What an idea!!! I jump on board. It is bound to help both of us, my dear friend Denise and I, and hopefully others too. A three part idea for me. 1. Yoga asana practise daily, 2. Art practise daily, 3. Spread the word. Write about it, talk about it, to increase the potential to help others.
For Denise, who is currently writing a book about ayurveda, East Indian medicine, and homeopathy, she wants to begin our project by our talking weekly. I’m the compulsive note taker, and so I write. Denise expresses her focus as teaching dinaycharya, or daily routine, which includes meditation and pranayama.
Denise and I will talk about it, write about it and see where this takes us, to locations other than our current ones, most likely. She is most often in California, and I in Nova Scotia. Two countries. Two friends. A project to unite us.
Today, August 5, 2010, it begins. Flying home, arriving at 1am ... I've rearranged my flight home from visiting family in New York and New Jersey to arrive on August 4th, so that our project can start on the most auspicious day possible, based on our charts, August 5th, according to Denise's vedic astrologer. We needed to be physically together to begin our project, though much of it will find us in different geographic locations. Rising at 8am David and I meet Denise at 10am to begin our opening ceremony. The air is humid, the sky grey, the setting tranquil, rural and a lush green.
We arrange an altar on a yoga mat in front of us, covered with many books, incense, Ganesha symbols, and an offering of food. Our three mats are lined up parallel to each other, one pink, one purple, one blue. Denise gives David and I a piece of art devoted to Ganesha. She talks us through the symbolism of his image. I brought for the altar a Ganesha symbol that Jawahar Bengara, one of Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar's senior teachers, gave me when he was just here running a glorious workshop at David's studio. Ten hours of bliss. On his last visit to us I gave Jawahar a porcelain vase I'd made that carried an inscription of the aum sign on its four paddled sides. This visit he gave me Ganesha's symbol to benefit my love and devotion to the art making process.
David, Denise and I each take our turns. I begin with the Ode to Patanjali. The air vibrates with our three aums. It blends seamlessly with the dense air, much like the crickets' loud song.
Then Denise starts with the Ganesha (Ganpati) Mool Mantra. We recite it 108 times using our japa string of sandalwood beads that Denise brought us from India. Then it is David's turn to lead us.
He choses a series of gentle poses. We finish with namaste.
It is very hot and Denise and I are tired. David leaves for work at his Iyengar studio in the city. Denise and I finish by talking a bit, and then I lead us in one series of the sun salutations, done slowly with attention to fulfill Denise's request. We finish in savasana and then walk to Denise's for chai.
And so it begins. We celebrate our choice to begin this journey together. 365 days of yoga for each of us. Attention to the meaning and explanation of ayurvedic daily practice for Denise. For me, a daily committment to an art practise as well and the hope that others will benefit from this journey. We are very much looking forward to this year.
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