Iyengar Yoga News issue 37

Iyengar Yoga News

AUTUMN 2020

Issue number 37

I Y E N G A R® Y O G A ( U K )

In the light of Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar

www.iyengaryoga.org.uk

Iyengar Yoga News Autumn 2020 - Issue number 37

Editorial

Who could have imagined when we preparing the last issue of IYN for publication that the world would be so different; the National Iyengar Yoga Day events reported on in this issue seem a lifetime away. There are a number of Covid-related articles in this issue, as well as a promotion for our 2021 Convention; we do not know if this will be virtual or live or a combination of the two but, either way, we can look forward to some brilliant teaching from Abhijata and others, and a whole range of additional events. The other issue that has come up since our last magazine is that of the rise of Black Lives Matter movement, creating a new impetus in the fight against racism. The Open Letter from the IY(UK) Board that has already been sent to members is published in this issue.

One account of Guruji’s early days in London states: 'A London hotel once refused to accept him as a guest until Menuhin intervened. Even then Iyengar was told he could not eat in the dining room, and his meals were sent to his room'. There is also the example of the teaching of Iyengar yoga under the auspices of the ILEA in the late 1960s, whose prescribed expectations for such classes were that 'the mystical and spiritual parts of yoga should not be taught under government subsidy'.

This is why we are delighted in this edition to republish a core text from Guruji from 1999, at the heart of his philosophy, in which he places his understanding explicitly within The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The sutras outline that the potential outcome of the physical and spiritual yogic journey is the transcending of mind-led illusions about oneself and the expansive discovery of a self-hood or consciousness beyond this. The journey, as he says, is one in which we discover that "Life is nothing but a reflection of one's own Self".

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Editorial Board: Sigute BarniskyteKidd, John Cotgreave, Philippe Harari, Jill Johnson.

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: 31st December 2020 2

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This magazine is printed on paper that is sourced under a scheme which ensures minimal environmental impact.

Membership and Office Manager Andy Tait 07510 326 997 office@iyengaryoga.org.uk PO Box 51698, London, SE8 9BU PR & Website Manager Katie Owens katie@iyengaryoga.org.uk

Finance & Bookings Administrator Jess Wallwork 07757 463 767 jess@iyengaryoga.org.uk PO Box 3372, Bristol BS6 9PE Assessments Administrator Kate Woodcock 07914 089 360 email kate@iyengaryoga.org.uk PO Box 1217, Bradford, BD1 9XF Cover photo: the main hall of MDIY laid out for socially distanced yoga.

Photo by Sacha Cash

Contents

Features

Guruji's message BKS Iyengar page 4 Urdhva Dhanurāsana Arti H. Mehta page 10 Playing around with Mālāsana Debbie Bartholomew page 18 Covid recovery programme Therapy Committee page 24 Yoga in the time of Covid Jocelyn Page & Cecilia Winter page 25 National Iyengar Yoga Day 2020 compiled by Katie Owens page 28 Drawings of Guruji Jane Keate page 36 Back to life Charlotte Everitt page 38 IY(UK) Conventions Isabel Jones Fielding page 40 Yogis unite for NHS report compiled by Katie Owens page 46 Iyengar yoga teachers for Black Lives Matter Poppy Pickles page 48 Open letter from the Board of IY(UK) page 52 Interview with Gordin Austin Debbie Bartholomew page 54

Member information Recent book releases page 58

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IY(UK) Reports page 60 List of Member Groups and Affiliated Centres page 64 IY(UK) Executive Council and Standing Committees page 66 Certification and Assessments announcement page 68 AUTUMN 2020

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Guruji's message 4

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

The Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute was opened in 1975. In December 1999, to mark the Institute’s Silver Jubilee year, Guruji conducted a special course at a local college in Pune. Hundreds of Iyengar Yoga students from all over the world attended and had the privilege of being taught by Guruji and Prashant. This course coincided with Guruji’s 81st birthday and, on 14th December 1999, Guruji gave a speech, during which he focused on the absolute essence of his yoga practise. We have reproduced this speech below. As editors, we have had to read it several times to fully absorb the depth and understanding of Guruji’s message to us and his advice for us as yoga practitioners. We hope you find his message illuminating too.

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y heart is touched by your respect for me, which I gather from the vibrations of your loud and big applause. Even the sound was divine.

Friends, we are stuck with our limitations and, hence, we have not found the depth of wealth this ocean of yoga has to offer. Like a child who goes close to the sea and tastes the water and says “It is salt, but nothing more”. Scientists say “the wealth of the nation is hidden in the ocean”. Similarly the wealth of yoga is hidden. Students like you have to dip into it, tap and bring the jewel of yoga to the surface. Not only do you taste the flavour of yoga but supply it to others so that they too taste it, not as salt water of the ocean, but the hidden jewel of the mind.

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Prashant has already touched upon the subject of yoga very well. When we go to a temple or church, we ramble. As Prashant said, when you do Trikoņāsana you will be rambling here and there. Tell me honestly, many of us who have gone to a temple or church, have you ever concentrated on the cross or on God more than five or ten seconds at the most? Even in the holiest temples or the holiest churches you visit, are you not tempted to turn your eyes in different directions, lend your ears to somebody talking, or what they are saying? Is not your attention and meditation on God lost, whether it is the temple or in the church?

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Similarly, in yoga, we also lose that attention which is needed to trace the eternal tattva, the eternal truth, which is charged from within and without. In yoga we call this puruṣa tattva, or the ātmā tattva. We often think of all the other things of the objective world or thoughts; but we think of the ātmā [the supreme Soul] only in a flash and we forget about that flash immediately. For this reason of unsteadiness Patanjali gave this art and philosophy of yoga so that ramblings of our mind may come to an end.

When Patanjali speaks about various impediments that come in the way of realising the soul, the puruṣa, the Self, he guides with compassion the ways and means to eradicate them, so that one cultivates strength and vigour to face the Self with courage. Even the highly sensitive intellectuals, with their intellectual intoxication, when they come face to face with the Self, they get frightened. The stability in such intellectuals gradually fades. Patanjali used the word for this state of mind ‘Anavasthi tattva’. With such intellectual development, when instability sets in, the emotional stability too gets disturbed due to the fear of facing the immortal Self. Immediately, the mortal self in the form of ego covers this fear due to the intellectual pride and they appear as stable personalities though they remain unstable and empty within.

According to our understandings, puruṣa is eternal, unchangeable. In the third sutra he says, “tadā draṣtaḥ svarūpe avasthānam.” When these ramblings of the consciousness come to an end, the puruṣa does not come in contact with the vṛttis, and keeps away from these thought waves resting in his abode, in his pure splendour state (avasthā). If this pure avasthā was stable and steady throughout in man, Patanjali would not have used the words “tadā draṣtaḥ svarūpe avasthānam.” This sutra clearly mentions that due to the vṛttis, man is not able to trace the steady state of the Soul and doubts the Soul’s splendour state and is unstable. We do not understand this missing link and hence we are all in a state of anavasthā.

Again Patanjali in the third chapter explains very clearly, combining these three sutras in a different way. “Etenabhūtendriyeṣu dharma lakṣaṇa avasthā pariṇāmāḥ vyākhyātāḥ”. If the rambling of the mind is its dharma and śāsana is lakṣaṇa dharma, this lakṣaṇa

dharma is to bring out the right attitude in the thought waves with a qualitative intelligence.

Prashant explained, in Prāņāyāma, the art of irrigation.

You have to irrigate the thought waves, so that they are quietened. This is known as lakṣaṇa. The quality, which you have to build up in the thought waves, has to be soaked totally in the puruṣa. This is the intelligent art of making the seer abide in his own pristine pure state.

This is actually what we have to attempt to reach: this optimum level of non-oscillation so that no anavasthā comes in between our practices from the start to the end. This being the gamut of yoga, we have taken to our heart and hence we are all practising.

I want to bring you back to the subject of what Prashant spoke about mantra. “Tra” is the technique or the methodology to lessen the load of the consciousness. Prashant spoke about Trikoņāsana with respect to turning the right foot out and left foot in position. If I ask you “Have you ever experienced the waves changing in your right leg and left leg?” I don’t know whether you have studied it or not, but studying it is “Manana” [reflection, meditation]. You don’t study this at all. That is why it is not a mantra for you, whereas for me it is a mantra because I study what the vibration is and the state of vibration. I study what type of wave of energy is in my left leg when I turn my right foot out. What type of energy moves and how it moves in my right leg. I study whether it is active or passive, aggressive or non-aggressive. You can compare yourself when you are doing tomorrow, that when you turn your right leg out, it is unstable whereas your left leg is stable. This is before you go to the pose. That is known as citta vṛtti, which does not get imprinted in your intelligence. It is unstable though you say you have stability. Then, you have to pronounce mantra as heard, in order to get the best effect of the mantra otherwise wrong pronunciation may harm one. The type of force to use in performing the āsana is like uttering the mantra you have heard from Prashant. Similarly, the body has its own sound waves, as the mind has its own range in waves. While doing Trikoņāsana the sound waves of the body have not been grasped by the mind at the time of practice and hence there is no manana or reflection in you at all. Know that without manana, reflection, there is no bhāvanā – felt feelings.

The feeling cannot be exact because you have not understood the meaning of Trikoņāsana and the power of the usage of the waves or the prāņa śakti in your right leg and your left leg.

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Patanjali has spoken so clearly that, as a mirror when it is dusty cannot reflect, similarly the ātmā or the soul, when tainted with vṛttis (thought waves), gets dusty and cannot reveal its true state. Therefore, in order to see that the self is not dusted by the dust of your thought waves, by the dust of your mental ramblings, Patanjali speaks of “yoga anuṣṭhānam”, the stable practice of yoga. Yoga is anuṣṭhānam, which shows the ways and means through proper guidance to recover and rediscover what we have lost in our mundane thoughts. The second sutra of Samādhi pāda says your ramblings of the citta go on moment to moment, second to second. You do not know in what thought wave you were a few seconds before and how your thought wave, without any link, jumps to another thought wave. This is how disturbances in our thought waves continuously take place. In order to control these unlinked thought waves, Patanjali gave the mantra in the very first sutra, “atha yogānuśāsanam” meaning “follow discipline”. In the fourth sutra Patanjali explicitly explains “Tadā draṣtaḥ svarūpe avasthānam” which means the ramblings take place between the consciousness and the Self. These ramblings have a tremendous power on the consciousness making the consciousness as well as the Self be in a state of anavasthā [feeling you no longer have to carry on with practice]. This is what I wanted to bring to your attention: how fickleness continues to taunt to know the Self. Hence he teaches to discipline and restrain the waves of the consciousness through the aphorism “yogaḥ citta vṛtti nirodaḥ”.

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If the prāņa in your left leg is stable, it grips powerfully. In the right leg the vibration is slightly below to the left leg. There is passivity and loose vibration in the right leg, whereas there is stable vibration in the left leg. By this different state of vibration, you study in what way to do to get harmony or symphony, a balance between the waves in the left leg and the adjustment of the waves in the right leg. Then after this adjustment, reflect what adjustment you have to make further. This is lakṣaṇa, or qualitative readjustment. From this you get a thorough co-ordinated understanding between the right leg and the left leg. This is the right avasthā [state] of Trikoņāsana. If your left leg is very powerful you are in a state of hiṁsā (aggression or violence) in that leg. Unknowingly you have introduced hiṁsā in that leg, whereas, unknowingly, on the right leg you are following ahiṁsā (non-aggressiveness or non-attention in the form of nonviolence) because there is no response coming from the right leg. That is why you have to do manana. You have to understand the sound waves and the various movements taking place, in both your right and left leg. By this understanding you try to work out with your discriminative intelligence a methodology, a tantra. Tantra means methodology. So the ‘tra’ stands for that method and the ‘ma’ stands for manana. Hence mantra is reflection and methodology.

Understand that there should be absolutely no difference in the vibration, which is nothing but sound. Nāda is the sound.

In your Trikoņāsana, in the waves – nāda – or the power of sound, which is on the right leg and on the left leg remains identically the same, while in Pārśvakoņāsana the vibration is going to differ. This 8

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way you have to be always alert to observe these rhythmic variations in vibrations. The sound waves in each āsana differ. They are not the same.

As Prashant explained, the waves in Tāḍāsana are like a rock. It cannot revolve. Whereas in Śīrṣāsana, though the structural body is firm, the energy circularly rolls within the body between the thighs, calves and knees. We have to go on observing and learning about the vibration of Tāḍāsana, the vibration of Śīrṣāsana and so on with a fresh new mind.

This way the continuity of the mind, the continuity of the sound waves in your practices, of the āsana being different, is observed. By this observation, you think what type of changes have to take place and what type of adjustments are needed in order to do the right pose, in order to experience the symphony and the melody, as well as the tone of the āsana. This becomes the bhāvanā or correct feelings. That is why I say that the āsanas are my prayers. As Prashant said, the Trikoņāsana mantra has to be repeated. Even in Trikoņāsana, without coming up, you have to study then and there in which way you have to move, which way you should not move, how much you have to work without disturbing other parts of the body. Suppose in Trikoņāsana you turn your head, the vibrations in the legs change. Have you noticed those changes that take place introducing instability so you are in an anavasthā state in that āsana. Whether I look down or up, I should maintain that wave, that prāņa śakti in the body, so that it does not waver at all. That is known as avasthā or stability of body, mind and Soul in that āsana. That is three in one capsule.

Yoga practice needs a tremendous introverted state of mind. You have to be very, very sensitive of the inside body. You have seen the end

of a leaf and the top of a leaf. When there is a gentle breeze the top of the leaf shakes little but not the end of the leaf. It vibrates very fast because that part is not only thin but very sensitive. It is thin and not broad. It is sharp. Your intelligence should be sharp like the thin end of the leaf, which has stuck to the stem of the leaf. If your intelligence is as sensitive as that thin end of the leaf I am sure you will understand the presentation of the asana far better than what you are doing today. The thin end of the leaf is your skin.

Prashant spoke about the ether. Skin has the power of “sankucita vikasita karma”. It can contract or it can expand. But the others think it is the contraction of the muscle. If the skin has no power to contract or expand, the muscle also cannot contract or expand. Medical science only speaks of the muscle contraction and expansion. Nobody thinks that the skin has the power to make the muscle contract or expand.

Otherwise the blood will come out if the skin has not got that elasticity.

The āsana teaches us the sūkșma amount of the element, the ether.

Each and every part of our body has a certain amount of ether, which expands and contracts. For example, when you do Trikoņāsana on the right side, your ether is contracted on the left leg, whereas ether is extended and expanded on the right leg. That is why you can adjust and play with your right leg. You cannot play with your left leg because the earth elements hold you very stable.

That is why the ether element contracts in that leg. But here the earth element is not holding on the right side so expansion and movement take place. The quality of air wobbles in the right leg and so the earth in that leg also wobbles.

The skin gets space to extend and expand. From that extension you have to learn to use the element of

The known is more unknown than the unknown – the Self. It is difficult to know what is possible to know. Or I say, ”we say we know but we do not know”. That is what Patanjali has given to us that you can change, you can transform the physical sheath of man, the physiological sheath of man, the emotional and intellectual sheaf of man and at the end all to become one. And that sheath is the sheath of the Soul. From the bottom skin of the foot to the head, the Soul has to engulf. It is said that the Soul is smaller and subtler than a nuclear atom. Patanjali says it can also be as big or larger than the Himalayas. That is what we can learn from our practices. We can make our Ātmā to become a Mahātmā, the big, the large. Prashant said, you know that today’s meditation is an escape from life. Today’s meditation is not meditation at all. Life itself is meditation. You don’t understand when I use that word. Life is nothing but a reflection of your own Self. You have to reflect moment to moment on each of your physical, mental, intellectual movements. But do we pay attention, or observe all these things? If we observe, then life, like a stream, which is one from the beginning to the end, you learn that meditation is a stream of life from birth to death, a steady flow of energy, maintaining continuity without breaks in between. Meditation is not escapism or a negative force as it taught today. It is a positive force where

you like to study your own behavioural pattern and the zest for worthy growth, the noble growth for your own salvation; that is meditation. It is life free from prejudices and intellectual pride. That is why Patanjali brought meditation as the seventh petal of yoga. It is so difficult for individuals to reach that state as it is very sensitive and subtle – ṛtaṁbharā prajṅā – the matured wisdom has to be earned before thinking of dhyāna.

