Iyengar Yoga News - issue 5 - Spring 2004

lYEN GAR® YOGA

AsSOCIATION (UK) President: Yogacharya Sri B.K5. Iyengar

www.iyengaryoga.org.uk

IYENGAR®YOGA NEWS - Issue No.5 - Spring 2004

Contents

Editorial Guruji at 85 by Genie Hammond An 85 th Year Birthday Stretch by Nathalie Blondel Guruji: 85 years young by Jayne Orton Pranayama by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar The Menopause by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar News from Pune by Stephanie Quirk "I want to be a teacher" by Rajvi Mehta Interview with Rajvi Mehta Rajvi and Birjoo Mehta's tour of the UK - details The IYA (UK) 2004 Autumn Convention Being Aware of Tadasana by Lilian Biggs Working with Guruji by John Evans Old Habits Die Hard by Neil McKinlay Institute listings Astadala Yogamala Fund by Brigid Philip Pronunciation: Getting it Wrong by Alan Brown Pronunciation: Getting it Right by Joe Burn The Significance of Light on Yoga by Suzanne Hasselle-Newcombe Book Review by Joe Burn Death Knocking at the Yoga Room Door by Paul Barton Quinta Mimosa by Hannah Lovegrove The Making of a New Practice Video by Mmgaret Carter Out of Step: a short story by Alan Brown Guruji's 85th Birthday by Judith Jones IYA (UK) Executive Council members for 2004/05 Editorial Board Notes from the Chair by Judith Jones Kirsten Agar Ward IYA (UK) Announcements for Teachers Joe Burn

Register of Exercise Professionals by Joe Burn Philippe Harari The Yoga Fellowship by Judith Jones Rachel Lovegrove Professional Development Days - details Assessment Congratulations Design: Philippe Harari

Application for classes at the RIMYI, Pune Printed by: Red Flag

Yoga Rahasya - subscription details Press, Cambridge

Iyengar books/videos for sale f!:; used With permission 01 BKS IYENGAR. Trade Mar!< Owner Advertisements Iyengar Yoga News No.5

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Editorial

Guruji's 85th Birthday

There is so much in this magazine that it would be impossible for us to comment on all the material, but we would like to draw your attention to the advert for the IYA(UK) convention in Reading (the application details are on pages 24 and 25). Please book early to ensure you have a place on what is bound to be a pop­ ular event (the convention in Manchester in June is now fully booked). Aside from that we have articles on the menopause, pranayama, asana, the history of yoga books, death, Sanskrit pronunciation and of course Guruji's 85th birthday. We also publish for the first time a short story. For those who are looking for Iyengar yoga merchandise and holidays please look in the back of the magazine as all our adverts are there.

In December 2003 I travelled to Pune as the Joint I Chair of IYA(UK) to attend the Birthday Celebrations of our dear Guruji. Many of Guruji's long standing students and senior teachers from all over the world came to join those already in Pune attending the general classes, and his teachers and students who live in India - the extended Iyengar family!

The AGM of the IYA (UK) is coming up on June 12th. This is an important event as all members can air their views in person to the committee, please do attend if you can. The contact details of the Executive Committee are on page 48.

We are keen to hear your views on the magazine and to receive anything that you would like to write, so please do not hesitate to send your views/articles to the address below. Could we also thank very much all those who contributed material to this issue.

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Many of you will know that when Sanskrit is written in the Roman script small marks are put above and below some letters. These are called diacritic marks and indicate specific pronunciation. We have tried to add these marks to all Sanskrit words in this edition of IYN however we have been defeated by technolo­ gy. Finding a font that is compatable with all our computers and those of the printer has proved to be impossible. Nevertheless we will go on searching for a solution to this problem, hopefuUy IYN6 will have all diacritic marks properly in place.

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Copy deadline for next issue:

1st December 2004

IYN6 will be sent out in February 2005

Items should be sent to:

IYA (UK) c/o Leza Hatchard

21 Woodgrange Avenue, Ealing,

London W5 3NY

telephone: 020 8354 3983

admin@iyengaryoga.org.uk

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

The celebration of the birthday was preceded by a week of lectures and presentations which were spell-binding. About 12 pupils on the platform very nervously, in front of a captivated audience, received guidance from their Guru, to show us through prac­ tical demonstration how the 5 elements, the 5 pranas, the 5 chitta bhumis, the 3 gunas have to be adjusted in the practice of asanas. Finally on the last I day, after sitting on the front edge of the platform

wearing only his shorts and a big smile, Guruji said

he didn't know what he was going to do that day! He

then proceeded to take his students to a complete

state of absorption through asana. It was a beautiful

and inspiring experience even just to watch as under

the direction of this genius, this master of yoga, the

skin, muscle, expression, the total presentation of

the asana changed as everything visibly came to a

point of integration and stiliness ............................ To quote the title of the presentations "Asana of Body, MIND, MIND, MIND, mind, mind, mind, mind ........ and Beyond". I felt privileged and blessed to be there, and like everyone else, totally inadequate as a practi­ tioner and teacher.

Guruji's Birthday, 14th December, was a joyous occasion. After many speeches expressing a mixture of gratitude, reverence and wonderment addressed to Guruji, including special tributes to their father from Geeta and Prashant, Guruji spoke of his Guru Krishnamacharya as the seed from which he sprang as the shoot, from which two branches have grown, Geeta and Prashant. Everyone then offered their individual felicitations to Guruji and we all gathered for a meal under the decorative awnings erected out­ side the Institute. However inadequate and totally humbled, I left India yet again with a precious pearl.

Judith Jones (Chair of the IYA (UK)) 2

Spring 2004

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GURWJI at 85

Genie Hammond reports from Pune on the occasion of Gurujj's 85th birthday celebrations

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ne Tuesday morning in October, I had a strong feeling that I had to go to Pune. The idea came from nowhere but it was so strong rhat I telephoned my son to ask if my husband could stay with him for a couple of weeks. Bert is eighty years old and I did not want to leave him alone for that long and Robert said that he would love to have his dad to stay. 1vIy next phone call was to book my ticket and then I told Bert who looked to heaven and sighed say­ ing "I thought you wouldn't do this again."

I was glad I listened to that inner voice.

The eighty fifth birthday celebration was a celebration to beat all others. M r Iyengar gave a two and a half hour 'lecture' every morning from Monday to Saturday inclu­ sive. In the brochure it was printed as lec­ tures but it was more than that. Much more. He used senior teachers to demon­ strate how to improve the postures, both physically and spiritually.

As onlookers, the asana we practised most was sukhasana. I found that not breaking off to do what we had been shown actually meant that we received much more teach­ ing and I loved it; but you had to listen, l\is­ ten, listen and pray that you would remem­ ber.

Starting with the feet he showed us how different he was from the other teachers.

He said that we did not use the front of the inner heel and by pressing the floor with that part of the foot the energy of the legs is increased. TRUE. In standing poses it helps to align the thighs correctly and to press the ceiling, figuratively speaking, in inverted poses make the body so light.

From there we moved to the ankle bones and the bottom half of the lower leg. This is a sleepy part and needs to be woken up.

The minute you lift in this area the hips

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become more mobile; the weight seems to disappear from the asana and the energy flow is able to move unhindered. In parsvakonasana he showed us how even if we bend the knee more accurately with the sitting bones level , we lose it when we take the hand down. By keeping the sitting bones level throughout makes the posture easier to do because the back leg continues to bear its fair share of the weight.

In ardha chandrasana the pressing of that front inner heel makes the standing leg move back a litt:)e. A subtle movement but the difference it makes must be done to understand how it releases the pelvis and gives the sensation of flying. When Patricia Walden, a senior teacher from the USA, was in paschimottanasana he made her sit up from a good pose and turned it into a beautiful one. Not only did she go down further but the back and shoulders were completely soft and I noticed that the backs of her knees were on the floor seem­ ingly without effort. How did he do it? He held her inner wrists with the lightest touch and told her to let go of everything else and allow her wrists to be led away from her trunk. He released her legs in upavis­ takonasana by extending the skin either side of the achilles tendon and Patricia's legs grew a couple of inches. I do all these movements in all forward bends now and it has been a revelation. Now my favourite asanas are even more so.

One lesson was on how to use the trunk correctly. In virabhadrasana I he showed how easy it is to lengthen the front and how the pose improves if you lift the back ribs first. Then he made it even better when the sides of the trunk were lifted. Although specific things were shown in specific asanas the adjustments help other poses, especially if one becomes aware of th e side

Spring 2004

ribs. In savasana for example, the sides tend to drop towards the floor. By moving them away fro m the spine and as the shoulders come down, liftin g the ribs, you enable the breath to enter and leave you without dis­ turbance.

This understanding of making the poses ea i r was reinforced throughout the week.

Mr Iyengar said that asanm should not be done as gymnastics but performed with thought and awareness so one can work w wards the peace that is waiting for you to find it. Asana should be the start of your spiritual journey.

I remember Mr Iyengar telling the class that he gives us the keys but it is up to us to use them ourselves. It was such a relief to find the work the way I had remembered it from the early days. That there are no set instructions for movement and that look­ ing before instructing is the best way to teach.

shoulders were very painful and with all that to contend with sh had a deadline for h er new book as well. So when she came to the last 'get-together' the cheer and applause she received was lovely to hear.

What did I get from this trip ? O n the plane going out a heavy gentleman fell on me when the plane hit an air pocket and I was pushed against the metal arm of the seat and I heard a crack. When I sat up and breathed I knew I'd cracked a rib. In spi te ofthat I found that I could sit on the floor for four hours a day. No problem. I know that I have a lot of work to do in my own practice and bits will keep coming back to help me. I know that Pune is my second home and I have a Yoga family.

When r came back Bert was very ill and was admitred to hospital on Christmas day.

He was in there for five weeks and when he came hom e it was hard, but yoga stood me in good stead and we are doing well.

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Prashant gave his lectures in the evenings and they lasted one and a half hours. He went over the morning's work and clariiied what was done adding his own inimitable language to make our understanding clear­ er. H is prose can be poetic and makes di ffi­ cult things easier to comprehend.

Thank you India. Thank you G eeta and Prashant and the rest of the family. I wish I could be there for the wedding on the eigh­ teenth of April. Most of all thank G od for pushing me on the ladder so I could meet you, Mr Iyengar. You gave me back my life and made it a million tim es bette r.

G eeta was not at all well, and her back and

Always listen to that inner voice.

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Spring 2004

AN 85th BIRTHDAY STRETCH

Last December, members of the Avon Iyengar Yoga Institute performed 85 asanas as a celebration of Guruji s birthday. Natalie Blondel was there. " Welcome to BK I 'engar's 85ch birthd ay stretch!" read the words o n my t-shirt as at 10 am on Sunday 14 D ecember 2003 in T wen on, near Bath, I and three other rea hers welcomed over 70 peo­ ple at th e beginning of a three-hour general class org n­ ised by the AIYI to .lebrate BKS IyenCtar's 85rh birthday. The idea behind th e class (first th ught up by Richard Agar Ward) was to do 85 asanas, one to celebrate and give thanks for each year of Iyengar's life. And it certainly seemed to cat h pe pIe's imagination as the hall was packed - demand, unfortu­ nately. had ex eeded the room's capacity. Together wirh three ot her local reachers (Kirsten Agar Ward, Jan t B anley and Edgar Stringer)

we had 'vvorked out a seq uence which m oved chr ugh

'tanding poses to seated poses forward b nds to (\visrs,

backbends to inverted po ,nd endi n with savas na.

The sequence was divided into fOLlr parts a.nd we all

totated through specific t as~: on teacher would teach,

anotber would demonstra e, one would assis t in the

class and one would provide altem ativc asanas D r chose

with a period or some inj ury or med ical condi ·on .

After the invoca tions to Pataojali, Adise 'ha and the G uru, Kirsten announced that Richard (who was at that time attend ing the birrhday celebra­ tions in Pune) had mId BKS Iyengar about how th ArYl were going to commemorate the occasion and that he had sent h is bl sings. here was a defini te sense of excite­ ment and some trepidati on in the roo m as I led th e clas in standing poses. G iven the numbe r of poses to get through time was short, so w moved from one pose to the next with props only where ne essary. I fou nd that q uite quickly iuicial nerves d isappeared as

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my arrencion was fa used on enco uragi ng everyo ne to be in the poses and it was both exhili rating and moving to wa tc h people m ove from parivrtta

trikonasana to parivrtta parsvcl/eonasana to paritJrtta aJdha chandrrurma - ro memion bu three asanas.. . section of poses including sir­ sasana fo r those who knew it, followed by twiSts and fo rward bends led by Kirsten, and the fin al section of backbends and in erted poses I d by Edgar. he atmosp here in the room Wa! one of ge nerosity and good humour even as some of the participants were clea ~ly b co mi ng ci red. t the end of the class as people rose after sa vasana, 1 saw tr nq uil faces and s rene eyes - rh o utward sign of the gi ft of yoga when taught acco rdi ng to the meth od established by BKS Iyenga.r. And after the class as we q ueued up to have some deliious In dian fo od a number of people came up to me (as to all the teachers) and voiced their ppre iation of the class. Several of d1em had manag d asanas that morning for the fi rst ti me and all seemed ro have enjoyed the sense of communal endeavour whatev­ er their level of e"xperience.

People also found it interest­ ing to be taught by several different teachers. I just fi r a sense of p rivilege and gratitude in being involved in givi ng thanks in this way, especially knowing that similar celebrations were hap­ pening in other pans of the country and worldwide as well as in Pune itself A number of people wer involved in organising th class and the catering but I'm sure everyone would wish me to thank Kirsten particularly as she did the lion's share in maki ng Aryl's trib ute to BKS Iyengar such a suc­ cessful and memorabl event.

Janet taught the n

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Spring 2004

GURUJI: 85 YEARS YOUNG

Jayne Orton reports on the celebrations that took place in Birmingham and at the Cotswold Iyengar Yoga Centre BIRMINGHAM:

CIYc:

eleb rated Guruji 's Birthday with a fun -packed program me anended by tudems an d teachers alike.

An

e pondered on w hat we sho uld d to c leb rate rh 85ch Birth da of o ur rev ed G uruji - it had to be spe­ cial! We came to a decision with some trepidati on - we would follow a trad ition fro m Pune of many years e wouk also extend L1 r sra nrun g, 'Yoga in action". hospit< lit)' to our stud nts and t acher as (he Iyengar fan1ily h ve generously done for all of us fo r man years, we WOllid have snac ks . We also wanted (0 send our thoughts and go d wi.shes to Gu ruji - would o ne of our fireworks m ake it (0 Pune?

Everyo ne a in the hall an d watch d a selectjol1 f fIlm s incl ud ing ('Ulrimar Freedom" and a specially made fil m sho io g th e lns ricu te's recent trip to the Himala 'as.

On the 14th D eceml er at 4 pm. We pr sen ted a lec­ ru f about G uruji , his life ;m d his work. We th en pre­ enred the Pr liminal" S ri sand xplai ned how [h Becinners Syllabus leads us to the Intermediate and l or rmediate Sen i r wo rl,. 5i' Teachers demo nstrat­ ed a fUll range of asanas as systemise by Guruji to h w how th e links re there all th rough the levels.

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T he d y starred wi m Prayers to Patanjali an d (he uru Invocation afterwards. Jayne taugh t a twO and a half hom c1as focussing 011 b, ck bending asa nas.

Follow ing rh' the 1nstitute's D ir 'ctO rs made a prese n­ ta cion to "Life fembers". yurv die thali lunch was nj oyed by all, [his bad beel1 p rep red by See e wh ose culinary skills are fast becoming lege ndary! T his was fo llowed by Italian cake and fresh cream!

A er yet more tea an d biscuits, the gran d fmale was a Late r 1 co unted up how m any asanas we had sh w n, 1 con cert p rformed by a well kn ow n Birm inghan1 fe-co unted (0 m ake Slife, an d it was 108, a very aus­ band who al happe n to be Iyengar Yoga sruden s. piciol! number, ho ' appropriate! All of chose present hen joined cogcther for th invocation to Patanjali.

irsr they pe r o rmed so ngs from their ne al burn an d after a sho rt break , they d id some popular covers.

We m en enjoyed some Indian snacks and a rather nice carr t cake. Aft r our snacks we wrap ped u p warm in Thank (Q all w ho participa ted and hel ped wirh [he da including dec rar­ i ng th e [nstiru ce ich bea uti fu l Ao er arra nge­ m nts and 85 can ­ dIes!

our coats, hats and gloves and wen t ut ro watch a firewo rk display arranged by a t:Li­ den ho co mes to d sses at CIYc.

We saw a parricu­ larly large and long lasting rocket and joined togecl1­ er aga lll to say

Happy Birthday

Guruji ngar Yoga

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Spring 2004

PRANAYAMA

Dr Geeta S. Iyengar answers questions and offers additional guidance related to the teaching and practice of Pranayama in an interview in February 2003 at the R.I.M.Y.I. in Pune. Judy Brick Freedman presented the questions and collated the information, which was then edited by Geetaji. Also present were Stephanie QUirk and Sunita Parthasarthy.

I BANDHA Jalandhara bandha is the first bandha to be taught. It is commonly done in all the sit­ ting prana)taJnm, \X/henever you are sitting it is a must. It is commonly referred to as "chin lock. "

It is always called jalal1dhara bandha, whether practised during pamka (i nhala­ tion), antara kumbha/cil (retention after inhalation), rechaka (exhalation) or bahya kumbhaka (retention aner exhalation). The character and intensity ofjalandhara bandha will change with each aspect of the breath.

After inhalation, jalandhara has to be stronger and firmer. After exhalation, there should not be a sudden release of the upper chest. It slowly recedes down. After exhala­ tion for bahya kurnbhaka, the chin lock has to be there though it is different. D uring uddiJlfltza bandha and after retention wh n one releases the abdomen and inhales, there is jakmdhtlln bandha throughout.

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Iyengar Yoga News

To assist jalandhara bandha, the eye band­ age can be used between chin and chest in the following situations such as a flat or boney sternum, a very long or stiff neck, or for specific pain, weak chest, or hard throat.

And in the process it teaches how to lift the chest to the bandage. If people feel choked or the sternum remains collapsed even though the chin goes dovvn and a gap remains, the bandage fills the gap. First see that the rap of the sternum remains up. See whether the chin goes down and the ster­ num goes up. What is the gap, which remains? Fill in that space. When you give the bandage, they begin to feel how they have to lift the chest to the bandage. The bandage acts as a "bone" for the sternum

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and not the bone of the chin. T he purpose is to create a soft throat. It can be replaced, as Guruji has done with some people, with a soft small fiber or wooden brick.

However, jalandhara bandha has not to be forced on the beginner pranayama practi­ tioners. They have to learn to bring the head downwards. Their tendency will be to lift their head up and if the teacher asks them to hold the rolled bandage they tend to use force, which disturbs their brain and eyes. So, jalandham bandha has to be 1 arnt gradually.

Also, she advised, as in Light on Prana)!ama (LOP), using a higher head support at times to promote the feeling of the chin lock.

Always beware of hypertension and not to force the neck muscles. T he head has to be on the blanket in such a position so the neck is not tensed, as for a reclining small antara rechaka. However, this is not jaland­

ham bandha.

Mula bandha's first stage is flSvini mudra, gently lilting the anus. Students can be made aware of the anal mOllth adjustment in asvi­ ni mudra in preparatory aj"tlllaS, such as tada5tma, lIttalUlsana, adho mukha SlJanaStl11a, ardhva rianUii.l.l"tlna, SirSilj"tlna, samangasana on/off the chair, setu bandha j"tlrvangaj"tlJU! , and others.

Most of the time, students will understand mula bandha in antara kumbhaka. \X!hen you have a complete inhalation and then you retain the breath with jalandhtli'{{ bandha, then take the awareness to the anal mouth region, only the anal sphincter, which you elevate. T he grips have to be taught stage by stage. First the area has to be felt by the prac­ titioner. Abdomen and vagina for ladies

Spring 2004

should not become hard. In sitting posture, if women come too far fOlward on the pubis, this hardens the vaginal area. So be on the buttocks. Also use the pubic plate extension to lift. For men, testicles should not be heavy.

Sometimes, Geetaji has taught mula band­ ha before sirsasana, lying down on a blanket rolled into a conical shape to support the tail bone, so the waist also extends to the tail bone reg,ion. If it is taught in sirsasana it is called asvini mudra. The feel of asvini mudra guides mulabandha in pranayama.

A mudra is a mild seal. A bandha is absolutely tied up and sealed. Guruji does not recommend mula bandha generally for the beginners and irregular practitioners, as it is among the personal practices.

BHASTRIKA

Bhastrika is taught after making physiologi­ cal preparations, such as with uJjayi or vilo­ mao It is never taught straightaway without having the background of practice of these two pralJa)!amas.

It is taught in stages. First students have to listen to the sound. One startS in sitting posture with open nostrils and palms down to establish the rhythm and the co-ordina­ tion of the movement of the ribs and diaphragm with the exhalation, just one or two "blasts." The teacher watches the height, width, and depth of the chest. The studen ts can do one to three cycles to match Geetaji's sound. Correcting is most important. If the sound goes wrong, one is applying a wrong force. If they collapse the chest, the teacher should stop and say "Look at your chest. Look at my chest.

Look at my abdomen," etc. Show how the teacher does not drop the spine. Geetaji suggests imitating them. "I do not want this. This is what you do." This gives them a better understanding. If they do it force­ fully and too many cycles, it is the teachers' responsibility to see and check. If the sound is not correct or the head is thrown back and the shape of the chest is not maintained, do not increase the blasts. Do

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

not harden the intercostals or other parts of the chest or go "kicking" the head. Later they can go to 6 - 8 cycles. This is stage I ­ LOP Then bhastrika is taught as anuloma, with digital nasal control. There are two types: first, inhalation through open nostrils and exhalation through one nostril - first right and then left. Few blasts on right and then few blasts on left. Secondly, inhalation through open nostrils and exhalation through alternate nostriIs. 1) Inhale through both open nostrils, though fingers may be very close to the nos­ n·ils. First begin blasting on the right: inhale, exhale right, inhale, and exhale right. Every inhalation is through open nos­ trils and every exhalation through the right, digitally controlled left nostril closed. After the right it is the left. Inhale through both open nostrils and exhale left blast, with thumb closing the right nostril. Though the inhalation is through both nostrils, the fin­ gers rest on the nose.

Be especially aware of when the sound varies with cold or sinus blockage. If one side is too blocked, the ears become hard, so students should not risk injury. We must take good care of eyes and ears. Bhastrika does not work when students are suffering a cold attack or a headache. If (he nose is sim­ ply runny, students can practise bhastrika, or at the beginning or end of a cold.

As it comes, and the sound is well synchro­ nized, students can do more, six or eight cycles of blasts.

2) Then comes alternate nostril: inh ale through open nostrils and exhale through right nostril, then inhale through open nos­ trils and exhale through left nostril. These blasts are done on alternate nostrils though the inhalations are through open nostrils.

After these preparations for digital bhastri­ ka, one can do LOP stage II in which both the nostrils are partially closed and blasted by opening them partially. In stage III one

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Spring 2004

closes the left nostril completely and uses only right nos­ trils for Inhalation and blasting exhalation. After a cou­ ple of cycles one closes the right nostril and does only with the left nostril.

