yoga heaven?

[Guest guest]

Hy there! My name is Max, 38 y.o. from Italy and new to this community. I've

been practicing ashtanga for the last 9 years, but seriously only since 2, when

i decided to give up my job as chef, to entirely dedicate myself to sadhana.

I'll just write you down a little of my life, for i think important to let

myself know as much as i can, in order to better help anybody that will help me

in my request, hoping to entertain you and also because reading others

life-experiences is always a chance to catch some interesting Teachings to

my eyes.

 

It was 10 years ago, in a very unsatisfying period of my life, that i started to

search for something that could help me to feel better and to understand who i

was. On my way i met Ashtanga and a Gurdjieff book. Right after i attended a

lecture of a Fourth Way School (school where you try to put into practice these

Gurdjieff system). A week after i joined it, and attended for 6 years, 3 of

which on a Sabatical (spiritual retire) in the training centre (this is how the

School prefer to call itself). During this period i've been sent from the

Trainer (this is how the Guru prefer to call himself), to Konya in Turkey, to

the Mevlevi Brotherhood for a 4 months initiation/training to "Sema", the

dervishes whirling dance, studying Koran for 2 hours and whirling for 4, every

day of the week. Back home we performed this ceremony in many countries,

bringing Rumi's (the mystic sufi who first gave meaning to the action of whirl)

message.

 

After this period i felt the need of a more ordinary life, i left the School and

i eventually got back to my oldest passion: cooking. I already had knowledge

about Macrobiotic and healthy cooking, so i decided to deepen into traditional

"tasty" cooking style. After 3 years spent working in 2 different

traditional-high-level restaurants i had the chance to express myself as chef in

a very nice restaurant in Milan, where i've been able to melt these 2 very

different approach of food transformation, using everything with no barrier,

from tofu, seitan, miso, seaweed, grains, to fish, lamb rib, duck, rabbit

saddle, etc. The suggestion was interesting. Non-vegetarian guests was happy to

find what they liked, but organic (almost 70%) and with "an healthy eye" on food

combination, always with vegetable on the side, and eventually considering more

the possibility of being vegetarian. The work was very hard (expecially for a

slim excitable Vata as me)! After a year and a half, being exausted i decided to

quit. I contacted a chef friend of mine and asked him to take my place. He

agreed. I realized this job was too demanding for my nature even if i

had a lot of passion for it. Anyway now i had a lot of time for me, good money,

and... a very strong and deep desire to seriously engage in what always has been

part of my once-a-week ashtanga practice routine since i started.

 

A new chapter was going to be written. I flew to India for my first time with a

6 months visa, first month in Kerala in an ayurvedic clinic in Kerala to have

Panchakarma (an ayurvedic yearly detox-routine) and deepen my knowledge in this

beatifull science. Then up to Rishikesh, where my French ashtanga Teacher was

giving a 2 months stage. Since then (2 years ago) i never stopped practicing,

living a simply and trying to observe as much as i can the 8 steps of ashtanga.

My will now is to further improve the conditions of my daily life in order to

have a better sadhana. Here we are at the core of the reasons of this long

letter, which again i hope didn't bore you:

 

I'd like to move to India for a longer period in a quiet place with no

distraction as is in our Western countries, living simple and concentrate on

being rather than having, a place where to have good conditions, a straight mind

and time to practice. I could take 2/3 months lesson to Gurujii and the rest of

time, just live in such a place. Is there anybody among you who has the same

project, or knows this place or other people already living this way wanting to

share the experience? Suggestion about Ashrams (where it's possible to practice

one's-own sadhana or you have time to), or anything you have in mind about this

matter would be appreciate. Finally, am i dreaming or such a place exist?

 

 

I thank you all for patience Namaste' Max

 

 

 

 

Messenger: chiamate gratuite in tutto il mondo

 

 

[Guest guest]

Ciao, Max, mi chiamo Mariela, sono costaricana, parlo un poco

d'italiano ma non troppo...your story really touched me, I have

your same age and went through similar experiences to end up with

ashtanga also...right now i'm in Rajasthan, heading for Mysore. I

was going to study with Guruji but apparently he won't be there so

I'm thinking of taking classes with his nephew Masterji in

Bangalore. I'll let you know about him, maybe you are interested

also.

 

I'm very interested in doing the Panchakarma while i'm here...what

is the name of the place in Kerala? Grazie tanti,

Namaste