Yogafrica September 2014 by Plusto Limited

In Memoriam—BKS Iyengar 1918—2014

YogAfrica

September 2014 CONTENTS

Ed’s Notes BKS Iyengar:

4 Th e guru ji who brought yoga to the masses

Thus Spake Iyengar

5 8

Asana Solutions—Roger Cole

Dispelling Myths and Sacred Cows

Visit to Pune—Eileen Weinronk

Courses

Notices

Tribute

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September 2014 ED’S NOTES

RIVA H IRS CHOW ITZ Dear M em bers, I t has been a di f fi cul t and event f ul coupl e of m ont hs. Our m agazi ne t hi s m ont h pays t ri but e t o t he l if e of our Guru BKS I yengar. I t i s wi t h grat i t ude, respect and h um i l i t y t hat we honour t he m an t hat he was and t he legacy t hat he l eaves. As wi t h t he previ ous edi t i on, t he Yogaf ri ca i s i n i t s short er f orm at f or easi er a ccess. I hope you wi l l enj oy readi ng t hi s edi t i on. Thanks as al ways t o St rat f ord Canni ng f or t ypeset t i n g and t o al l t hose t hat have cont ri but ed. Shoul d you have any com m ent s or woul d l i ke t o cont ri but e t o t he next edi t i on, pl ease em ai l m e di rect l y. Be i n j oy Nam ast e Ri va ri va. hi rsc howi t z@gm ai l . com

“Act i on i s m ovem ent wi t h i nt el l i gence. The worl d i s fi l l ed wit h m ovem ent . W hat t he worl d needs i s m ore cons ci ous m ovem ent , m ore act i on. ” - B. K. S. I yengar - Li ght On Li f e

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September 2014

BKS IYENGAR: THE GURUJI WHO BROUGHT YOGA TO THE MASSES The f am ed yoga t eacher who revi t al i zed t he anci ent I ndi an di sci pl i ne has i nspi red t ens of m i l l i ons around t he worl d

AYESHA VENKATARAM

B. K. S. I yengar seen du ri ng t he cel ebrat i on of hi s 94t h bi rt hday i n Novem ber 2012 i n Bel l ur, I ndi a. Dom i ni k Ket z /

Bellur Krishna machar Su ndararaja Iyengar cu t a mean fig ure in h is o ld age, sporting a mane of w hite hair and w ild eyebrows tha t fanned h is forehead between the s ti ff line that was al ways drawn dow n the midd le (a marking to d enote h is sec t wi thin H indu ism). Bu t the fa ther of modern yoga , as he was o ften called , is remembered w ith an outp ouring of fo nd ness and grief the world over a fter his dea th fro m k idney fa ilure on Wednesday. The 95-year-old was l argely responsib le for puttin g yoga on the g lobal map, making th e anc ient Indian d iscip line more access ible to peop le of al l ages. Yoga’s widespread popu lari ty has mad e it a mu lti bil lion-do llar indus try, wi th peopl e pay ing top dol l ar for branded apparel , luxurious yoga retreats and classes; the co mmercia liza tion o f yoga even saw a copyrigh t lawsu it be ing fi led in 2011 by Bikram Choudhury, the face beh ind Bikra m yoga , characterized by a sequence of poses and per formed in ro oms hea ted to a high tempera ture. Al l th is runs counter to the spir itua l b asis of yoga , which seek s to increase the prac ti tioner ’s phys ical and spiri tual well-be ing by un iting the body , mind , emo tio ns a nd in te llec t. In a 2002 in tervie w, Iyen gar (fond ly known as guruj i, or respec ted sp iri tual teacher, by h is s tudents) addressed th is shi ft: “I th ink many o f my students h ave fol lowed the adv ice I gave years ago , to giv e more than yo u take,” he said . “The commercial ism may wash off some ti me la ter.” “I woul d ca ll hi m a prac tica l ph iloso pher who , be ing a very d ivine person , had the un ique abi li ty to come do wn to the l evel of the most mundane , tea ching methodolog ies for us to u pl ift o urselves,” s aid Dr. R ajv i Mehta , who stud ied wi th Iyen gar for mo re than 35 years and teach es a t Iyengar Yogashr aya, an officia l Iyengar ins ti tute in Mumba i, India ; she is also the ed i tor o f Yo ga Rahasya, the quar terly journal o f Iyengar ’s headq uarters in Pune. B.K .S . Iyengar drew on the earl ies t accoun ts of y oga practices, mos t nota bly the Yoga Su tras o f P atanjal i (a found ational text on eigh t-step yoga fro m r oughly A.D . 400), breaking them down in to diges tible chunks wi th an emphas is on props such as ropes , b lanke ts, blocks , bols ters and be lts to ach ieve proper align men t and phys ical rigor. H is s tyl e rel i es on c lassica l yoga, branded as Iyengar yog a by others. “Some peop le say he practiced a type of Ha tha yoga ; o thers say Ash tanga . Yo ga is one , he often 5

