I was asked to write a short article about our trip to Goa for the Yoga Atlantic newsletter. I sent an email to the group and asked them for their feedback.
Please tell me
What you really liked about the yoga
What you really liked about the resort / area / tourist aspects
What you would like to see different
I got responses from three folks – Vanessa, Erin and Katie.
Vanessa’s feedback
What you really liked about the yoga
I had never done a mysore practice before so it was a great (scary at first) learning experience and built my confidence.
I really enjoyed the prayer at the beginning of practice. I definitely advanced my practice (I now know the primary sequence) and am now able to do poses I had never done before – this continued on after I got back. For example, I can now put my feet flat in downward dog!
I compare it to language immersion, you can’t help but learn and become more confident when you practice everyday. This confidence and advancement of my practice was probably the most valuable take away for me.
Learning ashtanga in its pure form from Nancy was a great privilege. She took one look at me and asked if I had lower back issues and gave me some valuable corrections which I have incorporated into my practice.
The tips learned throughout were little gems of information like Jason telling us not to press palms tightly together in prayer (can’t remember term for that) but rather hold them more loosely as if you were holding a lotus in your palms.
I also really enjoyed the loving kindness meditation and Nancy’s talks to learn more about the reasons behind the poses, the history of ashtanga.
I certainly got bitten by the yoga bug during the retreat.
It was also great to meet all the different people at the retreat from different countries, backgrounds and lifestyles. Meeting new people is always a great experience and they were all very supportive and friendly.
What you really liked about the resort / area / tourist aspects
The resort was a beautiful, relaxing place – I will always remember the vibrant colors, the great pool, fresh coconut water after practice, the juice hut, ayurvedic hut, friendly staff, great food and the peacefulness that the place had. Access to taxis at the entrance to the retreat was very convenient.
The beaches of course were amazing and everything was within a short drive away so very convenient.
Being able to walk to Villa Blanche and the Cheshire Cat was also another option.
I also liked the vendors coming to the retreat to sell clothes, jewellery etc… The night market was a memorable experience but I preferred the Anjuna market during the day, it was easier to get around and less overwhelming. The markets were a riot of colors and smells that you’ll never forget.
What you would like to see different
The beds at the resort were like sleeping on a wooden table if you ask me. More comfrtable beds would defiitely help.
Access to snacks outside of the regular Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner schedule would be a great addition.
Erin’s feedback
What you really liked about the yoga
I really liked her laid-back approach to yoga, stressing that yoga should be fun.
I liked the fact that she moves people along through the series so quickly, so that people aren’t held back because they can’t get into a particular posture. She made it seem like it is not such a big deal to just do it!
It was great practicing every day, and she gave very intuitive adjustments that felt fantastic.
What you really liked about the resort / area / tourist aspects
I really liked the location of the resort, it was nice that it was away from the hustle and bustle of other areas in Goa.
The food at the resort was fantastic…so delicious.The beaches were lovely and also really enjoyed the markets.
What you would like to see different
I am drawing a blank right now. I will update you if I think of anything!
Katie’s feedback
What you really liked about the yoga
I liked Nancy’s approach to Ashtanga, the “fun” factor and not taking it seriously, not focusing on so-called physical progress.
I also liked that she allowed us to do the practice as a whole, as it was designed, not stopping people at poses they have difficulty with, instead helping us so we can all experience the energy and benefits of the practice.
What you really liked about the resort / area / tourist aspects
The staff of the resort were very helpful and kind.
The pool and juice bar were my favorite parts about the resort.
What you would like to see different
I wouldnt change a thing about the experience, other than maybe the concrete floor we practiced on, which wasnt that big of a deal and the shala itself was a beautiful place to practice.
During one of the evening conferences that Nancy Gilgoff held in Goa she talked about Saturday being a rest day and how this came to be.
When western students started arriving in Mysore to be taught by Pattabhi Jois, he found that he was teaching yoga in his shala every day from 5 am until about 2 in the afternoon. That was seven days a week, week after week.
His wife came to him one day and said that he had to take a break. She and the family were missing him and wanted to see more of him.
He decided that he would take Saturday off, because that was when all of the family would be available. The kids would not be in school or working.
In the Ashtanga yoga style you are encouraged to have a daily practice with one day of rest a week. Pattabhi Jois picked Saturday.
David Williams suggests that you take a day off a week as well. He found that Thursday works best for him.
A day of rest a week no matter which day it is. You should figure out which day of the week is best for you. Perhaps it will change from week to week.
