Yoga Samachar Spring/Summer 2018

IYENGAR YOGA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES VOL. 22, NO. 1

Patanjali's Philosophy for Modern Times Plus

Guruji's 100th Birthday Patricia Walden in Bellur Remembering Mary Dunn

Spring / Summer 2018

YOGA SAMACHAR’S MISSION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Yoga Samachar, the magazine of the Iyengar Yoga community in the U.S. and beyond, is published twice a year by the Publications Committee of the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S. (IYNAUS). The word samachar means “news” in Sanskrit. Along with the website, www.iynaus.org, Yoga Samachar is designed to provide interesting and useful information to IYNAUS members to:

Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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News from the Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Yamas and the Niyamas: Training Principles, Not Commandments – Stephanie Quirk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Teaching at Rikers: Ahimsa and Pratyahara for Inmates, Officers, and Teachers – Mimi Visser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 An Invitation to Atha Yoganusasanam: Guruji, Patanjali, and the Next Generation – Amita Bhagat . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Promote the dissemination of the art, science, and philosophy of yoga as taught by B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Prashant Iyengar

Teaching Yoga to High School Students – Gail Heaton . . . 23

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Communicate information regarding the standards and training of certified teachers

The Legacy We Hold: Remembering Mary Dunn – Tori Milner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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Report on studies regarding the practice of Iyengar Yoga

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Provide information on products that IYNAUS imports from India

Report From Bellur: Sunrise in Bellur – Cindy Berliner and Kathleen Swanson . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Samachar Sequence: Patricia Walden in Bellur . . . . . . . . 36 Musings: Ties that Bind – Julia Zawatsky

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Review and present recent articles and books written by the Iyengars

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Report on recent events regarding Iyengar Yoga in Pune and worldwide

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Be a platform for the expression of experiences and thoughts from members, both students and teachers, about how the practice of yoga affects their lives

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Present ideas to stimulate every aspect of the reader’s practice

Back Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

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Mignonet (Toni) Montez Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Centenary Celebrations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 2017 Iyengar Yoga Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Treasurer’s Report – Stephen Weiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

IYNAUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONTACT LIST

YOGA SAMACHAR IS PRODUCED BY THE IYNAUS PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Committee Chair: Anne-Marie Schultz Editor: Michelle D. Williams Copy Editor: Denise Weeks Design: Don Gura Advertising: Sheryl Abrams and Val Rios Members can submit an article query or a practice sequence idea for consideration to be included in future issues. Articles should be well-written and submitted electronically. The Yoga Samachar staff reserves the right to edit accepted submissions to conform to the rules of spelling and grammar, as well as to the Yoga Samachar house style guidelines.

Queries must include the author’s full name and biographical information related to Iyengar Yoga, along with email contact and phone number.

Please send all queries to Michelle Williams, Editor, yogasamachar@iynaus.org, and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Amita Bhagat amita@sadhanaayoga.com

Ann McDermott-Kave amkave1@optonline.net

Laurie Blakeney certification@iynaus.org

Paige Noon paige.noon@gmail.com

Sandy Carmellini yogasandy@rocketmail.com

Denise Rowe deniserowe.IYNAUS@gmail.com

David Carpenter president@iynaus.org

Anne-Marie Schultz anne_marie_schultz@baylor.edu

Gwen Derk grderk@gmail.com

Jean Stawarz jeanstawarz.iyanus@gmail.com

Michele Galen michele.galen@gmail.com

Chris Stein shamani108@mac.com

Gloria Goldberg yogagold2@icloud.com

Manju Vachher dr.manju.vachher@gmail.com

Don Gura don@dongura.com

Stephen Weiss stphweiss@gmail.com

Scott Hobbs sh@scotthobbs.com

Director of Operations Mariah Oakley generalmanager@iynaus.org

Laura Lascoe lrlascoe@gmail.com Patti Martin pattimartin4@gmail.com

Contact IYNAUS P.O. Box 184 Canyon, CA 94516 206.623.3562 www.iynaus.org

ADVERTISING

Full-page, half-page, quarter-page, and classified advertising is available. All advertising is subject to IYNAUS board approval.

Ads are secondary to the magazine's content, and we reserve the right to adjust placement as needed based on layout needs.

Find ad rates at www.iynaus.org/yoga-samachar. For more information, including artwork specifications and deadlines, please contact Sheryl Abrams at yogabysheryl.tx@gmail.com or 512.571.2115.

Cover photo: The Patanjali Temple in Bellur, India, built in 2004, is the only known temple to Patanjali in the world.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

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IYNAUS OFFICERS AND STANDING COMMITTEES President, David Carpenter Vice President, Vacant Secretary, Michele Galen Treasurer, Stephen Weiss

Archives Committee Scott Hobbs & Chris Stein, Co-Chairs

Certification Committee Laurie Blakeney, Chair

Continuing Education Committee Patti Martin, Acting Chair

Ethics Committee Manju Vachher, Chair

Events Committee Sandy Carmellini, Chair

Governance and Elections Committee David Carpenter, Chair

Membership Committee Paige Noon, Chair

Next Generation Committee

Letter

FROM THE PRESIDENT

DEAR FELLOW IYNAUS MEMBERS, These are exciting times for Iyengar Yoga in the U.S. We are in the midst of a yearlong worldwide celebration of Guruji’s 100th birthday. The centenary offers special opportunities to explore the teachings of this extraordinary man and to spread the word about the riches of Iyengar Yoga. Elsewhere in these pages are reports on many of the things that IYNAUS, our regional associations, and our teachers are doing to commemorate the centenary.

This is also a time of transition for IYNAUS. Our long-time director of operations, Sharon Cowdery, has decided to pursue other career opportunities. Sharon has not just been the public face of IYNAUS for the past nine years. She has also been instrumental to its growth and development. We owe Sharon our profound thanks, and we will miss her. But life is change. We spent the first quarter of the year on a nationwide search for Sharon’s successor, and we were blessed with a pool of exceptional candidates. In April, we welcomed Mariah Oakley to be our new director of operations, and we are very excited to be working with her.

Amita Bhagat & Gwen Derk, Co-Chairs

Outreach Committee Denise Rowe, Chair

Publications Committee Anne-Marie Schultz, Chair

Public Relations and Marketing Committee Amita Bhagat & Laura Lascoe, Co-Chairs

Regional Support Committee Patti Martin, Chair

Scholarship and Awards Committee

We are now finalizing plans for our next convention, which will be held in Dallas, April 11–17, 2019. It promises to be a phenomenal event. Abhijata Iyengar will again be our teacher. She dazzled us throughout the three and a half days of our 2016 convention.

Yet Abhi was not satisfied. She urged us to make the 2019 convention a full six days so she could take us much deeper. I can hardly wait to see what Abhi has in store for us. It will be a rare chance to have experiences that otherwise would require trips to Pune. Please plan to attend if possible.

Patti Martin, Acting Chair

Iyengar Registered Trademarks Committee Gloria Goldberg, Attorney in Fact for Geeta and Prashant Iyengar

Systems & Technology Committee Jean Stawarz, Chair

Volunteer Coordinator Ann McDermott-Kave

Yoga Research Committee Gwen Derk, Chair

IYNAUS Senior Council Kristin Chirhart, Manouso Manos, Patricia Walden, Joan White

Past Presidents Organizational 1992 – 1994 1994 – 1998 1998 – 2000 2000 – 2002 2002 – 2004 2004 – 2006 2006 – 2008 2008 – 2012 2012 – 2014 2014 – 2017

board – 1991 Mary Dunn Gloria Goldberg Dean Lerner Karin O’Bannon Jonathan Neuberger Sue Salaniuk Marla Apt Linda DiCarlo Christopher Beach Janet Lilly Michael Lucey

For a full list of committee members and volunteers, please visit our website, https://iynaus.org/board-and-staff.

Meanwhile our board, our staff, and our army of volunteers are hard at work on all the things that our association does, year in and year out. Planning and conducting about 200 assessments. Enforcing our ethical standards. Running our store. Preserving archival materials. Enhancing and operating our website. Organizing workshops for teachers. Disseminating information to our more than 25,000 followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Publishing this magazine. And constantly exploring new ways to help our teachers and members deepen their practice. I wish I had space to say more about each.

We also have some new initiatives. We recently adopted an Ambassadorship Program designed to familiarize scientists and health care professionals with Iyengar Yoga and to promote more scientific research into its benefits.

In addition, we have established a Next Generation Committee made up of younger Iyengar Yoga teachers and students. This is such an impressive and tech-savvy group that we have added some of its members to the IYNAUS Board and others are serving on IYNAUS committees. One result is that we are gaining fresh ideas and perspectives on how to broaden the reach of Iyengar Yoga to young and old alike. Another is that we are grooming future leaders of our community. And there is yet another benefit: Being around the Next Gen members makes me feel younger!

Yours in yoga, David Carpenter IYNAUS President

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

News

FROM THE REGIONS

IYACSR Jai Guruji! We celebrate B.K.S. Iyengar’s 100th year with the entire Iyengar Yoga community—indeed, the whole world. Many of our members are making their way to Pune, Bengaluru, and Bellur to pay homage and attend the celebratory events. All of our local Iyengar Yoga centers have committed classes, workshops, and retreats to honor Guruji.

The Iyengar Yoga Association of California Southern Region (IYACSR) will participate in the International Yoga Day celebrations at San Diego’s Waterfront Park on June 24, 2018, as a premier presenter. This includes a main stage demonstration of Iyengar Yoga, a class taught by Sunny Keays (CIYT Intermediate Junior III), and the opportunity to share Guruji’s centenary widely across our region. Furthermore, IYACSR and all of our local Iyengar Yoga centers are redoubling our efforts to reach out to military members, their families, and all underserved neighborhoods countywide with discounted classes.

In February, Manouso Manos made his annual visit and as always shared his knowledge and stories of Guruji. It is during these visits with Manouso that we feel closest to Guruji, especially those of us who were not able to have a personal experience with him. Guruji’s life, his practice, and his life’s work were the epitome of kriya yoga—the triune of effort, self-study, and devotion. Manouso imparts this to us through tales and tapas and reminds us to use this as the starting point curiosity along our yogic path.

This was one of Guruji’s great messages to us—that our asana practice can and is to be meditation in action.

On Sunday, April 15, at Iyengar Yoga Institute La Mesa, Chere Thomas (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) taught the tenets of Iyengar Yoga through “Shoulder Work: Space, Stability, and Strength.” Chere showed us how to enhance and progress in our own practice.

Royal Fraser (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) will be at San Marcos Iyengar Yoga Center on Saturday, Aug. 11 from 1–3 p.m. In Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, II.46, asana is described as perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence, and benevolence of spirit. In honor of B.K.S. Iyengar’s work, Royal will help us find ways to be firm, fixed, steady, steadfast, and lasting in our poses. We will seek the roots of a steady mind and joyous heart through asana.

Kim Kolibri (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) completes our 100th year celebrations at Full Circle Yoga on Sunday, Nov. 4 from 1–3 p.m. This well-rounded Iyengar Yoga class will culminate in viewing a film of Guruji in action.

Beginning in 2018, IYACSR will offer four Free4Members workshops each year, up from three last year. Any member of IYNAUS from any regional association is welcome to attend these IYACSR-sponsored events as our guest; check your travel dates and join in the festivities.

Members workshop, February 2018

Aman Keays (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) kicked off the Free4Members workshops series on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Full Circle Yoga by sharing stories of his early days studying with Guruji. He asked us to share a quality of Guruji’s that has inspired our life. Aman then reminded us that because we were able to see it in Guruji, the inspiring quality is actually already inside of us; he said that Guruji always reflected back to us our true nature.

Then we practiced. We did familiar poses enabling us to go inward, recognizing that now our practice is more of a mental than physical discipline. In each pose, we committed to turning away from the wandering ego mind with its habitual attachments and expectations and returned over and over and over to the asana, simply the asana. It led us to the point of our practice—that state inside where we are fully present, where we have let go, and where there is no thought of what is next.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

IYAGNY Throughout 2018, the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York (IYAGNY) is celebrating Guruji’s centenary year by introducing and sharing a philosophical concept each month with students at the Iyengar Yoga Institutes of New York and Brooklyn as well as with association teachers and students in the greater New York metropolitan area.

Here are the themes for all of 2018: • • • • • •

January—ahimsa, nonviolence February—satya, truthfulness March—asteya, not stealing April—brahmacharya, continence May—aparigraha, nongreed June—sauca, purification

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July—santosha, contentment August—tapas, effort September—svadhyaya, study October—Isvara pranidhana, surrender November—abhyasa, practice December—vairagya, detachment

We felt that Guruji’s 100-year celebration was a wonderful time to help students understand that the practice of yoga is not limited to performing asanas. Now, more than ever, these themes resonate as the most powerful and basic tools of life and our pursuit of happiness within the complex and fast-paced world we find ourselves in.

This spring, we have continued to expand the programs in our community by introducing a kids’ class in Brooklyn. In June, IYAGNY celebrates the 14th Annual Yogathon, a yoga extravaganza and benefit event that brings together association teachers, faculty, and students to support our mission and programs.

The practice of Iyengar Yoga continues to thrive and grow in the greater New York area. In January, Studio Yoga Madison in New Jersey hosted its 26th annual Open House, highlighted by a choreographed asana demonstration performed by a core group of teachers, including the founder, Theresa Rowland.

Studio Yoga teachers continue to expand their outreach by offering public demonstrations, sample classes, and special workshops throughout the year.

IYAMN In 1987 Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar came to the United States for the National Iyengar Yoga Convention held at Harvard University. During that trip, he was kind enough to visit Minnesota. Fundraisers were held here for his visit, which included teacher training. With the funds left over from those events, Mr. Iyengar requested that the coordinating committee for his visit start the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Association of Minnesota (IYAMN). By 1988, our association was officially born.

and legacy. The evening included an Indian dinner; a display of photographs from Guruji’s 1987 visit to Minnesota and photographs that local students have taken over the years in Pune; personal reminiscences of Guruji by local teachers; the showing of a videotaped interview with Geeta S. Iyengar in which she described the early days of their family life as well as Guruji’s practice, teaching, travel, and writing; and the playing of the tribute that Prashant Iyengar gave following his father’s death.

The Yoga Place, an Iyengar Yoga studio in La Crosse, Wisconsin, is also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The studio observed this milestone with a special class in April led

by Chris Saudek, its founder, and James Murphy of the Iyengar Institute of Greater New York. Also in April, the studio sponsored a weekend of “Asana, Pranayama, Philosophy, and Chanting” led by Chris, Joy Laine, and Leslie Dillingham Freyberg.

The effort to go beyond asana in observing Guruji’s many deep and lasting contributions—as in the sutra study group and the inclusion of pranayama, philosophy, and chanting in the La Crosse workshop—is also evident at Friendship Yoga, an Iyengar Yoga Center in Iowa City, Iowa, established 25 years ago by Nancy Footner. Starting in January, students beyond the introductory level began learning to recite the Invocation to the Guru and will be studying and chanting one new sutra each week throughout 2018. Friendship Yoga hosted its 19th annual spring retreat with Mary Obendorfer and Eddy Marks in May at Prairiewoods, an ecospiritual retreat center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In addition to all of these activities, area teachers held several membership drive classes, IYAMN sponsored a workshop by Carrie Owerko in May, and we accomplished an important task: The IYAMN board updated the association bylaws for the first time in 30 years.

So now, in 2018, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Guruji’s birth along with Iyengar Yoga students around the world, we are also celebrating the 30th anniversary of our association.

We began on Dec. 10, 2017, four days before Guruji’s birthday, with our semiannual Yoga Day. Jeanne Barkey taught an asana class to some 40 students, who also enjoyed refreshments and socializing. It was a happy start to the year.

Once each month throughout this centenary year, IYAMN is sponsoring study groups of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. We are pleased to have Lee Sverkerson lead us in our studies as, in his words, “a fellow student.”

IYAMN organized an event in March to celebrate Guruji’s life 4

Participants in IYAMN’s Yoga Day, December 2017

IYAMW Our final snowstorm of the year has passed and we are enjoying budding flowers, longer days, and much sunshine. We are also thrilled to welcome Kristen Kepnick, Dawn Baurichter, and JR Lill to the Iyengar Yoga Association of the Midwest (IYAMW) Board. Deep thanks to David Larsen and Alex Hansen who completed their Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

woes, make daily life daunting. In addition to Patricia’s asana class, there will be a childcare assistant, a translator, some props, and a learning book for home practice.

Aaron Fleming (CIYT) of College Hill Yoga in Cincinnati, Ohio, also received a grant to pilot a Yoga for Trans Youth class in partnership with Children’s Hospital. He will be offering classes for youth ages 9–17 in their Transgender Health Clinic, building a safe space for the youth to introduce “a new body awareness and improve group camaraderie.”

The Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago, where affordable housing is being replaced by pricey new apartment buildings (in the background), squeezing out longtime residents (in houses in the foreground).

terms with great dedication. Current members also include Rebecca Lindsay Smith, Peggy Gwi-Seok Hong, Kelly Sobanski, Donna Furmanek, and Ann Socha. We look forward to lots of great projects together in the lively Midwest.

