Majnu and the Mat

Thursday

When I reached the podium in the garden a little after 5 am, a pack of stray dogs were loitering around seemingly having some kind of argument. 

With the swagger of members of a local mafia, they approached me one by one, sniffed at my yoga mat and hands, and resignedly went back to doing what they were doing.  
Nowadays I try to reach there a little earlier to do dhyana and sun salutations before the others arrive. 
Sometimes the garden lights do not work, the moon is shining above, the commotion of the world has been hushed by the majesty of the glorious ebony sky, and the silky coolness of approaching winter soothes the skin. 

If I keep my eyes closed, it helps with the body and mind conversation that is so essential to yogasadhana. I intentionally block out the sounds of the canine argument.

It is not easy.

I try harder till I achieve some sort of focus on the breath and this technique helps in not being distracted too much. 

I give commands to myself:

Just breathe.

Feel the coolness of the air as it touches your nostrils.

Feel the air as it passes through your chest all the way to your belly.

Feel it as it gently leaves your nostrils.

Think of your breathing as a cyclical pattern that goes on and on. 

Just breathe.


Friday 

It was Kazi Ma'am who mentioned it first. 

“Yesterday, the dogs ran away with Singh Saab’s yoga mat” she told the early walkers in the garden as she sat under the gazebo clapping her hands for exercise. To those who waited to listen, she provided a detailed report on how it happened. 

“They had taken Pal ji’s mat too and they readily returned it. But they struggled to return Singh Saab’s mat.”

At the start of our group practice, Singh Saab mentioned it too. He is one of the senior-most and deeply respected members of our group.

“It was your Majnu who stole my mat” he said to Rita didi. 

Rita didi calls a certain dog in the garden ‘Majnu’ because he has earned the reputation of being a roadside Romeo who follows a group of walking chattering giggling girls who return his affections by petting and making cooing sounds.

Singh Saab is fond of poetry and this romantic comparison of a dog to a Romeo might have appealed to him. Although the stealing of his mat might have not.  


Monday

Today Singh Saab mentioned it again.

He said he didn’t know if I was or wasn’t there on the podium when Majnu ran away with his yoga mat on Thursday. 

Hmmm.

I remembered how hard I was trying to stay away from distraction. On a clear morning, even without the local canine mafia around, it is difficult to focus the mind on the breath. 

On Thursday, when the incident happened, perhaps I might have achieved some sort of concentration on the breath, and the mind-body connection really did happen.

So, it may be true that Majnu ran away with Singh Saab’s yoga mat when I was there on the podium.

But not quite. 

Gratefully yours, Greta!

समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले ।

विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्वमे ॥

O Goddess, one who is clothed in the waters of the oceans,

and have the mountains as your bosom,

O wife of Lord Vishnu, I salute you,

Please forgive me as I touch your holy body with my feet.

This is the mantra our Hindu ancestors chanted before they stepped out of bed every morning. They held a reverence for Mother Earth who blessed them bountifully.

*

In India, girls are considered as the reincarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.

Recently a teenaged girl named Greta Thunberg from Sweden rang alarm bells in the corridors of power about the harm caused to the planet by humans, and brought to light how climate change would affect the future of young people like her.

With her stern face and the audacity to rebuke world leaders, she reminded me of Hermione from the Harry Potter series. Unlike Hermione, Greta was real and had the courage to take on those who made world decisions. As usual, there was applause and felicitations. However, Greta refused the awards showered on her and that provided a fulcrum to the cause she championed.

Regretfully, there were also people who thought Greta was being unreasonable and that her ‘handlers’ had political motives.

Anyways, Greta lumbers on unhindered and is presently sharing a boat on the Atlantic to return home.

The world will be grateful for you, Greta.

*

Today I am staring at an odd assortment of objects – a used ball point pen, a sticker removed from an apple peel, an egg carton, an empty bottle of shampoo, an expired light bulb, and grocery receipts.

I have been fortunate enough in this life to have received an education and been made aware of responsible disposal of waste. So, I segregate our household waste into wet and dry. The dry waste is further categorized into paper, glass, hardboard, and metal. There was a facility at my daughter’s school in Muscat to dispose these in different sections in a disposal unit placed near the school.

