Suggestions on Traveling to Mysore for Yoga Students

Mysore, India
October, 2009

Introduction

This is some practical information for ashtanga yoga students who are considering traveling to Mysore, India to study at KPJAYI. There are other yoga studios in Mysore, and teachers in other yoga traditions, but I haven't tried to mention them. Everything in Mysore is changing following the death earlier this year of K. Pattabhi Jois, the prinicpal ashtanga teacher for decades. This information can become dated quickly, so make your own inquiries, and talk to your teacher if you are considering coming.

Who Can or Should Go

I had a definite misapprehension about whether it was appropriate for me to go to Mysore, from a practice and skill standpoint. My concern was that I wasn't nearly skilled enough to go, and that I would be outclassed by experienced teachers and super-yogis on loan from Cirque de Soleil. At least at the time when I attended, in October, I fit in easily. There is a group of people here who are teachers or trying to be authorized, and there is also a group of people who are doing some second series, but it has not been intimidating at all. There are plenty of people who have less experience than I do (I have five years of practice under my belt, but I'm an older, working person).

Right now, Saraswati is teaching. She is great, with excellent skill, a direct but cheerful demeanor, and the ability to watch everyone in the room all at once. It may be that when Sharath is teaching (he's supposed to start in January), the level of practice will be noticeably higher, but that's speculation on my part.

There are plenty of people -- maybe 40% or so -- who are not yet doing the full primary series. They attend led class, then typically wait on their mats at their stopping point until we get to finishing poses. There are some people who have probably been practicing for less than six months, but not too many.

The demographics of the students here now were a bit of a surprise. Americans are the distinct minority. There are many students from continental Europe, a lot from former British empire countries (Australia, New Zealand, and Canada), and a few people from Asian countries -- Korea and Japan. The students are generally much younger than typical Yoga East students. I'm not sure who the oldest student in the shala is, but it could be me (I'm almost 60). Many students seem to be in their mid-20's to early 30's.

Duration of Stay

Technically, you are required to register for at least a month. You have to pay for a full month, minimum, and there are no refunds for leaving early. Most people are here for longer periods, often two months or more. I planned my trip so that I could have three weeks of actual practice, which meant taking off four weeks from work. (You have to allow lots of time for the long air travel, and some time on both ends for adjustment to the 9.5 hour time change).

I think I guessed about right for the minimum stay. I could have made it 2 1/2 weeks, but three feels like the practical minimum. If you can do more, you should. Two weeks would not be enough, and something under two weeks would (in my personal opinion) be seriously inadequate.

It takes a good deal of time to adjust to the intensity of six days a week of full primary series, taught in the AYRI school with the world's best teachers and a highly motivated set of students. The second reason for the long minimum stay is that the adjustment to living in India is probably a bigger challenge than the adjustment to the physical and psychological demands of the practice. I'm just starting to feel a little bit comfortable with the many cultural differences, and I'm already starting to think about packing up.

Registration

I dutifully registered two months in advance, sending in the documents and the required two photographs. When I went to register in Gokulam with Saraswati, they had no file on me. I filled out a new form (easy enough), but then she wanted two more photographs. Since I had already sent them, I had no new photographs to give. She told me to bring them the next day, then never mentioned it again. Recommendation: bring two extra photos with you. The office at AYRI is a home-grown, relaxed affair.

Also, you have to pay your registration fee in cash. As I recall, it was 27,500 Rs. However, the ATM would only give me 15,000 Rs in a day. I explained this, and she allowed me to bring the remaining cash the next day. Also, you're not allowed to bring rupees into the country from abroad. One possible solution would be to go to the currency exchange in the airport on arrival, and exchange dollars there for rupees, before you get to Mysore. This will require you to bring a hefty number of dollars in cash. (By the way, don't expect to be able to spend dollars in India, the way you might in London or other European capitals. No one will know what they are.)

Cultural Adjustment

The biggest surprise, and most significant challenge for me, was adjusting to living solo in a south Asian culture. Everything is different here, and simple things seem complicated. The first few days I've described as a "tsunami of cultural change," and I don't think that's too far off. I have traveled overseas a moderate amount, but I've never been away this long, solo, in a dramatically different culture. I probably could adapt to three weeks in "old Europe" easily. Here, I took a really long time to get my bearings.

Also, studying in Mysore is not like going to a yoga workshop or even an ashram. 22 hours a day you are on your own, in the Gokulam community, and you are not always living with other yoga students. There is definitely a yoga student community here, but it takes time to meet people who share common interests, to learn where you can eat (and where you shouldn't) and to develop a set of activities for the rest of your time. That doesn't happen immediately, as studying in Mysore is not a turn-key, all-inclusive environment. You are also going to have to figure out what optional activities you want, how to get manage transportation, and the mundane details of daily living. It's a far cry from going to Toronto or New York or Austin, staying in a hotel or motel, and attending a fully scheduled program.