Today there are more dhyāna yoga schools without matured intelligence and awareness. In the ancient days, dhyāna Yoga was a part of Patanjali’s Aṣṭāṇga Yoga. I am happy that Prashant cleared this up well today. From vikalpa to savikalpa, nirvikalpa, savicāra, nirvicāra, sānanda, nirānanda and sāsmita samādhis, you can go on diving, to reach the subtlest of the subtle state of us, the nirāsmita samādhi.

When you are stretching your right hand in Trikoņāsana, if you forget your left hand the ātmā says I am not here. Your ātmā is only on your right hand.

So the ātmā says bring me here, I want to be there also. That is what Prashant said, from the sternum, like prāņāyāma, right, left, front, back, back and front we have to study, similarly so many things in each āsana have to be studied so that ātmā rests and feels I am here, I am there and I am everywhere. If you practise yoga in this way, I say your gem of life is in your hands.

As your gem of life is in your hands, God is in your hands. With these words I hope you make an attempt from now on, not to see on the physical level but to start from the intellectual and spiritual level. Reverse your mind. Instead of going from the periphery say, let me start from the core. Let me bring the core to use each cell as its bed, so that it can feel that I am here, I am there, I am everywhere. Do this way. God will bless  you!

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ether and how you can work the air and earth on the right leg using the element of fire as an instrument.

Whereas on the left leg that intelligence that is the element of fire, holds on firmly the other elements.

So if you study in this way in each āsana you will be surprised to know that you exist without oscillating your mind in your cells and you can transform each cell into a Self. You are subject and the cells are objects.

Patanjali states in several sūtrās, gṛhitṛ, grahaṇa, grāhya. Subject, object and the one which unites the subject and the object is grahaṇa. When we are doing the āsanas we are treating the body as an object and the mind as an instrument to connect the Self to the object, the body. But when you advance in your practices then you use the grahaṇa śakti, the power of intelligence for the gṛhitṛ, the Self, to engulf the grāhya, the object, the body. In that position there is no object, no subject, no agent to unite the subject and object. Everything appears as subject. That is how the āsanas can be touched, provided your intelligence has reached that mature state of a very subtle practice and sensitive understanding. Patanjali calls this intelligence ṛtaṁbharā prajṅā. I am sure that a day will come for you all to experience as you go on doing with reflective observation and absorption.

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Ūrdhva dhanurāsana Re-printed with kind permission from Yoga Rahasya (2004) Volume 11, Number 2

Light on Yoga is considered as the most exhaustive practical text on yogāsana. However, those who have been learning directly under Guruji would deny this fact. For, Guruji with his exhaustive understanding of ‘living’ human anatomy is able to explain how each muscle, tendon, bone, ligament, organs etc. has to be adjusted in each āsana. This of course requires total integration in practice and cannot be achieved by a fragmented mind. With this extensive knowledge, one could possibly write an entire volume, as exhaustive as Light on Yoga, for each āsana. Arti H. Mehta has been transcribing the teachings of Guruji during his 80th birthday and Silver Jubilee celebrations. Here, we present minute techniques on Urdhva Danurāsana. The reader is advised to refer to Yoga in Action as well as Light on Yoga for the basic techniques.

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Treat each part of your body as if it were a jewel Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar

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The body is the bow, āsana is the arrow, and the target is the soul.

Try to make a perfect bow by the arrow (the āsana) so that it touches the target (the soul)

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In this article, we explain how to achieve this goal in the form of question and answers on how to make the subtle adjustments with the only tool that we have, the body.

How do you come up into the āsana?

C Walk in with our feet. Place the crown of the head on the floor. Come up by circularly rolling the outer corner of the knee in, along with the skin of the elbow rolling in.

C Roll the outer biceps in and the top of the biceps should follow the metacarpals when you lift your body up.

C Synchronise the motion of the forearms, biceps, calf muscles, thighs to come up. Lift the hands and the legs together (not the hands first and then the legs).

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Work the foot and the wrist together

How should you adjust the hands and the legs while going into the pose and in the pose?

C Bend the arms at the elbows. Place the palms on the floor. If the wrist is towards the neck, move the index finger slightly away from the first deltoid capsule and then come up.

C As you come up, the skin of the elbow, the skin of the knee should move towards the middle of the body.

C Walk in if the legs feel lifeless. It means they are too far. If the hands are too far, move the hands back.

C Extend the ligaments of the knee on either side, and lengthen upwards as the ligament of the ankle goes slightly down. Synchronise that action.

C Stretch the ligament of the elbow, you will reach in the centre.

How should the big toe be in the āsana?

C The big toe should be facing the front and should not be turning out.

C Think of it as you go up. This will avoid the knee from turning out.

C Pound the back of the mount of the big toe on the floor for the buttocks to go up.

C The intelligence of the big toe will tell you whether the toe is straight or turning out. If it turns out, then turn it in.

How do you know whether the heel is moving in or moving out and how do you adjust it?

C If you draw a line between the inner side of the heel, the arch and the toe, you will find that the heel is in and the toe is out.

C Lift the heel in the air, circularise (broaden) the arch towards the outer heel and then place the heel on the floor for the heel to roll out and the outer corner of the knee to roll in.

What is the “element of fire” in Ūrdhva dhanurāsana? How can you feel that region?

C The spot between the inner ankle bone and the heel is that region.

C Walk in with your legs. As the body comes up, press the inner edge as well as the outer edge of the heel on the floor and lift the back of the ankle slightly up for you to feel the element of fire filling up that region.

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What should you observe when you do the pose with a rolled blanket placed in between the heels?

C Vertically place a rolled blanket in between your heels.

C After you lift the body, the middle portion (not the top or the bottom) of the region between the ankle and the heels should broaden and touch the blanket.

C Now, without shaking the body, raise the pelvic diaphragm up together from the middle of the thigh and the middle of the upper arm.

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What do you observe in the knees? How do you get the knees to be exactly in the median line?

C You observe that the knees are going out which means that there is no sensation in the inner ankle.

Draw your attention and feel the inner ankle and the knee gets adjusted.

C Lift the head of the bottom of the femur bone up and straighten the inner side of the calf muscles.

C The outer chip of the top knee should be sucked clockwise and the outer chip of the bottom knee should be sucked clockwise.

How should the side of the legs be in the āsana as you go up?

C The inner side and the outer side of the leg should face each other.

C If it does not, then roll the thigh in, without dropping the knees move the energy of the hinge down.

Now go up.

How can you increase the height in the legs in Ūrdhva Danurāsana?

C To feel the lift in the legs, coil the energy in the outer corner of the thighs inwards and the inner calf muscles (not the outer) - this should help the tailbone come up.

C Without disturbing anywhere, move the calf muscles closer to the arm and lengthen the ligaments (4 ligaments) of the leg at the knee either ways: bottom going down, top going up.

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What is the connection between the arms and the legs?

C Learn to stretch from the inner leg (inner knee to inner thigh) just as you stretch the inner forearms.

C If you get the lift in the buttocks but not in the arms then use a block for each of the palms. Rest the base of the palms (wrist side) on the block and then like an arrow shoot from the wrist to your trapezium muscles.

C The lift in the arms gives intelligence in the back of the knees.

What is the relationship between the middle finger and the pelvic girdle?

C Observe and learn from the middle finger. If the middle finger energy is tilted, the pelvic girdle is tilted.

C The moment the middle finger is not straight, you feel lifeless in the outer side of the pelvic region.

Where should the energy of the palms move?

C Press the palms on the floor and move the energy towards the biceps.

C Raise the trunk and place the head on the floor. Adjust the metacarpels if they have turned out.

C Warm up the leg of the biceps intelligently and go up from the leg of the biceps.

C The intelligence is sharp in the forearms but dull in the top of the upper arms (below the armpits). Go straight up from there towards the spine.

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C Lift the head slightly up and extend the bottom biceps towards the deltoids and then look down.

C The brain which is heavy is made to become light for the arms to stretch up. Now you can feel the sharpness of intelligence throughout your arms.

How do you straighten your arms at the elbows?

C Move the elbows in when you place your head on the floor.

C Bring the elbow joints close to the inner elbow.

C Straighten your arms from the elbows by pressing the space between the thumb and the index finger on the floor.

C Take the elbows towards the legs and shoulders towards the arms. Counter challenge the elbow for the shoulder to challenge the elbow.

How do you synchronise the stretching of the arms?

C First stretch from the outer arms. Outer arm – inner leg, inner arm – outer leg. Then synchronise together the inner arm – outer arm, inner leg and outer leg.

C Walk in with your feet if the metacarpals take more weight than the metatarsals.

Make the intelligence to become warm in the spindles of the muscles

What does it mean when the metacarpals near the wrist do not touch the floor?

C It means that the back lateral arm is not extending correctly. Stabilise the metacarpals near the wrist.

C Raise the buttocks slightly and rest the crown of the head on the floor.

C Release the buttock from the tailbone and circularise the pelvic girdle like Mandalāsana to come up.

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How can you rectify the mistakes committed with respect to the palms? How can you get stability in them?

C Do not move the palms once you have placed them on the floor. Only the little finger side of the metacarpals touches the floor (not the inner side). Go towards the thumb for the stability to once in the palms.

C Watch your elbow. Inner elbow is sensitive, alert, the outer elbow is dull. Knowing the sensitivity of the inner arm, bring the sensitivity on the outer arm.

What do you need to synchronise while placing the palms on the floor?

C The skin of the trapezius should move towards the kidneys before you place your palms on the floor.

Placing the palms and moving that skin should synchronise.

How do you sharpen the intelligence that is needed to create space between each lateral intercostal muscle?

C You can use a pencil to sharpen the intelligence. Rest the middle of the base of the palm on a pencil.

The more you press the pencil the intelligence is sharpened creating space for the side chest to lift up.

How do you make the energy of the arms and legs meet?

C Walk in with your legs to broaden the plate of the heel. Now, press the energy of the plate of the heel and the mounts of the sole down and bring the energy from the arch towards the pelvic girdle.

C Similarly, bring the energy from the middle of the palm to reach the pelvic girdle.

Where should the above energy meet?

C Just as you bring the energy from the physical body towards the heart and from the brain towards the heart, similarly the energy of the arms and the energy of the legs should meet at the seat of the heart.

How should the skin at the back be while going into the pose?

C The skin from the lower waist moves towards the middle of the heart and the skin from the top moves towards the middle of the heart.

C The skin of the back should be in the air (not pressing to the floor) when you take your palms down on the floor.

What is meant by intensifying the sharpness of the skin at the back?

C Use the limbs of the body – the arms and the legs – to close the pores of the skin at the back of the torso. The mind should be closing it (not lifting up).

C You get a coiling action at the back when you suck the skin of the back deep into the body. Coil in further to go up.

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How should you touch the heart?

C Touch the heart from the back. Feel the spiritual heart from the back of the heel and from the back of the wrist.

How can you improve your Urdhva Danurāsana?

C Raise the head. Compress the skin at the back for it to move circularly towards the heart, then with the back skin lift up.

C If the weight is felt more on the wrist than the ankle then move the feet closer to you.

C Ascend the ligament of the top elbow and descend the ligament of the bottom elbow. Walk in if you cannot get the action on the ligament.

C Press the middle of the heel on the floor and push the energy up. The āsana becomes far better.

C When in the pose, lift the inner side of the bottom buttocks to the maximum height. Resist the kneecap to the knee and from the head of the back of the ligament, go straight up.

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How do you come down rhythmically from the āsana?

C Press the heels, flex the knees, move the bent knees backwards to come down.

C Lift the middle buttock higher and higher. The outer corner of the knee ascending for the rest of the body to go down.

C Ascend the area between the inner ankle and the heel. Do not allow it to compress or shrink while coming down. Then the rhythm is maintained while coming down.

At what point does the real āsana begin in your practice?

C First one has to learn where the intelligence in the body is flowing and where it is not flowing.

C Let the intelligence reach that area where it is not flowing and when it reaches, the efforts (it is on the physical side) come to an end. Normally we keep on using and reusing the muscles and the mind cannot take it anymore.

C Once you reach that state, the effort of the mind, the effort of the intelligence, the effort of the body comes to an end and from that point the real āsana begins in your practices.

The big toe mound is the gripper. Give a single stretch for the energy of the arms and the energy of the legs to reach exactly on the naval band.

When would the pose be accurate?

C The pose would be accurate when the abdomen becomes flat like a plateau.

C Normally the inner bottom edge of the buttock is up and the outer edge is down.

C Lift that point (where it drops) straight up and the hinges down. Then you will get the accuracy in the āsana.

What is intellectual Ūrdhva dhanurāsana and what is physical Ūrdhva dhanurāsana?

C You can watch the height of the waist (centre) and the side from the naval.

C If the side waist is lower, it means the inner legs are longer than the outer legs. Without disturbing the inner leg, stretch from the outer back of the knee towards the outer pelvic girdle. Move the flesh to feel the skin. The side waist comes up. This is known as intellectual Ūrdhva dhanurāsana. The imbalance in the height of the waist was physical Ūrdhva dhanurāsana.

How can you achieve rhythm in your breathing in the āsana?

C Lengthen the hinge to the ground and from the head of the hinge stretch your body up (head of the hinge doing Tadāsana). Bottom calf muscles doing Tadāsana. Let the two arms move like a single arm.

Outer elbow going closer towards each other. The stability comes in the āsana.

What is the real learning in yogic way?

C Bring the soma to the level of the intelligence which raises in the body. Shoulder blades move in and follow the intelligence. That is the real learning in yogic way.

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There should be no harshness in your breath

Playing around with Mālāsana

A few of us decided to descend on Manchester and District Iyengar Yoga and have a little play with Mālāsana (the garland pose). There are lots of things to work on with this āsana. Stiff ankles, problem knees, stiff hips, sore backs and shoulders etc.

The beauty of Iyengar yoga is that the Iyengar family innovate, experiment, practice and observe us students and then invent many different ways of doing the pose so as to teach us the right action. Then it is up to us to play around and find out which way helps us the most!

We have Light on Yoga, our bible. Plate numbers 317, 318, 319, 320 ,321 and 322 show BKS Iyengar demonstrating the various stages of Mālāsana.

We have Geetaji’s book YOGA: a Gem for Women, Plate numbers 45, 46 and 47 (although I wouldn’t agree that Plate 47 is the ‘easy stage’ - well not for me anyway)!

There are also other publications that give us alternative ways of attempting this pose as well as our own experience. So we decided one Friday afternoon last August to have a play. Here are the results!

Mālāsana I is where the heels are down, the head is on the floor close to the feet and the arms are entwined around the body and ‘hang from the neck like a garland.'

The description of how to practice Mālāsana I is given in Light on Yoga in nine stages: 1. Squat on the haunches with the feet together. The soles and the heels should rest completely on the floor. Raise the seat from the floor and balance. (Plate 317) 2. Now widen the knees and move the trunk forward.

3. Exhale, wrap the arms around the bent legs and rest the palms on the floor. (Plate 318) 4. Take the hands one by one behind the back and clasp the fingers. (Plates 319 and 320) 5. Then stretch the back and neck up.

6. Remain in this position for 30 to 60 seconds breathing normally.

7. Now exhale, bend forward and rest the head on the floor. (Plate 321) 8. Inhale, raise the head from the floor and return to position 5.

9. Release the hands and rest on the floor.

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Stage 1. Squat on the haunches with the feet together. The soles and the heels should rest completely on the floor. Raise the seat from the floor and balance. LOY (Plate 317), GFW (Plate 45).

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Where it is difficult for the heels to go down we can place something underneath them. The first image is more like Geetaji’s (Plate 45) in YOGA: a Gem for Women. The second image is where the hands are lower as shown in LOY (Plate 317). You can see in the second image that the direction of the pose is downward.

We must try if we can to take our heels to the floor. Here are some ways to help take the heels to the floor.

The wall bars help us to keep our heels down:

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Similarly we can use ropes, hold a window sill or kitchen worktop, or use the wall to support the buttocks:

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Light on Yoga (Plate 318) shows Guruji starting to move forwards, his instructions are: Stage 2. Now widen the knees and move the trunk forward.

Stage 3. Exhale, wrap the arms around the bent legs and rest the palms on the floor.

A blanket under the heels helps with stability.

Stage 4. Take the hands one by one behind the back and clasp the fingers. (Plates 319 and 320 LOY).

Stage 5. Stretch the back and the neck up.

Stage 6. Remain in this position for 30 to 60 seconds breathing normally.

