Yoga

June 14, 2009

Today was my second day taking a new yoga class. An Indian Deshpande Fellow decided to offer a one hour yoga class every morning. Deshpande Fellows are Americans and Indians who have graduated college and get chosen by Deshpande to work in the Hubli area on a project with an NGO for a whole year. Fellows get a monthly stipend from Deshpande for food and living expenses and get their flights paid for as well – the fellowship program is basically like what I am doing, but for a year instead of a summer. My yoga teacher’s “fellowship” project is to travel to rural areas and teach yoga in primary schools. He is hoping that exposing the kids to this healthy form of exercise at a young age will encourage the children to stay active in the future.

So, for the past two mornings I have had the pleasure of roof top yoga! About ten of us lay our towels out on the terrace of a three story building and get to enjoy a pleasant breeze while performing different asanas, or body poses. I close my eyes and chant “aum” while I bend into shapes and “observe the changes of my body,” as my teacher tells us. Another Indian Fellow who lives in the building does his morning meditation on the roof every morning and looks so at peace with himself and with the world. The whole atmosphere is utterly and completely relaxing. Today there was even Indian music coming from somewhere off in the distance that we heard as the wind tickled our ears.

-Nina