November 11th - Perfect Last Days In India

Normally, when I'm close to leaving a place, my mind goes into accelerated forward planning mode: when will I pack, how long will it take, when am I scheduled to leave, what will I do my last day and when – almost down to 30 minute increments. Basically, way, way, way to much in the future in my head ... and I miss out on actually enjoying the time I have left in a place. This time however, about a week before leaving, I decided to just try and be and fully enjoy the last week – I had the taxi and train booked and by now, I pack quick, so really what else was there – so I continued on present in my lovely Rajpur life and haven't thought ahead – and it's been wonderful.

When it got down to my last two days – and I was surprised to realize it – I also decided to keep my routine 'normal' right to the end – I could have gone into town and done some gift shopping (sorry guys ...) or had a last meal out or seen a temple I hadn't yet visited but that wasn't the energy I wanted. I wanted to enjoy the peace and serenity of this quiet life for as long as humanly possible.

So the second to last day was a last class with Swati – a great class and the back bends had me feeling particularly alive after! Followed by breakfast at Amdo's – it was a larger group than normal – nice but almost a little forced – not as relaxed as it's been when it was a smaller number of regulars there catching up on the class and the day. A little internet time and then – to the roof! My favorite writing spot is the pergola on top of the yoga studio – it is like sitting on top of the flowers of the garden, surrounded by the hills and the most beautiful breeze wafts in. Then practice – I've found a practice while here – I go and depending on what else I've done that day, my mood, the right practice seems to come to me / flow. I still have a huge amount to explore and grow with it and I'm very happy to be at this point as I leave. Then Laura and I wandered down the main Rajpur road – we had some errands (sweets and samosas) and also a little shoe shopping to do (even in India I can find shoe shopping!) and had the most lovely (written just for her ...) time – she has this lovely light, bright energy and we laugh a lot. A final relaxed dinner with Gavin and Laura, some writing and bed – the back pack still in it's corner.

The last day and in some ways it doesn't feel like I'm leaving at all – in other ways, I'm good to go. We had a great class with Rajiv this morning – he was at his inspirational best – yoga is about finding the light within and I do glimpse it – a final shavasana like trikonasana that had us all in a very special place at the end. I then had a lovely treat – breakfast in one of the other houses – it was a beautiful spot with a quiet garden amongst fields with flowers and the hills. It turned into a few relaxed hours of good conversation in the sun – and as I realized it was my last day in the sun (I've been in the warm sun everyday since the beginning of May and next stop is London in November) I risked overstaying my welcome to soak it up - literally! A final practice – distracted with people coming and going to say goodbye – a final sync at the internet, a final samosa and chai and a lovely final dinner with Gavin and Laura – Laura and I had the giggles – and poor Gavin, looking at the two of us 'vatas' and our 'lightness' – he said it was like watching two helium balloons float off in the ether ... I've been incredibly lucky with housemates and I will miss the dinners!

I saw Gavin and Laura off, made a final cup of tea, sat and enjoyed the last of the candles, looking at the sky and was just grateful – very, very grateful. I had no idea coming what this experience would bring me and it just surpassed my expectations in all possible ways. I have this joy inside and a full heart – and now maybe, I'm just ridiculously blissed out on 7 weeks of yoga and pranyama (entirely possible) but it's more than that. I feel love. Love for everything – the sky, the animals, the people I've met – a love to be alive and living this incredible life – my inner effulgence is I think what Rajiv would call it ... so a few tears – happy ones – and now I am looking at all the stuff in my cupboard and my empty back pack ... time for Kleenex, some music, a little dancing round the room and packing up ... then on to my next port of call.

October 31st - This Yog Is For Me

I do agree with Rajiv – though as he would say, it is not a question of agreeing but simply of understanding fact – yog is about personal transformation. I started five years ago for the body – I wanted to get in better shape and needed something that would help give me balance. And it was the perfect excuse for the weekly Saturday brunch with a very good friend that followed :-) Over the first couple of years, the yoga shifted from being about brunch to actually being about the yoga and then two years ago, I realized I wanted to find the ever illusive 'quiet mind'.

One of Rajiv's topics for today's asana class was ease ... and the example of the older woman who may look 40 from the front but 90 from behind ... and as he say's “that's after the facelift but before they start botox ...” The message is clear – we need to be at ease with our age and our bodies and in our lives. And I am increasingly finding that ease ... I am more calm ... and it is lovely.

Not always though ... like when I get to be Swati's example of what not to do in an asana, then my ego is definitely alive and kicking, together with my pride for my teachers at home – they don't deserve the “this is the problem with how you are being taught in the west” label ... as I say about this blog, this reflects only me, not anyone else ... and yet I feel like I am letting them down ... that need to please, pride, ego, recognition ... all normal human emotions ... and yet I am so much happier when I can let them go ... and truly be at ease. The good news, I'm becoming more present and aware of when I'm not at ease ... when I've been in an ugh, ugh, ugh moment, and I tell my self to breath – just breath and try to find the calm in the breath, remarkably enough I found it, felt calmer and again, more at ease. So how do I keep this sense of ease outside of Rajpur? One of Rajiv's other lessons is how the mind is hungry for inputs – and in our search for the quiet mind, a fundamental tool is how we control what is 'input' – through all 5 of the our senses. Something I completely get - and prompts good questions for life at home ...

So I'm definitely feeling on this path of transformation, and I have to thank both Swati and Rajiv, but especially Rajiv. Why? Well, I've started typing this sentence 5 times ... how do I summarize Rajiv? ... dedicated – yes, opinionated - yes, single minded – absolutely, open – not always, passionate – without a doubt, belief in what he's teaching and it's importance – unquestioned. I've so enjoyed his classes – this mixture of asana and talks – always with a message, inevitably an expression I wish I could remember afterward and so often these pearls of wisdom that I reflect on further. I've also learned from Gavin just how much his teaching is based on that of Prashant (Mr. Iyengar's son) whereas Swati teaching is based on Geeta's (Mr. Iyengar's daughter). Geeta has taken the precision of Mr. Iyengar's work forward whereas Prashant's focus is more philosophical and strongly incorporates the breath. Unfortunately it seems that many western teachers, and often women, gravitate to Geeta's style – and I've seen it myself in that most teacher's I've had mention Geeta but I've rarely if ever heard Prashant mentioned. I'm hoping that changes because while the teaching of Geeta is critical, it is Prashant's, through Rajiv, which I've found most illustrative and transformative.