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Geetaji demonstrates a side view in YOGA: a Gem for Women (Plate 47).

The belt helps if it is difficult to clasp the hands.

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Stage 7. Now exhale, bend forward and rest the head on the floor LOY (Plate 321). Stay in this position for 30 to 60 seconds with normal breathing.

Also included (Plate 46) from YOGA: a gem for women, ‘easy stage’.

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There are lots of ways to experiment and encourage the heels and head to go down and entwine the hands around the body. Here are some suggestions:

Stage 8. Inhale, raise the head from the floor and return to position 5.

Stage 9. Release the hands and rest on the floor.

Effects: The āsana tones the abdominal organs and relieves backaches.

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M훮l훮sana II

This is the second technique given in LOY. The instructions are given in six stages: 1. Squat on the haunches with the feet together. The soles and heels should rest completely on the floor.

Raise the seat from the floor and balance. (Plate 317 LOY) 2. Widen the thighs and knees and move the trunk forward until the armpits extend beyond the knees.

3. Bend forward and catch the back part of the ankles.

4. After gripping the ankles, exhale and move the head down to the toes and rest the forehead on them. (Plate 322 LOY).

5. Maintain the pose for about a minute breathing normally.

6. Inhale, raise the head, release the ankle grip and relax on the floor.

Stage 1. LOY (Plate 317) & YOGA: a Gem for Women (Plate 45), see M훮l훮sana I on the previous page.

Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5.

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Shown below with the buttocks supported at the wall, or using a bolster.

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Mālāsana for beginners, problems and for fun!

Here are some methods to help with problems and just to try to help stiff joints. These ideas are by no means exhaustive, just things we could think of on the day. The beauty of Iyengar Yoga is that we experiment and find different ways of attempting the pose in order to find the right action.

Using a chair is useful if the student is unable to go down to the floor.

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Using the chair with the knees over the backrest or the rolled blanket in the abdomen soothes the back.

The blanket helps to ground the heels if the ankles are stiff and the blanket behind the knees helps with knee problems and also helps to spread the hamstrings.

Article written by Debbie Bartholomew; practice session organised by Debbie and Tricia Booth Thanks to all our teachers who have gone before us, we are forever grateful for your help.

Thanks also to our models Nicky Wright, Clare Tunstall, Jo Smith and Julie Howarth. 

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Covid-19 Recovery: A Suggested Yoga Programme “Covid-19 brings in its wake physical suffering, emotional turmoil, fear and loss - what can we do about this?” This was the question that led Sheila Haswell, Chair of the IY(UK) Therapy Committee, to conceive of the idea for a yoga programme designed to support recovery from Covid-19.

The programme was first shared online in May as part of ‘Yogis Unite for NHS’, an event organised by Uday Bhosale and his wife Sonali to raise money for the NHS Charities Together.

Sheila says: “When Uday contacted me with his idea for running a weekend of yoga classes online to raise money for the NHS, I was right behind him. My niece of only 23 years, not long out of her studies, was already working as a nurse in the ICU unit of a big hospital, with so much responsibility and yet also uncertainty about her own safety.

I certainly wanted to help with the project.

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Uday organised a meeting with teachers and allocated time slots for our teaching on a Saturday later in May. I woke the next morning and thought "but what can we do for those people who have contracted the virus and are now struggling to regain their health - surely our yoga can help

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them". I called Uday and he agreed to carry the charity event over to the Sunday morning, where I could lead the Therapy Committee in presenting a programme for recovering from the Covid-19 virus.

Our aim in this yoga programme is to play some role in aiding the process of recovery. By only requiring the use of mostly basic props and furniture, we have tried to make the poses as accessible as possible for everyone.”

The video recording was shared again at the IY(UK) Virtual Convention, and has now been made publicly available on the IY(UK) website and YouTube channel. An e-book has also been produced and this is available to download for free on the IY(UK) website: https://iyengaryoga.org.uk/ covid-19-a-suggested-recoveryprogramme/

Thanks to all those who made it possible to create this invaluable resource: Abhijata Iyengar, Lois Steinberg, Gulnaaz Dashti, Stephanie Quirk, the IY(UK) Therapy Committee (Sheila Haswell, Elaine Martin, Lorraine McConnon, Larissa McGoldrick, Lynda Purvis, Edgar Stringer, Judith Van Dop), IY(UK) teachers who have experienced the virus themselves, Adrienne Bagnall who designed the e-book, and decades of work

by BKS Iyengar and Dr Geeta S. Iyengar in medical classes at RIMYI in Pune.

Please consider making a donation towards this and future Iyengar yoga therapy resources. https://iyengaryoga.org.uk/ donations-for-yoga-therapyresources/

Excerpts from Yoga Diaries in the Time of Covid Cecilia Winter qualified as an Iyengar yoga teacher in 2006 and completed the Junior Intermediate certification level in 2013. www.ceciliawinteryoga.co.uk Early April, Cecilia As soon as lockdown was announced I had requests from my students to teach online.

There are so many classes on the internet already, was my reply. A few days into lockdown and having attended some of Uday Bhosale’s inspiring classes I can’t understand why I had hesitated. We all need it. Having made up my mind, it was still with trepidation that I taught that first session. Chanting Aum, my voice echoed due to the lack of physical bodies in the room. My feelings were a mixture of apprehension and excitement. How to manage all the participants: mute or unmute? They might have a mat and blankets, but I suspected that many wouldn’t have a full

set of props. I sent photos with instructions on how to make a bolster with towels and use books or other household items for bricks and belts. I Zoom with my friend and student Jocelyn ahead of the first session. Can you hear me? Can you see me? The test session made us forget that we were in different locations.

Mid-April, Jocelyn We are now all somewhat fluent in the ways of Zoom. Initially reluctant to lead my life through a screen any more than I already do, I considered increasing my home practice, or going back to running. Coping with the stress and sorrow of this situation didn’t seem manageable alone, however. I joined Cecilia’s class and have been attending twice a week. The Aums at the start make me feel emotional: with the rest of the class muted, all I can hear is Cecilia’s voice and my own. I know there are over 30 other people there, in their kitchens, bedrooms, hallways, but I just hear myself singing a note to match Cecilia, a smaller voice through the speaker. The chant marks the beginning of a 90-minute period within which

I can attend to myself; a time to acknowledge and shed feelings of anxiety and helplessness. When I open my eyes, I see the ropes hanging from Cecilia’s studio wall.

In boxes along the side, a mosaic of colourful shirts, leggings, blankets.

May, Cecilia Zoom has become the new normal. In the class I attended this morning it was mentioned that the opposite of anxiety is acceptance. I think I’ve got my head around accepting this situation on more than one level now. With a bit of imagination, it almost feels like teaching a regular class. Some of my students haven’t got the best camera angles, but if their space is restricted it is not always possible. Feedback has been positive with requests for ongoing online classes after the lockdown is over.

My home studio fits a maximum of 14 but I currently have around 30 for each class. Keeping an eye on so many little squares simultaneously is a challenge, as is remembering to modify poses for old and new injuries. Wrists seem to be the problem of the AUTUMN 2020

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Jocelyn Page is an American writer living in London. She began taking Iyengar Yoga classes in 2001, shortly after moving to the UK. www.jocelyn-page.com

month with more cycling and gardening than usual.

attentive in class when the lockdown is finally eased.

I choose the positioning of the students depending on what aspect of a pose I want to emphasise. In Vīrabhadrāsana II for example, I might ask students to face the camera to see if their trunk remains in the centre of the pose. The next time, I might do it side-on so that I can observe the knee and hip alignment once the front leg is bent. It helps me to scan the student pictures more quickly if they all face in the same direction.

We will get information from the prime minister tonight about changes. I can’t see my normal classes resuming any time soon.

I am happy to continue with what I am doing for now; maybe I will keep one online class in the future.

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I’ve decided not to teach inversions. Although most of my students do Sarvāngāsana and/or Śīrṣāsana under normal circumstances, I don’t feel that I can keep an eye on a class of 30 and keep them all safe. Balancing poses are also a bit tricky but can be overcome by being near a wall or a chair. Students report better focus and concentration. I think that yoga students from the COVID-19 era will be particularly

Jocelyn

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May, Jocelyn The ceremony of the Zoom yoga gathering seems more rooted in a common goal than commiseration. I live with my partner and teens who are home with me all the time. I hold two part-time academic jobs that have come to feel like full-time posts. The global crisis weighs on me, too; I find myself needing to communicate more with family in the USA in order to convince myself that we will all get through. All of this screen time leaves me feeling oddly disembodied, with less concentration, more anxiety, an inability to envision the future without pessimism.

I attended Raya Uma Datta’s double-weekend workshop and experienced the mega-Zoom: some 300 students from around the world. When Raya’s video was pinned, I sat mesmerised by the sounds of the dogs and young children, birds and car horns coming to me from India.

I have attended workshops and conventions before, but this was different; there was a level of anonymity, appearing the size of a mere postage stamp among so many others. Raya’s teaching was precious to me on a practical level, but also in terms of his

philosophy. In the final session, Raya addressed the ‘ironic method of communication’ of Zoom, which is limited and promotes ‘peace and quiet using so many words’. He said he felt humbled that so many people let him into their homes, which describes the essence of the Zoom yoga reality so well; such intimacy and humanity, yet such distance.

As a writer, I was interested in what Raya called ‘the poetry’ of ‘the finite as infinite’. Perhaps we are in a better space now to understand the ‘indescribable’, the sensation, the epiphany without words, what Raya called the ‘single aroma’ that comes from yoga’s constituent parts. I store this away for later, sure that this can all be applied to life in general.

June, Cecilia Online yoga carries on. The numbers are still good, but a few have returned to work. One of the messages that has come across from senior teachers in workshops, and especially strongly from Abhijata, is maintaining a practice with 100% awareness and 80% physical effort; I found this helpful, both for myself and my students. One of my beginners said that it made her feel more comfortable with her own practice. We’ve had the virtual convention, where Navaz guided us through prāņāyāma, reminding us that the breath is the bridge between the body and the mind.

Jocelyn asked me if I think the relative anonymity or remoteness of the situation has added

anything to my teaching. I got stuck on the word anonymity.

I’m in all the participants’ homes and some of them can probably see me in great detail, especially if they have connected their device to their television screen.

I can’t hide. There is a feeling of remoteness at the end of class until students unmute, one after another, and the conversation flows again. Abhijata encouraged us to communicate in all aspects of life to avoid misunderstandings and I’m so thankful to her for conveying these words of wisdom.

I’ve heard that some countries are beginning to open studios again. I don’t think we are ready for that here yet. My studio is small, and I will have to reduce the number of students to maintain social distancing. How do I deal with the equipment?

Disinfecting everything after each session will take up a lot of time.

Is the solution to use almost no props? Best not to waste energy worrying about it prematurely.

The home set-up is challenging as summer sets in; hot days are overwhelming in this sunny space; books and other reminders of my work distract, forcing my mind toward deadlines and stresses regarding job security. But I also find joy in the solitude of practice in my home. The virus and lockdown have prompted me to re-evaluate my priorities. Life feels more precious now.

Cecilia asks if I miss the handson adjustments. Online teachers might not manage the same level of scrutiny, but I feel seen.

With webinar classes, I often forget that the teacher can’t see me, such is the uncanny intimacy of Zoom. I am somehow more involved with my own practice; I go deeper within myself when I am the only one in the room. I am encouraged to use furniture in my home. In

Ardha chandrāsana last week with Abhijata, we experimented with props to allow ‘the brain to be a third party and give a verdict without bias’. I used the rail at the top of my staircase as a reference for my foot. I found myself able to open in the pose, to lift the top arm, to press my top heel out/back, and to really breathe. Partly as a result of the heightened emotional stakes of these times, I am recontextualising and reframing everything in my life, my yoga practice included.

Life after the summer is hugely uncertain. Will I have a job? Will I be able to travel to see family in the USA? I don’t know if studios will reopen, but I can see myself staying on Zoom to keep safe at home.

Post-script, mid-July Cecilia: I will have a break away from my studio this month to visit family and I feel optimistic that my students now have established a home-practice.

Jocelyn: Today we met to edit this text, in person! We finalised our writing over tea, talked about our families, our summer plans, including yoga.  Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Cecilia

June, Jocelyn Cecilia asks me what I miss, but I think more about what I have gained: I have done inspiring classes with Abhijata, Navaz, Raya and Uday, and I feel lucky to have been able to participate in these from the comfort of home. These workshops felt like food after fasting, not because my regular classes didn’t sate me, but because in these times, we are looking for answers, for comfort in broad and different thinking in a world turned upside-down.

Now that England is opening up, I find myself in a more tumultuous state than ever, trying to balance caution with courage, common sense with excitement. Yoga has helped me manage this transition.

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National Iyengar Yoga Day

The fifth National Iyengar Yoga Day took place on Saturday 18 January and was our biggest yet. More than 85 free taster classes, demonstrations, film screenings and other events were organised around the UK and Ireland, bringing the Iyengar yoga community together and welcoming hundreds of people new to Iyengar yoga. And of course, much tea and cake was enjoyed!

Lucy Aldridge, Penzance I taught two classes, each one just over an hour. I had 15 in the first class and 19 in the second, half of which were completely new students and the other half made up of practitioners seizing the opportunity of a free session.

There is something joyous about doing what you love without monetary consideration. It was a real treat! I have the joy of BKS Iyengar’s book Arogya Yoga and used that as my starting point for the session - 'The importance of sitting still. One of the students said “Who’d have thought there could be so much effort in sitting with just crossed legs!” I am already looking forward to next year.

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Jayne Baillie, Galgorm, County Antrim I had 19 people attend the free class on Saturday

18th January. Since then, I’ve had five people come to my beginners’ classes and several others have made enquiries about classes. I feel it was a very successful day, and definitely highlighted Iyengar yoga in my local area.

Cath Barnes-Holt, West London I taught a class for people new to Iyengar yoga (some had done other styles of yoga before). It was really well-attended considering the unusually glorious sunny day! Everyone was very keen to learn and genuinely interested in the background and development

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of Iyengar yoga. They worked thoughtfully and enthusiastically, practising a mixture of standing and seated poses and left with a real stillness and sense of calm after a lovely long Śavāsana.

Monica Bejarano Cortes, Sheffield 18 people attended the free taster class at Zagyoga Iyengar yoga studio near Sheffield city centre.

Claire Best, Cowdray Hall I held an hour's class at Cowdray Hall, followed by tea and cake. I think the social aspect after the class made the event more inviting! Saying that, I had a bad attendance! I had 12 people email to say they would like to come, then the day before a few people pulled out, so I was expecting about six people. I had three people.

Better than none I guess but it has put me off holding an event again. The positive side is that two of them are returning for future classes.

In class, as the students were not complete beginners, I focused on the qualities of extension and relaxation; entering and being in a posture. Similar qualities connected with pose and repose within a posture. (experiencing the outer and inner body). I also spoke about the grounding of the base of an āsana and from that base, how the rest of the body may extend upwards and outwards. I showed them LOY and Light on Life and explained a brief outline on the content of BKS Iyengar’s books.

The class was open to anyone so there was quite a wide range of experience in it. One person was sampling Iyengar yoga while training to be a Forrest yoga teacher. It was nice to have four men in the class. Several people had done yoga before but Tanya De Leersnyder mostly not Iyengar and many not for a few years.

After the class some stayed for a cup of tea, snacks and chat and the feedback about the class was positive. One person commented that it was helpful to get so much instruction for each āsana. Others said they felt great after the class.

Gilly Dennis from ESIY and her husband James Carter set up the projector and some of the class stayed for a screening of BKS Iyengar: Uniting Through Yoga. We were also joined by ESIY members and it was a nice gathering.

Evelyn Crosskey, Long Wittenham Yoga Centre The Long Wittenham Yoga Centre held an ‘open house’ for National Iyengar Yoga Day 2020 so the new and the curious could come and see where classes have been taking place in the village over the last five years. Current students brought friends and ‘other halves’.

One reluctant attendee was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't "navel-gazing and lying down"...

Edinburgh He has already paid for his place at this week's class so we shall see! As usual there were lots of children who visited, so there were lots of giggles and energy resounding off the walls. Many students brought younger siblings to see where they will be coming once they reach six years old. It was so lovely

to see the older ones show the little ones the yoga equipment with such care and respect. Luckily there were plenty of Vīrabhadrāsana 1- shaped cookies to take home. A great day.

