Every mysore teaching opportunity starts with a story of sorts, most of which begins with “Once Upon A Time in Mysore.” Whether it’s a chance meeting or a meeting of minds, ultimately, it’s our connections with our fellow students and, ultimately, our individual connection with our teacher in India is what brings Mysore teachers together, we are students first–together!

Barbara Süss and I shared a flat for one month in Mysore back in 2014. She wasn’t even supposed to be my roommate, in fact, she wasn’t even supposed to be in Mysore during that February. But as fate would have it, we would share the shortest month and have the most expansive of times. Our talks over the stove top were as nourishing as the dishes Barbara would cook up. I would come home half dead from practice followed by 2 plus hours of assisting Sharathji in the shala and she would instantly revive me with a smoothie that she had just, at that moment, whipped up. I kind of thought she was magic. At the very least proof that I had good karma stored up. We had such deep heart to hearts that were later maintained over messenger and FaceTime calls. And like many of my Mysore friendships, we may not always be up to date, but we were often enough in touch.

Many times, my relationships with fellow teachers whose programs I come to teach for are often deepened by the experience of sharing space, students, the collective energy of a program. It’s incredibly intimate, a bond forms when you sub or assist for another teacher. I think often we gravitate towards fellow students who we may not know too well–not to begin with, anyway–but whose energies we like, who we somehow resonate with. Others, well, they’re you’re peeps already because Mysore opened up the whole can-of-worms-that-is-your-life and we end up witnessing that for each other.

So, I’m stoked. I’m stoked to see Barbara again, even if ever so briefly, so she can have a break herself because she’s been super working hard since she started this program nearly a year ago. I’m stoked to hang out with her cats and in her kitchen, because I know Barbara in the kitchen and I can imagine her kitchen back home in Vienna is going to rock my casbah.

AND I’m super excited to be in the space that she’s created for her program. If you’re in Vienna and you’re inclined to practice, let’s enjoy the amazing space that she’s created together! For more details: www.mysorevienna.com ❤