Yoga Diaries

Yesterday I went to my first yoga class since 1997. This class brought back so many memories. From 1991 to 1997 my sister and I went to Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Kotturpuram, Madras, which later moved to Thiruvanmayur or a little further from there. My sis and I were children, and we were in the children's beginners class, in a year or so we were in the advanced classes, teacher training classes, then back to the advanced classes.We went everyday, and later 2-3 times a week as we grew older. The Yogis became a part of our lives, the center became a part of our lives, although reluctantly at first, it was sure, especially the Center in Kotturpuram.

My mother told my sis and I she was going to enroll us in classes and took us to the yoga center. We were sitting there to sign up in this lobby which has a plant, a few pictures of the Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda, and a very large OM. I remember wondering what that meant, I was 6! I had no idea what yoga was, although I heard my mom say she did it. While we were sitting there, a lady also waiting there, suddenly began talking to my mom "Oh Aruna! I didn't recognize you. Remember we met at the Gupta's dinner 2 months ago? Anyway how are you doing? I didn't know you had kids! How are you? Are you married too? I knew you looked familiar..." She went on and on before my mom could even correct her mistake. She mistook my mom for someone else. Finally my mom said, "I am not who you think I am!" The lady apologized and felt so embarrassed, I felt her embarrassment! It was funny but also strange. We were in a strange place, signing up to do something strange,  and this stranger lady begins talking to my mom!

We signed up for the classes, and my mom bought us t-shirts and a book for the class. My sis got a yellow shirt which had a big Om on it. It had the motto of the Sivananda Center:

"Health is wealth, Peace of mind is happiness, Yoga shows the way."

-Swami Vishnudevananda

I got a blue t-shirt identical to my sister's. So we proceeded to the class which was upstairs on the thatch covered terrace. There was this interesting picture of the spine, and postures, and a small changing room. We used bamboo mats to do the yoga on. No fancy pansy, rubber mats we have now a days. This was yoga the original way. We were asked to bring a cloth - not a towel or rug. It was minimal props. We got our mats and sat down on them. We met our instructor: Yogi Sabu-ji. They were all  real yogis here - never married, living the yogic way, eating that way too - pure vegetarians etc. There was one more modern teacher, we called him Swami-Ji and he had been married, but left his family to live a life of a Yogi. They were very serious and would scold us if we misbehaved, talked too much, did not pay attention. We made friends with other students, and friends with the yogis over the course of the year.

 The first class we learn the Surya Namaskar. We did that for a few classes, till we knew it, by heart. Then we learn other poses, and our first upside down pose - shoulder-stand! Sarvangasana! Yeah! We kids loved being upside down for some reason. We also had to learn all the Sanskrit terminology. As the year went by we learnt more poses/ asanas, and got closer. At some point my sister and I were the only students, yoga was not popular hobby in general in India. I think we enjoyed doing yoga outside, and on the rare occasion play games with the Yogis, attending the special events, ie. Swami Vishnudevananda visited the Chennai center in 1992 or so. It was amazing to chant, meditate, sing and eat with him. We really had no idea he was a senior and learned yogi. We just knew he was aged, to be respected, and this was a super serious day.

We didn't know at the time how much Yoga was benefiting us, and how it would become such a huge trend in the west. We just went because our mom sent us there to get better from out asthmatic and sinus conditions. With regular practice we got sick less. However I am ever grateful to my mom for sending us everyday!

I will have to wait for more memories of  yoga class to come back to me... however I never stopped doing yoga after 1997. This was some magical skill we had acquired, while most girls finished their Arangetram in Bharatnatyam, my sis and I were skilled yogis - we could stand on our heads, our hands, and become "crazy human pretzels". We practiced it at least once a week with our mom, and we would enjoy showing guests the power of yoga!