We invite all Midwest and beyond Iyengar Yoga students to commemorate Guruji’s centenary at our annual retreat at the gorgeous Starved Rock Convention Center and State Park on Sept. 21–23, 2018. Sue Salaniuk and Aaron Fleming are guest teachers. This is always a rejuvenating event where we have time to do asana and pranayama, share meals, and spend quality time as a community. Starved Rock is our favorite venue because it is located in a beautiful natural setting where the fall leaves will just be starting to change. This venue includes 13 miles of trails and 18 canyons to explore. As the world celebrates the 100th birthday year of B.K.S. Iyengar, we will share our own stories at the retreat. In loving and grateful remembrance, we will reflect on the lessons and inspiration we have received from B.K.S. Iyengar. As always, we will have scholarships for IYAMW members, so cost should not be an issue for anyone interested. For more information, please visit www.iyamw.org.

We look forward to reporting more on these classes and other grant recipients in future issues. IYAMW CIYTs who have ideas and projects to spread Iyengar Yoga to new communities, please visit our website to apply. We have rolling deadlines, so apply anytime.

IYANC The Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco and the larger Northern California community continue to grow and expand.

We are actively working to increase connectivity between the many diverse studios in our region and the Institute.

To address the needs of enthusiastic practitioners throughout Northern California, a group of Iyengar Yoga Association of

IYAMW gives quarterly Community Engagement mini-grants to seed and support projects that bring Iyengar Yoga to communities that do not usually have access. We’re happy to support a project in Chicago’s Logan Square, led by Patrina Dobish (CIYT) and community organizer, Huu Nguyen.

Patrina and Huu’s Care for Caregivers class will institute a sixweek Iyengar Yoga course in collaboration with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Dill Pickle Coop, Quilombo Cultural Center, and local sponsors and volunteers. The program addresses the task of Latina women who manage multigenerational family structures—women who care for many yet have little time to care for themselves. The added pressures of rent increases and displacement in the rapidly gentrified Logan Square neighborhood, along with immigration status Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

The Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco

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Northern California (IYANC) Board members, CIYTs, and studio owners continues to meet as a Regional Subcommittee to facilitate visibility, communication, and growth in our region.

The region covers a large area and a variety of cultures and geographies from urban to rural to mountainous, and members on the committee represent our diverse locations. In March, the annual member meeting started with a focused regional meeting and ended with a viewing of Leap of Faith, the film featuring B.K.S. Iyengar.

To better support the region and the Institute, we recently hired a new business manager, Janice Langlois, and we are preparing to launch new regional and Institute websites very soon.

We are offering a strong program in 2018. We are pleased to host a wide variety of beloved senior teachers from around the world, including Patricia Walden, Stephanie Quirk, Peter Thomson, Chris Saudek, Carolyn Belko, Dr. Edwin Bryant, and others. We have also begun holding a monthly Yoga Sutras study group, which is free for members.

We held a spring nutrition Ayurvedic talk in April and an Iyengar Yoga for Bicyclists class, in partnership with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, on May 12—two days after the annual Biketo-Work Day. All of our community events are free!

In addition, the annual Yogathon, our main fundraising event, will be held on Saturday, June 2.

print featuring Iyengar Yoga props. Please check out our ad in this issue of Yoga Samachar and consider one for your studio: https://fieldguidedesigns.com/new/yoga-art-print.

IYASCUS The Iyengar Yoga Association of the South Central United States (IYASCUS) is honored to host the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S. (IYNAUS) Convention next year. We are excited that Abhijata Iyengar will be in Dallas to teach a week of classes with the theme “Exploring the Path of Practice.”

This is an event you will not want to miss. Come study with Abhijata, meet your Iyengar Yoga colleagues and friends from around the world, and enjoy some great sunny weather with lots of Southern Texas hospitality. The Iyengar Yoga convention website is http://iyengarusa2019.com and our Facebook page is facebook.com/IyengarUSA2019. We are also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/iyengar_usa_2019. If you would like to be a volunteer for this event, please contact Gretchen House, volunteer chair, at 2019conventionvolunteers@gmail.com.

This year several senior teachers have traveled to our region to teach, including Laurie Blakeney (January), Dean Lerner (February), Manouso Manos (February), and Stephanie Quirk (May and June). In addition, H.S. Arun will be in Texas this summer, and Mary Obendorfer and Eddy Marks will teach in November. We were especially fortunate to host Stephanie Quirk this year. Her experience and guidance in therapeutics touched some of our teachers and students for the first time.

IYANW Up in Bellingham, Washington, Denise Weeks taught a Highlights From India class in April after her trip to Pune in February, where she attended a week-long session that Prashant Iyengar taught as part of the centenary celebration.

She shared inspiration from the teachings she received, donated a portion of the proceeds to Bellur, and encouraged attendees to become members of our regional association.

Studios throughout our region have planned special activities and events to celebrate the birth of B.K.S. Iyengar, our Guruji.

Each day we step onto our mats, we honor him by practicing.

We honor his teachings and celebrate his wisdom as a gift in our lives.

One of our teachers, Prakash Parameswaran (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) of Plano, Texas, has been posting some very helpful

Many of our northwest yoga studios and communities are planning celebrations to commemorate Guruji’s centenary year, most of which will happen near the end of the 2018 calendar year, including Judy Landecker and Charles Udell of Northern Lights Yoga in Helena, Montana, who are offering a free class on Saturday, Dec. 15, in honor of B.K.S. Iyengar’s centenary year.

After the class, those who studied with Guruji will share memories of their time with him.

The Flathead Valley community in Kalispell, Montana, has been working hard to increase visibility and awareness of Iyengar Yoga. The group now has a blog dedicated to Iyengar Yoga and a Facebook page. Check them out at iyengaryogaflathead. com. Along with an article in the local paper, they had a photo shoot with a local photographer known for her “equipment taxonomies,” so out of that, they have created a commemorative 6

Prakash Parameswaran demonstrates Urdhva Kukkutasana, coming off of the chair.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

practice ideas to help others practice some challenging poses in a more accessible way. These videos are available on Prakash’s Facebook page at facebook.com/prakashok.

Another teacher, Mary Scott (CIYT) of Austin, Texas, has a great yoga blog: funwithprops.blogspot.com. Check out her fun, innovative use of props for practicing. Anne-Marie Schultz (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) also continues her ongoing blog, Thoughts on Teaching Yoga and Philosophy at teachingphilosophyandyoga.blogspot.com.

Our community is growing with new members and teachers from our teacher training programs in Dallas and Austin. Randy Just (CIYT Intermediate Senior I) of Dallas is also traveling to teach and guide teachers all over the region and beyond, to studios located in Little Rock, Arkansas; New Orleans; Jackson, Mississippi; and Memphis, Tennessee. In addition, Peggy Kelley (CIYT Intermediate Senior I) of Austin frequently travels to Mexico to teach.

We hope to continue to grow and reach out to yoga practitioners of all styles to help them experience the benefits Iyengar Yoga offers. We are thankful for all the caring teachers and eager students who make our Iyengar Yoga community so wonderful. We move forward with unwavering tapas and svadhyaya, inspired by B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta, Prashant, Abhijata, and all our teachers.

IYASE The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Southeast (IYASE) has lots of exciting news this year.

In Amelia Island, Florida, yoga was nonexistent 22 years ago until Lisa Waas, a local, discovered and fell in love with Guruji’s methodology. After 15 years of practice, Lisa became a CIYT. In March 2018, after seven years of teaching in a small rented space, Lisa opened Community Yoga + Wellness, a 1,670 square-foot yoga center where she teaches over 10 Iyengar Yoga classes a week. Equipped with seven rope stations, pelvic swings, trestles, stools, benches, and a stage, the center welcomes all students and is handicapped accessible. Built with love, community, and inclusion in mind, the students have raised a scholarship fund that helps those unable to afford regular classes to attend at a reduced rate. Lisa welcomes those who want to escape winter to come study in Northeast Florida.

In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Iyengar Yoga has been brought to the hospital by Jerry Farmer (CIYT). St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital maintains a medically-based fitness facility, The Wellness Center, as a benefit to employees, patients, and the residential and corporate community. The center has a staff of registered nurses, exercise physiologists, a respiratory therapist, and registered dietitians who customize fitness and nutritional programs to help members meet personal fitness goals safely.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

The rope wall at Community Yoga + Wellness in Amelia Island, Florida

Jerry began offering Iyengar Yoga classes in the spacious and well-equipped exercise room in 2016 and now teaches two weekly classes, in addition to teaching college yoga courses at Middle Tennessee State University. Jerry is grateful to St. Thomas Rutherford for its cooperation in making Iyengar Yoga another option for the fitness and well-being of the Murfreesboro and Rutherford County community.

New Orleans is set to celebrate the 100th year of B.K.S. Iyengar’s birth. At Audubon Yoga Studio, led by director Becky Lloyd (CIYT), teachers from the Gulf South will gather to discuss and learn about yoga philosophy as part of June and August teacher training weekend workshops with Randy Just, which they then plan to share with their local communities. In September, the studio is hosting a weekend workshop with senior teacher and longtime Iyengar Yoga student Rebecca Lerner. In addition, throughout the fall, students and teachers at Audubon Yoga Studio will read and discuss B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Life in weekly classes. To further spread the word about the depth and wisdom of B.K.S. Iyengar’s teachings, and to celebrate his gift to the world, teachers will offer free Sunday classes to practitioners of other traditions and any interested students. All these activities will culminate in a party at the studio on Guruji’s birthday, Dec. 14.

Mark your calendars now for Nov. 3, 2018. In Miami, for the first time ever, there will be an Iyengar Yoga Festival. The festival, organized by member Mariana Scotti, is a unique communityoriented yoga gathering where everybody can discover, learn, be inspired by, and experience Iyengar Yoga. Join in to celebrate B.K.S. Iyengar’s 100th birthday and honor his teachings. Connect to yourself and others, and practice with the most experienced Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers in Miami.

IYASW The desert is in bloom as we share our practice with many outof-town guests avoiding the Midwest winters. The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Southwest (IYASW) started 2018 with a 7

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successful book sale promoting Light on Yoga, Tree of Yoga, and A Gem for Women. We also welcomed senior teacher Nancy Stechert back to the Iyengar Yoga Center in Scottsdale.

Her profound teaching style leads us to penetrate deeper with our practice. Many students came to study with Nancy for the first time and were grateful to practice with her.

Also in February, the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga center in Tucson, Arizona, hosted a successful workshop with senior teacher Rita Manos. Rita focused on physical and physiological imbalances in the body. Her teachings address our own consciousness and environmental influences and the impact they have on our asana practice.

Learning is an essential part of our Iyengar Yoga community.

We learn from each other and senior teachers, as well as from self-study. Several of our members traveled to Encinitas at the end of March to study with Carolyn Belko in preparation for 2018 assessments.

Carlyn Sikes (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) and Lauren BarnertHosie (CIYT) completed the three-year Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics Training for Teachers with Manouso Manos.

Carlyn and Lauren also became registered Yoga Therapists with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).

Both teachers are now teaching classes where students are given specific modifications of asana to practice. These classes benefit our students and community greatly, and Carlyn and Lauren are great resources for everyone.

Carolyn Belko returned to Scottsdale in April, and we had a successful intensive workshop. We are grateful to learn from Carolyn, as she helps refine our practice and build stability in asana and pranayama. She is very receptive to our questions and teaches from a place of strength and acceptance, which we appreciate.

We welcome the new 2018–2020 IYASW Board—Jill Ellis (president), Johanne Lauktien (vice president and communication chair), Laura Bowden (treasurer and membership chair), Danielle McNichol (secretary and communications)—as they work to plan an event to celebrate B.K.S. Iyengar’s centenary year.

Once again, Scottsdale Community College and the Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale, along with IYASW, will host assessments in October for teachers working toward their Intermediate Junior I certification.

The IYASW community continues to grow and learn, and we are grateful for everyone who participates to make our events a success. Thank you to the senior teachers who come and visit us. Your support is inspiring.

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IYILA Our region has seen many new happenings in both the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles (IYILA) as well as the wider region.

In celebration of Guruji’s 100th year, we are hosting a large array of centenary events, from special classes and workshops to wonderful community gatherings where we are sharing stories about the Iyengars and the ways in which their teachings have impacted our lives.

These centenary events have so far included several specialty classes taught by our senior teachers at the Institute. Pune Classes were taught by Marla Apt, where students experienced taking one of Geeta or B.K.S. Iyengar’s previous classes, as relayed through Marla’s instructions. In April, Garth McLean launched the year-long “Lobby Series.” For each session, students randomly select one of the asanas from the archival photos of B.K.S. Iyengar hanging in our Institute entryway, and Garth leads everyone through the actions required to move toward that asana. We also enjoyed discussions of Mr. Iyengar’s insights into the qualities of physical practice, the nature of prana, and the pursuit of freedom through Lisa Walford’s Light on Life philosophy course. Some of the proceeds from these centenary events were donated to the Bellur Trust.

Teacher training has also been transformed at the Institute this year. While the longstanding Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training (IYTT) program concluded its 26th and final year last November, a fresh and new modular-based continuing education program commenced in the spring. Marla Apt’s week-long Teaching Skills module and two other weekend-based Syllabi Study modules (taught by Marla in March and Gloria Goldberg in April) were a tremendous success and helped launch this new program, which aims to make teacher training more accessible to a wider audience. A 12-week course based on sequences for acquaintance in “Basic Guidelines” was taught by Carmen Fitzgibbon, whose passion and clarity continues to motivate students to deepen their personal practice and consider becoming teachers themselves.

Seeking to bring in more new students and extend the Iyengars’ teachings as widely as possible to our community, the Institute has been holding monthly introductory courses. It’s wonderful to see so many new faces in our classes as a result.

The Institute continues to host well-attended workshops taught by senior teachers visiting from other areas, including Carrie Owerko (in May) and Elise Miller (in June). Local senior teachers Garth McLean and Anna Delury were also welcomed back to teaching regular classes at the Institute. Garth’s therapeutic expertise benefitted students and teachers alike in his May workshop on multiple sclerosis (MS) and other mobility issues.

Advanced students were delighted to see more Level 2/3 classes being taught by Anna, Garth, and Jim Benvenuto. The one-week intensive taught by Marla Apt in March provided a Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

unique opportunity for local students to experience an intensive while not having to travel or leave family and work for an entire week. Nonetheless, many students also traveled long distances (both from within and outside of the U.S.) to study with Marla at the intensive. Senior teacher Manouso Manos also continued with his bi-monthly weekend classes for advanced students (in March and April) and launched the new one-year therapeutics training program. Participants in Manouso’s workshops came from around the globe, making the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles a familiar place of study for practitioners from both near and far away.

Beyond the usual asana classes and workshops, the Institute also provided several opportunities for studying meditation and pranayama, with courses taught by Koren Paalman and Lisa Walford. Together with Lisa’s Light on Life philosophy course, we are finding our practices enriched and deepened in myriad ways. We are grateful to have so many dedicated teachers in our midst to share their wisdom so generously. The Institute also hosted a delightful community fundraising event in which Garth McLean gave his solo performance of Looking for Lightning, which depicts his journey from the fast-paced life of Hollywood to Canada to India and the feet of Guruji following his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. We are all inspired by Garth’s show of courage, caution, and perseverance in his performance, as well as his practice and teaching. Funds were raised to help support

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Garth’s goal of taking his performance to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to raise awareness and benefit research and resource programs for persons with MS and other mobility challenges.

To learn more, visit www.lookingforlightning.com.

Outside of the Institute, outlying studios have been highlighting B.K.S. Iyengar’s teachings through their regular classes and workshops. Free member workshops in both Palm Desert (taught by Holly Hoffman) and Ventura (taught by Anthony Lozana) brought in several new students, many of whom became members of IYILA. We are now over 450 members strong and still growing.

Several new members of the IYILA Board, elected into office at the end of 2017, were welcomed into their new positions in January. Welcome and congratulations to Alfred Bie, Scott Hobbs, Anthony Lorenzano, and Nina Siemazsko, who join other continuing members Mary Ann Kellogg (president), Laura Baker (vice president), Mike Montgomery (treasurer), Amy Brown (secretary), Holly Hoffman (member at large). We are grateful to outgoing Board members Jennifer Diener (former president), Don Vangeloff (former treasurer), Becky Patel (former membership chair), and Lori McIntosh (faculty liason).

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

THE YAMAS AND NIYAMAS TRAINING PRINCIPLES, NOT COMMANDMENTS

BY STEPHANIE QUIRK While in a workshop with Stephanie Quirk in the U.K., Heather Haxo Philips asked why some Western yogis seem to have an uncomfortable relationship to the yamas and niyamas. “We want to study them, we want to understand them, but we don’t know exactly how to do this. We haven’t found comfortable ways to bring them into our lives,” Heather said. “Why do you think this is?”

This is Stephanie’s response.