Nikki Curran, Malahide, County Dublin I held two free taster evening classes for all of my current students and anyone who wanted to come and try out a class. The first class had nine students, two who were new to my class and one who had never tried Iyengar yoga before.

The second class had seven students, five who were new to my class and three who had never tried Iyengar yoga before.

The classes were an hour long each and consisted of beginnersi asanas to cater for the levels of current and new students. All said that they enjoyed the classes and 5 new students have said they will be back to start classes. Overall a successful evening introducing Iyengar yoga to some new students.

Vashti Davis, Lavenham, Suffolk I ran free classes (for both new and existing students) on 13 and 16 January. I had four new students on the Monday and five on the Thursday, of those five have continued with regular classes.

Tanya De Leersnyder, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire I ran a one-hour class followed by tea and coffee and cake for people to ask questions and look at some of the books I brought along. I had 13 people attending and of those, six have already appeared in one of my regular classes. It was a very positive experience!

Gilly Dennis – teachers Jane Walker, Anne Kilgour; Lucy Brownhall, Edinburgh Our National Iyengar Yoga Day event was promoted on Eventbrite. Twenty students who had never attended a yoga class, or were new to Iyengar Yoga, attended the event held at our Iyengar Yoga Centre, which is a community benefit society, owned and run by Iyengar yoga students, in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh. Jane Walker AUTUMN 2020

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Lucy Brownhall, Edinburgh We ran a free taster class here at Yoga Now in Edinburgh in the afternoon. We had 19 people in the class, three of which were existing students who had brought a friend, which seems to be a good way to introduce people to Iyengar yoga. I let people do this at the end of term, if they have extra class credits left. They bring a friend with them and a few of my regulars started this way.

taught a one hour class, with Anne Kilgour supporting and helping students with some small adjustments, the aim of the class being to give students an idea of the Iyengar approach to teaching yoga, and to promote Iyengar yoga as suitable for everyone regardless of age, gender or flexibility. Many students stayed to ask questions and discuss which classes might be suitable for them to attend, either at the centre in Bruntsfield or at Yoga Now or Yoga Stable, the two other yoga centres in the city. We hope we will see some of the students coming to classes in the future.

There was also a Taster session at YogaNow which was attended by 19 people new to yoga or Iyengar, taught by Lucy Brownhall and much enjoyed by everyone. There was a screening of BKS Iyengar, Uniting Through Yoga afterwards attended by 20 people, which everyone found inspirational.

Cleo Edwards, Yogawest, Bristol Yogawest in Bristol (The Bristol Iyengar Yoga Centre) hosted a free Newcomers' class taught by Cleo Edwards.

Twelve people attended the afternoon class; Cleo talked to them about Iyengar Yoga, reassured a few anxious newcomers, and taught them a few basics in the onehour class. Tea was served at the end with a chance for the guests to ask questions and sign up for a NIYDoffer foundation course; all credit to Cleo as five people signed up for it on the day!

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Many thanks to Michele, a Yogawest regular who came to be in the class and chat to the newcomers on the day.

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Claire Ferry, Belfast As always, not everyone who books a free class turns up, but we did a follow up email to everyone regardless.

Our rooms are quite small, so these numbers were fine for us. The beginners’ class in the morning had ten attendees; the mixed ability class after that had nine attendees.

Some comments from the day: • 'We're completely sold, we want to come back for more Iyengar yoga' - two friends coming together, normally attend vinyasa class but find it too fast • "I normally can't focus in a yoga class, but this one was different and my mind went quiet" - young man who had some other yoga styles elsewhere Shirley Foreman, Whitby As a newly qualified Iyengar Yoga Teacher last year, I offered a free one-hour session on NIYD and four ladies attended. All enjoyed the session and it has resulted in arranging a new class starting on 6 February early evening as the morning session I already teach is not convenient for them. I have since had another two people interested. It is a small village I live in, and I would like to introduce more people to Iyengar Yoga.

Sharon Gleeson, Stillorgan Our event in Stillorgan Yoga was ‘Bring a friend for free’. There were 10 at one class and 12 at the second.

We only had three friends but they all signed up for future classes.

Suzanne Gribble, West London On Friday 17 January I taught a free 90 minute class Sharon Gleeson at On Route, a mental health and well being centre in South Ealing, West London. Eleven joined of all levels and abilities and gave a voluntary donation which raised over seventy pounds for the Bellur Trust. Prior to the class I gave detailed background on the life of Mr Iyengar and Geeta including the development of props, with regular reminders during the class and their role in making the poses accessible to all. Afterwards we enjoyed refreshments in the On Route cafe.

Alison Hahlo and Sallie Sullivan, Lewes, East Sussex On a bright and promising Saturday afternoon 18 January, Lewes-based teachers Sallie Sullivan and Ali Hahlo led an afternoon of free yoga events to mark National Iyengar Yoga Day. We were generously hosted

by Soulfit Yoga studio in Lewes who opened their doors nearly two years ago. Soulfit is a beautiful airy, light, peaceful studio with two lovely class spaces and a busy programme of classes of different yoga styles, with pilates, dance and personal training also on offer. Ali teaches a weekly Iyengar class there and has always received warm support by the owners Fiona and Gyles Abbott, and by a loyal body of students.

who have even undertaken to tell all their students about other Iyengar classes in Lewes taught by Sallie and Ali in other venues! A big-spirited gesture which Guruji would have appreciated, I’m sure.

Di Harris and Sarah Orchard, Leamington Spa We had a fabulous Free Session held at the Town Hall Leamington Spa. 30 students, both newbies and more experienced practitioners, turned up and in fact we had to move into a larger room to accommodate everyone.

Sarah Orchard and myself (Di Harris) taught an hourlong class, then did a Q&A session at the end with many enquires for classes. Luckily we had brought along a schedule of local teachers.

Angela Hulm, West Wickham (Kent) Eight people attended, most were returners: one after ten years, two were completely new to Iyengar yoga.

A young psychologist who looked to have done a fair bit of yoga but had no control, so she was very taken with the detail and precision of Iyengar yoga and will be seeking a teacher closer to her.

The day was generally felt to have been tremendously enjoyable and worthwhile. A big thank you to Soulfit,

Rachel Johnson, Newcastle I ran a class for an hour on the Saturday specifically for beginners at my normal venue, The Studio in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. Many of the ladies that come to my other classes signed up their husbands and I had a room full of nervous, very inflexible men! I had some great feedback - many emailed me afterwards to say they felt fantastic and asked if I can run a beginners' class so they can all come back - which I'm going to do.

Una Kilroy, Dublin I’m quite pleased with the way it went. I had good attendance in the classes and all in all it was a great day.

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We were all very gratified when the free class offered to new students, unfamiliar with Iyengar yoga, was booked out with a sizeable waiting list! The 45 minute class went very well with 20 students attending, all very attentive and with many follow-up enquiries resulting.

We were further delighted when another 30 students, mostly more experienced, turned up to hear Sallie talk for 15 minutes on yoga philosophy in relation to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras in another studio. This was then followed, in the main studio, by a screening of Leap of Faith the wonderful biographical film about BKS Iyengar’s life, from poverty, disease and disadvantage to global recognition and renown. The room was full and everyone sat attentively through the 75 minute showing, absorbed in the extraordinary story of a remarkable individual. Throughout the afternoon the resident cafe in the studio was open serving delicious smoothies and vegan snacks. Ali and Sallie took in lots of display materials - photos, Guruji’s quotes, plenty of books and Iyengar yoga flyers as well as DVD’s of Guruji, Krishnamacharya and other student groups giving asana demonstrations - which were marvelled over by many of those attending.

Trish James, Boldon Colliery, Tyne & Wear We had 21 turn up there was plenty of fun and laughter.

The feedback was excellent and all enjoyed their hour taster of Iyengar yoga. The students left walking taller and all were smiling.

Jenny King, North Wales

Some had tried different styles of yoga, but still seemed to be searching. They appreciated the attention to detail and how I guided them safely through each asana. Those with medical conditions felt they had been included and given the confidence to begin exercising again.

One of my regular ladies brought both her daughter and granddaughter. The younger of the three was totally uninhibited, as she explored different ways to stretch.

To see three generations attending the same class and enjoying the freedom of yoga, to me was a gift!

Our National Iyengar Yoga Day in North Wales went very well, there were about 45 attendees, 20 people took part in the free taster session and really enjoyed it, several put their names down to attend local classes. My students performed a wonderful, flowing demo. It was a warm friendly atmosphere with fantastic homemade cakes and coffee provided by students. Overall a calm, supportive morning linking students, newbies and other teachers together.

Libby Lee, Sally Hogsflesh, Semra O’Reilly - Studland We had 36 attendees at our event in Studland Village Hall run by me, Sally Hogsflesh and helped by Semra O'Reilly.

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A lovely Saturday morning in Studland Village in Dorset.

People came from far and wide. Across the ferry from Poole and from Hampshire and Bath. Three organisers: trainee teacher Semra O'Reilly, and teachers Libby Lee and Sally Hogsflesh. Libby started the class with standing poses and explained about the Iyengar method. Sally took over half way and did Sirsasana, forward extensions twists and supine poses. We gave thanks to our teachers and offered refreshments, some homemade cake by Sally included. It was a lovely gathering and many stayed at the end to ask questions.

One person commented. 'I wondered why you were wearing those funny shorts. Then I realised it was so that I could see your legs! Very important. People left taking information leaflets and there was a real buzz. We got a sense of gratitude for sharing what we love.

Alicia Lester, Northumberland I taught two free taster sessions at Bardon Mill Village Hall Northumberland. In total 33 students attended, including four children. The majority stayed for both classes and gave both written and verbal feedback, thankfully all positive.

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Jo Lovell, Gerda Bayliss, Kate Woodcock, BDIY (Keighley, West Yorkshire) The BDIY held a family yoga day with 20 adults and 8 children. We had a great morning with Kate Woodcock and myself teaching the adults and Gerda Bayliss teaching the kids class. Many of the adults stayed for tea and cake afterwards. We felt it was successful at bringing the local Iyengar community together.

Manchester & District Iyengar Yoga It was great to open our doors on Saturday 18th and bring together a diverse group of people using all three studios with everyone experiencing Iyengar yoga.

Sarah Barber led a packed beginners class of 29 people through a simple sequence displaying a variety of postures from standings to twists to seated and relaxation. She led the class with confidence and humour and certainly built up the thirst to follow

The teachers’ workshop was held upstairs, with Marion Kilburn leading and encouraging existing teachers to have a go at postures from the Intermediate Junior syllabus and to look at different methods to explore the actions of the postures.

Following a rest and a cuppa, Joan Abrams led a group of 18 through a restorative practice, explaining the use of props, the benefits of the postures and allowing time for the students to just be in them. It was great to see a couple of our volunteers taking a much-needed rest and joining in this class whilst a couple more teachers assisted students with their props.

Plenty of tea and cake were consumed, it wouldn't be a community get-together without cake now would it!

Frances McKee, Glasgow Although we wanted to make this happen on the 18th January, I was not in Glasgow that weekend, so we had a joint celebration on Saturday 11th January. It was my studio’s third birthday (TheYogaExtension.com) and what better way to celebrate?

I am truly grateful to all the teachers who helped with my initial idea. We are always trying out new ways to encourage people to start Iyengar yoga but the real problem often isn’t recruiting but maintaining loyal students. To that end I wanted to say a thank you to the regular students who attend classes. Without their dedication and consistent attendance there simply would not be a studio for them to come to.

Arm balance, (Adho mukha vrksāsana) is often a challenge for students. I asked Emma, Valerie, Andrew, Neil, Sarah and Gillian to teach other poses that have helped them master this one. From their short sequence a class was developed. We moved from

the ‘Known’ to the Unknown’, from ‘Fear to Courage’ making arm balance seem more achievable.

We had a great day, vegan cakes were supplied by Shen’s Vegan Bakery so there was an opportunity to socialise afterwards. This was a lovely way to build on the yoga community that is thriving in Glasgow.

Elisabeth Moreton, Birmingham A free taster session of Iyengar Yoga was held at Midlands Arts Centre, led by Elisabeth Moreton. All 20 places sold out prior to the event, though on the day only 5 attendees joined, possibly due to the fact the session took place on Saturday morning and potentially those with small children were unable to join.

Lisa Morris, Bushey First ever workshop for NIYD: A huge success in Bushey, on the outskirts of NW London. There were 40 attendees, many of whom were brand new to Iyengar yoga! The sun shone and Aums reverberated beautifully around the stunning, spiritual hall.

Twelve complete beginners came along to try a one hour class for 'unconfident students and complete beginners', with newly qualified teacher, Manju Dave.

Then, following a short break and chat, five yoga students of varying levels and styles tried a two-hour workshop with Lisa Morris, Junior Intermediate level 3. We studied ‘How Iyengar yoga is unique and special’ and learned and practised some of the basic actions.

Students were shown how they might be assisted to overcome problems that many people have. Perhaps correct action, alignment, understanding, experienced adjustment and regular practise could help? We looked at stiff shoulders, sore knees, standing strong whilst aligning, opening and lifting the chest, adding in a touch of foot placement all combining to work towards improved health, amongst other topics.

We feel truly honoured and thankful for the wonderful generosity of the members of the SRMD London Spiritual Centre, Bushey, for the donation of their hall. We have been enjoying a wonderful, respectful relationship with the community in their brand new London base, which can only grow and be enriched over time. Their open-hearted kindness is a gift to us and their closeness to Iyengar yoga teachers in India such as Devki Desai is important to them as it is to us. We look forward to continuing Iyengar classes in Bushey both in AUTUMN 2020

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the class with a cup of tea. In Reed studio we had a packed out kids class, we could hear them! Sacha Cash who regularly teaches our children’s class had quite a few extras that had been brought by parents and grandparents alike, it is great to hear such energy on a Saturday morning and to see so many little fingers help themselves to mini fairy cakes afterwards.

this beautiful centre and beyond, may they grow and flourish.

Christina Niewola, Congleton On Saturday 18th January 2020 as part of the UK National Iyengar Yoga Day, Congleton Iyengar Yoga Centre opened its doors to the local community, offering a Family yoga session and an Adult yoga class.

Three generations of one family, amongst others participated together; jumping, rolling, stretching and extending to be mountains, trees, boats and dogs amongst other things! This lively class was taught by Christine Andrew. Then Louise Wallace taught to a packed house as new and more experienced students enjoyed a beginners’ class of standing poses. Julie Pieczarka and Mark Castle assisted the students with props and support. What was nice to hear as people were leaving was how much they had enjoyed the open events.

sequence of Surya Namaskarasana, completed seven times. Vṛkṣāsana was the most popular asana (as it often is with younger students). The class concludes with quietening asanas such as Supta baddha koņāsana and a few minutes in Śavāsana.

I hope that those who came to the class will join the Yoga Society and benefit from all that Iyengar yoga has to offer.

Norah Phipps, Northumberland Two classes were held on Saturday 18 January in rural Northumberland. The taster session had nine attendees with eight of them new to Iyengar Yoga. Seven of them are joining a class.

The second class was for current students with a great turn out and more challenging poses. Roll on next year!

Edward Pond, Bungay, Suffolk

Ginny Owen and Frances Brooke, Bristol University Students’ Union

We ran a free class at Bristol University Students' Union.

With the early start of 10am, on a Saturday and during assessments week, I was pleased that a dozen students came to the class.

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There is a thriving and well-run Yoga Society at Bristol University. Two classes are held each week during term times, one taught by me and the other by Frances Brooke.

Some of the regulars were there to greet newcomers and help them to find equipment. I had placed a large photo of Guruji on a table and briefly explained who he was, what it had meant to me to be taught by him and how beneficial Iyengar yoga had been throughout my adult life.

After the usual quiet start, the class ran at a good, dynamic pace with standing āsanas and a simplified 34

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I had a total of 17 students come along to a onehour free taster session in our local village hall, 16 new people and 1 regular. It was a mix of older, stiffer students and younger flexible people; with the exception of my regulars, none of the students had heard of Iyengar yoga before. A few of the younger people professed to be YouTube yogis. The verbal feedback was very positive. My lovely wife kindly made cakes for me, we had the icing printed with edible ink by an online baker.

Clare Preston, King’s Heath, Birmingham I organized an event where I teach in Kings Heath, I promoted it and my regular classes through my existing students, a Royal Mail door drop leaflet and a Facebook event on my business page. I had 24 people on the day and everyone really enjoyed it – especially the ones who fell asleep in Savasana – so I guess I worked them hard enough!