Then you do alternate nostrils with quick succession.

Blocking left nostril, inhale through open right nostril, exhale blast right; inhale through open left nostril and exhale blast left, developing up ro six or twelve pairs of blasts, when you are used to it. Geetaji has not taught this recently due to roo many new students.

Then students could go to a bhastrika like nadi sodhana: inhale right, blast exhalation left, inhale right and blast exhalation left. This is the IV stage of bhastrika.

However the sound of blasts changes when one does digital bhastrika. In most advanced bhastrika the sound becomes smoother. Guruji has not introduced this into the syllabus as such, but it is for those who are so advanced. Most of us have enough pranayamas to prac­ tlce.

Bhastrika can also be taught to make students more sensi­ tive after practicing digital nasal pranayama to promote understanding of why the nostrils are blocked. Only for foggy, depressed, shaking, not concentrating, or distracted students, it can be done straightaway.

If you find the right nostril is blocked (not e'dfS or the eyes S\'Vollen), then you could do a few blasts on the right to open the right nostril. But with the blasts one should not lose the sensitivity. The blasts are meant to develop the sen­ sitivity. This would be for more advanced students.

Bhastrika is always followed by savasana, unless it is done only for a few strokes to cle'df out nostrils as mentioned above. The reason behind doing bhastrika is to open the nostrils for the digital pranayama then savasana is not needed, b ut if it is done as the main pranayama then after bhastrika savasana is essential. The brain and chest have to come back to normalcy as far as its sensitivity is concerned in order to do the next pranayama.

ASANAS BEFORE PRANAYAMA

Thus, the whole programme of bhastrika is as follows: 1) Open nostrils blasts (stage 1)

Asanas conducive for conditioning and regularising 2) Anuloma bhastrika: pranayama include tadasana, uttanasana, supta virasana, a. Inhale open nosails, exhale right (couple of supta baddhakonasana, matsyasana, vlparita dmdas{l11a on blasts) the chair, sirsasana (independent or rope), sarvangasana b. Inhale open nostrils, exhale left (couple of blasts) (independent or on a chair) setu bandha sarvangasana, c. Inhale open nostrils, exhale right, inhale open ardha halasana, sometimes Janusirsasana for head rest and nostrils, exhale lefi: alternatively (couple of blasts) hem rest, and viparita karani. Teachers can choose among (These first two are stage 1 - fully open nostrils) these as time and circumstances permit. These asal'las 3) Nadi shodhana bhastrika (stage II) Inhale through bring the freedom in the respiratory organs, sooth and qui­

partially opened nostrils and exhale blasts through eten the nerves and brain, make one passively alert. One partially opened nostrils keeps the past behind and restrains from the fuuue" 4) Single Nostril Bhastrika (stage III) remains in the present. One gets sattvika placidity more a. Inhale through right, blast through right, left is than tamasic dull silence. The body and mind are fresh­ blocked completely (couple of blasts) ened and the scope of the breath increased. b. Inhale through left, blast through left. Right is blocked completely (couple of blasts) LEFT HAND DIGITAL PRANAYAMA c. (Not in Light on Pranayama) Inhale through right, blast through right, inhale through left, Regarding using the left hand for digital pranayamas, it is blast through left (couple of blasts, alternate nos­ permissible when there is some problem, like arthritis or a trils) frozen shoulder and amputated arm. Also, students could sit with two hands in the mudra for digital pranaymna.

5. Alternate Noscrils Bhastrika a. Inhale through right, blast through left: (couple of Though the right hand remain in pranayama mudra and blasts) (completes one cycle - surya bedhana) the left hand remains in Juana mudra in the usual process b. Inhale through left, blast through right (couple of of practice, often it is noticed that very few know the fin­ ger action in pranayama mudra. In order to get accus­ blasts) (completes one cycle - chandra bedhana) 6. Nadi Snodhana (stage IV) - Inhale through right, tomed to pranayama mudra students need to be taught to blast through left, inhale through left, blast through keep both the hands in pranayama mudra. Once their fin­ right (completes 1 cycle) gers are well educated, the teachers can ask them to release the left hand finger for Jnana mudra.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

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Spring 2004

GETI1NG UP FROM SAVASANA Guruji has said that after long supine pranayama, when your back has become velY heavy, you might roll to the left, roll to the right, maybe a second time until the sore back gets released. You might roll Onto the tummy for a prone savasana or even do adho mukha virasana. But always get up on the right (except in the case of an injury on the right i.e., shoulder, knee, or hip injury, then one has to get up from the left, but NEVER to just sit straight up). There is a reason for rolling omo the right, so that surya nadi, or pingala nadi wa! be active. Right side is considered as the auspicious side and keeps one active. The heart being on the left, the weight of the body is not thrown on that side when one gets up from the right. Traditionally it is said that one should sleep north/south by keeping the feet to the north and head to the south. The south is considered as the place of the ancestors (pitru-Ioka). Therefore, feet are not kept towards the south. By keeping the head to the south one shows respect to the ancestors who are no more with us. The earth goes rotating around its north south axis, where the east is in the forefront, the rota­ tion is west-east. This affects the human beings too.

Often we experience when we fly, if we go in the direc­ tion of the earth rotation, less is the jet lag than going against it. Similarly, if you get up from the right side being in a north south direction, you do not go against the earth's rotation. Obviously the nerves do not get shaken.

The sunrise is on the east, when you get up even early in the mornings turn right so you face east. This is to ask for grace, bliss and blessings since the jnana shakti, intelligence, illuminative energy comes from the sun god. So when you sleep north/south, turn right - you face east.

PRANAYAMA WITH OPEN EYES For beginners or for patients in the medical classes, Geetaji starts by asking them to sit straight, with the eyes open, to feel the chest and when the head is down, to look if the cheSt is getting open or is sinking. Then after a while, students can close the eyes. This is to develop awareness.

When they keep the eyes open, they are taught to con­ nect themselves with awareness to their chest and mind. They learn to be with themselves. With open eyes they are not allowed to see somewhere else, but rather their attention is brought exactly where it is required. When you ask them to close the eyes they get disconnected from the body and mind. With open eyes they are not only connected to their body and mind but they begin to watch the interaction between the body the breath and mind.

Many a time you have to show them, "This is your chest; these are your ribs." Then they can identify the pans in the doing process though everyone knows where they exist.

When it is the general pranayama class, you can ask the pupils to do supta baddha konasana, supta virasana, matsyasana along with sirsasana, sarvangasana, setu bandha sarvangasana preliminary to the practice of pranayama which prepares them physically, physiologi­ cally, psychologically and mentally. Then while doing pranayama, pupils find a good preparation from body, and mind, sensitivity to proceed further in pranayama.

Do not ask beginners to use bolster from savasana or savasana-pranayama. Give them the feel of the usual traditional savasana. The beginner students can lie flat,

However, when you concentrate only on pranayama, you may not go for mana but straightaway begin with pranayama. When yo sit for pranayama, you are dis­ turbed physically and memally even with simple household work, it is better to begin with savasana for ten minutes or so and then do sitting pranayama. By doing savasana in the beginning, the scattered mind and scattered energy which feels completely dispersed is gathered, channelled and centralised. It is a savasana, done for pratytlhara. Then YOll can proceed with

without a bolster or blanket to get the feeling of the chest movement. Later when you give them a bolster or blanket they get the feeling of the difference to valY the condition of their chest, head and brain in these two postures, with props and without props.

DURING MENOPAUSE During menopause, some women perspire even sitting with jalandhara bandha. At this time, to avoid hot flashes, it is helpful to lie flat without a bolster or blan­

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

ket under the chest. The prop suppOrt disturbs them often. Secondly, as one ages, the sternum and connect­ ing ribs area may seem hard, dry, shortening and sink­ ing. One finds lifelessness in this area. Really lengthen­ ing the sternum, as in viparita dandasana on a chair or setubtmdha saJ'vangasana on a bench, is important.

pranayama.

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Spring 2004

THE MENOIPAUSE

This article is the first part of of a talk by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar; the second part will be published in the nest issue of IYN. This transcript was originally published in YOGA LINK (Nov. 2003), the official newsletter of the BKSIYA of N.z. Inc.

S

ome people have asked me whether I would be giving a lecture on menopause.

completely stopped and that is why it is called menopause. The beginning of first menstruation is called menarche and the end of the last menstruation is called menopause.

I don't think a lecture as such is required because the problems are yours. With a lec­ ture on menopause I can just go on arrang­ Sally: I find now before my period I get very ing all the topics on physical problems, fotigued Before it comesfor seven to ten days. mental problems, physiological problems So how should I practise or not practise? and that will be a theoretical one. If you ask the questions it will be practical, so if you I will never say "don't practise". (Laughter) come forward then your doubts may be This is a kind of premenstrual problem cleared. Let it be a Question and Answer before the menopause. The premenstrual session. So anyone who wants to come for­ problems at the beginning of menstruation ward can come and ask. Sam is the first. are quite different and premenstrual ten­ Sam is coming with the question instead of sions or the premenstrual syndromes that you find at the time of menopause, towards lakhs coming forward. the end of menstruation are quite different.

Sam: Why is it called men-o-pause( (laughter) This question has been dealt with in my book, that is flow one has to get rid of these problems.

First of all, when you are having It is just to say that the man has to pause there. (Laughter and clapping). If they the fatigue you can ( exert yourself. That is pause women can certainly pause. (More a straightforward answer. Since you cannot laughter). Menopause is a Greek word exert yourself it does not mean which explains that it is completion ofa cer­ that you do not practise at all. I have said tain action, coming to the end of menstru­ that headstand and sholllderstand, along ation and that is why it is called menopause. with the variations in which YOll can man­ So woman somewhere comes to the end of age to stay, improve the circulation. The her physiological functioning of the body oxygen level that you sometimes find less in and that is why it is called men-o-pause. So your body is increased with sirsasana and that is the main thing That is to inform sarvangasana. Fatigue often comes because that her very function of life - to bring the the lower abdominal organs undergo some progeny or to bring society into the exis­ sort of change, as mentioned above. It is tence somewhere ceases, that function ceas­ not that the whole body is getting the es. And that is why it is called menopause. fatigue, bur you find it is the fatigue in the It is not only that it occurs in women bur head and you just can ( take the toad of perhaps it occurs to men a little bit earlier brain work. OK, am I right? because her biologica'l functions are seen.

Seen in the sense that still she has the capac­ Sally: Yes. ity to produce the child It is seen the moment she brings a child to birth. It is You can't take the load of the brain work so seen because she menstruates every month. headstand, shoulderstand, halasana, setu Bur here is a time when the function IS bandha sarvangasana or any of the variations

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

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Spring 2004

of sirsasana or sarvangasana your brain is quiet, and the blood supply to the brain is improved and that is why you find less of the fatigue. So I would always say give more attention to your sirsasana and sarvangasana in these ten days before the menstrua cion.

When you have hot flushes viparita dall­ dasana and setu bandha sarvangasana on the bench are very beneficial.

Then another reason for the fatigue is due to the heaviness of the lower abdomen.

That is also one of the causes where you can work more, as today Guruji said with

konasana. All these poses are very good when one suffers with metrorrhagia and oligomenorrhoea. I told Joan the other day that these kind of things are better for her to work.

Do a lot of baddha konasana,

upavistha konasana, sirsasana, sarvangasana or even baddha kOllasana and upavistha konasana in sirsasana. The inversions remove the fatigue. Those who get headaches with the fatigue for them it goes by doing half halasana and viparita karani.

trikonasana, parsvakonasana, ardha chan­ drasana. If you remember Guruji adjusted the back leg, in tri/?onasana especially, this

Q,testion: Some women when they are going towards menopause they get theirperiods as much as three to four time)' in the month. NolU during that time when they are having their periods should the inversions be complete!)! avoided?

new work, on the thigh, the lifting of ankle - the inner ankle to the outer ankle, etc, which we place against the wall, is a kind of thing which opens the pelvic region to a great extent. In ardha chandrasana, especial­ ly which was shown here against the wall with a brick or a blanket behind, that broadens the pelvic region and that takes off the fatigue to a great extent because the abdominal organs, the uterus and ovaries begin to contract and cause the pressure.

This kind of pressure or hardness is lessened In virabhadrasana II, trikonasana, parsvakonasana. You will find it much bet­ ter then and that also removes the fatigue. It is a kind of balance - between the brain and the abdomen. The glands exist in the head as well as in the abdomen. A sort of balance has to be created. You should not irritate them in backbendings. You have to extend the abdomen. Then that is not difficult.

Premenstrual tension sometimes causes the menstruation to get postponed. You want the menstruation to occur but it gets pOSt­ poned. In that case the backbendings work.

Do urdhva dhanurasana, viparita dandasana where the pelvis opens and the adrenal g}ands are activated and you get the men­ struation. The oestrogen is produced faster to have the menstruation. With back bend­ ings one stimulates ovaries and faltopian tubes. When you have to postpone the peri­ ods go for the forward bends, the Inversions. Baddha konasana, upavistha

The question is that when a woman is leading towards the menopause the cycles keep on changing. One does not get peri­ ods exactly after twenty eight or thirty days, It is likely to occur frequently. It stops suddenly and after stopping in two days or eight days or so, again you find the bleeding occurring and again it stops.

Again the bleeding occurs. In this manner it continues. This requires a little bit of self examination. All this 'in-between-bleed­ ing' which occurs is not of the same type, you understand? It is not a question of heavy or less flow. Now the bleeding peri­ od has to be observed individually. It could differ from person to person. It could be for four days, seven days, eight days. You have to see whether it is a normal cycle.

Suppose alter eight days the regular period has stopped and later the flow has lessened.

Then you must give a time for that to get it lessened. The flow has to be checked. So adjust the practice in such a way that the bleeding does not increase. I answer you in a practical way. When you know. it is get­ ting lessened, at that time, if you again overdo, then you stimulate with the ovaries and if you work more strongly without pacifYing the organ, you find the flow increasing, periods prolonging. You ask me this question only when you are experiencing during your menopause.

Have I not explained in my book? I have

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

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Spring 2004

mentioned it in my book the programme after the end of menstruation. How many follow the rule? I say in my book that after every period first practice the inversions.

Practice your headstand and shoulder­ stand, either along with your variations or just straight pose. Then you feel a kind of inner dryness when the bleeding is checked. Only then s\vitch over to your normal practice. I have written this as one of the rules, isn tit?

Audience: 1es Now many of them do forward bends dur­ ing the menstruation. They foUow the rule perfecdy. But then after the menstruation, the moment the menstruation comes to a stoppage, I see many of them just switch­ ing over all of a sudden to backbendings, baiancings, etc. They think they have not done 'hard work' for four or five days. I don t know what you mean by 'hard work' etc. For me the hard work and soft work is the same as long as I use my inteUigence.

When you use the intelligence then hard work can become soft and the soft work can also become hard because we are using the real intelligence to do that pose. So what you people do, suddenly go for the back bending, standing poses, exerting yourself. This causes the problems not when you are young but when you lead towards menopause. Not when you are just twenty five or thirty years old bur later when you are forty five. So if you haven t corrected yourself during young age at least tell your daughters to correct themselves, so that they switch over for the correct practice.

Secondly the practice after the periods is a healing process. I will say that headstand and shoulderstand along with the varia­ tions heal the generative organs. Again the practice depends upon ones strength.

When you become quiet in your headstand and shoulderstand, do not go for many variations. Straight tlSanas keep you cool, calm, quiet and when that feeling has come the mind gets subdued. That is what

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

13

Guruji often says, that being in sirsasana and sarvangasana is a kind of meditation.

You experience poise and peace at a differ­ ent level. So hold on in those poses, to qui­ eten yourself. If you could train yourself from the very beginning then these prob­ lems wiB not occur. But now, at this stage, what you should do after the menstruation period, when it gets over, concentrate more on inversions. Inversions check the irregu­ lar bleeding. Suppose in spite of the prac­ tice of inversions when you are sure it is over and the next menstruation occurs in ten days or say fifteen days, then do nor treat it as a menstruation since ovulation has not occurred. It is a menstruation before the ovulation. It is not a fresh men­ struation so you can certainly do the inver­ sions. A period is regular only after ovula­ tion. T herefore continue with inversions.

Do not do the variations by compressing your abdomen, hardening your abdomen as an exercise. I think this is more related to what Guruji often says, that your tailbone goes out, the buttocks the hardened which projects backwards.

This also causes the inner disturbance, organic compression. If you remember the other day in sirsasana where the anal mouth and perineum were balanced. The moment you lift the anal mouth higher than the vaginal mouth, definitely, you feel the abdomen cramps. You realise that you have hardened the muscles. The inversion should not be done wrongly. A correct posture will give health, a wrong posture will lead towards disease.

So the best way, what I say is that I cannot go on telling you to that the anal mouth down, pubic plate upwards. But if you do sirsasana with baddha konasana, sirsasana with upavistha konasana against the wall, then the anal mouth is nor raised upwards. So when that is levelized the organic adjustments occur and the problem does not reoccur.

Do not tal(e the risk. The bleeding should not occur often. Do sarvangasana on the chair. Do half supta konasana. Then the

Spring 2004

treatment is not risky. Not that everyone here understands what to do and what not to do. They are not in a mood to under­ stand also. They just want remedy for that moment. They are not keen to know whether the perineum went up or the anal mouth went up. But in these poses if you help them, put them into supta konasana with support - that is half supta konasanalhalf haLasana and spreading the legs. Many of them do not know the names, therefore. I am telling them. Supta konasana is good, sarvangasana, baddha konasana is good since they dry up the area very fast. More than sirsasana, sarvangasana is helpful - because the pituitary gland is not stimulated as much as it is in sirsasana.

That is why the feeling after sirsasana is quite different. And that is why often I say that after sarvangtlSana the back bendings will not be suitable. You do sirsasana then you do the backbendings because the pitu­ itary is already active and you can do better back bendings. But after sarvangasana you cannot do back bending course.

So this is what you have to remember that when the flow is between the normal peri­ ods you have to do the healing asanas such as upavistha konasana, baddha konasana and inversions. Sitting and forward exten­ sion also help but in these asanas you have to learn to lift up the pelvic organs.

Remaining yourself on the buttock bones without coming forward and rolling the whole organic body, which Gujuji taught us in sitting pranayama is the right method to adopt. We learn that in sitting pranaya­ mao Now you have to know flow to con­ nect this technique in baddha kortt15ana and upavistha konasana. But in the inversion it is more effective and especially in salamba sarvangasana. When you know it is a regu­ lar period of yours after twenty eight days and thirty days then treat that period as a regular period. The problem should get arrested after two or three menstruation cycles. If it does not then there is some­ thing wrong, for which we have to treat you as a patient and work in a different way changing the line of treatment. Parsva sa/"­

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

vangasana (on the bench), d£lnciasana, bad­ dha konasana and upavistha konasana, in 'L shape, as Guruji says, or swastikasana 'L shape, works tremendously for getting dry­ ness. Recently a lady from London had the same problem bleeding continuously for twO months without a single day gap. She is leading towards menopause. I asked her to follow the same, including supine exten­ sions and inversions. Now, the bleeding has stopped.

Question: This is kind of connected with Sally's question about the fatigue and the hemliness on the abdomen. J am wondering about the difference between fatigue in the thighs as opposed to in the abdomen. !f the discomfort, premenstrual discomfort, is more in the thighs as opposed to the abdomen.

That is what I exactly said, about the stand­ ing poses. She is saying that some of them did not understand the question. The fatigue that you feel in the abdomen is felt even in the thighs. So what to do for such fatigue is the question?

Audience: Same thing.

Same fatigue. I often say that standing poses make one feel exhausted during pre­ menstrual stage and menstruation.

Therefore, please do not exhaust yourself during standing poses. If you have to do standing poses, go against the walt Did I not say that? So do against the wall. If you just want to show you have got the strength and you can do the pose, you are harming yourself. You can t make your muscles work hard when they are not strong enough. The rest of the days when you are not having menstruation you definitely do the standing poses. Standing poses are helpful somerimes when there is dysmen­ orrhea - pain in the groin, abdomen, pelvis.

Then you cannot stand, you cannot walk.

You have to do the limited standing asanas such as ardha chandrasana, uthita hasta padangusthasana and supine supta pandan­ gusthasana. They remove the pain and the fatigue in the thighs.

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NEWS FROM PUNE

Stephanie Quirk reports on the

Bellur Krishnamachar and Seshamma Smaraka Nidhi Trust ®

n December 2003, for those blessed to be attending the 85th Birthday celebra­ tions of our beloved Guruji Yogacharya Sri. BKS Iyengar in Pune, you would have seen and heard of the Trust fund that Guruji is setting up to raise funds for the improvement of the lives of the peo­ ple of his native village. The above named trust has been initiated by Guruji along with his extended family of brother and brother-in-laws, sister and sister-in-laws, sons and daughters. AU rhe children and descendents of Shri Bellur Krishnamachar and Seshma Krishnamachar, Guruji's Father and Mother. Like Guruji they are linked by birth with the village of Bellur in Kolar district, Karnataka State. Along with Guruji they all wish to see the upliftment of their native village from a poor back­ ward village to a place of pride for its inhabitants. They are aiming to bring positive change not only to their village but also to the surrounding area.

I

Their proposals fall into four main areas of Education, Social, Health and Cultural. The aims are: EDUCATION • To set LIp Primary and Higher-Primary schools at Bellur Village as well as other bach'Ward areas in the country.

• To up-grade the already existing village schools.

• To set up -technical and education insti­ tutions for imparting job-orientated courses and vocational training that is applicable to the rural youth, improv­ ing their employment prospects.

• To suppOrt and provide for adult edu­ cation centres in rural areas, including the setting up of libraries and reading rooms in villages.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

15

SOCIAL • To improve living standards at the vil­ lage level, especially with social educa­ tion in the problem areas of alcohol and tobacco consumption.

• To provide clean drinking water facili­ ties and improve the sanitary & drainage conditions at villages.

• To provide education to create aware­ ness among rural peoples about the lat­ est developments in the fields of agri­ cultLIre and allied areas and to support rheir actLIal implementation.

HEALTH • To create awareness among rural peo­ ple of the importance of individual as well as public health care.

• To establish primary health care centres in the villages.

CULTURAL • To promote and further the technical and artistic skills of the rural people in the field of traditional handicrafts and help to establish cottage industries.

During the 85th Birthday Celebrations we called for contributions towards these projects. Wle also passed out CDs to members from different countries, which showed the occasion where Guruji trav­ elled to Bellur along with his daughters, Vanita, Suchita, Sunita and Savita along with their husbands and children, to offi­ cially hand over to the village the exten­ sion to the school building for which the Iyengar Family have already funded (pri­ vately). In this new construction there are now weekly Yoga classes being con­ ducted, a space for the village to hold large social functions, as well as some small rooms. Guruji has himself now undertaken the consuuction of a temple S ring 2004

in the village to house t\vo idols belong­ ing to the village that have lain locked away without puja being observed.

