Iyengar Yoga News - issue 36 - Spring 2020

Iyengar Yoga News

www.iyengaryoga.org.uk

Iyengar Yoga News

Spring 2020 - Issue number 36

Editorial

This issue of Iyengar Yoga News kicks off with a couple of articles by BKS Iyengar relating to yoga and stress. We have another excellent article by Arti H. Mehta, full of details about Adho mukha śvānāsana. Laura Potts analyses our Yoga carbon footprint, and we would welcome contributions from readers on this subject. As well as the usual reports and news items, we have a number of personal articles by teachers, including an inspiring account of her visit to Bellur by Melanie Taylor.

On the issue of carbon footprint, we are now able to offer members the opportunity to opt out of receiving a paper copy of Iyengar Yoga News; this is now available electronically, so that you can read it on your computer, tablet or phone. Each person who opts to receive IYN electronically means one less copy that we have to print and mail out. Of course, those who prefer to receive paper copies can continue to do so at no additional cost. If you have renewed your membership on-line already and missed the tick box offering you this option, please email office@iyengaryoga.co.uk. If you wish to continue receiving your paper copy of the magazine, there is no need to do anything.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Iyengar Yoga News and we are always keen to receive contributions from our readers. The deadline for the next issue is 31st July 2020.

Editorial Board: Sigute Barniskyte-Kidd, John Cotgreave, Philippe Harari, Jill Johnson, Judi Soffa, Tehira Taylor

Layout & Design: Sigute BarniskyteKidd, Philippe Harari & Katie Owens

Articles to: editor@iyengaryoga.org.uk

Advertising: John Cotgreave cotgreavej@gmail.com

Copy submission deadline for next issue articles and adverts: 31st July 2020

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Contents

Features

Freedom from stress through yoga of action BKS Iyengar page 4

The art of relaxation - Ś av ā sana BKS Iyengar page 8

A ṣ ṭ ā ṅ ga Yoga in Adho mukha śvānāsana Arti H. Mehta page 12

Our yoga carbon footprint Laura Potts page 15

A visit to Bellur Melanie Taylor page 18

IY(UK) Convention 2020 with Jawahar Bangera page 22

A passage from India Charlotte Everitt page 25

The OM Yoga show Angela Hulm page 25

A yoga hog Elaine Rees-Hockey page 26

Boaty weekend Frances McKee page 28

Interview with Alex Klein Sarah Werrell page 29

Newly qualified teachers: Jane Marsh, Minna Alanka Falola, Diane Christopherson page 30

Member information

News from the Iyengar Yoga Development Fund page 31

IY(UK) Professional Development Days 2020/21 page 32

IY(UK) Reports page 34

List of Member Groups and Affiliated Centres page 38

IY(UK) Executive Council and Standing Committees page 40

Freedom from stress through yoga of action

We have reprinted below two articles from a 1997 volume of Yoga Rahasya (Vol. 4:2). In the first, Guruji talks about the stresses of modern day life. It is remarkable that although written more than twenty three years ago, even before the widespread use of social media, Guruji describes with great insight, the stresses and strains of living in our present day society, which are so relevant to our lives now. His words seem even more pertinent today and his encouragement for the practice of yoga more important than ever. In the second article, Guruji provides a detailed description of how to perform Śavāsana, the yogic art of relaxation.

We live in a tension torn world. Life is getting stressful and painful. Science and technology have given us a lot of physical comforts but have also triggered a fast life. We continue to move mindlessly from one endeavour to another believing that movement and speed is what life is all about. There is no time to pause, to think, to ponder, to contemplate or introspect on the proceedings of life. The result is our alienation from our near and dear ones and from society. We have no time to even recharge our energy batteries.

Insecurity and fear haunt and daunt people. The blanket of unhappiness spread over humanity crosses the barriers of religion, history, geography, language race and ethnic considerations.

Why is there such fear, insecurity and distrust of each other? I tried to ponder and analyse the cause for this universal sorrow and misery. Humanity has lost control over life instead of leading a life on the basis of human values.

As shall you sow, so shall you reap. Violence, illhealth, disease, hunger, malnutrition, starvation, strife, discord and fighting exists in the affluent, advanced nations as well as the poorer, third world countries. Are we not aware of the havoc we are playing with our environment and depleting the mother earth.

Suffering (klesha) is an inevitable component of life and has to be borne. Pain or suffering is of three kinds, Ādhyātmika [pertaining to the body and mind], self-inflicted and invited. It is up to us to reduce or eliminate it by maintaining a balance in the working of the body, mind and soul. Ādhidaivika roga [disease] is caused by genetic factors over which we have no control. We can neither restrain or cure it. Ādhibhautika roga arises due to the disturbances in the ratio of the elements in the body. Pain, sorrow, harassment, agony, misery, distress, discomfort, torments, grief, worry, vexation, disease, torture and annoyance are afflictions. The source of all afflictions is avidyā [ignorance], asmitā [egoism], rāga [attachment], dveṣa [aversion] and abhiniveśa [self-benediction or too much caring for life and self]. We ourselves have invited suffering. We have saturated the mother earth with all sorts of toxins. We have polluted the natural resources, the water we drink; our factories and industries belch out smoke releasing tonnes of poisonous and toxic gases in the air. Are these the needs of mankind or are they the greeds of man to have more and more of material comforts. Though our lives have become easier, have they brought us any mental peace? Many people now have time for leisure and get bored. They do not know how to use their leisure time to attend to and strengthen the body, mind and nurture the soul.

Many of the world capitals have become insecure and unsafe where you cannot enjoy normal outdoor life. Even living in the confines of the house is insecure. The situation is the same in the poor as well as the rich countries. In Japan, the world’s industrial and economic giant, the rate of suicide has crossed the danger mark. The youth and the middle aged people often wonder why and what one lives for. The old and the aged are dying uncared for in homes for the aged. They survive as vegetables without zest or feeling for life raising their hands in despair to the heavens to lift them from this world, a “living mortuary”.

The Kathopanishad epitomises the present world scenario stating: “Fools dwell in darkness; wise in their own conceit and puffed up with vain knowledge; go round and round, staggering to and from ….”

We tend to take trifles too seriously but only at the level of thinking and brooding and we fail to take adequate action. Human body is a playground of jīvātma [the essence of life] as the world is the playground of the Lord. The body, the mind and the soul all come into play with the five jñāna-indriyas [sense organs] and five karma indriyas [organs of action] with the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether) and their qualities (sound, touch, shape, taste and smell). The mind is the coach and the intelligence the arbiter. The playground should be proper and the player must be fit to play the game. For the human being, the game of life is to live it fully with vitality.

Sage Patanjali charted out the game plan for us. He described the qualities needed by the player to play the game with vigour, energy, optimism and wit. A balance needs to be struck between the body, mind, emotions and the soul. They should work in consort with each one doing their bit within the set limits and not exceeding the jurisdiction of the borderline of the body, mind and spirit. This is the key to the game. The vital difference with the games and sports that we normally participate in is that, though we compete and play, it is not for the victory of triumph. We go on playing till our last breath or as long as the almighty wishes.

Lord Patanjali, with his immense prowess over yoga and language, codified the entire yoga darśana [vision] in 196 sūtras [aphorisms]. The majority of the world is virtually going berserk in the pursuit of bhoga [enjoyment] at the expense of the spirit. Some who have completed a circle in pursuit of material and mundane pleasures are now turning back to Yoga for health, mental calmness and emotional poise.

Yoga can be practised by all, irrespective of caste, creed, age or sex. It is the best acquisitions. Whether it is practiced in pursuit of duty (dharma) or to earn a livelihood (artha) or for the enjoyment of life and worldly pleasures (kāma) or for liberation and emancipation (mokṣa). It is a MUST. The Upanishads proclaim that a weakling cannot enmjoyu the pleasures of life (bhoga) or liberation (mokṣa). “Dharma artha kāma mokṣanam arogyam mūlamuttanam”.

Man is a triune of body, mind and soul. According to the Bhagwad Gita, the body is called the kṣetra, or the field, and the the dweller in the body is called kṣetrajna Our sages have divided body into three tiers. Kāraṇaśarīra [core of the body], sūkṣma-śarīra [mental body] and sthūla-śarīra [gross body]. In these three tiers are encased the five layers, or sheaths. They are annamaya kośa [anatomical body], prāṇamaya kośa [physiological body], manormaya kośa [mental body], vijñānmaya kośa [intellectual body] and ānandamaya kośa [spiritual body].

The three tiers as well as the five kośas innerpenetrate from the skin to the self, as well as outer-penetrate from from the self to the skin as one single unit. The five organs of action, the five sense of perception, the tāmasic [inert] body, rājasic [vibrant] body and sāttvic [luminous] body, illuminative quality of the soul and modulations and fluctuations of the mind carry on the play of the jīvātman [individual self]. The goal and the end is with the puruṣa [individual soul] and prakṛti [nature] merging together i.e. the union of the seeker with the seer.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras provide the seed for the total evolution of the human body. The aim is to culture the body, mind, emotions and intelligence in order to reach the super conscious state. Yoga is essentially a ‘spiritual science’ and gain of physical or mental health are only the side benefits.

The four pillars (or pādas) are samādhi pāda, sādhanā pāda, vibhūti pāda and kaivalya pāda These are meant to attain respectively the goals of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. Samādhi pāda discusses the ways and means fort purifying the mind and cultivating the citta [consciousness]. Sādhanā pāda offers methods and means to enrich the citta by removing our lack of understanding. Vibhūti pāda signifies the gift of yoga with a caution on how excessive use of the the powers (siddhis) can backfire and any temptation to use these powers could bring about the downfall of the yogi. Kaivalya leads the sādhaka [seeker] to the state of liberation.

The eight limbs of yoga are yama, niyama, āsana, prāņāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraņa, dhyāna, and samādhi Yama is moral and mental restraint, niyama physical and mental observance, āsana is posture, prāņāyāma is regualiton of prana – the dynamic principle of life, pratyāhāra is control of the sense, dhāraņa is concentration, dhyāna is meditation and samādhi is merging of the individual soul with the universal soul.

The essence of yoga is anuśāsanam wherein the ethical, physical, mental and intellectual disciplines emphasise on the right means of character building. Yama and niyama are rules of moral values and codes of behaviour relating to oneself and the society, as an individual as well as a social discipline. The growth of civilisation is marked by culturing the mind while yoga is culturing the body, mind and consciousness.

The yama and niyamas are universal commandments which are not limited by geographic, regional or ethnic considerations. Non-violence, or ahiṁsā, of Patanjali connects us to the root of love. Satya or truthfulness deals with the culture of the mental body. Brahmacarya is for moderation. Accumulation or hoarding far beyond one needs and means is irreligious in yoga.

These yogic commandments are the rules for morality for society and the individual, which if not obeyed bring chaos, violence, untruth, stealing, dissipation and covetousness.

Yoga is meant for us in this world – here and now. These re not just matters of superconsciousness or

spirituality. Mind, intelligence and consciousness cover the different aspects of a human being. When mind dominates the entire brain, the intelligence and consciousness are compressed, at times the intelligence swamps the brain when the mind and consciousness are compressed. You must have realised that when one is totally involved and absorbed in something, a ray of illuminating light of the consciousness appears shining from the soul or superconscious.

