Space and Yoga
Early morning walks of late have the eyes wandering and watching gleefully certain enthusiast walkers and fitness freaks. A small gate to the entry of large walking space in the crowded world of today has suddenly a hand-stretched right across the gate as you try entering the huge cordoned walking campus at the early wintry morning hours. Stretching exercise, says my thought to me, as I dodge the hand to enter the gate.
Increased paces to warm your body and you suddenly hear a distant clapping of the hands, which at once gathers rhythm as you have the walker ahead of you taking a cue from it and like a domino effect starts clapping his hands too; only to be followed by another walker much ahead. A Yoga guru mantra! says my thought to me. What is the logic behind it though? Perhaps to disturb the silence of the fields and the quiet of the mind. Wonder why one of them did not start clicking fingers, the noise would then be rather subdued.
The legs start walking faster to overtake these claps and just when the mind is recomposing the thoughts; you hear the mobile playing the Venkateshwara Sahasra Nama. Technology invasion indeed even while walking. Did they not think of going a step ahead with technology and use earphones or simply listen to the sound of the crickets and the early morning chirp of the birds. Thought responds: how would they do that…the ears have to be mindful of what the others are playing and switch music or increase the volume to destroy the effect of the other Lord Shiva chanting.
Quicker steps and one looks distantly at the intersection of the roads amidst the ragi fields, only to stare at a white silhouette that is bang in the middle of the road like a white scarecrow; exercising and jumping and hopping. The man looks around for attention and jumps higher and higher. Thought says: he is the guy who lives in the huge mansion of the 5th cross. What does he do with all the space and the lawn at home? Thought responds: who would he grab the attention of and showcase how agile he is at that age.
Turn around the bend and enter the grounds where the joggers follow a track only to be disrupted by some men who walk backward. Why not the pathway across the ground for backward walking? Thought quips: how would you then pass on the message to your fellow walkers of the advantage of backward walking. True indeed!
Walking continues dodging all the back walkers as you see the rocky parapet with people meditating in the midst of the jogger banter, performing the Surya namaskar irrespective of the fact that the back can be damaged or hurt in the process. Thought mumbles: how would they perform yoga in the quiet of their homes or terrace tops, when what they need is noise around and a rocky surface to prove how they practice yoga.
The best of all of these is what the eye watches on the seaters in the park! As the wife sits on the seat, she watches her husband do his push-ups using the edge of the pathway to support his hands. Push-ups indeed irrespective of the fact that you have blocked the walkway, say I to my thought. Pause!