A big part of our conflict comes from being members of a Judeo-Christian–conditioned society. In practicing yoga, we are trying to fit into the clothing of an Eastern cultural tradition that also goes back thousands of years. It turns out the two don’t fit perfectly. They sound like they do, and in fact, we have heard our own Guru say that the yamas “are just the same as your Ten Commandments,” but there is, in fact, a difference. And when one is trying to practice the astanga (eight limbs), the difference has an effect.

The Ten Commandments begin with injunctions about how one should relate with the supreme authority and its agency, the church. (See sidebar on p. 14.) They are “writ in stone.” They are fixed, and their form is not an outline or guide for conduct; rather they are “rules” of conduct. So our loyalty and obedience to an ultimate authority is being commanded, and only after those commandments do we encounter injunctions that are parallel to those we find in the Yoga Sutras.

TRAINING PRINCIPLES The yamas and niyamas (see sidebar on p. 13) form part of a text that has as its “auspicious” aim the cessation of that which disturbs every level of our being so that we may realize our liberation and release into our own true state. Through yoga, we encounter the yamas and niyamas, and they act as reconditioning or transforming principles that we undertake.

They are training principles, not commandments.

The Yoga Sutras, the source of the yamas and niyamas, is a major text for one of the six orthodox Indian darshanas. And here is an important point: Darshana means to “catch sight of” or “to have insight into.” In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali illuminates eight spheres we can work through. Those spheres were considered by its author to be the essential path that is yoga, and together they are most efficacious for the purpose of darshana. Out of those eight, the yamas and niyamas, when combined, constitute 25 percent of that process. That’s a lot.

However, mentally we tend to combine the two, often pronouncing them as “yamaniyama.” Because we join them verbally, we think of them as one. In effect, we reduce the eight limbs to seven. The two lists, though linked in their aim, are fundamentally different from each other.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

The yamas address aspects of human nature that need to cease or be taken out if transformation is to happen—if we are to dwell in the abode of the true self. It’s the only way we can harmonize and beautify our energies enough to get a sight of a Self that is far deeper and more profoundly meaningful than anything else we have or can even imagine experiencing in our lives. To put it a bit more dramatically: The yamas are those aspects of ourselves that have to die, or our quest—our practice—will become dead in the water, no matter how many hours we put into it.

The niyamas are simultaneously approaches to living and the outcomes of undertaking all eight arms of the astanga (kriyas).

The niyamas are carried out cycle after cycle in an everdeepening and penetrating spiral, offering a cleansing through asana, pranayama, pratyahara and so on to samadhi. Through each of the arms, santosa is rendered and established at a more subtle level. Each of the niyamas requires its own intelligent and tireless approach: tapas. Each is a prism through which deeper and more subtle levels of the self are seen and understood. This ongoing svadhyaya offers clearer sight of the true self, Isvara pranidhana. So the niyamas go on and on, cycle after cycle, simultaneously deepening one’s practice according to one’s maturity.

NOT AN ACADEMIC SUBJECT The idea that the yamas are a “subject” to be studied reminds me of an old dairy farmer who had his herd up off the road between Boolara and Mirboo, in Gippsland, Australia. He once said, “I know why the lines are painted on the road. It’s so you can tell if you are still on the road.” Trying to study a subject called the yamas and niyamas is like searching for the lines painted on the road, at night, while driving a car with lights that barely work. To study them as a subject is academic. Thinking they are to be seen painted clearly and delineated like the road markings is a bit off track. They are not painted or written down for memorization, or we could just pick up a copy of the Yoga Sutras and read the list, read Guruji’s and other commentaries, and call it good. That would be a bit like looking at the catalogue of an art exhibition and then saying you saw the exhibition. As students, we are meant to be executing the actual works of art, not collecting catalogues.

We find the yamas only through our practice, through 11

awareness and reflection. Their power in our lives, their efficacy, and our ability to take hold of that aspect of ourselves will depend on the illuminating potential that our practice brings to the antar-karana (conscientiousness). The yamas are pointing to something in our lives that is very much part of our DNA, our deepest being; they are not notes to be read from the Yoga Sutras. To “study of them,” to come to know them, to be transformed by them, is a revolutionary act: Their study has to become something else.

Until we are evolved, we will do and say and think things that are essentially unskillful. The sense of shame and awkwardness we feel at the mention of the yamas is perhaps the second reason why we find a conflict in grasping the subject. In an ideal yoga life, we would rather begin from a place of stainlessness—or purity, piety, and innocence. The longing for that state is huge in us. But all the signs point to that not being where we are beginning from.

The reason why I say the yamas (especially) are part of our DNA comes from commentary I heard from Guruji. He indicated that the five yamas are those particular five because they address the most destructive forces in our lives (himsa, asatya, steya, abrahmacharya and parigraha). He would at times point to the four yamas that came after ahimsa as indicating the various destructive ways himsa is carried out in our lives.

Himsa means “doing injury or harm,” so ahimsa is “to avoid doing injury or harm.” The “a” of a-himsa puts a negation in front of the word for harm or injury. Here lies the difficulty for us: We can’t easily relate to an empty himsa-shaped space. We can barely look at the extent, both gross and subtle, of our harming nature, but to relate to an empty himsa-shaped space leads to a conflict. With asatya as a form of himsa we cannot face our own violence directly. We cannot skirt around the harm.

We cannot cut out, rub out, paint out the harm in ourselves. If we were able to we would end up with an empty “harm-shaped space” or the ghost of harm. We require an approach that counters the harm by establishing the opposite.

With the Sanskrit “a,” we need to intentionally undertake practices of kindliness (maitri). Sutra I.33 says, “Through cultivation of friendliness, compassion, joy, and indifference to pleasure and pain, virtue and vice respectively, the consciousness becomes favourably disposed, serene, and benevolent.” But maitri first has to be developed toward oneself.

You have to physically and mentally experience maitri in order to extend it to others. It has to be an actual experience, and only then can you work on karuna, mudita, and upeksa.

Otherwise these are abstract concepts.

But to be at once “maitri-ful” is presenting the same problem as cutting out all the himsa. The intermediary stage is santosa,

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and that feeling of santosa is usually experienced hand in hand with the purifying aspects of abhyasa, saucha. Perhaps you are seeing now what I meant by simultaneously linked yet fundamentally different from each other.

As I indicated, the rest of the yamas—satya, asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha—are all aspects of himsa working through different channels.

With regard to satya—everyone lies. If maitri is what needs to be established to counter himsa, trust needs to be strengthened, and especially trust in yourself in order to be able to speak and act in truthfulness. Asteya means not taking what is not given. Acting with generosity is a way to practice and to counter steya. Feeling complete in what one has includes generosity in true regard toward oneself. Abrahmacharya is the need for someone or something to complete oneself.

Developing stillness and santosa in oneself is the balance for the need to have another person in order to feel complete.

Aparigraha, or nonpossessiveness, can be approached through simplicity as well as the contentment developed in brahmacharya. Notice that there is a link between the five yamas and how training in maitri works for all of them.

Maitri is where Patanjali talks of the strength and power (bala) to be found through our practice. See Sutra III.24 maitryadisu balani: “He gains moral and emotional strength by perfecting friendliness and other virtues toward one and all.” Mr. Iyengar continues in his commentary, “The yogi who perfects friendliness (maitri), compassion (karuna), and benevolence (mudita), and who regards things impartially without becoming involved (upeksa), keeps his consciousness free of desire, anger, greed, lust, pride, and envy. With his mind cleansed of such weaknesses, an amiability evolves which spreads happiness to all. His equipoise of mind creates a graceful disposition of heart.”

In reading this, you might recoil from all of the sweet niceness.

But it truly doesn’t all happen at once; it happens according to the depth to which we have penetrated. If there were a single word for how to work with the yamas, it would be patience. It will take time. The change is going on but we can’t always see it.

BEING IN THE GAP We are part of a system that claims the only true authenticity of a participant is the imprint left on the mat from ardent practice.

But we have a strange gap between our experience and our understanding. We have usually undergone a shift or change because of our practices long before we realize it. Depending on the level or intensity of our practice, profound changes are happening even at levels below our awareness. These changes bear fruit either immediately or some time later (sopakrama and nirupakrama)—and we never know which.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Once we notice that a change or transformation has occurred, we are simultaneously opened up to understanding an even deeper level of ignorance and unskillfulness. So as practitioners, we have to be open to these levels that we cannot yet perceive. The problem we face is what to do in that gap of maturation. We need to constantly make changes in our outer process to accommodate our inner changes. The thing is, we never know at any point what our inner state will be. For this reason, we can only ever approach the yamas and niyamas as a guide. They are not commandments set in stone. If we relate to them in that way, they will be irrelevant and unsatisfactory. They are training principles.

OVERT PRACTICE OF THE YAMAS AND NIYAMAS In our path of yoga, the yamas and niyamas are not explicitly expressed. As per B.K.S. Iyengar, they are said to be implicit or implied in our practice. How? Sutra II.28 states that “by dedicated (anusthanat) practice of the various aspects of yoga, impurities are destroyed: The crown of wisdom [jnana diptih, vivekakhyateh] radiates in glory.” I am sure we have all exclaimed at one time or another after class, “Oh, I feel so much better than before the class.” The practice of asana invokes this semiautomatic response. We are taken out of our heads; our awareness is guided and spread globally throughout the whole of our embodiment. This is often experienced as a relief (santosa), and the disturbances and perplexities that hold the mind in thrall are lessened.

By undertaking asana we also rectify disturbances in the physical, physiological, and nervous systems, so the outcome is saucha and santosa. The ramifications of these two beneficiaries is both immediate as well as spread out over a long period of time. They are cumulative, but we still face the problem of the gap I mentioned earlier. There is a gap before we are fully aware that changes and transformations have happened. We cannot immediately identify which yamas have been cleansed, dried, and put away. The depth to which we can access our transformation depends on how we are undertaking the rest of the niyamas: tapas, svadhyaya, and Isvara pranidhana.

Over time, if we have developed consistency and regularity in our practice, a convergence of aspects we were hitherto unaware of will gather momentum. Then we realize that our practice has brought us these changes. We understand that it has required sacrifice but that it is also bearing fruit. In retrospect, we may recognize that there was a single moment of change, a specific event, or it may be an imperceptible but stronger hold on the practice, holding to it with more faith as well as sincerity and determination!

The amount of awareness and strengthening resolve we experience can then change the quality of the intention by which we practice. And the outcome of that practice also continues to change—this is tapas. Deliberately seeing and refining our intention acts on the quality of our actions (yogah

Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018

YAMAS AND NIYAMAS From B.K.S. Iyengar’s translation, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Yamas II.35 ahimsapratisthayam tatsannidhau vairatyagah: “When nonviolence in speech, thought, and action is established, one’s aggressive nature is relinquished and others abandon hostility in one’s presence.”

II.36 satyapratisthayam kriyaphalasrayatvam: “When the sadhaka is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says comes to realization.”

II.37 asteyapratisthayam sarvaratnopasthanam: “When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come.”

II.38 brahmacaryapratisthayam viryalabhah: “When the sadhaka is firmly established in continence, knowledge, vigour, valour, and energy flow to him.”

II.39 aparigrahasthairye janmakathamta sambodhah: “Knowledge of past and future lives unfolds when one is free from greed for possessions.”

Niyamas II.40 saucat svangajugupsa paraih asamsargah: “Cleanliness of body and mind develops disinterest in contact with others for self-gratification.”

II. 42 santosat anuttamah sukhalabhah: “From contentment and benevolence of consciousness comes supreme happiness.”

II.43 kaya indriya siddhih asuddhiksayat tapasah: “Selfdiscipline (tapas) burns away impurities and kindles the sparks of divinity.”

II.44 svadhyayat istadevata samprayogah: “Self-study leads towards the realization of God or communion with one’s desired deity.”

II.45 samadhisiddhih Isvarapranidhanat: “Surrender to God brings perfection in samadhi.”

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karmasu-kausalam: “yoga is skill in action”—verse II.50 in The Bhagavad Gita), and finally we have dissolved or disappeared into the practice itself. We have surrendered to the extent that we no longer separate the practice, function, or result of our sadhana (practice). We surrender to Isvara pranidhana (our recognised higher “power”).

All of that is to say, yes, the practice works. It may even change, reduce, and in time, eradicate the seed that produces those destroyers of our humanity (see Sutra III.51). But it is definitely a process, and we are in that process. We are in the wash right now, and it will take a lot of cycles. Back and forth, over and over again, we must return to that practice.

In the gap between action and fruition, when we have yet to completely transform ourselves into divinity—indeed it may take lifetimes—we can build community. There is a reason why I bring this up. One of the things I noticed once I started journeying from Pune to teach and thereby visit many yoga communities, was a new voice. That voice was speaking of the importance of building community. The importance of our community, and the necessity to nourish that community, was being emphasized.

I have been thinking of the arising of this “community-mind” in our midst. But what part is it playing, what is its contribution to our path?

I have come to see community as fulfilling several vital roles for us within our practices. It provides a true testing ground for the yamas and niyamas. The yamas and niyamas cannot be assessed as part of a certificate exam, but they are unavoidable and have to be worked with, even through the distractions of

boards and committees. These structures are our training and our cremation ground. They provide us with instances where we come together in shared goals for the common good, and in this way the grip of self-centralized concern is diminished. But I see community as something that is pointed to in the first chapter of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika where there is a list of factors that lend themselves to success, and to failure, on the path. It talks of no longer keeping company with unsuitable people. Community doesn't just give us Yoga Club membership; it provides a supporting context, a sheltering monastery or refuge, whilst we are awaiting what is in store. It is definitely an outer structure. It may be seen as an indirect practice, but it is very importantly a protection and a steadying tortoise for the insights and changes that are to come. It protects the inner process.

A native New Zealander and teaching member of the Australian Association, Stephanie Quirk began studying Iyengar Yoga in 1987 in Sydney, Australia. After a series of accidents, she made her first journey to RIMYI in 1991.

Inspired by the Iyengars’ knowledge and their dynamic presence in class, she decided to return to Pune in 1994 and lived and practiced there, working directly with the Iyengars and assisting them in general and therapeutic classes, until recently. Since 2002, she has been teaching to Iyengar Yoga institutes and schools worldwide, sharing the understanding and insights from her years of work at RIMYI, both in the classes and on various publication projects. Read more about Stephanie at www.stephaniequirk.com.au/.

The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue, found in the Ark of the Covenant are: 1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

6. You shall not murder.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. 9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

5. Honour your father and your mother.

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10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, wife, or property.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

TEACHING AT RIKERS AHIMSA AND PRATYAHARA FOR INMATES, OFFICERS, AND TEACHERS

BY MIMI VISSER

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t all started when I read a piece in the New Yorker about 16-year-old Kalief Browder. Accused of stealing a backpack, this boy from the Bronx was brought to Rikers Island, the New York City jail where defendants wait for their trial and their sentence. Because Kalief didn’t want to take a plea deal and kept maintaining his innocence, he was held in Rikers for three years. The article described the horrible circumstances in the jail, the chaos, and the violence. After Kalief was finally released for lack of evidence, he committed suicide. His life and psyche had been ruined. All I could think when I read that story was, “I want to teach yoga at Rikers.”

Two years ago, I discovered Liberation Prison Yoga, an organization founded by Anneke Lucas, a Belgian woman who had survived a hellish past—sex trafficking and extreme violence between the age of 6 and 11. She has spent most of her life healing from these atrocities, largely with the help of yoga. Eventually, she decided to start teaching in prisons and jails and developed trauma-conscious yoga.

Almost everyone who is in jail has experienced some sort of trauma—being incarcerated itself is traumatic. One of the main aspects of trauma is that the person undergoing it has no choice; there is no escaping the moment. In trauma-conscious yoga (as taught by Anneke in her mandatory weekend training for people who want to teach inside), we don’t give any commands. It’s a way to honor the free choice of the students.

As an Iyengar Yoga teacher, at first this baffled me. How could I not give any commands while teaching when “giving commands” is all we do in our instruction? The solution for me was to say what I was doing and give the students the option to follow, or not. This way, I could still teach Iyengar Yoga: I am straightening my legs. I am lifting my arms. I press my heels down.

Since September 2016, I have been teaching a weekly class at the Anna M. Kross Center (AMKC) at Rikers Island. Every Friday morning, I drive from my home in Brooklyn to Rikers Island.

Along the way, I pick up Myda, who also volunteers through Liberation Prison Yoga. It is great to have a partner, someone to talk to before and after teaching. Together we drive over the bridge, park the car, and go through the Perry Center, a mandatory stop for all visitors. We can usually walk through swiftly, waving our Health + Hospitals passes, but sometimes we have to wait because there is a group of visitors before us who have to withstand the humiliating process of standing still and being sniffed by dogs. Every time they come to visit their family members, often with small children in tow, they have to undergo this process, being barked at and unduly scrutinized, treated like criminals themselves.