Citta vṛtti, or the fluctuations in consciousness, sprout from the self. Vṛttis are direct thought waves (pramāņa) which disturb one’s state of mind. In viparyaya [misperception], the sense perception deceives us and in vikalpa (misconception), the senses work correctly but the mind cannot conceive correctly.

In India, where the Vedic religion thrived and flowered, the philosophy of abnegation of self and self-denial lead the masses into looking inwards while poverty called for action. Vivekananda advised the youth to play football instead of reading the Bhagwad Gita. He wanted to ensure that the masses did not turn into a life of a recluse. He stirred the people into action by his call “Arise. Awake” as spirituality cannot flourish in midst of needs to attain material well-being and satiate mundane needs. The body cannot be fed by spiritual; practice alone. The West had too much of material prosperity and propensity to acquire more while the spirit was languishing, so his message at the first Parliament of Religion at Chicago in 1883 was totally different.

It might be intriguing why Swami Vivekananda then asked the Indian youth to play football rather than reading the Bhagwad Gita, a descent from high platform of immortality of the soul to the low reach of striking reality. He wanted to create a militant action and the fighting spirit rather than give the sermons on philosophy.

He desired to fire the imagination of the inert masses into action. The message of saints and philosphers of “Jaganamitya” (the world is an illusion, or māyā) or the negative message of Neti Neti – not this, not that – spread despair and gloom in the masses. At the turn of 2000, over a hundred

years after the Chicago address, the world, and particularly India needs the message of “arise and awake” to rouse the masses to action. To play the game and engage in the battle.

Human life should be imbibed in spiritual discipline like the message of Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita to Arjuna: “Fight on”(tato yuddhāya yujyasva; sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau) “Engage yourself in the battle”.

"Hato vā prāpsyasi swargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣhyase mahīm". Lord Krishna said “if you are slain you will go to svarga [heaven]. If victorious in this battle you will enjoy the sovereignty of the earth, the pleasures of the world”.

Man must shed his unworthy weakness. The brave do not get faint hearted. The world is in turmoil, but take heart, resolve to fight, “tato yuddhāya yujyasva”. Engage yourself in the battle which is going on between the kṣetra, the field, and kṣetra jña, the fielder. The solace is in Yoga of Patanjali because yama and niyama is meant for guņa vṛtti nirodha [control of the organs of action and senses of perception], āsana is for snāyu vṛtti nirodha [control of the body, the muscles, the sinews], prāņāyāma for prāņa vṛtti nirodha [control of vital energy], pratyāhāra for controlling the sense of perception, dhāraņa for culturing the mind, dhyāna for ahaṁkāra vṛtti nirodha [control of the ego].

When saṁskāra [imprints, subliminal impressions] is subdued, the light eternal to the soul surfaces. This is the essence of life, or samādhi, and this is what Patanjali wants: man to progress from worldly pleasures towards emancipation and liberation. 

The art of relaxation:Śavāsana

The pace of modern life is such that its maintenance makes taking sedatives imperative for most people. As the giddy pace increases, tension builds up in our systems, our nerves get frayed and haggard remnants of humanity are left to seek solace in some form of drugged sleep. This is strange for man now has all the leisure time at their disposal. Machines have taken the drudgery out of life and the 40-hour week gives man enough time to relax. The art of relaxation, however, eludes him and it seems to be something of the past, beyond recall. Relaxation is necessary for it is recuperative. The drain of energy has to be counteracted in some way.

The yogic art of relaxation, known as Śavāsana, precisely describe how relaxation and recuperation takes place. Śava means a corpse or dead body. Āsana means a posture. Śavāsana is therefore the posture of emulating the dead and out of death comes life. Śavāsana is not simply lying on one’s back with a vacant gaze or flopping on a rubber foam mattress. Śavāsana should not end in snoring. It is by far the most difficult of yogic asanas but it is also by far the most rewarding and refreshing one. It is a very precise method of disciplining both the body and the mind.

Art of lying down for Śavāsana

Śavāsana begins with placing the body accurately on the floor. The place for this should be even, clean and free of insects, loud noises and noxious smells. Spread a blanket or a rug on the floors so that the body can lie full length on it. These precautions are necessary because a cold or unclean floor can disturb the depth of relaxation.

The, lie on the blanket with the knees draw up and feet together so that a line can be drawn from the place where the big toes meet, the inner knees meet, through the anus, the navel, the sternum (breast bone), the throat, the chin, the bridge of the nose and the centre of the forehead. Gradually stretch one leg forward, then the other. So that both legs lie in a straight line the median plane. Both the buttocks should resto the floor evenly on either side of the anus. If one buttock feels broader, place the hand s on the floor either side of the hips and lift the buttocks off the floor and adjust them. Slide backwards to rest on the elbows with the palms on either side of the hips. In this position, adjust the buttocks again so that they lie evenly on either side of the coccyx and the anus. Then, make the spine convex and lower the body vertebra by vertebra to the floors that the entire spine rests on the floor equally and does not tilt to one side or the other. The bottom points of the shoulder blades like the buttocks and the hips should rest evenly on the floor on either side of the spine.

Once the spine is placed on the floor, bend the arms and touch the shoulders with the fingers. In this position gently extend the back of the upper arm towards the elbow so that it is evenly elongated on the floor. Then lower the hands to the floor with the palms facing upward, the median plane of the wrists resting on the floor. The arms and hands should form angles of not more than 15 degrees with the sides of the body.

Unlike the rest of the body, which is adjusted from the back, the head should be adjusted from the front. Babies usually sleep with the head tilted to one side. The back of the head in most people

is misshapen and its centre is out of alignment because of the sleeping habits formed when they were babies. Hence the head should be adjusted from the face. The chin should be perpendicular to the ceiling and the floor while the bridge of the nose should be parallel to the floor. The eyes should be kept shut and equidistant from the bridge of the nose. They should be directed away from the centre of the forehead. A squint and a puckered forehead are always signs of mental tension.

Consider each poor of the skin as a ‘conscious’ eye. Delicately adjust and balance the body from within with the help of these conscious eyes as it is difficult for the normal eyes to observe and rectify the body position. Briefly the entire body should be placed with precision on the floor so that the two halves of the body lie evenly on either side of the spine. Attention to detail and precision in the body position lead to mastery of the art of relaxation. Very often the body tilts to one side and this side tilt is experienced on the stronger side of the body.

It varies from person to person. In some people the right side of the body is stronger, in others the left side of the body is stronger. The tilt is experienced as a sort of great magnetic pull of the earth towards the stronger side of the body. Once the practitioner knows which is the dominant side of the body, that is the die exerting the greater magnetic pull to the floor. Thus, the tilt is obviated. If the tilt occurs, there is a drain of energy in the direction of the tilt. Recuperation is quick when the right and left halves of the body are evenly held in equilibrium and the energy is locked within the body.

The art of controlling the senses in Śavāsana

The next step in savasana is the control of the senses, stilling their outward movement towards the objects of desire. Śavāsana is descent of the body and the mind as a unit within itself toward the source of energy within oneself. Śavāsana is not a rigid state of stillness. Śavāsana when properly performed brings on a silent state of stillness which is divine. It is the surrender of one’s ego and the receptive awareness of a divinity locked within oneself.. for the achievement of this state, the brain cells have to descend passively. The brain cells will not experience this descending movement if the senses are not controlled and have not learned to withdraw within themselves. Most of our organs of sense are located within the head. The entire struggle for control takes place on the face from the throat upward where the impressions gathered by the senses are experienced. Śavāsana is said to be complete if the breath, the eyes, the eardrums and the root of the tongue are all under control and relaxed. The beginner will observe that the eyelids flicker and the eyeballs will move upwards. These are sure signs that the eyes are tense and that the brain is being disturbed by thought waves. The appearance of the saliva in the mouth and constant desire to swallow is an indication of tension in the tongue. Tension in the eardrums can also be experienced as tension around the ears. The beginner should consciously search out these tensions, for knowing where they exist makes it possible to relax them.

Then descend and relax the senses. First elongate the back of the neck towards the crown of the head

so that there is an upward movement of energy almost invisible to the naked eye. This flow of energy is then directed from the top of the nose, so that the bridge is parallel to the ceiling and floor. In elongating the back of the neck and descending the bridge of the nose, care should be taken that tense chin-lock does not result. To offset a tense chinlock, where the chin would dig into the top of the breast bone, the beginner must learn to lift the chin gently upward, so that the chin makes a right angle to the floor or ceiling. This ascending movement of the chin must balance the descending movement of the bridge of the nose. Then a sense of lightness is felt on the forehead (the lalata cakra). The head and brain will feel light and the throat will be relaxed when the bridge of the nose and the chin are held in equilibrium.

In Śavāsana the energy flows in a circular motion over the back of the head, down the nose towards the toes, and then back to the crown of the head. In this way the flow of energy is kept within the body and the dissipation of energy and consequent exhaustion are avoided. This leads to faster recuperation and refreshment of body and spirit. The pupils of the eyes must be made to descend passively towards the bottom of the breast bone (the manas cakra, which is the centre of emotions) and above the solar plexus once the flow of energy is correctly directed. The eyeballs should shrink pleasantly inside the sockets. A shrunken eyeball is a relaxed eyeball while a bulging eye reveals tension. The optical nerve must be drawn toward the centre of emotions, the manas chakra, so that the physical eyes lose their identity. The ‘eye’ of awareness’ of the soul is found in the manas chakra.

The eardrum should be kept relaxed and the throbbing of the nerves at the temples must also cease. The auricular auditory nerves and the skin of the temples must be drawn towards the centre of the emotions. This joint movement of the eyes and the ears is felt as a quiet and cool movement downward, which is definitely relaxing but at the same time the loosely hanging folds of the facial skin seems to separate from the flesh below it. The two sides of the palate at the uvula should also passively come together. Relaxation is experienced

when there is shrinkage and dryness in the mouth, especially at uvula and tongue.

Art of breathing in Śavāsana

Control of the breath is necessary for good relaxation. Rhythmic breathing at the beginning helps one to relax. Inhalation should not be deep but should be of normal duration. Exhalation, however, should be longer in duration than inhalation. During inhalation as well a exhalation, the brain cells should be made to descend towards the centre of the emotions. This downward movement is more difficult in inhalation than in exhalation. For about three fourths of the durations of the inhalation, one can experience the descent of the brain cells, but for the last one fourth of the period of inhalation there is a slight upward movement of the brain cells. This upward movement should be avoided. Inhalation reflects the dominance of the ego while exhalation denotes the surrender of the go to the divinity surrounding us. Exhalation empties the brain of the ego. The surrender of the ego in exhalation is accelerated when, after a period of slow smooth exhalation, there occurs what might be described as ‘echo exhalation’. This is a fine and subtle exhalation which may be likened to the exquisitely pure and delicate notes of a string instrument in the hands of the master musician which seems to echo gently from nowhere. This ‘echo exhalation’ empties the brain completely of the ego and results in withdrawal of the nerves and sense within oneself.

Conscious and deliberate surrender of the ego is hard to achieve. This is why the yoga texts recommend thinking upon the name of the Lord while practicing prāņāyāma. The practitioner then feels that the source of all energy is entering within him with each breath, while he is surrendering to the Lord his very life breath, his very ego when he is exhaling. The self is pure consciousness, free from thoughts, feelings and desires. The mind is the vehicle of consciousness. When the brain – the intellectual centre – is active, it reveals itself as intelligence. The mind appears as the Self in the centre of the emotions when the brain is perfectly quiet and the intellectual centre is stilled. Here, one is gathered up and yet suspended, empty yet

perfectly satisfied, serenely balanced, neither free nor bound. There is stillness in pure awareness. The awareness of the ‘I’ is transmuted into awareness of the Creator. There is emotional stability and mental humility.

