We arrive in Chennai at about 1pm and realize Darshan’s GPS is not working well. The traffic is quite heavy as we get closer and closer to the downtown area.

We are finding ourselves a little confused about the one way streets and many multi intersections.

We are getting directions from various people along the way and we find ourselves driving down tree lined neighborhoods in search of this Yoga hospital.

Finally about an hour later, sitting under heavily leafed trees, was a small white building.

I recognize the building from pictures I had seen in the past, and am happy to verify that it is the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM) by the sign that is over the entrance.

Krishnamacharya’s Yoga Mandiram was built by his son, Desikachar, to honor his father and the Father of Western Yoga. To know more about Krishnamacharya, please read my blog: Krishnamacharya’s Linage.

We park on the street and I wander into this open-fronted building to see a very “medical” looking reception area with a counter for checking in and a table and two chairs.  This is the view from the table.  You can see some examination rooms and a picture of Desikachar over a book shelf.

I am asked to sit at the table and fill out a brief medical history. I notice there is a sign on the wall that asks that no pictures be taken. I have already managed to take a one, but was careful not to include any of the patrons. I am then taken to meet the centers Senior Manager, M S Bhuvaneswari. She is a lovely woman who welcomes me to the facility and thanks me for coming. I told her that I wanted her to treat me just like a patient so that I could experience exactly how they managed their Yoga Therapy sessions. She begins by asking me my medical history, yoga, pranayama and meditation history and then takes my pulse. She seems impressed that I am trained in Ashtanga yoga, had trained with B.K.S. Iyengar, had studied Yoga Therapy, and had studied at the Himalayan Institute as well as being a trained Ayurveda Consultant. M S Bhuvaneswari is also delighted, but not surprised, that I have no ailments and that I don’t take any medicines and that I prefer to treat any imbalance with Ayurvedic herbs, therapies and lifestyle adjustments. I am asked if there was one area I was most interested in focusing on and I told her that my family has such issues with weight. She tells me that a more challenging pranayama practice will be very helpful.

She then has me perform my yoga asana practice and again complements me on my abilities. (So far I am feeling pretty good about all this). For the next 15 minutes, she writes up a very detailed asana and pranayama practice and then explains it to me, stating that she wants to “challenge” me, and does not hesitate to make the pranayama difficult.

At this point, she takes me to Sashi, a yoga teacher, to work on the practice she has given me. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was and how much my pitta was firing up as she taught me a few new variations of asana, matched with pranayama. I had to almost laugh when she asked if I wanted the ceiling fan up higher (I was beginning to sweat). I had inquired earlier about the opinion of “hot yoga” of which I was told it was “neither beneficial nor healthy”. After one and a half hours of practice, I felt more evolved as a student which always makes me a better teacher. I am grateful to MS Bhuvaneswari and Sashi for their guidance. I then spent some time taking notes and asking questions which will help me further develop my own Yoga Therapy practice. I was also given more information to use in writing yoga practice “prescriptions” per se. All in all, it was a great experience and I hope to return again to continue learning.

This very familiar picture of Krishnamacharya was hanging in our treatment room.  It was as if he is still looking over the place. So grateful to have had this opportunity.

The next stop was to check in at the Marriott Chennai. While I was registering and taking things to my room, Darshan was researching the address of a jyotish (a Master Astrologer) whose name had been given to my husband by one of the guys that works with him there in Bangalore. Once I returned downstairs, Darshan had a friend that knew where the jyotish lived and had given him the information. That is another great reason to hire a guide like this, they are well connected. This is a picture from my room on the tenth floor. The sun was beginning to set and it was an amazing view.

It was dark by now so we had to ask numerous people how to get to the temple by which the jyotish lived. Once we had a pretty good idea we had found it, we parked the van in the parking garage of this new restaurant, went in and, not being very hungry, decided to just have some fresh pomegranate juice. We then took to the street to find this guy. The street was busy with vendors and shoppers and I could tell we were in a fairly nice part of town due to the number of nice jewelry stores all selling gold and silver pieces.