Zoe Reason, Naomi Maggs, Bristol We held our event at Arnos Vale Cemetery in South Bristol, on a beautifully crisp and sunny morning.

people came, and although some were brought by existing students about 20 people were wholly new to us.

Naomi Maggs and I taught a 90-minute class. There was a great energy in the room. I think we all had fun.

We ran the trailer from Mrinal’s film and stayed for questions after the class. I’ve had some Cathy Tincknell very positive feedback since the event and several people have contacted me to see if they can join my classes.

Fiona Sarjeant, Fiona Garner & Donna Youngson, Yoga Inverness In Inverness we held a free beginners’ class with 43 people attending and a led practice for more experienced students with 35 attending. For the second class we used the 100-pose sequence. In between the two sessions we showed a couple of short films – the excellent sequence demonstrated at Yoganusasanam in December plus, as Garth McLean was due to visit Inverness to teach in June, a short film from his website about his journey with MS. We also fed the participants some delicious cakes. For organising the day, we used Eventbrite, with mixed results. Feedback from the day was really positive.

led playfully through a simple sequence linking the poses they had learned, which challenged their memory and agility. They enjoyed the class and reflected on the sense of calm and focus that they felt at the end of the session."

Cathy Tincknell, London I had 10 attendees at my home studio. Most were students I already knew but we did have one new starter. We covered a variety of poses for all levels and then had tea and cake whilst watching some short films about the history of Iyengar yoga.

Sarah Toward, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire I taught a two-hour workshop with all proceeds going to Save the Children's Crisis in Syria Appeal - we've raised £700 so far!

Charlotte Rosser, Derby I taught two free taster classes at different venues in the Derby area on NIYD 2020. 22 students attended on the day, following which seven immediately asked about booking into one or other of my existing beginners’ classes, which is a great start to the year, and I had some good feedback from new students.

Wendy Sykes, Gene Wilcox, Alison Preston - The Iyengar Yoga Studio, East Finchley The Iyengar Yoga Studio, East Finchley held two free classes to mark National Iyengar Yoga Day: an all-comers' class (six people) and a class for people aged 13-18 (four people). Though modestly attended, both classes went well and the students seemed to enjoy themselves.

Three immediately signed up for classes. Alison Preston taught the class for young people and reported back: "The students were experiencing yoga for the first time and they were excited, nervous and curious. After a quick tour of the studio, they set themselves up with a mat, were given a brief introduction to Iyengar yoga and some basic rules of practice, and were ready to go.

During the class they learned the Sanskrit names for some key asanas, the basic shape and alignment of the postures and some of their benefits. They worked on improving their poses through repetition and were then

Elaine Spraggett, Coventry Coventry once again celebrated NIYD with a free onehour class, attended by 22 students, a mix of ages, and of regular students and newbies, the oldest 80+ years old. This was followed by a session for experienced students, an interactive format - an introduction to yoga philosophy and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. 13 of the regular students stayed for that. It’s the second year there’s been a specific philosophy element; it’s gratifying to see how enthusiastically it’s received. And how many of those who came last year were back for more!

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Susanne Sturton, East Clare Yoga Centre Seven people attend a beginners' taster class; another seven attended a celebration intermediate class.

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Bhujaṅgāsana 1

Mālāsana 1

Jane Keate has been studying Iyengar yoga in Cambridge for 5 yea B.K.S. Iyengar in his book Light on Yoga. Instagram@keate_ 36

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Bharadvājāsana 1

Pārśva Sarvāngāsana

Pārśvottānāsana

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Pāśāsana

ars. Here is a selection of her drawings, inspired by photographs of _jane and @cambridgeiyengar / email: jrkeate@gmail.com AUTUMN 2020

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Back To Life?

At the time of writing, gyms in England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have been allowed to reopen, with those in Wales reopening imminently (in Scotland they will remain closed somewhat longer). This means for some of us, thoughts have turned to getting back to face-to-face teaching.

Charlotte Everitt examines what that means in practice.

Clearly, most of us were completely taken aback by the lockdown; very few knew anything about teaching yoga online. A lot of teachers very quickly took steps to explore and find out more and provided support to others to do the same. IY(UK) discovered that our website has a class search function based on physical location – making it impossible to list online classes. We addressed this by publishing a list of teachers willing to take on new students online, and are currently working on updating the website to allow teachers to add their own online classes and events for students to search.

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There are mixed feelings about online classes – some love them, some hate them; many see them as a mixed blessing. Concerns include students’ safety without a teacher there to correct and adjust, especially if they have an injury or medical condition; students practising in a space that is too small for the activity; teachers not being able to see the student clearly; and the extent to which online teaching is just more tiring than face-toface. Teaching beginners is particularly difficult online; while helping more experienced students to progress in more challenging poses can feel unsafe.

A number of teachers have commented that it’s been their older students who have embraced it more enthusiastically; the ability to access classes with teachers across the world has been a highlight for many; and for those with other responsibilities such as childcare, being able to join a class from home has made it much easier to continue their yoga.

It is very clear that while some teachers and students are both able and willing to return to faceto-face teaching, there will be restrictions around doing so. Even if not actually shielding, a fairly high number of people are still wary about returning to face-to-face environments; and the risk remains of further spikes or another lockdown. A number of teachers have said they are in no rush to return to face-to-face classes, with students asking for online 38

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classes to continue. Further to this, the need to limit class sizes to ensure that social distancing can take place means that some teachers will not be able to afford to return to teaching face-to-face – a class of three or four may not pay the rent. So it seems likely that online classes will be a significant feature of our yoga for some time yet.

Currently, subject to the specific conditions of our insurance (which can be read on the Members’ Dashboard of our website) all Iyengar yoga teachers insured with our provider Wellbeing are insured to: C Teach a class face-to-face, provided we follow the relevant government guidance (and for teachers certificated at Level 2, to teach 1:1) C Teach an interactive class online, to existing students; and to new students who we have had a consultation with before class C Provide non-interactive classes (e.g. prerecorded videos or written sequences) for use by our existing students only (an additional premium must be paid if these are made available to any new students) A number of teachers and studios have told us they plan to offer “blended” classes, with a small number of students in the room and others online; from an insurance point of view, this is classed as a non-interactive class, so teachers will only be insured to teach these "blended" classes either solely to students they know already, or if they have paid the additional premium for this enhanced level of cover.

We anticipate that insurance will continue to cover us for online teaching into future years, under the same conditions; but cannot guarantee that this will be the case. We will continue to work with the insurers to get the most appropriate cover, for the lowest price we can.

Returning To The Classroom

their verbal adjustment skills.

Many, if not most, yoga classes take place in a building shared with other users. It is likely that the building’s manager will put measures in place – which may include limiting the number of people in a room, one-way systems, additional cleaning by users – or they may ask you to inform them what measures you will take before they allow you to resume.

Whether or not to wear a mask is a complicated question, and the decision will be up to the teacher and/or their students. While masks help prevent airspray coming into contact with other people, it can be difficult or even dangerous to carry out strenuous physical activity while wearing them; and it can be difficult to speak (necessary for teaching!) while wearing one. At time of writing, indoor group singing and chanting is not allowed – so the invocation may be said silently, but not chanted as a group.

While many students have invested in equipment to be able to continue their yoga practise at home, not all have. Ideally, students would bring their own mat and props to class. Some teachers may have enough equipment to lend to students who don’t have their own; others may need to clean and/or “quarantine” equipment between classes. It may be frustrating to teach with minimal equipment, but this may be the best approach for the next few months.

A number of teachers have asked whether they may adjust students. IY(UK) strongly recommends that you do not do so, even if you are wearing a mask. You may also feel that you cannot move around the room, as students may be uncomfortable having you close to them; you can always ask them to turn around and face the back or the side of the room to allow you to see all-around. A number of teachers have expressed concerns about the quality of teaching in a class without hands-on adjustments; others have welcomed the opportunity to enhance and polish

The insurers will not be able to give us personalised advice; we will all need to consider what the guidance means to us, in our own circumstances.

Similarly, while IY(UK) has provided general guidance, all teachers will need to consider what this means in their own circumstances; every class will be different and will need a different approach. Teaching in your own studio will be different to teaching in a gym, and different again to a community centre or church hall. Size of room, student demographics, regional government guidance – these will all be factors that you need to consider in deciding how to reinstate face-to-face classes.  The full guidance from IY(UK), along with more information on teaching online (including insurance) and cashless payments, can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/y2tr8gr3 If you haven’t taken part in the recent survey on these topics, you can still do so here: https://tinyurl.com/y5mjjoqt We have also set up an email network to connect teachers who wish to discuss these issues, ask questions and help others; if you would like to join, please visit our website and complete the form: https://tinyurl.com/y3qgxwgj

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As well as fewer students in classes, you may need to allow more time between classes, so that two classes don’t crossover and the room can be cleaned between classes. You may be able to control what happens in the room itself – but may need to consider how students will move around the rest of the building, access toilets, and interact with other users.

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with Navaz Kamdin, Edwin Bryant and UK Senior Teachers

20-21 June 2020

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2020 has not been the year we expected it to be. This article should have been a reflection on Jawahar Bangera’s teaching in Birmingham.

However, with the massive impact of Covid-19 on our way of life and specifically on live events, Jawahar was very sadly unable to come to us.

With the subsequent lockdown, and the difficult prospect of no convention in 2020, our small organising team soon began looking into what a virtual convention would consist of; gathering interest from prospective teachers, and members to take an ambitious route bringing together 24 hours of live teaching over 2 days, and 6 days of recorded materials in one place through a bespoke interactive online platform.

On the weekend of 20-21 June 2020, IY(UK)’s first virtual convention took place and a world first for Iyengar Yoga.

The online convention was guided by Senior Teacher at RIMYI Navaz Kamdin, one of BKS Iyengar’s most experienced students, and Edwin Bryant, (British Indologist, professor of religions of India and author of the seminal text The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali), as well as UK Senior Teachers Judi Sweeting and Tig Whattler, Sheila Haswell and `IY(UK)’s Therapy Committee’, Julie Brown and Jayne Orton, as well as Uday Bhosale who acted as demonstrator for Navaz. The teaching team brought us a very special online weekend enjoyed by 650 students, taking us into the journey of yoga to illuminate its true purpose.

“The breath is a divine gift from the cosmos, we accept it with gratefulness for the gift of life” Navaz Kamdin

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Here’s an overview of what took place: C 650 people, participating from 26 countries C Website analytics showed: 16,369 sessions and 95,485 Page Views C 24 hours of live teaching: Philosophy, Āsana, Prāņāyāma, Therapeutic Practice, C Q & A’s C 5 more days of online access to all the teaching on film accessed on the Convention website C 28 international marketplace stallholders C 297 2020 Āsanas photographs C Community page and forums C Reading materials sent to us by Edwin Bryant C Special film showings A small number of the wonderful 2020 Āsanas photographs are featured in this article, showing the home environments, landscapes and even pets that supported our practice during this unique moment of lockdown. All photographic submissions will be available to view on our website. We will also be developing this project further in 2021, as part of our widening access programme.

191 attendees responded to the follow up evaluation. Here is just a small sample of the feedback comments we received, there were many more detailing general thanks and constructive criticism. Thanks to everyone for their feedback, which we have reviewed and are taking on board in our future plans.

“Just to say thank you for overcoming physical barriers to us getting together. Much appreciated as I am sheltering and not going out at all. And thank you for a wonderful weekend!”

“The teachers were knowledgeable, sensitive, personable - it gave me the opportunity to access their teachings which I could not have done, had this not been virtual. I thought Isabel held everything together wonderfully.

The whole weekend has left me inspired, uplifted and I feel so privileged to have been part of this Iyengar family. If we could have a regular session with Navaz or Edwin, it would be of great value.”

“Not really constructive (!) but I want to say how much I appreciated the efforts of everyone involved. The concept was ambitious and imaginative, maximising the benefits of the medium and so made a positive of the situation rather offering a simple substitute for the physical Convention. The teaching was fabulous, all of it, great and generous teachers and the organisation was brilliant. The weekend as a whole constituted an impressive, rounded experience of Iyengar Yoga. I felt privileged and moved to be, if only as a participant, some part of it. PS. just haven’t visited the Marketplace yet and also looking forward to revisiting sessions over the next few days another big plus!”

“Thank you to everybody involved in making the convention happen in such difficult times it was incredibly professional printed and extremely uplifting event.”

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“Please keep online as an option for future events.”

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“I think it is important to stick to the timetable (which you did). I was fine but maybe others have commitments that mean they would miss parts they wanted to do. So maybe just make sure all your contributors are aware of the timings and the deadlines they have.

Thank you so much for organising this - it was fabulous to feel part of the community, and to have contributors from all over the world was amazing. Of course, if I had to choose, I would prefer ‘live’ but maybe there is a place for both? It’s certainly more economical and environmentally friendly than flying Navaz and Edwin over here.”

“I love the energy of conventions when everybody is in the same room. But being at home and still practising with people from all over was also great. It felt good to be in touch, although we can´t be physically close these days. And practising in my little yoga-room in the quiet, really helped me go inside. Thank you!!!!”

“I was most grateful to be able to access the programme at home live and afterwards, as I could have all my bits and bobs of equipment, walls, chairs, etc to support my practice. As a disabled person, I often feel rushed into things or left behind, it can feel dispiriting as the body 42

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is struggling, but not my mind; all the years of yoga experience are there, so...online I could work at my own pace. I loved Judy and Tig’s class, they understood this totally, just brilliant!.

Navaz too, I think as a disabled woman herself, she has empathy, and each time she said to us ‘my friends’ it was as though she reached me personally, and the virtual void was dissolved. I’d love more of this to keep me going if poss…. and thank you!”

“For me this was a wonderful opportunity to experience the convention. I cannot usually afford to attend with the cost of accommodation and travel added to the fee for the convention. I know it is not the same as being in the teachers presence but I still felt connected to the teachers in a quite intimate way and the concentration is in some way deepened as there are no distractions when you are at home. It’s almost like having your own personal class. I am really grateful to all involved in making the convention accessible to us in these unusual times and especially thankful from myself for the opportunity to take part.

I would definitely be interested in attending more online events if they happen in the future.

Thank you to Navaz, all the teachers and those behind the scenes for a brilliant convention.”

The Q&A sessions with Navaz and Edwin were a highlight, illuminating the principles of ‘equality’ in the sacred texts, and fundamental to Guruji’s work.

Edwin wrote in response to Laura Potts on patriarchy and women (posted in full on the website forum), and some additional comments to us on what yoga has to offer our present moment.

“I think we all agree patriarchal structures underpinning sexism need further highlighting and deconstruction, along with the colonial ones still underpinning racism. Such ‘-isms’ stem from avidya in yoga philosophy, ignorance of the true innermost self - the atman - that is the same in all embodied beings.”

Taking this discussion into the realm of yoga - since this is a yoga conference - the contribution yoga makes to all this is pointing us to the fundamental equality of all human consciousness by giving us the methods to experience the atman/purusa/seer - pure consciousness - which unites all beings in their innermost core as absolutely equal.

And, as an aside, one shouldn’t just say ‘human

consciousness’ but that of all living beings - yoga urges us to see the pain and suffering we are inflicting on non-human embodied beings, and also into the living environment of Nature too. This doesn’t mean to say we ignore the discriminations occurring at the outer material layers of sex and race and ethnic culture as manifest in the body and mind and societal sheaths, but yoga gives us lenses to experience the ultimate equality of all beings - the lens to perceive (not just theorise) the other as identical to oneself spiritually - and this realisation lends itself very naturally to equalmindedness, compassion, fairness, love and empathy on these other layers (consider the descriptions in the Gita of the sattvic person in e.g. or 5.18; or, better, 16.1-3, compared to the tamasic one in the following verses).

It is this knowledge that the great sages and seers of ancient India, as well as our modern teachers such as Guruji Iyengar, have set out to disseminate by perpetuating the various moksa traditions handed down through the centuries in India. In short, it is this that makes yoga distinctive from other types of activities, and it is this that yoga has to contribute to and combine with, all the other necessary activisms our present moment is calling us to undertake.”

