No mountain · 17 November 2008

Durvasasana is Pattabhi-drste, if I’m in range. I’m myopic, so this only works out on days I go for front row contorting, near the photograph centered up on the wall. (We are non-territorial people—different spots on different days as flexibility ethic.)  Today I was up close, a little to the left.

Toss in to eka pada—left leg standing—inhale up—look for it. Rascally guru: three feet to the right of where my craning neck would prefer.

I’m standing there on the left leg with the right foot behind the head, comfortably incarnating a ridiculous evil flamingo, but also listing to the right because reaching to gaze upon the photograph.

At which point all the following information jolts in:

an image of PJ’s open palm slamming the empty wall before me,

a bellow of “THIS IS GOD!”

and the comic twitter of Donovan singing “then there is no mountain, then there is.”

I guess it’s my Christian subconscious that has the sky opening up, birds being released, divine bellowing from on high and hands sort of writing on the wall, but on its face it was all very 1970s for a moment. Remnants of the acid I’ve never dropped loosening from my spine in a tender moment.

But that is a real story, you know. PJ losing his temper years ago, smacking a sweaty shala wall with open palm, bellowing: “THIS IS GOD!” Nondualism, you idiot westerners. It needn’t take a lot of explaining.

Caught between the photo and the adjacent wall slammed by the phantom hand, I realized: what do I need some photograph for in this moment? Some outer witness to witness? Duh. Dial back to the left, gaze to the wall, see god to the echoes of aurally hallucinated panflute, exhale release.

Posted by (0v0)        
Categories: astanga yoga , sound

Comment

1. In exactly the same way that the wall is God, the acid you’ve never dropped can STILL seep out from between the vertebrae. If everyone is everything, everyone’s done it all and we all do it for everyone. I agree, very 1970s.

   YES, sister.

   Posted by: patrick · Nov 17, 04:17 PM · #

2. hey Owl, just wanted to wave hello since I’m not commenting on any of your post (but I’m reading them!). Today in class the woman across from me was about to do Bakasana B. Teacher said, “where are you looking when you jump?”. She pointed to a spot on her mat. He put a toy figure of Gollum from Lord of the Rings in front of her between her hands and said, “Look here”. She jumped into it and hovered above the toy with nasagrai drishti, but no doubt seeing a blurred image of Gollum in her peripheral vision. When she vinyasa-d out, Teacher said, “See how My Precious can help you?”.
   Ashtanga sacrilege?
   Maybe seeing PJ out of your drishti peripheral is good enough?

   Posted by: Liz · Nov 17, 11:02 PM · #

3. An impatient, irascible sage slapping the wall whilst you’re in that particular pose? If true, that’s a very funny set up.

   You’ve GOT to be Rosebud.

   Posted by: meniscusmerangue · Nov 18, 01:38 AM · #

4. No chance…RB was an ideologue.

   Posted by: cody · Nov 18, 12:00 PM · #

5. Hi (0v0)
   Well in any case, I admire that you can do Durvasasana. As time progresses, I envision that this asanasana is possible for us lesser mortals, since it’s, as you say, Eka Pada with the leg standing. But what a balance act.
   hugs,
   Arturo

   Posted by: arturo · Nov 18, 12:22 PM · #

6. If I were RB, would I tell?

   It can’t be, though… she was before my time; and yes, a Sutra-thumper.

   Liz, that is perfect. And you’re right that a lot of how it makes sense to practice is with peripheral vision. Also, for me, super-focused eyes (whatever the drste) don’t support a low-blip mental state: it comes easier when the eyes are soft. And to teach Mysore you have to be mostly peripheral-sighted, same as waiting tables.

   Posted by: (0v0) · Nov 18, 05:38 PM · #

7. Is a soul mat like a ‘doormat’?

   Personally, I always thought rosebud was Christopher, but that’s probably not right either.

   Posted by: katie · Nov 20, 09:26 AM · #

8. That is the best RB theory yet. I like it.

   Posted by: (0v0) · Nov 20, 09:55 AM · #

9. Teaching mysore is SO like waiting tables, Owl. And I love your visit from the irascible sage! And Arturo, durvasasana is not too hard to balance because your leg is wrapped in close to your centre line..

   Posted by: susananda · Nov 20, 10:12 AM · #

10. Rosebud was far, far more intemperate than the virtual manifestation of Owl. No comparison.

    Posted by: jlafitte · Nov 20, 05:30 PM · #

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