The Mysteries of India

There was no menstrual or recovering from illness sequence in Prashant’s evening class. I had mentioned to a friend of mine before class “I hope this is not a double backbend class” and, well, I predicted it: that was exactly what it was. Class started off well enough….a twenty minute Setu Bandha Sarvangasana on a block. I thought to myself “now this is exactly what I need” as I hid myself in a dark corner of the room generally reserved for the menstruating women. Prashant likes to give long breaks and talk philosophy and so after the pose, he lectured (and lectured and lectured). I didn’t mind: I like what he has to say. He told us that we have to justify the block and that we need to spend time in our poses so that we could learn. “How many of you say “I am doing Setu Bandha Sarvangasana?....Instead, how about looking at how Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is doing “I”?” A very interesting point, I think.
Focusing on our pelvic breath, we were instructed to take Viparita Dandasana on a chair while 11 people at a time took Viparita Dandasana on the wall ropes. I kept hoping he’d single out the recovering and/or menstruating people for something different. No luck and not wishing to rock any boats, I hung like the rest of them on the ropes as part of the last group to hang. Then Viparita Dandasana against the wall for 20 minutes while everyone went for round two at the rope wall. Then Standing Backbends (for those that could dropping back into) Urdhva Dhanurasana into Vaprita Dandasana for another 20 minutes while everyone went for round 3 at the rope wall. Still hiding in my corner, I certainly did no drop backs and chose not to stay in the poses for the entire time but rather to repeat more frequently. It seemed like every time I came down and rested for too long, Prashant would venture into my neighborhood and with a sigh of resignation, up I’d go again. Surprisingly, I wasn’t feeling bad doing the practice and I took this as a sign that I should continue. Fear of Prashant egging me on—as this was only my third Prashant class ever and I did not feel like attracting undue attention because I wasn’t fully participating. Then Viparita Chakrasana from Urdhva Dhanurasana to Viparita Dandasana while we headed for the wall ropes one more time. By now, I’d discovered a small group of people who had chosen to use the chair for these last rounds over on the other side of the dark corner of the room. I joined them and thankfully skipped round 4 on the ropes. The rest of the class did a hanging Sirsasana while the rest of the class did Supta Padangusthasana until it was their turn on the ropes. By this time, I had found the other one Indian menstruating woman in a corner who seemed to know what to do. I followed her lead….we stayed in Supta Padangusthasana 2 then ventured into Setu Banda Sarvangasana on benches while the rest of the class finished in Halasana. In spite of the challenge of it and my doubts that it was an appropriate sequence for me, I felt much better after class.

Still not wishing to test fate in the food department, I returned home to a big hot bowl of oatmeal and my books. As I changed from my yoga cloths to my nighttie, I noticed that my entire body had broken out in red hives, which luckily cause me no discomfort. Combined with the new mosquito bites I sustained during class (I guess they’ve decided that I taste good enough even with my anti-mozzie essential oils), I’m quite a site. What could have set it off I wonder? There were a number of firsts yesterday: the mango lassie that I had for brunch, the vegetable burger on a toasted wheat bun that I had for lunch, the new Ayurvedic soap with “HEAL” embossed in it (I doubt it’s this one or my neck and face would also be broken out, which thankfully they are not), the Brahmi oil I used after my shower before class (again doubtful, since I’ve had no reaction before), the AMLA fruit which I also bought at the Ayurvedic shop, the frighten bright blue gel ALEVE that I took before class. Who knows? But even this morning, the redness has not subsided as I chuckle to myself about India. None of it really matters: I think the situation laughable. Isn’t Prashant teaching us that the physical body is only one element of ourselves anyway? And I hope they go away soon. I know that Geeta’s women’s class this morning will include a menstruating and recovering from illness section and I look forward to being a part of it as I sniffle the end of this illness away.