Coming out of the Perry Center, we wait for the bus that takes us to AMKC, a big center that houses approximately 2,000 Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

inmates. It is very close, but we are not allowed to walk anywhere on the island. At AMKC, we go through a metal detector, take off coats and shoes, and put them through the X-ray. We switch our passes for other ones that don’t have our names on them. We get stamps on our hands with invisible ink to show under lights at the next checkpoint.

Several metal gates later, we finally get to the stairs to the dorms, the familiar smell comes to us, a strong mixture of sweat, cleaning supplies, and something unidentifiable. We will always recognize it; it’s the smell of Rikers for us. We pick up our bags of yoga mats (and a few foam blocks I brought in and “forgot” to take out) in the little office of two very friendly social workers, then we split up and head off to different dorms to teach our classes.

My dorm has about 50 beds in it. Men are walking around, standing in little groups talking, or lying in their beds. I always make an announcement, which usually goes something like, “Good morning everybody. I’m coming to teach a yoga class.

We come here every Friday morning. If you don’t know what yoga is, you are welcome to just come and watch. You are welcome to walk in and out. You are welcome to come try one pose and leave again. You are not stuck inside once you come in! Yoga can help with back problems. It can help with sleep problems. It can help with depression. Usually people feel better after they’ve done some yoga. Come try it for yourself.”

The class itself happens in a closed-off corner of the dorm, which also serves as the eating and recreation area. Plastic windows enclose the area, so you can see the rest of the dorm, and people from the dorm can stand at the windows and look in. In the area itself, there are screwed down metal picnic tables and benches. Men are often sitting there playing cards, watching TV, eating something, or talking on one of the two pay phones while I am teaching the class. The area is also open to sounds from the dorm, and there is often a lot of screaming going on—primarily from the correctional officers (COs).

I arrange the yoga mats between the tables and benches, with the short sides of the mats closer together in the middle of a 15

circle. Slowly, men start to show up and begin putting sticky mats down as well. There are always a few familiar faces. I usually get anywhere between four and 12 men, with 12 feeling extremely crowded.

I usually start seated (if it’s not too noisy) and have them check in with their body and breath. This is also a good way to involve people who are already sitting on a bench. I explain that their ribs are connected to their spine, so when they lift their ribs, they lengthen their spine. (I often see the people playing cards start to sit a little bit more upright to try this out, too.) Sometimes we talk. There is a lot more talking than in regular classes, and people tend to give a lot more immediate feedback: “Oh, this feels good.” “This is hard!”

Then we stand up, do Urdhva Hastasana, sometimes Utkatasana, and some standing postures. I always include Bharadvajasana at the tables; we straddle the bench and turn to face the table. “You can do this also when I’m not here,” I say.

“These tables are made for this pose!” We do half Uttanasana with hands on the table, although this pose is a little tricky because it can trigger the feeling of being arrested. The same feeling can arise when we interlace the hands behind the back, because it’s so similar to being handcuffed. If I do any of these poses with them, I usually say something about it, sometimes with a joke: “Maybe next time you get handcuffed, you could think, ‘Oh nice, I can open my shoulders a little!’ ” Sometimes I’ll do backbends: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana with hands on a bench, Salabhasana with heads facing into the circle.

We don’t use any Sanskrit names, and Downward Dog is called “Upside-down V-pose” to support these prisoners’ struggle to keep their dignity. We call Child’s Pose “Reclining Warrior.”

We sometimes do seated poses, although it’s hard with only three blocks and no blankets. Lying on their back, holding their shins to broaden the lower back is nice for them. A lot of these men have back problems. Putting one foot on the other knee to open the hips a little is also nice. We often do Chatush Padasana, holding the sides of the sticky mat, before we do at least 10 minutes of Savasana.

Sutra II. 35: Ahimsapratishtayam tatsannidhau vairatyagah When nonviolence in speech, thought, and action is established, one’s aggressive nature is relinquished and others abandon hostility in one’s presence.

AHIMSA On one particular day, when I come into the room, there’s an angry man sitting on one of the benches. He is big and muscly, with one gold tooth and tattooed arms. He gives me lewd looks and makes comments, not because he is attracted to me but as a power move; he wants to intimidate me. I look straight at him once but ignore what he’s doing and start to talk to the other men, keeping my face in his direction, so he can see that I’m “for real.”

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People in prison have a particular kind of concentration. They have no phones or computers and very little happens in jail, so inmates are less distracted than most people on the outside—which means they study your every move and facial expression.

After a while, a beautiful thing happens: He completely drops the angry attitude and starts to join the conversation. All of his pain and helplessness shows right away. It turns out that he’s already served a long term in prison upstate (many of them have), where the COs beat him up and kicked in his spine, messing up his lower vertebrae. His low back always hurts. It turns out, he is waiting for his sentence and tells me, “If I get more than 15 years this time, they will have to carry me out of here in a body bag.”

I can’t talk him into joining the class (I would have liked for him to do standing poses with his back to the table, pressing his hands down), but he does lay down for Savasana in the end with his calves on a bench. Only later do I understand that he’s afraid they will take away his painkillers if they see him doing yoga.

A few weeks later, I can’t teach in that dorm because it is on lockdown; one of the inmates had started fighting with the other men when he heard his sentence. Thinking of the man who dropped his anger, I ask the social worker how long he got. Ten years. I’m not sure it’s the same person, but if it is, I’m happy that he is at least still alive.

Ahimsa seems to be the main yama to work with in jail because there is so much violence all around. I try to be friendly and open to everyone I see; it might be the only time that day (or that week) when someone is respectful to them or when someone says “good morning.”

Sometimes it’s complicated to be friendly to COs as well as inmates because they are often on opposing sides. The CO in one of the dorms always tells me I am “too nice” to the inmates. She says I don’t know “how bad they are and what they are capable of.” While I’m there, she tries to control them by yelling a lot and creating a lot of rules. They are not allowed to walk in and out of the recreation room during the yoga class. They are not allowed to come in to get hot water. They are not allowed to just watch.

Her rules make it harder to get people to join the class. The inmates are already a little intimidated by this unknown thing called “yoga,” and getting hot water is a good excuse to walk in and have a peek. It becomes an interesting exercise in ahimsa for myself: to not choose sides. It seems preferable to choose the side of the oppressed, but the COs have difficult lives as well, working long hours in this dark, dangerous place for little Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Illustration: Curtis Settino

money. (We are thinking about how, when, and where we can start a class for COs, as well.)

Another way to approach ahimsa is to talk to the inmates about not being violent toward themselves and their bodies. I tell them, “If something hurts, stop; listen to your body.” This sounds obvious, but the men tend to be pretty macho. When their neighbor is able to do something, they don’t want to seem like a sissy who can’t do it. They also tend to tell each other what to do and what not to do, so I ask everyone to focus only on their own body, their own breath, and their own mind.

A fun way to teach ahimsa toward oneself is in balancing poses. I say, “When you lose your balance, don’t be annoyed with yourself; just start over.” When I suggest, with a balancing pose, to lightly hold onto the table, one of the men says, “But that is cheating.” I respond, “No, it’s not cheating. Sometimes we need a little support, especially when we are just starting to learn something. When you teach teenagers to drive, you don’t give them the keys to the car and say, ‘Go!’ You build it up slowly.” To this, one of the men says, “That’s what my father did with me! He gave me the keys to the car and said, ‘Go!’” Another says, “My father threw me in the middle of a swimming pool to teach me how to swim!” And the stories keep coming.

Sutra II.54: Svavisaya asamprayoge cittasya svarupanukarah iva indriyanam pratyaharah Withdrawing the senses, mind, and consciousness from contact with external objects, and then drawing them inward toward the seer, is pratyahara.”

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

PRATYAHARA In his commentary on Sutra II.54, Guruji writes, “Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the mind from its contact with the senses of perception and the organs of action; then its direction is toward the soul.” This is exactly what I do with my students at Rikers.

In Savasana, the students control how far they want to let go.

Some have their eyes open; some have their eyes closed. Some cannot lie still. I tell them, “If you feel you have a level of tension that is serving you for the moment or if you feel that you don’t want to let go further, then don’t. Nobody can do this for you.

You are in control.” Also while they are in Savasana, I say, “There are a lot of sounds around us. You can hear people talking on the phone; you can hear screaming in the dorm; you can hear work being done on the roof. But you could see if it’s possible to not inwardly react to those sounds, to not let them concern you right now.” It is beautiful when in the middle of all this noise—sometimes I really have to raise my voice to be heard over it—a deep quiet comes over the group and some of them even fall asleep.

One time we had a conversation about solitary confinement. Three of the men in the group had been in solitary. I told them about Pratyahara. I told them that in some traditions, the senses are called “the thieves” because they take your attention away from yourself. In solitary, your senses have nowhere to go; there is no other option than to direct your attention inward. One young man, who was in solitary for seven months, told us that he got through it partly with help from a magazine he had. There were four pictures in the magazine that he could use to “escape.” He would “travel” 17

into the picture. His story and his demeanor made us all quiet.

Seven months. He is a yogi in his own right.

People in prison have a particular kind of concentration. They have no phones or computers and very little happens in jail, so inmates are less distracted than most people on the outside— which means they study your every move and facial expression.

You have to be real; you can’t come in with any kind of attitude.

Another effect of this concentration is that they are very open to the teachings. More than once an inmate has repeated something to someone else that I said weeks before as an aside. For example, “When you make a face or clench your jaw, your nervous system responds to it.”

These men, who live under such harsh circumstances, are always very open, respectful, and appreciative. At the end of class, we say “Namaste,” the only Sanskrit word we teach. They like the meaning: “The light in me greets the light in you.” Then, when I leave the dorm, even people who weren’t anywhere near the class will say, “Thanks for coming, get home safe!”

When men get released or sent “upstate” to serve their sentence in prison, we usually don’t get to say goodbye; they are just not there anymore. Once, one of my students knew it was his last yoga class, that he would be sent upstate in a few

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days. I had known him for a pretty long time. For about four months, he had just sat on the benches and watched. He was very observant and sometimes said something about how Myda and I taught in different ways (we take turns in the different dorms). For the previous three months, he had been joining the classes. He said, “I have watched the classes. I remember everything you said. I will take this with me. I will do this upstate.” He was sentenced to three years. I hope the yoga will help carry him through.

Teaching at Rikers is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It’s a great feeling to give something where it is truly needed. And because these men usually don’t have any preconceived ideas about the subject, I find myself reaching deeper inside myself to explain what yoga means. Every time I go to Rikers, I discover new truths for myself about this wonderful thing called yoga.

Mimi Visser (CIYT ) teaches at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Brooklyn, as well as other studios in Brooklyn and New York.

She was initially trained as a classical pianist and still teaches piano from her home in Brooklyn, where she lives with her filmmaker husband and two teenage sons. If anyone would like more information about teaching in jail/prison, contact Mimi at mimivisser@me.com.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

AN INVITATION TO ATHA YOGANUSASANAM: GURUJI, PATANJALI, AND THE NEXT GENERATION

BY AMITA BHAGAT “We have the idea that philosophy, which literally means ‘love of wisdom,’ has to be complicated, theoretical, and probably incomprehensible to qualify for its name. Yoga philosophy opts for different criteria of excellence: It is straightforward, practical, and, most important, applicable now.” — B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life I was born in 1984. The internet seems divided on the question of which generation I belong to—Gen X or Gen Y? Am I a Millennial? An Xennial? Regardless, I’m definitely part of the last generation that will remember life before the internet—or even what a rotary phone is.

When I was born, it was eight years after B.K.S. Iyengar taught at the Ann Arbor YMCA and nine years before the legendary 75th birthday intensive at Panchgani and the publication of Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. And it was 2,184 years after those sutras were composed, compiled, and codified—give or take a century or two. On the surface, it would seem that the world has changed to such an extent that any ideas presented in the sutras would be devoid of applicability, of interest only to an arcane academic fancy. But one thing yoga clearly reveals is that what appears on the surface is often very different from the deep truth of a matter. Another thing it teaches is that the essence of human nature and the human condition vary shockingly little across time and space.

Today’s world is one of hurriedness, multitasking, and often overwhelming external stimuli. It’s little wonder that our minds are constantly racing. Yoga helps us develop one-pointed attention, not only as a counterbalance to this mainstream mode of consciousness but also to help us use that focus to move inward toward the soul. The philosophical teachings of yoga give us a map and show us how to recognize guideposts along the way. As we navigate our lives, the teachings offer us practical guidance on our relationships with others and ourselves as we seek to explore that unknown territory of our inner nature. A working knowledge of the Yoga Sutras is as essential to our practice as a working knowledge of anatomy.

Though I don’t know how the ideas presented in the Yoga Sutras may have been received in Patanjali’s day, I can observe how today, in our media-saturated society, they seem decidedly counter-cultural. Voices come from every direction, constantly bombarding us with often deeply conflicting ideas about what is “true” and what is the “right” or even “best” way to do something—from broad-based endeavours such as running a country to deeply personal endeavours such as maintaining the Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Although this fundamental philosophical principle of awareness is present for our first Tadasana, it takes decades and lifetimes to fully embody it. health of our bodies or fostering meaningful and lasting relationships with each other. Hundreds of blog posts are actually dedicated to the “right” way of washing our dishes.

Plenty of polls and studies indicate that many people, especially young people, are growing increasingly disillusioned with endlessly chasing after material goods and status markers as a way of attaining happiness. And yet, those unfulfilling ways of being are deeply ingrained in all of us, in our social structure, and even in our legal systems. We are all moving through the web of maya, illusion, to some degree. Somehow even when there is an idea, discovery, or practice that is beneficial and has the potential to reveal a deep truth, it gets picked up in the popular imagination and promoted as a quick fix for “what ails ya!”—usually without any depth of understanding of the subject being promoted.

THE QUEST TO LEARN I have heard plenty of people throw their hands up in despair and say that “true yoga” doesn’t exist anymore or can never really appeal to Westerners. I disagree. So do many younger practitioners of Iyengar Yoga, including all of us on the IYNAUS Next Generation Committee.

We are a diverse group of Iyengar Yoga students and teachers under 40 from across the country with one big thing in common: We have a dedication to the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar and a passion for the philosophy that drove, inspired, and was revealed by his practice. We set out this past fall to add our voices to the conversation about what this “yoga” is that has captured the attention and imagination of so many people in our culture, to figure out why certain conceptions or misconceptions have taken hold, and to further the inquiry into 19

I have heard plenty of people throw their hands up in despair and say that “true yoga” doesn’t exist anymore or can never really appeal to Westerners. I disagree. the deepest questions of what this practice is and what it means to those of us practicing in the 21st century.

Our quest began the way so much of our practice in Iyengar Yoga does: by turning to our senior teachers. What is the philosophy of yoga to them, and how did Guruji teach it to them? We spoke with Manouso Manos, Patricia Walden, John Schumacher, Prashant Iyengar, Lois Steinberg, and Jarvis Chen, and found echoed throughout their words a notion at once so simple and mind-blowingly complex that it has captivated people for over two thousand years. Summed up neatly by Prashantji, it is this: “Inside ourselves, we are limitless.”

When we look at this statement in the context of Patanjali’s and Guruji’s teachings, we can find an answer to why this practice still resonates after thousands of years, perhaps today even more than ever. In Yoga Sutra III.53 Ksana tatkramayoh samyamat vivekajam jnanam: “By samyama [roughly, meditation] on the moment and the continuous flow of moments, the yogi gains exalted knowledge, free from the limitations of time and space.” Guruji draws the important distinction between the moment and the movement of moments. In his commentary on this sutra he writes: “Movement is timebound, transient, and ever-changing. The moment is everlasting, changeless, sacred.”

The pace of life in Western culture, particularly in American culture, is entirely wrapped up in movement. As technology advances and the movements turn faster and faster, our desire for instant gratification is more deeply entrenched, and our ability or even inclination to be still becomes more and more feeble. We have a vague notion that there is something at, as T.S. Eliot put it, “the still point at the center of the turning world,” but we have motion sickness and cannot find it. B.K.S. Iyengar shared a very effective method of helping us find it. “Not just in the physicality of the asanas,” Manouso told our committee member, Sarah, “but in the very depth of understanding of the interaction of the universe and the way that we deal with it.”

How did he do this? By becoming “so steeped in his practice” that he transformed from the inside out, according to Patricia.

“He would practice under all circumstances, regardless of mood, illness, or events.” Through his practice, Manouso told us, he came to know “the fire of understanding what yoga was about and the saying, ‘Oh my goodness, this applies to 20

something somebody wrote about 2,814 years ago,’ and trying to make that translation.”

That translation, as Guruji himself writes in the commentary to Sutra III.53, is to convey what it is to be in the moment instead of in the movement: “ One of the reasons why, as a teacher of asana, I am so intense… is that I want to give the students one and a half hours of present life in a lesson. … For those who habitually flee the present, one hour’s experience of ‘now’ can be daunting, even exhausting, and I wonder if the fatigue felt by some students after lessons is due more to that than to the work of performing asanas. Our perpetual mental absences are like tranquilizing drugs, and the habit dies hard. For the keen student, the effect of asana is exhilarating.”