Signs of a good Śavāsana

There are several signs of a well-performed Śavāsana. A few indications may help the beginner to test the depth of his relaxation. Yoga is not an intellectual game. It is a sharing of real experience. In a good savasana there is a feeling of shrinkage of the skin and muscles, for Śavāsana is after all movement of inward withdrawal. There is at the same time a feeling of elongation of the limbs and body. Sometimes this elongation is experienced through the whole body but especially in the upper arms just above the elbows and in the calves just below the knees. At these four places, one can experience the pulse beats and the balance of the body can be tested by watching the evenness of the pulse beat at these places. Dryness is felt in the bones and the joints. A feeling if being suspended on a thin line of awareness is also present. The best sign of good Śavāsana is a feeling if deep mental peace and pure bliss. 

Śavāsana is alert surrender of the ego. One discovers oneself in forgetting oneself!

Astānga Yoga in Adho mukha śvānāsana

Compiled by Arti H. Mehta from Guruji’s teachings during the Iyengar Yoga Festival 1998 and the RIMYI Jubilee celebrations 2000. First published in YogaRahasya Vol. 7 No. 4, 2000.

In this article, we are going to discuss the range of techniques which can be used to progress towards a ‘perfect’ adho. Effort (prayatna) to perform this āsana starts diminishing as the student attains the capability of understanding and implementing these techniques. Thus, depending on the level and maturity of the student, the student will be able to experience the physical, physiological and mental changes pervading the various aṅgas of aṣṭāṅga yoga that practice of this āsana brings about. This article should be read in conjunction with Light on Yoga.

 The arch of the foot should be lifted and should be moving towards the heel so that there is heaviness felt on the heel.

 The inner and outer ankle should be lifted up.

 Adjust the palm in such a manner that from the centre of the palm one feels the energy moving forward towards the tips of the fingers, as well as backwards towards the wrist.

 The sensations from the wrist should be ascending up towards the shoulders and then towards the head of the pelvis.

 Watch the joins of your fingers. All the joints should be touching the floor.

 Each of the three joints on each of the fingers should be in contact with the floor.

 The elbows should be moving towards the upper arm.

 Extend the arms in such a manner that the biceps get sucked towards the deltoids.

 The elbows should not descend when the head moves down towards the floor.

 Move the shoulders towards the waist and the shoulder blades into the body and towards the kidneys so that the arm pit is well exposed.

 The bottom of the front portion of the rib cage should move towards the back. When this happens, the arm pit ‘opens out’ still further. When this happens, the breathing becomes easier.

 Feel the sensation in the arch of the foot while extending it towards the heel. When this happens, frontal thigh muscles (quadriceps) start moving towards the back of the thighs.

 The attention should be towards the inner ‘head’ of the heel – which should be moving towards the back of the hell.

 To descend the heels down, move the head of the shin towards the back of the knee and then lift the kidneys towards the buttocks.

 Try an extend the chest horizontally.

 Move the sternum towards the diaphragm and then the breathing becomes deeper.

 Watch you palms and ‘feel’ if all the corners are evenly touching the floor. The middle finger should be exactly in the centre and should not be tilting and the other fingers should be branching from the centre.

 Adjust the skin of the mound of the middle finger and the little finger evenly on the floor. The third portion on the palm that needs to be placed firmly is the ‘middle portion’ of the base of the palm. All these three points should be very firm and uniformly placed on the floor.

 Nail the middle portion (which is more towards the wrist) of the palms on the floor. Draw aa thin straight line from the wrist of the palm to the thumb and then extend towards the shoulder blade but do not push the head down.

 One tends to stretch the outer upper arms mor than the inner upper arms. In order to ‘feel’ the inner arms too, the thumb should be touching the floor as much as the mound of the little finger. Also, slowly

stretch the skin of the outer upper arm and the inner arm starts getting longer.

 If the weight is felt on the lower legs and not the thighs then the distance between the palms and feet is too much. If the distance between the feet and the palms is too close, then the thigh muscles are extended. You also have to watch the middle of the knee and learn to adjust from there. If the thigh is longer than the lower leg then move the feet back and if the lower leg is longer then move the feet forwards.

 Move the metatarsals towards the ankles; extend the shin and then descend the foot down.

 Remember that the foot has two arches – one in the centre of the foot and the other between the toe and the mound of the toe. The latter is the subtle arch. When this arch is ‘opened’, the back of the heel gets heavier and touches the floor. Otherwise the ‘back’ portion of the feet fails to touch the floor.

 There should be even pressure felt on the mounds of the fingers and the mounds of the toes. There should be harmony in all these movements and adjustment, and it is this harmony and adjustment that leads to a divine state.

 There is a vertical extension from the back of the thigh to the heel while a horizontal extension from the inner ankle towards the outer ankle. Extend from the inner ankle towards the inner hell.

 Also, from the middle of the back of the knee, extend horizontally and equally towards the outer and the inner back of the knee.

 The horizontal movements require the brain. First ‘stretch’ horizontally and then, maintaining that horizontal stretch, move vertically.

 Stay in the asana and watch the side ribs, especially the back portion. The side of the ribs should not be pushed towards the legs but the front corner should be moving vertically upwards. The sensation is very soothing.

 Never push the head as it is a jarring action. Like jarring music blocks your ears and this expression shows in your face, pushing the head leads to jarring in the pose. The lower arm extends and naturally becomes thin and long – try and make the upper arm thin and long too.

 To move the head down, move the trapezius muscle towards the kidney. Never move only from the armpits.

 The back of the pelvic girdle tends to bulge away from the body. This indicates that the ‘root’ (the heel) is not placed correctly. Lengthen the foot from the centre of the arch by stamping the middle mound of the sole. By extending the arch one manages to move the pelvic girdle into the body and also improve the pose.

 Imagine as if the buttocks are the ‘Everest’. Like the peak of the mountain is covered with snow, your attention should cover the entire buttocks. This is how you have to learn to adjust the pose.

 The buttocks, the perineum and the tail bone have to be parallel to each other.

 ‘Watch’ the shin bone. The middle of the shin bone tends to be closer to the back of the leg. This leads to a distortion to the flow of attention and ‘intelligence’. So, move the skin on the middle of the shin closer towards the bone. This brings about aa uniform flow of intelligence.

 The subtle movements have to be brought about with one’s intelligence and not force.

 These subtle movements bring about silence in the body and mind and thus to meditation. 

Our Yoga Carbon Footprint

By Laura Potts

How much of our yoga associated activities are at odds with our first principle of ahimsa ? And how can we change those practices and find ways to make our yoga a less damaging activity? We can limit fuel use and flying in particular, so not embarking on ‘yoga tourism’ to lovely destinations overseas; we can choose non oil-based derivatives for equipment, which are so much more widely available now; use fairly traded organic cotton for clothing, and so on. It’s an interesting and revealing exercise to calculate your carbon footprint, factoring in yoga related activities and choices. There is a good tool available at https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/ , which analyses your result and suggests areas that can be improved.

Going to RIMYI in Pune has, of course, a gigantic carbon footprint. There are various ways we can try to mitigate the harmful effects on the environment, and many people will think of carbon offsetting schemes for the travel involved. These are quite controversial, and some have argued that they basically exonerate our guilty consciences, rather than positively contributing to carbon savings. And even robust schemes (tree planting has long since been superseded by green energy schemes) are hard to evaluate – and the real objective has to be that we minimise our himsa activities and carbon emissions across the board. But environmental NGOs have worked hard in recent years to set a ‘gold standard’ for offsetting schemes, so if you decide to go to RIMYI there are ways at least to offset some of the harm caused by the journey, making use of, for instance, the Voluntary Gold Standard (VGS). VGS-certified

offsets are audited according to the rules laid out in the Kyoto protocol and must also show social benefits for local communities. As a starting point, have a look at https://www. goldstandard.org/take-action/offset-youremissions .

In Pune, we can refuse all plastic bags and bottles very easily – and when you see the waste dumped in open spaces, often foraged by poor children, and burned on winter fires, you will surely want to. It’s great to learn from a recent visitor that this is now a recognised problem, with airlines into Mumbai urging

passengers to forego all disposable plastics. The first time I was in Pune, shopping at the market stalls, the kids used to run after

guidelines. The city is taking an active role in responding to the public health challenge posed by air pollution by drawing on local expertise. That local knowledge includes…. an innovative air quality monitoring and forecasting effort, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)’. We can choose to walk, rather than ride a rickshaw when possible – or, if you feel that would deny local employment, then share a ride with other students.

We can make the choice to buy local food –not imported treats; the quality of fruit and vegetables is excellent. Last time I was there, in 2014, there was a wonderful small market early on a Sunday morning on Apte road. Sendriya Setu bring in amazing fresh organic produce grown within 50k of Pune, which is

me teasing ‘No plastic, no plastic, madam!’, because that was what I always said to stall holders! One of those stall holders thanked me, saying this should be the way for India. When you experience the air pollution, and learn of the ill-health suffered by people because of it (there are some excellent research projects at Pune and Mumbai universities on this), you will want to support the efforts of local people to limit polluting activities. Pune’s population is now about 7 million people, and the city has grown rapidly in recent years. According to NRDC (see https://www.nrdc.org/experts/vijay-limaye/ pune-expands-city-efforts-fight-dangerousair-pollution ), ‘air quality in the city remains a stubborn challenge: levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) regularly exceed both Indian standards and World Health Organization

all gone by 9am! They also sell a range of dry groceries, pulses, grains and flours. Find them online https://www.greenecosystem.in/fconn/ organic-fruit-vegetable-supplier/sendriyasetu-organic-supplier.html or phone to check stall days.

By way of practical engagement to make a difference, I recommend a tree planting project on the hills of Pune. Whenever I have visited, I have enjoyed walking there

as intense city living feels very oppressive. Last time I was there I met a few people on a Sunday morning carrying water to small saplings in the dry, bare earth, and in conversation I learned about this project set up by some of Guruji’s students: Dr. Chandrakant and Dr. Kusum Garudkar. Reading the obituary of Dr Chandrakant in Rahasya, I got in touch with the project suggesting RIMYI visitors might help; here are parts of the very moving responses I had:

M.M. This is indeed a noble thought. I am sure if each one of us thinks like this, we will soon be able to limit the build up of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Vasundhara Pratishthan is a modest but committed group of local citizens from in and around Baner who care for the environment and are doing their bit to make a change and stop degradation of the environment caused largely by human endeavour. This group was started and nurtured by Dr. Chandrakant and his wife Dr. Kusum Garudkar. This group believes in action … one more principle they have enshrined is to plant only indigenous species of trees. This has much larger benefit to the environment because of the symbiotic relations these trees have with local flora and fauna.

N.B. I'm very happy that you are really thinking deep for the various issues and willing to help, this is very good for the mother earth.

We work on every Sunday, we can meet at Dhanvantari Hospital, Baner City, Baner road. The nearest landmarks are "Fasoos Food Shop", "Cafe Coffee Day", "Cosmos Bank" etc. Ask any auto rickshaw driver for this hospital and they will guide you. We typically work from 7-9.30am every Sunday.