So why the heading for this blog? Prior to this retreat, people have asked me if I want to teach yoga and I haven't been sure – it didn't jump out at me but I didn't discount it either. I said that I thought this course would help me answer that question. There are aspects of teaching that I enjoy – I do tend to study the yoga – my way of practicing – but it is not my passion in the way it is for the teachers I respect – and the way I discovered in Africa that math is for me. I get a huge amount out of yoga personally but I don't get nearly as excited by it as I do explaining multiplication or quadratic equations (crazy I know ...) – and I know to be a good teacher, which of course is what I'd want to be, I need to have a passion for what I teach. So I think that answers that question – this yog is for me, for my ongoing personal journey and transformation. To help me live the kind of life I want to live and be the person I want to be. To live my live with grace, gratitude, generosity, openness and love. And I'm very happy with it this way.

October 25th - 2nd Term ... This Tortoise's Head is Pulling In

Walking around Rajpur the last few days, I started to see new 'foreign' faces ... has to be new students ... the reality of the 2nd term starting is at hand ... Orientation was the afternoon before the first class – I had missed it last time and was curious to experience it. Turned out to be pretty straight forward – name, country, how many years studying and with whom. There were 45 people this term – the hall was full to the extent I couldn't see about a third of the faces down the same side. Another very international crowd – the usual Brits, some Americans, Australians and then Polish as well as Columbian, Malaysian, Brazilian. I continue to be grateful that I already know people and am not starting from scratch.

I hadn't yet met my new housemates and when they introduced themselves, I couldn't see their faces so after the session, it was a bit of a guessing game as to who they might be ... we connected and they are lovely – Gavin is English, an Inyengar teacher as well as a marine scientist (really not sure on the details here ...) living in the UK and Laura is Italian living in London learning English.

A few days in and the routine is emerging ... different from the first term as there are no more naps required and instead I am focused on my blog and getting to practice each day. I still go to Amdo's for breakfast and am enjoying getting to know the new people that have discovered it. I'm also discovering places to write – I still enjoy my outdoor kitchen but I've added to it with the woman's center (they provide training to local women in baking and sewing and then sell the products) which has a good little cafe with amazing views over the valley and my favorite, the pergola on the roof of the yoga center which has incredible views of the valley and Swati's garden and the most amazing gentle air that just breezes by. I'm writing about 3 hours a day, enjoying it and feeling very productive - almost like I am at 'work' – a little surreal to say the least ... and also reassuring :-)

The yoga has been great – there are similarities to how the first course began, but more often, it seems like we are starting from where the last course ended, especially in the pranyama. Rajiv used this great analogy for pranyama the other day - that of a tortoise ... we arrive at class very much 'head out' and then through the breathing, the head goes in and we achieve a very different state (“yoga pudding” is one of his descriptors I like) ... and then class ends and the head starts to reemerge. I've found the analogy also works for me with the 2nd Term - my 'head' is pulling in. At the start of the 1st term I felt a need to get to know people, socialize and be part of the group – to an extent that surprised me. But this term, I don't have that same need at all. I'm much more comfortable on my own, being with me and I'm finding the days are much more about me, my reflections, what I want to do. So, other than the hello/good bye with people before/after class, my breakfast at Amdo's, connecting at practice or the internet and dinner with Gavin and Laura – I'm good. It's a nice balance. I also know it is largely due to the regularity and intensity (more intense than we think) of the yoga and pranyama – and I am loving the head space that it is putting me in.

October 21st - My Yoga 1/2 Way Through

The expectation here is that in addition to the classes, students will practice on their own during the afternoons. It wasn't until over half way through the course that I made it to self practice – as I was just getting back into yoga, the first two weeks, the classes were more than enough. My own self or home practice is something I've struggled with ever since I started doing yoga – I just haven't been able to find a rhythm at home – or a space. When I have done it, I find I struggle to know 'what to do next' or else do the same routine of poses and get bored ... finding my own intuition of the poses has been hard, especially combined with the fact that there are, if not rules, then strong suggestions of how poses should be sequenced that I just don't know. I would like to learn – taught might be the more accurate word as of course - I'm sure if I picked up a book I could find out but somehow, I just haven't got there ...

My understanding of the importance of self practice has shifted dramatically – mostly as I realize the difference between 'class' and 'practice' – 'class', especially Iyengar I believe, is just and only that, 'class' whereas 'practice' is personal – doing the asana that you need to do when you need to do it. Per Rajiv, every time you step on the mat, you are different – it is a different time of day, time, you are in a different place mentally, physically, spiritually – and therefor, your practice needs to be different – is mobility or stability more important? Do you need to be grounded, energized or calmed? Etc. etc. The challenge is understanding yourself enough in the moment and then doing the asana that is right for you in that moment. And that is what I'm trying to explore and practice – especially here where I have access to this wonderful space. At the beginning, I definitely struggled ... 'what to do' ... and so I'd look to others for ideas ... and eventually I started to get a feel ... I've been everyday during the break and enjoyed it – look forward to going and have this space, clarity and spring in my step walking home. I'm looking forward to continuing to explore my practice in the 2nd term and taking advantage of the space (literal and figurative) right from the beginning.

In terms of what I'm “working on” - I've had a couple of realizations over the first term. Keeping my back straight (versus hunched) and chest open is my challenge – there is no doubt. I'm getting better but it is going to take time. Also, how I stand – well lean more descriptively – very forward on my toes – upper thighs / groins forward versus back – something to be conscious of and try and shift. And then there is my lower back and the price it seems to have paid thanks to my posture ... usually convex or concave, very rarely straight ... which has to contribute to my lower back pain in certain poses. And some of those poses aren't my faves – and funnily enough, they also seem to have an open chest in common e.g. backbends, suptavirasana, setu bandha ... highlights the age old question – do I do what is easy and I like or do I do what is more challenging but I need ... I'm ready to work more on the former.

And finally pranyama ... the breathing ... something I've long struggled with and was looking forward to spending time on. Rajiv teaches most of the pranyama classes – and they are unlike anything I've done before. The first term has been almost exclusively about “long, slow, deep exhalations” while in restorative asanas – more comparative yoga – encouraging us to increase our awareness and understanding of the breath in different poses. I struggle – to find the really deep breath versus my more shallow and to find the rhythm of the breath. I've been exploring this during practice – to just witness my breath – and I realized that when I've practiced on my own, I count my breath as a way to know how long to be in a pose – so now I'm trying to stop counting and just witness ... and what I find myself witnessing, is not necessarily my breath, but my mind wandering (at times best described as a whirling dervish) ... ah yes, that quiet mind – so elusive.

The good thing is, I am becoming much more aware of 'my' practice and I still have another 3 weeks to continue to grow the awareness as well as experiment and play with it – and hopefully feel the effect on my body, my breath and my mind.