Edwin Bryant

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2020 Asanas

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Iyengar Yoga (UK) Hybrid/Virtual Convention 30th April – 2nd May 2021 with Abhijata Iyengar We are honoured to welcome our leader Abhijata Iyengar, as our headline teacher for 2021. Abhijata is the granddaughter of BKS Iyengar, and co-director with Prashant Iyengar, of our mother institute RIMYI in Pune, India.

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

As none of us can be certain about what live events will be possible next year and it is too early to rule out a face-to-face convention, we have started to design a 2021 Virtual Convention, as well as open up the possibility of a Hybrid Convention where both ‘Virtual’ and ‘Live’ teaching at Birmingham ICC can sit side by side. This could enable live face-to-face teaching for students in the hall, while tapping into the marvellous technical facilities at ICC to run a live online event simultaneously. As we did in 2020, we also intend to leave classes, teaching materials and resources up online so that all can access them for a few days after the event.

Each and every student will take their own unique path into yoga, and we would like to design a convention that could respond more flexibly to this. Thus we will build upon technical lessons learnt, programme content, and feedback, to create the frame for a body of live classes, designed for diverse students, beginners and advanced alike, and a programme of other online resources including films, talks, recorded classes, community

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activities and forums focussing on people at different stages of their journey into Iyengar yoga.

In tandem, we want to generate new conduits of access, to find the ways and means to offer a more extensive and inclusive programme: e.g. the ability to offer parallel sessions, where students could attend a smaller part of the entire event.

This would involve developing the convention website further, and even create an app to enable us to offer a live and recorded programme easily accessible in one place.

2021 Convention Highlights C Lead Teacher Abhijata Iyengar C 3 Day Live Face–to-Face Event at ICC (Pending further Government Guidance) C 4 Day Live Virtual event, and 7 Day Online Archive Films post live event C Live and on film teaching from UK and international teachers C Bespoke website, and interactive online platform C Developments of the community aspect; chat rooms, maybe an app C Community Access Programme / Convention Fringe Events C Iyengar Yoga Development Fund (IYDF) partnership to support diversity and inclusion C Diverse level programme of classes for beginners and advanced students

“Don’t be exclusive, be inclusive…. Not only in Āsana but every walk of life” BKS Iyengar

of building the programme, so please get in touch if you have ideas on what it might look like. Lived experience of exclusion, will be an important resource in making the imaginative leap required, as well as personal / community / work connections that create the right environment to embrace people who have not been included before, or may have different experiences and needs.

Save the date: Friday 30th April – Monday May 3rd 2021

To help us achieve this, we would like to cocreate a Community Access Programme / Convention Fringe, to take Iyengar Yoga out there in particular to people in areas of deprivation, working in partnership with IYDF, Iyengar Yoga teachers and Inner City Communities. We also like to follow up on the work started at our UK 100 years convention in Harrogate with disabled members of our community, and continue to be guided by Navaz in this work. We are still in the very early stages

Puja Preparations IY(UK) Convention - Pictured: Suman Suri Article written by IY(UK) event producer Isabel Jones Fielding a senior Iyengar teacher based in Nottingham, and IY(UK) Convention event manager Catherine Gresty. Virtual 2020 website: design & engineering: IY(UK) and Citrus Suite, photographer: Geoffrey Fielding.

2020 Asanas Photographs featured left to right: Vanita Mistry, Isabel Jones Fielding, Raúl Calderón, Jackie Wilkinson, Deborah Cadby, Dave Dayes, Lisa Bartlett, Tina Freeland, Jo Marshal & son Teddy, Tanya De Leersnyder, Noelle, Riggott, Uday Bhosale, Karen Sherpa, Annie Beatty, Emily Malen, Gavin Tilstone, Kate Lowe, Geoffrey Fielding, Jess Wallwork, Derek Grant, Vanessa McNaught

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Since the shock of Covid-19 hit our world, online education/conferencing has been developing at a pace, and we want to grasp some of the new opportunities available now through the online medium to support Iyengar Yoga (UK) as a positive force for inclusivity.

There have been huge changes this year: to our lives, our system and our teaching. A key influence is the Black Lives Matter movement and the need for us to embed anti-racism and justice across all our work. While acute environmental issues, in tandem with the devastating effects of Covid-19, have brought inequality at home and across the world into sharp relief. Acknowledging that as yoga practitioners there is much work to be done in realising BKS Iyengar’s vision of a ‘yoga for everyone’, we would like Convention 2021 to be a focal point to make a difference.

Watch out for more information on when, what and how to book. When this information goes live, we will be offering existing 2020 ticket holders who transferred their booking to 2021 Abhijata Iyengar the chance to take an online convention place if they would prefer it or, if the live event is possible, to be first on the list to attend as live participants. We will be in contact with all these details soon.

Yogis unite for NHS

Over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend on 23 and 24 May, a special event was organised by IY(UK) teacher Uday Bhosale and his wife Sonali, to raise money for NHS Charities Together.

Six classes were held over two days:

On the Sunday Sheila Haswell and the Therapy committee presented ‘Suggestions for COVID 19 Recovery Practice’, attended by 773 people. A booklet has since been created by the Therapy Committee, and a recording of the video is available – you’ll find these on the IY(UK) website.

There were more than 4,400 bookings for the classes, which were attended by 2,100 participants.

The event was offered free of charge, with donations encouraged for NHS Charities Together.

C The Experience of the Present Moment - Jayne Orton C Atha Yogānuśāsanam - Abhijata Iyengar

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C Open the heart and stabilise the mind - Kirsten Agar Ward C Keeping evenness and balance in our lives Julie Brown C Props for the breath (not only the body) Richard Agar Ward C A moment of calm in restorative poses - Sheila Haswell

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The charity supports the health and emotional wellbeing of those at the frontline of the NHS, so they can deliver the best care possible to coronavirus patients. The money raised will help cover above and beyond what the NHS alone can provide, such as wellbeing packs, accommodation, travel, parking and volunteer expenses. It also supports the longer term mental and rehabilitation of NHS staff, volunteers, patients and carers after the pandemic is over.

Uday said: “Overall feedback has been fascinating!

Participants were happy and grateful to have such a wonderful opportunity. To experience these brilliant teachers online from their homes was exciting for them. Each and every class was well received! Support from the members of the association and teachers was amazing.”

It was wonderful to see donations pouring in, during and after the event. By the end of July the total raised was over £40,000 (including Gift Aid).

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Iyengar Yoga Teachers for Black Lives Matter

by Poppy Pickles

How It All Started

At the end of May this year, the world was saddened and sickened by the murder of George Floyd, which was filmed by a passer-by. Protests spread from the U.S. around the world. But this is not a problem confined to the States. Systemic racism, police brutality and social injustice are all problems here in the UK too.

On Sunday 7th June Priscila Diniz sent out a message on our ‘Cover for Iyengar classes’ WhatsApp group.

She stated that she wanted to organise a fundraising event for Black Lives Matter UK. She said that she wanted to use ‘the only weapon she had’ – i.e. yoga – to help this very important cause ‘for Love, Peace and Justice.’ The beginnings of a plan were starting to take shape.

The numbers steadily started to rise, until we had fifteen yoga teachers all wanting to take part in the event. We were a mix of ethnicities and races. We were united by our love of yoga and our desire to make a positive step for change.

Priscila had a plan sketched out, with two workshops so that twelve teachers could teach a 20-minute slot, and a time of two and a half hours for each workshop. We also had three teachers who were on stand-by in case of technical/connection glitches. She also suggested that we use a sequence that Geeta Iyengar had put together for the International Yoga Day in 2015, which would give each teacher five or six poses to teach in their 20-minute slot.

Priscilla Diniz

The Logistics

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As with any large event with many people involved, there were lots of exchanges in order to get a time and day pencilled in for a Zoom meeting to firm up these ideas, but eventually it was decided.

The challenges were how to cater for a large number of students on Zoom, the platform that many of us are now very familiar with, but hadn’t heard of before the middle of March this year!

Rosana Fiore stepped up to cover the technological issues, by using her website as a platform and hosting the workshops on her Zoom account by upgrading it to a Business account.

Rosana Fiore

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The other issue that took a while to resolve was where to donate the

money raised by the event. Black Lives Matter UK is not a charity but a campaigning group, which doesn’t have a JustGiving page. After much discussion, we chose The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. This charity has been working tirelessly to support disadvantaged young BAME people for over twenty years.

They are also a local charity, being based in Deptford. Plus they work to educate people about racism, which is what we felt we wanted to focus on.

Dave Dayes

Craig Blake

We agreed that Dave Dayes and Craig Blake would give a short talk at the beginning of the events to welcome attendees and to give some context for the workshop, and that Mala Seecoomar, a friend of Dave’s and an experienced campaigner, would give a talk to round off the event.

Odara, Priscila’s daughter, and the one who came up with the idea in the first place, put together a brilliantly eye-catching poster for the event, which went viral on social media.

We reached out to Iyengar yoga groups in the UK and, on the whole, received overwhelming support.

A Setback The responses we had were hugely encouraging, but we were disappointed that the IY(UK) committee did not feel it was in a position to support our event. We were not allowed to use the Iyengar Yoga Certification Mark as it was an event organised by many teachers, which did not make sense to us. They also declined to send an email supporting our event to all members.

As a group, we also felt that the statement on diversity and inclusivity published by IY(UK) on the 25th of June lacked the conviction and call for change of some of the other Iyengar yoga organisations around the world.

No one is denying that this is a politically complex topic, and that the Black Lives Matter campaigning groups have aligned with some anti-semitic stances. But this stance is not one that any of our members condone. This is why we chose the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Just because BLM has been called out for anti-semitism is not an excuse to stand on the sidelines. We are joining together to support our black friends and colleagues in defence of their humanity.

We are hopeful however, that positive change will be one of the outcomes of this setback. Many of us have joined the IY(UK) Diversity and Inclusivity Working Group and there are many members who feel just as passionately that there is work to be done.

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During this time IY(UK) got in touch to organise a Working Group to address the issue of racism and diversity in Iyengar yoga. Dave Dayes joined the group and was subjected to a verbal attack, saying that this event should not be publicised, as Black Lives Matter was a ‘racist’ and ‘anti-semitic’ organisation.

The Event On Sunday 12 of July, at 10am, the group of teachers who were teaching the morning session, as well as the backup teachers, gathered on Zoom.

We had had an emotional rehearsal a couple of days before, and feelings were running high. Dave was spotlighted and as attendees started to log in to the workshop, the enthusiasm and support began to buoy us all up.

Dave’s talk beautifully opened the event. He spoke of the killing of George Floyd and how it laid bare the lack of humanity prevailing across the world. But also of the struggles he and every other black person face in this country.

“This didn’t just happen,” he said, “it is rooted in the slave history. My white brothers and sisters, I call out to you for help, because we cannot continue this way. My energy is low from the constant grind of trying to prove my humanity. Don’t lose your humanity by trying to deny me mine.”

The workshop then commenced, with everyone teaching to the best of their ability – on Zoom, and to hundreds of students they couldn’t see! The technical side of things was seamless, with credit going to Martin Coceres behind the scenes, with the spotlighted screen going from one teacher to the next like an Iyengar yoga teaching relay race. The precision and accessibility of the Iyengar yoga method united us all, as we blended into one teaching unit for the hundreds of students attending.

The second workshop, following exactly the same sequence, but taught by six more teachers, was just as united. Craig’s talk wasclear, hard-hitting, but positive about how yoga can help us to come together: “To be clear, when I use the term Black Lives Matter, this is about human rights, not politics. And sadly this is a very real struggle for equality that people of colour face – it is very real. It happens on many levels, in all walks of life, in organisations, institutes, businesses and households, in work and at home it is woven into the fabric of our society.”

Dave Dayes

“I hope from today’s session you get a lot of positive vibes and that it’s the start of something that’s bringing us together collectively and individually. It is not a moment, it is a movement.”

Going Forwards

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What started out as a one-off event has evolved into a collective desire to continue working for change.

Just as Craig said, what started out as a ‘moment’ has become a ‘movement’.

Jo Clayton

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Karen M cGibbon

Emily Druiff

Craig Blake

With the support of the students that attended and the many supportive Iyengar yoga teachers in our organisation, we hope to set up as a permanent group, campaigning for the change we would like to see in our world.

As Mala said in her closing talk: “So as we go forward, this journey will not be easy, it will not be quick, it will be uncomfortable and hopefully, as you have with your asana, you will learn to sit in your discomfort, you will learn to listen, you will learn how to unlearn. You will learn how to be an ally.”

“To be an ally is not a destination, it is a journey and requires vigilance. Together we can make giant strides. The time for small steps is over.”  We would love to have as many allies as possible. We are not going anywhere - join us.

Check out our new ‘Iyengar Yoga in Action’ Facebook page to promote more events in support of Black Lives Matter: @IyengarYogainAction We are organising a second event on Sunday 18th October. Please see page 71 of this magazine for details.

Statement by Officers of IY(UK) IY(UK) was asked by the organisers of this BLM charity event to publicise it to all members; officers of IY(UK) did not agree to do so on the grounds that IY(UK) policy is to use our email list to publicise official IY(UK) events only, and not events or classes organised by individuals or groups. Current practice is that such events are posted on the events section of the website by the event organisers. IY(UK) had previously publicised to members another charity event in aid of NHS Charities; the organiser had worked with IY(UK) to set up this event and invite Abhijata Iyengar to teach at it. We now recognise that we should have actively tried to find ways of promoting the BLM event to our members; we are sorry that we didn’t do this.

As a separate point, the Ethics and Appeals Committee (EAC) suggested that the use of the CM side by side with a Black Lives Matter logo on the promotional material for this event may make it look as if IY(UK) was supporting a specific ‘political’ or ‘campaigning’ organisation, which would be against current IY(UK) principles.

The EAC now recognises that it was not correct to describe BLM in that limited way and that the objectives of the organisers of the BLM Iyengar yoga workshops were closely aligned with those of IY(UK) and should have been recognised as such. The EAC believes that it was wrong to have responded to the organisers of the event on this point without more considered reflection.

Jill Johnson - IY(UK) Chair, Philippe Harari - IY(UK) Secretary, Gerry Chambers - Chair of Ethics & Appeals Committee

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With regard to the use of the Certification Mark (CM) logo, the terms of the master license agreement signed with RIMYI, who are the owners of the Trade Marks, make it clear that the CM logo is for individual use only.

Individual teachers are permitted to use this logo to promote their class or event, but a studio, group or organisation is not; it can only be used by individual teachers to indicate that they are Iyengar yoga certified. As the Master Licence holder which sub-licences the use of the CM, IY(UK) is contractually obliged by the owners, Prashant and Abhijata Iyengar, to uphold these terms. The Ethics and Appeals Committee was correct in its communication of this point. If IY(UK) decided to organise or co-sponsor an event it would have done so by use of the Service Mark (Hanumanasana) logo not the Certification Mark (Natarajasana) logo. We could have actively attempted to find a way of co -sponsoring the event and thereby enabling the use of the Service Mark by the organisers of this event, and apologise for not doing so. The EAC should have engaged more fully with the organisers of the event to find a way for teachers at the event to use the Certification Mark which would not have broken the terms of the master licence agreement.

An open letter from the Board of IY(UK) "I am sure that after me, my family, my pupils, their children, and the next generation will carry the message of yoga to every nook and corner of the globe, so that all may live as one human race without geographical division of race, religion, colour or gender." B. K. S. Iyengar It is clear to us that the aspirations expressed above by Guruji have not been met. That is why Iyengar Yoga (UK) Ltd stands actively against racism of all kinds and supports the values and ethos of the antiracism movement. We believe that no-one should be denied human rights due to the colour of their skin.

We believe that Black Lives Matter.

We believe that the lives of People of Colour should matter as much as white lives; however, looking at our major social institutions, we can see that they do not. There is substantial evidence that within the UK, our systems and infrastructure are influenced by systemic, covert and explicit racism. Racism affects all aspects of life for members of UK society who are not white; through the health and welfare system, through the education system, in employment, and in the criminal justice system.

There are many, many examples of the ways in which this is manifest: • Black women are five times more likely than white women, and Asian women twice as likely, to die in childbirth in the UK1.

• A Black schoolboy in England is three times more likely than average to be permanently excluded from school2.

• Job applicants with white-sounding names are called for interview more often than those with Africanor Asian-sounding names3.

• While recent decades have seen a fall in youth offending, the proportion of Black and Minority Ethnic youth prisoners has increased. 41% of those in youth prison identify with this category as opposed to 14% of the general population4.

• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people in England and Wales die disproportionately as a result of use of force or restraint by the police5.

