How it works

Every morning I get up and go straight to the yoga shala. On Monday through Thursday we get to the shala around 6am for Mysore style practice. On Friday and Sunday we have a led practice. On Friday and Sunday to get a good place we have to get to the shala at 5am. We start practice around 6am. There is a huge room that holds a lot of people and than if you get there later you have to practice in the lobby which is off to the side.


A led practice is held the day before your day off which is Saturday and new moon and full moon days and the day after your day off. We all stand in samasthitih and Sharath leads us in the opening prayer in call and response. Than he guides us through the primary sequence counting and cuing us into each position in sanskrit. When you can not go any longer in the sequence he will come over and tap you and tell you to sit until finishing sequence or tell you to finish in the next room.


Mysore style practice is a self study. We all get there at a certain time. Some people are beginning at 4am some as late as 7:30 am. You walk into the lobby and as a space opens up Sharath or Saraswati (his mother) calls next and the next person in line goes in to begin their practice. It is very organized. You begin your sequence and go until you don't know any more. He will come up to you and tell you to stop here or give you another posture in the sequence. He and Saraswati also walk around and adjust you in certain positions. Eventually you work your way through primary series and on up over many years.


On my first day Sharath asked my name and for some reason he likes to talk to me every class. Some people here have said he is cold and aloof but I haven't seen that. He always makes eye contact with me and smiles really big. A few times he has placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. I must have a habit of smiling in up dog because some times I come into up dog and him and Saraswati are just looking at me with a big grin on their face. This place makes me so happy I can't help but smile. My body aches but my soul is beaming from all directions.


Today Saraswati asked about my teacher at home Johnna Smith. I had finished my practice and was sitting and watching and she came over to me and said....Johnna Smithy..how is she?...Is she coming back soon....I smiled and said she is working on it...saraswati smiled back and said good..and I bowed to her and she bowed back..


When you are done practicing you can watch if there is no one sitting waiting for a place. When you leave the room you stop at the door and bow to your teachers Saraswati and R.Sharath. I know in my heart that R. Sharath will be my teacher for a long long time if not for the rest of my life. I have opened up so much in the last 4 days. It is amazing.


One day Sharath's son came into the room when we were practicing and started following her daddy around. He kept looking at all the students practicing and would point to someone in random and yell....you..Finish!!!.. Everyone left in the room was laughing so hard. It was so funny. They finally took him out side and got him a coconut. He was quiet for a while...Than when I was leaving he was looking at Susie yelling Finish...You Finish!!!...Susie was in up dog cracking up. It was so funny. Sharath and Saraswati just smiled so big. This place is true and pure love. There is no bullshit in Mysore. I love it here.