said. Like G od is one , yoga is one. D ifferen t peo ple ca ll i t by d i fferen t na mes,” said Mehta . Iyengar was born in to a n impoveris hed rural fami ly, the 11 th of 13 chi ldren (three die d young) in the vill age o f Bel lur, in the so uthern Ind ian sta te of K arnataka. He was a s ickly chi ld ; rid dled w ith dise ases, includ ing tubercul osis , malari a, typ hoid and in flu enza, h e was told he wou ld no t l ive pas t the age of 20 . “I was an anti-advertise men t for yoga ,” he wo uld later joke . In 1936 , Iyengar found respi te — and , subsequently , his l ife ’s cal ling — from his ai lme nts with the practice o f yoga , wh ich he l earned under the tute lage of h is bro ther-in-law Tiru mala i Krishnamacharaya, a revered yog i, Ved ic scho lar and ayur vedic healer, at the pa lace of the maharaja o f Mysore, where Krishna macharya taugh t the royal fa mi ly. Iyengar rose to the top o f the c lass and was sen t to P une to teach. During Iye ngar's ear ly trave ls to Europe , when he ident ified himse lf as a yoga teacher, peop le would ask if he wa lked on g lass and searched him susp ic ious ly. Rajv i Mehta Yoga teacher and l ongtime s tudent o f Iyengar He spen t years eking ou t a liv ing as a yoga teach er, sometimes subsis tin g on a sing le p la te o f rice every few days . B ut his persis tence paid o ff: Ove r 16 years, h is repu tation stead ily grew after he taught at an e li te Pune sp orts c lub and then , independ e ntly , lead ing to a mee ting in 1952 w ith the v iol in maestro Yehud i Menuh in , wh o had been experienc ing muscle pain . What was mean t to be a five-minu te interaction ba llo oned in to three an d a hal f hours as Iyengar led Menuhin through a series of relax ing poses, or asanas , focusing on precise al ignme nt and prolonged pos tures — the ha llmark of h is bra nd of yoga. W ith his bow arm loos ening up , Menuhi n w as so impressed tha t two years la ter he i nvi ted Iy engar to teach in Sw i tzerland , w here he was in troduced to Me nuhin ’s s tuden ts, o ther artis ts and royal ty. Fame fo llowe d, bo th a t home and abroad, as Iyen gar’s repute spread , and the yog i taugh t classes in cities across the Un ite d S ta tes an d in Europe. So on, h is l ist of ce lebri ty c lien tele included wri ter A ldous Huxley, ac tor Ann ette Bening , phi losopher J . Kris hnamurti, cricke ter Sach in Tendulkar , B elg ium’s queen mo ther El isabe th and Indian ac tiv ist Jayap rakash Narayan, amon g o thers. “In the ’40s and ’50s , w hen peo ple spoke about y oga, i t w ould be esoteric ,” sa id Meh ta. “During Iy engar’s early trave ls to Europe, when he ide ntified himse lf as a yoga teacher, people wo uld ask if h e walked on g lass and searched hi m suspic iously . That was the i mpression of yoga ; [it was ] though t to be practiced by madmen and eccen trics. From that h e brought yoga to a respectab le leve l.” Iyengar’s rising popu lari ty led to th e open ing of h undreds of Iy engar yoga schools (currently sprea d over 72 coun tries) a nd h is 1 966 book , Ligh t on Y oga, h igh ligh tin g more than 200 asan as was translated into 17 langua ges and beca me an interna tiona l b estsel ler. Numerous acco lades fol lowed , inc ludin g an entry on his sty le of yoga in the Oxford Dic tionary and h is inc lusion in T ime mag azine ’s 2004 lis t of the 10 0 most in fluentia l peop le in th e wor ld, as w ell as three of the top c ivi li an a wards in India , th e most prestigious jus t th is su mmer . But he remai n ed seemingly unchange d by th e fame , l iving by hi s words in Li ght on Yoga : “S tay inspired bu t no t proud.” Dedica ting hi msel f fu lly to h is cra ft, he lived a si mple l ife in a house behi nd h is schoo l , the Rama mani Iyengar Memoria l Yoga Ins ti tu te in Pune , na med for h is late w ife . They had s ix ch il dren, tw o o f wh om, Geeta and Prashant, are d irectors a t the ins titu te , whi le h is granddaughter Abh ija ta Sridhar-Iyeng ar continues h is tradi tion by teach ing at the insti tut e, hav ing wa tched h im work over the years . “Guruj i i mparted know ledge about yoga i mpartial l y,” she said in an in terview w i th The T imes o f Ind ia. “He was l ike a great tree and his s tudents , sapl in gs growing around i t.” We are go ing to miss h is g uida nce, h is very pr esence and persona lity, wh ich was so rad iant , like the sun. The wor ld at large will miss h im be in g there for the light that he could throw . Firooza Ali Yoga teacher and l ongtime s tudent o f Iyengar 6

Iyengar’s stric t teach ing sty le — he o ften barked instructions and jabbed h is s tuden ts wh en the ir asanas fa i led to l ive up to h is s tandards — a ttrac ted so me critics, such as au thor and ve teran yog a practi tioner El izabe th K adetsky , who wrote a n ot- very-flattering accoun t o f hi m in her me moir Firs t There Is a Moun tain a fter spendin g a year s tudyi ng w ith Iye ngar. But h is long ti me s tuden ts like Mehta and Firooza A li th ink th is cr iticis m is un warrante d. “He was jus t a very serious and s incere teach er who wanted to g ive the best to h is s tuden ts, even i f i t mean t he had to be a l ittle hard on y ou, much l ik e a parent. If his corrections or a djus tmen ts appeare d rough to the on looker, for the person who got c orrected it was bl issfu l , because whe n he pu t you i n the righ t posi tion you experienced the r ight thin g, ” said A li , a wel l-known y oga teacher who h as s tud ied wi th Iyengar for 37 years . He fol lowed his own s trictures , a ttemp ting perfec t pos tures for two to three hours a d ay throughou t h is li fe, even after su ffering his second heart attack at the age of 80 . “Practice is my feas t,” he to ld T he New Y ork Ti mes when he turned 84. Wel l into h is 90s, he could main tain a headstand for a ful l ha l f hour. He al th is “a sta te of co mple te harmony o f the body , mind and spiri t,” he wrote in ano ther b o ok, Light on Li fe . An d thanks to his emphasis on props such as ropes, b lankets , blocks , bo ls ters and belts to ach ieve proper al ign ment, he ensured that any one could be hea lthy , n o matter what age or phys ical consti tution . The guru a lso emphas ized c enteri ng the body firs t, be fore turning to look inward, un like the Sivananda schoo l o f yoga, wh ich stresses me dita tio n a longsid e asanas . “It is through your bod y that you real ize you are a spark o f div ini ty,” he w rote in L igh t on Li fe . And cou ntless fol lowers tho ught that o f h im. “He w as a man ahead o f h is time . Hi s body o f work and energy was amaz ing,” said A l i, adding, “We are go ing to miss his guidanc e, his very presence and personal i ty, wh ich was so radian t, l ike the sun . The world at large w il l miss h im being th ere for the l igh t tha t he coul d throw.” Iyengar is survived by his chi ldren, Prashan t Gee ta, V ini ta , Such i ta, Sun ita and Sav itha ; five gran dchildren; and three great-grandch ildren .