So, if you plan a trip to RIMYI, do get in touch with Narendra Bhagwat (bhagwatn@gmail. com), make a donation to the project and spend a few hours helping trees to grow once more on the Pune hills – for beauty, for shade, for the soil, for the air quality, for the delight of growing things and pleasure in connecting to Pune citizens. 

From an article originally published in SADIYA newsletter, October 2016.

With thanks to Frances Homewood for providing updates on Pune hills tree planting on her recent visit.

All photos by Laura Potts

A Visit to Bellur

By Melanie Taylor

In September 2019 I travelled with my friend to the Iyengar Yoga Centre in Bellur, BKS Iyengar’s birthplace, to attend a retreat with Firooza Ali Razvi. It was a fantastic experience to be in Bellur to see how this remote village has blossomed from Guruji’s vision and generosity, and to be taught by Firooza, we were totally immersed and living Iyengar yoga.

Bellur is in rural India but it is very accessible, one hour drive from Bangalore airport. Booking for the retreat was handled very efficiently by Kishure and Hema who manage the Bellur website and Iyengar centre. There was a taxi booked for us from the airport and during the journey into the countryside the first impressions are of the brightness and colourfulness. Bangalore is known as the 'Garden City', the fields are full of flowers, cultivated for export all over India. Leaving the motorway, the route is on single lane roads, taking us through the middle of village markets, past many beautiful shrines, colourfully painted houses alongside lean to shacks, people, traffic, cattle, monkeys, rubbish, so you are really overwhelmed by the senses and smells of rural life. The centre is just outside Bellur village, in the middle of farmlands, with the Kolar Hills in the distance. The entrance gates are flanked on either side by freshly garlanded Pantajali statues

and one of the yellow school buses ahead of us as we drive in lists the Insitutions run under the Bellur Krishnamachur & Sheshamma SmarakaNidhi Trust: SSRI High School, SRSI PU College, SRSI First Grade College, SRSI Hospital, SRSI Skill Training Centre, Iyengar Yoga Centre. I realise that these are all within the complex that we are entering.

The yoga centre reception is completely open plan, steps lead down to the large dining hall area behind it with panoramic views of the countryside, the buildings here also connect directly to the residential blocks and shower facilities. On the other side is the Iyengar residence, and directly opposite is a wide paved pathway leading to entrance to the yoga hall. We are warmly welcomed by Hema, and greeted by some of the other Western students who have already arrived, they are from USA and South Africa, the Indian students and Firooza arrive later. We are given a room behind the hospital building, where health services are given free for the community. Lovely, smiling Veralakshmi, one of the centre staff shows us the way following a path around the outside of the yoga hall where trees donated by international yoga

Week 1 group (photo Tejal Mor)

Terrace views

students are all planted. It’s amazing to see some familiar names of teachers and friends attached to the plaques on these saplings. The surroundings are lush with beautiful perfumed tropical blossoms, and as I soon discovered the complex is also home for some amazing birds, fruit bats, butterflies, gekkos, monkeys, toads, and a cow, everything is impeccably maintained, and there were very few mosquitos. There is constant activity as it's the middle of the school and college day when we arrive, and students smile and check us out as they take their lunch break.

I think the highlight of arriving was going into the Yogashala for the first time. The entrance doors to the building are flanked by floor to roof photos of Guruji welcoming us in. The hall is an incredible space, the light coming in through the large windows around the building reveals the Patanjali shrine, photos of Geeta, Ramamani, another golden statue of Guruji and Ramamani sitting together, all of which are beautifully garlanded, along the rope walls are more photos and ceiling ropes hang underneath the layers of colourful sails that are attached to roof. The prop room is just as inspiring, and it is huge.

Patanjali & Firooza (photo Tejal Mor)

Guruji & Ramamani

The Yogashala

One wall of shelving holds hundreds of neatly folded blankets, other shelves are meticulously organised with bolsters, bricks, in the centre chairs, stools, backbenders are all stacked to be easily accessible. I just couldn’t wait to start practising in this sacred building.

That first evening we all got together for the first delicious South Indian dinner in the canteen – we were served three meals a day and spent enjoyable times introducing ourselves, making friends, sharing chats with Firooza and her students from Mumbai and other parts of India, and watching the activities in the fields from the terraces. On the middle Saturday of the retreat a special meal was arranged for us – the food served on banana leaves in the authentic South Indian manner.

Honestly I have never eaten so well, these meals were a perfect complement to the immersive yoga practice that Firooza led us through – soul food.

The retreat programme was 6:30am - 8:30 Pranayama session, 8:30 – 9:15 breakfast, 10:00 –12:30 Asana session, 12:45 – 13:30 Lunch, 16:30 –18:30 Asana & Pranayama, 19:00 -20:00 dinner. At the start of the first session we gathered in front of the Patanjali statue for blessings and invocations led by one of the twin priests who attend to the Patanjali temple in Bellur village that was built by Guruji. We were taken to the village to visit all the temples, there are others dedicated to Lord Rama and Rishi Valmiki, which were also renovated by Guruji. During that visit we took part in ceremonies and invocations and it was fascinating to see the ancient carvings, reliefs and shrines. They are all dressed in silks and garlanded with flowers from the fields. Every morning our practice was accompanied by the sound of the children chanting invocations to Patanjali and Guruji before school, so you really feel how central these prayers are to daily life in Bellur.

We had visited Pune before arriving in Bellur, and had bought a large Patanjali statue to bring home, it was on the table in our room. Veralakshmi, who cleaned for us, began to meet me every day after our asana practice with flowers and handmade jasmine garlands and come back to the room with me to dress the statue. I was so grateful to her for

Patanjali temple

Dinner for one

sharing her dedication to Patanjali with me, just as Firooza shared her knowledge of the Sutras as we practised.

Another visit that was arranged for us was to see a concert in the College, which is also on the complex. Hundreds of students from other colleges in the district were bused in and performed dances and sung, dressed in amazing costumes. There is an exhibition with photos of Guruji’s life in the college, so again you realise the impact that his vision and generosity has had and the value of this for all the generations in Bellur and the surrounding area.

In this brief article I wanted to give an impression of what it is like to visit the Iyengar Yoga Centre in Bellur, the practice and the teachings from Firooza were integral to the experience. She made the retreat a memorable opportunity to deepen my practice, to spend time in a peaceful and beautiful environment, making friends and practising Iyengar yoga. She spoke of Guruji and through her stories of his teachings, and being in his birthplace, we felt such gratitude for what he has made possible. 

Veralakshmi

Garlands for Patanjali

Bellur's Got Talent Show

CONVENTION 23-25 May, 2020 Birmingham with Jawahar Bangera

Special Teacher

In May 2020 we are delighted to welcome Jawahar Bangera back to the United Kingdom. Jawahar is a world-class teacher, he was described by Guruji some years ago as “my senior-most teacher”. Years of dedicated practice and study have helped make Jawahar a teacher who inspires us to move deeper into our understanding of Iyengar yoga. Jawahar is well known for his precision, dedication and his ability to make everyone feel included. He teaches classes in Mumbai where he is a director of the Iyengar Institute Yogashraya which was inaugurated by BKS Iyengar in 2002.

Our most senior teachers flock to be taught by Jawahar, and as all the great Iyengar teachers can do, he is able to teach beginners and advanced students side by side. So whether you are an experienced teacher or a relative new-comer to the Iyengar yoga family, please do join us for what is set to be a wonderful weekend of experience and learning.

“I consider that Jawahar is one of our best Iyengar teachers. He has absorbed Guruj's teaching having been so close to him from childhood and accompanied him on many of his visits to Europe and other countries. He gives of himself to all of us Iyengar students. Three words that describe Jawahar are dedicated, helpful and humble.”

Tricia Booth

Special Place

We are returning to Birmingham’s International Convention Centre. A light and spacious setting perfect for our large gathering. The city itself has undergone a truly significant transformation over the last few years, with building works transforming the centre, creating wonderful piazzas for the enjoyment of city-dwellers and visitors alike.

Our yoga hall in the Birmingham International Convention Centre (ICC) is a wonderfully proportioned octagonal space, auspiciously similar to the RIMIYI institute in Pune, where 8 sides represent the 8 limbs of yoga. There is ample space for participants and the hall extends out into a wide spacious balcony area for our marketplace and registration. Located right in the redeveloped city centre, it is surrounded by the city’s amenities, a wide choice of accommodation, as well as beautiful, quiet spaces including Birmingham’s landmark museum and the stunning library.

Getting to the ICC is very easy, with full details of how to get there on our Convention website www. iyengaryogaukconvention.org

Whether you are a first-timer to the Convention or an experienced attender, you will be sure to enjoy the strong sense of community at our annual gathering.

“the Iyengar Community is a family of people, coming together at our convention to support each other and share something very important. Together we can grow, sustain, receive and expand our knowledge of Yoga, supported by our organisation to sustain dialogue with India, each other and with practitioners across the world.”

Isabel Jones Fielding, Convention Producer

Level of Practice

Special Community

One of the most special things about our Conventions is the coming together of people from all walks of life who have a love for Iyengar yoga.

Students of minimum 2 years are welcome to attend the Convention. You should be able to hold Śīrṣāsana in the centre of the room or at the wall for 5 minutes, and Sarvāngāsana for 5-10 minutes, or have knowledge of how to adapt the poses for your needs.

Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to experience the special teaching, in the inspiring setting and enjoy the true community of IY UK in May 2020. For further information go to our new convention website www.iyengaryogaukconvention.org from here you will be directed to our on-line booking page.

Photographs of Jawahar: ©Geoffrey Fielding: Iyengar Yoga UK Convention 2017 Jawahar Bangera

A Passage From India

We are looking forward to Jawahar’s visit to the 2020 IY(UK) annual convention in May. Anyone who has been to one of our Conventions will appreciate the enormous amounts of work that go into an event of this size and complexity. The work you might not be aware of is that which goes in to ensuring that the teacher can come and work legally in the UK; and if you are wondering how your local Member Group can organise a visit from an Indian teacher, then you may be interested to know how this works.

To allow us to invite teachers from India to teach at the convention, IY(UK) successfully applied to become an A-rated sponsor under Tier 5 Creative and Sporting of the UK Visas and Immigration Sponsor Management System. This involved proving to the Borders Agency that we are eligible, suitable, and responsible enough to manage foreign workers within the legal conditions that the UK government has laid down.

IY(UK) made the decision that in addition to the convention, we wanted to support Member Groups in organising visits from and tours with Indian teachers. In recent years, Member Groups have organised tours across the UK with teachers such as Dr Rajlaxmi, Devki Desai, and Firooza Ali, by applying to IY(UK) for a certificate of sponsorship.

Any Member Group can apply for a certificate, provided that:

 The visiting teacher is of significant standing in the international Iyengar Yoga community and can be expected

to bring teaching that could not be delivered by UK-based Iyengar Yoga teachers. This is a requirement of the Borders Agency – they want to know that we are not depriving UK workers of the chance of paid employment.

 The tour is run so that all venues pay a fair share of the expenses – this is based on the number of students, and hours taught, at each venue, so that larger and smaller venues are both able to benefit.