October 3rd - Day 8 The Yoga ... or is it Yog ...

I've realized that I haven't yet described the yoga studio ... it is beautiful. It is a separate building, behind their house in the middle of a most incredible garden. The studio is perfect: huge open space, brick walls, high ceilings with great fans, large windows north and south with all the props – you can hang in a rope and before shutting your eyes, look at the incredible marigolds just outside.

8 days in and I am so enjoying the yoga - both Swati and Rajiv are excellent teachers, each with their own very distinctive style. Swati's classes are efficient and very focused on the precise instructions for the asanas – her sequences have great flow with a very natural progression from start to end.

Rajiv on the other hand is more philosophical and combines talks with the asanas – put plainly, he is a passionate, inspirational raconteur with a love of yoga in it's purest form – 'yog'. The fundamental question he asks is what are we doing? Is it 'yoga' or 'yog'. To him, what is practiced in the West is 'yoga' – by the body for the body – and it stops there (he is very skeptical – to say the least ... – about what the West has done / is doing to yoga). Whereas the science of 'yog' – as written by Pantajali over 5,000 years ago – has an ultimate goal of transforming the self – and while yes it too starts with by the body for the body, it goes beyond to by the body for the breath, to by the body and the breath for the mind. Progressing beyond just by the body for the body yoga is what he is here to teach over these next three weeks.

The first step in this journey is getting us to focus on the interconnections within the body – yes you can pull up your knee in Trikonasana (triangle pose) and it is by the knee for the knee and you can also adjust your foot and have a similar impact on the knee – by the foot, for the knee. Basically the combinations and permutations are endless ... by the foot for the foot, by the foot for the knee, by the shin for the knee. And yes, the Teacher can guide you to find these connections, but ultimately it is our individual journey and we need to find these connections ourselves – how do we do that? By experimenting – in his words it should be 'Eureka yoga' – how are we aware of the impact on ourselves in the pose of the different actions we take – and how do we 'play' within a pose at our own initiative. Which I believe is part of the reason why there is no hands on corrections in the classes – because in his mind, how can a teacher know when you are experimenting, so if they come along and readjust an arm that was back to be upright again, they could have just disrupted your experiment. Clearly this applies to students who already know the physical poses versus those that are just learning.

The other way that he describes this concept is that we need to understand the 'why' of the 'what'. In a pose, the first step is the 'how' – but then, we need to seek to understand the 'why' – why is the teacher asking us to put pressure on the outer foot of the back leg in standing poses – what is the effect of that on the leg, the hip, the chest, the arm ...

I have to say, I don't feel fully comfortable writing this – I am finding it hard to do justice to the experience of both of their classes – but especially Rajiv's. What he is teaching is new to me – he can be inspirational and I'm loving learning it – and many times, I'm sure I'm only understanding and experiencing a small portion of what he is trying to communicate. So – the usual disclaimer – if I'm getting this wrong, it is me, not Rajiv!!!

NB - I also have to say – I have my special yoga shirt with me that I have worn in yoga classes all through my travels – it reminds me of my yoga 'home' and I love explaining to people the expression on the back :-)

September 28th - Day 3 Finding ATMs in Dehradun

Our first asana class with Swati – it felt like an hour and a half of concentrated leg stretches – it wasn't, but we did spend a lot of time standing with one leg on the wall. I am so appreciative of the fundamentals that both Rajiv and Swati are bringing to these first classes. Because I haven't been doing yoga regularly for a few months, I'm finding my body open to relearning the asanas (poses) without some of my former bad habits ... today in both the leg stretches and Uttanasana it was the importance of rotating the upper thigh back – something I've long struggled with thanks to many years of ballet when I was younger - and today, I could finally really feel it. Very cool indeed.

After class and breakfast, Richard and I took a vikram (6 to 8 people; 8 rupees – 20 cents) to Dehradun – our primary purpose, to withdraw enough money for the course and accommodation fees (India is a cash society) - which proved successful 4 ATM machines and 3 separate cash withdrawls later ... We then explored a bit – first Fab India, a clothes store with very nice traditional (well really they're modern traditional as they are still worn primarily) clothes – Richard bought things for his wife and I bought a traditional shirt to aid my attempts to fit in as best possible. Really beautiful fabrics, especially some of the shawls ... I will be back. Then we found the very western / Italian coffee shop with a comprehensive English bookstore in the back. And finally, Kumars – the small department store with a little bit of everything from food, to sweets, to drug store products, to home wares and even Kraft peanut butter ... It was good to get a sense of what was available 'in town'. Then a motorized rickshaw (2 to 3 people, 100 rupees – $2.30) back and we were home in time for pranyama.

I'm continuing to settle in at the house – the only thing I am really having to adjust to is the village of ants that I share the bathroom with ... this moving black line that I stare at as I brush my teeth ... unfortunately it seems Hindu philosophy is against killing animals ... I'm giving the natural remedies a week before I ask for the bug spray ... Our first few dinners have been good – I have a feeling however that rice, dal, a vegetable dish and two chapatis is going to be my staple meal over the next 7 weeks ... I may be needing a meal out or two along the way :-)

After dinner, back in my room for the evening, I am finding that I am missing 'noise' … it is going to take time to adjust to the quiet – the good news is that my PCs speakers are good and I'm rediscovering the music on my IPOD :-) I don't listen to music often and it is nice to be reminded of how much I enjoy it – normally the TV or internet provide the noise / fill the space first. I'm also not going to have wifi for the first time traveling – and that will be different as I am so used to being 'connected' … however, a little disconnection will be good for me – that is why I am here – to be quieter, to read, be able to reflect more and also catch up on my blog and email.

September 27th - Day 2 What, Where and Who

After another good asana class, it's 11am, I have my banana, yogurt and granola and I'm sitting at our little table in the patio / outdoor kitchen overlooking our garden ... life is good. Though, the weather is incredibly humid and muggy – very thick fog – I now understand why my flight was canceled ... It is the end of the wet season, later than usual – it should start to get dryer and cooler soon – both of which I am looking forward to!

So where am I and what am I doing? Good questions both – I'll start with the second. Rajiv and Swati, husband and wife, have been practicing and teaching Iyengar yoga for over 30 years - studying directly with Mr. Iyengar and since his retirement, with his children, Geeta and Prashant, at the Iyengar Institute in Pune. 8 or 9 years ago, they moved to Rajpur, built their yoga studio and began offering 3 week intensive courses - attracting students from all over the world. The also teach intensives in the US and Europe – I was able to study with both of them during my US trip and so decided to make India the final destination on this 7 month travel adventure of mine. I was accepted into two courses, the 2nd of which will also cover Ayurveda – something I know nothing about but am curious to learn.