In the previous post heading home attempt #2 post I told you about the problems we had with our first attempt to get home from Goa. Our flight was delayed for 12 hours and Michele had left her purse in the taxi.
The delay of the flight was a good thing. That allowed us to get back to the resort and retrieve Michele’s purse.
Going Home the final attempt
We left for the airport at about 8pm. The flight was at 11:30 pm and the taxi trip should take about 1 hour.
At the Goa Airport
The recommendation is to be at the airport 3 hours before you flight. At the Goa airport this definitely true.
We arrived at the airport and there were several tour buses dropping off lots of people. The flight can take about 300 people. We had the taxi driver go to the entrance of the airport rather than the end of the line. We wanted to confirm that the flight was still on the schedule and was leaving at the same time. YES! The flight is still leaving at 11:30 tonight. It has not been delayed or canceled. We have a hope of getting home sometime soon.
We got two trolleys for our luggage (there was three of us leaving on the flight), counted all of our bags, purses, back packs, etc. We searched the seats to make sure we had left nothing in the taxi. The taxi was empty and the trolley was full.
To the end of the line
There was the usual armed military guards at the entrance to the airport and an airport official. We talked briefly with him about our trip and he offered to let us cut in to the line at the front. We being good Canadians declined that offer (there were have been lots of bad Karma there as well) and we walked to the back of the line. The line at that time was at least 500 feet long. There were more tour buses dropping off people all the time.
We joined the end of the line which stretched from the domestic flight entrance to the international flight entrance. The line moved along at a steady pace. We never stood still for very long. After about 30 minutes we were at the head of the line and ready to enter the airport once again. We were in this same position about 12 hours earlier.
Through the departure lounge
We got past the armed guards at the front door. They want to see your ticket and your passport. You can not get into the airport without the proper documents.
Baggage scan
Once inside the airport our baggage was immediately scanned and then a tamper proof strap was bound around each bag and a tamper proof sticker was applied across the zipper on the bag.
Check in
Then the baggage was back on the trolleys and off to check in we went. The lines were moving reasonably quickly as well.
There were no surprises at check-in. Get your boarding pass, and baggage tags and a tag for your carry on as well.
Immigration
From there we went to the exit immigration line. This line was moving nicely as well until all of the agents went on break at the same time. We had about 15 minutes while all of the agents got together and had a chat, went to the bathroom, got a drink or just simply leaned back in their chair and relaxed.
An interesting approach to getting a break. Rather than having a staggered break everyone goes at once.
15 minutes later the line is moving again. They stamp your travel visa. This means that you can not enter the country again for two months. You are allowed to enter the country multiple over the six months that the visa is valid for, but you have to wait two months between visits.
Security screening
Security screening was pretty normal. They had a separate line for women that was screened and not visible from the rest of the area.
Cigarette lighters was the most common item being confiscated.
Departure
Finally we were in the departure lounge. There was a line of people leaving through the doors. I went over to find out if it was for our flight. The line up was for a flight leaving for Prague in a few minutes. I was not planning on going to Prague.
There is one gate and all of the flights use that gate. As a result there is one departure lounge for all the flights.
We only had to wait about 15 – 30 minutes and then it was time for us to board our flight.
Through the doors, down the ramp and on to the tarmac. Across the tramac to our flight. It’s a huge plane with two very large engines. Climb the stairs and find you seat.
Why was the flight delayed 12 hours
Shortly before takeoff, the pilot came on the PA to explain why the flight was delayed.
There was a sick passenger on the flight to Goa and they had to divert to Cyprus to have him taken care of.
By the time that was accomplished, the pilots did not have enough duty hours left to get them all the way to Goa, so they had to take their rest break in Cyprus rather than in Goa. Once they were rested they took off to Goa to drop off their passengers and pick us up.
The London airports
London Immigration
We arrived at the Gatwick airport and discovered that there are two lines for immigration into England. One line for EU passport holders and the other line for the rest of the world (which includes the US). There was two of us in the World line and 298 or so in the EU line. There is a benefit to being from Canada.
we explained that we were in London for about 6 hours and would be leaving from Heathrow later that morning. That was the extent of the interview and away we went.
From Gatwick to Heathrow
We traveled from Gattwick to Heathrow on the National Express bus service. Much to my surprise, I was offered a senior’s rate for the ticket. It’s about half price. You have to take advantage of these benefits when they are offered.