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It would be much more comfortable if we could believe that this is due to individuals consciously choosing to discriminate. It is much more challenging for us to accept that these statistics, and others like them, are driven by systemic, structural bias and racism; and that it would be impossible for anyone who participates in our society not to play a part in this.

To stand against racism, it is essential that we look to our own behaviours and actions. This means asking difficult questions, and potentially facing some uncomfortable and challenging truths. What do our member demographics look like? What do our teacher demographics look like? What does our committee representation look like? Who feels like they belong in an Iyengar yoga class in the UK, or that they could train as an Iyengar yoga teacher, or that they would feel able to contribute in one of our committee meetings?

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Asking these questions, and answering truthfully, goes right to the heart of Iyengar Yoga. The yamas and niyamas – the ethical foundations on which our yoga practice is built – challenge us to apply tapas (discipline) and the application of svādhyāya (self-study) in the spirit of satya - that is Truth.

We must not tolerate racist or discriminatory behaviour, or bullying or harassment of any kind, and we have a formal complaints process which is there to conduct a thorough investigation into any incidents that may occur.

The white majority of us (and we have noted that the Board of IY(UK) is all white) must accept that while we are not responsible for centuries of oppression and discrimination, we continue to benefit from it.

We are responsible for the present and the future, and it is in our hands to change these. As others have noted – it is not enough to not be racist – to effect change we must be anti-racist, and this requires us to act boldly and decisively.

As a first step, we have asked for volunteers to join a Working Group on Diversity and Inclusivity to consider what we already know, what we need to find out, and what we should do. This group will report back to our Executive Committee with its recommendations for increasing diversity and inclusivity in IY(UK).

We consider this to be a starting point. There is still a lot of work to be done, and we will not have all the answers. We see this as an important opportunity to launch some new initiatives to address the problem of racial inequality in our yoga community and thereby in our society. Progress may be slow, and we may make mistakes on the way, so we ask you to not just bear with us but to actively and enthusiastically support us in this project.

Sources: 1. Maternal, Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme, https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/ downloads/files/mbrrace-uk/reports/MBRRACE-UK%20Maternal%20Report%202018%20-%20 Web%20Version.pdf).

2. Office for National Statistics, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-periodexclusions-from-schools-in-england-2011-to-2012-academic-year.

3. Department for Work & Pensions, https://www.theguardian.com/money/2009/oct/18/racismdiscrimination-employment-undercover).

4. Lammy Review, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/643001/lammy-review-final-report.pdf.

5. Inquest, https://www.inquest.org.uk/bame-deaths-in-police-custody

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

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

Wishing a Happy Retirement to Gordon Austin

by Debbie Bartholomew

Gordon: I qualified in optics and my first job was as an optician. Then I had to do my National Service, so I served in the Medical Corp as an optician. I had gone to grammar school as a boy and had studied German so the army sent me to Berlin as a translator. After completing my National Service I resumed my career as an optician. My dad was a coal miner. He was killed - buried alive It was such a pleasure to interview Gordon. He is a in an underground accident. I actually decided to true gentleman, a gentle man and such a dedicated become a coal miner, a sort of mental clearance. I practitioner. He has helped steer our national wanted to see where my dad had been killed. After organisation from it's early days and is a founder doing that for a while I returned to optics. Then I member of the North East England Iyengar Yoga. He became a salesman. I started out selling vacuum has trained teachers and assessors, assessed many cleaners door to door and ended up being an Area of our teachers and most of all inspires his students Manager for a big tobacco company. When the to be on their mat and practise. medical profession revealed how harmful smoking was I couldn't carry on with that job so I changed tack again and worked in property maintenance before becoming a yoga teacher.

After recently announcing his retirement we thought it would be good for the newer members of the IY(UK) to meet a former Chairman of the BKSIYTA (precursor to IY(UK)) and a stalwart of Iyengar yoga, Gordon Austin. Here he is being interviewed with his wife (and Commanding Officer!) Margaret.

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DB: So you have quite a varied CV then! Didn't you use to play football?

Gordon: Yes, I played for top Northumberland County teams at quite a high amateur level, Gateshead, Whitley Bay and Tow Law.

DB: Hello Gordon, please tell us a little about yourself.

Gordon: Well, I am 86. I have been married to Margaret for over 50 years. I'm a dad, granddad and great-grandfather. I am from a mining family in the North East of England and live in Seaburn, a coastal suburb of Sunderland.

DB: So you were very fit then?

Gordon: Yes, I was a strong swimmer and became a lifeguard here in Seaburn. I also did a bit of boxing.

Working in property maintenance, scrambling around on roofs etc., all kept me fit. I was a fitness fanatic.

(DB - Gordon told me later that he always wears his fitbit and does a minimum of 10,000 steps per day.

In fact, he said the day before he had done 13,000 steps so was well up on his target!)

DB: So how did you come to yoga?

Gordon: Well, I was the fit one and Margaret not so much. When she started practising yoga my level of DB: What did you do before becoming a yoga teacher? fitness seemed to go down and Margaret's rocketed!

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Margaret: At this time, although he was extremely fit through football training, Gordon was someone who couldn't touch his toes, just couldn't sit in between his feet without something under his buttocks. We used to put the children to bed on Sunday night and I used to teach Gordon. We used encyclopedias and books for Gordon to sit on there were no pads around then!

Gordon: I decided to go with Margaret to one of Arlette Wack's (Arlette McLaren now) classes.

When I looked around there were no men in the class and I nearly walked out to go to the pub but I'm so relieved that I stayed.

DB: Did you mind that he was so strict?

Gordon: No, because of my National Service I was used to discipline so it didn't bother me at all.

DB: What was Pune like then?

Gordon: The poverty was appalling, lots of beggars.

Lots of rickshaws and bicycles. Not as busy as now.

There were cows and goats and even elephants on the roads. We used to hire pushbikes and cycle up FC Road to the institute and back!

DB: Where did you stay?

Gordon: We stayed at the Hotel Ajit. We weren't used to spicy food in those days so we went to the market each day and bought fresh vegetables.

We took our own slow cooker in our luggage and cooked them in our room!

DB: What was the routine at the institute?

Gordon: We were taught by Guruji twice a day.

A fairly long āsana class in the morning, the end time of the class depended on whether Guruji was finished! Then the evening class, focussing mostly on Prāņāyāma. The evening class was early so we could organise our food after class.

DB:The classes were quieter then weren't they?

Gordon: Yes, maybe 30-50 people in the class.

We were so grateful for the personal attention we received from Guruji. We felt very privileged.

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DB: When was this?

Gordon: About 1978. I eventually went along to class and was hooked from the start. I just felt how wonderful it was. It made me much more mindful. It made me change how I felt mentally and of course made me fitter. I was a right gannet and would eat anything. After going to class for a while I felt like I needed to change my diet and look after myself better. I was a helper in Arlette's class for about a year before going onto teacher training with Margaret. She was doing teacher training for Sunderland Education Authority and I was in Margaret's very first group of trainees.

DB: When was your first trip to Pune?

Gordon: Margaret went in 1979 and I went around 1985.

DB: What was your first impression of Guruji?

Gordon: Magnetic! Very charismatic. It was fantastic!

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DB: What did you do when you were not at the institute?

Gordon: We used to have little soirées on the roof of the Hotel Ajit. We would practice what we had been taught all together as a group, swapping what we understood. Then sunbathe a little. I love poetry so we would have little poetry readings. I adapted Rudyard Kipling's Tiger Tiger poem, the first verse was: Yoga! Yoga! Burning bright, In the forums of the night.

Guruji's immortal hands and eye Did frame thy careful symmetry We were surrounded by fellow yogis and friends so the social aspect was great!

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DB: Did Guruji come to the North East?

Gordon: Yes, he came with Silva Mehta in 1984.

I had met the Mehta family at the Maida Vale Institute. They had a very leaky roof and I did some repairs on it for them. When Guruji came to the North East he taught a class and then there was a Q&A session afterwards. We enjoyed a meal together before returning to Durham, then onwards, by train, back to London.

DB: You both became very involved with the National Association. It was known as BKSIYTA then wasn't it?

Margaret: Yes, I was on the committee and then someone suggested Gordon would be a good addition to the committee. I had to step down as we were husband and wife and couldn't both be on the committee at the same time.

Gordon: In 1990 Guruji had suggested that we hold a European Convention to celebrate the coming 56

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together of Europe. (DB: The fall of the Berlin Wall was in November 1989). I was appointed Vice-Chair, then became Chairman in 1994. It was whilst I was Vice-Chairman that we organised this huge undertaking. Bringing a thousand students together for Guruji to teach had never been done before. So we set up a steering committee especially for “Euroyoga”. After many meetings and years travelling back and forth to London in order to inspect different venues, we decided that we should hold the convention at Crystal Palace as it would be big enough to host that many students. It would be held in 1993.

(DB: All this organisation done without today's technology!!)

People travelled in from all over the world to be taught by him. We arranged for students from each country to hold up a placard with the name of their country on it so that Guruji could see how many different nationalities had come to see him.

He was delighted. It wasn't all work though. Whilst he was there Guruji planted a tree in commemoration of his visit. We had a plaque placed with it to mark it out. It would be nice to know if it's still there! We also took him to watch a cricket match. I remember the question and answer session at the convention.

Students had to send in their questions and I was the one who had to put them to Guruji. After a few questions he said he couldn't understand my Geordie accent so we had to have someone else ask him!

Margaret: Oh, I remember I had to teach at that convention. Guruji was going from hall to hall watching how we senior

DB: You have spread the word of Iyengar yoga far and wide haven't you?

Gordon: I have taught all over the UK. I've helped Margaret with teacher training up here in the North East for many years. I've been a Teacher Trainer and Assessor for IY(UK). I've trained teachers in Dublin.

Eileen Cameron and Margaret Cashman shadowed those courses and continue to mentor teachers there now. I have trained teachers in Glasgow.

Helen Graham shadowed those courses and has continued mentoring there. I used to love teaching at The Arts Centre in Washington (near Sunderland not USA!) and I convinced them that yoga is an art form - they were totally against yoga at first! After my term as Chairman was completed I stayed on the National Committee as the North East Institute representative.

DB: Name your three favourite poses Gordon: Adho mukha vīrāsana, Śīrṣāsana and Adho Mukha Vrksāsana DB: The ones you don't like?

Gordon: I don't have any poses I dislike. I had no fear and liked to try them all.

DB: What's you favourite thing about teaching?

Gordon: Conquering fear and teaching others how to conquer their own fear. For example if you teach students how to fall over in Śīrṣāsana then the fear goes. I have been asked to teach this sort of thing many times so that students have the confidence to try something a bit more challenging.

DB: What will you do now you are retired?

Gordon: Nothing! (Margaret smiling and nodding her head in agreement) I still practise every morning, maybe not as long as before but I still do practise. I'm a member of Mensa so I like to keep my brain active with puzzles.

DB: Do you have any other special talents?

Gordon: (with a sidelong look at his Commanding Officer, Margaret) “Selective Hearing!” 

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

UK and European teachers taught the students. As Gordon was part of the entourage, I said he had to somehow let me know when Guruji was coming into my hall. Every now and again Gordon would pop his head around the door and say “Not yet!”.

There was a follow up Euroyoga 1993 Magazine and LOYA News published afterwards. Some of you may have it in your archive.

RECENT BOOK RELEASES Reprinted with kind permission from Yoga Rahasya (2020) Vol. 27, No. 1

Ārogya Yoga Geetaji and Guruji had regularly written columns for a Marathi newspaper called 'Sakal'. These were later compiled into a Marathi book Ārogya Yoga. This book has now been translated into English - Ārogya Yoga: Yoga For Health and Well-being. The book includes detailed methodology with illustrations for more than 45 āsanas including the finer points and the adjustments to be done in case of difficulty to implement the methodology. The book explains how the practice of yoga imparts health, well-being, strength of character and peace of mind even to a lay practitioner and how the qualities of integrity, courage, fearlessness, focus, sincerity, a pleasing personality and selfawareness are qualities bestowed upon the practitioners. It shows the path of self-realisation for the more advanced sādhaka. The book is as relevant for the common man as for the highly evolved seer. There are seven chapters dedicated to Śavāsana, Prāņāyāma concluding with dhyāna.

Study of Patañjali Yoga Sutras - Samādhi Pāda As students of yoga, most of us are familiar with the yoga sūtras in some way or the other. Some of us have a very fleeting connection with a few mentions of some terms or some sūtras here and there.

Some others have been participating in the chanting of the sūtras from occasion to occasion.

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Yet others have been regularly attending the lessons on Yoga sūtras given every Sunday at RIMYI by Srineet Sridharan with insights

by Prashantji. Well, here is an opportunity for further exploration through the first part of the four volumes written by Prashantji with detailed explanations and commentary on the Samādhi Pāda of Patanjali's yoga sūtras.

With constant references to Vyāsa's commentary as well as many more references to various other yoga texts, the book unfolds the secrets of each sūtra taking the reader on a journey of exploration and learning starting with a preface which whets the curiosity of the reader to immediately dive into the first sūtra, ending with the Kaivalya sūtra.

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No student of the subject of yoga can remain away from such an in-depth study of the subject if the true understanding has to dawn. This book offers an insight into the mind and knowledge of the aphorist and who better than Prashantji to lead us on this fascinating journey?

Efforts have been made to highlight some concepts by putting them in boxes and some more in bold print so that even the light reader may find a few things of interest. Diagrams have been inserted to make clear the concepts by using graphic modes.

Reading this book will make the reader rich and laden with the wisdom of yoga.

Prāņāyāma for Beginners For many decades, Geetaji regularly taught the prāņāyāma class at RIMYI initially on Thursday evening and later on Friday evening. There were some regular local students who were permitted to attend this and some of the visiting international students who attended this class once a week for the month. Many of these students were often first timers to the Institute and although they had learnt and were practising prāņāyāma - it would surely be a totally different experience to be under Geetaji.

Geetaji had no tolerance for anything done casually and for her all the students in the class were equally important, especially the weakest student in the class. The smart student would still pick up but the weak student needed support or would never ever learn and if the student had taken all the time and effort to travel to RIMYI then she felt it was her dharma to not only teach but ensure that they learn. Often, we teachers do our task of teaching but what is important is not what has been taught but what has been received by the students. The instructions that a teacher would give may not totally be comprehended by the students in the beginning and later when they develop the ability to comprehend, they do not "listen" to the instructions as they become very routine by then. So, the words are heard but do not register!

Geetaji noticed this dichotomy and therefore did a series of classes wherein she gave the experience and explanation of the instructions. She covered Ujjāyi, Viloma, Anuloma and Pratiloma prāņāyāma.

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

A few students saw the importance of these classes and volunteered to transcribe all these classes and showed them to Geetaji who corrected them and the manuscript was ready. A few months ago, Sunitaji handed over this manuscript and thus this booklet was released the day before her first punyatithi on December 15, 2019.

These books are available from our official suppliers, Yogamatters (www.yogamatters.com) and our recommended suppliers Yog Vidya (www.yogvidya.co.uk).

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IY(UK) Reports Chair - Jill Johnson What a strange few months this has been – hasn’t it?

Our yoga life has been turned upside down but I’m sure that you will have felt the benefit of yoga to help you through this difficult time, and I hope that those of you who have been directly affected by this virus are now fully recovered. Many of us will have used our time to practice on our mat, to reflect on how yoga has helped us, or to explore more deeply aspects of yoga that we have not previously given time to. Lots of you have also been busy attending Zoom classes – from your regular teachers or from others around the world. We have been incredibly lucky to be able to access all sorts of classes and workshops -including of course our first ever online convention, and thank you to all of you who wrote to congratulate our organisers Catherine and Isabel for producing such a wonderful event in only six weeks!

1. Administration Team Update Many of you have suggested recently that you would like to see more PR work from IY(UK). We are delighted to say that Katie Owens will now be working on PR for us two days a week, which together with the re energised PR committee under new chair Perry Simpson will hopefully mean that IY(UK) will be more visible in all forms of media.

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

2. Executive Council (EX) Updates Certification and Assessment: RIMYI published new Certification and Assessment Guidelines in July 2020. The ATC have set up a Certification and Assessments Working Party (CAWP) to review IY(UK)’s certification and assessment procedures and this has been published to all teachers.

No assessments for the new Levels will take place before 2022.

