The Downward slope

Hari Om, Namaste, Hello-
WOW this week the craziness has started! WE just had our test today which was really easy, thank goodness. It was more of an evaluation of how we are all doing in the course. Apparently our instructors are all pretty impressed with our group. We are all really brilliant and inquisitive and we pick things up really quickly. It is apparent that we all want to be here!
Johanna, my roommate, and I gave our first ever beginner yoga class on monday! That was frightening! We did really good! I of course was my self and made some silly mistakes like apologizing for something I did, I was talking really fast and then trailing off which I tend to do when I am nervous and my portion was too short. Whoops. We were each supposed to do 40 minutes but I blazed through my half and forgot to do some poses. We got really good feed back and one girl told me that I always was smiling and that my cues for the poses seemed to come from within. Like I really knew what I was talking about and that it came from my own practice ands so she felt safe with me! Awww so that was really nice. Johanna was awesome she had great command and excellent cues and we even sang a little mantra at the end. Divia our teacher said that we really represented Akahnd yoga which is the integral style we are learning here. Next tuesday we teach an intermediate class! That should be a lot of fun. We wont have to do as much explaining in poses and can ramp it up. We also have a paper due on Monday! AHHHH
There was the big Devali festival this past Saturday lots basically like Christmas mixed with 4th of July. Everyone puts lights on there house and they light off fireworks that sound like a quarter stick of dynamite. It was so loud it made me jump and scream every time. It is a celebration of the new moon, being the longest night of the year and the energy it brings. Our bodies contain both sun and moon energy, Male and female (this is actually what HA THA represents inHATHA yoga) so the lunar or female energy is embraced and it is supposed to be the best time to meditate. Six months from now when it is the longest day of the year there will be another celebration. So during this celebration we chant the Gyatri mantra while everyone lights a candle, representing the light inside of us, and then we share our inner brightness by giving out candle to a friend! then we eat lots of sweets! I had the biggest stomach ache. Totally was not worth it. We ate a bunch of sweets then watched fireworks on the roof and then learned how to dance Baliwood style. One of the students teaches back in canada. so on top of all of our sweets we jumped up and down a lot then watched a sitar and flute player then we lit off fireworks and more dancing. we all bailed at like 10 pm cuz we were all bushed!
I ate out for lunch on Sunday and it was sooooooooo delicious. I actually got to eat Garlic nann, I havent had garlic since before I came here. It is not considered a pure food cuz it causes heat in the body. Then we at some paneer tiki masala, paneer is India's version of cheese, its more like TOfu, and some veg manchurian which was a little spicy. Mmmmm it was sooo god. Oooh I also drank a pepsi. YUM Then I couldnt go to the bathroom for two days! Hari OM! THAT was worth it! the sweets...not worth the stomach ache. Come to think of it I bet it was the sweets the threw up the road block! AH HA!
SO here is a few more pictures: My roomie Johanna, ME, our hot and steamy breakfast, sunset at the ganga, the neighborhood doggie, a hindi chillin, our sweets form Devali and my candle given to me by my friend! Which would have been a great photo had I realized the clothes pin was there before I took it! HAri Om! I absolutely love Johanna, she is awesome. we feel like we have always known each other. We just fit right in together. Anyway I really should be writing my paper. Im writing it on one of the yoga sutras. I think it is 1.33. How to be kind to those that are happy, to be compassionate for those who are less fortunate, have honor for those with nobel qualities and equanimity for those whose actions oppose our values. The last one I find really difficult so that is what prompted me to pick this topic. It sounds easier than it really is. Anyway love y'all and miss ya.

Namaste :)