As we traveled down the street, we found the Kapaleeswarar Temple, so we knew we were close. It got darker and darker but we kept asking for guidance and took turn after turn until we came to a dark alley-like street and headed down it. I asked Darshan if this made him nervous, as I was a little freaked out.  I decided I had watched too many movies as this reminded me of one where the characters were trying to get to the mob boss whose office was through a restaurant, into the kitchen, which led to a backroom, up some stairs…you get the picture.

Then Darshan spotted the sign and there on the street in front of the building was a tall guy (mob boss looking) standing with his arms crossed (intimidating) who motioned for us to enter. As weclimbed the stairs all I could think was what have I gotten myself into? Once we entered his apartment, which was brightly lit with white walls, we were directed to a room that had just a desk and a couple of chairs.

Darshan had already informed me that this jyotish did not speak English and that he would translate the information. Sri Agasthiyar Maha Siva Nadi Jothidam Mylapore entered the room
and I found him much younger than expected and quite striking. He asked Darshan for my name, birthdate, time and place. He left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a chart he had written on a piece of paper and began talking to Darshan. This conversation went on for some time and then Darshan told me that the news was not good.

I won’t bore you with the details but without telling me anything from my past, this guy told me my future (at least the next 7 years) would not be good. His biggest prediction was that I would continue to get scammed and taken advantage of. That I was a nice person that did a lot of good for others but that it was never reciprocated. He went on to tell me other stuff about my husband and kids and I knew that things weren’t adding up. (Haha, granted I am at a fortune teller!)

As I was trying to wrap my head around that information, a solution was presented. I could have prayers said for me at two different temples for 5 months by people that were at this man’s disposal and then all would be well…for the mere cost of 500 US dollars! I thought, you just told me I get scammed and now you are trying to scam me! I said I did not think I wanted to do that (thinking I could get a second opinion at my jyotish here in Dallas as I had not seen her in a while). “The Book” he was supposed to use during this session, which was to have had all the information I thought I was going to receive, was not with him. Therefore he would not charge me the full price of the session.  I was disappointed as we left.

Here is the greatest part of the story. In the midst of writing this blog, I look up the exact spelling of the jyotish’s name from the email my husband had sent me that day. I remember Darshan telling me he had asked a friend where this guy was located. The friend, I believed, said he found the address on the web. So I thought I would look him up and see why my husband’s friend thought this guy was so great. Well, lo and behold, the man we saw was not Sri Agasthiyar Maha Siva Nadi Jothidam Mylapore! I don’t know who the guy we saw was…did he work for him? Or had the guy at the door (Mr. Creepster) direct us to the wrong apartment in hopes we did not know what the real jyotish looked like? And if you noticed, the sign says: First Floor. Now it makes sense why The Book was not available for the reading. It must have been with the real jyotish.

I want to apologize to my husband’s friend for expressing my disappointment to him at dinner Thursday night! Now I have to go back to Chennai! Will the real jyotish please stand up! I also can’t wait to meet you, Sri Agasthiyar Maha Siva Nadi Jothidam Mylapore, I am sure you are as awesome as I have heard.

I wish this picture would have been clearer, but you can see in the middle that the sign states “Non Hindus Are Not Allowed Inside”.  Darshan apologized to me for this and I told him it was no problem, that I respected this.  He spent a moment inside and then he took me back to the Marriott.

Our exciting first day had ended.  It was looking to be a great adventure and I am not sure if I was asleep before my head hit the pillow!

Next blog is Day 2 in Chennai. Thanks for reading and sharing with your friends.  Check me out at www.thebalancedyogi.com  for all my blogs and info.  I am also now expanding my schedule to offer more private one on one  yoga lessons as well as private and corporate classes. You can also schedule an Ayurveda consultation by calling me at 972-658-1600. Let me know if you have an interest.

Blessings,

Peggy