 The organisers pay an admin fee to IY(UK). This covers both the administrative cost of the certificate, and temporary insurance for the teacher while they are teaching in the UK –an important consideration for teachers who may not have teaching insurance in India

The application is not complicated but does require a certain amount of organisation, and planning – it should be completed three months before the teacher arrives in the UK. Once the application to IY(UK has been completed, with all the details of the tour, the certificate is processed online, producing a certificate number; the number is sent to the teacher, so that they can apply for an interview at the British High Commission, for a work visa. A priority visa application will be processed within 5 days after the interview – it costs more, but is recommended as it removes a lot of the stress of waiting for the “normal” visa process to complete. For these reasons, an early application is recommended.

By Charlotte Everitt

The Borders Agency have laid out their requirements for supporting paperwork, and may visit to inspect our records at any time (and have done so in the past). Consequently, IY(UK) expect applicants to provide an outline of all costs and income, as well as a full itinerary of where the teacher will stay and work during their visit. In order to remain a sponsor, and be able to bring Indian teachers to the UK for our convention and other events, we have to be able to demonstrate that we have this information for all visits we are sponsoring.

IY(UK) also are keen to ensure that visiting teachers’ health and wellbeing are maintained, with adequate breaks and rest days; and any tours are sustainable – financially, environmentally and for the people involved, including the visiting teacher, students, and the wider Iyengar community.

We want as many of our members as possible to have the experience of learning directly from an Indian teacher; with this in mind, we will shortly be re-launching our Events Page with a more user-friendly search function and other features; we hope that all Iyengar yoga events will be shared on there, allowing students to find events in whatever location, or on whatever dates, they are looking for.

Organising a tour for a visiting teacher can seem daunting, but we have done our best to make the process of applying for a visa as straightforward as possible. If you would like further advice or information, please contact us at jess@iyengaryoga.org.uk

The OM Yoga Show

Thanks to more than thirty teachers and supporters, Iyengar Yoga (UK) was very successfully represented at the 2019 OM Yoga Show at London's Alexandra Palace in October. Free tickets were available to all IY(UK) members. Many helpers wore T shirts with the Iyengar name on it for walking through the show.

Our three open classes were led by Audrey Walker. The presence of Audrey, teachers and supporters at each class meant that all visitors could benefit from clear enthusiastic Iyengar teaching, in spite of the crowded noisy environment. Perhaps we don’t end up with more students directly from such promotions but we do move people further along from unawareness of Iyengar yoga to interest and knowing how to find a teacher near them.

Marion Sinclair’s new clear attractive stand design and promotional tools made it easy to engage well with visitors passing by the stand, offering a small card and gift. Our special thanks go to Marion for creating the stand, to Audrey for leading the open classes, to Emma Jackman for assisting with Saturday’s class and to Sally Lee for coordinating helpers and to all who’ve supported us.

By Angela Hulm

Iyengar Yoga (UK) at the OM Yoga Show London 2020: Fri 16th - Sun 18th October

Stand M6 is booked, for this year and we welcome teachers to apply before the end of March to teach open classes at the event. Teachers need to upload a high-resolution photo of themselves, and their insurance and teaching certificate when applying. Please email angelahulm@hotmail.com if you are interested.

Centres, groups, teachers and supporters: your donations, moral or practical help is welcomed so that we can again share the Iyengar message as we did at the Manchester and London Yoga shows last year. 

A Yoga Hog

By Elaine Rees-Rockey

“Many old Indian stories tell us about virtuous sages and their wonderful worlds. Everything fascinated them: shining stars, tall mountains, flowing rivers, fierce beasts, beautiful birds, even little grasshoppers. These pious men lived close to nature….. foremost among them was….Sage Patanjali”

(Yoga for Children, Swati & Rajiv Chanchani)

I’m a big wildlife lover and I was greatly saddened to learn how numbers of our native hedgehogs have dropped dramatically in the UK over recent years. “What can I do,” I thought? In an effort to do ‘something’, I looked at the local wildlife trust website, bought a ‘Hogitat’, put food and water out, borrowed a night camera and was rewarded with… not one, not two but THREE of these beautiful wild creatures one evening in my garden! I quickly learnt there is much we can do to help. I also realised that there are some amazing individuals, quietly working away to help these animals, often with very little funding. I had been dreaming of ways to try and raise awareness and when I heard of an excellent talk by the founder of our local rescue centre, Abbi, that was it. I decided to put together my love of hogs and passion for teaching yoga! And so a ‘Yoga Hog’ was born!

Luckily my good friend and teacher, Zoe, felt the same way. Yoga is so deeply connected to the natural world around us. Many poses relate to animals, birds and insects, while others honour trees, the sun and the moon. Together we devised a class that took these poses and integrated them with simple, fun, informative stories about our

planet which we read from ‘Yoga for Children’ by Swati and Rajiv Chanchani. We even created a hedgehog pose! “Shalyakanthah” is the Sanskrit word for hedgehog or porcupine and so came “shalyakanthasana” which was a cross between a kneeling forward bend and a tortoise! Try saying it too!!

I was also reminded of the time Guruji adopted a tigress cub at Mysore Zoo. He said: “When I was touring the zoo, the authorities asked me to bless the tigers. They immediately touched my heart. To make the blessings meaningful, I instantly decided to adopt the two. When we talk about health, it involves all our fellow beings. It is our social duty and moral responsibility to safeguard animals. Wildlife conservation is the need of the day and people must understand its importance.” (Yoga Rahyasa Vol 16 No 1 2009). Ten years on and still so true.

Abbi gave an excellent talk about the life of a hedgehog, how we can care for them and what to do if we find a distressed or injured hog. Her passion, enthusiasm and care was so evident and we all learnt a great deal.

We even had a special ‘Love Your Hog’ t-shirt, designed by Kiki Wellness, to help spread the ‘Hog’ word. Lots of people wore these on the day, or wore autumnal red and green and some even braved hedgehog leggings!! Over 70 dedicated Iyengar students came, of all abilities, and spent a joyful time connecting with nature.

There was, of course, a prize for the best ‘hedgehog’ cake! The competition was entered with great enthusiasm and students, Jane Wright, won first prize of a yoga workshop and Wendy Sharp won a free yoga class. All our brilliant cakemakers went home with a bag of hedgehog food! And, student generosity continued to flow as people donated beautiful jewellery in the shape of hedgehogs, home-grown fig trees and a cuddly hog to win on our Lucky Hog Dip!

We chose to run our event at the end of October. Autumn is a vital time of year for hogs as they build up reserves for winter, look for hibernation nests and have to survive the perils of Fireworks Night. The whole event was free with donations and people unable to come also gave generously. Our charity buckets were filled with an outstanding £660 divided equally between The Bellur Trust and The Iford Meadows Hedgehog Rescue Centre near Christchurch, Dorset. Abbi funds this mainly from her own funds and donations from hedgehog lovers. My dear family, good friends and supportive husband gave their time willingly to decorate, welcome people and serve those delicious ‘hog’ cakes! Thank you all very much.

Remember there are many simple things we can do in our own gardens and green spaces – providing food and water, creating small gaps in our fence so they can forage or even creating a hog house for protection, hibernation or keeping young. At this time of year, if you see a small hog out in daylight, it could be in trouble so contact your local rescue centre for advice. And, on that note... I offer you this happy ending...

On 18 November, we saw a young hog in daylight by our hog house. Abbi was called. Inside the house we found a mum with two little hoglets. It is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. The babes were too small to survive winter and are now safe, warm and well in Abbi’s ‘hogspital’. Mum is still in her nest and able to focus on her own hibernation. Thank you Abbi, Guruji, Everyone.

Boaty Weekender

By Frances McKee

In Summer 2019, Glasgow-based teacher, Frances McKee was invited to teach Iyengar yoga and play with her band on a festival cruise organised by Scottish band Belle and Sebastian.

Port / Starboard

Teach yoga on a boat sailing from Barcelona to Sardinia? How could I refuse? Only one snag. I get terrible sea sickness.

‘The Boaty Weekender’ as it was called was the brain child of Belle and Sebastian, a Glasgow based alternative band. I think they even made it onto Top of the Pops if anyone reading this is old enough to remember that programme.

I am from Glasgow and over the years have taught some members of the band Iyengar Yoga. So it’s nice to be asked. It took me about one second to reply. OK.

Ship Ahoy

What could possibly go wrong? As it happens, quite a lot - especially trying to get to Barcelona, given that the previous day British Airways had a computer meltdown. Belle and Sebastian took two days to get there, while Camera Obscura had to cancel their first show as they just managed to get aboard before setting sail.

Titanic

I should also give some background to the Glasgow music scene. Basically if this boat hit an iceberg, alternative music in Glasgow would be just a memory. Some of the most legendary bands were due to play and quite a few from Glasgow. Teenage Fanclub, probably the most well known, apart from the Belles, Honeyblood, The Buzzcocks, Yo La Tengo, The Vaselines and much more.

Are you that girl?….

Wait, I forgot to mention I am also in The Vaselines …I started this band with Eugene Kelly literally decades ago and every now and then we drag ourselves out of our care home to play some shows. We opened the weekend which was quite an accomplishment given all the hiccups encountered by everyone else.

What time is Class?

My first yoga lesson was the following morning. It was supposed to start at 10am, then 11am, 11.30am…there were no mats, it was getting hotter and hotter, we moved into the shade, we found mats and then everyone started arriving, ten twenty…please no more, thirty, ahem …over one hundred!!! Not only that, but by this time I had to compete with The Buzzcocks sound check …So obviously I got a microphone as well.

Have you done this Before?

Basically I arranged people on the good ship into two groups, The Stars and The Gummy Bears ….I then focussed on some basic work with the legs and some shoulder work. As a short introduction to Iyengar Yoga, the feedback was very positive and for those who had more experience, given the heat, the intensity of the class was enough.

Come Back

Of course, the proof is in the pudding. I had another class to teach …would anyone return for seconds??? I am pleased to say …yes!!!

Legend

And what about the sea sickness? The Boat was HUGE and the waters were very calm. So I was fine. It was an amazing weekend actually… And. I got to sing a song with my legends, The Buzzcocks.

Interview with Alex Klein

By Sarah Werrell

When did you first start practising yoga and what was it like?

It was around 2000, when I went to my first Yoga class. I lived in London at the time working as a fitness instructor with a well trained but very hard body (and also very hard head). I do not remember much of the class itself, however the end of the class remains vividly in my memory. When we came to lie down in Savasana, I suddenly started crying like a baby. Tears were pouring out until the class was well over. The teacher was very kind and told me that this was not such an unusual thing to happen, however to me it was a totally unexpected and intriguing experience.

How did you come to study Iyengar yoga?

After I moved to Bridport in 2002, a friend took me along to her regular Iyengar Yoga class with Hannah Lovegrove and I was hooked from then on.

What do you like about practising yoga?

The heightened awareness that it teaches, first in the body and eventually through the body in the mind.

Jane Marsh:

What do you like about teaching yoga?

Teaching gives me the possibility to show my gratitude for all the positive change that Yoga has brought into my life. It is a grace to be able to give back and a joy to see this positive change also happening in my students!

What is your favourite story or memory of studying at RIMYI?