“Spi ri t ual i t y i s not som e ext ernal goal t hat one m ust seek, but a part of t he di vi ne core of each of us, whi ch we m ust reveal . ” - BKS I yengar — Li ght on Li f e

YogAfrica

September 2014 THUS SPAKE IYENGAR

BKS IYE NGA R How to detec t fear . In Uttanasana , i f there is no fear, pup il descends wi th concave spine . Nerve fi bres pull in oppos ite d irectio ns wh en there is fear, wh i ch creates resistance in a pos ture. The mind is c reating the fear in the body . The body is no t causing fear. The mind crea tes hardness in the n erves. If the nerves are poor, the body canno t balance a t a ll . Because there is fear in the mind , the nerves res ist the mo tion of the b ody. The unknown body wan ts to protec t i tsel f. The nerve fibres beco me hard a nd resist the mo tio n o f the musc les- con tradic tion i n action . In to tal stre tch there is a che mica l ch ange in the brain and brain and body b ecome comp letely l igh t, cool, sol id and s ti ll , there is no thou ght, the cons ciousness moves o nly in th e body , not ou tside . S o you do not have to tel l the pup il to go in to the se lf, it happens by i tsel f.

• When the pose is correct, there is a l igh tness, a freedom. When the pose is wrong , it is heavy . Lo ok • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • •

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at the sel f n ot at the ego. Stand ing poses li mber the bo dy. Precis ion in pos es. If your throat is tense whi le doing the asanas or Pranayama, you are do ing i t w i th your brain , instead o f your body . Front brai n is kep t relaxed , w ork fro m the back b rain i n a ll the poses (si lent brain) Can your in tel lect pene trate to s tretch the h idden areas o f your body? Dig est the poses yoursel f, before you teach them to o thers. Differen tia te b etwe en se lf – cul ture and phys ical culture Whole body mus t work, not partia l. When there is hardness, th ere is no in tel l igence. Coccyx an d inner sternum control abstract bo dy. Learn each par t o f the body . W ithou t dis turbing the outer back ribs, can I create ac tion , l ife in my inner back ribs. E li mina te dul lness everywhere. Convert abs tract into concrete and concrete in to abstract. Withou t d isturb ing the externa l b ody, stre tch the interna l body that is abs tract. Penetra ting the internal body, creates po tency. Do no t be caugh t in one experience alone . Use e ach experience as a s teppi ng-stone . Using concrete atten tion , bring awareness in to th e abstrac t bo dy. Watch and absorb into your conscious aw areness and wh ich par t o f your body is active and which par t o f yo ur body is not moving at all . = Ph iloso phy o f the body . A comp lica ted de fect requires comp lica ted atten ti on. Use i nte ll igence to pene trate th e body and disco ver the source o f the defect. The in termed ia te s tages in the asanas are more i mportan t than going into the fin al pose. If you do not see the in termedi ate sta ges, th e fina l pose wi ll not be correct. Learn the in termed ia te s tages i n stretchi ng. These should be dig ested in your brai n. Th is is clari ty . The fina l pose does no t g ive yo u this clari ty . If the pup il canno t grasp the pose through the in tellec t, work from the gross body by g iving the pu pil the correct feel ing of th e pose . The teacher mus t descend to th e level o f the pupi l. Tension is aggression . 8

• To purge the in tel l igence, h idden pr ide mus t be b roken. • We should be h umb le wi thin . • In co ld wea ther the bo dy does no t ben d immedia tely, so yo u have to lubrica te to get the pos e. Li mber wi th stand ing poses.

• When there is pain , timing sh ould no t be he ld. R epeti ti on is impor tant. If you force yourse lf to s ta y in a pa infu l p ose, spasms are crea ted. Motion requ ires flex ibi li ty . Tens ion creates rigi di ty.

• • Do no t a llo w p upi ls to practise a t ho me until they have p erfected the postures in the c lass. If they • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

make mis takes when you are wa tching them, ho w many more mistakes w il l they make a t ho me! Keep hea lthy peop le heal thy. The brain mus t see the move ment. Humi li ty in action . Silen t brain – ac tive medi tation in Asanas Tense brain – physica l poses . Meeting of na ture and consciousn ess. Do no t live in the fu ture. The mind l ives in the fu ture. If there is no inner l igh t use ou ter l igh t. Always div ide e nergy from midd le of body or li mb . Horizonta l and ver tica l ex tensi on. Where there is a join t, there is a cross +. Weigh t on bo th legs even. Both l egs ac tive . Keep the bra in s tab le, so i t can receive the ac ti o n. All the 8 steps o f y oga are inc luded in each posture. There is no div ision . T ota l liv ing is Samadhi . Art o f s tretch ing is the e thica l princip le . Failure in Se lf-cul ture is caused by intox icate d in tel ligence . We are al l in toxica ted wi th our own con fusion . Hypocritical pol i teness. Truth is one . All experience the sa me in med itation. Sa me s ta te of mind . Zero sta te- non aggressive , nor du ll . Dull body = Dul l mi nd. Looking d own at th e floor in standing poses caus es disharmony. No l oad on back brain Imba lance in pose – phys ical yoga . B alanced pos e – sp iri tual yoga If teachers do the poses incorrectly – the pupi ls i mi tate mis takes. If you can not sta nd s traigh t in Tadasana you canno t teach . In s tand ing poses if we ight is on the toes you are using the front brain . If you do no t l ive to tal ly in the body you do no t li ve to ta lly in th e Se l f. To tal Awareness . The foundation (part o f the body touching floor) s hould n ot be s haky. If found ation is good, pose is good. Sadhana (spiri tual practice) is do ing the as ana we ll . Convert Ha tha y oga into Ra ja Yoga but perfecting the asanas – total awareness. Raja Yoga = Ego cu lture. Use i nte ll igence in action . Fac tua l and ana lytical . Introversion is medi tation . Inte llec t stab le- no pas t, no fu ture, on ly presen t. Each move men t is a Mantra why sing O M? OM is in your own body. Energy mus t flow wi thou t in terruption . 9