However, here in India, it seems like we need more awareness among citizens and leaders about this. We need someone like Greta who can grab us by our collars and make us feel responsible for climate change. If there is a change in a greatly populated country like ours, it does make a big difference in the overall world statistics.

*

In the news there was a report on a meeting of Catholic leaders where questions were  raised about how humans are responsible for climate change and whether harming the environment should be considered sinful. There were calls for including such sins in confessions. 

Yes, it is about time we felt the guilt and restored the health of Mother Earth to pacify her so that she continues to bless us.

A Morning at the Feet of Yogi Hills

A weekday morning. A garden at the feet of Yogi Hills, Mumbai

Tum agar saath dene ka vaada karo, mein yunhien mast nagme sunata rahoon sang the octogenarian, telling about how he would continue to sing these soulful songs if his soulmate would only promise to be by his side always.

The morning walkers in the garden making their rounds are amused and entertained as senior citizens gather under the gazebos lining the path.

Squirrels, crows, pigeons, hens, cocks who have made the garden their home, await feeding time.

A little ahead there is another group singing Karvate badalte rahein saari raat hum, aapki kasam – I kept turning from one side to another all night long…

Some of the elders smile meaningfully.

Sure enough, the lyrics stay the same but the context changes as we age. Lovesickness causes sleeplessness in youth whereas insomnia makes us change sides as the advanced years clock in.

With patriotic fervor, a group on a shaded platform, roar slogans and the national anthem. Their neighbouring group just claps.

An energetic group of mostly Sikhs in turbans play throwball. Their occasional yells overpower all the other sounds.

Lonesome souls sit on isolated benches for meditation and pranayama in perfect lotus positions, completely oblivious of the world going by.

Slightly uphill, a group of yoga enthusiasts move in unison to pay their respects to the sun in rhythmic sets of surya namaskar.

Monkeys climb down from the tallness of trees and hang around the Hanuman temple. One of them sneaks up behind unsuspecting young lovers and shocks them out of their wits.   

“Bham Bham Bhole!” bellows a devotee somewhere uphill. His cry stuns the stillness and then merges into other subdued sounds.

“Hari Om” people greet each other, dispelling darkness and giving way to light.

Every half an hour or so, the faces of the walkers change as people enter and exit continuously.

An elderly man patiently takes small steps with his swollen arthritic legs in neat socks and shoes. It takes him an hour to complete one walking round.

His dog faithfully waits for him.

A Naughty Plan in Hanumanpada

Nowadays I practice yoga in the early mornings with a group of people from the neighbourhood who meet in a garden on the hill that is frequented by monkeys. The place is called Hanumanpada and it has a temple dedicated to the monkey-god, Hanuman. 

The uphill path to the pyramidal structure where we practice is  green velvety monsoony mossy. I almost slipped the first time I went there. The others warned me to walk only in the centre where the moss is worn out with footfalls. 

One day, as we walked downhill after our practice, I noticed a banana skin strategically lying in the centre of the path waiting for an accident to happen. 

Who could have done such a thing? Most people who gather there are soft-spoken and well-mannered with adequate schooling which probably taught them about not laying banana peels on walking paths.

We looked around and then looked up to spy this ape patiently waiting for his naughty plan to come to fruition.

Method in the Madness

Living independently in a big city has its challenges, adventures, and observations.

Its not regularly that I have to change a light bulb. For all you know, if a bulb conked off, I would just use the other lights in the room till S replaced it. But this time it was Cassie’s bulb that conked out and I just had to replace it. It was a matter of Cassie’s very existence.

For those who don’t know, Cassie is a cockroach-shaped black paper cutting stuck on the inside of a lampshade. She comes to life only when the light is switched on and appears like a real cockroach. It’s a curiosity for our family to watch every visitor’s response to the presence of Cassie in the house. Reactions range from amusement to disgust. Yes, its a crazy thing.

So I gently removed the spiral bulb from its socket and walked down to the street where there are a row of shops which sell everything from school textbooks and organic eggs to electrical equipment.