It is dear that Guruji's native village will benefit from these improvements , but how much more so if more projects can be undertaken? A health centre, public health-prevention programmes, sanita­ tion, education for all (children as wei as adults), cultural projects as well as pro­ viding real and useful technical skills aimed at the needs of the local commu­ nity.

One of Guruji's dreams is to set up a Technical College, where youths can be educated and gain skills that help them and their community, skills that are tar­ geted for the needs of the community and provide a base of knowledge amongst th e inhabitants that uplift all directly and indirectly. For this Guruji has applied for the release of 15 acres of land in the vil­ lage and with much joy we can say that this part of the dream looks like it will be realised. The State Government has approved the release of the land. We await the final signing over before begin­ ning on the next stage of levelling, fenc­ ing, grading, planning, and along with it planning permission approval applica­ tlons etc.

Behind the etc ... is a story. .. India is a country of over 1 billion people.

Administering such a place can be no joke! The intricacies of getting official approval for the simplest application here is mind-boggling. Gurujis son-in-law Raghu, must have travelled to the offices of the state minister to oversee the appli­ cation for the land not less than 80 times!

Telephone calls, visits, enquiries just to see if it has been passed from one secre­ tary to another. It is a JOB in itself.

Getting approval to accept overseas con­ tributions to the Trust is turning out to be a project in legendary proportions. An Example : In this complex country Guruji could not include in the applica­

Iyengar Yoga News No .5

tion to receive overseas donations that the funds were for the temple he is construct­ ing, as religious subjects here are immedi­ ately political, and no politician is willing to approve of any project that has a reli­ gIOUS context.

In December during {he celebrations we passed out forms for foreign students to be able to make contributions to the trust. These forms collected from the stu­ dents formed part of the application for the Trust to be approved to accept over­ seas contributions. We believed that if approved the Trust would have clearance to receive any overseas funds. BUT it turned out that the application was approved to receive only those funds, which we had tendered the forms for.

A second chance! Guruji has been grant­ ed permission to tender a further applica­ tion. At first we were given till the end of the month to forward our application. It is difficult for people to organise fund raising events at short notice, so we were able only to collect a few forms from donors - But Guruji is very very grateful for those who so quickly responded to his call. THEN .....

A REPRIEVE! !T IS NOW ELECTION TIME here in India! This means that any application will not be approved until the elections are over - MID MAY - Guruji has been advised that June would be a good time for him to submit his application for approval to receive further overseas funds.

Again the ap proval will be for the amount on th e forms we submit.

So we have a window of opportunity.

After this application to be submitted in June fhe Trust will have to wait a year before making any further submissions for approval. We want to be able to apply for a substantial amount now so that the work on the 15 acres can proceed. For this we need to present as many donor

16

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Work •

IS

Karma

Yoga

Word •

IS

Jnana

Yoga

No

conflict

·

In

word

and

work

·IS

YOGA

forms as possible NOW This means that we can co-ordinate fund raising efforts so that contributions are received here In India at the time the Trust intends to make its annual application.

To be involved in supporting the projects undertaken by organisations such as the Trust, which up-lifts the lives of many, is an inevitable aspect of our practice. As we develop in this practice that purifies and refines the physical, physiological, men­ tal/emotional, intellectual and devotional aspects of ourselves, there is a natural wish to benefit those we find ourself shar­ ing life with. As Guruji says in the open­ ing lines to the chapter on Dhyana in Light on Pranayama: "When the powers of the intellect and the heart are harmonious­ Ly blended, this is dhyana. All creativity pro­ ceeds ftom it, and its good and beautiful results benefit mankind".

I hope this letter has given you something of the story behind the Trust and its activ­ ities as well as a look into the problems that Guruji faces trying to help the peo­ ple of his village. All of us benefit from the work this man has done. He has come into our lives in a way that all who prac­ tice will agree up-lifts them. To partici­ pate in the fund raising for this trust will be to give people from these very poor backward villages a sense of confidence and self-respect.

Fund Raising Some Institutes in the UK and many individuals world wide have already organised activities to raise money to sup­ port this project, which is very close to Guruji's heart. The IYA (UK) gave Guruji a donation to mark his 85th birth­ day.

There are several ways that you can make a donation to Guruji's project: • As an individual • As an Institute • As a group There are many things you can do to raise money: • Organise a yoga day or social event • Make a collection • Etc .......

How to send money collected The IYA(UK) will co-ordinate the collec­ tion of funds to send to India.

Please send: • The DONATION FORM (overleaf) • CHEQUE made payable to IYA(UK) to: Leza Hatchard IYA(UK) Main Office 21 Woodgrange Avenue Ealing London W53NY Please enclose sae for receipt.

Please use the information I have put here and pass on the story to all. Share with Guruji in his dream to build up the peo­ ple of his native village and surrOLlI1ding areas. This is the web page on www.bksiyengar.com that when opened shows some of the images taken from BeHur when Guruji went to official­ ly hand over the newly built social/yoga hall to the head master of the school:

Alternatively, you can send your donation direcdy to Guruji: Please send to RIMY!: • The DONATION FORM (overleaf) • Bank draft payable to the name of the Trust for the exact amount stated on the Donation form.

http://www.bksiyengar.com/mod ules/lnstitut/Yoginilyogini.htm

If you are able to send immediately (i.e. before the end of May) we can beat the deadline for 2004.

Regards and best wishes from Pune, Stephanie Quirk (J 7th March, 2004)

NB This is an on-going project.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

17

Spring 2004

Bellur Krishnamachar & Seshanuna Smaraka Nidhi Trust

® No 864, 25th Cross, 51 st Main, 1 Stage, Kumaraswamy Layout, Bangalore - 560 078, India

CHIEF PATRON Dr. B.K.S. Iyengar (Padmabhushan Awardee) BOARD OF TRUSTEES Sri. B.K. CHELUVARAJAN President Sri. B. RAGHU Mg. Trustee Sri. T. NARASIMHAN Treasurer Sri. B.R. KANNAN Dr. SAVITA RAGHU Sri. K.R. MURALIDHARA Dr. ONKAR Sri. ARUN Sri. RAGHAVENDRA SHENOY Sri. RAMASWAMY Sri. SHARADAMMA

THE PRIMARY AIMS OF PROJECTS BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE ABOVE TRUST The proposals fall into the main areas of Education, Social, Health and Cultural.

EDUCATION 1. The setting up of Primary and Higher-Primary schools, at Bellur Village as well as other backward areas in the country.

2. To up-grade the already existing village schools ro a higher grade.

3. Set up technical and education institutions for imparting job orientat­ ed courses and vocational training, that is applicable and will uplift the rural youth and improve their employment prospects.

4. To support and provide adult education centres in rural areas.

5. Setting up of libraries and reading rooms in villages .

SOCIAL 1. To improve living standards at the village level, especially with educa­ tion in the problem areas of alcohol and tobacco consumption. , 2. Provide clean drinking water facilities and improve the sanitary & drainage conditions at villages, thereby improving the general public health.

3. Educate and create awareness among rura peoples about the latest developments in the fields of agriculture and allied areas and ro sup­ port their actual implementation.

HEALTH 1. To create awareness among rural people of the importance of individ­ ual as well as public health care.

2. To establish primary health care centres at villages as well as backward areas.

CULTURAL 1. To promote and further the technical and artistic skills of the rural people in the field of traditional and handicrafts and help ro establish cottage industries.

DONATION FORM I/We are pleased to eval'uate the aims of the projects being undertaken by the M/S Bellur Krishnamachar & Seshamma Smarakanidhi Trust®, Bangalore, to set up educational activities at the village in Bellur, the Birthplace of my/our beloved Guru Sri. B.K.S. Iyengar. While appreci­ ating the projects being undertaken by M/S Bellur Krishnamachar & Seshamma Smarakanidhi Trust (R) Bangalore. l!We .... . ... . ......... . .................. . .... . ........ . .......... . .... .

Address ..... . .................. . ..... . .. . ......... . ............. . ... .. .. .

email etc .. .. ............. . .... . . . ........... . ........ . ........ . ......... .

Would like to donate .......... . ........ . ........ . .... . ........ .. . (as bankers draft, money order, travellers cheque or cash as Indian Rupees), towards corpus fund/building fund for utilisation by Bellur Krishnamachar & Seshamma Smarakanidhi Trust (R) Bangalore.

Signed ... . . .... . . . .. ................................ . ... .. ... . ....... .. .

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

18

Spring 2004

"I WANT TO BECOME A TEACHER"

Rajvi H. Mehta is touring the UK this summer with her brother Birjoo and teaching at the IYA Convention in Manchester in June. In this article she explains that becoming an Iyengar Yoga teacher is not as easy as people think.

"I

want to become a yoga teacher.

When do you have the next teacher training course?" The questioner is asked, "Are you a student of Iyengar Yoga?" "No, but I want to join your teacher training course." This is the con­ versation that we have several times a week through different commun ication media, the phone or electronic mail.

Such a conversation sound s absurd, amusing, and even annoying. Absurd and amusing that an individual who does not even know a subject expresses a desire not to learn it but start teaching it; annoying that a subject with the depth of yoga is taken so casually.

Sixty-six years ago when Guruji started teaching yoga, it was d ifficult to even earn a proper meal a day. Today, yoga has become very popular and accepted worldwide as an alternate therapy, a means of relaxation, a done thing! And, along with the popularity is an increased demand for yoga teachers. So, many individuals are now seriously considering taking up teaching yoga as a ptofession.

It is indeed nice that more and more peo­ ple will get the benefit of this subject.

However, it is very saddening and even distressing when people take to teaching for financial gains and the fame it gives you, where adding the 'adjective' Iyengar to your 'qualification' of yoga teacher is a great help.

Rather than CfltlClZe these 'wanna-be' teachers for their 'enthusiasm' which may be due to ignorance rather than arro­ gance, it is our duty as students and teachers of Iyengar Yoga to educate the students about what the art of teaching involves and the kind of commitment it

19

needs. This 'education' should not be through mere words but through action.

This is the responsibility of all the long­ time students and teachers of Iyengar Yoga.

Geetaji has often said that teaching is not just the techniques. Repeating the methodology of an asctna from Light on Yoga does not make one a teacher.

Prashantji has clearly demarcated the modern-day teachers from tutors. The modern-day teachers (from any field, not essentially yoga) feel the,ir job is done once they have covered the syllabus that they have been assigned to teach (which need not relate to what the pupil has understood) while the tutor sees to it that the pupil has understood what has been taught.

Teaching any subject is a major responsi­ bility and teaching the art of teaching is a score above the rest. One is not only teaching an individual but is responsible for the transmission of knowledge for the generations to come. In India, students desirous of being teachers of high sec­ ondary school need post graduation in the specific subject, which means 5 years of college education after 12 years of schooling. This is the time frame of learning required for teaching an objec­ tive subject.

How then can one expect to be able to teach a subjective subject like yoga with­ in a few weeks of "learning" and that too after attending one or two classes a week?

One needs to be a good, regular, sincere student who also practises regularly at home before even dreaming of becoming a teacher. Learn to be students first. An

Spring 2004

average student needs at least 3 to 5 years of learning before even considering teaching.

hyperextension of the calf and the back of the knee, can create more pain and do more harm than good. The student may not even know whether his hamstrings are shortened or inner :Iegs are shortened.

The teacher needs to be able to identify the deformities or loss of alignments in the different individuals and have the insight to get the student (or patient) to perform the right modification of the asana for his problem. As Guruji has said, "asanas are descri ptions and not prescrip­ tions."

Yoga is a subjective subject where you are dealing with human life. Medical educa­ tion requires 5 years of practical and the­ ory education followed by 6 months of intense internship in a hospital before one can start independent practice.

Specialization in any field requires anoth­ er three years i.e. nearly eight and a half years of forma! education after 12 years of schooling. The question once again arises whether a few weeks or a few months or Description requires clear thoughts. One even a few years of learning suffices to can use words endlessly to describe how make one a yoga teacher? The 'wanna-be' to perform a particular asana but the teachers need to be made to understand words could have no meaning and would about the kind of time, dedication and only add confusion in the mind of a stu­ effort that will be required to ]earn yoga. dent. While, even a few words generated Only if they are prepared and show signs out of experience are more effective than of giving that kind of commitment, mechanical repetition of words of your should they be encouraged in to the art of senior teacher if you are unable to articu­ late and generate the experience from teaching. your students.

In yoga, one deals not only with the body but also the mind of an individual. The Teaching does not mean mere repetition teacher needs to have proper understand­ of instructions. This will make teaching ing of practical anatomy, physiology and mechanical. Such mechanical teaching psychology of each and every asana (or at results in mere exercising. When the least those that he/she is teaching). I f not, teaching is mechanical, it involves only then there is a great risk of harming a stu­ the body and not the mind while a den t. Anatomy, physiology and psycholo­ yogasana involves the body, mind, emo­ gy of an asana cannot be learnt from tions, intellect and spirit. A teacher books but from your own practice. And, needs to be clear in his/her mind on that can happen only with regular prac­ what needs to be taught on a particular tice reflecting on the effects of each day to a particular group of students to action. Only if you understand your own prevent his/her teaching from becoming body, will you be able to understand the monotonous and mechanical. At the bodies of other individuals. same time, a teacher shou :ld have adapt­ ability. A teacher may come prepared At the same time, the teacher needs to with a set sequence of asanas and set realize that not all human beings are iden­ instructions that need to be taught. tical. S/he needs sharp observation skills However, if he/she finds no response to apply the right method for the right from the class then it is unethical to con­ student. For example, Guruji may have tinue on the same note. At the same made me place the sole of my front foot time, a teacher should see that the stu­ on a block in standing aSflnas if I have dent is always learning something new shortened hamstrings and the back of my from the class. During the Iyengar Yoga knees do not open out well. But, to use Festival in 1998 there were hundreds of the same technique on a student who has students amongst which were many

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

20

Spring 2004

teachers. Guruji taught so many things and subtle aspects even in the simplest of asana like tadasana. Even students attending classes at RIMYI for 25 years can never state that any two classes by Geetaji or Prashant)i have been identi­ cal. In each of the class, there is some­ thing new that we are always learning.

same time the teacher is 'teaching' and the student 'learning'. As long as the teacher sticks to the guidelines laid down, he would be doing justice to the students as well as the subject. Therefore a beginner is given a strict code of con­ duct and even instructions on how to present oneself, how to talk, what to teach and how to teach. To some extent, the first level of teachers are 'spoon-fed'.

This is to ensure that the teachers do no harm to the student and present the sub­ ject with the respect that is due to it.

One should also understand whether the student is 'not-performing' because of physical limitations or fear and apply appropriate techniques to get the student to do the asana as desired. Use of brute force can be dangerous but at the same Teachers need to remember that teaching If anyone would like to be a teacher time ignoring a student who is not doing is the beginning of learning and not the or unable to do is also not yogic. A bal­ end. Being able to perform many asanas then please ance between the tV\fO is absolutely essen­ or doing them well does not necessarily remember that you make you a good teacher but the ability tial. need to have to make others perform the asanas with practised Iyengar The teacher should have the abil ity to ease and stability are the signs of a good Yoga with a certificated teacher judge the capacity and capability of the teacher. Technical expertise does not suf­ for three years and students and teach accordingly. For fice to become a teacher. As Guruji says, example, consider a teacher who has "humane and emotional understanding that your teacher returned after attending classes with is essential. Good teaching requires clari­ must be willing to Geetaji and Prashantji at the Institute ty of the head and purity of the heart." write a letter of and attempts to 'repeat' all that he has recommendation newly learnt from them in the class. He The attributes required of a teacher are to your teacher however, has to judge the capability of many but a few of the traits that all trainer. his students as well as his own ability to teachers can work on can be summarized If you would like to transmit the same knowledge that he has by Guruji's words, "A teacher needs to be gained. Mere repetition of 'latest' clear, clever, confident, challenging, car­ know where your instructions does not make one a good ing, cautious, constructive, courageous, closest teacher teacher. A teacher's competence lies in comprehending, creative, completely trainer works then his ability to transmit the experience that devoted and dedicated to knowing the please refer to he has learnt from his own teacher to his subject, considerate, conscientious, criti­ Iyengar Yoga student depending upon the capability of cal , committed , cheerful , chaste and News No.4 the student. calm. They should be strong and posi­ (Winter 2003); tive, affirmative to create confidence in there is a list of Today, Iyengar Yoga is respected world­ the students and negative on themselves teacher trainers wide and therefore more and more peo­ to cri tically reflect on their own practice and courses on ple want to take to teaching Iyengar and attitude. Teachers must always be page 52.

Yoga. The respect that Iyengar Yoga com­ learning." mands is because of the very high stan­ Aternatively, dards set down by Guruji. Guruji and As teachers of Iyengar Yoga, we have to you can contact the Institute has specifically designed a constantly work towards attaining and the Introductory syllabus which is based on the capabili­ retaining these attributes that Guruji has Assessment ties of the different levels of teachers. referred to and by example, instill these Co-ord inator: This ensures that no teacher teaches on the students, some of whom may have Sheila Haswell beyond his/her capability so that there is the potential to be teachers. (sheila.haswell@ no harm done to the student and at the talk21.com)

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

21

Spring 2004

INTERVIEW WITH RAJVI MEHTA

Rajvi Mehta and her brother Birjoo are based in Mumbai, India, where they teach

at the Iyengar Yoga Institute. Birjoo first started studying with Guruji in 1975 and

for many years travelled extensively with Guruji on his trips around the world.

Rajvi, is also a long standing pupil of Guruji and is the editor of the international

Iyengar Yoga magazine, Yoga Rahasya. Birjoo and Rajvi Mehta will be the guest

teachers at the IYA(UK) Spring Convention to be held in Manchester on 12th and

13th June 2004. Before the Convention, they will be teaching at a

number of venues throughout the country (details below).

zjVi, when and how did you start your yoga practice? apart ji-om also teaching yoga, how do you find time to fit When you started your practice did you everforesee the in practice, do )'OU have a daily routine? impact it would have on you? What made you decide that I do not have anything like a fixed daily routine. Most time I work from home so work on my time. you wanted to teach?

R

Our father used to practise and learn under Guruji. He got us to join Guruji's class. There was no question of questioning him. If he asked us to go to class - we did.

We never ever realised that it would have such an impact on our lives or become such an integral part of our lives.

Initially, it was just Sunday to Sunday. It was not any decision that we intentionally took about doing yoga or teaching it. It just happened. As far as Birjoo was con­ cerned, one day Guruji told my father tbat "I am taking your son with me" - this was when Guruji was travelling abroad ... and that is when he took his first class in the US/UK. As far as myself is concerned, one of our senior Trustees asked me or rather ordered me to come and help in the ongoing classes of the Trust and then just asked me to teach. I started teaching these classes since 1987 and still continue to do so.

We believe you work and are heavi0! committed to other work which includes your work with Yog and Yoga Rahasya

How do you cope with your practice when touring around?

This is the first time I am traveHing abroad to teach so I have no idea as to how it is. But, I guess when one is teaching more - then one has to practice more. Teaching without practice has no meaning.

How do you manage with the change ofdiet when touring d~(firent countries, would you n017nally eat an Ayuvedic Diet in India?

We are born vegetarians and are particular about eating vegetarian food. Apart from that we are not very fussy about food.

Are women in India encouraged to practise yoga?

There is no discrimination between men and women in India as far as yoga practice is concerned. In fact, I think there may be more women practitioners than men.

YOGA DAYS with BIRJOO & RAJVI MEHTA

SATURDAY, 29 th MAY 2004 - Birjoo and Rajvi Kingswood School (Sports Hall/Moulton Hall), Fonthill Road, Lansdown, Bath 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

General Class 10.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Intermediate Class Contact: Kirsten Agar Ward; 01225 336144; office@bath-iyengar-yoga.com MONDAY, 31 st MAY 2004 - Birjoo and Rajvi John Oades Hall, Sedgemoor Building, Priory Road, St. AusteH, Cornwall 10.00 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.

General Class Contact: Jean Klitz; 01872 572807; e-mail: jeankutz@tiscali.co.uk

P.T.O.

--------~--------------------------------------~ 22 Spring 2004

WEDNESDAY, 2nd JUNE 2004 - Birjoo and Rajvi

Iyengar Yoga Institute, Acocks Green, Birmingham

10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Intermediate Class Contact: Jayne Orton; 0121 608 2229; jayne@iyengaryoga.uk.com WEDNESDAY, 2nd JUNE 2004 - Birjoo and Rajvi Centre 13, Community Centre, School Road, Moseley, Birmingham Beginners and General Class

7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Contact: Brian Jack; 01789 206322; jacksis@aol.com

FRIDAY, 4 th JUNE 2004 - Birjoo

Greenacre Community Hall, Rawdon, Leeds

General Class 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.

7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

General Class

Contact: Joe Burn; 0113 250 4336; joe.burn@virgin.net

FRIDAY, 4th JUNE 2004 - Rajvi

Yoga Centre, 2 Lee Croft, Sheffield

10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

Teachers' and Intermediate Class Contact: Frances Homewood; 0114 2335753; franceshomewood@hotmail.com FRIDAY, 4 th JUNE 2004 - Rajvi

St. Mary's Community Centre, St, Mary's Gate, Sheffield

6.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

General Class

Contact: Bev Fox; 0114 2556340

SUNDAY, 6 th JUNE 2004 - Birjoo and Rajvi Iyengar Yoga Institute, 223a Randolph Avenue, Maida Vale, London Pranayama 9.00 a.m. to 10 a.m.

General Class 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Contact: Emma Craig; 020 7624 3080; emma@iyi.org.uk

I

TUESDAY, 8 th JUNE 2004 - Birjoo

Quality Hotel, Wimey Way, Boldon, Nr Sunderland

10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

General Class General Class 7.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Contact: Gordon Austin; 0191 5487457; yoga@austinmg.fsnet.co.uk TUESDAY, 8 th June 2004 - Rajvi

Scotland

Contact: Annie Beatty; 01368 864002; anniebeatty@waitrose.com

FRIDAY, 11 th JUNE 2004 - Birjoo and Rajvi

Y Club, Casdefleld, Manchester

10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Teachers' Workshop Contact: Tess Whitelee; 0208 347 7311; tess.whitelee@btinternet.com Iyengar Yoga News No.5

23

Spring 2004

AUTUMN CONVENTION 2004 - READING

3rd - 5th September: Bulmershe Court, The University of Reading, (Berkshire) OPEN TO ALL - TEACHERS AND NON-TEACHERS The Oxford and Region Iyengar Yoga Institute is delighted to host this autumn's IYA(UK) convention, which

promises to be fun and informative. Each class will be taught by a pair of teachers, apart from the Friday teach­

ers' class, which will be taken by Silvia Prescott. We are pleased to welcome this band of home grown talented

teachers who all bring a deep understanding and joyful zeal to the yoga mat.

Margaret and Gordon Austin (Senior and Junior Intermediate teachers)

Margaret and Gordon live and teach in Sunderland. Margaret is a teacher trainer, assessor and moderator for

the IYA(UK). Gordon has contributed much to the former Teachers Association Committee including a peri­

od as chairman of the association. They are regular visitors to the Pune Institute (the town in India where Mr.

Iyengar and his family live and teach).