Indeed, this “intense” way of working with the physical body in order to connect with something much deeper is something that “almost immediately was just part of his teaching,” says John. Manouso agrees: “[It was there] from the very first day of class. From the first time we ever spoke.” “He experienced a divine force in his practice,” Patricia adds, “and that is what he was trying to convey to us. … Guruji was able to bring the most complicated sutras to light in the body.”

EVERYTHING IN THE REALM OF PHILOSOPHY Undoubtedly many of us can recall our first Supta Padangusthasana I: When the right leg came back down to the floor, it was miraculously three inches longer than the left. This shift in perception is the very first step toward recognizing that there is more to our existence than we are normally conscious of. “A connection that’s not so obvious is clearly there, [the students] can feel. It’s not a theory,” John explains. “So then I say [to my beginning students] that this is what yoga is. That everything is connected. And our job is to experience that.”

When we asked Manouso what we should learn next, he laughed. “There’s no such thing as ‘harder philosophy. The philosophy of understanding how your body fits in with the universe is ‘harder philosophy.’”

Prashant provided a deeper look into this. “Everything [is] in the realm of philosophy,” he said, continuing: “ There are certain things integrally yours, like your mind, your intellect, your emotions, your liver, your stomach, colon, consciousness. They are not you, they are yours. So, you are made up of ‘you,’ ‘yours,’ as well as ‘in you’ aspects. Many of them are not identified. Now, do you know that there are bacteria in your body? So, unless you go for a pathology, you will not know that, but they are there. They are perhaps not bothering. Still, there is a battle going on between white Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

MEET THE NEXT GENERATION COMMITTEE

Amita Bhagat

Kirsten Brooks

Sara Arends Haggith

Sarah Hull

Amita Bhagat (CIYT), 35, teaches at her studio, Sadhanaa Yoga in Rochester, New York. She formed the subcommittee, Preserving the Yogic Tradition, with the intention of creating a dialogue for CIYTs to study and discuss the philosophy behind it, and to delve deeper than the physical layer of asanas. She is interested in connecting her yoga practice to her spiritual and religious practices, to experience love and oneness with the Divine. For her, asanas are a means to explore the depths that lie within herself. The practice of yoga makes her life appear in more vibrant hues.

Kirsten Brooks (CIYT), 33, was born in New Mexico, grew up in Michigan, and first encountered Iyengar Yoga in Pennsylvania. She found her mentor in Michigan and now lives and teaches in Iowa. In all of her travels around the country and abroad, she has always been keenly interested in how humans place themselves in relation to the cosmos and how they answer the deepest questions of what it means to exist. In the vast tradition of yoga philosophy, she finds exciting threads of commonality uniting seemingly disparate perspectives, and the more she learns, the more she sees there is to learn. The process is endlessly fascinating and endlessly humbling.

Sara Arends Haggith (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), 34, teaches at Riverwest Yogashala in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She also teaches introductory yoga courses at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Alverno College. By creating a dialogue with students through book clubs and journal prompts about the yamas, she hopes to inspire others to not simply think about these concepts but to observe them in their lives, make mistakes, and try again.

Sarah Hull (CIYT), 38, lives and works in Washington, D.C. For her, the asana is the vehicle or body and the philosophy is the blood that runs through the veins, nourishing it. While delving deeper into the philosophy, a strong connection continues to develop between her art and yoga practices.

blood cells, red blood cells… If the red blood cells lose the battle, then you get the infection. Otherwise bacteria are there. So, that ‘in you’ aspect … are they yours? Do you say it is my bacteria? No. So they are ‘in you.’ There are so many things in you: prana, divinity, the atma. They are in you, they are not yours. So you realize all these things while you are doing asanas in classical approach—that it is not only you doing. Yours is doing, in you is doing, you are doing for you, you are doing for yours, you are doing for in you, in you is doing for yours, in you is doing for you, yours doing for in you, yours doing for you—these are all interactions taking place. And that’s why, once you get sight of this, then naturally you become philosophical. You understand you are not as limited as you think.”

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

The awareness that comes with feeling a response in some part of the body when you move a different part of the body is the beginning. It is the first glimpse of the moment that lies between the movements. When we can glimpse that moment, we can start to disengage from the illusions and the cacophony of the world around us and begin the process of turning toward our true Self. Learning to distinguish the moment from the movement is the difference between Sutra I.3 Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam: “Then, the seer dwells in his own true splendor,” and Sutra I.4 Vrtti sarupyam itaratra: “At other times the seer identifies with the fluctuating consciousness.”

Although this fundamental philosophical principle of awareness is present for our first Tadasana, it takes decades and lifetimes to fully embody it. Lois says that great patience is involved in

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This shift in perception is the very first step in recognizing that there is more to our existence than we are normally conscious of.

the process. “It’s a lifetime of study, and after studying it for 20 or 30 years, you’ll get something.”

This is, yet again, why the earnest practice of yoga is a countercultural act in today’s society, and also perhaps why it is so necessary. Admittedly, in our own lives it’s hard to practice in the way that Guruji and the senior teachers did.

Jarvis offers us all a challenge—the Instagrammers and the nontech users alike—when he speaks of integrating the yamas and niyamas into our lives: “ I think one of the reasons it’s hard is people want to say, ‘I’m a yogi already, so it must be something that’s easy, to practice these things.’ Well, actually, maybe it’s going to take me the next 12 lifetimes to work on being able to really practice brahmacharya. That might take some time. Like, no one expects to do Viparita Salabhasana right away. Why do we expect that ahimsa is going to be so easy for us to do right away? And yet, at the same time, I think one of the wonderful things to think about is: Is there an ahimsa nature in us that we can cultivate? It’s already in us—that perfection is already in us, so is there a way for us to make that manifest from within?”

daunting task, but it’s also exhilarating to think about the potential of the depths within us. Our teachers have shared much guidance, but what do we do after the interviews, after we read the articles and the books, and when we return home from class? How do we get to the moment and not the movement?

Now and tomorrow and the next day and the next?

Looking to Guruji and our senior teachers for inspiration, we take their example and practice and continue to practice. Not for the instant gratification that we feel after, but for sowing the seeds of deeper understanding in the future. After many, many repetitions of Tadasana, we begin to stand up straighter, even as we wait in line at the grocery store. Our awareness of our body has changed, and we make adjustments. It is no different with philosophy. Instead of just feeling angry, we begin to question, “Why am I so angry? Why am I chasing after this? Why am I attached to this outcome?” and on and on. We can step back and witness the mind, just as we witnessed our body in Tadasana. Just as Jarvis said, this is not necessarily an easy task. But that’s okay. As with asana, we keep coming back to practice. And if we stay steady on the path of this lineage we study, and we go against the current culture of quick fixes and gain that depth of understanding, we may begin to see the limitlessness within ourselves and begin to sturdy ourselves to the ever-changing outside world.

Recounting when Guruji came to Ann Arbor in 1993 for the convention, Lois gives us one possible answer: “[Mary Palmer, Priscilla Neel, Susie Vidry, and Guruji] were being interviewed by a radio station and were asked how yoga had changed their lives. When they came to Susie she just simply said, ‘Oh, well, I don’t kill spiders anymore.’ And Guruji let out the biggest laugh, you know—you don’t kill spiders anymore, so that’s how you start.”

During that same convention, when my generation was one of the last to be learning to write in cursive, Mary Dunn said, “Yoga is an invitation to now.” So, that’s how we start. Now begins the practice of yoga (Sutra I.1).

MOVING FORWARD Interviewing Prashantji and the senior teachers gives our Next Generation Committee direction. We formed this group with the intention of starting a dialogue within the community to discuss how to bring yogic philosophy into our lives and teaching.

Living up to the views of our senior teachers can seem a

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

TEACHING YOGA TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BEYOND ASANA , INTO PHILOSOPHY

BY GAIL HEATON

W

hen I say that I teach Iyengar Yoga to high school students, people often react with mild astonishment and then disbelief. American teens are too busy, too stressed, too glued to their devices! They need to move! They need soccer or basketball or field hockey! They can’t manage the intense focus and subtle exploration that characterize Iyengar Yoga!

Nearly 10 years’ experience teaching and learning from the students at St. Catherine’s School have made it clear to me that the scoffers are wrong. They’re selling young people short: In fact, the high school students I know seek to develop focus, appreciate subtlety, and love talking about ideas. Because of its grounding in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Iyengar Yoga provides a perfect discipline for teenage students.

At St. Catherine’s, girls can earn their required PE credit by taking two yoga classes each week for a semester. Many of my students choose yoga because not having to commit to a season of traditional athletics allows them time to pursue passions in the arts. Others choose it because they don’t feel motivated by competition. A few girls end up in my class because they’re dealing with challenges that make sports impossible for them. I’ve had kids with fused spines and kids with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Several students have come to class having had a brief introduction to yoga in a treatment center for people suffering from eating disorders or other mental illnesses. The diversity of experiences and expectations in this group makes for fascinating perspectives. Introducing yoga philosophy to these young people allows me the privilege of

Telling stories enlivens the philosophy for most people. The imagery from the oldest stories can have fresh power for teenagers, whose brains are developing higherorder functions. exploring the texts from different angles and of rediscovering them each semester.

Each session opens with a short discussion of a topic from the sutras. We talk mostly about the verses that give insight into the definition of yoga and its aims. Sometimes I share stories that my teachers have passed down; sometimes I share excerpts from The Bhagavad Gita. I always invite students’ questions and comments. I always refer to our discussion at least once more during the class. Links to all of the texts I refer to appear on the course page on the school’s website so that students can easily find them.

Level 2 students Madeline Brousseau, Julia Tripodi, Haley Robb, and Maddy Fratarcangelo model their "varsity yoga" jackets. Some of the school's varsity athletes didn't believe that a group who didn't compete against other teams deserved varsity wear, but the girls got the athletic director's blessing and established a precedent for future yoga classes.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

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Introducing yoga philosophy to these young people allows me the privilege of exploring the texts from different angles and of rediscovering them each semester.

With the help of my current and former students who were kind enough to respond to a survey I sent them, I share here some suggestions for talking about yoga philosophy with teenagers.

“What stayed with me is the idea of being in a relationship with your body, and listening to your body. Also, the ideas of certain types of yoga as exercise. The idea of not using weight machines, treadmills, or technology was appealing. I liked the idea of using your body as the workout machine and using your own weight to get stronger.”

—Maddy Fratarcangelo, class of 2017 Many young people don’t feel at home in their bodies.

Explaining the root meaning of yoga as “union” invites students to discover themselves as physical beings through the practice of asana. Each correction, each improved second attempt makes the connection with the body stronger and leads the way to a healthy appreciation for the gift of existence in nature. “…it was helpful to put things in perspective and separate ourselves from the daily stress of school.”

—Maddie Dugan, class of 2018

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Bix Lowsley-Williams models Ardha Chandrasana for her classmates.

High school students often see themselves as stressed and overburdened. Beginning with Sutras I.1 and I.2 draws students’ focus away from the downside of daily responsibilities and gives them a glimpse of the calm that their practice can help them find.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

imagery from the oldest stories can have fresh power for teenagers, whose brains are developing higher-order functions.

The coincidence of this growth and the first encounter with yoga philosophy makes the images we use all the more vivid for young students. And those images carry a lasting message.

“I remember discussing how yoga is not only a physical practice, but a mental practice as well. If your mind is not into your practice, you are not getting the fullest out of your practice.”

—Phoebe Farmer, class of 2020 Svadhyaya might put high school students off at first, as the word study conjures for them the responsibilities against which they must struggle to mature. However, associating svadhyaya with tapas and Ishvara pranidhana and bringing those principals into asana practice can open students to a new approach to work, both in and outside their yoga classes.

Suha Minai and Bix Lowsley-Williams practice Vrksasana at the wall. Both girls have developed a strong practice.

“I remember discussion of ideals such as No Harm and many others. I loved going into class with one of the [yamas or] niyamas in mind because they gave me ideas to focus on as I took care of myself in practice.”

—Madi Haine, class of 2018 Especially in a school with an honor code, the yamas and niyamas make sense to students. New expressions of familiar ethical standards help students feel a measure of security as they take the risk to try asanas that are potentially a little scary.

“I remember how important it is to come out of a pose with the same effort you used to go into the pose.”

—Sydney DuPriest, class of 2018 The idea of tapas touches some young people powerfully.

Particularly for the many kids who have not yet experienced the exciting and rewarding feeling of intense effort, tapas can become almost a mantra. Watching the development of those students’ practice is pure joy.

“The concept that stuck with me the most was our discussion of the sutras. … While I've unfortunately forgotten some of it, I really remember the image of seeing ripples in a pool of water.

You explained that the goal was to make the water still so we can see clearly to the bottom of the pool. I now try to remember in my daily life to seek clarity and stillness and to see beyond the surface.”

—Vanessa Revilla, class of 2017 Telling stories enlivens the philosophy for most people. The Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

“I remember learning briefly the ideas of the three part om, but not in much detail. Something of the eight parts of yoga, including yama, niyama, pranayama, asana… but I do not have very much connection to or knowledge of this. I would have loved to learn more, even to have simple readings to do outside of or before class.”

—Haley Robb, class of 2017 The most important advice for a teacher of young people is to stay humble. Even the best students—Haley was one of the strongest and most dedicated among my high school students—leave the supportive rhythm of twice-a-week classes at school to work or university schedules that may preclude attending yoga classes. My hope is that even if the terminology fades from memory, the physical, mental, and spiritual advances they made through yoga will help my former students find their way, whole and happy, into their adult lives.

“These classes taught me about the challenging and rewarding practice of Savasana. Even when my schedule is too busy to attend yoga classes now, I try to practice a few yoga poses and end with Savasana. Your classes also taught me that I am capable of much more than I previously thought. I was never very good at sports; however, in yoga I found myself advancing in ways that I could notice. I learned flexibility and balance. … After each lesson I was always very sore and fulfilled.”

—Vanessa Revilla, class of 2017 I feel grateful every day for my young students, for all they teach me, and for the connection with them that our shared practice of Iyengar Yoga creates. My experience confirms for me what I have long believed: that Iyengar Yoga is good for people of all ages.

Gail Heaton (CIYT) teaches French at St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, VA, where she also offers yoga classes after school.

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

THE LEGACY WE HOLD REMEMBERING MARY DUNN

BY TORI MILNER

P

arampara is a Sanskrit word that means “the succession of teachers and disciples, or the guru-shishya tradition.” In our tradition, of course, B.K.S. Iyengar is our guru, our teacher, but many of us did not have the opportunity to know him as intimately as the senior teachers we study with did. Yet his voice comes through them. And their voices come through us to reach our students, and on it goes. Those of us who teach may certainly innovate, but all that we know is truly based on the knowledge and experience of the teachers who come before us. We stand on their shoulders, their trial and error, their efforts to discover truth, their disciplined living of the yamas and niyamas, their methodology of the best way to study and to present, and ultimately, their love of the art, science, and philosophy of yoga.

For many of us in New York, we stand on the shoulders of the late Mary Dunn. Her mother, Mary Palmer, invited Mr. Iyengar to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his inaugural teaching in the United States. Mary Dunn met him in 1974 and never looked back. Already accustomed to teaching, Mary had a gift for sharing Iyengar Yoga and making it come to life for her students. I am moved to write about Mary and some of my experiences with her as the anniversary of her death approaches this September. It is hard to believe I haven’t actually heard her voice or seen her face during the 10 years that have passed because she is still so present to me and my own experience of yoga and teaching. She had a deep impact and a made a lasting impression on me, and her influence continues, as I believe it does for many of us.

I met her in 1999 when I moved to New York. As I was preparing to leave Washington, D.C., I asked the teacher I had been studying with, John Schumacher, who I should take classes with. Without hesitation, he said two words: “Mary Dunn.” Once I arrived, I sought her out and took a Level 3 class, which was beyond my grasp at the time. She called for repeated full arm balances with the hands turned in a variety of directions I didn’t even know were possible. I was humbled and immediately in awe of the colossal, commanding presence this graceful, dynamic woman had. Her enthusiasm and love for the subject of Iyengar Yoga were infectious, and her ability to make the most mundane subject relevant was impressive. Sitting for the invocation set the tone for what her mind was on— something she had recently read about (mirror neurons!), a show she saw (Satyagraha by Philip Glass!), a trip she had taken (a safari in South Africa!), the subway ride she just took. It

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For many of us in New York, we stand on the shoulders of the late Mary Dunn. was brilliant, intelligent, fun, and never dull. She drew her inspiration from all parts of life and shared that generously in every class. She made even complicated poses accessible and was once named “champion of stiff people” by her students. Her love of language and metaphor added depth, richness, and often humor to the experience of learning. Her teaching was a marvel.

One day, for example, it was raining, and she asked us to imagine our spine like the stem of an umbrella and our chest like the fabric cover spreading out over the “spokes” of our ribcage. She guided our breath to be soft and purifying like the rain showers we could hear outside the windows. Often, in Adho Mukha Svanasana, she joked about all the different kinds of dogs there were—long dogs and short dogs, tall dogs and low dogs. She was playful and sharp and her twinkling eagle eyes picked up whose feet should go wider, whose hands should spread more, whose stance should be longer, and who needed to relax. She would cheer us on: “Lift your heels up to lift your buttocks up!” with a major voice inflection on the word “up.”