The first shop I saw had no name and seemed to sell sockets and bulbs but it was so messy with boxes, ropes, and whatnot, that it seemed like it was probably about to shut down.

I walked ahead till I came to a fairly decent shop which had neatly organised shelves stocked with bulbs etc. of different brands and designs. I showed Cassie’s bulb to the young man at the counter.

Peering close at the bulb he said,

“This one has threads. We don’t have those anymore.”

I had been too sure of finding the right bulb in this shop.

“Where can I find one like this?”

“Try in that shop,” he said pointing to the shop with no name.

Retracing my footsteps, I arrived there again. A man with irregular facial features was pottering around looking for something. His chin was too weak and his forehead too large. Fine wispy hair fell onto the sides of his head. He was dressed in a formal full-sleeved shirt and trousers.

None of the shopkeepers in this street smile at customers. Neither did he.

“Do you have a bulb like this?” I asked.

He twirled the bulb that I handed out in his hands and nodded. Then he turned to the haphazard pile of about a hundred unmarked brown cardboard boxes containing bulbs and started searching for the type of bulb I wanted. I feared whether the whole pile would come crashing down while he fumbled with the boxes.

Finally he found a bulb which had threads but it was smaller and whiter than the one I had shown.

He asked,

“Do you want one that is bigger with a golden light?”

“Yes, please, do you have one like that?”

Again he turned to his shaky pile of boxes.

What he did next was amazing.

He located a box somewhere in the lower left corner of the pile and poked it with his long finger till it slid out of the pile from the other side without disturbing the balance of the shaky arrangement.

Some odd logic of arrangement or a strong memory helped him to find the correct box.

This box had the very bulb that would suit our Cassie.

On the walk back I wondered whether there was a ‘method in the madness’ of that shop.

A Toast to the Toastmasters

Finding a Thursday evening free in our family calendar in Muscat is a rarity. Since Friday and Saturday are weekending days, there are always events happening around town on Thursdays. 

My friend, Hamsa, is a natural motivator and cheerleader. She claims her confidence greatly improved after joining the SAB Toastmasters Club. I had never been to a Toastmasters Meeting and wanted to know more. 

When Hamsa sent me the invitation to join her as a guest on 17^th January for a Toastmasters Meeting, I looked forward to going as the rest of the family had other plans. 

On the way to the meeting, Hamsa told me a story that changed my perception of random encounters in life. I realised how effectively she could bring the story to life with her words while navigating her way through the Al Khuwair traffic on a dark weekend evening. 

The session started on time with a Call to Order by TM Monica immediately followed by a warm Welcome Address by DTM Mohammed Salar. The Toastmaster of the Day, TM Mohammed Balla, then introduced the Theme of the Day - Ancient Greece.  He introduced  each of the speakers by assigning them names from Greek Mythology according to the roles they played that evening and the personality traits he had observed during his interactions with them. By the end of the evening, he had presented a dazzling array of gods and goddesses - from Kronos, the God of Time, to Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. 

The Time Keeper, TM Sarmadas gave a two-minute explanation of how he would be counting the minutes. TM Sara, the Word Master/Grammarian, introduced the Word of the Day, ‘Relinquish’, and explained its meaning. The intention was to use this word as many times as possible that evening. So every time anyone used the word, they were applauded with thumbs-up signs from the audience. And two thumbs-ups from Hamsa.

TM Tushar who manned the Ah Counter explained his role of keeping track of the ‘ah, uh, um’ fillers in speeches and also the repetition of words and phrases. 

In the second part the session, Project Speeches, TM Shaji was given seven minutes to give a speech on his topic ‘The Picture’. He effectively brought to life his domestic duties of taking his baby daughter to the park. He showed a picture of an elephant and asked the audience if they could identify it. Some members in the audience rightly guessed that it was Appu – the mascot of the 1982 Asian Games. TM Shaji displayed his other drawings and talked about his interest in sketching pictures in his spare time and not only doing engineering drawing at work. 

