sharath in conference at ayny, in short

Sorry, this will not be conference "notes". I am not good at that sort of thing, and though I appreciate them when I read them from other people's blogs, I don't feel like it is right somehow to take notes or report what was said. That said, I am glad I went, not so much for the talk or Q and A, but for the feeling in the room when Sharath, Saraswati and Sriddha (spelling?) arrived. I don't know if it was the spirit of Guruji, who I never met, coming through them, or Sharath and Saraswati's own spirits, or just the general sense of the people in the room coming together to be present at this talk, or all three. For me, it was moving.

I would have taken a photo of the packed room before the talk (again, I feel weird about taking photos during a talk..) but as luck would have it, I left my phone at work yesterday. This is my new absentmindedness caused from too much to do at work, a new not quite functioning computer system, and a new coworker. Clearly my brain has yet to adjust. Better to forget my phone than lose my metrocard, like I did repeatedly last year.

Other highlights included the little girl behind me who, every so often, came back to her parents to say, I love you mommy. So sweet. As also was seeing Sriddha offering light (holding a tray of candles and flowers) to everyone, including the little kids in back, at the end of the "short" (are there any short pujas?) naming ceremony for the siva temple at the shala. The naming ceremony itself reminded me of attending synagogue on major jewish holidays..lot of chanting in a language I don't really know, but some familiar words here and there.

I really like it when parents bring their kids to these events. It reminds me that yoga is not just what we practice on the mat, that family is just as important a lineage to maintain.

I got to spy over someone's shoulder to see Sharath's book. Looks like a modernized and streamlined yoga mala, without the religion, and with new photos. The theraputic section covered poses like cat/cow and maybe alternate nostril breathing. Doubt there will be books left by Saturday when I go to the led primary here. Jois yoga in Greenwich won't ship the book either.

Lastly, I really need to learn to edit when I write these, egads, embarrassing.