Where am I? I am in Rajpur – a small suburb 10 km outside of Dehradun – a larger (500k people) city 225km north east of Delhi I think. We are at the bottom of the foothills of the Himalayas and have lovely views of the hills and valleys from a number of points – there is a lot of green – and bar the occasional car horn or Indian wedding (it's wedding season at the minute), very quiet and peaceful. Rajpur itself goes from the bottom to the top of a large hill – the main road winds it way down with businesses (corner stores, tailors, laundry, a couple of restaurants) and homes along the way – it's a 20 minute walk top to bottom, where the main 'chowk' or business area is with the larger general stores, internet cafes, post office, better priced fruit and veg stands, food stands and buses / vikrams to Dehradun. There is a large Tibetan community here – it's easier to find a Tibetan restaurant than Indian it seems ... though there are excellent samosas at the bottom of the hill :-)

We are incredibly well looked after – there are between 30 to 40 yoga students per course and we all stay in houses a 5 to 15 minute walk from the yoga studio at the top of the Rajpur hill. Some, like me, are in suites within homes – usually of retired couples, often with main homes in Delhi. Others are 7 to 9 yoga students in a house, with a caretaker and their family on the property. Swati and Rajiv also provide us with an information document – everything from local customs (like women don't shake a man's hand – I of course read this after shaking my landlords hand ...), to which vegetable stands have the least 'erratic' pricing, to how much to tip at the end of the stay, to taxi prices etc. etc. I was particularly curious about suggestions they give to women – Rajpur is a very small village and quite traditional and it seems there are very few Westerns in Dehradun – so they do encourage us to dress locally, to go out as a group and not to be out on our own after dark (common sense I suppose but feels a little restrictive at times ...)

So that is the basic set up ... and so far, it's been great. However, I do think life here could be very quiet ... especially with just me and Richard in the house ... and the fact that everyone tends to scatter back to their accommodation after class … and I am a little uncertain about that – imagine that, me the (increasingly former it seems) shy, reserved 'high' introvert, concerned there aren't enough people around – more than a little ironic :-) And it's true. The last 5 weeks, in Africa and London have been high intensity people experiences – and I've really enjoyed them. I will enjoy having a little more time and space to relax (there has been a lovely nap already) – and I am going to have to work harder to make the connections with the other participants (who btw all seem very nice so far). It will be a good challenge for me.

September 26th - Day 1 Getting Settled

The place where I am staying is lovely – the house is on a hill and the two apartments for yoga students are below the main house in the back - I have a large bedroom, walk in closet to store and lock everything and bathroom with western toilet (no toilet paper, but there was a toilet, and yes, I was relieved to see it ...) There is also an outdoor kitchen and common area which overlooks a beautifully manicured, very quiet garden which overlooks the valley. I was very pleasantly surprised – this was going to be better than ok, it was going to be great.

I woke after a good sleep and found the shower – or more accurately the taps with the water that goes into a bucket and then over me via a measuring cup ... I was awake, clean, dressed and ready for class! At which point, my neighbor Richard knocks on my door – time to go. The asana classes are from 8am to 10am most mornings and this morning Rajiv kicked things off. My first class in months – it felt good - very, very good.

After class, hungry, Richard and I headed off to explore and find food. Richard has been here before and knows his way around and what we needed to do – very helpful. We found an empty Indian restaurant for lunch ... unfortunately every 2nd thing we tried to order, they were out of ... including dal – how is that possible, really? But we got food and then went to get supplies. There is a cook on the property who makes dinner for us but we need to provide the ingredients. We decided to put our money in a kitty, discovered we both liked granola for breakfast and bought rice, lentils, vegetables and hopefully the right spices for a good meal or two ... we shall see tomorrow night!

We were back at the studio for our first pranyama class at 4pm with Swati – we'll have pranyama or philosophy half the afternoons. Today was restorative chest openers – a great way to start. I'm really looking forward to reconnecting with my yoga practice – and especially pranyama, with the focus on the breath and the necessity to open the chest to free the breath. I know that opening my chest more is key for me – from a posture perspective as well as from an emotional one – and so I'm curious to develop and see the effects of a more regular pranyama practice – of everything yoga, that is what I want most to be able to take home with me.

The evening was quiet – I had my complimentary meal which I'd missed the night before while Richard fasted (he's Jewish and it is Yom Kippur). Richard is English though lives with his family in Israel. He's had a fascinating life to date with an incredible amount of travel (drove overland India in the 70s I believe) and spent most of his time living abroad – India, Tibet, China and Israel. Our first dinner and we're talking religion ... I am going to enjoy spending time with him and have no doubt we'll have some fascinating conversations! Then I unpacked, did a little writing and was off to bed – a good first day.

Florence - First Impressions

I arrived mid afternoon – and after all my big talk of preferring cheap apartments to hotels, I'd gone with a great deal on a hotel by the train station (never usually a good thing) with air-conditioning and a pool ... when I realized it was 10 Euro a night more than the non-airconditioned apartment in the center of town ... and the weather forecast was calling for mid 30s ... well, it became a no brainer!

I headed out to explore – Florence is so contained that it was 5 minutes and I was in the prime shopping district and the town square and then another 5 minutes and I was at the Duomo – which really was incredible. However, my first impressions were 1. ok, this is really, really hot (mid 30s) and then, 2. wow, there are so many other lemmings ... by the end of my afternoon walk I'd come to the conclusion that while the size and containment of Florence was a definite plus, the down side was that it just meant all the lemmings were constrained in that space and so the density factor was high. That and as in Rome and Siena, being mid August, all the Florentine's had rightly escaped to the cooler countryside.

Florence held two attractions for me – first, what I thought would be the magic of the city (A Room With a View is one of my favorite movies and had highly romanticized the city) and second, it was the home of a wonderful yoga teacher from whom I'd taken a workshop in Vancouver. I was really hoping to get to one of her classes ... however, by the time I got to Siena, I realized that in all likelihood, she too would have escaped Florence for the summer. But I was determined to try ... So I got the instructions for the bus and map in hand, I headed out. All went smoothly and I found her studio in a residential neighborhood – in the same building as her home I believe – and yes, all was very quiet ... so no yoga in Florence this time.

As I was there, I explored the neighborhood a little – after the chaos of the center of town, I felt like I could breath again. It was a lovely neighborhood – little stores, restaurants and one of my top 5 churches of Italy. It was a new church – hadn't been sure those existed til now ... and beautifully designed – very light with great use of wood, brick and beautiful stained glass. It gave me faith that the Church was a part of the 21st century community.

