The second week kinda went by fast which is always a good thing. Two more weeks (of sitting on concrete/tiled floors for 6hrs a day and waking up at 4:30am) to go!
Been enjoying yoga therapy and philosophy classes. There are tremendous benefits from taking yoga therapy classes (Mysore style) geared toward improving areas in the body. Let’s say you have chronic or acute back pain, I can now set up a sequence of asanas and breathing exercises that are beneficial for alleviating pain. I will monitor your alignment and provide modifications. In a Mysore style class, there may be a few other people in class working through their own sequence during the same hour. It allows for ‘personal training’ without a high price and within a small group. So, if you or anyone you know can benefit from this, I’m now accepting clients! 😊
For the next 2 weeks, we’ll be immersed even deeper into ashtanga vinyasa (not to be confused with classical ashtanga). It’s a sequence of asanas strung together with vinyasas. It’s a very challenging sequence and I look forward to at least knowing the steps.
On to tourist stuff…
Because our time is limited, we chose to visit only worthy places in Mysore and surroundings. On Sunday, 3 of us visited the Temple in Somnathapura, a town located 35 km from Mysore. The drive there was pleasant, quiet country side with rice paddies and other farming. Somnathapura is famous for the Kesava temple. We booked the taxi for 4 hours thinking we won’t need more than an hour inside the temple. However, the temple was beautiful and the surroundings were clean, cool and comfortable, we could’ve easily spent more time there! Bonus, I got the local entry price, 5 rupees! 😀 It was built by Soma, a commander in 1268 CE under Hoysala Empire when the Hoysalas were the major power in South India. The Kesava temple is one of the finest and most complete examples of Hoysala architecture and is well-preserved condition. The temple is in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India as a protected heritage site (wiki).
The previous weekend, we visited the Palace of Mysore. It is one of the most visited places in India after the Taj Mahal. The Palace is also worth the visit but be prepared for crowds.