I am afraid I do not have any inspiring story of a blessed touch by Guruji nor Geetaji. The time I started going to Pune, BKS was no longer teaching, however he still practiced every morning in the hall and I do remember his piercing eyes at even 90 years of age. Geetaji's classes were of course incredible. And most of the time it did indeed feel as if she was teaching just for myself personally. An experience shared with so many who attended her classes. However I had quite an extraordinary encounter with Raya one time for which I am grateful to this day: I attended a class with him in the room upstairs as downstairs was closed due to an ongoing workshop with Prashantji. The class upstairs was totally oversubscribed and we ended

up three people to one mat. There must have been well over 100 people in the room and it was backbends! Anyhow, Raya's teaching and class management was awe inspiring. I was even adjusted, twice. No idea how he even managed to walk through the room. At the end of the class, being a bit hyper from all the back bends I dared to ask him a question that had been on my mind since my arrival in Pune 3 weeks ago: How could I deal with my very stiff and painful shoulders? What asanas should I do? Well, I managed to get through to him and asked my question. He looked at me for a moment silently, then put his hands on my shoulders and said calmly "Just pardon your shoulders". I still get shivers down my spine when I think of that moment. It all of sudden became very clear that - as usual - I had been working far too hard...Raya had understood within seconds.

What benefits do you attribute to your yoga practice?

The wonderful feeling that through the daily Yoga practice I hugely contribute to the maintenance of a healthy body and mind - hopefully into (very) old age! 

Newly Qualified Teachers

applied for my teacher training and I was accepted.

on and get back on track with my training and that’s what I did.

I was first introduced to Iyengar Yoga by my brother Thomas Franklin back in 2009 when he was doing his Introductory Teacher Training, I was a volunteer for him and his wife, Belinda Franklin, and I was instantly hooked. I’ve since been practicing Iyengar yoga and I absolutely love it. I was a keen runner before 2009 but it gave me back issues so I decided to put that behind me and concentrate on my yoga practice. I attended regular classes and my yoga just got deeper and deeper. In February 2017 I

The training started in 2017, right from the beginning the training was very challenging, for me I was very nervous and it showed in my voice when I was asked to teach a pose. With working full time, the assignments and attending my regular classes I was exhausted. Then sadly in November 2019 my mother passed away, life was very difficult at that time and for many months after. I did lose my way and my focus on training was lost but I know my mum would have wanted me to carry

In February 2019 I started to teach classes on Saturday afternoon every week with my teacher Thomas Franklin observing, right up until my assessment in June. Teaching these classes gave me more confidence, student awareness, correction and control of class. It was an excellent grounding in preparation for my assessment.

The big day arrived, Saturday 9 June 2019. I felt sick in the stomach, not knowing what was to come, I wanted this so bad and it showed!! I really enjoyed the personal practice, it was tough but enjoyable. The day ended, I was exhausted as my husband and I headed back to Cardiff.

I received my results on 2 July 2019 and I had passed with good feedback. Words cannot express my emotions and feelings on that day knowing that I have achieved my accreditation to teach Iyengar yoga despite my challenges, an amazing achievement in my life.

I would sincerely recommend any student that is considering doing their Introductory Teacher Training to do it. This is my experience and you will have your own. Just do it. You won’t be disappointed!!

I absolutely love being a teacher, I’m teaching four classes a week now and currently working on additional classes. It's very rewarding, knowing that I am sharing the work of BKS Iyengar and that you are helping other overcome the demands of everyday life. 

Minna Alanko-Falola

I passed my assessment in July 2019 and taught my first class in September as a substitute teacher at my local Iyengar studio. I have since taught more classes there, as a substitute teacher and I’m now working towards setting up my own class at another venue. I love teaching. It’s very rewarding. Challenging too but in a good way!

I never planned to be a yoga teacher. It hadn’t even crossed my mind until my teacher suggested it to me. This felt like a great honour and it also came at a time when I had just reduced my hours at work in order to let something else come into my life. I felt like I was being called to

do it and that was it then. The path was set.

My main challenge with the training was the public speaking part. But it was a welcome challenge - for a long time I’d wanted to improve that skill. During the course of the training, I realised that I had to feel the fear and do it anyway. I had to just get up in front of others and speak, do my best, instruct as clearly as I could and learn from my mistakes. Any concerns about public speaking simply had to get out of my way, because I wanted to be a good teacher.

If you are starting on the path of teacher training, my advice is to go for it. Enjoy it. Embrace all the challenges and the opportunities to learn more and more.

Iyengar yoga is an integral part of my life. I’m physically stronger than ever before. It brings me increased resilience, focus and clarity of mind. I am humbled to be part of a long lineage of tradition and I’m determined to do that justice. 

Diane Christopherson

I’m really enjoying being a teacher so far, it is such a privilege to share my practice with others. Teacher training prepares you really well and because I had been teaching a small group at home for the 12 months before assessment it has felt like a very natural progression. I’m teaching three classes per week including a group of my primary teacher colleagues. All school teachers need yoga!

My initial move to becoming a teacher was driven by the fact that my Iyengar teacher was moving away and there were no other Iyengar teachers available locally. So I had to develop my personal practice on a much deeper level and I also attended a lot more workshops where I was inspired by visiting Indian teachers and I just knew this was something that I wanted to explore on a deeper level. I am a primary school teacher so I’m naturally drawn to teaching and helping others.

I am a surfer and I injured myself surfing on a reef break in Portugal just as I was starting my teacher training. I had an L5/ S1 disc herniation confirmed and realised that I was likely looking at a two-year recovery process. I had to modify and address my practice to work with this injury and it was incredibly frustrating at times. My teachers told me I would learn a lot from it and I can see now that I have but it was hard.

I don’t think I appreciated what an undertaking it was when I started this course. I have three children and a self-employed husband, so we had to make some sacrifices of family time. I started practicing earlier in the morning to fit my studies in and around other family commitments. My family were incredibly supportive and understood how important it was for me. If you’re thinking of starting teacher training, try to involve your family in your journey and share yoga with them.

Yoga really is the gift that keeps on giving. The more time I have invested in practicing and studying yoga, the more I get back from it. I am a much happier and more fulfilled person for being a yogi and it has helped me immensely to deal with different emotional issues. Yoga has also helped me through my injury period. Most ‘experts’ that I saw could relieve symptoms of my injury but it was only yoga that helped me address the root cause of the injury.

Be prepared to work hard – behind every ‘effortless’ movement you see in your own teachers, there are hours and hours of dedicated practice. 

News from the Iyengar Yoga Development Fund

The Iyengar Yoga Development Fund (IYDF) was set up, as Guruji wished, to fund sessions for people who would not be able to afford to go to yoga classes but would benefit from them. The students come from marginalised, deprived or excluded sectors of society, and the yoga teacher works in close partnership with a community or social group to encourage students to attend. The Fund derives partly from a levy that teachers pay every year for the right to use the Iyengar Certification Mark, and partly from charitable money-raising.

The budget is continually under review and recently it was necessary to close the fund to new applications, but the committee considers there are now sufficient funds to again receive applications.

The members of the IYDF Committee are Elaine Spraggett (Chair), Isabel Jones Fielding (Vice Chair), Helen White and Laura Potts (co-opted). This is a fairly new committee, who have introduced new systems and processes to standardise practice and make the fund more accessible.

One of the features of the development fund is the modesty of the teachers, who often teach in very demanding circumstances as if there was no special expertise involved at all. In fact, running and sustaining

a successful project in demanding environments such as prisons, refugee centres etc. requires tremendous dedication and ability. All funded teachers are now asked to complete a proper evaluation of their classes and, as a result, teachers cannot so easily hide their light under a bush, and can instead, receive acknowledgement of what they achieve.

The Committee hopes to produce additional guidance for potential new applicants, based on the experience of existing teachers. This will outline how to develop a successful project, and identify key features which might indicate success.

Sharon Dawn Taylor runs an IYDF funded class in a women’s prison and wrote a most interesting article, published in a recent issue of Iyengar Yoga News. This was then picked up and republished in the Prison Phoenix Trust newsletter. Prison Phoenix Trust offers valuable support to teachers offering classes in prisons. It’s very encouraging to see this multi-agency networking, providing a cross-over of information and support.

Teachers need to have at least a Junior Intermediate Level 1 certificate to be eligible to apply for IYDF support. You can find the application form on the IY(UK) website. 

Currently, there are seven projects in operation:

Craig Blake 50 Brixton Prison, in partnership with Forward Trust

Helen White 44 HMP Leeds, in partnership with CareUK

Jen Henwood 44 Brighton Natural Health Centre, working with refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant women

Janice Longstaff 26 Bosvigo Centre, disadvantaged women, identified through partnership work with the Family Hub (funded by Social Services).

Kathy Anning 33 Active Agers class in Killaloe/Ballina Community and Family Resource Centre (registered charity), Clare, Ireland

Korinna PilafidisWilliams 23

Oak Lodge School, a school for students with a range of complex learning, health, physical, emotional, behavioural and social difficulties

Sharon Dawn Taylor 45 Askham Grange Women’s Open Prison

IY(UK) Professional Development

South West

SWIY (Falmouth): 13th June 2020 with Sasha Perryman Organiser: Nick Thomson - 07984 474298 - nickthomson76@hotmail.com

West & South Wales

AIY (Bristol): 8th November 2020 with Lynda Purvis Organiser: Edgar Stringer - 07706 169003 - edgarstringer@gmail.com

Greater London & South East

NELIY (North London): 6th February 2021 with Aisling Guirke Organisers: Nancy Clarke - 07900 277327 - nancyclarke@btinternet.com & Alles Wilson - alleswilson@aol.com

IYS (Sussex): date to be confirmed, with Kirsten Agar Ward Organisers: Jenny Deadman – 07817 239363 - jenny@jcm.co.uk and Cathy Rogers-Evans – cathyrogersevans@gmail.com

IYMV (NW London): 20th Sep. 2020 with Judi Sweeting & 16th May 2020 with Richard Agar Ward Organiser: Marco Cannavo - 020 7624 3080 - office@iyi.org.uk

IYSL (South London): 6th December 2020 with Eileen Cameron Organiser: Marion Sinclair - 07803 170846 - marionsinclair@aol.com

KIY (Kent): 22nd November 2020 with Sheila Haswell Organiser: Brenda Booth – 07730 402908 - brendaboothkent@aol.com

SWLSIY (SW London and Surrey): 26th July 2020 with Susan Long Organiser: Cath Barnes-Holt - 07909 995408 - cath@cathbarnesholt.co.uk

South Central

ORIY: 22nd November 2020 with Julie Brown & 9th January 2021 with Sheila Green Organisers: Elaine Martin (for Sheila in Cirencester) – iyakemblepdday@gmail.com and Evelyn Crosskey (for Julie in Newbury) - 07786 065253 - longwittenhamyogacentre@gmail.com

DHIY (Bournemouth): 13th June 2020 with Mary Heath

Organiser: Kim Trowell - kimtrowellyoga@googlemail.com - to book, please go to dhiy.org

North East & Cumbria

NEEIY (Sunderland): 4th July with Christina Niewola Organiser: Caroline Earl - carolinejpearl@yahoo.com

Development Days 2020/2021

West Central

MCIY (Birmingham): 9th January 2021 with Sallie Sullivan

Organiser: Jayne Orton – 0121 608 2229, jayne@iyengaryoga.uk.com

MCIY (Herefordshire): 19th September 2020 with Judith Jones

Organiser: Sheila Green - 01981 580081 - sheila@herefordshireyoga.co.uk

East

CIY (Cambridge): 24th October 2020 with Cathy Rogers Evans

Organiser: Sasha Perryman – 01223 515929 - sashaperryman@yahoo.co.uk

East Central & North

SADIY & NOTIY (Sheffield &Nottingham): 20th March 2021 with Brenda Booth

Organiser: Pascale Vacher - 07941 646418 - pascaleyog@gmail.com

BDIY (Bradford and Leeds): 11th July 2020 with Helen Graham

Organiser: Jacky McGeoch - 07739 677745 - jackymacyoga322@gmail.com

North West

MDIY & LDIY (Manchester): 19th September 2020 with Meg Laing

Organiser: Margaret Walker - 01613 390748, marge.walker1@gmail.com

Scotland

ESIY (Edinburgh): 1st November 2020 with Margaret Austin

Organiser: Katie Rutherford – 0131 447 4708 - katie.rutherford@blueyonder.co.uk

Glasgow: 22nd November 2020 with Gerry Chambers

Organiser: Valerie Miller - 0141 339 0442 - vjmiller7882@gmail.com

Ireland

DIY (Dublin): 16th May 2020 with Marion Kilburn

Organiser: Aisling Guirke – +353 087 289 1664, aisling_guirke@hotmail.com

DIY (Phibsboro): 26th September 2020 with Patricia James

Organiser: Margaret Cashman – 01882 8858, info@iyoga.ie

IY(UK) Reports

Chair - Jill Johnson

1. Administration Team Update

Our admin team continue to work hard, ensuring that IY(UK) continues to run smoothly, and that all our volunteers are helped as much as possible.

