner at Sri Sri Radha Kalachand mandir .

There is an interesting backstory to the murti of Kalachand which is enshrined there.

Kalachandji is literally translated as " the beautiful moon faced one " , & he was worshipped in India until he was hidden during the Mogul invasion.

It is quite a fascinating story as to how he made the trip to the Dallas Temple.

The peaceful Temple & its fantastic vegetarian restaurant is always a special place for me. And being able to visit Kalachandji , the Lord of Dallas , is the ultimate experience.

 

Sunday Mysore : Ashtanga Yoga Center of Austin

Sunday Mysore practice, Austin TX 3-6-2011 from Ashtanga Yoga Center of Austin on Vimeo.

I am in Dallas & Austin this week. Looking forward to practicing with Mike once again at his Austin yogashala.

The Four D's : Parampara Bhagavad Gita

I am feeling very open this evening & a little sore after this morning's Mysore class . Since I haven't practiced at the yogashala for over a week , Jorgen & Lila gave me several " welcome back " adjustments . Very welcome indeed. Bring it on , hehe.

Kino MacGregor has a wonderful & insightful blog post from Mysore dated Jan. 9th entitled " Sraddha's Birthday Conference ".

It is a lengthy one & you can read it in its entirety here :  http://kinoyoga.com/the-brave-yogi-conference-notes-from-mysore-funny-student-questions-memories-of-guruji/.

The points that were raised by Sharath in her post that rang true were the notion of parampara as described in sastra , the Bhagavad Ghita + the Four D's needed for correct yoga practice : devotion , dedication , discipline & determination. 

" Once you realize the transformation that can happen , you will get a beautiful experience of the practice but it is something that should happen slowly.

When you get older and wiser in your practice the meaning also changes to a deeper spiritual practice."

These are attributes that have always attracted me to teachers with tradition, or even advanced students ; I can always figure out who their teacher is , their lineage.

The underlying message is that if you have the right teacher with parampara , there are no doubts , gray areas , fears , anxieties , injuries or other neurosis. Which is what the physical practice of hatha yoga is meant to alleviate . None of this randomness & arbitrariness that floats around the media & blogosphere.

Same can be said for Bhakti Yoga when your Guru has parampara.

And sadhana is the deeper spiritual practice . Hari Om Tat Sat.

Image via Light on Ashtanga Yoga / Tom Rosenthal

Dany Sa' : Segunda Serie DVD

As mentioned in a prior post , here is an excerpt from Dany Sa's Segunda Serie Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga DVD which was shot in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil. She studies with Matthew Vollmer. I like how it is very serene , devoid of the buzz & chatter which sometimes characterize other yoga videos.

Bhajan : Jaya Radha Madhava

One of my favorite bhajans . It has been described as a " devotional love song ". Bhakti Yoga Ki Jay !

Eddie & Jocelyn Stern : Ashtanga & Devotion Workshop Rio de Janeiro

Matthew & Carla Vollmer of Rio's Astanga Spirit will be hosting Eddie & Jocelyn Stern at the Jardim Botanico yogashala from Mar. 27th to April 1st for Mysore & guided classes , lectures & puja.

From the Astanga Spirit website : " Eddie is known for his total devotion to Ashtanga , Guruji and the Hindu tradition.

His shala is a temple , where he teaches daily to the most devoted Ashtanga practitioners and leads pujas and other Hindu rituals of devotion. "

That encapsulates what I like most about practicing at AYNY / The Broome St. Temple , the tradition & devotional atmosphere.

I never got a chance to practice with Matthew Volmer during my last trip to Rio , as I was attending classes at Nirvana in Gavea & Blyss Ipanema. I did meet Dany Sa' , who is one of Matthew's students. She gave me a copy of her " Segunda Serie" DVD which Felipe Bretas shot.

The Cariocas will definitely find Eddie & Jocelyn's visit transporting & muito maneiro -