• Nature is s imp le , man has made i t co mpl icated. Same in postures . T ake de fec ts o f nature and wo rk to conver t de fec ts to natura l s ta te – e ffor t cease s • Action , not words . • Japa (prayer) is fee ling in pos ture.

• • • •

Action and ad justment is feel ing . Feel warmth in back whe n pos ition is correct. Op en flesh , then skin , then bone . Unin terrupted in tel ligence – atten tive everywhere

Balance in space . Go into the unknown . Conquer fear. From the known to the unknown . See from fin ite to infin ite . In tel lig ence merges w i th flo w. N o Ego . S oul is working , not body . • Convert phys ical yoga in to spiri tua l yoga . • The rays o f the sun extend everywhere, bu t the s ource remains the sa me.

• Over enthusias m in teach ing is Ego. The teacher shou ld abs orb the pup il ’s mistakes . Correct me nta lly . Test pup il , imita te mistakes . Se e interna l as we ll as external .

This is the content of an e-ma il received by Jen n y Morris , a llo wing the pub lica tion o f th is ar tic le.

From: Uma Dhavale <u madhavale @gma il .co m> Subject: P lease mail a copy of the fina l notes for the archive s! Date: 07 June 2014 at 12 :46 :01 PM SAST To: Jenni fer Morris < jamorris@ ia frica .com>

Dear Jenny Morris, I ga ther from your letter tha t you ca me across no tes from my 1968 teach ings in Maur itius. I wi ll be very happy for you to get them prin ted in your local magaz ine . It is good to recol lec t the old w isdom in new thou ghts for the present generation . With love and affection , B.K .S . Iyengar

YogAfrica

September 2014 ASANA SOLUTIONS: SUPTA VIRASANA

ROGER COLE Laid Back A single muscle hol ds the key to a lign men t and repose in supta v irasana. No yoga pos ture expresses the mean ing o f the word repose (temporary rest from activi ty, exci tement, or exe rtion) be tter than sup ta v irasana. Even i ts na me—reclin ing hero pose— evokes the image of a nobl e warrior recovering strength during a qu iet in terlud e be tween ba ttles. In fac t, supta virasana is a near perfect counter pose to all th e warrior postures (virabhadrasana I, I I, and III). Energetical ly, these poses have a strong elemen t of mov ing forward and upward, w hereas supta virasana is, li teral ly, laid back . Ana tomic ally , the warrior positions de mand tha t you intensely contract the musc les in the front of your thig h and shin while bo ldly l ifti ng your trunk and head; supta virasana gently bu t persisten tly coaxes those same leg musc les to release to their max imu m l ength, while it passive ly s upports your head and upper body. The unique pos ition o f th e body in su pta v irasan a gives the pose an add itional res torative qua li ty that a resting warrior wou ld fin d bo th co mfor ting and u seful : when a lign ed just righ t, supta virasana ai ds digestion , mak ing it one o f the fe w poses that you can practice sa fely a fter a meal . Go Lo ng When aligned jus t righ t—ah, there’s the rub . Su pta virasana is essen tia lly a l inear pose, long a nd nar row, no t w ide or deep l ike virabhadrasana , bu t most pe ople n eed he lp to achieve th is form. Th e rare person who is flexi ble enoug h to en ter the pose comple tely wi thou t props (and wi thou t cheating ) first bends the knees co mple te ly so the buttocks rest fir mly on the floor between the fe et. And then , ke eping the th ighs stric tly paral lel to one another, lies ba ck, ti lting th e hips, trunk, and head as a single u nit so they al l rest on the floor. In the fina l posi tion , the thighbones , pelv is, sp ine , and head all line u p with one another in the sa me w ay th ey l ine up in tadasana (moun tain pose). Th e arms reach ove rhead (along the flo or), continu ing the l ine of the body, and they stretch as far away from the knees as possible, el ongating the en tire pose from kneecaps to finger tips . Altho ugh a number o f factors— such as l imited flexib il ity o f the knee or ankle join t—can make i t difficult for people to achieve the long , narrow, flat position of the recl ining hero, the most common limi tation is tightness in the rectus femoris, be tter known as one of the four quadriceps musc les th at run along the front o f the th igh . The lo wer ends of al l the “quads ” attach to the kneecap , wh ich, in turn, attaches to the fron t of the upper shinbone jus t bel ow the knee. But, whi le the upper ends of three quads attach to the front of the th ighbone , the rectus femoris skips the th ighbone and attaches to the front of the pe lvis just above the h ip join t. When you bend your knees to go into sup ta v ira sana, your shins pul l your kn eecaps do wn towar d the floor , drawing the low er ends of al l the quads far away from the thighb one. Jus t ben ding the knees gives a nice stretch to the quadriceps musc les that attach to the th ighs, bu t, in order to elonga te the rectus fe moris musc les, yo u have to til t th e top of your pelv is—the par t above the hip join t—bac k away from your knees (while drawi ng your sitting bone s forward toward your knees). If the musc les can relax and lengthen suffic ien tly , you can til t your pelv is back a ful l 90 degrees—from its ver tica l posi tion when 11