So all in all, I was in Florence but definitely didn't have an immediate 'wow' reaction ... hopefully I'm able to find “Florence” in the next couple of days.

Rome - A Perfect Last Day

God, Art, Old Rocks and Great Food is how I'd summarize it … pretty much what you'd expect for a great day in Rome!

I started the day by heading out of the center to one of the 4 main basilicas in Rome that had been recommended to me – the church of San Paolo. It was huge and stunning in it's simplicity – more gothic style I believe. Then headed back into town and by fortuitous accident, found myself at the church of Sain Maria Maggiore – there was some kind of celebration or special service happening as there were lots of people, a Cardinal on his way out and the tail end of a service in the main part of the church. I decided to sit and observe the service – as I think I've said, I'm not overly religious but I do have faith. And something happened in that church – when everyone greeted each other and sang together, there was such a strong feeling of true community that I was taken aback by my emotions. There are many things of the Roman Catholic faith that I don't agree with but there, with the commitment to their faith and community was something to part of if only for a few minutes.

In my wanders from there to the Galleria Doria Pamphili, while looking for a sushi restaurant from my guide book, I stumbled across what ended up being the best pizza I've had. My philosophy over the past week is that there is really no reason not to have pizza every day – it just somehow would be wrong not too. (The idea was kindly concurred by my father – from whom I acquired said love of the food to be truthful!) It was a little spot with lots of locals and it was very, very good – one piece potato and the other zucchini – another thing I am going to have to try and make when I go home!

The museum itself was alright – more overwhelming for me from an art perspective – just too many paintings I knew nothing about. The main highlight though was a portrait of a Pope by Velazquez accompanied by a sculpture of the same pope by Bernini – it was a good combination and the painting was quite amazing – apparently when the Pope saw it, his comment was 'ah yes, that really is me' – a testament to the realism of Velazquez' work – see I am learning a little! But what I enjoyed most about the museum was the palazzo and how it was decorated – incredibly ornate and huge – and it had been lived in up to about the 50s or 60s based on the furniture and décor. A peak into history.

Then came the old stones of the Forum, Palatine and Colosseum – I had saved them to the end, in part because I kept avoiding going during the heat – which seemed to last all day ... so on my last day, they could be avoided no longer. I did get an audio guide which was helpful. Pretty sure I didn't appreciated all the rocks to the extent I “should” have – but I was impressed – again, such an incredible new perspective on the concept of 'old' – hard to imagine. I enjoyed the Colosseum the most – given how much of it is still standing, I could take myself back to that time and age – my mental picture of Russell Crowe in the Gladiator didn't hurt either!

Finally, a last dinner in one of my local restaurants – and believe it or not, well with all the pizza, you should believe it, my first pasta of the trip! I've never been a huge fan – I like it but don't love it and hardly ever have it at home. Clearly, this is because I am not having the right kind ... wow – I had something simple: thick pasta with cheese and pepper. I like simple food and this was one of the best dishes of pasta in my life – all the richness of the butter and cheese and pow of the pepper were perfect together. Something else to try and recreate ... I have an idea – a yoga workshop in the hills of Tuscany combined with cooking classes and good wine ... think I really could be on to something here!

Arrivederci Roma ... a magical city, lemmings and all, and I will be back!

Rome - Getting to Know My Neighborhood

I've rented a small apartment in Testaccio, a small neighborhood about a 30 minute walk from the southern edge of the center of Rome. Well more correctly, it is a good sized room with a bathroom and pocket kitchen within an apartment that also has 4 other rooms. It is in a lovely old building with a wrought iron huge main door, stone foyer and stairs and an old fashioned lift, the kind like a cage ... it is like stepping back in time and I love it! My favorite feature is my view ... I open up this lovely huge window and there is my courtyard and all my neighbors ... older Italian women in their housecoats putting laundry out – there are laundry lines in front of each of the window – very clever really. And below me there is a little garden patio where this older gentleman is out in the mornings painting and then in the late afternoons gives painting lessons. It feels very much like real life in Rome and I love it!

I'm still managing a little yoga in the morning – and here, I set my mat up right in front of the window and sit facing out ... I may become the neighborhood gossip but that's fine with me – the breeze coming in is lovely and all the sounds just kind of float by me. Very happy.

My first morning, I went out and explored my local neighborhood – what had seemed like nothing the night before was all alive during the day with the metal shutters up and the little pocket stores open for business. I found a great little deli / bakery selling fresh bread, pizza, sandwiches, cheese – it all looked wonderful. And I managed to get my sandwich without losing my place too many times ... in Italy the queue system is not as respected as in other (northern) European cultures I've experienced ... at a certain point, I asserted myself and was rewarded with a smile! What also made me chuckle was with my very, very limited Italian and then a few other foreign words thrown in for good measure, I think it was the “c'est tout”, by the end of the transaction, the guy serving me thought I was French ... I took it as a real compliment and knew it would give great amusement to all my French friends ... :-)

I then wandered through a lovely local market (specialty shoes, how perfect!), found a little five and dime store equivalent (perfect for the band aids my feet were already crying out for) and stocked up at my local supermarket. I also saw lots of little local restaurants as well as the local gelato shop … I was going to enjoy my week here I was quite sure!

Mykonos - My Lovely, Lovely Days

I've settled into a really lovely routine here.

My first couple of days here were a little unsettled, I'll admit, that nervous feeling in my stomach – was I going to stay put or find different accommodation, how long did I want to stay, when did I want to go to Rome, where would I stay … you get the idea. I then would spend way too much time on the internet googling away, checking in with travel agents, asking room rates of nearby hotels – again, etc. etc. It did make me realize that i needed to sort out my next stop, so I could relax and enjoy where I was - good lesson. By the third day, I'd sorted Rome and made my decision about staying put, I was able to get into the life here.

Part of why I'd decided to stay on Mykonos for the full 9 days was because I wanted some time just to breath and to reflect and get caught up on some things – my blog for one and also some very long overdue correspondence. It was time I thought I would appreciate once back in the noise of touristing travel e.g. once I got to Italy!

So, my day, I wake up – not too early, about 8am – though it's been slipping later as I stay up later ... I have a lovely slow morning with breakfast on the patio and then maybe a walk, reading or writing my blog or emails. Keeps me going until about mid day. The morning is when, if I'm going to feel at all anxious I do – so I've been trying to explore what helps ease it – I've found the walks good – a chance to talk to myself a little and regroup.