TM Monica’s topic ‘Problems or Opportunities’ began with her dramatic body language to tell the story about God’s servant who couldn’t keep silent in the face of injustice and thus ruined God’s plan. She exuded remarkable confidence in conveying her ideas.

DTM Mohammed Salar’s speech on ‘Distraction’ captured attention with an opening question about a small town in USA. He succeeded in making an appeal to the audience to stay away from using their phones while driving by giving graphic examples. 

Between these three Project Speeches, MTM Kalpana, TM Hamsavardhini, and TM Pranali gave some information about Evaluation Criteria. 

Voting slips for the best speaker were passed around and the Time Keeper gave the timing of each speech. 

In the third section, TM Vineeta presented three Table Topics which inspired impromptu speakers to speak on topics such as – ‘All is fair in love and war’. This was the section where non-members and guests could also participate.  Hamsa looked at me expectantly but at that moment my mind was blank and I couldn’t think of a thing to say about any of the three topics. The ones who did speak, however, did such a wonderful job that it was hard to believe that their speeches were not prepared in advance. Now I know what Hamsa meant by saying how her confidence in speech has grown considerably after joining this club. 

Next, the three speakers from the Project Speeches were briefly evaluated by TM Hamsavardhini, TM Pranali, and TM Kalpana. They effectively gave constructive criticism and provided areas for improvement with a great deal of encouragement. 

Again voting slips for the Best Evaluator were passed around. They also had a three-minute time limit. 

In the Reports section, TM Sara gave a count of the exact number of times the Word of the Day – ‘Relinquish’ was used. The Ah Counter in-charge,TM Tushar, accurately reported on the repetition of phrases, words, and fillers. TM Sarmadas reported on how the speakers managed their time. MTM Lakshmi gave a General Evaluator’s Report and covered all the sections of the evening session beginning from the very first minute the session started. 

The Toastmasters then got down to serious business with MTM Kalpana’s brief talk on Business Planning. 

During the Awards and Closing ceremony, DTM Sabiha joined DTM Mohammed Salar in handing out the certificates and trophies. In his closing remarks, DTM Mohammed Salar thanked guests in attendance and talked about the achievements of the SAB Toastmasters Club. The January 2019 edition of their newsletter, SAB Vision, was then released. 

The Toastmasters International, which has clubs all over the world, provides an "experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.”

Photo courtesy: SAB Toastmasters Club, Muscat, Oman

A Celebration of Feminine Power

Photo courtesy: Leelangika

Shakti – a performance depicting feminine power by the Muscat-based Kathak dance group, Leelangika, was presented at the Auditorium of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on 23^rd November to a full house. 

Although a classical Indian dance form, Kathak has moved away from temples and courts and has blossomed in national and international arenas. 

At Leelangika, dedicated pupils are guided by their dance guru, Jhumpa Chakraborty, who was recently awarded the title of Natya Sharadi for her contribution to the field of dance. Jhumpa is also a member of the International Council of Dance which is a part of UNESCO. Leelangika’s performers have also excelled in their presentations overseas. Earlier this year, at the Dance World Cup held in Canada, Leelangika’s young disciples along with their guru, won several medals and also the Crystal Trophy for highest score in three categories.

The evening began as the guest of honour, Prof Dr Issam El Mallah, who teaches Ethnomusicology at the University of Munich and is also an Adviser to the Board of Directors for Programming and Events at the Royal Opera House in Muscat, lighted the auspicious lamp. He lauded the efforts of the communities who strive to preserve their cultural arts and encouraged the young generation of dancers. 

A presentation of international certification was then made to some students of Leelangika from the International Dance Council.

In the present social schema in which women all over the world are realizing the true potential and power of their individual and collective voices, Shakti, which means Strength, comes as a timely inspiration for young women of the new generation. 

Each dance module in Shakti was meticulously composed by Jhumpa and skillfully taught to her disciples who brought her noble efforts to fruition. The performers were –  Anika, Diya, Dishita, Jahnabi , Juana , Suhana , Sinchan , Rupsa, Anna, Ananya, Anushka, Forum, Kena, Purvi, Rutuja, Sangamitra, Aditi Guru, Aviva, Manvi, Mitali, Maheeka, Sehar , Shaivi , Shreya , Vyatiba , Aditi Bahuguna, Zanam, Shrabosti, Sasha, Geetika, Anushaily, Dona, Mahua, Preeti, Rashmi, Vidya, and Dilna.