Lilian Biggs and Sheila Haswell (both Senior Intermediate teachers)

Lilian and Sheila are mother and daughter - they are both wonderful teachers. Lilian lives and teaches in

Bradford, Yorkshire, and Sheila now shares the running of the Sarva Centre in High Wycombe,

Buckinghamshire. Sheila is also a teacher trainer, assessor and moderator for the I.Y.A. - following in her moth­

er's footsteps. Lilian is well known as a one off - an inspiration to us all, and at the age of78, she is still teach­

ing and practising to a very high level

Judi Sweeting and Tig Whattler (Senior and Junior Intermediate teachers)

Judi and Tig have lived and worked in their yoga centre in Cirencester for the last 9 years. Judi has been "on

the yoga scene" for 28 years and is also a teacher trainer, assessor and moderator for the IYA(UK). They toO

have visited Pune together many times. They will be in Pune for the month of August 2004 and so will be back

'India fresh' in time for the Convention!

Silvia Prescott (Senior Intermediate teacher)

Needs little introduction, Silvia is one of the most experienced teachers in the country who has strong ties with

rune. Silvia lives in North London and now, in her 80's still teaches lively and inspirational classes at her own

studio as well as the Maida Vale Iyengar Yoga Institute. Silvia has her own special way of expressing the phi­

losophy of yoga through the teaching of asana. Silvia will be taking the teachers' class on Friday afternoon and

one of the pranayama classes on Saturday morning.

Venue and Accommodation Bulmershe Court is part of the University of Reading and is a spacious and modern facility set in beautiful grounds a short bus ride from Reading railway station. There is ample parking for those travelling by car. The accommodation is all single, en-suite rooms with each block of rooms having a community lounge with kitchen facilities.

Teaching Timetable Main classes (Saturday and Sunday) will start at 10 a.m.

There will also be optional pranayama classes at 7.30a.m.

The convention will finish after lunch on Sunday.

The full programme will be sent out with your confirmation of booking.

BONUS - No official meetings scheduled during the Convention!!

For more information:

phoneJennie Wood 07796 921687 or e-mail satILsmith@oriyiorg.uk or jennie@myos.freesetve.co.uk

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

24

Spring 2004

AUTUMN CONVENTION 2004 - Booking Form

NAME: ADDRESS: PHONE:

EMAIL:

l\r.~..Y..().~.. ~.I1...~y.~.l1g~::..yo.g~.T~~.~~~.~.? ................................................................................. ................:.................... ....................................................

.li?~ . J1:l~.l1y.y.~~.~.s..~Y..~~g~.~.y()g~.. pr.~.~~!.c.~!. ........................................................................................................................... ..................................

P.?Y.?~ ..P.:.~~.~.~~~ .. ?.!~rz.~yt!:.r!:.t!:!. ............. ............................................................................................................................._........................... .... ..... .......

Will you be attending the convention Pranayama sessions? ........................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................... .........­ ,

,

f .. .....

If you are not a member of the IYA (UK), please add your subscription fee £10.00 If you are already a member of the IYA (UK) , please circle whether you are an individual member, or whether you are a member through an affiliated Institute: Individual, AIYI, BDIYI, CIYI, IIYS, LIYI, MCIYI, MDIIY, NEIYI, NELIYI, ORM, SDIYI, SWM

Residential (Includes: evening meal and bed for Friday and Saturday; breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday; T-Shirt). Cost: £165

f .......

Non-Residential (Includes: lunch Saturday and Sunday; T-Shirt). Cost: f80

f ....... f ....... f .......

Evening meal on Friday. Cost: £1 0 Evening meal on Saturday. Cost: £15

Teachers' workshop: Friday 2-5pm (open

f .......

to qualified Iyengar Yoga teachers). COSt: f20

Please state specific dietary requirements (all food will be vegan/vegetarian). Special die{s can be catered for if notice IS given via this form. Late notification may cause difficulties.

Total payment enclosed (payable to "ORIYI Convention Sept 04"):

Please indicate T-shirt Style: Skinny 0 Size: SmalllMed 0 Colour: White 0

requuements: Standard 0 Med/Large 0 Light Blue 0

f .......

Extra Large 0 Navy 0

I If you require immediate confirmation and a receipt, please tick and enclose an SAE 0

Due to the amount of advance interest in the convention and the limited spaces, please enrol as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment General enqumes and completed forms to :

Jennie Wood

Montrose, Challow Road, Wantage, Oxon OX12 9DS

E-mail Address: jennie@myos.freeserve.co.uk Telephone 07796 921687 .

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

25

Spring 2004

------------------------------------------------------~

i

BEING AWARE OF TADASANA

Lilian Biggs explains how tadasana is present in every posture tand in tadasana and place your hands on the outer hip sockets, fingers pointing down.

Now pull the inner thighs and groins strongly up and feel how compact the hips become, how the abdomen lifts and the sacral muscles descend. This action should be maintained ro protect the head of the femur.

S

In lJrksasana, many beginners find it difficult to balance as the balancing leg loses the lift on the Inner thigh and the head of the femur moves out.

The correct action of the inner thighs and groins is really important when doing Back Bends to avoid using the lumbar area.

I know that tadasana is not Just about the cor­ rect action in the legs but I am getting really worried about the number of people with hip problems. In 1994 the Intensive I attended with Geetaji was geared to keeping the head of the femur in, as incorrect practice can eventually cause the head of the fern ur to eventually sli p off the hip socket.

So many students lose the correct action when going into uttanasana (baddha hasta uttanasana).

Stand with the feet hip width apart, raise the arms and hold the arms just above the elbow, stretch the trunk forward and down concentrat­ ing on the lift of the inner thighs and groins.

Now just for a few seconds relax the inner thighs and feel how the hips spread and there is a pulling sensation in the lower back.

On another occasion in London, senior teachers were teaching in different rooms and Jeanne Maslen and I were following Guruji around. In one room a student was having problems with her back when going into a forward bend.

Guruji asked her to stand up, he took a belt and measured around her hips, then he asked her to sit down and he measured her hips again and commented on the increase of her girth, ( Guruji's word). Of course if the hips spread when you go fo rward, the sacral muscles move toward the waist, causing lower back ache.

This wrong action can be detrimental when doing prasarita padottanasana especially when tak­ Ing the head down as when the head goes down, the inner thighs go down and the hips spread.

The spine itself always moves toward the head but the spinal muscles right from the trapezium move toward the burrocks, which is of course the action in tadasana.

In trikonasana the alignment is maintained if the awareness is kept on this lift in both legs.

WORKING WIT'H GURUJI John Evans was asked by the Astadala Yogamala Fund group to write an article for IYN to give a flavour of his experience of working with Guruji.

I

have just come back from two weeks in Pune after an absence of three years.

What took me was the usual, a book to be worked on with Guruji, with Geeta and Prashant helping and advising. I had wor­ ried the city would have changed beyond recognition and it is true that bits of it were unrecognisable. Sadly there are fewer birds, though the mewling kites still soar over Shivajinagar, and the chances of waking to the rumble of a bullock cart's wheels are nil, but once one turns off the Ganeshkind toad into the tree lined model colony and enters the old familiar institute, nothing essential seems to have changed.

Yet you have only to walk downstairs to the narrow semi-basement library to find that, except as according to Prashant, in savasana, time does not stand still. In days past at three o'clock the library would be empty, save for Guruji dealing with his correspondence, a mouse-quiet librarian and a typewriter on loan from a museum.

Now it is difficult to find a free chair.

Sprightly students using yogic powers (or just youth) to appear awake even during the siesta hours si t in front of flashing screens, palm tops, lap tops, heavy pes, printers, all jungled together with elec­ tronic entrails. The muffled talk is largely of failure to download, loss of compatibil­ ity and other arcane maladies of the infor­ mation society.

The only constant is Guruji, still, pen in hand, immersed in his papers, but alert as a dragon guarding its treasure, and I remember the old ways of manuscript cor­ rection. First Guruji would hand me a sheaf of blue typescript with edges curling up. I would correct it for spdling and grammar, strike out repetitions and over­ worked images, and mark the passages which, bein incomprehensible to me,

lyengar Yoga News No.5

27

might be so also to others.

Then back to Guruji: "This is not clear," I might say, or "This is contradictory." He never, ever, replied, "Well, it is clear to me," or defended his text. His attitude was simply to accept that it was not right and to set about changing it. To that end he would re-explain, re-express as often and as long as necessary and expect me to get on with it. He never looked back, never argued. All his attachment was to the sub­ ject, yoga, and none to his text. He describes himself as a practical man. That means dealing with things as they are. So he takes a raw paragraph from where it is, just as he brings along our Trikonasana from where it is. Patanjali says that mastery of asana will leave us unshaken by dua1li­ t,ies. To any author a big red line through paragraph after paragraph is a shaking experIence. Not to Guruji - he is unmoved.

Do perseverance, absence of pride and authorial egotism make him easy to work with? Of course, for the only problem that remains is the original one of how to express the subject and all energy is direct­ ed to that end. How much easier Guruji's life as a teacher 'would be if only his stu­ dents brought that same clean, optimistic humility to learning yoga.

People have some funny ideas about the "Spiritual Path", partly because of the lan­ guage we use. What we call the spiri tual path takes place in the realm of Nature.

After all, how can you move towards something which, like Divinity, is already by definition, everywhere? A better image might be that if we tidy and clean our house thoroughly enough, we might one day notice that Divinity has been sitting in it all along.

-------------------------

Spring 2004

Even if a man were to see God, it would still be impos­ sible for him to describe God to others and remain an honest man. All he can do is teach others to see, and that, I think, is what the Iyengars try to do, to impart through yoga the technology of seeing, of hearing, of scent, of taste and of sensitive feeling. They show oth­ ers how to discover. They never say what the discovery will be.

A scientist sets out to conquer nature through knowl­ edge - external nature, external knowledge. By these means he may split the atom and achieve external power. A yogi sets out to explore the nature of his own nature, to penetrate the atom of being. He does not gain dominion over wide lands and restless seas, but over his own recalcitrant flesh and febrile mind. This is not the power to destroy, but power to heal, the power of compassionate truth. This, to my mind, is what Guruji has. He radiates benevolent inteHigence. The presence of truth can make us feel naked, but the com­ passion takes aU our shame away.

There are those who like to evaluate, compare, even

judge their gurus, as if they were top cricketers or great artists. This is obviously nonsense. When I first met Guruji twenty five years ago, I was aware that I was standing at the foot of a rather large mountain. How high, who could tell? The summit was out of sight.

Has he changed in the last quarter century? Of course; beyond doubt the mountain is even more immense, and no, I still cannot see the top. The only observation I would make is that, strangely enough, the larger this mountain grows, the more sunny and clement the weather around it becomes.

Dr. D.T. Suzuki, the Japanese savant, was once asked what the difference was, in daily life, between an ordi­ nary man and one who has reached the ultimate free­ dom. He replied that whereas the ordinary man walks with his feet two metres above the ground, the enlightened man walks with his feet touching the earth. Perhaps we should bear this in mind when we hear Guruji say, "I am a practical man". We may not be able to see the summit of Mount Iyengar but at least we can appreciate the base planted so firmly on the ground.

Announcement for teachers -

HELP!!! A new pose has been identified!

It's called Arder Renewal Procrastinasana!

For those of you who would rather be doing Tittibhasana or Eka Pad a Rajakapotasana III than filling in forms , help is at hand!

If you haven't yet renewed your teacher membership of the IYA (UK), your noble Institute reps. will talk you through the application forms for IYA membership and the Certification Mark. Phone them if you need to. We want you all to rejoin soon!

BDIYl Alan Brown 01535 637359 AIYl Nathalie Blondel o117 924 8130 NEllY Gordon Austin 01915487457 MDIIY Margaret Carter 01925 758382 CIY! Philippe Harari 01223 523410 IIYS Brian Ingram 01444 236714 UYl Judi Soffa 0151 7099815 SWIYl 01872 572807 Jean Kutz ORIYI Ros Bell 020 8340 9899 NELlYl Ros Bell 020 8340 9899 SADIYA Helen Scarlett 01142257025 MCIYl Prabhakara 0121 449 7496 Individual teacher members (i.e. who have not joined via an affiliated Institute) can contact members of the Finance and Membership Committee: Ros Bell (020 83409899), Philippe Harari (01223 523410), Leza Hatchard (020 83543983) or Judith Richards (020 8398 1741). When you do send your completed ( orms back, please make sure to put the correct postage on them, and there is no need to send them special delivery or recorded.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

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------------------ ----------------------------

OLD HABITS DIE HARD

Neil McKinlay reflects on the meeting of Yoga and sport.

S

pring spills light into the old yoga lounge. A clean, easy breeze rustles nearby trees. People are talking, laughing outside the big glass windows while in here, sun and sweat mingle with the familiarity of old friends. Two dozen bod­ ies are arranged in almost neat rows.

Their hands and feet press into the floor, their hips rise toward the ceiling.

Our teacher is wandering among us as we hold a long downward dog. I sense her on the far side of the room, then feel her presence weave betvveen classmates. Every muscle has tightened durjng this pose.

My fingers and toes grip the mat, my shoulders withdraw, my teeth clench . My face is grimacing - and very likely red ­ with exertion. "Come down when you've had enough," she says , a dozen feet away.

"Pay attention to the wisdom of the body. " I take these words as an opportunity to glance right and see that my nearest peers have chosen to stay up a while longer.

The middle-aged woman a half-step dis­ tant is one of these and she loo ks posi­ tively relaxed there on her thin blue mat.

Her arms are firm but fluid . Her eyes are open and alert. Her mouth is closed - but it curls slightly upwards, almost smiling.

In m any ways, I am still a competitive athlete. As the scene above so aptly demonstrates, more than a decade after involving myself with yoga, my approach to this art continues to be governed by the thirteen years I spent cutting through local swimming pools. While at my first yoga class, I spoke of a desire to over­ come the physical restrictions imposed by a life in sport, I have since understood that the most profound limitations of that time were laid not in my body but, instead, wormed their way deep into my mind.

Twenty years after my final race, I stiH hold attitudes that challenge my ability to enjoy the wisdom of the yogic tradi­ tion. Twenty years later, swimming­ inspired beliefs about competition, about the 'body and about involvement with physical activity remain much more intact than my once-sculpted physique.

They accompany me to the mat every day and give new meaning, I think, to the phrase 'lifetime ath~ete ' . They t\vist and direct my experience, affording me a constantly renewed appreciation for the insistence that yoga is a commitment one must enter over the course of many, many lives.

The Competitive Spirit I turn back to the floor, pull in my lips, stop breathing. The teacher is now stand­ ing to one side of me. I see tanned feet and wide-spread toes, the crisp, elastic hem of purple tights. I feel her anention scan the length of my shaking frame.

"Remember," she says - and to me her booms through the room.

"Remember that yoga is not a competi­ rive activity. "

****

29

practice. In truth, though, I am aware of very different kind of engagement, a very his every move. I knoY/ when he pulls on different kind of awareness, one that his cap, adjusts his goggles. I know when concerns itself not so much with victory he places one foot on the block and tens­ or with betterment but, instead, focuses es, and when he looses a long, loud shaft upon simply and wholly being. of air. And through each of these, I repeat the same thing. I am going to kick Working with the Body your butt, I say. I am going to kick your butt. Only during the third length of the OUf swim team used to host a training race, as he begins to pull away, does this camp over Christmas. For ten days we got line al ter in even the slightest extent. I in the water morning, noon and night. hope I'm going to kick your butt, I Before lunch we did weights. After the begin, panicking. God, please let me kick second of Out three practices, we watched films or listened to guest speakers. One of your butt. these talks was given by a man with steely An only barely evolved version of this eyes and a rock-solid jaw. I remember manifests every time I do yoga in a group being impressed at the hard torso show­ setting. It matters little whether I am ing thtOugh his shirt. I remember watch­ with my wife in the privacy of our living ing the muscles in his forearms contract room or practising as one of two dozen each time he made a fist. "You have to be students in a weeldy c:lass. I watch some­ machines," he told us. "You have to push one balance in ardha chandrasana, through; you have to drive your body." observe another in sirsasana. And as I Here he started walking on the spOt like a watch, I compare. How do I size up drill sergeant - his chest puffed up, his against that? I wonder. Am I better? Can arms started pumping, his legs lifted until I be better? Am I worse? Rarely attended his thighs came parallel to the ground. to through such questioning are my own actions. What is my left thigh up to? In "We are machines," we repeated that what direction is my knee moving? Are evening during practice. Whenever one my feet in contact with the floor? All of of us seemed on the verge of faltering, on my feet? Both of my feet? Swimming the edge of falling apart, we would turn demands attention to such facts too, of and hold their eyes, slam a closed hand course - there are stroke patterns to be intO their chest. "You are a machine!" mastered, skills to be refined, but these details are easily ignored once a certain Through this and through an uncount­ level of proficiency is realized. And they able number of other experiences, I are often dulled by long hours of learned to keep going no matter what. I mechanical repetition, and obscured by didn't always do this, but the message an urgent need to win. was always there, the desired response was always obvious. When tired, push It requires little short of a revelation, the body. When near collapse, fight the then, for me to respond to the suggestion body. When my shoulders began to ach e that my thighs roll inwards . Such advice and then burn with the fire of injuty, is, in fact, a demand that I draw myself ignore the body. "Keep going" was a away from long-ingrained habits of mantra for us. And though it was the ves­ mind. It is a demand that I ask myself sel through which swimming was possi­ where is the . mind, exactly? A demand ble, my body became an enemy under that I let go of my fascination with other the assault of these words; my body and tOot myself here, in this moment, in became an obstacle. It became an oppo­ this body, in this pose. It is an invitation, nent that, above all else, had to be in many ways, to involve myself with a defeated.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

30

IYoga's assertion that the body is in fact a partner in the enterprise of practice pres­ ents a radical shift for someone with my background. When I encounter an edge in utthita trikonasana, when I find a place of holding, a place where I can go no further, instead of fighting through, I am asked to pause. I am asked to stop and to examine the resistance. Is it my mind? I ask. Is it my body? Is there dis­ comfort? Is there pain? If I find I can adjust and then move a little deeper, I do.

If I need to stay where I am, I will. And if I have to withdraw, if I have to pull back because I have gone too far, well, so beir.

It is about curiosity, it seems. It is about being inquisitive, attentive, respectful.

"Don't push! Don't jam! Don't force!" my teacher insists. "Let your body's natural intelligence express itse\p''' Sometimes weeks pass before I will even a glimpse of what she is talking about. Sometimes, dumb ex-jock that I am, I spend months staring where she has pointed, wonder­ l11g how I might do something like virab­ hadrasana I without trying to squeeze absolutely everything out of my shoul­ ders. Sometimes years pass and, still, her . . . l11structlon remal11S a mystery.

A Lifetime of Practice An obvious course of development lay before me through my swimming days.

As I trained and matured, I knew my body would strengthen, my skills would improve, I knew I would become faster and increasingly able. But I knew this would continue only to a point. After that point was reached - and for some it came at eigh teen, for some it arrived at twenty, for some it could be held off to the grand old age of twenty-two or twen­ ty three - after that point was reached, decline was inevi table and the end of one's athletic career unavoidable.

Informed by this path - perhaps even

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

31

frightened by it - many of us used to chuckle when the local Masters' swim team walked onto the pool deck. The guys especially, we toned and muscular and energetic boys, used to make fun of the sagging middles and the drooping rears as they jiggled out and started to stretch. "Look at that one," we'd laugh, barely bothering to hide our disgust at the mother of four bending over in the corner, trying to touch her toes. We used to wonder aloud why they even both­ ered, these people. Didn't they under­ stand it was over for them? Didn't they know they were washed up? That what they were doing looked ridiculous? Was embarrassing? Obscene? We used to swim by as close as possible when they dropped into the lanes next to us, trying to overwhelm them with our waves - to drown them with our strength and our speed and with our clearly superior youth.

Imagine my surprise, then, at walking into my first yoga class and finding it populated wholly with middle aged bod­ ies, most of them female. Imagine my shock at discovering that the forty-two year old receptionist two mats over could hold Adho mukha vrksasana far longer and with much more integrity than I. In the back of my mind, I think I expected this pattern to alter given time. Surely, I thought, the young guys must be up in the higher levels where they belong.

Surely, there wiB come a day when I am better than all these old peopie. But every step of my yoga journey, I have stood alongside more senior students who consistently evidence an experience and ability far beyond my own.

Confounding many of the assumptions I built up as a swimmer, contradicting much of what lead me to laugh and point at those Masters' athletes, my current teacher is a smaHish, seventy-something Englishwoman. That she has a practice history nearly equal my lifespan astounds me. That her strength and flexibility

Spring 2004

exceeds any I can presently muster amazes me. And that she would likdy say the same of her guru - of the 80-plus yoga master, B.K.S. Iyengar - [eaves me simultaneously bewildered and filled with awe.

***

:$:

I am sitting outside the yoga lounge. It is a chill Monday night and I am here in shorts and shirt, waiting for my weekly class to begin. A small group of us has settled onto a half-circle of cool wooden benches. We are listening to another of our local teachers talk about inversions.

She has struggled with these over several decades, it seems, and she is speaking now of how she has become increasingly patient with herself as a result. Long­ standing difficulty has forced her to acknowledge her own process, she says.

She has developed more respect for her needs, for her body's wisdom. She has become less concerned with the abilities of others and with her mind's habitual demands and expectations. She has become more attuned to the reality of this present momen t. "In a way," she fin­ ishes as the doors swing open and smil­ ing faces stream out. "In a way, this struggle has been a gift."

continue to shape and restrict and chal­ lenge my practice as much as any physical restraint I have ever encountered.

Thinking this, I find myself looking around during class tonight. I watch that teacher move easily through utthita trikonasana, utthita parsvakonasana, through virabhadrasana II. I eventually watch her ready for shoulder stand and, in spite of what was said beforehand, after going up in slow control she becomes steady and firm as a marble col­ umn. Qujet action lifts her legs and still­ ness softens her forehead. "Impressive," I think shaking my head. "Amazing."

Inspired - inspired and affirming for the umpteenth time that there is much to learn from this woman - I then proceed to prepare myself for the pose. I layout blankets, arrange my body, kick my feet overhead. Coming into vertical, I purse my lips and hold my breath and pull my shoulders in nice and tight. Somewhere in the process of getting ready, I have decided I am going to push this one as far as possible. I am going to be as solid as ever in salamba sarvangasana this evening. I am going to be as good as that teacher, I think, biting my lower lip. I am going to be as good as that teacher - and maybe even a little bit better!