I've also found I've been able to get a little yoga in – I've been struggling with the 'self-practice' part of yoga for a long time now – and all of a sudden one day I decided, I just needed to do some – however, little it was. Ironically, I decided the same day I moved into the new room – but even with less space, I've been able to do some sitting, breathing, hip openers, uttanasana and headstand, with a little shavasana at the end – does it count when it's on the bed? It also has helped with the nervous pit in my stomach - I breath better after. Very nice to get back to.

The afternoons have been either discovering other beaches or just hanging out at my local beach – about 50/50. My local beach – when not too windy – is lovely with great swimming. I definitely go for the extortionate beach chairs (an advantage of not traveling on a true shoestring ...). About mid afternoon I head to the Dublin Cafe on the beach for a late lunch and a little internet time – best connection in town. Then it is back to the beach for another couple hours of the lovely early evening sun. I start to head back about 7pm.

I haven't read so much in a long time and that has been great as well. I brought with me 3 Vanity Fairs, two old Newsweeks and an old Mcleans and a book. I'm determined to get through as much as possible if only to manage the weight of my backpack for the next leg. So after it taking me a week to read the first Vanity Fair on Santorini (I read them cover to cover), the 2nd was 3 days and the 3rd was two. (PS the Sarah Palin article in the July edition is priceless!) One Newsweek is down and the other currently has me completely engrossed – it is the special edition 2009 issue from the beginning of the year with 36 articles on everything from foreign affairs to energy, the environment and the arts from leading international scholars, world organization leaders, CEOs and heads of state titled 'How to Fix the World – A Guide for the Next President' – it is a fascinating summary of the key issues in the world today and their prescriptions for the future. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to leave this one behind ...

The evenings are nice – I get cleaned up, try and scrub the sand out of my hair and ears (the wind is incredible ...), maybe do a little more internet and then head out to dinner about 8.30 or 9pm. I've solved the eating problem – I go out to dinner every second night – order two dishes to make a real meal out of it and then take home the remainder for dinner the next night … ingenious or what! I've made friends with my two local establishments – the owner of the local taverna thinks I'm just plane odd (he doesn't see a lot of single tourists me thinks ...) where as the folks at the Dublin are fine with me hanging out – if only for a beer – on those nights when I've had leftovers! They also have great music - the owner, an older Greek gentleman (wife is Irish), even has a little DJ station and he'll sit behind there all evening finding the next right tune.

Then, there is a final stop on the way home - to the little market, which is open all hours it seems, to get yogurt and a piece of fruit for breakfast the next morning :-)

So, as you can see, it's quite a lovely life here on Mykonos :-)

London - A Quick Pit Stop

I love London. I lived here for so long and know it so well, it is instantly familiar as soon as I step off the plane. Whether walking through M&S, along the highstreet or waiting for the underground, it is just so very comfortable. It is nice to be back.

I am only here for a day before we fly out to Santorini – just enough time to get over a little jet lag, have dinner in a pub garden (I do love them), do a few errands and repack my bags ... literally everything out and then everything back in ... (when I left Vancouver I had tried to pack for all three trips – Europe, Africa and India and now only take what I needed for Europe – it was a process ...).

I also managed to get to a yoga class at the London Iyengar Yoga Institute – it was good - the first class I had been to in a while and it was perfect for my jet lagged state with lots of stretching, forward bends and twists – I felt re-energized. The institute is lovely – set in the residential Maida Vale neighborhood, it is back from the street in a purpose built building with lots of windows – the light and the greenery outside all make their way in. The teacher was good – though I was surprised by the lack of the hands on corrections – not sure if it is just him or the "institute" (I always wonder a little at places that call themselves that ...). My one key take away from his class was what he called our second knee – right above the real one – it was a good metaphor for the experience of lifting your quad when working to pull up your legs.

The friend I am staying with rents from a woman whom I had met when I was last here, a little over a year ago – we were at surprisingly similar places in our lives – same age, both about to leave senior positions in organizations we'd been with for a long time and contemplating what to do with our time off / what next. However, shortly after, she was diagnosed with breast cancer – since then she's been through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and now more chemotherapy. Clearly our last 12 months, which once might have been quite similar, have been dramatically different. We had some good conversations and I give her huge credit for how she is living – a lot of courage, fortitude and exploration – she's leveraging alternative therapies and has put a lot of focus on her nutrition, which seems to have had a really positive impact on how she's responded to the side effects of her treatment and overall state of well being. I admire her and my fingers are crossed that she'll get an all clear at the end of this course of chemo. I was struck hard with a “but here by the grace of God go I” moment. Life is unpredictable at best – to be treasured and lived to the fullest each day.

Thursday, June 4th - Goodbye NYC, I'll be Back Soon

My last day in New York City – I was going to miss both the city and the yoga studio and was determined to get one last class in before check-out.

I had a great class – it was with a teacher, who was also a former dancer. She was very aware of who was in the class – recognized that she'd never taught me before and introduced herself and checked in with me (almost a measure in my mind of a good teacher – and so many Iyengar teachers do this).

The class was excellent – again, very clearly a level 3 class. One of the things I've really liked about the studio is that they have single level classes versus the mixed level classes. A level 3 class is different from a level 2 class – there are different expectations and it pushes me in a different and good way. Both Monday and today's classes were more like some of the workshops I've done and it was nice to have the opportunity to revisit that style in a class. Her demonstrations were excellent and the class just had this very active energy to it. I left with a real spring in my step.

Then back to the hotel to finish packing and reclaim my car ... one of the downsides to driving to both NYC and DC is the extortionate cost of parking at hotels e.g. $50+ / day ... so in NYC I'd decided to go independent as there was a parking lot just a block and a half away – one of those cool places where they put your car in what looks like storage for toy cars ... I walked by many times and chuckled when I saw my car about 4 stories up! It was quite a relief to have the car safely away – driving in NY terrifies me – just far too busy with too many people, cars, crazy drivers and one way streets. Give me the metro any day!

I managed to get out of the city – thank you Jane – and had the same surreal experience going back through the Lincoln tunnel that I had coming in ... as I was leaving, I promised myself, I would be back much more often – every couple of years at least – I've concluded that it is the perfect 'girls weekend' city – lots of great theatre, food, shopping, yoga and cafes – what else do you need! And I think I have some takers for next spring – anyone else want to join?

Sun, May 31st & Mon, Jun 1st - More Neighborhoods, More Yoga

Lovely days just hanging out, exploring different neighborhoods and taking great yoga classes!