Due to the ongoing Covid Pandemic the PD Committee

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and ATC have agreed that all 2020/21 PD days, up until March 31st 2021 are cancelled. We will update you about future PD days in January 2021.

Virtual and face to face tours of visiting teachers: 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 from RIMYI or Mumbai who receives an invitation to teach abroad will have to notify her; she wants to personally ensure that the teachers 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.

Diversity and Inclusivity Working Group: Back in May we published a statement to you all regarding IY(UK)’s position on equality and diversity, and after asking for volunteers have set up a working group to look at how IY(UK) could ensure that Guruji’s message of inclusivity is reflected throughout our organisation.

We need to see whether there are problems, what they are and what we can do about them. This will be a very difficult task but it is one that IY(UK) is committed to undertaking, for the benefit of all our members.

3. National Iyengar Yoga Day More details will be sent out nearer the time, I hope that we will be able to have some events to celebrate our day – virus notwithstanding.

4. 2021 Convention Please see Isabel’s article about this - Abhijata is booked to lead the convention! 

Secretary - Philippe Harari During the pandemic we have had to hold all our Executive Council and Board meetings, and the AGM, online.

This is not really the same as meeting face-to-face but it saves a lot of travelling - good for the environment and cheaper for us!

Since the last issue of IYN, we welcome Geoffrey Fielding, Ingrid Olsen and Helen Townsend as new Individual Reps; Elaine Spragget was re-eleted as an Individual Rep and will continue to Chair the Iyengar Yoga Development Fund Committee. Lynda Purvis has come to the end of her second 3-year term on the Therapy Committee, and we would like to thank her for her work on that Committee. Lorraine McConnon, Larissa McGoldrick and Edgar Stringer were elected for a second three-year term on that Committee. Perry Simpson has joined the Communications and PR Committee as Chair of that Committee and Sally Lee has also joined to help develop our PR strategy alongside Katie Owens. Aisling McGuirke was appointed to a second three-year term on the Ethics and Appeals Committee, and Toni Elliot and Frances McKee have joined that Committee for the first time. Maurice Finn has left the Ethics Committee and we thank him for his contribution. 

Treasurer - Velika Krivokapic

A payment of £6,343 was made to Bellur Trust in respect of the donations received during 2019.

The IY(UK) membership fees for 2021/22 have been agreed as follows. We have been able to keep our fees at exactly the same levels as 2020/21.

The Assessment fees for 2020/21 will be re - visited during the summer for the presentation to the Board and Executive Council in September 2020.

IY(UK) membership fees for 2021/22: Member Group membership fee Individual membership fee Teachers' Supplement Concessionary Teachers' Supplement Late renewal penalty Overseas member supplement Affiliated Centre fee IYN central mailing fee

£8.25 £20.00 £60.00 £36.00 £30.00 £39.00 £150.00 £1.75

The Certification Mark fee for 2020/21 is based on US$50.

It will be updated on 1st November 2020 to reflect the exchange rate that is in place on that date. 

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

The annual accounts for 2019 were approved by the Board and presented at the AGM in May 2020. A small surplus of £6,206 (2018: £1,343) for the year ended 31 December 2019 was achieved. The Balance Sheet at 31 December 2019 showed net assets of £139,988 (2018: £133,782).

The company is in a healthy financial situation and has sufficient reserves to underpin its ongoing activities.

IY(UK) Reports Membership Secretary – Julian

Lindars

With the difficult circumstances we have faced this year, which have forced many into financial difficulties, and have disrupted our accustomed ways of practising yoga together, it is not surprising that our membership numbers will have fallen. As you can see from the figures below, we have experienced a drop of more than 7% of our overall membership this year. Some teachers have taken a break from teaching, and we have lost the boost that the Convention usually gives to our numbers. However, IY(UK) continues to be a healthy and vibrant organization with firm foundations, on which we continue to build.

The Membership Office will be undergoing some changes – as Katie Owens, who has up until now divided her hours between membership and her website/PR role, will from now on be devoting herself full-time to the latter. This is great news for our PR effort, but Andy and I will miss her dynamic input and her encyclopedic knowledge of how the business of the Membership Office is run. I want to thank her for her input and for the many improvements she has put in place over the years.

As a result of this we are looking for somebody to take on the role of Deputy Membership Secretary. This is a voluntary role supporting myself, and particularly Andy in his role of Membership and Office Manager, and would require a reasonable level of IT skills - particularly with MS Word and Excel. Web skills would also be advantageous. Our process is first to invite members of the Executive Council to stand for this position and then, if no-one comes forward, we open it up to the whole membership.

We are continuing to look at ways of streamlining our membership structure and looking at how we can best serve the needs of our various types of members – as well as the Member Groups and Affiliated Centres across the country. This is very much a work in progress, but some interesting ideas are coming out of the process.

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

As always, we are guided by the aspiration that every member will feel that they are a valued and essential part of the IY(UK) community, that their voices can be heard, and their growth in the light of Yoga is nurtured. Recently we have been given the opportunity to put this aspiration to the test. In response to current events outside and within our organization, we have been challenged to demonstrate that we are taking action to support our members who are sidelined or disadvantaged by society at large. Our initial conversations have been around issues of race and ethnicity, but we recognize that it is essential to ensure that all minorities can feel that in IY(UK) they have a supportive and empowering community in which they can thrive.

In response we have set up a Working Group, composed of IY(UK) members, which is tasked with making recommendations to the Executive Council as to how we might take action to prove and improve our commitment to diversity and inclusivity. This has not always been easy, as at times members have had things to say that we members of the Board have found difficult to hear. But I for one am incredibly encouraged by the fact that we have created this opportunity for our members to participate in the workings of our organisation, and hopefully, to create real and lasting change. 

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Date

2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019 2017-2018 2016-2017

Jul-20 Jul-19 Jul-18 Jul-17 Jul -16

Membership Year

Date

2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019 2017-2018 2016-2017

Jul-20 Jul-19 Jul-18 Jul-17 Jul -16

Membership Year 2020-2021 2019-2020 2018-2019 2017-2018 2016-2017

Teacher members Total

UK

RoI

Overseas

Individual

1157 1210 1186 1140 1068

1048 1091 1078 1029 973

83 91 97 91 80

26 28 11 20 15

177 211 167 188 204

Member Groups 980 999 1019 952 864

Non-teacher members Total

UK

RoI

Overseas

Individual

1191 1321 1241 1154 1150

1122 1238 1164 1078 1042

41 43 38 45 83

28 40 39 31 25

247 216 180 164 186

Teacher members 1157 1210 1186 1140 1068

Non-teacher members 1191 1321 1241 1154 1150

Member Groups 944 1105 1061 990 964

Total 2348 2531 2427 2294 2218

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Membership Year

63

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 IY(UK) please contact your Member Group or Individual Rep. (listed on p.58).

Avon (AIY)

Midland Counties (MCIY)

Bradford and District (BDIY)

Manchester and District (MDIY)

Cambridge (CIY)

Munster (MIY)

Dorset and Hampshire (DHIY)

North East England (NEEIY)

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

Gael Henry info@iyengaryoganortheast.com www.iyengaryoganortheast.com

Dublin Iyengar Yoga Group (DIY)

North East London (NELIY)

East of Scotland (ESIY) Gilly Dennis esiyoga@outlook.com www.esiyi.co.uk

Nottinghamshire (NOTIY) Eleanor Douglas info@notiy.org.uk www.notiy.org.uk

Sussex (IYS)

Oxford and Region (ORIY)

Ginny Owen aiy@iyengaryoga.org.uk www.avoniyengar.org Alan Brown info@bdiyi.org.uk www.bdiyi.org.uk

Sasha Perryman sashaperryman@yahoo.co.uk www.cambridgeyoga.co.uk

dubliniyengaryoga@gmail.com www.dubliniyengaryoga.ie

Brian Ingram admin@iyengaryogasussex.org.uk www.iyengaryogasussex.org.uk

iYoga Glasgow

Patrick Boase iyogaglasgow@gmail.com www.iyogaglasgow.co.uk Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Kent (KIY)

Glenda Jackson kiyisecretary@gmail.com

Liverpool (LIY)

Judi Soffa info@yoga-studio.co.uk www.yoga-studio.co.uk 64

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

Clare Tunstall info@mdiiy.org.uk www.manchesteriyengaryoga.org.uk munsteriyengaryoga@gmail.com www.miyoga.org

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

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 swlsiyengaryoga@gmail.com www.swlsiy.org.uk

Affiliated Centres Congleton Iyengar Yoga Centre

Iyengar Yoga in Maida Vale

Cotswold Iyengar Yoga Centre

Maidstone Yoga Centre

Edinburgh Iyengar Yoga Centre

Iyengar Yoga Centre of N. Dublin

Garway (Herefordshire) Iyengar Yoga Studio

Peak Iyengar Yoga Centre

www.herefordshireyoga.co.uk Sheila Green, 01981 580081

www.peakyoga.org.uk Sue Lovell 07851 195208

Hereford Yoga Centre

Putney Iyengar Yoga Centre

www.cotswoldiyengar.co.uk Judi Sweeting & Tig Whattler ciyc@talk21.com www.yoga-edinburgh.com info@yoga-edinburgh.com 0131 229 6000

www.herefordyoga.co.uk Jenny-May While 01432 353324

Iyengar Yoga Studio East Finchley

www.iymv.org Alan Reynolds 020 7624 3080

www.iyengar-yoga.co.uk Lin Craddock 01622 685864 www.iyoga.ie Roisin O’Shea 00353 1882 8858

www.putneyyogacentre.co.uk Julie Hodges 07974 690 622

Sheffield Yoga Centre

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

www.sheffieldyogacentre.co.uk Frances Homewood 07944 169238

Iyengar Yoga Centre for Essex

YogaSouth

Just Yoga

Iyengar Yoga Studio Tooting

Knutsford Iyengar yoga Centre

Iyengar Yoga Studio West Bridgford

Susan Long www.iyce.com 07460 101510

Melanie Palmer www.justyoga.co.uk 07792 567720 www.knutsfordyoga.co.uk Margaret Carter 07807 348441

www.yogasouth.com Randall Evans & Cathy Rogers Evans, 01903 762850 / 07774 318105 www.iyyoga.com Tehira Taylor & Laura Tuggey 0208 355 3498

www.iyogawestbridgford.uk Isabel Jones Fielding & Geoffrey Fielding 0115 9749975

West Suffolk Iyengar Yoga Centre www.iyengaryogasuffolk.co.uk Jane Perryman 01440 786228

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

www.congletonyogacentre.com Christina Niewola 01260 279565 / 07970186109

IY (UK) Executive Council

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Officer / Rep.

Name

Chair Jill Johnson Deputy Chair Cathy Alison Secretary Philippe Harari Deputy Secretary Charlotte Everitt Treasurer Velika Krivokapic Deputy Treasurer Michelle Pendergast Membership Sec. Julian Lindars Deputy Memb. Sec. VACANCY Constitution Officer Sarah Delfas Chair of AT

Jayne Orton Chair of Therapy Sheila Haswell Chair of EA

Gerry Chambers AT Rep. on Board Julie Brown AT Rep. on Board Judi Sweeting AIY

Ginny Owen BDIY 

Helen White CIY

Shaili Shafai DHIY Pauline Green DIY

Melanie Taylor ESIY

Sue Cresswell iYG Yvonne Valerio IYS

Cathy Rogers Evans KIY

Margaret Hall LIYI

Judi Soffa MCIY

Annie Beatty MDIY

Charlotte Everitt MDIY VACANCY MIY

Perry Simpson NEIY

Caroline Earl NELIY

Sally Lee NIY VACANCY ORIY

VACANCY SADIY

Peter Durkin SWIY

Sarah Pethybridge SWLSIY

Elaine Morrison Individual Rep. Cathy Alison Individual Rep. Geoffrey Fielding Individual Rep. Ingrid Olsen Individual Rep. Preeti Sekhon Individual Rep. Elaine Spraggett Individual Rep. Helen Townsend Chair of Archives & Research Randall Evans

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Email

chair@iyengaryoga.org.uk catherinealison1@hotmail.com philippe.harari@runbox.com secretary@iyengaryoga.org.uk velika_krivokapic_4@hotmail.com abacus94@yahoo.co.uk julian@96belmont.co.uk sarahandnick@hotmail.com jayne@iyengaryoga.uk.com therapy@iyengaryoga.org.uk yogagerry@gmail.com julie.brown61@live.com info@cotswoldiyengar.co.uk ginnyowen@hotmail.com white.helen@btinternet.com shshaili@yahoo.com pauline.yoga@outlook.com melaniet4@gmail.com sue.cresswell@hotmail.com yvoffpiste@aol.com cathyrogersevans@gmail.com margaret.rosehall@yahoo.co.uk info@yoga-studio.co.uk yoga@anniebeatty.com c_a_everitt@yahoo.co.uk simpsonperry@icloud.com carolinejpearl@yahoo.com purpleslee@gmail.com peterd.sadiy@gmail.com sarahboopethy@hotmail.com elainemorrison.yoga@gmail.com catherinealison1@hotmail.com geoffrey@movement4health.co.uk ingridsolsen@gmail.com preetiudas@yahoo.com elainebev@me.com randallevans1@gmail.com

IY (UK) Committee Members Cathy Alison, Julie Brown, Gerry Chambers, Sarah Delfas, Charlotte Everitt, Philippe Harari, Sheila Haswell, 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, Sally Lee, Katie Owens, Perry Simpson

Ethics & Appeals

Gerry Chambers, Toni Elliot, Aisling Guirke, Frances McKee, Amparo Rodriguez

Finance & Membership

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

Iyengar Yoga Development Fund

Assessment & Training: Management Committee

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

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

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

Therapy Committee

Moderators

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

Note: the Chair of each Committee is in bold

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 Perryman, Cathy Rogers Evans, Sallie Sullivan, Judi Sweeting

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Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Board

Certification and Assessments

Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute published new Certification and Assessment Guidelines in July 2020. The Assessment and Training Committee have set up a Certification and Assessments Working Party (CAWP) to review IY(UK)’s certification and assessment procedures and will report back. Meanwhile, no assessments for the new Levels will take place before 2022.

Shown below is an overview of Certification Levels, taken from page 6 of the RIMYI Certification and Assessment Guidelines, July 2020.

Current Certification Level

Certification Level in effect from July 1, 2020

MINIMUM time gap between certification levels

Level 1

Intermediate Junior 1 Intermediate Junior 2

Level 2

2 years

Intermediate Junior 3 Intermediate Senior 1 Intermediate Senior 2 Intermediate Senior 3

Level 3

2 years

Advanced Junior 1 Advanced Junior 2 Advanced Junior 3 Advanced Senior 1 Advanced Senior 2

Level 4

2 years

Level 5

Candidate’s discretion

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

Introductory

Professional Development Days

Due to the ongoing Corona Virus Pandemic the PD Committee and ATC have agreed that all 2020/21 PD days, up until March 31st, are cancelled. We will update you on future PD days in January 2021.

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Advertising in IYN 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 IYA36P1:IYN 8.qxd16/08/2020 16/08/202017:08 Page IYA36P1:IYN 8.qxd 1 1variance with the stated that are deemed17:08 to Page be at aims of Iyengar Yoga (UK). IY (UK) does not necessarily endorse any products etc. advertised in this magazine.



Y O G A Tuesdays Tuesdays 2.30-3.30PM 2.30-3.30PM £50for for55Zoom ZoomSessions Sessions £50

ONLINE ONLINE CHAIR CHAIR YOGA YOGA

Iyengar Yoga News No. 37

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jointhe thechair chairyoga yogawattsapp wattsappgroup: group: totojoin sendyour yourmobile mobilenumber numbertoto send cissyharrison@gmail.com cissyharrison@gmail.com

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JUST FOR YOU Did you know as an Iyengar Yoga (UK) member or Iyengar yoga teacher, you get exclusive discounts at Yogamatters?

To register for your exclusive discount simply visit yogamatters.com/iyuk and register as an IY (UK) member

@yogamattersyoga

@yogamattershq

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Iyengar Yoga in Action.

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SUN 18th Oct

We STAND TOGETHER.

10:30AM - 1PM & 2:30PM - 5PM

The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise founded in 2019 by young people to address the lack of Black British history in the UK Curriculum. They believe that by delivering arts focused Black history programmes, providing teacher training and campaigning through mobilising young people, they can facilitate social change.

To book your place and donate please visit: https://w www.facebook.com/IyengarYogainAction/