I, like all of us, have my own struggles with yoga. As years have passed and as my It isn't until she stands up and walks out body has become increasingly balanced, of the room that I realize what I am as my desire to address the physical doing. "You need more support," she restraints of a swimming youth has been says, passing by. "There's too much more nearly realized, I have become pinching like that. It isn't quite right." fur aware of some much subtler, but certain­ bursts out of me, hearing this. My face ly no less powerful, remnants of that loosens and my shoulders relax. I start time. Working with a comparing mind, rolling my head side to side in disbelief. entering into endless fights with the body, seeing meaningful involvement with Old habits die hard, it seems. Thank physical activity as the domain of youth ­ God yoga affords even someone like me each of these attitudes lingers from my a lifetime of work. years as .a competitive athlete. I have car­ ried each one of them out of the swim­ Neil W McKinlay is a long time student of ming pool and into the yoga studio, into Shirley Daventry French, alumni ofthe VYe my living room, onto the sticky surface of Newsletter committee, contributor to the Yoga my thin blue yoga mat, and there they Journal, local swimming coach, andfather.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

32

Spring 2004

Events Listings - your gui'de to Iyer

Avon Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Kirsten Agar Ward (01225 336144; kirsten@bath-iyengar-yoga.com) So Yoga Day with Birjoo & Rajvi Mehta. Saturday 29th May. 1Oam-1 pm General (6 months+ experience). ÂŁ15 IYAUK members. 10am-4.30pm Intermediate. ÂŁ30 IYAUK members.

So Yoga Day with Marion Kilburn. Saturday 3rd July. lOam - 4pm. Monkton Park School Chippenham.

So Yoga Day with Judith Jones. Saturday 13th November, lOam - 4pm. Twerton Village Hall, Bath.

Bradford & District Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Alan Brown (01535 637359; alan@dianalan.plus.com)

SoYoga day with Birjoo Mehta. June 4th.

So A country walk with Gerard Biggs. 18th July.

SoA family Yoga day taught by local teachers. 16th October.

Cambridge Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Sasha Perryman (01223 523265; info@cambridgeyoga.co.uk) www.cambridgeyoga.co.uk

Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex Contact: Brian Ingram (01444 236714; brianiyoga@aol.com) So Yoga day with Jayne Orton. Sunday June 20th. Brighton Natural Health Centre.

So Yoga morning and AGM with Sallie Sullivan. Sunday September 12th. Washington Village Hall, near Worthing.

Liverpool & District Iyengar YOQ'a Institute Contact: Judi Soffa (0151 7094923; mai/@yogastudio.f9.co.uk) So Yoga Day with Sasha Perryman. Sunday 23rd May 2004. 10am-3.30pm.

Absolution Gym, Albert Dock

Midland Counties Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Brian Jack (01789 205322; jacksis@aol.com) www.mciyi.co.uk

Manchester and District Institute of Iyengar Yoga Contact: Janice Yates (0161 3683614) MDIIY events are all at 134 King Street, Dukinfield; telephone 0161 3390748.

So }9 June - Pen Reed; 17 July - Marios Argiros; 21 August - Debbie Bartholomew; 18 September - Jayne Orton; 16 October - Marion Kilburn; 20 November + (AGM) - Jeanne Maslen Iyengar Yoga News No.5

33

Spring 2004

3r Yoga Institutes arou nd the country North East Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Margaret & Gordon Austin (0191 5487457) ~ Yoga

day with Birjoo Mehta. Tuesday 8th June. lOam to 12.30pm and 7.00pm to 9.30pm. Qualiry Hotel, Witney Way, Boldon, Nr. Sunderland. fl5 per session or £25 both sessions. Admission will be by ticket only. Please bring your own Yoga equipment.

North East London Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Tessa Bull (020 83402091; tessa@whammycom) ~

25th April (10-1) Chris Swain (follovved by NELlYl AGM)

~ 16th May (10-1) Diana Clifton - (non-beginners only)

~ 27 th June (10-4) Silvia Prescott - a.m. general class; p.m. teachers & trainees only

~ 26th September (10-4) Bob Waters (not for complete beginners)

~ 31 st October (10-1) Tessa Bull

All held on Sundays at the Harringay Club, 50 Tottenham Lane, London N8 7EE.

Oxford and Region Iyengar Yoga Insti,tute Contact: Stuart Young (01235 850764; stuartyoung@crosfie/ds.berks.sch.uk) www.oriyi.org.uk ORIYl Yoga Days are open to students of all abilities. Cost for ORIYl Members is fl5 for the day, flO for the morning only (lOam to Ipm). Non-members will need to join ORIYI - £6 single, £8 joint.

Sheffield and District Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Bev Fox (0114 2556340)

South West Iyengar Yoga Institute Contact: Jean Kutz (01872 572807; jeankutz@tisca/i.co.uk) ~Weekend with Judi Sweeting and Tig Whatder. General workshop - Sat. 3rd April,

earnon Downs, Truro 9am-2.00pm, £I 8 (non-members £20).

Intermediate/Teachers workshop to include Therapeutic Propwork - Sun.4th April, Camon Downs, Truro 9am-3.30pm, £28 (non-members £30). Whole weekend -£40. ~Intermediate workshop with Richard Agar Ward - Sat. 1st May, Carnon Downs, Truro 9.15-12.45, fl7 (non-members fl8). ~Intermediate workshop with Richard Agar Ward - Sat. 31st July, Carnon Downs, Truro, 2.15-5.45pm, fl7 (non-members fl8). ~General Class with Richard Agar Ward- Sun. 1st August, Carnon Downs, 10-12.30 £9 (non-members flO). ~Weekend Workshop with Sasha Perryman- 11th-12th September, Carnon Downs, Truto. Satutday General class: 10-3.30, £20 (non-members £22), Sunday Intermediate class 10-3.30 FREE FOR TEACHERS AND TRAINEES COURTESY OF DIS­ SOLVED S&W BKSIYTA REGION Iyengar Yoga News NO.5

34

Spring 2004

ASTADALAYOGAMALA FUND

Do you remember the Astadala Yogamala Fund, which collected funds to help

John Evans go to Pune to assist Guruji on the philosophy aspects of Astadala

Yogamala, the collected works? Brigid Philip reports on progress

IW e

collected funds from December 2001 to the end of2002, inclucling at the Ctystal Palace May Convention, and in th e end the fund stood at f.I ,604.36.

Generous donations have come from many sources, both inclividuals and institutes, for which many thanks. In part the idea of the fund was to raise awareness of Guruji's huge collected works project in the yoga commu­ nity, and draw attention to its interest and importance, which I hope has been achieved.

John went to Pune in January this year to work with Guruji and the others helping with the project. Guruji is pleased that we collect the funds, and asked that the Astadala Yogamala fund be used to finance the expens­ es of the journey. John thanks all the donors for the funding which was both timely and used in the right way. He felt that contact with Guruji and the work that was dOlle there, was well worth the investment, valu­ able for Astadala Yogamala and John himself

"Paranjali is an incarnation of clignified glori­ ousness. He says, develop fiiendliness (maim) towards those who are happy, compassion (karuna) towards those who are in sorrow, gladness (mudita) towards those who are vir­ tuous and neutrality (upeksa) towards those who have vices. If somebody is happy and "vell placed in life, we may develop malice and hate. If someone is in sorrow we may remain inclifferent, heedless and selfish. When some­ body is virtuous having clivine qualities, we may land up in sorrow because we feel we lack such quaiities, and when somebody has vices we may be friendly with them. You know that Narakasura will be born our of all these qualities feeding the ego (ahamkara).

(Narakasura was a hellish demon, who Lord Krishna killed bringing freedom from suffer­ ing - celebrated each year as Diwali the festi­ val oflights ed.)

Patanjali does not talk about non-friendli­ ness, animosity, non-compassion, hate or unasked involvements but on positive quali­ ties like friendliness , compassion, gladness, and inclifference or rather neutrality. Learn to develop such qualities and find our your­ selves what happens. All these qualities are hidden in us. We only have to bring them up in action."

The Astadala Yogamala project continues ­ volume 3 has arrived, containing articles, lec­ tures, and messages. Published at the end of 2002, it rakes us on to practice, teaching, health and therapeutics, ayurveda, yoga in schools, for sports people and athletes, social life, and multiple aspects of yoga. It gives \vonderful ideas on how to tackle practice so John continues to edit Astadala Yogamala that there is "successive, sequential ascension from France. Volume 4, Questions and in sadhana", built aroLind a few poses and Answers, is being published as I write, show­ with photos showing the derail to which we ing Guruji's courtesy, aplomb, and versatility need to be alert. "In each asana actions like on these occasions. Volume 5 is about to be sent to John tor his contribution, and volume scraping, rubbing, rinsing, squeezing, massag­ 6 is reported to be not far behind. ing, spreading, activating, stimulating, pacifY­ ing, attenuating, soliclifYing, liquefYing, sup­ porting, fixing, warming, and cooling take The riches in Astadala Yogamala will be there place." Are we aware of all these actions and for all to discover for the years to come. And for those who have not had the fortune to can we do it?! meet Guruji in person, the flavour of his per­ M y other favourite quote from this volume is sonality, his unparalleled approach to yoga, ~i'li\!~~;:;.:;~ in "Ad ice For Practitioners". Guruji says and his teaching is all here.

!

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

35

Spring 2004

----------------------------~--~~~

PRONUNCIATION: GETTIN G IT WRONG

In IYN No.2 we published an article by Sallie Sullivan on the correct pronunciation of the Sanskrit names of Yoga poses. Alan Brown is still not happy with what he hears!

O

ut of respect for the Iyengars who e cus(Om it is (0 use Sanskrit names for yoga postus and because our Association puts such importance on their use, it is crucial that we get this righr. It m a no t going to make much difference to the q ualiry of the yoga that we practice but if it is a requireme n t then we should at least atte m pt to do it p roperly. O ur Introductory Teaching Syllab us demands that train e teachers know Sanskrit names for pose and use dlem when teaching. Yet how can we insist on this when very senior and experienced teachers - even tea her trainers - occasionally persist in nerve grating mispro­ nunciation? Would n't it be better to hear Dog Down than Adomuka-shove-an-asana?

Other cringe-making examples thar I have heard include: You-ttanasana and You-strasana, Trikonasaaahhna, Sharvangasana, Marikai-asana, although nobody ever says Karuranga-Da ndasana (do they?) and I've even he ard, enti rely illogi cally, Marikashana (although I suppose it d oes have a cer­ tain dramatic ring to it) Even though we can not ex pect oLlr tongues to twist themselves aro und these words wi th the s me dex ter­ iry as an Indian with life-lon~ familiar iry, please let us make an effort to spare the Iyengars and thei r Ind ian teachers the kind of experience which m ust set their teeth on edge when they heal' LIS. We could at least attempt to form sounds with a passing resemblance to those indicated by the Sanskrit alphabet.

It's not all our fault though. Why on earth is Shirshasana written Sirsasana? T his perverse use of the letter S when the E nglish SH is a be ner appro, ima­ tion confuses us no end. Oddly I can't remem ber ever having heard Sirsasana badly m ispro nounced but we often seem to get Sarvangasana wro ng even though it is spelt more like it sounds. Sanskri t words written in our alphabet use little dots and dashes over or under the letter to give an indication of [he correct pronun­ ciation. There i a short explanation of this in the front of ' Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali', w hich

Iyengar Yoga News

0. 5

36

shouldn't take you very long to read and assimilate.

Yo u'll still need to lis ten to somebody for the correct pronunciation though as the written examples are only approximations.

Although no expert, I understand the more correct pronunciations of the examples given above to be:

Ad-ho Muk-ha Shwanasana (h is usuaUy

emphasised in Sanskrit and a v is almost a w sound

excep t at the beginning of words. Note also that there

is no th sound in Sanskrit so Hatha is said Hat-ha)

Uttanasana, ushtrasana (u as in full)

Trikonasana (the emphasis is on the first 'a' of

asana . T he second and third 'a's are very short indeed.

Sallie pointed out in her article that the first 'a' of

asana is long -sh suggested like the aah in "aah Bisto"!

Bu r I do n't agree that it is that long. We Brits, partic­

ularly the So uthern variery, are notorious for our long

vowels so I would suggest that the first 'a' of as ana

sho u ld be more like a Yorkshire 'after' than a Sussex

one).

Sarvangasana - pleeeaase! (the v is almost a w ­ very soft)

Mareechiasana (the i being quite short so hardly

sou nds at all)

Wh ile on the subj ct of language I will take this

opportuni ty to express another of my pet hates ­ namely the misnaming of D wi Pada V ip arita

Dandasana as Dwi Viparita Dandasana has become

D wi Pada means (\-\10 feet so Dwi

very com m on.

Pada Vi parita Dandasana is Viparita Dandasana with

two feet on the floor. Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana is

Viparita Dandasana with one foot on the floor. The

us of wi Vi parira D andasana has become so uni­

versally lIsed that I recently saw Eka Pada Viparita

Dand asan a written as Eka Pada Owi Viparita

Dan d asana which means O ne foot Two Viparita

Dandasana and m akes no sense at all. I hope you fol­

lowed that.

... h yes, and by the way it's not Dw-eye Pada, it's

D wi Pada (like the 'i' in 'sit').

--------------------------~--------------------------

Spring 2004

PRON UNCIATION: GETTI NG IT RIGHT

Joe Burn provides a guide to the correct pronunciation of Sanskrit words. here is excellent evidence to suggest tha t before the third century Be there was no writing in India. To help put this date into context it is worth remembering that the Buddha lived and preached in the fifth century BC Before this date, the sacred texts, the Vedas, ,vere memorised by the priest caste (the Brahmins).

They had no choice, there were no tape recorders either. The fact that these men, of course it was always men, had memorised these sacred works gave them enormous power, so much so in fact that the priests were high­ er than the kings in the social hierarchy an d the priests were also considered more powerful than the gods as their hymns controlled the actions of the gods. This memorisation is a staggering achievement as these Vedas are long, containing hundreds of hymns, invocations and spells.

T

Now, if you are transmitting kno\vledge aurally it is incredibl y important that all the wo rds are pronounced very accurately and that this pronunciation is completely consistent from person to person. If this is not the case then the integrity of the text will erode over time. Think of the child's game 'chinese whispers' and you will know what I mean. Correct pronunciation of these Sanskrit words and knowledge of the grammar that gave the sentences meaning, was held so highly that it became in itself a means of enlightenment or vedari­ ga (a limb of knO\vledge). Yoga is also a vedai/ga. Moreover, when these texts were written down it was decid­ ed that the symbols used should be 'perfect'. This means that each symbol should represent one sound o nly.

To put this into context think how imperfect our symbols are at representing sounds. For example, in E nglish the symbol 'a' can be pronounced a large numb er of different ways. Try out the 'a' sounds in the followin;, words and you will see what I mean: dam, may, what. The vagueness of the link between our alphabet sym­ bols and the sounds they are supposed to represent is why spelling in English is so difficult. In short, w ords in English are not always spelt as they sound but in Sanskrit they always are.

At last then to my point, which is that yoga postures have Sanskrit names and therefore there is only one way to pronounce them. There is no compromise. With this and the above in mind, below is a guide to correct pronunciation (n.b. I have only included 'problem' letters):

a

about

a

father

i

fit

f

fee

t{

put

Ll

boo

e

made

at

bite

0

rope

au

found

k

kiln

(")

0

good

c

chill

J

jug

11

anger

fi

puncher

11

natter

11

niggle

s

sit

s

sheet

§

push

t

try

t

toot

p

pat

b

band

d

dot

d

dog but \vith the tongue curled backwards

! is a problem as I have it from learned scholars that this can be pronollnced in one of three ways: 1) as in rupert; 2) as in rip; 3) as in a very Texan sounding 'pretty' (i.e. purdy).! is a vowel so the tongue should not touch the insides of the mouth when it is said. In addition it is a retroflex sound so the tongue should curl a little bacbvard. Try this out on adho mukha vrk~asana \X1hen a consonant is followed by an h, the sound becomes more aspirated or breathy. So kh is like the kh in back-house, where the k and h merge into one so und. Also try, for example, the difference between spin and pin . According to the sanskrit spelling system spin should be spelt sp hin. Please note that 'ph' is never pro­ nounced as in physic and 'th' never as in thin. The most common letter in sanskrit is 'a' so if you get this one correct then you will be a long way along the path to correct pronunciation.

I Iyengar Yoga News

No.5

37

Spring 2004

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LIGHT ON YOGA

Suzanne Hasselle Newcombe is studying the history of yoga in Britain as part of her PhD. Following Joe Burn's article on yoga books from the 1950s in the last issue of IYN , she considers the books with asana instruction distributed in Britain before 1965 and shares a few observations on the significance of Light on Yoga.

T

he first English-language publication I have found with photographs of yogasana is Swami Kuvalayananda's Popular asanas (1931).

Swami yoga: Kuvalayananda's laboratory investigations on the effects of mana in the early 1920s (in India) was an important turning point for modern, scientifically minded people taking the effects of this ancient practice seriously. Kvalayananda included 20 sepa­ rate asana in his book, excluding mudra and nauli exercises. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to get clear exactly when and to what extent this book was available in Britain.

Regardless, it was not long before Indian yoga teachers came to Europe and were publishing their own books. An Indian called Shyam Sundar Goswami moved to Sweden and developed a following for his teaching of asana. He published an inter­ esting book (in English) in 1949 entitled Hatha-Yoga: An Advanced Method of Physical Education and Concentration complete with iconic blond Swedish mod­ els in bikinis and muscular Indian men in tiger-skin-patterned underwear.

Allen and Unwin, the London based pub­ lishers of Light on Yoga, produced their first book on yogasana and their health effects in 1953. This book, Yoga and Health, was jointly written by an Incli an , Selvarajan Yuesudian, and a Hungarian, Elisabeth Haich and was translated from German.

Yoga and Health contains a number of asana photographs in the same basic format as that of Light on Yoga: a discussion of the name, followed by execution instructions and a lengthily explanation of the therapeu­ tic effecr. The parallels in format of the asana exposition are remarkable. However, the book contains sections on subject that now seem rather tangential, like introduc­ ing pranayama via swimming for particu­ larly sceptical students.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

Before discussing the significance of Light on Yoga in further detail, I want to mention two ocher important books on ascuza diS- I tribured in Britain before 1965: American Theos Bernard's Hatha Yoga (1950) and Swami Vishnu-devananda's Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga (1960).

Bernard's book was seminal in many ways, presenting yoga as a viable path with an attainable goal for a 'westerner.' Bernard dedicated himself to a guru and awakened his Kundalini, a journey which he describes in his book Heaven Lies Within Us (1941).

Hmvever, Bernard's ardent dedication - his first asana instructions were to practice padmasana until he could stay for three hours and likewise sirsasana for three hours a day (usually in three, one hour stretches), as well as the intense focus on the cleansing exercises (cloth eating, nostril string, mus­ cular self-enemas, etc.) - would not have made the path very appealing to most peo­ ple with jobs and a family. But Bernard's tale makes for a very entertaining and inspiring rcad.

The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga is a product of Swami Vishnu-devananda, the disciple Swami Sivananda sent abroad to spread his message to the world. Vishnu­ devananda spent most of his time in Anlerica, eventually setrling in Canada; the first Sivananda centre in London dates from the 1970s. Keeping with the Sivananda tradition, the mana in this book are presented only as a small part of living the spiritual life. However, Vishnu­ devananda presents over fifty separate mana, as well as nauli and mudra exercises.

He repeats the often quoted tale of Shiva giving 84,000 asana to mankind, of which only 84 are remembered. Swami Vishnu­ devananda's book contained the largest number of separate twma described in English to that date, al though he is short of the mystical number 84.

38

Spring 2004

Then, in 1965, Light on Yoga was pu b­ lished - containing illustrati ns of over 200 separate yoga ctsana. The shear number of asana in Light on Yoga established the importance of asana in its own righ t.

Add itionally, Iyengar's concise in troduction places the practice firmly within the Indian tradition. There is no lengthily jus­ tification of the practice with reference to theories of evolu tion and the stresses of modern cosmopoli tan living. Iyengar's straightforward confidence in the value of asana in and of itself makes a marked departure from the books published before this point in English.

I

Moreover, the photographs

ll1

Light on

Yoga are astonishing in their precision and d tail. V1shnu-devananda's legs are remark­ ably crooked in the Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, but without Iyengar to com­ pare him to, one might never have noticed.

Gone also arc the cut-and pasting of pho­ tographs to an outdoor scene, the fanc), underwear on models, etc. Iyengar's photo­ graphs are well focused, well lit, and the asancl well performed. Like the text itself, they assume the asana can speak for itself, and has value in and of itself, without the need for any bells and whistles. This makes Iyengar's Light on Yoga a unique cultural artefact in comparison with the previous English literature on asana. In fact, it is a work of art.

BOOK REVIEW

Joe Burn reviews "First There is a Mountain" by Elizabeth Kadetsky.

E

lizabeth Kadetsky has been a practitioner of Iyengar Yoga for many years and during that time she has made rwo visits to Pune. As a result of these visits she has written this book, which is in fact two books rolled into one.

Firstly, we have an autobi­ ographical account of Kadetsky's experience of Iyengar Yoga from her studies in California to classes wi th the Iyengars in Pune. She describes in excellent English and with great clarity how Yoga impacted upon her life and helped her to overcome her eating dis­ order.

Secondly, and perhaps more interestingly, she describes something of the sociohistorical and poli ti­ cal posltlon of BKS Iyengar in India. For example, she describes how Iyengar and his fami­ ly claim to be descended

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

39

d irectly from one of India's great religious and philo­ sophical thinkers Ramanuja. This claim has also con­ tri b uted to a rift, Kadetsky describes, berween BKS Iyengar and Patthabi Jois and others. There are fas­ cinating insights into sub­ tle nuances of the caste system and the implica­ tion that these have on an Indian's social standing.

Also, Kadetsky having been given permission to search Iyengar's archive and through numerous InterViews with BKS lyengar describes his work with political parties.

Kadetsky is not afraid to hold back and where she finds perplexing contra­ dictions she is keen to pursue a solution with the rigour of a profes­ sional journalist. For that reason and others described above I would like to recommend this book to you.

_________________________ Sp ~_ ring2004

DEATH KNOCKING AT THE YOGA ROOM DOOR Paul Barton writes about teaching yoga to terminally ill people

A

yoga student commented to me .!"\recently that he felt completely dif­ ferent at most all levels after the birth of his first child a few days before. It is well recorded that being totally present in moments where birth and death are hap­ pening can greatly transform our relation­ ship to living. It can bring about a pro­ found integration of our attributes and heighten our state of consciousness. Also profound personal insight is not uncom­ mon at these times.

Ram Dass said: "Not so long ago 1 attended a birth for the first time since my own. To breathe with the mother, to watch the child's head appear, to experience the entire process moment to moment, allowed me to touch a primordial element in my being. 1 laughed, and 1 cried, experienced fear, empathetic pain, and deep joy. 1 was standing at the doorway 0/ existence, feeling, as deeply as 1 had ever felt, the connectedness of mJI humanity to the rest o/nature with her cycles 0/ spring and wintel; creation and decay.

The moment was filled with an awe-fitll grace, a sense 0/ living spirit. Here was a rit­ ual in which participation renewed mJ! deepest sense ofthe human fomily" We know most folks experience intuitive flashes and brief clarity about the nature of self are foHowed almost immediately by reassertion of our dominant or habitual way of thinking. To benefit from intuitive wisdom we need to cultivate a deeper way of knowing by listening to the small inter­ nal voice, to the patterns and laws and harmonies of the universe of which we are a part. The listening occurs with a balance of quiet meditative mind and open loving heart. In the spaciousness and fullness that can exist between a living person and a dying person the listening can be most profound and provide depth of meaning

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

and grounds for clarity of inner work and process. Outside this relarionship we may not actually acknowledge at our deepest level that we are going to die ourselves one-day. And death can freak us out of our ego mind/habit mind whether we are healthy or not.