Sunday was Little Italy in the morning – I was looking for brunch and stumbled across a place which looked cool – brick building with big open windows and lots of people inside. Once inside, I realized it was Public, a Micheline 1 star restaurant – had to stay, just to say I’ve eaten at a 1 star … and the food looked and smelled great … and it was … my first read of the NY Post while eating my first eggs benedict with spinach and smoked salmon – usually the sauce turns me off but this was really, really good :-)

I walked from there to the yoga studio in midtown – the third time I'd done the walk and the beauty was, each time was like the first with new streets to wonder and explore. The yoga studio has workshops each Sunday afternoon and luckily enough, this week was all about shoulders – this has been and continues to be a theme ... The class was great – very focused on understanding the anatomy and then doing some of the basic poses with a focus on where the shoulders should be. What stuck me most was how the shoulders do need to be held or kept, almost tucked, into position, not falling out or letting go. Depending on which direction your body is going, sideways, upside down, it requires a different focus on where your shoulders should be. At least I think that's right. What I appreciated most was almost the applied anatomy aspect of the session – I'd like to be able to do similar sessions with other parts of the body such as the back, the hips and over and over, the shoulders!

Monday, I continued to develop my expertise for brunch! (This has long been my favorite meal of the day – in large part as it's been something I could cook … one day, it may even turn into a business – who knows!!)

After a stroll through Wall Street and a quick pass of Ground Zero, (I always feel the need to visit my banker friends in this city for some reason), I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge - it was amazing! I’ve always loved bridges, especially those with great architectural structure and lights (Battersea in London is my favorite) – I think they are stunning, particularly at night - and this one is no exception. It also has all these pop culture references that made it quite surreal to walk across.

While exploring Brooklyn I found Teresa’s Café – a cross between a modern café and an old school greasy spoon. Definitely less upscale than Sunday – and I have to say, I’m enjoying my feta and spinach omlette with tomato on the side much more! It’s really, really good and something to be tried at home because the spinach and feta are in nice moderation and mixed right into the egg versus being clumped in the middle (I’ve had that before and it’s a mistake ...).

I enjoyed Brooklyn, with all the lovely brownstones and a little of the New York edge mixed in with a real residential feel. I will say, in all my wanderings of the city, I am realizing just how not trendy I am ... I’m not wearing one of skinny jeans, short shorts, flouncy dresses with leggings, gladiator shoes, metalic shoes or flip flops …. However, at least me and my flowing hippy style skirt aren’t coming across as a complete tourist either given the number of people who’ve asked me for directions. I guess that’s the great thing about this city – there is just so much here, there is room for everyone and their style!

The day finished with a really excellent yoga class – a senior teacher and a true level 3 class. He led us through what for me was an advanced practice with very little demonstration - he expected us to know what we were doing. It was meant to complement a good home practice – and it really would. The highlights for me were a chair shoulder stand with a different but very interesting setup as well as pranyama embedded into the class. I left feeling incredibly energized.

And a brief yoga fashion comment … I've been surprised throughout the US, and especially in New York by just how many women are wearing what I call 'funny yoga shorts' that previously I'd only seen worn by a couple of our visiting male yoga teachers. They are the shorts which have a tight band right at the top of the thigh with loose material above covering one's butt – kind of like very, very short circus pants … not the most flattering but I can see how they are practical in the heat ... we'll see how long it takes them to show up in Vancouver! (another trend I won't be following anytime soon ...)

Friday, May 29th - Pop Culture in New York City

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and also the one I’ve struggled with most on this trip … but today, best breakfast I’ve had so far – freshly scrambled eggs in a hoagie bun from a street vendor – basically I can say I had the Philly cheese steak hoagie sandwich, just without the steak or cheese – it was perfect! 

After a brief wander through downtown Philly, I headed off for New York City – and almost immediately, I was getting onto the New Jersey turnpike – it was a bit of a surreal moment – one of those roads you hear so much of in the movies or on TV.  I realized this was likely to be the pop culture part of my tour ….  That was reinforced as I went through the toll station, and then drove through the Lincoln tunnel (best analogy I can think of is that it was like driving through the insides of a very long snake – again, surreal …) and then as I arrive in Manhattan, on my immediate right is a NYPD station with the cars all parked out front on angle – can you say NYPD Blues … so cool, and yes, I acknowledge, I may be admitting just how much ‘pop culture’ / tv & movies I’ve enjoyed over the years …

I am in a great hotel – another awesome Hotwire deal – right in the middle of Chinatown, Little Italy, Soho and Tribeca.  The first time I’ve stayed below midtown – and the area of NYC I’ve explored the least.  I am just a little excited - this is something I’ve always wanted to do – spend a week just ‘hanging out’ in NYC.

I’m also, on purpose, close to the NYC Iyengar Yoga Institute – so I hopped the metro for 4 stations and was there … It is a great space – another office building / 11^th floor yoga studio but it doesn’t have an office feel – instead lots of brick, really good sized studios with high ceilings and open windows with a lovely breeze.  It was a good class and good teacher – helped me with my shoulders – one day I will get there …. I’ll be here often this week …

A quick falafel dinner and then I walked back to the hotel - along Broadway, through Union Square - very, very cool to be here.

Wednesday, May 27th - Ideal Day, Both Politics & Yoga

Today was back to politics with:

• a tour of the Capital Buildings - quite the organization, processing what must be thousands of tourists a day with a good visitors centre.  You don't get to see a lot of the complex, but at least I was able to see the House of Representatives - I was surprised as it was really quite small - it seems much bigger on TV
  
• breakfast in the canteen - congress not in session so pretty much just tourists and a lot of students ... read the DC free daily Politico - all the latest political scoop with a little inside DC gossip for entertainment - fun!
• then the Supreme Court - another wow – impressive and really interesting to hear how the history and how they operate today including how they manage their caseload and actual presentations of cases (their questions to the lawyers are often to highlight points to the other justices) - very topical given the announcement of the new nominee to the bench.
  

Then a little culture in the afternoon with a visit to the National Gallery of Art where I got a surprise - as I was walking through one of the halls on my way to the impressionists, I turn a corner and there in front of me was the painting I grew up with, A Young Girl Reading by Jean-Honore Fragonard  ... I still have the old framed print at home (never having known how rare the original was) - something I'd tried to give away recently in a spring cleaning binge but I just couldn't - so I bought another smaller print to frame and keep - a connection to my childhood.  It made me smile.  I enjoyed the rest of the museum - they have an excellent impressionist collection (my art focus) and the entire museum is housed in a really beautiful building, with two lovely indoor conservatories - with comfortable chairs and tea - just perfect!