The first part of the programme included an invocation to the divine. The Guru Vandana, an energetic rendition by Aditi Guru, set the pace for the evening. It was followed by Saraswati Vandana in which the youngest dancers in the group brought forth tiny lamps balanced carefully in their cupped hands. These lamps lined the outer edge of the podium for the rest of the evening invoking guidance from Goddess Saraswati through the performances that unfolded. 

Next, young dancers in batches, depending on the number of years they had practiced, presented Kathak Nritya in three variations – Teental with 16 beats, Jhaptal with 10 beats, and Dhamar with 14 beats. The undulating folds of silken hemlines in shades of red and gold mesmerized the audience as they kept time with the intensive footwork and chakkars or spins. 

The final part of the programme had vibrant themes related to feminine power, catchy musical scores and a variety of ethnic costumes. A tribute to the motherland, Vande Mataram, had a theme of blue, white, saffron, and green costumes, and was rendered by Jhumpa and her senior disciples.

Drawing inspiration from Nature, solo, duet and group dances explored the theme of strength through elements of Nature – rain, clouds, thunder, and sunlight.  They also brought to life mythological stories of Mother Goddesses – Ganga, Parvati, Kali, and Durga. The stories of Radha- Krishna, and those of nayikas who adorn themselves and wait for their beloved, displayed the distinctively feminine strength and belief in the power of love. Vibrant fusion music saw young performers dance to ‘Jiya re jiya’ – a highlight of the evening that brought an infectious happiness to the audience. 

The evening ended with a dramatic presentation on the strength of the female victims of today’s society who fight back those who harass them. As the protagonist of the story, Shrabosti exhibited her brilliant acting skills coupled with the grace of this dance form. The show came to a close as Jhumpa, one of the participants, gave a hand to help the girls who had collapsed after fighting their oppressors, and led them into a bright new world where Shakti – the feminine power reigned supreme and the future held hope.

(Parts of this report were published in the Muscat Daily and The Times of Oman)

Yoga Club for Children

"Clench your teeth. 
Lock your tongue behind this wall of teeth. 
Deeply inhale through your mouth. 
Close your mouth and slowly exhale through your nose. 
How do you feel?"

"It feels like an air conditioner has been turned on inside my body" chirps the youngest in the group who is only seven.  
The rest of the children laugh and readily agree. 

I make a mental note to mention the 'air conditioner' the next time I teach Sitali Pranayama - the cooling breath.  

***

"Boojangasana?" asks a boy when I ask for the original Sanskrit name of the Cobra Pose. 
"Not Boo, it's Bhu" remind the others. 
"Oh, ok, Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose, got it" nods the boy. 
"Well, you can say the snake goes "BOO" if you forget the Sanskrit name" suggests an older girl.

I learn how to introduce Bhujangasana to other classes. 

***

Pavana - wind
Mukta - free/release
Asana - posture

The children copy from the blackboard into their notebooks:

Pavanamuktasana - The wind-releasing pose

They double up by pressing their knees into their bellies. 
A loud sound. Someone indiscreetly breaks wind.  

They all double up, laughing heartily. 
Then they try to guess who made the sound. 

I try to maintain a straight face and explain how breaking wind is quite normal. To distract them, I bring up Roald Dahl's BFG in the discussion and we all laugh at how everybody in the world goes "whizzpopping".

***

During Savasana, the youngest giggles. 
That sets all into fits of giggles. 
They are supposed to be lying still and paying attention to their breathing. 
I wait silently till the giggling fizzes out. 

A restless child opens his eyes and looks around to see if he has company in his disobedience. 
The others are in a calm state of mind with eyes closed. 
The restless one quietly goes back to a more restful state. 
I take a deep breath in and exhale slowly. 


The children's Yoga Club this month was an amusing exercise in learning how to teach.