you’re si tting down to i ts horizo nta l pos ition whe n you’re lying down—bu t if th ey can ’t stre tch th at far, the tau t muscles s top the pelv is a fter i t til ts only partway back . Stopped Sh ort What happens a fter th e pe lvis can ’t til t b ack an ymore depends on how y ou hand le the s itua tion . Mos t people practice supta virasana w itho ut su fficie nt awareness o f wha t the final a lign men t of th e pose should be. They go into it, wi thou t props, bound and determined to lay their torso back and down and place their shoulders and head on the floor . Unfortunate ly, they typica lly do th is by arching their lower back, which p uts s train on the lu mbar vertebrae and destroys the s traigh t l ine of the pose . Mean while , unless they tak e pains to prevent it, the s trong tension on the rectus fe moris draws the knees apart, creating a d iagona l stre tch rather than a s traigh t one . This not on ly reduces the amo unt o f s tretch on the rectus femor is muscle , i t also indirec tly red uces the amount o f stretch on the trunk , makin g this common misa ligne d version o f sup ta virasana les s effec tive tha n the straig ht-l ine pose . Ra ther th an the long, narrow, lo w sup ta v irasana op ti mized for stretch , rest, and diges tio n, you ge t a broad, overarched, unco mfor table approxi ma tion o f the pose tha t often creates more stress than i t relieves . Fortunate ly, a few s imp le props le t l ess l imber practi tioners en joy near ly al l the ben efits of the fu lly horizonta l pose. H ere’s how to become a relaxe d supine hero wi th al ignment and grace , regardl ess of your level o f flexib il ity . The Practice The basic formu la for propping sup ta virasana i s simple : eleva te the shins and pelv is jus t eno ugh to relieve stress on the ankles and knees, and then lift the upper back and head high enough to create an incl ined line of the body from kn ees to h ips to shoulders to ears. This configuration li mi ts the rectus femoris stre tch to a manageable l evel and a llo ws the spi ne to s tay long and the kn ees to ho l d the ir align ment. If i nflexib il ity in your ankles prevents you from k neeling w i th your feet po inting strai ght back , prop your shins firs t to rel ieve your ankles. Se t up a stack of two to four blanke ts and drape your ankles over the edge, poi nting your fee t in the same li ne as th e shins. Your feet sh ould be on ly far enough a part to barely ad mi t the wi dth o f your outer th ighbones (greater trochan ters) when you si t down . Next, prop your pe lvis to ease any kne e disco mfort. If si tting between your feet w ith your pelv is on the floor pu ts any stra in at a ll on your knees , then e levate your pe lvis on fold ed blanke ts or a yoga block, using jus t enough he ight to rel ieve th e strain . Ke ep your thighbones para lle l, bu t the knees the ms elves should no t touch one ano ther. Now set u p a stack o f b lanke ts to res t the upper back and shoulders on w hen you l ie back . Long , narrow blankets alon g the l ine of the spine work wel l, bu t it’s also fine to fo ld blanke ts to a shorter shape . Even if th e blanke ts are long, they do not have to support the lower back; i f they touch the lo wer back at a ll they should n’ t force i t to arch excessive ly. You may need to experi ment w ith th e nu mber of blankets (fo ldi ng and unfo ldi ng them) to fi nd the op tima l he ight for th is prop . It’s usua lly best to sta rt out too high and then remove props one by one. Put one or more folded blanke ts on top o f the back s upport for use as a head support. Keeping the th ighs parall el , press the tops o f y our shins toward the floor , til t the top o f your pelvis back, and lie down on th e props. Lengthen your lower back by setting th e back of your lower rib cage on the props as far away from the knees as yo u can. Adjus t your head support so your forehe ad is sligh tly h igher than your chin . Reach your arms overhead, in line w ith your body, and stre tch th em as far away from your knees as you can, fee lin g yo ur belly elong ate and the s ides o f your wa ist len gthen. Breathe e asi ly and rest comfortab ly until i t is tim e to return to ac tion . TROUBL ESH OOT ING If yo u stil l s truggle w i th find ing ease in this po se, adj ust your props in one or more of the fo ll owing ways: 12

If your th ighs separate and you canno t restore them to the para lle l posi tion, us e higher props under your back and head . If your lo wer back arches more than it does w hen you are s tand ing— or i f i t feels compress ed or pinched—then til t the pelv is more , moving your s itting bones toward y our knees. If tha t doesn ’t re store the back to a co mfortable norma l curve , then rais e the props. If you can keep your body in a comfortable neu tral line from knees to ears but you don’t fe el an engaging stretch in your th ighs, firs t til t the top o f your pelvis back and your sitting bones forward more firmly. If tha t doesn ’t work, then lo wer the prop s bit by b it until you feel a moderate but mana geable challenge to your flexib il i ty. THE U NIQUE POS IT ION OF T HE BODY IN SU P TA VIRASA NA GIVES T HE P OSE AN ADD IT ION AL RESTORAT IVE Q UAL ITY THAT A RE STING WARR IOR WO ULD FIND BOT H C OMF ORT IN G A ND USE FUL. Rog er Col e, P h D, a c ert i f i ed I y en gar y o ga t eac her, t eac hes at Y oga Del M ar nea r S an Di e go. He s pec i al i z es i n a nat om y and phy s i ol o gy of y o ga a nd r el ax at i on an d has t au ght y o ga as a h eal i n g art t o t he m edi c al c om m uni t y .