No matter the pose, she made us want to fully extend ourselves and find our potential. She lead us deeper into our bodies and the unlimited experience of ourselves. She showed us how to find the vastness of the present moment. She taught us how to go inside and spread our attention within. She taught us to be considerate of one another and reach outward toward others.

She taught us how to live, and toward the end, she became a powerful example of how to relinquish life itself.

During one Savasana, the little death we emulate at the end of every class, I battled with my restless mind. I heard her say, “Find contentment in the position you’re already in.” It was such

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Her enthusiasm and love for the subject of Iyengar Yoga were infectious, and her ability to make the most mundane subject relevant was impressive. perseverance, patience, and fortitude. It was characterbuilding. She would say, “Yoga is not a casual subject,” and she embodied that sentiment, taking it all quite seriously and yet having so much fun doing it. She had high standards and often would get a look on her face or a tone in her voice that connoted, “You can do better!” And suddenly, we would! It was amazing.

So, when this vital force of a human being and senior teacher of our Institute in New York was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 65, it was hard to believe, hard to accept, and hard to watch unfold before our very eyes. But there it was—and what were we to do but give her our very best outpouring of love and support and see her through it?

In July 2008, less than two months before she died, she gave a talk on Guru Purnima, and it was very special. I would like to share parts of that transcript here, with minor edits, to give you an idea of Mary in her own voice as she told us about her first encounter with B.K.S. Iyengar:

a profound revelation for me—someone who, at the time, was struggling to find that kind of contentment in many facets of life.

I worked full time in an office, so I didn’t get to take her class regularly. I savored it when I did. She sparked my imagination, my enthusiasm, and my connection to myself so much that in May 2001, I made a very uncharacteristic decision: I quit my job and changed my whole life in order to become an Iyengar Yoga teacher. Our first day of teacher training was Sept. 11, 2001. We did not meet that day. The whole world changed, and teaching Iyengar Yoga took on even more meaning. It was an intense and unforgettable beginning to teaching and training in our method.

She had just had a hip replacement and did not come every week, so we hung on every word when she did, like when she shared with us a great story of being a new teacher herself. She said that after teaching her very first class, she went home and exclaimed, “Well, I taught them everything I know!” She added, “I have no idea what to teach them next week.” That made us laugh, and we could relate to her eagerness and enthusiasm to share this teaching with anyone who cared to listen or lift their kneecaps.

She was a tough teacher and would hold us in the poses for interminable amounts of time, challenging us to develop 28

I was living out in California and my mother [was] the one who had already been to India, already been to England to study with him, had already brought him to the United States once to the Ann Arbor Y, and this time, she was bringing him out to California, and I was going to meet him, and I was thrilled. …

And when I studied with Mr. Iyengar the very first time, I had the deep impression that here was a true teacher. And the deep impression that here was a subject in which the teachings were embedded. So it wasn’t that he was sitting there saying, “These are the teachings,” but here he was, embedding them in us. You were having that added dimension of embedding the teachings within you. We felt the truth of getting aligned ... the truthfulness of the fact that once you could feel the balance within you ... the positions became representative of life. [For example,] … here I am giving a talk, that’s the first thing, and then I’m going to be walking down the street, maybe meeting someone who needs some help, or asking someone to help me. All the time now, I just ask people; I ask strangers to help me. All the time on the street. I say, “I have something heavy, would you just carry this for me down the stairs?” Invariably, they look me and they say, “Oh, yes! Can I help you with anything else?” It’s just been absolutely magical. So that’s the next position. And then the next position is that I’m going to be back making a snack or talking to my friends or relaxing or Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

seeing the sunrise, or whatever it is … and that’s the next position, it’s not just Virabhdrasana II! And all of those things … this master was showing us. And so about half an hour into the class, I looked over at my mother and gave what I hoped was this absolutely significant nod, which meant, “You are once again right; you are absolutely right. I will go with you to India. I need to do more of this.”

That particular trip I was really lucky because mother had brought him out. He hadn’t stayed at my house—although he stayed at my house many times afterward, but we were sort of his host there—and so I was out all hours of the night. We went to all these things at night after he finished what was supposed to be a four-hour class—it was six— and all these kinds of things; or we’d go for a picnic in Marin, and all these things; and so I was really just in it, and I saw how he could go from morning to night, and I knew he had gotten up and practiced at four. … And so I did have this wonderful experience with him, taking him out in the car and watching him relax and love wherever we took him. When we took him here or there and whatever it was—we took him to Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I got into the seat and promptly fell asleep, [so] I’ve never actually seen the movie, but then we got back and I had enough energy to drive back to Berkeley from Marin.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

She had high standards and often would get a look on her face or a tone in her voice that connoted, “You can do better!” And suddenly, we would!

So that was my first experience with the Guru, and after that I went [to Pune] every year or two until just very recently and have lots of just huge memories and huge deepening of understanding through the layers of what he was trying to teach. …

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

And what a wonderful opportunity we have today on Guru Purnima to celebrate his teachings. And to celebrate the other 364 days of the year because it’s through him that we got the teachings. But we have to remember that like any great teacher—he’s about to celebrate his 90th birthday— like any great teacher, we will end up with lots and lots and lots of notes. And we hope we’ll end up with “the one page” as well, not so that we reduce it to the sense, “Oh I’ve studied this and this and this in Iyengar Yoga” and all of that, but that we realize we have to be able to go both from a one-page understanding, which is the main principles, to all of these applications of the principles because that’s what he does with any problem. He is going from this very direct principled approach of “Oh this is what it’s about” to this unbelievable weaving of a tapestry that takes us through the story of these principles and how they are relevant to all of us in the here and now.

So we sat, packed in the North Studio on West 22nd Street on a hot July day in 2008 and watched this woman, clearly transformed by her cancer, glow as she talked about B.K.S. Iyengar. We felt her love for him, for the subject, and for us. We felt her passion, and her wisdom shined on all of us in the room. And although neither one of them is here with us in the flesh, they are both very much present in the teachings, in the principles, in our cells, and in our memories. They have each left a legacy for us all to continue to hold and call on in our own practice and teaching and to pass on to the next generation of learners and seekers.

As we go forth, we realize the practice is not limited to performing the postures, but also to embracing all of the principles of yoga and applying them to all areas of life, including relationships and all the situations that we encounter. And as we face an increasingly

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volatile and unpredictable world, the practice of yoga becomes even more relevant and important to pass on and share. In closing, I would like to share the following excerpt of Mary’s parting letter to all of us in New York: My dear colleagues, my dear friends, Many of you have asked what you can do for me. I do have a request. I have observed your growth in Iyengar Yoga as teachers and as human beings and am so proud of what I see. Continue to grow in all aspects of Iyengar Yoga, in your practice, in your teaching, in your relations with our community. You are professionals in a spiritual profession.

How you comport yourselves in your daily lives, your classes, and with one another matters.

When I first heard Guruji say in the context of the practice of standing poses, “practice ahimsa,” I wasn’t sure what he meant. Over the years, the meaning has become clear. Be nonviolent; violence is tied to reacting. In allowing yourself the space to contemplate, to see where the correct action leads, you allow the penetration of yoga to become a reality. Be guided by ahimsa; be gentle with yourself and others.

When you disagree, give yourself time to reflect before you react. And rather than react, respond, and when you respond, learn ahimsa.

With all my love, I hate to leave you, Mary Tori Milner (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) teaches at the Institutes in Brooklyn and New York.

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REPORT FROM

Bellur

PATRICIA WALDEN KICKS OFF B.K.S. IYENGAR CENTENNIAL

BY CINDY BERLINER AND KATHLEEN SWANSON

Even After All this time The Sun never says to the Earth, “You owe me.”

Look What happens With a love like that, It lights the whole sky.

—Hafiz According to the growing body of lore surrounding B.K.S. Iyengar, when in his native village of Bellur, he would wake his sleeping grandchildren in the predawn hours for the sunrise, mirthfully adding that they had the rest of the day to sleep.

It is no surprise then, that on any given morning of the January 2018 B.K.S. Iyengar Centennial Inaugural Retreat with Patricia Walden, you could find students gathered on the roof of the dormitory, waiting for the sun to appear. Some were in their pajamas with eyes still heavy from sleep; others wide awake— but all gathered in camaraderie, anticipating the moment when the sun would declare itself over the sultry Indian landscape.

Inside the yoga hall at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center in Bellur

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Our adventure began at the Bengaluru International Airport where students convened and climbed aboard a bus (complete with disco lights) that would take us to the retreat.

Guruji’s exhortation to wake up, to greet life in its divine beauty, and to begin our practice afresh, seems particularly fitting for this special centenary year. At the January kickoff retreat with Patricia—one of many celebratory events that will occur this year—participants could not fail to appreciate this message.

What could be a more auspicious way to begin the New Year than to study yoga in Mr. Iyengar’s pastoral home town, in the majestic yoga hall that he dreamed of, and with one of his most senior and capable teachers?

Indeed, with the completion of the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center, a new day is dawning for the Iyengar Yoga community. Students from around the world will not want to miss the opportunity to deepen their yoga studies in this peaceful place that represents Guruji’s generosity and vision—both for his village and for generations of yoga practitioners to come. He undoubtedly cherished Bellur, and if you make the journey here, you will cherish it too.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL YOGA GETAWAY Our adventure began at the Bengaluru International Airport where students convened and climbed aboard a bus (complete with disco lights) that took us to the retreat. Leaving the city limits behind, we arrived a few hours later in the quiet farming village of Bellur, in Karnataka State, and entered the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center’s open-air lobby and dining area overlooking the Kolar Hills. This dining area would be the hub of our community life for the week ahead, where we would get to know each other over coffee and tea in the early morning or over delicious Indian vegetarian meals. With students representing 11 countries, the retreat took on a truly

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

international feel with an opportunity for rich conversation and sharing.

Our first morning, we gathered outside the retreat center at 8:30 a.m. to walk to the Patanjali Temple in the village. On the way, we witnessed villagers working in the fields, milking cows, washing clothes, and preparing meals. A “namaste” rarely went unreturned and the children—open and loving—became our regular chaperones.

The simple but beautiful Patanjali Temple sits in a quiet temple complex flanked by banyan trees (and their resident fruit bats).

Macaque monkeys roam the complex, as curious about visitors as visitors are about them. The temple was built in 2004 by the Bellur Krishnamachar Sheshamma Smaraka Nidhi Trust, established by B.K.S. Iyengar in memory of his parents. It is the only known Patanjali Temple in the world.

At the temple, we participated in our first puja of the retreat. A puja is a ceremony of devotion (see sidebar for more info), in this case to Lord Patanjali, the great saint who codified the Yoga Sutras. For many, it was their first exposure to the way Indians say their daily prayers and offer gratitude. This ceremony became a treasured part of each day and a chance

Patricia Walden teaching at the January 2018 B.K.S. Iyengar Centennial Inaugural Retreat in Bellur

COMMON ELEMENTS USED IN THE HINDU DEVOTIONAL RITUAL KNOWN AS “PUJA” Puja lamp or diya. Burning of ghee or oil symbolizes the burning away of our negative tendencies in order to purify our hearts. The burning wick teaches us to gradually diminish our ego and serve others with humility.

Kapoor (camphor). Burning of camphor creates a peaceful and fragrant environment. It teaches us that we should also be ready to burn (sacrifice) our ego in order to spread the perfume of love and compassion for all.

Flowers and fruits. Flowers and fruits signify beauty, purity, softness, fragrance, and sweetness. By offering them to God, we pray for beauty and purity of our minds and sweetness in our thoughts, speech, and actions.

Water. Water signifies purity. It is kept in a copper vessel during the puja ceremony and later offered as blessings to devotees.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Tulsi leaves. Tulsi is considered one of the most sacred plants in Hinduism. It also is known for its healing properties and given as blessings to devotees.

Betel leaves. Betel leaves are a symbol of freshness and prosperity and also are said to have healing properties. They are used in puja ceremonies for receiving blessings for good health and prosperity in life.

Kumkum (vermillion). Kumkum stands for our emotions and inner wisdom. The use of kumkum in puja reminds us to use our wisdom with equanimity so that our thoughts and emotions do not overpower us.

Haldi powder (turmeric). Haldi is a common spice used in Indian cooking and known for its medicinal value. It symbolizes purity and thus is an important part of the puja ceremony.

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Patricia Walden and her retreat students in Bellur

to explore Ishvara pranidhana, the third component of kriya yoga (Sutra II.1) as we chanted the 108 names of Patanjali. We were fortunate to have Popsi Narasimhan, a native of Bengalaru now living in Boston, explain the puja ceremonies to us and politely coach us in correct temple etiquette, such as removing our shoes, the difference between how men and women prostrate, how to place the right hand on top of the left to drink the holy water offered by the priest, and how to exit the temple (you back out).

IYENGAR TEACHING AT ITS FINEST After returning to the retreat center, it was time for our morning asana practice with Patricia. Those who have had the good fortune to study with her know that she is one of the most accomplished Iyengar Yoga teachers in the world, having begun her studies with B.K.S. Iyengar in 1973 and travelled to India annually ever since. She is a demanding and exacting teacher, expecting her students to work to their capacity. Yet she is warm and compassionate and reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously and to experience joy in our practice.

That first morning, seated on the platform underneath a large photograph of Guruji, Patricia smiled radiantly and said, “You

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are living his dream.” By this, she was referring specifically to the yoga hall, an architecturally impressive space that can hold 250 students. While Mr. Iyengar did not live to see it completed, he dreamed of a world-class yoga hall in which Iyengar Yoga students from all over the world could convene. Those who have the privilege of practicing here cannot help but feel his presence—with his large portrait on the wall, you feel his eyes quite literally upon you.

Each day we had five to six hours of instruction in asana, pranayama, and philosophy. This amount of instruction made the week feel more like an immersion and less like a retreat.

The rhythm of long classes—in this remarkably unharried setting—made the learning experience particularly sattvic.

Patricia’s sequences were methodical and classical, yet at the same time creative and clearly born of her long practice. There was plenty of time for demonstration and working in stages, which is a hallmark of the Iyengar Yoga method. Many of us undoubtedly came closer to sthira sukham (effortless effort) in our asanas. Patricia artfully wove philosophy into the classes, at times asking us to use different parts of the body as a desa bandha (point of concentration) and to use pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) to work with the back body. During

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

one of the back-bending classes, we discussed the concept of “samyama” (integration, as described in the third pada) and chanted one of Guruji’s favorite sutras, III.35 hrdaye cittasamvit: “By samyama on the region of the heart, the yogi acquires a thorough knowledge of the contents and tendencies of consciousness.”

The group of students was wonderfully diverse, including longtime Iyengar Yoga practitioners and teachers as well as beginning students. Some participants were in their early 20s and others were three or more decades older. There were sisters, a husband and wife, and a mother and son. Patricia even invited local high school students and their teacher to join the classes. Together, Patricia and her assistant, Jarvis Chen, deftly met each student’s needs. They gave everyone the gift of feeling “seen” during the week. One particularly memorable scene was when Patricia worked with a college student from the U.S. Unsatisfied with his Adho Mukha Vrksasana because he was bending his arms as he kicked up to the wall, she directed him to do the pose again—and again and again. As witnesses, we all felt for him as he grew tired and struggled to keep kicking up, but the beaming smile on his face when Patricia finally let him stop said it all.

We all could relate to the struggle. We all could relate to the transformative effects of that struggle.

WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE? We were in restful Bellur, B.K.S. Iyengar’s birthplace. We were enjoying hours of deep yoga study with Patricia. We were trying new Indian dishes and taking in the beautiful views. Yet even more pleasant surprises awaited us. A highlight for many was the high school students’ yoga demonstration. Skillfully choreographed, their advanced poses were a tribute to Guruji and a harbinger of the bright future of the Iyengar Yoga method.

Midweek, we were treated to a tour of the hospital, high school, and college built by the Bellur Trust. One participant began weeping openly: She had known what a generous teacher Guruji was but was overwhelmed with what he and the Trust had accomplished in Bellur. On another day, we planted fruit trees on the retreat center’s grounds. We met Sri Padhamanabhacharya, the statue carver responsible for many of the magnificent statutes at the retreat center and at RIMYI, and watched as his grandson, Dharshan Vishwakarma, gave a carving demonstration. And on our final evening, we were treated to items favored by Guruji, a feast of South Indian specialties served on banana leaves. Suffice it to say that not only our hearts were full after this meal.

PUT BELLUR ON YOUR BUCKET LIST B.K.S. Iyengar had a dream of an international destination for Iyengar Yoga practitioners, where they could come together in a residential center and immerse themselves in the study of yoga.

The B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center is now complete and waiting to welcome you.

A trip to Bellur is guaranteed to be a trip of a lifetime. You will make friends from all over the world. You will meet the warm people of Bellur and visit their temples. You will deepen your practice and be part of Guruji’s legacy and his vision for Iyengar Yoga. And of course, you will not want to miss the sunrise.