The bus trip was about 90 minutes instead of 60 minutes. It was the morning rush hour in London and we joined the traffic and moved along at a reduced speed.
Heathrow lounge frozen
We got to our departure lounge only to discover that there was no heat in the lounge. We got to stand in the hallway outside of the lounge until departure time.
Will the plane take off?
We boarded the plane and prepared for departure. The wings were deiced and we pushed back from the gate. One of the passengers raised a concern with the flight crew. It appeared as though the deicing fluid had frozen in big piles on the wing. The first officer came to have a look and decided to have the wing cleaned again.
The deicing crew came and had a look. They said there was no problem, but the flight crew insisted that they clean the wing again. After a bit of discussion they agreed. However that meant that we had to go to a gate. They are not allowed to deice the plane in the taxiway.
We went to another gate and they deiced the wing again and then we were on our way after about a 30 minute delay.
Home at last
We arrived in Halifax without any further events. Now it is time to get through Customs and finally met Shirley.
Fill in the custom form. I have plant products. I had bought a gift box of spices during the spice plantation tour we did last week. So I ticked the appropriate box.
I am usually carefully about making sure that I declare everything. I am one of those folks that customs tend to check on fairly frequently due to my beard or maybe I am just lucky. Anyway I have been searched many times and this time was no exception.
Immigration
I got through Immigration with no problem. Now get your bags and get through customs. The guy at the exit takes your form and says one of three things:
Welcome to Canada take the door to the left (for visitors)
Welcome Home take the door to the left (returning Canadians)
Please take the door to the right (For those of us that need to visit customs for a closer check)
I got option #3. Take the door to the right.
Customs
Eventually I got to talk to a very nice customs agent. She checked all of my bags and we had a bit of discussion about the box of spices. She consulted a senior agent and the conclusion was: If I am planning on planting the spices and growing them then I can not take them into Canada; If I am planning on eating the spices then they are food and I can bring them in.
Finally through the door and into Canada
There was Shirley waiting for me. We got home without any further events.
The Ashtanga practice is an energitic practice, fueled by the breath. Movements are done to the breath. The inhale and the exhale of each breath should be the same length. One complete breath to the next can be a different length but the two parts of one breath should be the same length.
In the sun salutes you should put your hands flat to the floor even if you have to bend your knees to get them there. If you have finger tips only touching the floor then you are taking and extra half breath to get the hands flat to the floor so you can jump back. The half breath is not in the sequence. It is better to get your hands flat to the floor at the start of the sun salute.
When jumping back the more advanced practice is land with the elbows bent in low plank rather than jumping back in high plank and lowering down.
If you find yourself running out of breath during the sun salutes it is best to take a little sip of breath rather than holding the breath until you complete the movement.
To protect the knees you should do 5 A and 3 B rather than 5 of each.
The primary and intermediate series can be divided into pieces in several ways.
You can alternate doing primary one day, intermediate the next. And when you learn advanced you can add that into the alternating cycle as well.
Also you can do the first half of primary and the first half of intermediate.
Another option is to the full primary series and then the last half of intermediate.
The first day I did primary series. It seemed most appropriate after two days of sitting up in an airplane seat.
I got a very strong adjustment from Nancy in Mirachyasana D. She was able to get me to twist a little further and get me to bind comfortably behind my back.
In the standing forward fold with the hands in prayer behind the back she wanted the feet closer in line front to back. I had been taking a wider stance and she wanted the heel of the front foot to line up more closely with the heel of the back foot. This arrangement will let the hips face front a little more easily.
Also when I was in the forward fold Janu sersasana A she came by and told me to get the hip of the folded leg back on the floor. I did not realize that I had lifted it up. So back down it went.
And that was the end of the practice for that day. That was Monday. We missed practicing on Sunday because we were still traveling and did not get to Purple Valley until just before lunch time.
At home I normally alternate between Primary and Intermediate during the week. Monday I do Primary and then on Tuesday I would do Intermediate and so on throughout the week with a day of rest on the weekend. So, I had a decision to make. Would I continue to alternate while I was here or focus on Intermediate series during the entire stay. Tuesday I normally do Intermediate, so that was an easy decision but what to do on Wednesday and beyond?
Intermediate practice
I did Intermediate series on Tuesday. Nancy divided the room in half and asked the people on the right to come 15 minutes early and start their practice right away. The other side of the room was to start their practice 15 minutes later. She hoped that this would allow for more adjustments to be made with less wait time for us. This turned out to be true.