2. Executive Council (EX) Updates

Yogamatters have again been awarded the contract to serve as our official suppliers, for another three years. This followed a tender process whereby all interested parties were invited to apply, providing they met the criteria; these applications were then discussed by some of our Board members and Yogamatters were chosen. We are delighted that this relationship will now continue.

Charlotte Everitt has now set up the Tours team, to help member groups or affiliated centres arrange a tour for a visiting teacher and she can be contacted for any help or advice. In December Abhijata informed us that any teacher in India who receives an invitation to teach abroad will have to notify her; she wants to personally ensure that the teachers from RIMYI or Mumbai are not all going to the same country at the same time, and that they will not favour one country above another; so Charlotte’s oversight of tours will help to prevent any double booking.

IY(UK) has developed a Safeguarding Policy and agreed to appoint two Safeguarding Officers. Cathy Alison will take on the Board liaison role, and Katie Owens will be responsible for record-keeping. Both of them will receive training for their roles.

3. News from RIMYI

The December meeting in Pune was certainly exciting – with Abhijata and Prashant presenting their vision for the future of Iyengar Yoga moving forward into the next decade. They gave us the first draft of changes they would like to see to our certification and assessment process; these were discussed openly with all the participants from around the world and much feedback was given. We are awaiting the second draft, hopefully this will arrive soon and we can then share their vision with you all. As part of these changes we have been asked not to run any Intermediate Junior or Intermediate Senior assessments this year. We will let you know when these resume.

4. NationaI Iyengar Yoga Day

More events than ever took place this year on January 18th and we are grateful to Katie Owens for her brilliant work with this. We will publish a report in our next issue on some the things that took place this year.

5. 2020 Convention

Jawahar is looking forward to returning to Birmingham in May, so please book your place if you haven’t done so yet!

6. Yogapushpanjali

We are pleased to announce that Zubin Zarthostimanesh will be teaching at this family friendly yoga camp on 28th-31st

August 2020. Please see the poster on the inside back cover of this issue of IYN. 

Secretary - Philippe Harari

Over the years, we have built up a vast resource of policy documents and it has been hard to keep track of everything. Sarah Delfas, our Constitution Officer, has undertaken the enormous task of collating all of these into a single document and, once that is done, we will make sure that relevant documents are available on our website.

Regarding Committee members, we welcome Preeti Sekhon as a new Individual Members' Rep on the EX. We thank Richard Agar Ward for his work as Individual Rep. and have invited nominations to replace him. There are three vacancies on the Communications and PR Committee; members of this Committee are elected from the Executive Council. Lynda Purvis and Larissa McGoldrick have both come to the end of their second 3-year term on the Therapy and the Ethics and Appeals Committees respectively, and the Board will need to appoint replacements. Sarah Delfas has come to the end of her first 3-year term as Constitution Officer, and the Board has agreed to appoint her for a second term of office. Finally, Gerry Chambers has done his 6 years as Chair of Ethics and Appeals, but we could not find anyone prepared to take on this vital role, so the Board has agreed, as an exceptional measure, to appoint him for a further 3 years (our rules state that Committee members can only serve for a maximum of 6 consecutive years. 

Treasurer - Velika Krivokapic

The budget 2020 has been reviewed during the second half of 2019 and is to be approved by the Executive Council at its meeting in February 2020.

The annual accounts for 2019 are currently being prepared and will be presented at the next Executive Council meeting in April 2020 and at the AGM in May 2020.

The Certification Mark fee for 2020/21 is based on US$50. It was updated on 1st November 2019 to reflect the exchange rate that is in place on that date. 

The IY (UK) membership fees for 2020/21 are as follows:

Membership Secretary – Julian Lindars

As I write, we are preparing to launch the membership renewals for the 2020-2021 membership year. There are no significant changes to the renewal process this time, so we are expecting the process to run as smoothly as it always does! If you are a teacher, we will again be asking for details of your First Aid qualification, and will ask about your involvement in your Iyengar Yoga community. This latter question is really designed as a prompt to get you thinking about ways in which you might be able to help promote and nurture the growth of Iyengar Yoga in your local area, and in the country as a whole.

One small change that affects every renewal is that you can now opt to read your copy of this magazine online, rather than receiving a paper copy through the post.

The Membership team are continually reviewing our membership structure and processes, to ensure that they serve our needs and are relevant the environment in which we operate. You may receive a short questionnaire from us in the coming months, particularly if you are an individual member, or if you are the membership secretary of a local Member Group. We would be very grateful if you were able to respond, and help us build up a picture of the concerns and opinions of our members everywhere. Of course, we are always keen to receive feedback, comments and ideas from our members at any time.

The year-end membership numbers below show a modest increase in our numbers – which is encouraging, but we could always do better! Increased membership means increased revenues and people power, both of which allow us to achieve more. I urge you all to think of ways that you can act locally to share the gift of Iyengar Yoga throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland. 

Member Groups

Please contact your local Member Group or Affiliated Centre for details of events and classes. If you have any queries or issues about policies or practices of the IY (UK) please contact your Member Group or Individual Rep. (listed on p.58).

Avon (AIY)

Ginny Owen ginnyowen@hotmail.com

www.avoniyengar.org

Bradford and District (BDIY)

Alan Brown info@bdiyi.org.uk

www.bdiyi.org.uk

Cambridge (CIY)

Sasha Perryman sashaperryman@yahoo.co.uk

www.cambridgeyoga.co.uk

Dorset and Hampshire (DHIY)

Pauline Green admin@dhiy.org www.dhiy.org

Dublin Iyengar Yoga Group (DIY) dubliniyengaryoga@gmail.com www.dubliniyengaryoga.ie

East of Scotland (ESIY)

Gilly Dennis esiyoga@outlook.com

www.esiyi.co.uk

Sussex (IYS)

Brian Ingram iys@iyengaryoga.org.uk

www.iyengaryogasussex.org.uk

iYoga Glasgow

Patrick Boase iyogaglasgow@gmail.com www.iyogaglasgow.co.uk

Kent (KIY)

Ffion Thomas kiyisecretary@gmail.com

Liverpool (LIY)

Judi Soffa info@yoga-studio.co.uk

Midland Counties (MCIY)

Annie Beatty yoga@anniebeatty.com www.mciy.org.uk

Manchester and District (MDIY)

Clare Tunstall info@mdiiy.org.uk

www.manchesteriyengaryoga.org.uk

Munster (MIY) munsteriyengaryoga@gmail.com

www.miyoga.org

North East England (NEEIY)

Gael Henry info@iyengaryoganortheast.com

www.iyengaryoganortheast.com

North East London (NELIY)

Louise Leonard louise@louiseleonard.co.uk www.neliyi.org.uk

Nottinghamshire (NOTIY)

Eleanor Douglas info@notiy.org.uk

www.notiy.org.uk

Oxford and Region (ORIY)

Mary Fitzpatrick maryfitzpatrick10@icloud.com www.oriy.org.uk

Sheffield and District (SADIY)

Lorraine Bonete lorraine.bonete@gmail.com www.yogasheffield.org

South West (SWIY)

Karen Calder karencalder@hotmail.co.uk

www.swiyengaryoga.org.uk

SW London & Surrey (SWLSIY)

Jane Howard swlsiy@gmail.com

www.swlsiy.org.uk

Affiliated Centres

Congleton Iyengar Yoga Centre www.congletonyogacentre.com

Christina Niewola 01260 279565 / 07970186109

Cotswold Iyengar Yoga Centre www.cotswoldiyengar.co.uk

Judi Sweeting & Tig Whattler ciyc@talk21.com

Edinburgh Iyengar Yoga Centre www.yoga-edinburgh.com info@yoga-edinburgh.com 0131 229 6000

Garway Iyengar Yoga Studio www.herefordshireyoga.co.uk

Sheila Green 01981 580081

Hereford Yoga Centre www.herefordyoga.co.uk

Jenny-May While 07773 281883

Iyengar Yoga Studio East Finchley

Patsy Sparksman www.theiyengaryogastudio.co.uk 020 8815 1918

Iyengar Yoga Centre for Essex

Susan Long www.iyce.com 07460 101510

Just Yoga Melanie Palmer www.justyoga.co.uk 07792 567720

Knutsford Iyengar yoga Centre www.knutsfordyoga.co.uk

Margaret Carter 01925 758382

Long Wittenham Yoga Centre

www.longwittenhamyogacentre.com

Evelyn Crosskey 07786 065253

Iyengar Yoga in Maida Vale www.iymv.org

Alan Reynolds 020 7624 3080

Maidstone Yoga Centre www.iyengar-yoga.co.uk

Lin Craddock 01622 685864

Iyengar Yoga Centre of N. Dublin

www.iyoga.ie Roisin O’Shea 00353 1882 8858

Peak Iyengar Yoga Centre

www.peakyoga.org.uk

Sue Lovell 07851 195208

Putney Iyengar Yoga Centre

www.putneyyogacentre.co.uk

Julie Hodges 07974 690 622

Sheffield Yoga Centre

www.sheffieldyogacentre.co.uk

Frances Homewood 07944 169238

YogaSouth www.yogasouth.com

Randall Evans & Cathy Rogers Evans, 01903 762850 / 07774 318105

Iyengar Yoga Studio Tooting www.iyyoga.com

Tehira Taylor & Laura Tuggey enquiries@iyyoga.com

Iyengar Yoga Studio West Bridgford

www.iyogawestbridgford.uk

Isabel Jones Fielding & Geoffrey Fielding 0115 9749975

West Suffolk Iyengar Yoga Centre

www.iyengaryogasuffolk.co.uk

Jane Perryman 01440 786228

IY (UK) Executive Council

Officer / Rep.