Cindy Berliner (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) lives and teaches in Freeport, ME. Kathleen Swanson (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) lives in Foster, RI, and teaches in the surrounding communities.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

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SAMACHAR

Sequence

Patricia Walden taught the following sequence on Jan. 4, 2018, as part of the B.K.S. Iyengar Centennial Inaugural Retreat in Bellur.

Adho Mukha Virasana — use the arms to bring the back ribs and thoracic spine in

Janu Sirsasana, concave and final stages — work to bring your resistant side down; try different hand positions and use the one that works best for you

Tadasana — one single stretch from feet to chest Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana Uttanasana — observe your habits; bring the center of your calves forward and take the center of the backs of the knees up Utthita Hasta Padangushtasana at the rope wall — use the arms to pull down the ropes as you lift your chest up; repeat, bringing your leg higher up the wall Adho Mukha Svanasana — heels at wall; step forward to Parsvottanasana; spread the buttocks and then compact the hips; walk your hands as far forward as possible, and use the Adho Mukha Virasana arm action from above to bring the back ribs in as you move your thighs and buttocks back Repeat Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana; observe the “hills and valleys” in the standing leg and correct them Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana — back to wall; heel in rope Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana — leg up the wall again; hold the ropes, and take the foot higher

Paschimottanasana Krounchasana in stages (see Patricia’s version on the back page of this issue): Stage one: Place one leg in Virasana, one leg in Marichyasana position—the base of the pose is the foot and shin of the Virasana leg and the heel of the Marichyasana foot; lift your bent leg shin until it is perpendicular to the floor.

Stage two: Repeat the above; extend the bent leg but don’t bring it closer; lift your inner arms, chest, and inner heel. Then do Supta Padangusthasana I in preparation for the final stage of Krounchasana; “in” with vairagya and “out” with your ego.

Stage Three: Move the skin of the outer knee of the extended leg down and forward; keep your back broad and slightly spreading; draw the thoracic spine in but not with too much rajas. Ask yourself, “What am I feeling now?” If we are only focused on physical things, we may stop practicing. We must explore all the limbs of yoga in an asana.

Utthita Parsva Hasta Padangusthasana at rope wall— keep your standing leg immobile; for the aerial leg, draw back from the outer knee and take the outer hip down and in

Uttanasana — legs wide, elbows out to the side; be “present” to all of your spinal muscles; twist to either side

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana away from the wall

Prasarita Padottanasana

Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana variation — place hands on the floor; lift one leg at a time and keep the aerial buttock “sober”; repeat, lifting the leg higher toward the final pose

Supta Padangusthasana cycle — do all variations on one side, then roll onto your side and into

Parivritta Upavistha Konasana — be on the median lines of your thighs; turn to the left but don’t forget the right heel; after turning to your maximum, reach back to grab your right foot with your right hand; the median line of the side body should at least be in line with the median line of the leg; bend your elbow and revolve; extend your left arm over your ear; extend the bottom arm forward to come down further. In this pose, it is easy to turn the neck but not so easy to turn the abdomen— work in stages and be humble.

Anantasana

Bharadvajasana II

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana — work to your maximum

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Vrksasana — right leg up, right leg down; left leg up, left leg down and repeat

Savasana

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Musings TIES THAT BIND

BY JULIA ZAWATSKY

I

began to study and practice yoga to improve my balance in ballet. Because of my background in psychiatry and a strong inclination toward spiritual teachings, however, yoga quickly became a passion. Here was a practice that perfectly united the three very different currents in my life—form (ballet), analytic discrimination (psychiatry), and the pursuit of ultimate truth (spirituality). These three currents were like a triad of forces in my life moving in different directions, and tying them together through yoga has been grounding.

The gunas, Sanskrit for “strands” (Feuerstein, The Yoga Tradition, 75), are a triad of forces that are the fundamental building blocks of prakrti, nature. Traditional exegesis likens the gunas to individual strands that combine to form the “rope” of reality, ties that bind all of nature together. The three gunas are sattva, rajas, and tamas. In their primordial state, the gunas exist in perfect equilibrium. Interaction with purusa (the Self, pure consciousness) disrupts this perfect equilibrium, initiating the creation of the manifest cosmos from mind to matter. The varying guna ratios found in the phenomenal world result in the manifest diversity of life. The gunas carry with them inherent tension, which results in the transience of all phenomenal objects. Everything comes into existence, temporarily exists, then fades away with destruction.

Sattva, which means “being-ness” (Feuerstein, 459), has the characteristic of brightness and illumination. An object illumined by sattva is seen clearly and comprehended in its essence. An individual can recognize the presence of sattva by a subjective awareness of clarity, mental serenity, discriminatory capacities, equanimity, and happiness.

Tamas means “darkness” and manifests as inertia. Tamas provides solidity and stability. This is a good quality for a table, and it is helpful when it is time to sleep. However, overly tamasic individuals find themselves lost in the heaviness of ignorance, negligence, delusion, and apathy.

Rajas represents the quality of activity. Rajas means “to color or redden,” indicating its highly passionate and energetic nature (Feuerstein, The Encyclopedia of Yoga and Tantra, 290). Overly rajasic individuals are energetic, creative, and ambitious but suffer from excessive attachment to sense objects and egocentric action. Their aggrandizement of the self clouds sattvic awareness of what really is, and they fail to reach the truth of their being.

It helps me to understand these concepts by considering Michelangelo’s creation of his statue of David. The statue evolved from an image obtained in Michelangelo’s

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

I have an idea of my inner Self much as Michelangelo had the idea of David. I struggle to find that Self trapped in the mind and body that encase it.

consciousness, illuminated by sattva. The solid block of marble he used represents the pure tamas of matter. Whatever disinclination he might have had to chisel away at the block reflected his level of mental tamas. It is rajas that fueled his willpower to overcome both his own potential disinclinations and the block’s inert formlessness. Had he been overly rajasic, his vision of David might have been obscured by grandiose images of himself. Or he may have been too restless to even sit still long enough to get the job done or perhaps too much of a perfectionist to ever be content with his work.

I have an idea of my inner Self much as Michelangelo had the idea of David. I struggle to find that Self trapped in the mind and body that encase it. This example demonstrates the necessity for the proper proportion of each guna.

B.K.S. Iyengar likens the gunas to the three primary colors and the body as a canvas. As artists, we mix and blend the gunas to manifest the necessary color, form, and light to achieve the desired effect. He also likens the gunas to the quanta of modern physics, using a variation of Einstein’s famous equation: E (rajas) = M (tamas)C2 (sattva) (Light on Life, 210).

Patanjali observes that the gunas can be properly equilibrated through the practice of the eight limbs of yoga. But Mr. Iyengar asserts that it is specifically the practice of the yamas and niyamas in asana and pranayama that results in guna-vrtti nirhodha, the restraint of the gunas. In Light on Life he writes, “The ancient sages said that the key to life was balance, balance as I have emphasized in every layer of our being. … But what are we supposed to balance? The answer lies in the three qualities of nature, which are called the guna (44). …You have to

37

Illustration: Curtis Settino

learn to identify and observe them in order to be able to adjust and balance their proportions and as you penetrate inward, bring the beauty of sattva to the surface” (46). Patanjali tells us that meditation on any object can be used to bring clarity of mind, but B.K.S. Iyengar was the first to realize that asana itself could serve as such an object.

Guruji says, “I teach subjectively [to get you] to follow yama and niyama in asana and pranayama to change yourself to the very core” (Light on Astanga Yoga, 97). The yamas and niyamas are the fundamental principles of behavior necessary for harmonious living with oneself and others. These principles are to be used in the same way an astrophysicist uses the principles of aerodynamics in the creation of a functional aircraft. We must align the fundamentals of ourselves correctly with the power of consciousness in order to take flight, ascend, and soar to the spiritual heights for which we are created.

Asana has been the ideal vehicle for me to become more fully embodied. Because of natural flexibility, years of psychiatric and psychoanalytic training, and my natural spiritual inclinations, I was living mostly in my head. Asana has brought me face to face with the tamas of the body. The physical practice has pushed the limits of my flexibility to the point where I can feel physical resistance, enhancing bodily awareness. As my attention gradually moves down from the head and penetrates the body, I become increasingly aware and attentive to what is—that is, to what is tamasic.

my right arm. Consciousness spreads throughout my body, from the outer layer of skin, muscle, and bone to the inner layer of intelligence.

I observe my lower side ribs to be more compressed than my upper side ribs in Trikonasnana, and that awareness, with tapas, brings the necessary rajas and sattva to correct the alignment. I try to infuse my movements with just the right amount of rajas to nudge myself deeper into the pose.

Ahimsa keeps me mindful not to bring in too much rajas. Pain is unavoidable in an asana practice, but it’s useful. It teaches me how to cope with suffering inherent in life. I work to develop the sensitivity necessary to avoid the pain that can be avoided, transform the pain that can be transformed, and tolerate the pain that can be neither transformed nor avoided.

I am learning these lessons in small ways. If my fingers hurt after Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana, I resist shaking them out for relief. Instead, I experience the discomfort, and observe the recovery. This teaches perseverance, tolerance, faith, and courage—all qualities requiring a proper blend of stability, mobility, and luminosity. I can begin to transcend the dualities of pleasure and pain.

In Tadasana, for example, I have come to know the most minute aspects of my feet never before considered. Throughout the body, I am learning to discriminate between inner and outer, long and short, even and uneven, front and back, and side to side, parallel or not. I can better study the grounding element essential to balance.

My practice becomes sattvic when I have been able to spread awareness evenly throughout the many parts and layers of my body. My attention and awareness have transformed the instinctual actions of the cells into intelligent, controlled, discriminatory actions. Body, senses, mind, will, and intelligence unite as the doer and the perceiver of the asana become one.

With the perfect proportion of tamas, rajas, and sattva, the asana becomes increasingly effortless. I become absorbed in the newly created contemplative space, experiencing a glimpse of the infinite.

I find areas of alert, rajasic movement and study those to teach the newly discovered tamasic parts of my body how to move.

As I extend my body, I simultaneously extend my intelligence, discerning and correcting the misalignments. I learn to spread awareness throughout my body as I move one part while holding other parts steady. As I look over my left arm in Virabhadrasana II, I keep my mind’s eye on the extension of

Pranayama turns awareness even further inward. I close my eyes to the desirable objects of the outer world and turn my attention to an awareness of the breath. The practice can become tamasic and tedious, with little progress after long periods of effort. Fortunately, the prana of the breath penetrates deeply into the body. Sensitivity develops in discriminating the location and patterns of breath, and intelligence spreads

38

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

throughout the body with the breath and its prana. Alertness to the breath restrains my mind and senses. Breath retention is stillness, and because the mind increasingly follows the breath, it too becomes still. The usual parade of thoughts cease and tranquility arises. As Patanjali notes, “Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom” (YS II.52).

With continued practice and detachment, rajas and tamas serve the purpose of cultivating sattva. My attention goes beyond the samskaras, with their habitual responses, attitudes, and perspectives, beyond desires and the ego-identities of self.

Attention becomes pure awareness, absorbed in itself in a state of sattvic contentment. It is these sattvic experiences of asana and pranayama that further my awareness of myself as an embodied being. From this grounded external existence arises the opposing inward movement to the Self. I can begin to reach

toward the deeper realization that “I am.”

When consciousness reflects only itself, the gunas return to their original state of perfect equilibrium. They have served their purpose for purusa’s realization of its own true nature. As Krishna explains to Arjuna, “When the embodied soul rises above these three modes that spring from the body, it is freed from birth, death, old age and pain and attains life eternal” (The Bhagavad Gita XIV.20). Such is the final liberation from the ties that bind.

Julia Zawatsky (CIYT) is a mother of four sons and a board certified psychiatrist. She is an apprentice with John Schumacher at Unity Woods Yoga Studio in Bethesda, MD, and teaches at Sweetbay Yoga Studio in Bethesda.

BECOME A BOARD MEMBER The IYNAUS Board of Directors, like the boards of the 12 regional Iyengar Yoga associations across the U.S., is made up of volunteers who have been appointed or elected through their regional association. For many board members, service provides an opportunity to devote time and energy to sustaining a community that has had a profound and transformative impact on their lives.

Each region has one or two representatives on the IYNAUS Board, and all members serve a four-year term (and can be re-elected for a second term for a total of eight consecutive years of service). Terms are staggered so that four new people join the IYNAUS Board each year.

Do you have organizational skills, financial skills, legal skills, experience with not-for-profit or membership-based organizations, technical skills, skills with social media, public relations, or development skills? Are you a good writer or good at strategic planning?

The IYNAUS Board—as well as the boards of our regional associations—needs members with these kinds of skills.

In addition to seeking Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs) with these skills, the IYNAUS Bylaws require that a substantial minority of the board be individuals who are not teachers. In an ideal world, our board would include a significant number of longstanding Iyengar Yoga students who have had successful careers in law, advertising, public relations, finance, information technology, management consulting, or other businesses or who have had significant experience on other nonprofit boards of directors.

If you know of any such students or if you are such a student and are interested in serving on the IYNAUS Board, please write to us at president@iynaus.org. We’d be very glad to hear from you, discuss the possibility of your service on the national board, and then make a recommendation to your regional association for appointment.

Please consider becoming involved at either the regional or national level. Our organization depends on the energy and commitment of its members.

To learn more about our regional associations, take a look at their websites: https://iynaus.org/about-iynaus#regional-associations.

If you’d like to become involved on the national level but not necessarily serve on the IYNAUS Board, please look for volunteer opportunities on our website: https://iynaus.org/volunteer. Thank you to everyone who has filled these positions over the years.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

39

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 5/2/182018 7:13 PM

MIGNONET (TONI) MONTEZ MARCH 28, 1927 – APRIL 6, 2018 MEMORIES AND TRIBUTES COMPILED BY JANET MACLEOD

We in the San Francisco Bay Area are sad to announce the loss of a beloved community member.

Toni Montez served on the faculty of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco. She was a favorite of the class of ’82, of which I was also a member. Pat Layton, a student in our class, described her as “an elegant and beautiful soul.” Over and above being an inspiring teacher, she was the first person to write “The Guide to Pune,” having attended intensives there in the 1970s. In the early days, the guide was a tremendous reference for many of us making the trip for the first time. We would never have known that we needed to pack toilet paper— among other things!

Dona Holleman met Toni when she first came to California from Italy in the early 80s. They became immediate friends and spent many years traveling the globe together as tourists and teaching yoga.

Judith Lasater had a special connection with Toni, whom she met in 1972. Since they were both born in the month of March, they celebrated their birthdays together. One memorable celebration for Judith was the year she turned 40 and Toni turned 60. They put on a 100th birthday party and 100 folks attended. Judith says the thing she will miss most is Toni’s laugh. She had a great joy in living.

Maryon Maas recounted that she felt a special heart connection with Toni the first day she met her. Maryon was impressed by the simple but colorful life Toni lived. She was an animal lover and connected to the squirrels, deer, and birds that passed before her large south-facing windows in the woods of the Oakland Hills.

Another close friend of Toni’s was Alice Plato. Alice described Toni as a compassionate, wise, and humble teacher, mentor and friend. She took Alice to India for the first time to work with

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Mr. Iyengar. This opened up a new world for her—filled with transformation, adventure, and great friendships. Alice also described Toni’s love of travel, which took them to the Swiss Alps, Firenze, Mexico, and the Sierras, as well as to Pune. “Toni was always there for me with a kind word, a new gourmet recipe, or a soft shoulder to cry on.”

A few days before her 91st birthday, Toni shared with Alice that she was ready to blow away in the wind. Her light and lovely spirit will be remembered forever. Alice says she will be eternally grateful that Toni took her in as a lifelong student, friend, and family member.

Melinda Perlee, like Toni, was part of the early East Bay Iyengar Yoga Community, which began in the early 70s. She practiced, taught, and traveled to India several times. Melinda recalls that Toni hosted many gatherings and many teachers (including B.K.S. Iyengar) in her lovely Oakland Hills home. She was a wonderful person to be around. She had a high spirit, an open mind, great perception, and equanimity. She was enthusiastic and generous and had a fine (and often wry) sense of humor.

Melinda feels fortunate that she was lucky enough to be one of Toni’s travel mates on their first trip to a Pune intensive in December 1976—because Toni was such a great traveler.

These comments, shared by some of those who were particularly close to Toni, clearly express her special qualities— love of life; kindness to all she encountered, including animals; compassionate and skillful yoga instruction; an appreciation of fine food; and an adventurous nature, particularly when it came to travel. She lived a good life, and although she has left her physical body, she will live in our hearts forever.

Janet MacLeod is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco.

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CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS HAPPY 100 YEARS, GURUJI B.K.S. IYENGAR!

D

ec. 14, 2018, will mark Guruji’s 100th birthday.

But the celebrations will not be confined to a single day. In Pune, RIMYI kicked off a yearlong celebration on Dec. 14, 2017, and members of the international Iyengar Yoga community are likewise hosting a range of commemorative activities throughout the year. In the U.S., our regions have scheduled special classes and other festive events. (See details in News From the Regions at the front of this issue.)