She also asked us to stay in the same place throughout the entire time that we are here and when we come back next year. This makes it easier for her to find you when she knows that you need an adjustment.
There are many places in the Intermediate series that I need assistance getting into the poses fully.
Passasana (noose pose)
The very first pose is one. I can now get my feet flat to the floor and I can get my arm around both knees and under my legs, but I can not get a enough twist in the spine to complete the bind behind the back. Nancy is able to get the bind to happen. One of these days the rotational flexibility in the spine and the balance in the pose will be there and I will be able to bind fully. Maybe I should lose a little more weight around the middle as well. That will make it easier to twist as well.
Kapotanasna assist
I have been getting an assist in this pose everytime. My quadriceps need to develop a little more strength before I can drop back to my hands without fear of whacking my head on the ground. Just a slight hold on the hips is enough at this time and I land on my hands. Next is getting the hands and head to move towards the feet. The arms are not moving very far but progress is being made slowly. There needs to be more flexibility in the spine (back to front) and more flexibility in the shoulders to allow the forearms from the elbows to the hands to come flat to the floor. They are both moving slowly in the proper direction. I expect that it will be some time before I reach the feet.
One thing I did not realize with this pose is the exit. After five breaths you straighten the arms and left the head off of the floor and hold here for five breaths. From here you lift up to standing while swinging the arms low past the knees rather than up or the head. It has taken me several days to figure out from the guidance that I am being given to get this part added to the pose.
Eka Pada Sirsasana
This is the one leg behind the head pose. I caused quite a stir when I started to do this pose on the left side. My hip is tighter on the left side and the leg does not get behind the head very well or at all some times. So here I am struggling to get my shoulder a little more in front of my knee when Nancy calls out from across the room “Jack stop that!”. She comes over after she had finished adjusting the person she was with and explained what I was doing wrong.
I was keeping my leg pointing straight up in the air while attempting to get my shoulder in front of my knee. This will cause the hip joint to lock and the hip to be in the wrong position for the rest of the pose. It is better to keep the leg bent at the knee while you get the shoulder in front of the knee. Then you bend forward and lower the head below the calf muscle. This rounds the back and keeps the hip in a favourable position for rest of the posture. Once the head is under the calf, then you lift the head up straightening the back slightly.
For the rest of that week and this week as well she has been by everytime that I do this pose to help get the ankles behind the head with the leg bent. The right leg gets there reasonable easily but the left leg continues to be stubborn.
There has been some progress in Dwi Pada Sersasana as well. The shoulders are starting to move in front of the knees and the feet are starting to get closer together behind the head.
Pinchmyrasana
I need an assistance to come to balance. I am still figuring out the balance point and how to come up into the pose gracefully.
With assistance I can get into next pose and then up and over into scorpin with the feet approaching the head. The guidance here is to push up from the floor while they are bending the feet towards the head. In my case the spine gets really stiff and strong as the feet are brought down towards the head.
Seven headstands
The last place I get assistance is with the seven headstands at the end of the series. Previous to this I have been doing the first 3 headstands only, but both Jason, one of Nancy’s assistance and Nancy herself told me to do all 7 of them.
The first day it was a real challenge getting up into the third headstand. This is the one where the arms are out to the side and you are balancing on your head and the palms are out to the side pressing into the floor. I was extremely wobbly the first day and severly stressed the muscles of my neck and shoulders. I could hardly turn my head from side to side by supper time. The next day by the time I got this head stand again the muslces were reasonably flexible and I got a little more support and asistance coming up into the poses.
Towards the end of the week Jason told me that I could do the last four headstands on my own and did not need assistance. My only fear is falling over and hitting the person in form of me. By the beginning of the second week (today) I am doing the 7 headstands with a little more ease. There is less wobble and less stress in the muscles. I still prefer someone there to make sure that I do not fall over onto the person in front of me.
You may recall that we had some fun with our flights to England on the Friday that we left. And now the adventure continues!
Lost Purse
This morning (Sunday) we left for the Goa Airport at 8:00 am for a 12:00 (noon) flight. Shortly after we got there and joined the line to enter the airport Michele realized that she had left her purse in the taxi. Its about 1 hour back to Purple Valley to get the purse from the taxi and then another hour back to the airport. There was just not enough time to do all that traveling and catch our flight as well. Renea was traveling with us as well. She is going on to Dublin from London while Michele and I are going on to Halifax. She traveled separately to the airport and joined us in the line waiting to enter the airport.