“You m ust purge you rsel f bef ore f i ndi ng f aul t s i n ot hers. W hen you see a m i st ake i n som ebody el se, t ry t o fi nd i f you are m aki ng t he sam e m i st ake. Thi s i s t he way t o t ake j udgm ent and t o t urn i t i nt o im provem ent . Do not l ook at ot hers' bodi es wi t h envy or wi t h superi ori t y. Al l peopl e are born wi t h di f f erent const i t ut i ons. Never com pa re wi t h ot hers. Each one' s capaci t i es are a f unct i on of hi s or her i nt ernal st rengt h. Know your capa ci t i es and cont i nual l y i m prove upon t hem . ” - BKS I yengar—Li ght on Li f e

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September 2014 DISPELLING MYTHS AND SACRED COWS

DARE TO DO DIFFERENTLY AND FIND CONNECTIONS after GEETA and PRASHANT , Dec 2013 SWASTIKA

cross shins bring feet deep in under thighs to buttocks, under root of thigh, then middle thigh, then traditional, feel difference in hips & inner organic Hold feet like socks, like you love them, simultaneously release legs, groins quiet, lift spine in and up Elbows back and down, pranayama course – opens sternum Open sternum, firmness in hips – do both crossing of the legs, 2 X VIRASANA Squeeze knees corresponding inner lift comes DANDASANA Extend legs completely, allow heels to lift, feet toward the body – deep flex Bring heels down without any change to thighs – lower abdomen lifts VAJRASANA Tapas to get ankle bones to touch VAJRASANA Cross feet/ instep, sit holding action of ankle bones to touch SWASTIKASANA Slide into Gomukhasana legs from Swastikasana LOLASANA Deep Swastikasana cross as above, and do Then use belt over lower foot and thigh only, use blocks firmness in hips, sides of the navel, sides of the abdomen, sides of the ribs LOLASANA Do classical – notice what changed DANDASANA As above BHARADVAJ Support both butts, remember SWASTIKA holding feet how spine Comes in and up so hold elbow to get same effect, arms away from the body URDHVA PRASARITA PADASANA 10X exhale down, inhale up; 10X inhale exhale draw in, go down up SIRSASANA – find wall if needed, fold mat in 4, be ready in TADA facing mat TADA – UH – SIRSA 1 arms/hands in TADA – slide into GOMUKHA arms, release into UH arms – change interlock, slide into GOMUKHA opposite arm – release – TADA – kneel down for SIRSA 2 lift shoulders, keep lifted, place head, lift knees, walk in to ARDHA SIRSA 2 lift into EKAPADA reach, release, change sides, stand up TADA – UH, cross forearm bones, catch elbows, BADDHA HASTA, release into UH, change sides, release, PASCHIMA BADDHA HASTA, lift into sternum, look up and back, release, change cross, repeat, kneel down, place arms for BADDHA HASTA SIRSASANA lift shoulders, keep lifted, place head, lift knees, walk in to ARDHA BADDHA HASTA SIRSASAN lift into EKAPADA, reach, release, change sides, change arms, do both sides, stand up TADA – extend arms down, firm connection, look straight ahead, eyes quiet, kneel down MUKTHA HASTA SIRSA lift shoulders, keep lifted, place head, lift knees, walk in EKAPADA, reach, release, change sides, stand up TADA – interlock hands behind, wide collarbones, lift sternum, standing back arch, release, change sides, kneel down, place arms for SIRSA 1 – pump forearms 3 X, place head, light, lift knees, walk in, down, change interlock, repeat, repeat, lift knees, walk in, EKAPADA, change sides, stand up TADA – UH, BADDANGULLY, reach up and back, release, kneel for SIRSA 1 as above but go up EKAPADA, let 2nd leg lift from 1st leg action not thrown, not momentum, go up R, L to follow, R down, L to follow, repeat L up, R follow, L down, R follow AM VIRA rest, release, interlock hands on back, lift, space in chest, change interlock, stand 14

TADA reach arms down, standing back arch SIRSA 1 R up, L to follow, hold the pose, L down, R to follow, repeat L up, R to follow, Hold pose, R down, L to follow JUMPINGS AMS – jump PARSVOT R – jump AMS – jump PARSVOT L jump AMS – jump PRASARITA PADOTTANA - lead R – jump AMS – jump PP lead L jump AMS – jump VIRA 1 R – jump VIRA 1 L – jump AMS – jump VIRA 2 R – jump VIRA 2 L – jump AMS – UMS – CHATURANGASANA - CHATURANGADANDASANA – UMS – AMS – CHATURANGASANA – EKA PADA CHATURANGASANA R, return, L – CHATURANGASANA – UMS - AMS – EKAPADA AMS R return L– AMS – UMS – AMS – UTTANASANA – TADASANA – PASCHIMA NAMASKAR – UH – UTTANA – AMS – jump PARSVOTTANASANA R come up PASCHIMA NAMASKAR look at ceiling – UH – PARSVOTTANASAN R – jump AMS – jump repeat L – jump AMS – jump PARIVRTTA ARDHA CHANDRASANA R – jump AMS – repeat L – jump AMS – CHATURANGADANDASANA – DHANURASANA –release don’t drop – SALABHASANA catch – UMS – CHATURANGASANA – STAMBASANA – USTRASANA – CHATURANGASANA - BHUJANGASANA – SALABHASANA – DHANURASANA – SALABHASANA catch – UMS – AMS – jump PASCHIMOT – PARIVRTTA PASCHIMOT R – PASCHIMOT – PARIVRTTA PASCHIMOT L – PASCHIMOT – UBHAYA PADANGUSTA – PASCHIMOT – DANDASANA – SWASTIKA – PARVATASANA – AM SWASTIKASANA – keep both butts down, rotate deep, stay low in AM move into PARIVRTTA SWASTIKA R – AM SWASTIKASANA – PARIVRTTA SWASTIKASANA L – SWASTIKASANA centre, sit up – PARSVA SWASTIKASANA R – centre – L – SWASTIKASANA – hold feet deep under, lift sternum, PARYANKASAN in SWASTIKASANA – come up, change cross and redo all as above PADMASANA or ARDHA PADMASANA or SWASTIKASANA do as above – PARIVRTTA, PARSVA, PARYANKASANA bring arms over into BADDHA HASTA MARICHIASANA 1 (intended – not sure if did) SETUBANDASANA/ CHATUSHPADASANA pump pumpkins at least 3 X SARVANGASANA SAVASANA

