Yippee day off time = time to get some sunshine
To everyone who said “you’ll come back so skinny and brown”, the only bit of sunshine you get to see during the week is walking between your cottage to the yoga Shala (up a god awful hill I might add which isn’t getting any easier as the weeks go by) and from the Shala to the dining area – where I’m eating like a pig – so neither of those prophecies are remotely going to come true. So time to make the most of it today.
A gorgeous morning to walk along the beach passing the cows, monkeys and horse – yes you read right – on its own, not with anyone just having a little wander so it would be rude not to take pictures. Just as I’ve settled for a lovely sunbathe I feel a tap on my shoulder from a random Indian man “Can I take a selfie?” My puzzled look must have said a lot as he said again “I have camera phone can I have a selfie?” – my only conclusion from this bizarre encounter was, just as I had taken photos of the cows and monkeys as its not the normal thing you see on a beach maybe neither is a small, white Geordie girl with big knockers?
So after a chilled couple of hours time for a quick change and a wander. First things first – proper bra on, for what seems like an eternity I’ve been in a sports bra so it’s such a relief to have them lifted up and separated again instead of squished together into a “Uniboob” (pretty much resembling one of the cows on the beach really!). I did say before I left if I hadn’t bought my Christmas presents before I left I was getting them here, so you’ll be pleased to know that there was no end of people shouting out “come and look in my shop” see what shite I have for you to take home (OK so added the last part but I’m almost certain that they secretly think it) So I did & I have…Happy Crappy Christmas!
So, back to Monday and things are starting to break a little bit, my wrist, my knee thankfully I have brought numerous supports with me so I look a bit like a Velcro walking wounded, the only problem with the supports being Velcro is everything tends to stick to you so by the end of the day it looked like I had one of those suits on that you throw sticky balls at as I was stuck to my own leggings and attached myself to both my mat and a towel.
Not to mention the sweet scent of Volterol with a hint of mosquito repellent that was lingering behind me.
“All Change day Tuesday” – starting with Mantra meditation now I thought this would be easier a you’re repeating a mantra over and over again instead of sitting quietly, no such luck. I’m convinced the Numbskulls* in my brain thought “ooooh great she’s distracted so it’s Riverdance time” – this one is still a working progress.
Then just before practice, all change again…”Move your mat to a different place” (now as most of you know, I am a fan of moving your mat around, if only to piss off the old people in the class as you’ve taken Betty’s space!)…Sometimes I do wonder how such an argumentative and aggravating person ever got into yoga, but then just think what I’d be like without it! Anyway I digress, so I moved to the front, Wow what a beautiful view from the front row, lush green tree tops, the sunshine glistening over the ocean and a dog having a shit on the roof! (It’s a flat roof it’s not that clever).
You’re right Rowie – change is good!
And so to the cleansing day, Neti pot morning – all about cleansing the nasal passages by what can only be described as a very teeny tiny Aladdin’s lamp, warm water, salt and patience (you can see where this ones going already!). So, the idea is you pour the water into one nostril and it comes out of the other in a little trickle of water.
1st try – OK so my fault I forgot to keep my mouth open and then wondered why I couldn’t breathe.
2nd try – Mouth open – tick, pouring water, still pouring water, still pouring water..no trickle, half the pot had gone still no trickle now it was at this point I was wondering where the hell it was going to, then I found out – straight down the back of my throat. Now, no matter what any man says a salty taste in the bad of your mouth is definitely not good. – Working progress with this one too (the Neti pot not the salty taste!)
So now we’re at our 1/2 way Silent day…yes all day, no talking, no eye contact, no reading, no internet, no music. Now as some of you know I don’t come from the quietest of families so the thought of staying quiet for a few hours is challenge enough let alone for a full day. So Mams suggestion was to do a jigsaw?!? Firstly, not allowed…and I wasn’t sure where the hell she thought I was going to find a jigsaw anyway so her second suggestion was to make one out of something! I’m not entirely sure that Sampoorna would have been very happy if I cut up one of their pictures hanging in my room into tiny pieces, stuck it all back together again with sellotape and then back into its frame, just so it kept me amused. So the final suggestion was we’ll send you a picture telepathically and see if you can see it! – this is not going to end well.
By breakfast I wasn’t sure if I was going slightly mad already as I found myself swooshing the tea leaves in the bottom of my cup and trying to read them…maybe these are clues to the crazy Tait picture they’re sending???
So the day was surprisingly enjoyable, very chilled, little bit of writing and sat on the rocks watching the sea & the sunset having a little chat in my head with my Dad. Perfect.
OK, so back to the picture, telepathy is definitely not a skill of the Taits, I had an owl sitting at a table with a Sunday dinner (I kind of think I’m just craving Yorkshire puddings) and Sara, a Buffalo with a clowns hat & a drum – so not remotely close, maybe we need to start designing for Doha airport? but apparently the psychic side has kicked in…but I can’t say why!!!
(I might still hold off buying a head scarf and and hoop earring for the time being)
Now, don’t get me wrong it hasn’t been all baby unicorns & butterflies this week, over the last 2 days I’ve had a mid-class mini breakdown (snot & everything), when talking about reincarnation & death, then Henrik almost tipped me over the edge at the end of Savasana the following day.
I came very close to testing out Sudhirs explanation of gravity.
So finally to Sweet Sudhir, he was talking us through the Indian philosophy of how the World was created, their temples and the idea of selfless actions and giving. He is truly becoming our own Indian version of Stephen Hawking (minus the wheelchair and the Metal Mickey* voice).
So basically you are the centre of the temple and there are 9 entrances to the temple reflecting the 9 holes we have in our body (bet you’ve already started to count them!) I might add in my body some of those holes are most definitely “exit only”. You take offerings to the temple, such as food, fruit, flowers or nothing at all then everything is shared out amongst everyone so basically if you’ve taken f*** all you could come up trumps and if you’ve taken a monster picnic your day could end up like a really shitty day on Saturday Swap shop* either way you are to be grateful, shitty swap or not.
Here’s to another beautiful day off.
Namaste xxx
* for anyone who hasn’t heard of the Numbskulls, Metal Mickey or Saturday Swap shop you’ve missed out big style not growing up in the UK in the 70’s / 80’s
Middle Seat Passenger 