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In Istanbul, we began the training course…
We began the training course Hands On Adjustment here in Istanbul last night. The group is 35 Turkish woman and one man! The Jihangir studio is locate in a compacted and crowded neighborhood of Istanbul, near the sea. The urban culture in Jihangir reflects contemporary Western values. On the rare occasion there are Islamic women who wear the traditional headscarf (the scarves are on hand at all the mosques for entering women to cover their heads of hair) who come to yoga. This reflects the extent to which yoga slowly pervades the more traditional Muslim sector of this society. We drove along the shore line drive next to the Bospherus Sea to see the new studio that Jahangir Yoga is building. The road is narrow and jammed with the highly adept and fearless turkish drivers–taxi drivers, coaches, lorries, and private cars. Along the sea there are Euro style cafes, fish restaurants, upscale hotels, cultural museums, palaces built in the French chateau style and a stone walled castle that served to protect Istanbul from foreign invaders. We visited a calligraphy exhibit within the beautiful grounds of an estate overlooking the sea. The ancient Arabic script is so dramatically rendered and the exhibit featured sutras from the Koran, signatures of the sultans rulers, phrases and quotes from the Koran and emblems for the Sufi lodges, one which was devoted to Rumi (photo here).
Our hosts Rebecca and David the directors of the yoga center say that there are active Sufi communities here in Istanbul. The town where Rumi and Shams spent much of their time together Cognac, is just outside Istanbul, between Istanbul and Ankara. Tonight the full moon rose over the “Asian” side of Istanbul. ”From the Asian side of the Bospherus you can walk on the land all the way to China and on the European side you can walk to Paris”, David said today. Istanbul is such a multi-layered city, a living archeology of the mid point between East and West. The moon light rolled playfully over the sea and the evening air was thick with a feel of romance and longing. The moon conjured the poetry of Rumi:
Last night my teacher taught me the lesson of Poverty:
Having nothing and wanting nothing.
I am a naked man standing insida a mine of rubies,
clothed in red silk.
I absorb the shining and now I see the ocean,
billions of simultaneous motions moving in me.
A circle of lovely, quiet people
becomes the ring on my finger.
Then the wind and thunder of rain on the way.
I have such a teacher.
Rumi
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Tias and Surya,
I am inspired by your travels and written experiences. I smile. Thank you! The moon did shine brightly over Glenwood as I mused the tapestry of life and where my father was born in Turkey in the town of Bursa, so I have some feel for my distant roots and where you are now.
I wish you continued safe travels and adventures. I hope to see you in Santa Fe.
Joy and gratitude,
annig raley
My practice serves me well. My arthritic hips are not any worse.
Tias and Surya,
I am one of the 35 Turkish woman and so glad to meeting you both. It was a wonderful course. Thank you and hope to see you again.
Regards from irresistanbul