Dealing with human death is a profound teaching. Personally I was extremely moved when I heard that one of my yoga students had died. It was a different rela­ tionship to death from that of family and friends; this studem was a serious seeker after truth and practised yoga seriously for many years. This event provided motiva­ tion to look at my own relationship to death and how I might be a better servant to the few terminally ill folks who attend class, or I contact.

I

Thanks to God for Mr Iyengar who has stated that the person who you find the most difficutt to teach, the most challeng­ ing in the class is a person sent by God. For me those words have held me in the present moment when people enter my classes with terminally ill prognosis, or very poor skill levels. My friends tell me I suffer fools lightly. So I find I need to work very, very hard to hold my openness and focus non-judgmental a\vareness when folks with low skill levels are in class.

Working wirh a terminally ill person for the first time can be very insightful and challenging on many levels. Questions arise such as: what really is my role here, what is my fear and skill and what is our interplay together. Using Iyengar Yoga for perfecting poses, mind states and insight in a healthy person is one thing we spend a great deal of time on. How can that understanding be honed to an apprication to a terminally ill person, say with a brain

40

Spring 2004

tumour? The intention here is to explore how to help the person's emotional and spiritual wellbeing, not to provide a cure or healing of the body, although there may be suppOrt for that from the yoga practice. So what might be considered, allowed to arise into the present moment of interaction with terminally ill stu­ dents?

For me the list of states of being which arise in the presence of the terminally ill include: total acceptance, unity through our shared relationship to pain, non­ judgemental Ilove, openness, peace and expansion of view, unfolding process and openness to fear, grief and anger.

We can hear from Steven Levine (in his book "Who Dies") that few folks involved in dying use the situation to touch the deepest aspect of themselves, to

explore their inherent wisdom and joy.

Many still consider death only a tragedy, an emergency, a loss. Yet Steven shows by example how we ca n use our contact and work with death as a way to work on our­ selves, to see the naturalness and passage involved. Few encourage the investiga­ tion that allows that person the direct experience of being a passenger in the body, keeping the heart open in the midst of the hellishness. Overall there is no fault and no blame in any of this work on death. It is just an example of how the unexamined mind may allow its hidden fears and confusion to be transmitted to others, no matter how unintentionally.

Perhaps we should be opening to encour­ age people to die out of their specialness, to enter into the essence of their sharing, the openness of being itself.

The trade mark logo shown here is the figure of Guruji In natrajasana in front of the RlMYI. This is the trade mark recently introduced by BKS Iyengar. It is available to all cer­ tified Iyengar Yoga teachers who are true to his method and who qualify to use it. It is nec­ essary to have this trade mark to become a teacher member of IYA(UK) and to advertise yourself as an Iyengar Yoga teacher. It is a symbol of quality. In future, any yoga teacher who does not display this symbol is not a bona fide Iyengar teacher.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

41

Spring 2004

QUI,NTA MIMOSA

Hannah Lovegrove describes a favourite spot for yoga holidays and sun.

I

n the hills above Almancil, in the heart of the Algarve, lies Quinta Mimosa, a ten-acre estate of fruit, almond and olive trees. Henri Schott first came to the Algarve on a golfing holiday in 1972.

Over the following ten years, he and his wife grew fond of the region and decided eventually to find a place for their retire­ ment. They saw the tumble down ruins of the original farm buildings and began the long process of re-building the place. In the intervening years, Quinta Mimosa has quietly become a popular destination for Iyengar Yoga groups, due almost entirely to Henri's interest in Iyengar Yoga and his convivial and generous welcome.

My sister Rachel and I hosted our first Yoga Holiday there together last September. Rachel had been to Quinta Mimosa as a student on several occasions; it was my first visit. The Yoga Hall is a lovely, cool space surrounded by shady terraces, with doors opening onto a walled garden, and very well equipped with all manner of Iyengar-type props. Having spent much of our teaching experience in a motley collection of village halls, mak­ ing best use of whatever is available as props, it was heaven!

Henri was as welcoming as ever, despite the sad news that his long-time friend and Manager Terry had been rushed back to hospital in England in the preceding week. He and his wife Pauline, familiar I'm sure to many past visitors, are now back in England for good. We wish them both well.

Towards the end of our week, Henri brought out the Guest Book, which dates back to 1989, into which he had careful­ ly pasted some extra sheets for our group.

It was fascinating. Flicking through, I found well-known teachers returnll1g

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

year after year, with joyful, thankful and humorous comments from the students.

Some enterprising guests had drawn sketches or written songs - one song, had us in stitches. It was seven verses long, and sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas, the final line was "And our asanas all in a row"! Clearly many people have had a lot of fun and worked hard over the years.

I asked Henri to tell me his story. He described how he had found the estate in the early eighties, and tried to buy it. No one seemed to know whom it belonged too. It took three years to get the papers.

Henri nearly gave up, but discovered by chance a local solicitor and golfing part­ ner knew the owners and the history of the place. Permission had to be sought from surviving children who were scat­ tered across three continents, but eventu­ ally, the deed was done.

The re-building of the derelict farmhous­ es and the building of the new hall were undertaken with the help of a local car­ penter. Henri asked him to copy the orig­ inal woodwork, so the style of the accom­ modation is what he jokingly calls "rustic and monastic". It is not luxurious but the character of the buildings more than makes up for the lack of 21 st century lux­ ury. Much original Portuguese archi tec­ ture in the Algarve has been lost in the frantic building of the past 15 years, so it's a relief to find it faithfully restored at Quinta Mimosa. (In fact, we found that large amounts of EU money have been spent in Faro on the restoration of the old town. The architecture reminds one of Havana!)

Henri said, "The Algarve then (in 1972) looked quite different to what it is today.

LouIe and Almancil were small places, full

-------------------

42

Spring 2004

of carts and mules, old women carrying baskets on their heads and hens running about. All that has changed, of course, and I remember the so-called revolution in 1974, (when the dictator Salazar was overthrown) playing golf with the sol­ diers, having great fun.

exercise?' She opened Light On Yoga and, with a twinkle in her eye, showed me this posture!" Henti pointed to a photograph on the back ofYoga and Health Magazine.

It was kandasana, pla,re 469 in LOY! Given his difficulties, this was high~y amusing!

We staned by planting a dozen orange trees and we now have an orchard with 300 fruit trees, mostly oranges, tanger­ ines, avocado , apricot, peaches, grapefruit, plums and so on. I sell the surplus to a man called Eduardo, but there is always more than we need. I invi te the local orphanage to come and pick tangerines, oranges and avocados in the spring. We also produce our own olive oiL" It is cold pressed between large stones covered in sacks, the traditional way, and is absolute­ ly delicious. "The place was without run­ ning water and electricity. We now have a bore-hole 200 meters deep, and 3 swim­ ming pools. "

Today, Quinta Mimosa hosts a varied programme of Yoga holidays, mainly Iyengar. The list of teachers is impressive - you all know who you are! Groups come from far-afield, participants often return, and many of the comments in the guest book pay tribute to the teachers and to Henri.

Henri told me how the Yoga Hall came into being. "In 1985, I thought it could be useful to bring some culture into the Algarve. The studio was built to accom­ modate singing groups originally, and we still have carol singing here at Christmas.

The studio became a Yoga Hall thanks to John Claxton, a well-known yoga teacher from Norfolk. I went to his seminar when I was in England and invited him to Quinta Mimosa. The following year they came with a group and he recommended what we needed, blocks, ropes, bricks and so on. He brought all the fittings and after that, other groups came."

Carol Batterson's groups - "3rd year, always different, always enjoyable." "Year 5 - each year is better than the last, thanks to good companions and wonderful asanas! " John Claxton's groups - "It couldn't be better. Thank you so much for creating such a space and allowing us to enjoy it."

"You're never too old to hang upside­ down! " Silvia Prescott's groups - "We're all tanned and stretched and had a really good time. " A verse written by Michael Walsh: "Twas the year 91 in a place called Mimosa, A great number of yobos came out for a doza, They pretended it was yoga they came for to do Bur the snoring in Corpse pose made a hullaballoo!"

I asked him about his o\vn interest in

Yoga, which he has continued in spite of a bad skiing accident. Henri said, "My ambition in yoga is paschimottanasana, which I could do before my accident, bur now we're getting further away. Silvia Prescott used to come here. She is a great Iyengar devotee. I went to her place in London. I said, 'Silvia, I have a knee prob­ lem. What would you recommend as an

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

43

------------~---------

And finally, our group - "The combina­ tion of health and such happiness was sublime. Lovely people, horrible poses and enough wine to wash all the pain away! Thank you for such a wonderful holiday." Like so many of us, a complete beginner when he arrived, and a convert when he left.

Spring 2004

ADVERTISING FEATURE

The Making of a New Practice Video by Margaret Carter.

Last year a new yoga video/DVD was produced: Iyengar Yoga "Practice and Enjoy" withJulie Brown

Julie has taught yoga for over 20 years and is a qualified senior teacher running local classes and training reachers. She

has also assessed for many years and has moderated for the last fe\v years. Since quaW}ring in 1981 Julie and I have attend­

ed the teachers' classes run by Jeanne Maslen each week. We get to know each others' poses very well but don't always

have time to chat! So I thought I would interview Julie and find out why she made the video and whether she 'enjoyed'

the process!

Margaret: W1.ry didyou make this video?

Julie: Several of my students asked if there was a video available to help them practise at home. I had kept them informed of the plans, that the Manchester and Disnict Institute of Iyengar Yoga had, of having a go at producing one.

Unfortunately it did not happen but the seed was sown! One of my students, Jeremy Parr, is a composer and had worked with my new next door neighbour producing videos. He had a chat with me and suggested that the three of us got together to make a yoga video. I felt there was no escape - a student and a neighbour keen to get to work!

How didyou decide on the fonnat?

I

I did some 'market research' on my students to find out how long they wanted to practise at home. From their replies I decided to do five 15 - 20 minute sessions to 'kick-start' their practice at home. I also remember that nearly 30 years ago I, myself, did 15 minutes' practice at home and I had done all the poses I could remember!

So the video is aimed at established students?

Yes - to try and help them get into a routine of dojng some regular yoga at home.

I

What is on the video?

A limbering-in session that can be done before each of the five sessions. Four of the sessions work on the standing poses with a seated and qwet pose to finish. These are to help stretch, invigorate, tone and release tension. The fitth session shows recuperative poses for rimes when energy is lacking and needs to be re-charged.

What was the experience ofmaking the video like?

I

Nerve-wracking! I have ne\rer done anythillg like thjs before and enlisted the help of my teacher, Jeanne Maslen and one of my students, Ruth Kay. Ruth "vas there to be my real live student, working behind the cameras, to stop me being too , 'wooden'! It helped to calm the nerves! Jeanne was closely watching my postures and listening to my words to ensure it I was all sensible! There were many re-takes - you can imagine the expression on my face when asked to do Virabhadrasana 3 again! I am sure my student, Jeremy,( who was one of the cam­ era men) enjoyed getting ills own back on me! Thank goodness ,..-,._ .-. with ---,.....,..,.--, for editing!

Practice and Enjoy Julie Brown

Areyou pleased with the result?

I am very pleased with the professional job Danny and Jeremy did. It took time to edit it and Jeanne and I were involved in watchlng the video after each edit to check it. I thillk it is in the nature of LIS, as teachers, to want to improve and correct our poses and that's how I feel when watcillng it!

Has Mr Iyengar seen the video?

I gave Mr Iyengar copies of the video when I attended classes in Pune last November. I had to admit to hlm that I felt very nerv­ ous handing them over! I had wrinen to him before making the video and treasure his reply. In part ofit he asked me to take the advice of Senior teachers and to stay in Line with his teachlng. I hope that I have achieved tills. 1 certainly couldn't have made the video without my senior teacher and Mr Iyengar!

Iyengar Yoga News NO.5

44

An Iyengar Yoga Instructional Video

VHS = £12.99 each + postage

also available on DVD

(discounts available for bulk orders)

If you are a beginner or a student of many

years, this video is designed as a tool to help

you "Practice and Enjoy" your yoga at home,

as well as in your class.

There are 5 sessions of 15-20 min each that you can

use, including a relaxation session, plus limbering-in

poses to do at the beginning of each session.

Julie Brown has taught for over 20 years and is

a qualified senior teacher.

To order or for further information

call 01625 879090

OUT OF STEP

Alan Brown wrote this short story during the dark days before yoga became fashionable and classes were sometimes hard to keep going . At that time teenage daughters were the all-pervading influence in his life and so they feature strongly in the narrative. Please forgive the use of a small amount of bad language which is necessary to preserve the authenticity of some of their dialogue. The reality was far worse! pstairs, standing on his head with his legs locked into the lotus, Steve the Yoga teacher wonders what on earth he's trying to achieve. It's easy to doubt yourself when you're probably the only person in the whole of England doing what you're doing. True, others might be practising Yoga but what are the odds against anybody else being in this particular position? Probably absolute­ ly astronomical, like the odds of there being human life on another pranet. He remembers once reading that, sta­ tistically speaking, it is more than likely that somewhere in the universe there are other people who actually speak English. He imagines somebody much like himself, out there across an unimaginable black void of space, doing a headstand with legs in the lotus before, swaying danger­ ously, he almost comes back to Earth with a bump.

U

Crash, Don't blame me if I'm late for school though."

Clatter, Bang, Slam! She's gone. M ary calls across to Sally, who is engrossed in reading the cereal packet, to hurry up and finish or she'll miss her bus. She is treated to anomer tirade) this time more sullen than furious, "I know when the bus comes, Mother. I've never missed me bus!

Why do you always have to hassle me?" Steve looks across at Sally's face, or what can be seen of it under a thick layer of something white with a heavy smear of dark red lip­ stick where her lips should be. "Go and get that stuff off your face Sally. You can't go to school like that". "God! You're such a stifF. Everybody wears make-up at school Dad!" "Well you're nOt going to. Go and get it off now."

"But Dad...". Then from Mary: "She's got to go Steve, or she'll miss her bus".

Fortunately he catches himself in time, and harnessing his concentration once again works to create a feeling offirm­ ness and lift in his body. Ofcourse he knows why he does it. Because there is no other possible way to get that par­ ticular feeling of well-being and all-over healthiness. The bit he finds hard is understanding how the rest of human­ ity has failed to reach the same conclusion.

Sally grabs her bag and flies out of the door. Steve, with an exhalation, slumps, perhaps, ever so slightly.

Steve sits down to his bowl of breakfast muesli, comfort­ ably erect and suffused with a feeling of well being and vitality from his mornings practice. Nevertheless he finds it hard to suppress a sigh as he watches his teenage daugh­ ter Sally sitting slumped, 'with a back like the letter C, over a bowl of raisin crundlies with at least two table­ spoons of sugar slowly melting on top. The other one, Carrie, admittedly more erect, is leaving a chaotic trail of jars and lids, crumbs and smeary knives all along the work surface. She snaps at her Mother who has just had the temerity to comment on the mess. "You're always nag­ ging me - why don't you leave me alone - can't you see I'm in a hurry?" Steve bites his tongue, determined not to get involved, but eventually goaded by his daughter's increas­ ingly abusive language he intervenes. "Carrie..."

''All right I'll put the b***** jars await Bang, Clatter, 45

In the empty old church hall - with its dark, polished, wooden floor and large grills of old bshioned cast iron radiators, painted brown; with it's high arched ceiling, filled with gloom, and stained glass windows, allowing a little light to seep through the dusty silence onto the half wood paneled walls; there, twice a week, on Tuesday after­ noons and again on Thursday evenings the Yoga class meets. Carrying mats and blankets they cross the car park, passing the four wheel drive convertible white jeep with 'High Energy' and 'Foot Step' emblazoned across it in fizzing hlchsia, foot-high letters. Then on past Steve's illsting white esCOrt van and beyond the glass doors of the new hal'l where a view can be had oHorry or fifty bot­ toms bursting our of garish leotards with sides cut so high that a substantial part of the garment disappears between the buttocks of its occupant.

Thump, thump clap! Thump, thump clap! "Left foot high, jump! Aaand again" yells the owner of the white jeep with quite unnatural enthusiasm as the music pounds and the occupants of the leotards perform com­ plicated sequences of steps on, off and around a thing

Spring 2004

which has the appearance of an inverted plastic toy box - The ubiquitous Step! The clappers and thumpers man­ age cleverly to avoid knocking over extremely large plastic drink cups with stra"ws sticking out of them - out of which they all, as of one mouth, take a quick slurp at any slight break in the music.

The mat and blanket carriers pass on, with hardly a side­ ways glance, into the darker and more ancient setting of the old church hall. Always first is Marjorie with her arthritic hip, to claim her place by the radiator. Then Colin, the runner. Next comes Frank, with the accu­ mulated stiffness of his seventy three years to \-vork upon , and his daughter Sheila who must surely have inherited her natural flexibility from her Mother's side. Finally, always ten minutes late comes Ann, young, but with a bad back.

At the front of the class stands Steve, waiting patiently for tardy Ann to arrive while the rest of the group layout their mats, sit on their blankets and get to grips with their stiff limbs. For Frank the mere act of lowering himself onto the mat is an exercise in itself; Colin is engaged in a vigorous bouncing leg stretch routine that has little to do with Yoga, while Marjorie, lying on her front, is trying desperately but unsuccessfully to catch tl1e foot of one bent leg. Sheila sit') placidly and irritatingly with her heels together and her knees resting effortlessly on the ground.

Colin, catching a glimpse of her, redoubles his efforts to bring his hands into contact with the floor, but to little effect.

Finally Ann arrives. "Sorry I'm late" she says with a vac­ uous and profoundly placid smile. "But she's always flip­ pin' late" thinks Steve to himself He smiles back, kind­ ly, and with a look of infinite patience as she fiddles about shedding her outdoor clothes and sorting out her equipment. Somewhere down inside of himself he admires his dedicated little group, who against all odds keep coming back week after week, month after month, and in the case of Marjorie at least, year after year; who, in spite of the hard work and painful stretching he inflicts upon them, work with such determination to transcend their limitations of age, infirmity and stiffness.

Who, moreover, are prepared to endure the stigma of being virtually socially ostracised with five other people in a gloomy church hall while the rest of humanity is engaged in Thumping, Leaping and Clapping in a bright new gym next door.

Ann is finally ready for action and the class begins.

Frank's ancient, knotty joints creak into motion as he

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

46

struggles to recover the lost vitality of former days. Colin, the athlete, strains and bulges in search of the flexibility which, he has read, will help him ro run faster for longer with less risk of injury. Sheila Flops effortlessly and inat­ tentively into every position demanded of her, while Ann's expression of vacuous passivity begins ro fray a lit­ tle as tl1e painful pull in the backs of her legs insists itself upon her awareness. Marjorie works carefully and intel­ ligently, guided through each movement by her injured hip, which punishes every mistake with an agonizing {wmge.

Steve rushes diligently from one to the other encouraging, pacifYing, reminding, opening and extending - trying to extract the best from each according to ability. Frank he suppOrts and manipulates in an attempt to encourage life into bodily regions fong unused. Colin he tries to calm and relax - suggesting a little less strain and! more applica­ tion of the intelligence. To Ann he offers encouragement, smiling and joking; to Marjorie his knowledge. Only Sheila confounds him. Lost in a dimension of her own she is serenely self-confident in the mobility of her body, apparently oblivious to his every instruction. If he insists she appears to take offence; so he doesn't. At the end of the class she will come up to him and ask him a lot ofstu­ pid questions about the spiritual meaning of life as if, being a Yoga teacher, he should know the answers. He will be left feeling a little awbvard and embarrassed after mumbling nonsense in reply - and slightly inadequate as if his ignorance was professionally unworthy.

The class ends with Relaxation. Lie down on your back­ Thump! Thump! - close your eyes -Thump - feel the weight of your - Thump! - body descending towards the ...C lap, Clap f\aand Again! ... floor' Try; THUMp, to ignore sounds coming from outside and turn your ­ Thump! Clap! Thump! - attention inwards ... Steve, rather uncharitably, consoles himself with the thought that in another twenty years all those step addicts will have joint problems and be filling his Yoga class... Observe your breathing ... Usually at about this point the Steppers fin­ ish and spill out into the outside corridor gasping and chattering ... Relax in silence.

Steve packs his equipment into the back of the rusting white Escort while the mat and blanket carriers mingle briefly with the lurid leotards before departing. As he drives home he turns the events of the class over in his mind ..vith a sense of satisfaction; reliving the little suc­ cessful moments like when he managed temporarily to uncoil some ancient knot in Frank's body - or the brief interlude when he succeeded in getting Sheila to stretch

Spring 2004

her legs properly before she squirmed, snake-like, from his grasp and flopped into her usual heap of loosely con­ nected bones and assorted bits. There is something real­ ly deeply rewarding about helping others, even if they don't always want or appreciate that help - thinking about the ones \vho come once or twice and then don't come back. Here, a moment of doubt once more worms its way into Steve's front brain. How is it that so many don't come back when he tries so hard to give them what he has to offer? Is the thing itself so worthless? When he himself has such faith in the value of what he's doing. Do the steppers feel that faith? Some of them maybe, but he's sure it won't be a lasting thing. Just wait until the next fad hits the market and packs the village halls, but he knows that that fad won't be Yoga. The surprising idea that nobody has thought of turning those steps upside down pops into his mind. Yes that's it! Box Aerobics!

Brilliant! You step in and out of the box. He's invented a completely new concept in exercise! But the world will have to wait because at that moment he pulls into the drive and forgets all about it.

The girls are home. He can hear them upstairs in their bedroom chattering and scolding like sparrows, only now it's getting quite a lot louder. Sally comes thundering down the stairs, lightning flashing around her; A brightly

coloured leotard is disappearing between her buttocks.

Heavy rain is drumming on the bedroom floor and then

a few seconds later it breaks and is pouring down the stairs

in a black cloud of filly called Carrie...

"Sally won't let me wear her leotard."

"I want to wear it myself it's my leotard."

"I lent you my tights you bitch!"

"No you didn't!"

''I've got nothing to wear you cow!"

"I hate you! - Dad tell her I'm never going to lend her any­

thing ever again!"

The storm reaches an avvful crescendo. Then, miracu­

lously, its calm!

''All right then, you pay me in and I'll let you borrow it."

"Thanks Sal. Can you give us a lift to step tonight Dad?"

"\Xlhere's Dad gone?"

Right at the top of the house Steve is searching for a bit

of calm, all his own. Legs crossed, back straight and eyes

closed he sits and searches for that centre of inner peace

beyond the Thump, Thump, Clap, of life.

But for how long?

IYA (UK) announcements

AGM: The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Iyengar Yoga Association (UK) wiU be held on Saturday June 12th, 2.15pm - 3.30pm, at the Y-Club, Castlefields. The AGM is open to all current members. Please refer to the insert in this magazine for the agenda and motions.