Name

Email

Chair Jill Johnson chair@iyengaryoga.org.uk

Deputy Chair Cathy Alison catherinealison1@hotmail.com

Secretary Philippe Harari philippe.harari@runbox.com

Deputy Secretary Charlotte Everitt secretary@iyengaryoga.org.uk

Treasurer Velika Krivokapic velika_krivokapic_4@hotmail.com

Deputy Treasurer Michelle Pendergast abacus94@yahoo.co.uk

Membership Sec. Julian Lindars julian@96belmont.co.uk

Deputy Memb. Sec. VACANCY

Constitution Officer Sarah Delfas sarahandnick@hotmail.com

Chair of AT Jayne Orton jayne@iyengaryoga.uk.com

Chair of Therapy Sheila Haswell therapy@iyengaryoga.org.uk

Chair of EA Gerry Chambers yogagerry@gmail.com

AT Rep. on Board Julie Brown julie.brown61@live.com

AT Rep. on Board Judi Sweeting info@cotswoldiyengar.co.uk

AIY Ginny Owen ginnyowen@hotmail.com

BDIY  Helen White white.helen@btinternet.com

CIY Shaili Shafai shshaili@yahoo.com

DHIY Pauline Green pauline.yoga@outlook.com

DIY Melanie Taylor melaniet4@gmail.com

ESIY Sue Cresswell sue.cresswell@hotmail.com

iYG Yvonne Valerio yvoffpiste@aol.com

IYS Cathy Rogers Evans cathyrogersevans@gmail.com

KIY Sarah Delfas sarahandnick@hotmail.com

LIYI Judi Soffa info@yoga-studio.co.uk

MCIY Annie Beatty yoga@anniebeatty.com

MDIY Charlotte Everitt c_a_everitt@yahoo.co.uk

MDIY VACANCY

MIY Perry Simpson simpsonperry@icloud.com

NEIY Caroline Earl carolinejpearl@yahoo.com

NELIY Sally Lee purpleslee@gmail.com

NIY VACANCY

ORIY VACANCY

SADIY Peter Durkin peterd.sadiy@gmail.com

SWIY Sarah Pethybridge sarahboopethy@hotmail.com

SWLSIY Elaine Morrison elainemorrison.yoga@gmail.com

Individual Rep. Joan Abrams joanabrams@hotmail.com

Individual Rep. Cathy Alison catherinealison1@hotmail.com

Individual Rep. Isabel Jones-Fielding events@iyengaryoga.org.uk

Individual Rep. Preeti Sekhon preetiudas@yahoo.com

Individual Rep. Elaine Spraggett elainebev@me.com

Individual Rep. VACANCY

IY (UK) Committee Members

Board

Cathy Alison, Julie Brown, Gerry Chambers, Sarah Delfas, Charlotte Everitt, Philippe Harari, Jill Johnson, Velika Krivokapic, Julian Lindars, Michelle Pendergast, Judi Sweeting

Archives/Research

Joan Abrams, Randall Evans, Gael Henry, Suzanne Newcombe

Communications & Public Relations

Joan Abrams, Sigute Barniskyte-Kidd , John Cotgreave, Philippe Harari, Jill Johnson, Lucy Joslin, Katie Owens, Judi Soffa, Tehira Taylor

Ethics & Appeals

Gerry Chambers, Maurice Finn, Aisling Guirke, Larissa McGoldrick, Amparo Rodriguez

Finance & Membership

Velika Krivokapic, Julian Lindars, Michelle Pendergast, Katie Owens, Andy Tait, Jess Wallwork, Kate Woodcock

Iyengar Yoga Development Fund

Isabel Jones Fielding, Laura Potts, Elaine Spraggett, Helen White

Therapy Committee

Sheila Haswell, Susan Long, Elaine Martin, Lorraine McConnon, Larissa McGoldrick, Lynda Purvis, Edgar Stringer, Judith van Dop

Assessment & Training:

Management Committee

Kirsten Agar Ward, Margaret Austin, Julie Brown, Sheila Green, Aisling Guirke (Secretary), Debbie

Bartholomew (Deputy Chair), Marion Kilburn, Jayne Orton, Judi Sweeting

Assessments and Timetabling:

Debbie Bartholomew, Penny Chaplin (Senior), Sheila Green (Intro.), Judy Lynn (Junior), Sallie Sullivan

Professional Development Days, MAT and Specialised Training:

Brenda Booth, Eileen Cameron, Lydia Holmes (coopted), Judith Jones (Secretary), Marion Kilburn

Manuals and Assessment Paperwork:

Kirsten Agar Ward, Tricia Booth, Helen Graham, Meg Laing (Secretary), Sasha Perryman, Cathy Rogers-Evans

Test Papers and Syllabus

Richard Agar Ward, Margaret Austin, Tricia James (Secretary), Alicia Lester, Susan Long, Christina Niewola

Moderators

Kirsten Agar Ward, Richard Agar Ward, Margaret

Austin, Brenda Booth, Tricia Booth, Julie Brown, Eileen Cameron, Penny Chaplin, Diane Coats, Helen Graham, Aisling Guirke, Sheila Haswell, Tricia James, Judith Jones, Marion Kilburn, Meg Laing, Susan Long, Christina Niewola, Jayne Orton, Sasha

Note: the Chair of each Committee is in bold

Perryman, Cathy Rogers Evans, Sallie Sullivan, Judi Sweeting

Assessment Passes

Congratulations to all those who gained success in their assessments

Intermediate Junior Level 1 Assessment Passes 2019

Eeva Anker

Louise Belshaw

Julia Bennett

Claire Best

Beata Brooks

Izabela Bysiak

Paula Carrigan

Helena Chiu

Jane Collins

Catherine Coulson

Emma Davis

Tracey Dixon

Emma Field

Sue Forde

Jennifer Garcia

Inbal Gatt

Diana Green

Andrea Haywood

Mary Hearn

Tzvetina Hristova

Kalpana Kapoor

Clare Kealey

Aine Lennon

Kate Lowe

Isabelle Luterbacher

Emma McGurn

Kathryn Murdoch

Intermediate Junior Level 2 Assessment Passes 2019

Ainhoa Acosta

Robert Ashman

Adrienne Bagnall

Gerda Bayliss

Heather Brennan

Sacha Cash

Hannah Cliff

Rebecca Collings

Susan Collins

Sarah Coxon

Janice Dack

Annie Deery

Tanya DevonshireJones

Christian Di Giorgio

Rita Di Tano

Caroline Earl

Louise Eisner

Elise Fleming

Matthew Green

Zoe Hope

Elizabeth Kavanagh

Patricia Kelly

Khaled Kendsi

Wendy Kennan

Carrie Kirsten

Ewa Kubiak

Intermediate Junior Level 3 Assessment Passes 2019

Monica Bejarano

Cortes

Leonore Bunyard

Annemarie Caracciolo

Tanya De Leersnyder

Tara Duffy

Sharon Gleeson

Olwen Golden

Kate Gray

Suzanne Gribble

Claire Hanrahan

Katy Hinchliffe

Aidan Love

Hariklia Lyroni

Kirsten Millington

Intermediate Senior Level 1 Assessment Passes 2019

Ann Brosens

Margaret Cashman

John Ferrabee

Andrew Hall

Saskia Hugers

Isabel Jones Fielding

Karen Long

Rachel Lovegrove

Elaine Martin

Intermediate Senior Level 2 Assessment Passes 2019

Matthew Greenfield

These tables shows the statistics relating to assessments held in the UK in 2019.

Following discussion in RIMYI, the current system of assessments is under review. As soon we hear more from Pune, we will let members know.

Alexandra Klein

Barbara Queirolo

Clare Newton

Margaret O'Grady

Catherine Otway

Anita Phillips

Kishe Redwood

Trina Requena

Sophie Reynolds

Kristyan Robinson

Clare Satha

Bo Lee

Nicky Lowe

Denise Lundberg

Maxine Lunn

Samantha McKeown

Lucy Morris

Fiona Muir

Mirja Nissen

Norah Phipps

Corrina Norton

Fionnuala O'Hare

Noeleen O'Neill

James Pritchard

Meg Scott

Jayesh Mistry

Myka Ransom

Annie Rossi

Jessica Wallwork

Harriet St Leger

Kate Stannard

Caroline Stretch

Nicholas Thomson

Alexa Wright

Emma Wynne

Kirsty Richardson-Reps

Rhonda Roycroft

Therese Ryan

Susan Savage

Susannah Savage

Emma Taylor

Suzie Walker

Louise Wallace

Louise Williams

Ann Traynor

Nicola Vesper

Jane Walker

Sarah Werrell

Melanie Taylor

Advertising in Iyengar Yoga News

You can order a full page advert (170mm wide by 246mm high), a quarter page advert (80mm wide by 118mm high) or a half page advert (170mm wide by 118mm high. Either send the completed artwork (as a ‘press quality’ PDF, a high resolution JPEG or an Adobe InDesign document) OR you can send the images (as high res. JPEGs) and wording and we will make the advert up for you.

Please send all text, photographs or artwork by the next issue deadline of 31st July 2020 to cotgreavej@gmail.com

Advertising rates: quarter page £50; half page £100; full page £180. Small ads 60p per word.

NB. the Editorial Board reserves the right to refuse to accept advertisements or parts of advertisements that are deemed to be at variance with the stated aims of Iyengar Yoga (UK). IY (UK) does not necessarily endorse any products etc. advertised in this magazine.

SMALL ADS

House Sit in rural Suffolk with fully equipped yoga studio for 10 students. In exchange for house sitting and taking care of a well behaved dog. Last week of August and four weeks in September. West Suffolk Iyengar Yoga Centre, www.iyengaryogasuffolk.co.uk, 01440 786228.

Supporting Children and Families through Yoga for 25 years.

PGCE primary 1998

Yoga weekends and holidays for parents and their children.

Beautiful locations with space for children to be free. Art and creative activities for the children while you do Yoga. Yoga for the children. Wonderful food, lots of fun.

Devon Herefordshire Italian Riviera

From £165/adult and child for fully catered residential weekend. From £350/adult and child for fully catered residential week. Camping available at some locations

Also available for Teaching Yoga in primary schools and supporting teachers to teach children.

Go to my website for details Www.anniebeatty.com

Yoga@anniebeatty.com

07743 928 784

Midland Counties Iyengar Yoga

Are delighted to be welcoming back

Bobby Clennell

Noa Marchand

Friday 6th March-Sunday 8th March

Worcester

Bobby will delight us once again with a programme that has something for everyone. £95/£120 for the full event, £75/£95 for weekend, £40/£50 per day

MCIY Members/non-members

Five day Summer Programme

Dates and price to be confirmed

A wonderful fresh young teacher w ho is a student of Christian Pisano and has stayed in Pune for extended periods of study. Her teaching is a delight

This follows a very successful three day summer programme in 2019.

We will continue to develop our programme of workshops with our senior UK teachers, international teachers, Indian teachers and other local teachers. If you live in the Midlands area please join us and support our group. The more members the more events for you.

Your local member group.

Supporting teachers and students in their Yoga journey. Run by volunteers for the benefit of your community.

Go to www.mciy.org.uk info@mciy.org.uk

Chair Annie Beatty 01684 560253 07743 928 784

28th - 31st August 2020

A Family Friendly Yoga Camp

with

Ticket includes:

Full programme of Yoga classes for adults taught by Zubin

Children’s Yoga classes Storytelling and entertainment

Communal art projects A free (non-electric) camping pitch Friendship, fun and opportunity

**A programme of bushcraft and forest activities for children will be available at an additional charge**

Tickets £150 (up to two children may attend free with each adult)

Set in the Ashdown Forest at Michael Hall School, Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5JA