Flight delayed
When we got to the front of the line we discovered that our flight from Goa to London had been delayed by 12 hours. It was now leaving at 23:30 in the evening rather than 12:00. They would not let us into the airport, so we were trying to decide what to do when several airport people arranged for all of the people waiting for the flight to be taken to a nearby hotel for the day. We talked to them about this and then we decided to take a taxi back to Purple Valley Resort. Michele did most of the talking and I stayed with the pile of luggage.
Were Back!
Annushka and Emand were very surprised to see us back at the resort. They made us comfortable and helped Michele retrieve her purse from the taxi.
Need money!
On the way back to Purple Valley we stopped in Mapusa (pronounced map-sah) to get some money. We needed to pay the taxi and get some meals. Previously I had zero success with the ATMs in Mapusa. This time we were lucky. We got to an ATM that would honor foreign debit cards. However the debit transactions kept timing out. We switched to the Visa credit cards and were able to get some cash out. I have been out of cash for 3 days. Now finally I am able to pay Michele back. She has been supporting me since Friday. Its not fun being stuck without funds and no way to replenish them.
New travel arrangements
Renea had a connecting flight to Dublin that she was going to miss. She had to book another flight. The one that she already had was not movable.
Both Michele and I have hotel rooms in London that we will not be using now. Mine is fully paid for and I have no way of letting them know that I will not be there. Michele sent an email to her hotel to let them know that she would not be there. She is not sure if this will be enough to cancel the room.
Lunch
We went to Villa Blanche which is about a 20 minute walk down the road for lunch. They had a Sunday brunching going on. All you can eat for 400 rupes each. That’s about $10. We had a very nice meal. Scrambled eggs, Tuna deviled eggs, coleslaw, black olives, pickled onions, hot soup, chocolate cake, and on and on.
Michele has gone to the pool for the afternoon and I am writing this blog entry.
The New Plan
Our flight from Goa will leave at 11:30 in the evening and we should get into Gatwick airport at about 5:00 am. We then go to Heathrow by bus which will take about an hour. Our flight to Halifax leaves Heathrow at 11:00 am on Monday. We should be able to make that flight and be in Halifax when we originally planned to be there on Monday afternoon.
I will try and do an update from the Heathrow airport if we have time.
Here’s hoping that nothing else goes wrong with the travel arrangements.
Well, its been amazing to say the least. At first it was a little hard to adjust to all the sounds and and crazy drivers and heat. Now I am a little sad to be leaving.
Nancy and her assistants have been fantastic. We have our last talk tonight… details to come. Vanessa and I are off to the animal rescue to donate money to have some girls (dogs) spade. The AR has done amazing things in Goa. Even though there are still lots of strays, they fix them so things don’t get out of control and the people that live here are more accepting of them.
Last night we ate at a restaurant at the beach and watched the sun go down… with a nice glass of red wine. It was a great way to end the evening.
Oh and we took lots of photos this morning in practice so stay tuned!
I will be going to the German Bakery on Wednesday with Erin. Erin is one of the group of 8 that came from Halifax to Goa. We will be calling home via Skype at supper time here which will be early morning in Halifax.
Upload pictures
While at the Bakery, I will be uploading a bunch more pictures from Goa. We did a tour of a Spice plantation which was about an hours drive north of Purple Valley. I have a lot of pictures from that trip. Vanessa even had a ride on an elephant. I also took some pictures around the resort as well.
Add blog posts
I also have a couple of blog posts that I have been writing. I can not upload them from the computers at Purple Valley. I can upload them from the Bakery.
Good practice day
Today, Monday, was a good practice day. Saturday was a rest day and we got back to practice on Sunday. Today I did the 7 headstands at the end of the intermediate series against the wall without any assistance. That is a big step forward from where I was the beginning of last week. The rest of the practice went well. There are many poses that I still need assistance with, but progress is being made.
We’ve been doing some meditation while we have been here with a women named Katie who has studied with Buddhist’s for a very long time.
She talks a lot about emotional states and the “stories” we create in our mind and how they affect us and other people energetically. Meditation becomes a door way to your thoughts and actions, you become the observer.
The mantra for this particular meditation is;
May I be filled with loving kindness,
May I be well
May I be peaceful, … and at ease
May I be happy.
The idea is that you would repeat this at least 3 times for yourself, then someone you admire/love, a neutral person, then someone you have difficulty with. Each time visualizing that person in front of you. Starting with yourself, then systematically sending loving-kindness from person to person in the above order.