Conventions: The new Conventions/Events Committee is now in place and consists of Carol Brown, Margaret Carter, Christina Niewola and Patsy Sparksman. It would be helpful if any readers could let us know of potential venues for our Conventions. We are hoping to have 4 reguiar venues for the Spring Convention that we can alternate around the country; one based in the South, one in the Midlands, one in the North and one in Scotland. The Autumn Convention will be hosted by affiliated Institutes. If you have any ideas relat­ ing to the conventions, please forward them on to Christina Niewola (chris@niewola.com).We look forward to receiving your suggestions.

Executive Council: You will all be well aware that the work of our new association, the IYA(UK), is well under way. However, the IYA committee still needs more 'hands on deck' and so we are asking if there is any­ one who would like to come and sit on the Executive Council (EC). First, we are looking for a non-teaching member to sit on the committee. HavFng non-teachers on the EC is a constitutional requirement and is some­ thing that is very important as we want to hear all the voices within the Iyengar Yoga community. So, if you are a non-teacher and would like to attend three or four meetings of the EC a year and make your views heard, then please contact the Secretary, Christina Niewola (chris@niewola.com). Secondly, we are looking for individual members to come forward and represent their region (not their institute). At the moment we need individual regional representatives for the following regions: South West and West & South Wales. If you live in one of these regions and would like to help run the IYA, contact Christina.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

47

Spring 2004

IYA (UK) EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Gordon Austin

yoga@austinmg.fsner.co.uk 8 Stavely Road, Seaburn Dene, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR6 8]S Debra Bartholomew orchestrasurreal@talk21.com 52 Buckstones Road, Shaw, Oldham Ros Bell r.j.bell@open.ac.uk 19 Briston Grove London N8 9EX

Dave Berry

Tel: 01706 841942

1

Tel: 020 8340 9899 Tel: 020 8653 5578

49 Warminster Road, South Norwood, London SE25 4DQ nblondel@tadasana.fsnet.co.uk 147 Northumberland Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 7BA alan@dianalan.plus.com Alan Brown 123 Middleton, Cowling, West Yorks BD22 ODQ harry.nimmo@btopenworld.com Carol Brown 5 Roz:al Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AB joe. burn@virgin.net Joe Burn 3 Gladstone Road, Rawdon, Leeds _LSI9 6HZ mgtcarter@aol.com Margaret Carter 14 Foxlez: Close, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 OBS Heide Connell heideconnell@yahoo.com 44 Cranleigh Drive, Brooklands, Sale _ phili ppe.harari@runbox.com Philippe Harari 13 Finch Road, Cambridge CB4 3RB IB rian Ingram brianiyoga@aol.com 51 Meadow Lane, Burgess Hill, RH 159HZ judith@jonesyoga.fsnet.co.uk ~udith Jones 17 Baz:don Road, Lambourn, Hungerford RG 17 8NT jeankutz@tiscali.co.uk ~ean Kutz New Hore, Wheal Hore, Goonhavern, Truro TR4 9Qj Rachel Lovegrove rachel@orangetreeyoga.com 105 Lower Thrift St, Northam~ton NN1 5HP judithlynn@onetel.ner.uk ~udy Lynn 180 Randolrh Avenue, London W9 1PE chris@niewola.com Christina Niewola 15 Hampshire Close, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 lSF Prabhakara prabhakara@freeuk.com 28 Salisbur~ Road, Moselez:, Birmingham, B13 8]~ Elaine Pidgeon. elaine. pidgeon@virgin.net 52a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5PX judithrich@btinternet.com Judith Richards 25 Effingham Road, Long Ditton, Surrez: KT6 5]Z IH elen Scarlett h.scarlett@sheffield.ac.uk 11 Burnside Avenue, Sheffield S8 9FR Andrea Smith andrea@iyengaryoga.me.uk 17A Seagrove Avenue, Haz:ling Island, Hamrshire PO 11 9EU mail@yogastudio.f9.co.uk 'Judi Soffa 4 Blackburn Terrace, Liverrool L87P] Patsy Sparksman patsyyoga@aol.com 33 Ashbourne Avenue, London NW11 ODT

Nathalie Blondel

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

Tel: 0191 5487457

48

Tel: 078 120 10924 Tel: 01535 637359 Tel: 0131 557 5739 Tel: 0113 250 4336 Tel: 01925 758382 Tel: 0161 969 1724 Tel: 01223 523410 Tel: 01444 236714 Tel: 0 f488 71 838 Tel: 01872 572807 Tel: 01604 638873

Tel: 01260 279565 Tel: 0121 4497496 Tel: 0131 5529871 Tel: 0208 398 1741 Tel: 0114 225 7025 Tel: 02392 466750 Tel: 0151 7094923 Tel: 0208 4556366

Spring 2004

------~----~--------~~--~

,

M1....liated Institute Representativeves: AIYl BDIYl C IYl IIYS LDIYl MCIYl

Nathalie Blondel Alan Brown Philippe Harari Brian Ingram Judi Soffa Prabhakara

MDIIY NEIYI NELIYI ORIYI SADIYl SWIYl

Debra Bartholomew, Heide Connell Gordon Austin Ros Bell 1 vacancy Helen Scarlett Jean Kutz

Individual Representatives: East South Central South East (Other Regions either

Carol Brown/Elaine Pidgeon Rachel Lovegrove Scotland Greater Patsy Sparksman/Judy Lynn London Joe Burn/Andrea Smith Dave Berry did not have reps. nominated or do not have enough individual members to qualify)

STANDING COMMITTEES Management Committee: Tricia Booth* (Chair of A & TT), Margaret Carter (Vice Chair of IYA(UK)), Judith Jones (Chair of IYA(UK)), Christina Niewola (Secretary), Elaine Pidgeon (Chair ofE & C), Judith Richards (Treasurer) Ethics and Certification Committee: Penny Chaplin*, Judith Jones, Elaine Pidgeon, Judi Soffa, Judi Sweeting* Assessment and Teacher Training Committee: Margaret Austin*, Tricia Booth, Alan Brown, Julie Brown*, Sheila Haswell"' , Brian Ingram, Meg Laing*, Jayne Orton*, Sasha Perryman* Finance/Membership Committee: Ros Belt Philippe Harari, Leza Hatchard* (Administrator), Judith Richards Planning Committee: Ros Bell, Joe Burn, Margaret Carter, Judith Jones Communications Committee: Kirsten Agar \X'ard*, Joe Burn, Martin HaW, Philippe Harari, Rachel Lovegrove, Helen Scarlett Public Relations Committee: Rachel Lovegrove, Judy Lynn Archives/Research Committee: Nathalie Blondel, Susan Vassar* Con ventio ns/Events Committee: Carol Brown, Margaret Carter, Christina Niewola, Patsy Sparksman Merchandising Committee: Patsy Sparksman, Tig Whatrler* * indicates co-opted members of Committees. The chair of each Committee is written in bold.

Moderators: Margaret Austin Elaine Pidgeon

Tricia Booth Pen Reed

Julie Brown Penny Chaplin Judi Sweeting

Meg Laing

Sasha Perryman

Professional Development Days Organiser: Judi Sweeting Assessment Co-ordinator: Meg Laing Senior Intermediate Assessment Organiser: Jayne Orton Junior Intermediate Assessment Organiser: Sasha Perryman Introductory Assessment Organiser: Sheila Haswell Iyengar Yoga News No.5

49

Spring 2004

NOTES FRO'M THE CHAIR by Judith Jones Hi Everyone, \X'ell what a year this has been! So many changes to keep pace with - and so much new papelwork to produce and absorb. Everything it seems has been in a state of review - the Association structure, membership procedure, assess­ ment procedure, teacher training programmes, .......... and more!! And of course all this has meant many hours of ded­ icated work generously given by a few people for the benefit of evelyone. Many thankyou's to all those concerned.

Retirement This seems a good place to mention Lilian Biggs who recently stood down as a Moderator after many years of service to the Iyengar association including a long stint as treasurer for the BKSIYrA. Thank you Lilian.

Membership Renewals Please accept apologies for the lateness of the Renewal of Membership pack. Preparing the paperwork for the intro­ duction of the trade marks was very complex and long-winded right up to the last minute. However, now the name lYENGARit is fully registered and the natarajasana trade mark logo with the ™ symbol is available to all Iyengar teachers who sign the licence agreement for 2004/5. Next year this will carry the ® symbol. This whole process has been a stormy ride bLit we have hopefully now arrived in calmer waters.

New Executive Council (EC) Valentine's Day marked the end of the transitional arrangements, during which time the Executive Committees of the old BKSIYTA & LOYA came together to form an Interim Committee to run the new Association until the first elect­ ed EC could take over. On this day the members of the Interim Committee stood down and the new Executive Council members took their place. New Officers were voted in and the Standing Committees set up (see page 48 in this magazine for a full list of names). The Standing Committees do the main work of the Association. Their deci­ sions and recommendations are [hen brought before the main EC for ratification. Some issues may also be discussed initially by the EC and then referred ro a Standing Committee ro be dealt with. If there is anything you feelstrongly about that you think should be brought to the attention of the Ee, please tell your Individual or Institute Rep., or the Secretary of the Association.

Individual Regional Representatives There are still some Regions who do not have an Individual Rep. If you are interested in becoming involved in the work of the IYA(UK) - teacher or non-teacher - you may contact the Secretary of the Association to find out more. If you have a particular talent or interest you may be able to help without even becoming a Rep on the EC We need everyone we can get! Also become active locally!! - and if your Region does not have an Institute where you live but there are a lot of members, why not form an Institute? You do not need to have a building! Again contact the Secretary.

AGM During the convention in Manchester in June we will be holding the first AGM of the new association. It wili be nec­ essary ro approve amendments to the constitution. All the information is included in the insen sem with this maga­ zine. Please find time to read this, especially if you are attending the convention, as you will have the right to vote.

New Assessors Recently Guruji has requested that all assessors, teacher trainers and senior teachers attend general classes at RIMY! in Pune on a regular basis. If you have attended classes wid1in the last 3 years and intend to visit again and hold a Junior Intermediate Certificate, please consider giving something back by volunteering for this job. You will make a great contribution to the successful running of Introductory assessments and it is a challenging and interesting experience.

You will be helping to build up the future of Iyengar Yoga in the UK If interested please contact Sheila Haswell (Introductory Assessment Organiser): 01494 521 107; sheila@sarva.co.uk.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

50 --~--------------

Spring 2004

IYA (UK) ANNOUNCEMENTS for TEACHERS

Accreditation The IYA (UK) has now been formally given Preliminary Accredi tation by the Bri tish Wheel of Yoga (BWY).

The BWY is the Governing Body for Yoga in the UK and is responsible for assessing whether teacher traiing programmes of yoga organisations in the UK reach a national minimum standard. In order to gain this pre­ liminary accreditation the IYA was not required to make any changes to its teacher training and assessment programme. All this means is that anyone with an Iyengar yoga teaching qualification automatically gains the formal accreditation provided by the Governing Body for Yoga in the UK.

Rescheduling of classes at RIMYI Please note a change in scheduling at RIMYI. Beginning March 2005 Smt. Dr. Geeta Iyengar has agreed to plan some regular time off for rest, study and vacation. You may not realize that Geetaji has kept a 7 -day a week work schedule since 1961! Only in the past year has she taken one day a week off. I know you will join with me in thanking God that our dear Geetaji has consented to cut back on the grueling and unrelenting workload she has undertaken for the past 42 years--and to take some rest regularly. In this new schedule, effec­ tive March 2005 ., Geetaji will NOT be conducting classes at RIMYI in the following months: March, April, September. During these months her regular classes will be taught by the staff of teachers whom Geetaji her­ self has trained. They are all long-time students of the Iyengar family. Prashantji's schedule will not change. If you have a trip to RIMYI already scheduled for one of these months, you will be receiving a letter offering you the opportunity to reschedule your trip if you wish . Please wait for this letter to arrive before contacting Mr. Pandu Rao at RIMYI.

Teaching certificates All holders of passes at Intermediate aunior or Senior) Levels 1 or 2 who are either not intending to proceed to the next level or who have not yet applied to do so are now entitled to a separate certificate for their level.

Any who fall into this category and who are fully paid up members of the IYA (UK) and who have not so far received an appropriate certificate for their level of qualification please contact Meg Laing, Assessment Co-ordinator, 10 Middleby St, Edinburgh EH9 lTD stating the level of their Intermediate assessment and the year in which they passed. The large certificates from India, available for those who successfully com­ plete level 2 Introductory and level 3 Intermediate Junior and Senior will now be obtained by applying to the Administrator, and cost £5, cheque payable to "IYA(UK)". Please state date offinal assessment and for which level. Also, please print your name and address CLEARLY.

Junior Intermediate assessments 2005 Would all those wishing to enter in for Junior Level 1,2 & 3 assessments in March 2005 please send in your details to Junior Assessment Organiser Sasha Perryman CIYC, 59 Norfolk Terrace, Cambridge CBl 2NG along with a cheque for £60 (payable to IYA(UK) & dated 30th September 2004) and SAE before the deadline 30th September. NB If cancelling after the 30th Sept part of your cheque will be forfeited (the exact amount tbc).

Service Mark or Certification Mark?

A question has arisen indicating some confusion about the use of the two Iyengar logos: the Service Mark and the Certification Mark. The Service Mark is the hanumanasana figure and temple (RIMYI) image. It is the trade mark of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute. It is used by IYA(UK) e.g. as seen on the front cover of this magazine. It is a logo which can be used by non-profit making associations or groups. The Maida Vale institute operates as a charity and so is eligible to buy and use it. Any institute or centre operating as a profit making business may not use the Service Mark. Individuals can only use the Service Mark if they are doing so on behalf of the Association, while carrying OLit Association business. Generally this will only

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

51

Spring 2004

apply to Executive Council members or Standing Committee members or others co-opted for a specific job.

It is not for their personal use. The Certification Mark logo is the figure of Guruji in natrajasana in front of the RIMYI, which this year will carry the trade mark symbol ofTM. This is the trade mark introduced by BKS Iyengar available to all individual certified Iyengar Yoga teachers who are true to his method and who qualifY to buy and use it. It is a symbol of quality. From the start of this membership year beginning in April it will be necessary to have this trade mark to become a teacher member ofIYA(UK). The 2 logos are separate and different.

YOUR INSURANCE QUESTIONS ANSWERED What is professional indemnity?

The £16.50 you have paid covers you in the case of a claim against you as a teacher, up to £5,000,000. You

are covered for teaching Iyengar yoga only, within the confines of your certification level.

Can J teach abroad?

You are covered for up to 60 (non-consecutive) days teaching outside UK. Can J teach in my own home or studio?

Although you are covered as a teacher for your teaching practice, your home/studio is not covered for public liability unless you either take out the additional cover for £26, or notifY your home insurers of the scope of your activities. Since it is the Liability within the building that is covered, only one payment is required, even when several people teach at the premises.

What is public liability?

In this context it is your legal liability to third parties while in a non-teaching situation. For example a person could claim for an accident involving the premises, such as tripping over the doorstep. The places where you teach outside the home, including halls, clubs etc., would normally have their own public liability cover.

What ~f J start teachingftom home during the year?

IYA(UK) is administering the annual cost of public liability cover for teaching from home with your mem­

bership renewal. If you decide you need this cover later in the year, you will have to apply directly to DSC

Insurance Services, who will charge you on a pro rata basis.

Can J teach children?

Anyone under 18 is considered a child in law. There are no insurance restrictions on teaching children, bur if

you teach children 0 - 8 years for more than twO hours a week, you require an OFSTED inspection (see

w\vw.ofsted.gov.uk/childcare). Yoga-link insurance maintains a register of Yoga teachers working with children,

and can advise you on getting a police check if you require one for your own protection. Geeta Iyengar rec­

ommends that we do not formally teach children under 7.

HOtl>' llZllIZ)' students can J teach?

Th r are no insurance restrictions on the number of scudents you teach, unless the building where you work

has public liability restrictions or fire regulations.

U?hm zf J htwe more questions?

You can contact Judith Richards at judithrich@btinternet.com or DSC at info@Yoga-link.co.uk.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

52

Spring 2004

REGISTER OF EXERCISE PROFESSIONALS ~ Ifany teachers within the IYA teach in 'exercise and 1V lhealth establishments', usually known as gyms or

health clubs. Many teachers may have been asked, as I was, to join the Register of Exercise Professionals, REPs. I won­ dered what REPs really was and so at the behest of the IYA EC I launched a little investigation, the results of which r will share below.

To join REPs you have to hold a teaching certificate award­ ed to you by an organisation that REPs recognises. This pro­ vides some protection for the public from 'rogue traders'. As the name suggests this is a register for all exercise professions, be it Pilates, Yoga, Aerobics etc. and within all these disci­ plines there are some 'teachers' who are not properly trained.

It was perceived that these persons are putting the public's health at risk so this register was set up by a concerned group ofpeople. REPs has a registered ,trade mark (ring a bell?) and by educating the public into recognising this trademark the exercise profession becomes more regulated and the now discerning public become more protected.

All this must be a good idea. However, and this is a big how­ ever, there is an interesting twist to the story with regard to Yoga teaching. None of the people on the committee of REPs know enough about Yoga to judge a teacher's compe­ tence. So if a Yoga teacher rings up and asks to be a mem­ ber, REPs asks the official governing body of yoga in the UK, the British Wheel of Yoga (Bwy) . The BWY then

deliver a yes or no. Now we, the IYA, are officially recog­ nised by the BWY and have preliminary accreditation from them. Therefore we are already recognised, in effect, by REPs. REPs is now reduced to a cog in a time and money wasting bureaucratic machine. In addition to all this time wasting membership of REPs COSts about £25 a year. REPs even asks members of the BWY to pay for the privilege of membership. Because Yoga has a governing body and has had one for at least the last ten years we are in tlCt much bet­ ter regulated than many other exercise professions and yoga teachers are being asked to pay the cost for the disorganisa­ tion of other exercise professions. This is neither right nor fair and the IYA EC has decided to write to a number of gyms and health clubs and has informed them that Iyengar yoga teachers are already recognised by the UK's governing body. This has yielded results and the gym that asked me to join REPs has realised its mistake and has withdrawn its demand.

In my opinion REPs boils down to money given to an organisation that knows nothing about Yoga for a 'Quality Trademark'. This is ridiculous. The IYA(UK) has a quality trademark (the Certification Mark) and we must educate the public as to what this means. In addition to [his, I think we should work with the UK's yoga governing body to develop a trade mark that tells the public that teachers who use this trade mark are recognised as competent and safe by the UK's governing body.

THE YOGA FELLOWSHIP A new initiative has been launched to develop co-opera­ .l\rion between the various yoga groups in the UK to work together on issues which effect us all for mutual ben­ efit e.g. the question of the Register of Exercise Professionals! A meeting was held recently between the British Wheel of Yoga (B\x1Y) (at present the Governing Body(GB) for yoga in the UK), IYA(UK), Friends ofYoga Society International (FRYOG), and Yoga for Health Foundation(YFH). These are the 4 largest groups and all have teacher training programmes which have been accred­ ited by the GB. It is anticipated that another 5 accredited groups might join as well. The BWY will be just part of this not in control of it.

The meeting agreed that there is merit in exploring poten­ tial for co-operation between us. Other previous initiatives have been aborted but it is hoped that respect for each oth­ ers' independence and clifferences might allow tllis attempt to be successful. The meeting discussed the imptica(lions for the future regulation of yoga teaching in the UK and the

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

53

by Joe Burn

by Judith Jones

REPs. It was suggested that the Yoga Fellowship(YF) could establish a register of accredited yoga teachers. The YF would have to offer a credible alternacive which would be accepted by health dubs etc but which would also represent what yoga really is i.e. not just an exercise. Yoga will have to be regulated eventually and the YF would be a more appro­ priate body to do this.

The general standard of yoga teaching was also discussed.

Some groups have very questionabie teacher training and it would be mutually beneficial and enhance the reputation of yoga, if these groups were encouraged to bring their training standards up to a minimum but good safe level.

These groups could then be accredited and their teachers could go onto the register. It was recognised that some groups will obviously exceed clUs minimum level (like us!) which would not be a problem.

Another meecing is planned to include aU presently accred­ ited groups.

Spring 2004

IYA (UK) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS 2004

This list was published in the Winter 2003 issue of Iyengar Yoga News, but it has now been updated.

ORGANISER

DATE

LEVEL

Moderator/ Senior

Susan Vassar 01643 704260 Anita Butcher 0136 465 3012

13 Nov 04 4 Dec 04

Introducrory Introducrory

S. Perryman J. Swee ting

01225336144 Kirsten Agar \\fard

21 Feb 04 18th Sept 04

Junior Int. Introductory

J. Swee ting

Catherine Coulson 0208 347 8115 Korinna Pilafidis- Williams 0207 6243080 (korinnapw@internet.com)

22 Feb 04 20 June 04 21 Nov 04

Introductory Junior Int. In troductory

P. Chaplin P. Chaplin M. Austin

Brian Ingram 01444236714

25 September

Junior Int.

E. Pidgeon

Betty Croston 0161 9627988 Jeanne Maslen 0161 445 9253

8 May 04 25 Sept 04

Introducrory Senior Int.

P. Booth J. Maslen

Phone for date Introductory

J. Brown

13 Nov 04

Junior Int.

M. Austin

Jayne Onon 0121 6082229

22 May 04 27 Nov 04

Introductory Junior Int.

P. Reed D. Coats

Sasha Perryman 0122 352 3265

9 May 04

Introducrory

S. Perryman

ORIYl

Sheila Haswell 0149 452 1107 Ann Ansari 0239 2474 197

18 Sept. 04 3 July 04

Introductory Introductory

L. Biggs S. Haswell

Scotland

Stuart Anderson 0187 583 0508

Phone for date Introducrory Phone for date Junior Inr.

E. Pidgeon M. Laing

AREA

South West SWlYl Taunton Chagford

West & South Wales AlYI Chippenham.

Bristol

M . Kilburn

Greater London NELlYl IYlMV

South East llYS

North West MOllY & LDIYl

East Central & North SADIYl & BDIYl

Alan Brown 01535637359

North East & Cumbria and Tyne & Wear NEIYI Diane Coats 0191 4154132 West Central MCIYl

East CIYl

South Central

Please note that Professional Devd opmem Days are not suitable for trainee teachers. They are specifically for persons who hold a valid teaching certificate and who are looking to develop their teaching skills

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

54

----~---------------

Spring 2004

ASSESSMENT CONGRATULATIONS

Many congratulations to all those who have gained Intermediate Junior Certificates since the last issue of IYN was published: Levell Marios Agiros Jill Ayles Dominique Baikoff Celia Baker Helen Bedford Nathalie Blondel Brenda Bracken Miriam Brady Joe Burn Susan Clark Diane Clow Bernadette Connor Karen De Villiers Jenni Doohan Susan Doxat Suzanne Fitzpatrick Maureen Gallagher Ofra Graham Martin Hall Susan Hill

Brenda Hobdell Kathryn Keenan Teresa Lee Margaret Macken Maitreyavira Pamela Martin Mary McGuiness Marian Nolan Barbara Norvell Pam O'Brien Deirdre O'Rourke Roisinb O'Shea Caroline Pare Prabhakara Paul Reilly Lois Shilton Shuddhasara Rosemary da Silva April Stead Dorothy Tyler Maggie Witers

Level 2

Level 3

Lucy Aldridge Anne Baker Paul Brown John Callinan Laura Caro-Sanchez Lin Craddock Maggie Dix John Ferrabee Barbara Hicks Lydia Holmes Liz Knowles Sue Lovell Marguerite Lyster lorraine McConnon Philippa Malcolmson Svada Rabinowicz Ampelo Rodriguez Gill Rowe Annabel Smith Clare Stephen

Kirsten Agar Ward Julie Anderson John Aplin Chrissie Barrett Sophie Carrington Heide Connell Stella Craven Fiona Fallon Ann Fletcher Rita Gardner Grainne Gilleece Zoe Hobbs Carol Johnson Paula McGrath Karey Morley Helen Newman Orla Punch Jo Robertson Edgar Stringer Kathleen Vaile

Congratulations also to those who gained Senior Intermediate Certificates: Levell

Level 2

Alaric Newcombe Lynda Purvis Margaret Rawlinson Judith Van Dop

Helen Graham Sheila Green Dawn Hodgson

RichardAgar Ward Brenda Booth David Browne Mary Heath

Patricia James Judith Jones Susan Long Andrea Smith, Sallie Sullivan

Finally, congratulations to those who passed the Introductory Level assessments: Levell

Level 2

Lucy Lynch Siobhan Moran

Helen Alexander Rosemary Bird Sharon Cameron Frances Campbell

Sorcha Carroll Annie Deery Willie Downes Tom Hobson Eileen Monahan

Best wishes for next year to those who were unsuccessful this time.