Finally, that evening, I made it to a yoga class.  The main Iyengar studios in DC are Unity Woods founded by one of the well known US Iyengar teachers, John Schumacher.  I'd heard of him from the folks in Denver and I was very curious to try a class.  I didn't get to one of his classes but enjoyed the teacher I had (she helped with my lotus/padmasana attempt which I appreciated).  Unfortunately, it was my first disappointing experience with a studio - it was their Woodland Park location and was entirely underground with no windows ... light and fresh air make all the difference.  I'm also not entirely convinced on studios being built up around just one teacher, no matter how good they may be - it risks becoming too centered on that individual and their style as opposed to having a breadth of influencers all contributing to the community.  So far the best example I've seen of the latter is at the Denver studio which was co-founded by 3 or 4 teachers.

I also had a realization today - I’m getting better at ‘letting things go’ in the moment.  Generally, if something doesn't go as planned / as I've wanted, I've stewed, often berating myself or others for it not working out.  I think this more flexible, less 'planned' travel is paying off - I'm less attached to a plan and so able to detach more when things evolve differently than I might have imagined.  It's a good thing.

Sunday, May 17th - Yoga in Atlanta

I arrived in Atlanta last night and discovered I was staying in a really lovely part of town - beautiful houses / mansions along the street - and almost all with the seemingly requisite white pillars in front :-)

I made it in time to participate in the last day of Rajiv Chanchani’s (husband of Swati from Denver) weekend workshop.  It was a really good morning asana class – his focus was on the feet and hands with his lesson being that by focusing on both, you can’t help but improve what’s in between.  The analogy was a piece of string – pull at both ends and the middle straightens.  He also really encouraged us to play and experiment with the poses and props – e.g. in elbow balance, use the 3 props, then remove 1, what do you notice etc. etc.  It was a helpful reminder that our practice needs to be living and not stagnant in ‘how we always do a pose’.

The afternoon session was on philosophy – through stories of Ram, he spoke of the characteristics of true gurus.  One that stuck with me, is how Kings had gurus because power needs to be balanced with intelligence.  Rajiv's core message: Yoga is a phenomenal way of understanding man and the universe – asana is just a part.  It is a science.  I am still trying to figure out what it really means to me, how important is it really?  I'm not sure.

The workshop was held at Still Water Yoga - a lovely airy studio in the heart of Atlanta run by Kathleen Pringle.  I'm regretting not taking pictures of the studios I've been to as they all been quite unique and special - lovely energy at them all.

Thursday, May 14th - I Found the Music in Memphis

I arrived in Memphis last night – got there in time to watch the Idol Results show (first season in years I’ve been hooked).  Afterwards, I decided I was going to head out and find some Memphis blues … I headed for BB King’s club on the main music street.  As I arrived, I found a street party with a LOT of motorcycles – I discovered that it was ‘bike night’ – apparently happens every Wednesday night in the summer when literally hundreds of motorcycles and people take over 3 blocks of Beale Street.

It was great – beer and wine for sale on the street and live bands in the clubs and outdoor patio areas – the highlights …

• A Tokyo newlywed playing and singing the blues – seriously, not bad …
  
• A trio that were just wild – electric guitar, large cello (?) and drums – they were bouncing all over the stage – reminded me of Jerry Lee Lewis
  
• Standing against a tree in a park watching a band of 10 in a pavilion with an older man sitting on a stool, singing the blues – definitely old school and amazing
  

I have to admit, it was the first time on the trip that I felt a little lonely –it would have been nice to share - but I’m so glad I got out and found it – I was smiling all the way back to the hotel :-)

Today, I was up and out early so that I could attend an Iyengar yoga class with Lou Hoyt at Eastern Sun Yoga – it was a great class.  As Lou said afterwards, one of the wonderful things about Iyengar yoga (and pros of the regulations), is that you can go to a class anywhere in the world and know what it is going to be like. I found her to be an excellent teacher – a lot of focus on leg and foot alignment, which was a nice continuation from Cliff’s focus on feet yesterday.  In particular, she helped me with my Halasana and shoulder stand – with all the driving, my upper back is definitely a focus this trip.  Her studio is the opened up main floor of a small bungelow – it has a lovely airy feel – nothing like doing Shavasana with a warm soft southern breeze flowing through …

The ladies at class were incredibly friendly – curious about my trip, described as going to a wedding in Toronto with a slight detour south - and happy to give me advice on Memphis.  Their best advice was to lunch at Miss Cordelia’s on Mud Island and then walk along the Mississippi – it was beautiful – and yes, they’ve had a lot of rain and the trees are literally in the river.

I then headed for the National Civil Rights Museum, which is located at the motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated.  It's an exceptional exhibit that traces the history of the civil rights movement as well as a video recalling the events that led up to MLK's death - it's hard to believe just how recently it all happened and how long the struggle took - puts Obama's victory and what it means to the country into even more perspective for me.

And then, yes, I did go to Graceland – as I was told, no visit to Memphis would be complete without it.  They were right – but they do take advantage in how they price it … It was most interesting to see how relatively normally he lived - and I had the chance to once again see the lovely green shag carpet I grew up with!

Wednesday, May 13th - Me and Bill

It’s a lovely day and I am in Little Rock, and I have a full day of Bill Clinton world exploring to do.  First, the capital building where appropriately enough, there was a political demonstration on the main steps – a bus tour of union autoworkers raising awareness for ‘buying American’ I believe.  The Capital was much grander than others I’ve seen, Wyoming for example, and at the same time not so big that it lost the feel of a real work place.  I had the feeling that Bill’s energy would definitely have been a force in the place when he was in residence.

Curious to see Bill and Hilary’s home, I drove by the Governor’s mansion – it’s set in a lovely neighborhood full of beautiful old brick houses with lovely gardens.  I quite like Little Rock – it is a nice size with lovely residential areas close to downtown.

Then I was off to his presidential museum – it is stunning - a huge glass structure overlooking the river in the middle of an open park area.  They’ve done an excellent job with the exhibit – provides the history both chronologically as well as by topic area - and even has his daily schedules ... lots of blank 'work' time during the impeachment ....  It is of course, much like his book, a one sided view on history but still, very hard not to appreciate all that was achieved.  Definitely worth the drive to see it!  Like the picture?

I also managed to get in a lunch break yoga class - which was a nice interlude – in a lovely little studio in the middle of industrial downtown Little Rock.  Cliff is not Iyengar certified but definitely teaches in the style – and has a really good understanding from what I could tell.  He’s been practicing for a long time (on the wall, pictures of him with Mr. Iyengar from the 60s or 70s I think …).  Not being certified, he’s caught a little in the Iyengar politics – there are definitely pros and cons of it being such a highly regulated body …

I left by late afternoon for the drive to Memphis – more green rolling hills, beautiful lakes and rivers that seem very full (I've heard a few 'finally the sun' comments ...).