The cadence of this rain sounds settled in for the morning, if not the day. There has been less rain this monsoon season and the wells for drinking water are drying up. That is the word here. My suite mate, Svetlana, has gone to watch the children’s classes. I forgot about it and started reading early when the birds started their morning squawking ritual in the park next door. All of us in the house talk about the uselessness of earplugs with the birds! I love listening to the rain. Maybe because the rain slows things down or I chose to do less, it is a conjures a reflective mood. Yesterday’s women’s class was taught by Aby and Mr. Iyengar. It was a wonderful class. This being the end of week two, they were still teaching forward bends. Third week is backbends. The forward bending classes have been excellent. The instructions basic and effective to feel in my body. Aby brought out a tube and talked about the thigh–the anterior skin facing the back of the front thigh and posterior skin of the front thigh pressing back to the bone. I give this as an example because of the detail and the use of the tube to make us understand. Mr. Iyengar used Raya, another teacher to show the spine and rib work using metal rods to show the direction of the ribs as you go into Pachimottanasana and deeper into the pose. Wonderful visuals that as you see, you learn and you have the memory, smirti, of seeing then the experience in your body as you do what they teach. Today, because their are no classes at the Institute, Gulnaz, is teaching another class at there studio and some of us are attending as we did on Independence Day Holiday. I am hoping because of the rain and it is Sunday there will not be the destruction and construction going on all around us of buildings. This place is on the move! Growing, changing so fast. Tonight, Suzette, a women staying on the second floor and I are going to dinner with Neena Shahani who owns the house we are staying. We are going to Mainland China which is an upscale chinese restaurant which will be a big splurge here. It’s Sunday, our day off, and the rain may be settled in for a while. I have a good book written by an Indian author and it is a perfect day to read and rest before Prashant’s 7 am class in the morning!