Many thanks to all those who helped with organisation, moderating, assessing and catering.

__.5 o______________________________________________ 55 S ~__~~___ p ring 2 004__

Iyen~arYogaNe___ ws N

Classes at the RIM'YI, Pune

Applications have to be made through each country's national association. A minimum of 8 years practice of Iyengar Yoga is required. The fee for classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune, is US$ 300 for one month.

Information for Teachers / Students For admission, the Institute requests that the student's practice of 8 years reflects an understanding of the foundation of Iyengar Yoga. This would include the regular practice of inverted poses (8-10 mins. in the inverted postures). Women should know what is to be practised during menstruation. All students should have read, at the minimum, the introductory chapter to Light on Yoga and be familiar with the terms and principles covered in that chapter.

The following should be noted: 1. RIMYI offers one or two months admission. The deposit of $US 150 is for one month.

2. Admission is strictly for the dates given.

3. Advance deposit is part of the fees and hence not transferable to any other person or course. It is non­ refundable.

4. 6 classes are given per week, each for 2hrs duration. A schedule will be given on arrival.

5. The last week of each month will be pranayama classes.

6. No extensions will be given beyond two months under any circumstances.

7. A confirmation letter will be given from the RIMYI and should be presented on arrival.

8. The classes will be conducted by BKS Iyengar or his daughter or son or by staff members.

10. Please make yOut own arrangements for board and lodging 11. Certificates will not be issued at the end of the course.

12. When applying please include relevant bio-data with any health conditions.

Please send Application Forms (see overleaf) and your Bankers Draft for US$ 150 made out to RIMYI to:

Penny Chaplin, Flat 1, St. johns Court, Finchley Road, London NW3 6LL Please do not include photos or personal mail.

Applications are for individuals only - no groups.

Change in Scheduling at RIMYI Beginning March 2005, Smt. Dr. Geeta Iyengar has agreed to plan some regular time off for rest, study and vacation. In this new sched­ ule, Geetaji will NOT be conducting classes at RIMY! in March, April or September. During these months her regular classes will be taught by the staff of teachers whom Geetaj i herself has trained. They are all long-time students of the Iyengar family. Prashantji's schedule will not change. If you have a trip to RIMYI already scheduled for one of these months, you will be receiving a letter offering you the oppor­ tunity to reschedule your trip if you wish. Please wait for this letter to The Ramamani Iyengar Yoga Institute in

arrive before contacting Mr. Pandu Rao at RIMYI. Pune, India.

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

56

Spring 2004

--------------------------------~

REQUEST FOR ENROLMENT IN GENERAL CLASSES AT THE RAMAMANI IYENGAR MEMORIAL YOGA INSTITUTE (RIMYI) Th,is section to be filled out by the applicant: Last name: ................................................................. First name: ........ ........................ .. ........................... .

Middle/other name: .............. .. ...... .. ................................... Age: .......................... Gender:

M / F

Address: ..................................... .. ......................... ...... .. .............. .. ........................ ....................... .. ............. . ... ... .. .. ..................... .. .... ... ................... .. ....................... ......................... .Postcode: ....................................... .

Telephone: ........ ................ ............... ................................ fax: .................... ............................................... . e-mail: ..................................... .. ......................... ..................... .. ................................... ........... ................... ..

No . of years practising Iyengar Yoga: ......... Name of main teacher: ....................................................... ..

What frequency of study with them (daily, weekly, monthly): .................................... .. .......................... ..

Date of last class taken with the teacher: .................................................................................................. ..

Can you speak English?:

YES / NO

Any previous classes at the RlMYI?:

YES / NO

If applicable, the most recent date of attendance at the RlMYI: from (month/year) ...... / ...... to ...... / ......

Applying for admission for (please put in year and number in order of preference): June/July

August/September

OcotberlNovember

December/January

The deposit of $US 150 made out to RlMYI in the form of a bank draft or international money order (do not send cash).

The amount sent: $ ....................... Signature: ................................................... Date: .. .... .!...... .! ............. .

This section to be filled out by the referring certificated teacher: Dear Mr Pandurang Rao,

I, .......... .. .......................... ............................... herewith recommend .................... ................................ .. ...

who has studied Yoga with me for ................... years. She/he has also attended ...................................... .

course with senior teachers.

As per my knowledge, she/he is a genuine pupil/teacher who follows the Iyengar method.

Yours sincerely,

Signature: ........................................................ ..................................................... Date: ....... / ...... .!..............

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

57

-----------------------

Spring 2004

YOGA RAHASYA

Yoga Rahasya is a quarterly journal published in India. Four issues a year are mailed to you, normally starting from

the next available issue. Back copies are sometimes available (£3.50 each) ; please write a separate note if you are

enquiring about these, listing the issues you are seeking. To subscribe, or to renew an existing subscriptiol1 , please

complete and return the form below with a cheque made payable to "IYA (UK)" to: Tig Whattler, 64 Watermoor

Road, Cirencester, Glos. GL7 1LD. Queries to this address or to 'i nfo@cotswoldiyengar.co.uk.

Please write very clearly (or type the information on a separate piece of paper)

Name: ............................................................................ ................. ....... ............................... ................ .

Address: ..................... .. ... .. .................. ... .. ....... .......... ........... .. ........... ....... .. .. .. ........... ......... .... ..... ......... .

.... .... ...... ........ ... .. ....................... ............... .... .... .. ..... .. ........... .. .... .. .. .. ... . .... .. .. Post code : ....................... ..

Telephone: ........................... e-mail: ..... .............................................. .... ......... .... .... .... .... ... ..... .... ...... .... ..

Is this a renewal? .. .. .. If so, please state issue no. new subscription is to start with , if known. Vol .......... No ........ .

Amount enclosed (cheque to "IYA (UK)" please) £.. .. ............ (one year's subscription (4 issues) is £14)

Please enclose a stamped s.a.e. if you require a receipt.

Signature ................ ................................................................................... Date ............................. .. ...... ..

In order to comply with the provisions 01 the Data Protection Act 1998, IYA (UK) agrees not to release the details yo u give us here to any exter­ nal party without first seeking your permission. We may pass on these details to our Indian Yoga Rahasya publishing partners. This information is co'liected, stored and processed for the purposes of Yoga Rahasya journal subscription and distribution administration . IYA (UK) does not sell or exchange its membership lists with other organisations.

IYENGAR BOOKS/TAPES FOR SALE

Books Light On Yoga (new edition) Yoga Rabasya (2 vols.)

A Matter of Health (by Dr Krishna Raman) Light on the Yoga Sutras Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga (available to teachers only)

£12.00 £10 .00 £25 .00 £12.00 £ 10.00

Astadala Yogamala vol. 112/3 Preliminary Course Yoga: A Gem for Women Light on Pranayama Yoga for Children

£12.00 each £8.00 £10 .00 £10.00 £14.00

Iyengar Yoga Jubilee videos (now at half-price): Teachers' Event + Question & Answer session (4 tapes) £20 General Event + Question & Answer session (4 tapes) £20 Full set (7 tapes) £36 CD-ROMs from the RIMYI (prices include postage and packing) Yoga for You (£14), Yoga for Stress (£12), Yoga for Asthma (£12) and Yoga for Blood Pressure (£14) All prices include p & P in the UK. Please ask about postage to other countries.

Make cheques payable to "IYA (UK)" and send to:

Patsy Sparksman, 33 Ashbourne Avenue, London NW 11 ODT; 020 8455 6366; patsyyoga@aol.com

PLEASE PRINT name, address, phone number and e-mail address clearly with your order.

The Jubilee videos and the following books are also available from Jane Cornah: please make cheque payable to "IYA (UK)" and send to Jane Cornah, 12 Kirby Park, Wirral CH48 2HA, or e-mail details to cornah@wkirby.u-net.com. £10.50 Light On Yoga The Art of Yoga £12.00 Tree of Yoga £10.25 Yoga Pushpanjali £ 10.50 Yoga Rahasya (2 vols.)

Yogadhara £10.00 £12.00

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

58

Spring 2004

Summer School

Come and practise

in a warm , clean,

fully equipped

Centre

19th - 23rd July with Sheila Haswell

Evenings: Monday to Thursday 7pm - 10pm

Morn ings: Tuesday to Friday 10am - 1pm

A week of linked classes, from standing poses to

Pranayama

4 evenings or 4 mornings £45

(drop- in fee £12 per class , if space available) .

Yogawest

VVeekend workshop with

J awahar Bangera Sat - Sun 16th/17th October 2004

,

Jawahar Bangera will teach a two day work­

shop at Yogawest for Iyengar practitioners

with at least five years experience. Jawahar

will be remembered for his teaching at the

IYA Convention in 2003. Places are limited

for this workshop and you are advised to book

early. Only 2 day bookings are being accepted.

26th - 30th July.

Intensive week with Lilian Biggs & Sheila Haswell Monday 12 noon - 4pm Tuesday to Th ursday 10am -4pm Friday 10am -1 :p m Sarva are del ighted to an nounce this mother and daug hter team teachin g together. Both are Senior teachers with recent experien ce of classes in India .

Appl icants should have at least 2 years of regular practice for this intensive week . £1 50 for the week (booking with £50 deposit)

Sat 11.00am - 5.00pm: Sun 8.00am - 3.00pm

Cost: £70

Cheques payable to : Sheila Haswell Yoga . Thank you

The Sarva Cen tre, 161 West Wycombe Road H.W.

HP123AB

www.sarva .co .uk

01494521107

Booking should be made by sending a cheque

made payable to Yogawest for the full amount to

Yogawest Denmark Place, Bristol BS? BNW.

Please provide your name, address,telephone

number and email address.

Receipts can be provided at the workshop.

Geeta Convention '03 Australia

Teachers Convention - Perth & Sydney - May 2003

Plus - Geetaji's d iscourses Now available - £65 (including postage and packaging)

DVDs able to be used on your home computer

These DVDs cannot be reproduced

Send Cheque/ Money Order to:

BKS Iyen gar Yoga Association, Geeta Convention,

PO Box 199 Bondi )unction, NSW 1350 Australia

Don't miss this rare opportunity to have professionally

edited and produce d, high q uality DVD's of Geetaji teaching teachers

Contacr: Carole Han, yogvaani@telpacific.com. au fo r funher information

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

59

Spring 2004

YOGANGA SUMMER SCHOOL IN BRISTOL

with Raj iv Chanchani

Sunday 1st to Friday 6th August 2004

Cost £250

Sunday 1st: 6.00pm Introduction to the course by Rajiv; 7.00pm buffet meal Mon-Thur: lO.OOam to 4.00pm each day (with mid-day break) Friday 6th: 10.OOam - 2.00pm To apply for the course, which is open to teachers, trainees and Iyengar students with

5+years experience. please return the booking form below to

Yogawest, Denmark Place, Bristol BS7 BNW.

........ ... . .... . ~.n.q~.!.r.i.~~..!~ . §~.r..~y. ..~.r...~.Y.~~~..9..~.~?~.?.~...~.~.~.9..~. ~.~~.i!.: ...~.f.f.i.~~§?.y.~.9.9."!~~!:.~.~.: .~.~.: .............. .... "

NAME:

ADDRESS:

TEL:

eMAIL:

I am a t eacher/ teacher trainee/ 5 year+ student (delete as appropriate)

I enclose a deposit of £100 (50"10 refundable to 30 June/ non-refundable for cancellation after that date).

Please make cheques payable to Yogawest. A receipt wi" be provided to all participants at the start of the

course. Full payment reqUired by 30th June. Please let us know if you require directions to Yogawest.

YOGAWEST Bristol Iyengar Yoga Centre Gerry Chambers and Lynda Purvis (Directors) Events 2004 Man 31 May-Sun 6 June Sat 26 June (2 -7pm) Sun 27 J une (12-3pm) Sun 1 Aug -Fri 6 Aug Sun 22 -29 August Sat 16-Sun 17 October Sun 14 November Sat 27 November

YOGA HOLIDAY IN GREECE ANNIE CIEKANSKI (Pune/France) Supported backbends ANNIE CIEKANSKI (Pune/France) Therapeutic yoga for back problems (Teachers only) YOGANGA SUMMER SCHOOL - RAJIV CHANCHANI (see separate advert) YOGA VACATION IN PORTUGAL (see separate advert) J AWAHAR BANGERA (Mumbai) Weekend workshop (see separate advert) BEGINNERS+ WORKSHOP (2 .00~6 . 00pm) LYDIA HOLMES INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOP (2.00-7.00pm) JUDI SWEETING

£30 £25

£20 £28

TWO YEAR INTRODUCTORY TEACHER TRAINING COURSE COMMENCES IN SEPTEMBER 2004 Course tutors: Gerry Chambers and Lynda Purvis Applications are now invited 0117 924 3330 off ice@yogawest.co.uk Iyengar Yoga News No.5

60

pring 2004

8ath Iyengar Yoga Centre

Wooden Iyengar Yoga Props & Equipment

Yoga classes and Yoga equipment sales Full Product and price listings available on request

Designs from the Institute in Pune

All products are made to order so any design

changes are negotiable

Delivery available

Products range from bricks to Trestlers, Back

Benders to Halasana Boxes, Setu Bandha Benches

and many more

Price reductions available on large orders

Introductory level teacher training 04-05

with Richard Agar Ward

Applications now being invited

Closing date for applications 1st July 04

Summer intensive with Richard Agar Ward

Friday 27th - Monday 30th August 2004

All Products are designed and built to last as well as being competitively priced For more information please send a SAE to address below or alternatively give me a ring or e-mail:

Jt§ ,

MC&J , 75 Mary's Mead , Hazlemere.

High Wycom be, Bu cks, HP15 70S

Tel : 07795055617

E-mai l: Martinhaswell@hotmail.com

12 Station Road , Lower Weston , Bath BA2 3DY Tel / Fax 01225 336144

office@bath-iyengar-yoga .c om

Yoga Vacat ion in Portugal

Quinta Mimosa, Algarve

Sun 22nd - Sun 29th August 2004

with

Lynda Purvis and

J enny Jones

Two classes per day

Fully equipped yoga studio

Quiet locat ion

Superb beaches nearby

Swimming pools on site

Self-catering accommodation

cost ÂŁ350

Enquiries to:YOGAWEST, 0117 924 3330, office@yogQwest.co .uk Iyengar Yoga News No.5

61

Spring 2004

Iyengar Studio Equ ipment

Our comprehensive range of Studio props includes: the unique Foldaway Backbender, the Yoga-Mad 's adjustable wall rope system & pelvic swings, standard ) Iyengar Studio chairs and the deluxe Iyoga folding yoga chair and detachable benger.

Iyengar Yoga Props From blocks to bolsters Yoga-Mad manufacture a complete range of Iyengar yoga props including: • • • • • •

Top quality one piece EVA foam blocks & bricks Hollow wooden bricks & quarter blocks Bolsters filled with 100% cotton batting Belts - 2.5m cotton and budget versions available Yoga blankets & eye pillows Sand bags & wedges

Widest Choice of Mats & Bags Yoga-Mad was the first company to introduce yoga mats that were independently tested as free from harmful substances for skin contact. Our current range consists of 3mm , 4. Smm & 6mm mats , two widths and seven colours.

Whatever your criteria for choosing a mat we have something to suit, complimented with a wide selection of mat bags .

Best Wholesale Prices Yoga -Mad 's core business is supplying yoga studios, clubs and teachers and we believe we offer the best wholesale prices in the UK. Our Gold card scheme offers FIXED DISCOUNTS on all products REGARDLESS OF THE QUANTITY ORDERED . This allows Studios and teachers to buy what they want, when they want it and still get the best prices . Qualification is straightforward and delivery is free on all orders over £100 , other."Iise there is a flat rate of £5.

If you are a Studio or a teacher please call us now and ask for our Wholesale price list & information on our Gold Card Scheme

Call for a Free Colour Brochure on 01386 555955

or shop online at www.yogamad.com

Iyengar Yoga New

No. 5

62

Spring 2004

Iyengar Yoga Ne\\ls NO. 5

63

Spring 2004

V(uO( H)hrle, yoga

Mats - the original non-slip wider mat Ruth White Yoga has been th e so le UK d istri butor, stra ight fro m the

factory, since 198 1 and we are tllerefore ab le to sell ou r mats

at lower prices. Th ey are 'na de to our specifica tio n, 67c m w ide

as opposed to 60cl11, are made of a stro nger form ula

that has been tes ted safe from harmful sub stances,

and are machine w as hable.

Original Mats - Standard £ 17.00/Lightweight £14.00

Value Mat - £9.00

Rolls - £190.00/£220.00

mats, rol/s, bags, blankets, blocks, belts, Tshirts, eyebags, kits Special Offer for Teachers buy 5 stand ard mats

or

6 lightweight mats

for £60.00

and receive a free holdall

To order, or request further informat ion, visit our NEW website at www.ruthwhiteyoga.com teli. 0208 6440309 Ruth White Yoga Centre Springclose Lane, Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8PU

48 hour delivery Cheques payable to R. Wh ite Credit Cards accepted

Prices excl ude p&p

YOGA HOLIDAYS

Every Easter & Summer

at Penpont, Brecon , South Wa les

east clare yoga centre

a family-run rural retreat

in the West of Ireland

offering Iyengar yoga classes,

workshops and

residential yOg'a holidays

with Sasha Perryman

21 st - 27th Aug ust, 2004

for further information visit

www.eastclareyoga .com

tel +353+(0)61 640923

or email info@eastclareyoga.com

brochure available on request

l~engar

£395 inclusive

For further information please send SAE to:

Sasha Perrym an

Cambridge Iyengar Yoga Centre

59 Norfolk Terrace, Cambridge CB1 2NG

Tel: 01223 515929

sashaperryman@yah oo.co. uk

Yoga News No.5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 64 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Spring 2004

IYENGAR YOGA INSTITUTIE

OF ,B I' RMINGHAM

FORTHCOMING CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS:

April 13 - 16th May 15th - 16th May 22nd June 2nd August 7th - 8th Aug ust 9th - 23rd September 26th October 30th - 31 st

Jeanne Maslen, Intermediate Intensive Jayne Orton, Forward bend and twist Intensi1ve Professional Development Day Birjoo & Rajvi Mehta, Intermediate Special Event Rajiv Chanchani, Intermediate Weekend Workshop Iyengar Yoga IRetreat, Italy Judi Sweeting, General Yoga Day Jayne Orton, Backbend Intensive

www.iyengaryoga.uk.com

Tel: 0121 6082229

WEEKEND WORKSHOP with

YOGA IN WEST CRETE

JAKI NETT

24th - 31st August

£390 (ex. flight)

www.iynv.com

Fri 16th to Sun 18th July 2004

2 Iyengar classes daily Beautiful/peaceful venue t-"_""'_""'''~Hrl.~ walks Cretan Vegetarian food transport t o ·nearby beaches

"from Seeing and Understanding the Body to

Personalizing the Poses"

at

North Surrey Centre

For Iyengar Yoga

j nfo/broch u re

www.yogadham.co.uk

Margaret Rawlinson

01628 770796

rawli nson@waitrose.com

bookingslflights Footloose

Travel 01943 604030

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

contact

Judith Richards

25 Eff"mgham Road

Surbiton, Surrey KT6 5JZ

0208398 1741

judith@yogadham.co.uk

65

S ring 2004

Advertising rates

ADVERTISING in IYENGAR YOGA NEWS If vou wish (0 advertise in the next issue of Iyengar Yoga News, please send all text, photographs or art­ work to: J

IYA (UK) c/o Leza Hatchard 21 Woodgrange Avenue,

Ealing,

London W5 3NY

telephone: 020 8354 3983

admin@iyengaryoga.org.uk

The deadline for the next issue of Iyengar Yoga News is:

1st December 2004

Iyengar Yoga News is read by at least 2500 individual Iyengar prac­ titioners. Rates for advertising are as follows: £75 Full page: Half page: £40 Quarter page: £25 Small ads.: 30p per word

NB. the Editorial Board reserves the right to refose to accept advertisements or parts ofadvertisements that are deemed to be at variance with the stated aims of the Iyengar Yoga Association (UK)

Small Ads. ------Art and Yoga

South of France

24th - 31st July

Beautiful house, swimming pool

For details contact

kestamper@yahoo.com

wvvw.anholiday.com

01223415654

YogaSupplies Inexpensive INDIAN YOGA

BELTS, BANDAGES , BOLSTER

SETS, PRANAYAMA SETS ,

ROPES for sale.

Also eco-friendly

WEDGES , BRICKS.

Call 01225 336144 or e-mail

kirsten@bath-iyengar-yoga.com

for price list.

Traditional Welsh Cottage To let for holiday 1 weekends.

Beautiful secluded peacefulloca­ tion with views over West Wales.

Log fires. River Tiefe one mite; Lampeter 6 miles. Tastefully con­ verted; designer owned . Sleeps 3/5. Competitive rates.

Lovely room for Yoga practice.

Phone: 01273 400202

Yoga Holiday to the Algarve ith

Rachel and Hannah Lovegrove May, August, eptember 2004 £325/395 excluding flight Suitable for Beginner and General tudents Non·participating Partners Welcome!

Idyllic Surrounding . 2 Swi mjng Pols Ensuite Twin Rooms· atered or Setf·Gatering 2 Yoga Classes Daily For Infor ation and Bookings con ct g Iree Yog , The Ra ch House, ortl1 Chideock, Dorset. DT6 6LG. hone: 08454 569826

Email: info@orangetreyoga.com

Visit: www.orangetreeyoga.com

Iyengar Yoga News No.5

66

East Riding of Yorkshire City of Kingston-upon­ Hull

Lancashire Blackpool Blackburn with Darwen Greater Manchester Merseyside Halton

Li ncolnshire North Lincolnshire North East Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire Nottingham Derbyshire Derby Leicestershire