Traveling Solo

Whether to travel on your own is a personal judgment call. Some people wouldn't do it any other way; others won't go without a group of friends or acquaintances. I ended up traveling solo because the time when I was able to go didn't mesh with times when other people from the yoga studio potentially wanted to travel. For me, being solo has been a challenge, as I'm a social creature. However, I talked yesterday with a woman who traveled here with someone from her yoga studio back home. She found at first she needed the team approach of having a colleague with her, but over time she preferred not to have to always include the other person in her plans. Obviously, if you can travel with a spouse or partner, you've solved your problem, but that seems a bit of a rarity.


Lodging and Transportation

I have had a very favorable experience renting space in an apartment rented to yoga students by Mr. Rao. He frequently rents to Yoga East people. He can also arrange for the short term rental of an Indian cell phone, can handle transportation to and from the airport in Bangalore, and is a friendly and helpful person. There's a link to his yoga student support business on the Yoga East web page.

If you want a car and driver for a daytrip, Ganesh at Anu's restaurant also is knowledgeable. Rates are most reasonable, but don't expect your driver to speak much English. Driving on rural roads at night is completely terrifying.

Auto rickshaws were my preferred method of local transportation. Some people here for extended stays rent scooters, but the traffic discouraged me from that option. Be sure to get the driver to quote you a price to your destination before you get in, or insist that he use the meter.

Food

This is a topic which I cannot adequately address. I have avoided the local Pizza Hut and Domino's franchises, but barely. I have frequented two places, Santosha's for breakfast, and Anu's, for lunch and dinner. Both cater to yoga students, are within walking distance, and have wi-fi networks. The advantage is that they're safe in terms of nutrition and cultural friendliness; the downside is that you're not experiencing Indian culture. You're also likely to find another yoga person at these spots to share a table with; an advantage for me as I'm not a big fan of eating alone. Other places I have been to several times are the Green Leaf (about a 15 minute walk, but an Indian place), the Green Hotel (a longer walk or a short rickshaw ride), and the Daspraakash downtown. All these are Indian, although the Green Hotel is used to international travelers. The Hotel Metropol is also very good.

Health and Safety

Gomulka is safe, as best I can tell. I have walked solo at night without problem, although I would advise women travelers to talk to other women about particular safety issues -- I am not expert on this point. However, I haven't heard complaints about local residents hassling Western women, although I have heard comments about being stared at. Modesty in dress is distinctly the rule. I have always worn long pants; shorts are for school children.

I won't dwell on health and sanitation, but do not ever drink the local water from the tap or in a pitcher in a restaurant (except Anu's and Santosha's). Bring some Lomotil or someting similar. Most students get some minor digestive upset at some point. I also brought Cipro in case I got a nasty bacterial bug.

Gadgets and Communications

I have been heavily reliant on a relatively-up-to-date Blackberry, for e-mail and browser. I bought an international package for 30 days for about $65. It has worked very well, and I read the news and e-mail regularly and avidly. I also brought a netbook computer, which I wanted to use to send home pictures and to work on a blog. My apartment has had a rather slow internet. Santosha's and Anu's are better. Anu's has a slight charge, but it is totally reasonable. If you don't choose to bring a notebook machine, you can use the internet cafe setup at Anu's. A lot of people do Skype there. I chose to rent an Indian cell phone (through Mr. Rao) and that has proven reasonable for 5-10 minutes of daily phone conversation at home. I did not choose to use the Blackberry telephone service; it is significantly more expensive.

Finally, I have used my Kindle extensively. I downloaded lots and lots of reading before I came, and have taken advantage of it daily. I don't have the international Kindle (which is very new) and I don't know if the international Kindle wireless network works in Mysore.

Cell service is very widespread in India, and I've used my Blackberry for web browsing and e-mail in many places outside Mysore, with very good results.

Miscellaneous

Be sure to bring a small, reliable flashlight and batteries. There are plenty of rolling power blackouts here. I wish I had brought a compact backpacker's headlamp, which would have been good for reading in bed when the power's out.

Bring a small supply toilet paper in your carryon. You can buy it here, but most Indian toilets do not have it, except in airports and hotels which cater to the western traveler.

If there are maps of Mysore, I never saw them. My Google Maps does work on the Blackberry, amazingly.

There's a serviceable bookstore downtown, Ashok Books, near the downtown, central market. It's not a Barnes and Noble, but it has a decent if sometimes odd selection of recent paperbacks.

A number of people favor using the swimming pool at the Southern Star hotel, has a reasonable day rate for yoga students. I did not investigate this.