IYNAUS is contributing to the celebrations as well. One of our key roles is to disseminate information that helps our members deepen their practice. To commemorate the centenary, we have combed through our archives and are using our monthly eblasts to provide access to rare film clips and photos. We’ve also unearthed a number of relatively unknown stories and quotes from B.K.S. Iyengar and have been sharing those with members. Each month’s eblast highlights a different facet of Guruji’s life or character. In addition, the eblasts have featured students’ accounts of their experiences studying at RIMYI. (If you would like to review the monthly eblasts, go to IYNAUS.org, login to your account, go to My Page, click on Member Benefits, and scroll down to Email Archive.)

These 100th birthday celebrations provide a unique opportunity to broaden public awareness of Guruji’s life and teachings.

RIMYI has devoted a lot of time and energy to generating excitement, with many special classes and events planned for the year. IYNAUS is working to arrange press coverage in the U.S. and will gladly take suggestions on how to best approach this effort.

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For communications purposes, RIMYI has developed a logo for the centenary year and asked national (and regional) associations to use this logo widely to promote Iyengar Yoga. In this spirit, IYNAUS has arranged for the logo to appear on 100 percent organic cotton t-shirts, BPA-free stainless steel water bottles, and custom hats. All of this merchandise is available through the IYNAUS online store and at select Iyengar Yoga studios. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of these items will be donated to Bellur.

If your local community is holding centenary celebrations, please share photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using the following hashtags: #bksiyengarcentenary and #100yearsbksiyengar. Hashtags are used to categorize content and track topics, and using them for the centenary celebrations will make it easier to connect with other members of the Iyengar Yoga community. Like IYNAUS on Facebook and follow @iynaus on Instagram and Twitter. And use those hashtags when you post something so IYNAUS can follow, like, and repost your offerings. We would be happy to repost your related content on IYNAUS social media.

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

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2017 IYENGAR YOGA ASSESSMENTS Congratulations to all the newly certified and upgraded Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs). The IYNAUS Certification program acknowledges the hard work and discipline of all our CIYTs and their personal ongoing development in the art of teaching and practicing Iyengar Yoga. Well done!

INTERMEDIATE SENIOR II

Edwin Bergman

Chet Thomas

David Lonergan

Lisa Walford

David Berson

Virginia Tominia

Anthony Lorenzana

Anastasia Bizzarri

Lisa Waas

Greta Mackintosh Caschette

INTERMEDIATE SENIOR I

Megan Bowles

Joy Wasson

Susan McCormick

Jarvis Chen

Sheila Bunnell

Sharon Wilkes

Molly McNett

Lisa Jo Landsberg

David Carpenter

Octavia Morgan

Christine Corsa

INTRODUCTORY I & II

Francesca Nicosia

Lucienne Vidah van der Honing

Sharon Cotugno

Lydia Andersen

Carrie Nutt

Holly Walck Kostura

Jerrilyn Crowley

Bhuvna Ayyagari-Sangamalli

Priscilla O’Quinn

Sheri Cruise

Laura Baker

Darrian O’Reilly

INTERMEDIATE JUNIOR III

Leanne Cusumano Roque

Kristina Bavik

Theresa O’Toole

Jennifer W. Beaumont

Gwendolyn Derk

Jolemy Bermudez

Emily Oliva

Jessica Becker

Sara Easterson-Bond

Emilia Bevilacqua

Jenny Parum

Doerthe Braun

Jeanne Elliott

Andrea Bottyan

Joanne Pearson

Christopher Briney

Diana Erney

Geraldine Brezca

Hia Phua

David Slack

Susan Elena Esquivel

Theresa Brookbank

Monica Plante

Paula Weithman

Carmen Fitzgibbon

Mychal Bryan

Selene Ramirez

Stephanie Foxman

Marta Bulaich

Roger Richter

INTERMEDIATE JUNIOR II

Roi Frenkel

Susanne Bulington

Patricia Romero

Peggy Berg

Claude Goldstein

Lindsay Buteau

Amy Runnels

Ruth Ann Bradley

Melissa Hagen

Thierry Chiapello

Sara Russell

Leslie Alice Constable

Gretchen House

Skyler Christensen

Samantha Saladino

Anneka Faas

Stacie Jones

Mandy Coates

Sara Sandoval

Naomi Hiller Reynolds

Ellen Kaplan

Sherril Davidow

Annie Shliffer

Rebecca Hooper

Leah Katz

Danielle de Leon

Craig Schuetze

Janet LeFrancois

Robyn Katz

Deidra Demens

Brian Schuster

Trishka Lemos

David Larsen

Savitha Devanathan

Maryann Shinta

Rachel Mathenia

Stephanie Lavender

Lisa Diegel

Katya Slivinskaya

Becky Meline

JR Lill

Rafael Durán

Bonita Smulski

Kelly Moore

Katrin Loveland

Emma Essery

Kimberly Stevenson

Mary Pappas-Sandonas

Tessa Manning

Ashley Fontes

Mari Sullivan

Nadja Refaie

Theresa Marks

Nikole Fortier

Bonnie Szumski

Monica Rose

Patti Martin

Judith Fox

James Terburg

Christina Sible

Amy Massat

Cynthia Gable

Chaya Thanhauser

Kelly Marie Sobanski

Victoria McGuffin

Alice Ann Gill

Chelsea Tiernan

Cara Sorkin

Josephine McKendry

Rick Gindele

Cipriana Toderas

Julia Sterling

Kathy Morris

Suzie Goldstein

Stacey Touhy

Carmella Stone-Klein

Amy Van Mui

Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan

Yuri Uemura

Gregory White

Lori Neumann

Amanda S. Griggs

Rebecca Wallace

Javier Wilensky

Prakash Parameswaran

Timothy Grundy

Mary Page Watts

Graham Williams

Scott Radin

Guylaine Guay

Sarah Weber

Laurel Rayburn

Megan Harvey-LoCasale

Ann Marie Webster-Scott

INTERMEDIATE JUNIOR I

Renee Razzano

Sarah Hull

Heather Worrell

Jayne Alenier

Maria Reyes

Ananda Johnson

Julia Zawatsky

Lena Ang-Silverman

Rosa Maria Richardson

Juli Kagan

Sara Arends Haggith

Julia Seaward

Lenore Kitani

Vanessa Bacher

Erin Shawgo

Laura Lascoe

Barbara Bair

Gabrielle Sigal

Bikaryoo Hikaru Lee

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Tejal Merchant

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

Treasurer’s

REPORT–IYNAUS FINANCIAL UPDATE

BY STEPHEN WEISS OVERVIEW IYNAUS continues to have very limited financial resources. We accomplish as much as we do because of the association’s extraordinary volunteers. Our paid staff currently is composed of our director of operations and a few part-time staffers who perform discrete tasks. However, despite its modest size, IYNAUS’ finances are surprisingly complex because of the number of things we do.

First, we produce events. We hold a convention every three years. (By the way, the next one is in Dallas, April 11–17, 2019.)

In addition, we periodically sponsor continuing education workshops for Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs), and in the not too distant past, we co-sponsored conferences with regional Iyengar Yoga associations.

Second, we operate our assessment system, which is run almost entirely by volunteers. The certification chair and committee manage the system. Assessors donate their time, and studios around the country provide rent-free use of their facilities. Our staff provides IT and logistical support.

donations for Bellur and passing them on to the Bellur Trust, and distributing RIMYI’s quarterly journal Yoga Rahasya to its U.S. subscribers.

As seen in our profit and loss statement, our largest source of revenue is the annual dues from members.

Unfortunately, it would be prohibitively expensive to conduct annual audits of IYNAUS’ finances. However, we regularly receive advice and counsel from a retired PricewaterhouseCoopers CPA. CASH RESULTS FOR 2017 AND PRIOR FOUR YEARS The profit and loss statement shows IYNAUS cash revenues and expenses in 2017 and in the four prior years. Events were held in 2013 and 2016, and we incurred about $12,000 in expenses for our 2019 convention in 2017. For ease of comparison, I have moved the revenues and expenses from events to the year in which the event occurred, and I excluded the prepayments for the 2019 convention from our 2017 results.

I have shown each year’s results both with and without the effects of events and any other extraordinary items.

Third, we publish information about Iyengar Yoga—in Yoga Samachar, on social media, on our recently updated website, and through the e-blasts we send out to members twice monthly. We incur production and editorial costs for Yoga Samachar, and the website requires ongoing maintenance by the two contractors who keep it functioning.

Fourth, we operate an online store that sells books, apparel, props, DVDs, and CDs. The store rents warehouse space, and we have a part-time employee assigned to its operations.

Fifth, we are engaged in other activities to promote Iyengar Yoga. Some of these activities are paid for from IYNAUS’ general funds; others are funded from a separate account that is made up of a portion of the trademark licensing fees paid by U.S. teachers. This account is jointly controlled by IYNAUS and Gloria Goldberg, in her capacity as the U.S. attorney in fact for Geeta and Prashant Iyengar.

Sixth, we manage the acquisition, storage, and preservation of archival material. Funding for the archives comes primarily through member donations designated specifically for this purpose.

Seventh, we engage in an array of complicated financial transactions with the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India, with the Bellur Trust, and with the Iyengar family. These activities include facilitating study in India, collecting and distributing royalties and licensing fees on intellectual property owned by the Iyengar family, collecting Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

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IYNAUS FINANCIAL UPDATE CONTINUED

IYNAUS PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT FOR 2017

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Unrestricted Revenue

Dues (less regions’ shares) Previously withheld dues plus interest Continuing education workshops (net revenue)

74,360

89,368

99,606

154,900

160,086

12,769

34,597

-

2,065

-

Event revenue

48,968

135,103

-

Store revenues less cost of goods (store sales at events in parentheses)

82,062 (7,565)

60,142

85,921

109,431 (12,560)

74,378

Yoga Samachar advertising sales

4,000

2,604

5,091

5,554

4,257

Charitable contributions to IYNAUS

1,550

3,703

4,331

25,213

2,845

Restricted Revenue

Certification mark (less payments to India)

16,743

17,768

20,962

25,439

25,956

Charitable contributions to the archives

8,621

6,661

3,156

1,305

Earmarked Revenue

Assessment fees and manual

63,784

84,955

93,125

98,188

94,670

Bellur donations

26,717

20,811

19,001

21,024

17,039

TOTAL REVENUES

318,184

287,972

349,532

612,605

380,536

EXPENSES

Bellur donations

26,717

20,811

19,001

21,024

17,039

Salaries and employment taxes

69,817

70,412

88,804

93,169

105,693

PR consultant

2,625

Production expenses for Yoga Samachar

24,242

29,413

23,633

24,947

33,171

Yoga Journal advertising

10,000

Assessment expenses

63,818

85,640

115,838

111,456

82,022

Website design and maintenance

21,082

21,995

28,659

16,838

20,116

IYNAUS Board meeting travel expenses

12,413

14,906

16,178

24,516

22,235

Bookkeeping

1,550

995

3,545

995

Facilities, office supplies and expenses

11,499

16,899

30,648

23,775

41,665

Merchant and bank fees (for online transactions)

17,696

32,498

46,077

94,724

33,417

Nonemployee insurance and taxes

3,896

2,512

7,235

10,068

4,939

2019 Convention Deposits

TOTAL EXPENSES

252,730

308,706

379,618

421,512

360,297

NET REVENUE NET REVENUE—EXCLUDING EVENTS AND EXTRAORDINARY ITEMS

65,454

-20,734

-30,086

191,093

20,239

8,921

-20,734

-30,086

-6,167

20,239

REVENUES

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–

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

In 2017, IYNAUS achieved its objective of earning revenues that exceeded its expenses—that is, having positive net revenue. In prior years, that was not the case, and we relied on profits from prior events to subsidize a portion of our operations.

A number of factors contributed to our positive results in 2017.

Three are most notable.

First, 2017 was the first year that saw the effect of the rigorous budgeting process we adopted in late 2016.

Second, our dues revenues remained strong in 2017. There was far less attrition in the ranks of our general nonteaching members than we had feared might occur in the year after our successful 2016 convention. We hope this is a result of our efforts to provide greater benefits to all our teaching and nonteaching members. In 2017, we also made a significant investment in contacting individuals whose memberships had lapsed. This led to renewals of lapsed memberships that more than covered the cost of the mailing. So we plan to make this an annual event.

Third, Certification Chair Laurie Blakeney and the Certification Committee have adopted a new organizational structure that has significantly reduced the operating expenses of our assessment system. Kudos to them.

At the same time, in some areas expenses have increased or remained high. The growth in the size of the board, mandated by the bylaws, increased the board meeting travel expenses greatly in 2016. These declined only slightly in 2017, despite the fact that there was only one in-person meeting of the entire board and that we limited the second in-person meeting to just the Executive Council. We should not be pennywise and pound foolish in this area. It is important that the entire board gather in person periodically because it is not feasible to have meaningful discussions with a large board over the telephone.

One thing we will consider is whether the board is now of optimal size and whether there would be an overall benefit if the size or structure of the board were changed.

now bulk shipped from India, and IYNAUS sends it on to domestic subscribers. This service also increased our costs.

Finally, production costs increased for Yoga Samachar in 2017, but this was money well spent. Our membership has increased, and the magazine is an important member benefit. Further, the board believes that the quality of the magazine is steadily improving and providing increasingly greater value to our members. One reflection of this fact is that our advertising revenues for the magazine have increased significantly. In light of these factors, the IYNAUS Board recently approved increasing the compensation of the editor of Yoga Samachar, which will lead to increased expenses in 2018, but again, we believe that this is money well spent.

PROSPECTS FOR 2018 Plans are shaping up for the 2019 Dallas convention, and the organizing committee has been coordinating with the board regarding scope and plan. The Dallas convention presents a great opportunity for a successful event within a thriving metropolitan area. We will incur significant expenses for the event in 2018.

Also, Sharon Cowdery is leaving IYNAUS after nine years of exemplary service, and Mariah Oakley will take her place as our new operations director. There were some costs associated with this hiring effort and with the transition.

Nonetheless, with our rigorous budgeting process and other favorable trends, we are hopeful that we will have another successful year in 2018. Solid financial footing will allow the board to move confidently to provide greater benefits for our members and to do more to promote Iyengar Yoga.

Stephen Weiss IYNAUS Treasurer March 2018

General administrative costs also rose in 2017 as a consequence of our efforts to provide greater benefits to our members. In late 2016, we increased the salary of our director of operations to ensure that it remained competitive and also increased the size of her part-time staff. In 2017, we saw the first full year of these added costs. In an effort to remedy delivery problems with Yoga Rahasya, IYNAUS also began directly mailing the issues to subscribers in 2017. The journal is

Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

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Classifieds

FOR SALE: YOGA STUDIO BUSINESS AND BUILDING Comfortable apartment living upstairs or rent it for further income. Tired of city life? Come to the north woods where the air and water are clean and the outdoor recreational opportunities are unlimited. Located in Ironwood, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan/Wisconsin border. Continue to offer this area the experience of Iyengar Yoga, which has been established here since 1990. Contact Felicia Santini 715.561.2880 feliciayoga@centurytel.net.

CALL FOR MUSINGS Yoga Samachar seeks submissions for our “Musings” column, which features a range of short thought pieces from members. These can be philosophical in nature or might focus on more practical topics—for example, a great idea for managing your studio or for creating community in your home town. Please send your own Musings to yogasamachar@iynaus.org by Aug. 1.

ASK THE YOGI Yoga Samachar seeks questions for our “Ask the Yogi” column. Rotating senior teachers provide answers to a range of questions submitted by IYNAUS members. We welcome your questions related to how or when to use props, how best to deal with specific health conditions, philosophical help with the sutras, tips on teaching or doing certain poses, and more. Please send questions to yogasamachar@iynaus.org by Aug. 1.

JOIN IYNAUS To join IYNAUS or renew your current membership, please visit our website and apply online: https://iynaus.org/join. Membership fees begin at $70, with $40 of each membership going to support teacher certification, continuing education, and member services.

YOUR AD HERE Yoga Samachar accepts short, text-only ads to announce workshops, offer props for sale, list teacher openings at your studio, or provide other yoga-related information. Ads cost $50 for up to 50 words and $1 per word over 50 words, including phone numbers, USPS addresses, and websites. Please contact Rachel Frazee at rachel@yogalacrosse.com or 608.269.1441 for more information or to submit an ad.

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Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2018

“ When you practice every day, without interruption, over a long period of time, your life is transformed. Each time you practice, you are building the vibration of yoga in your cells. Yoga is not something you just do on your mat—it is with you always. It steers your life moment by moment.”—Patricia Walden

Patricia Walden (CIYT Advanced Senior I) in Krounchasana Photo: Bronwyn Kieve

B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States P.O. Box 184 Canyon, CA 94516 www.iynaus.org

Sunrise in Bellur during Patricia Walden's January 2018 B.K.S. Iyengar Centennial Inaugural Retreat