“The hard ness of a di am ond i s part of i t s usef ul ness, but i t s t rue val ue i s i n t he l i ght t hat shi nes t hrough i t . ” - BKS I yengar—Li ght on Li f e

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September 2014 VISIT TO PUNE—DECEMBER 2013

EILEE N WE INR ONK RD: “You are fro m South A frica are you no t? ” EW: (cautious ly, hesi tan tly) ……Who? Me? Ye e e es ………… as I ba lanced on one foot, puttin g on socks a nd s hoes in the forecourt to R IMYI and the Iyengar fa mily home and stil l so mewha t stuck in the c lass we have jus t fin ished wi th Gee taj i , I se e, fe el , hear Raya and Ab ija ta c al l me over RD: “Not the us ual suspects you understand … ” EW: ………….are you ser ious????? SER IO US ! Would I like to say a few words to Guru ji a t h is 9 5 t h birthday ce lebrations in 2 days time ? Well , would I? Cou ld I? Shou ld I? Did I? Yes ! A nd the rest is h istory .

Ina Gerber and I shared an apar tmen t wi th 2 s tud ents from th e Sou th of France and our home for the month was fil led w ith fore ign languages , new fri e nds and new ins ights . They invi ted us to join a group who were preparin g a chan t for Guruji for his b irthday . We would me et for an hour’s practi ce most days o n the roof top o f an apartmen t bu ild in g opposi te the institu te look ing straig ht on to the rooftop of a “thousand headed cobra ”. Thus our Sanskrit pronuncia tions and in flections were hon ed as we ohm-ed and in tonated w i th more ne w peop l e, faces , ori gins and v oices . The group grew an d shrunk; so me tensio ns and cha llenges came and went as the date o f Guruj i’s bir thday drew nearer . We made i t to the s tage a nd fi lled the sp ace What a privi lege to be at R IMYI a t this ti me where we could g ive thanks in some personal and par ticu larly appropriate Indian way to our Guruj i , w h ose l ife ’s work ho lds us focused in trigued and ev er ready to explore more . It was a mon th wi th great highs and lo ws, humb li ngs and tu mbl ings in both practice and place . It was la te one nigh t tha t we go t the news that Madiba h ad d ied . S tunned and so mewha t los t, sad and dri fting we searched the p apers, l istened ove r and over again to radi o c lips of intervi ews wi th all sorts o f So uth A fricans , looked for places to wa tc h foo tage o f a ll that was happen ing a nd fel t very far away from h ome . Unsa tis fac tory a t bes t, it was h ard. Geeta ji gave a pranaya ma in tensive to India n N ational Teachers in the week precedin g Guruji ’s bir thday. We have been fortuna te to experience th at week’s teach ings from the DVDs tha t were made during this time . Absolu te treasure. Our classes were fu ll to over flow ing in con tent a nd participan ts . In add ition , we were ab le to obs erve and occasion al ly par tic ipate i n the med ical class es where the learn ing, unpack ing regroup ing rev i ewing con ti nued. BKS h imse lf is ever present and ever de manding of h is teachers to know more . He engages challenges an d d irects much in the medic al classes a s wel l . Prashan t cap tiva tes and c ontrols a t leas t 5 different asanas being exp lored in ro tating group s al l a t one time , e loquen tly expl oring mu ltiple themes o f yog , y oga, yogah , do ing undoi ng non-d oing beyo nd the physica l in to the spiri tua l and ba ck to the being , seeing , fee lin g, find ing. No hid ing from Gee ta ji ’s eag le eyes tha t can pi erce and tear right to your core and then soften and laugh w ith great gen tle ness and warmth . Each one so d i ffer ent but so on the sa me track. Through d ifferent mea ns and mo tiva tion , both g ive you insigh ts an d d irectives as you pee l o ff the layers and can look bac k and forward wi th renewed focus and restored e n16

ergy. I g ive my bigges t thanks to my husban d and daug hter for the g i ft of be ing able to s tep o ut of and a way from al l the fa mi liar construc ts o f my dai ly li fe , s tructure and space, and to have th e ti me to absor b review and recons ider how we are who we are wher e and wha t and why and to return recharged and humbled. Namaste to the Iye ngar family Namaste to my personal fa mi ly Post scr ipt : As you wi ll a ll realiz e this was wri tten wel l be fore Guruj i’s dea th. Altho ugh I am amb ivalen t, I wan t to s hare the joy and wonder o f being i n the presence o f our migh ty master cra fts man as wel l as the li fe affirming exp eriences o f s tepp ing in to our mu ltina tiona l co mmunity of Iyengar yo ga prac ti tioners tha t come together at RIMY I to learn a nd to assis t. We trus t tha t thi s tradition wi ll con tinue and adjus t as it must, as our most extraordin ary te acher rests in peace , work well done. From the c learest sharpest and mos t wonderfu l n ight o f Guruji ’s 95 t h b irthday in Dece mber last ye ar to “hold ing ” the space a t his me moria l last Sun day I do indeed fe el blessed and give my deepes t tha nks for h is li fe for h is work and for h is e ffec t on my li fe. By con tinuing w ith this pheno menal syste m a nd yoga journey we are e mpowered to be the very b est we can be . Hambe Kahl e Guruji

“Yoga al l ows you t o redi scover a sense of whol eness i n your l i f e, where you do not f eel l i ke you are const ant l y t ryi ng t o f it broken pi eces t oget her. ” -BKS I yengar— Li ght on Li f e

YogAfrica

September 2014 COURSES VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS

2015: Corine Biria: Johannesburg: Cape Town: Firooza Razvi: Johannesburg:

28 Feb — 04 March 07 — 11 March General Classes: For teachers only:

03 — 04 October 06 — 09 October

BRI GI TTA’ S SATURDAY M ORNI NG W ORKSHOPS Brigitta Tummon will be leading Saturday morning workshops from 08:30 to 10:30 in Newlands at Seven Oaks, Main Street. The programme continues is as follows: 01 November

upside down

29 November

restore and renew

If you would like to attend please confirm with brigitta at brigitta.tummon@gmail.com or phone 083 2300047

YOGA RETREAT WITH BRIGITTA TUMMON

YogaPoise Retreat November 7-9, 2014 Bodhi Khaya Retreat Centre, Gansbaai For more information and booking please contact Brigitta, brigitta.tummon@gmail.co.za

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September 2014 IYENGAR YOGA IN OUDTSHOORN

The BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo South Africa September 2014

This Centre is dedic ated to the teachings of S ri B .K .S .Iye ngar Welcome to the B KS Iyengar Yoga Cen tre, nestle d in the bea utifu l and tranqui l Schoema nshoek va lley on the way to the famous C ango caves. Surrounded only by na ture and the majes tic Swartbe rg Mounta ins , the C entre o ffers the comp lete yo ga experience. O ur ful ly equ ipped Cen tre is des ign ed to give the Iyengar yoga practitioner th e opportunity to exper ience h igh-qual ity yog a tu i tion in a peaceful and pris tin e setting. Dav id and I are active ly invo lved in the teacher’s train ing progr am for bo th In troductory and Jun ior Interme dia te lev els. Train ing is do ne as a se mester-style program – more deta ils ava ilab le. For in forma tion abou t the 3 & 6-day retreats , regular workshops and our res identia l teachers tra ining program, please v isi t our webs ite, wh ich has been speci fica lly des igned to g ive you a compr ehensive p icture o f w hat the Yo ga Centre has to o ffer . The Schoe manshoek val ley offers a varie ty of su itab le accommodation to co mple te the exper ienc e. The town of Oud tshoorn comp li men ts this qu ie t, rural env ironmen t and George airport is a me re 65kms aw ay.

More abou t us a t h ttp://www .iyengaryogawi thdav i d.com h ttp ://w ww .iyengar-yoga-seq uences.com

Next retreats will be SPRING – Friday, October 2014 – Sunday , 26 t h October 2014 SUMMER –S aturday, 22 n d November 2014 – Wednesday, 31 s t November 20 14 Fr iday 12 t h December 2014 – Sun day, 14 t h December 2014 24 t h

IYEN GAR Y OGA PR ACT ICE IN ST F RAN CIS B A Y

Iyengar Yoga Practice with

Senior Certificated Iyengar Yoga Teacher David Jacobs St Francis Bay Sunday, 30th November 2014 Sun

General Class 09h00 – 12h00

Asana

12h00 – 13h30

Lunch

13h30 – 16h00

Restoratives /Pranayama

Venue:

Maria’s studio, 186 St.Francis Drive, St. Francis Bay

Cost:

R600 per student

Early bird discount: R100 if paid by end of October Bookings:

Jürgen 082-886-7568 Shavonne 082-951-5697 Sharon 082-667-6118 (lunch)

This will consist of 1 day workshop & the study of the Iyengar system of yoga. Class content will build so that, at the end, students will have a thorough, in-depth understanding of the fascinating complexities of this system – from an asana, Pranayama and philosophical perspective. Please bring along your own equipment. David Jacobs Bank details: Account name: Standard Bank Sea Point Branch Current account number: 071040749 Branch code: 024109 Please give your name as reference when making electronic transfers Workshop fees are NOT refundable, or transferable to another workshop

BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo, Western Cape Tel: 082-886-7568 http://iyengaryogawithdavid.com/ - info@iyengaryogawithdavid.com Directors: David Jacobs (Senior Intermediate III), Jürgen Meusel (Introductory II)

YOGA WIT H J UDY FAR AH Dear Sadhaka s Herewi t h t he dat es f or bot h Sat urday Asana and Sat u rday Pra nayam a Cl asses unt i l t he end of 2014. Saturda y Asana Cl asses 08h30 - 11h00 (pl ease t ak e not e t here i s no Sat urday cl ass i n Jul y or Sept em b er) 4th Octobe r; 8th Novem be r; 6th Decem be r. Saturda y Pranayam a Cl asses 08h30 - 10h00 20th Septem be r; 11 th Octobe r; 29 th Novem ber. I f t here are any queri es pl ea se do l et m e know. I n t he m eant im e m ay you al l cont i nue on your j oyous yoga j ourney. Ki nd regard s Judy 082 825 6792

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heal t h i s a st at e of com pl et e harm ony of t he body, m i nd and spi ri t . W hen one i s f ree f rom physi cal di sabi l i t i es and m ent al di st ract i ons, t he gat es of t he soul open. â&#x20AC;? -BKS I yengar

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September 2014 NOTICES

Newsle tter comp iled and ed ited by Riva H irschow itz . Typesetting by Stra tford Cann ing. Our sincere thanks to a ll who took the time and made the effort to con tribu te to the con ten ts o f this magaz ine . Anyone w ishing to con tribu te arti cles, pho tos, in forma tio n or s uggestions to th e newsle tter may contac t our ed itor : Ph 082 782 8275, ema il : r iva.h irschowi tz@g mai l .com

“Breat h i s t he ki ng of m i nd. ” –BKS I yengar—Li ght on Li f e

Tribute Yogacharya BKS Iyengar 14 December 1918 to 20 august 2014

The teachers and students of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, Oudtshoorn, South Africa, honour our beloved teacher and mentor, Sri BKS Iyengar

Our thoughts and prayers are with you

Our sincere condolences David Jacobs & J端rgen Meusel

South Africa

1918 - 2014