34 minute read
Starting Young and Sticking with It An Interview with the Youngest U.S. Iyengar Yoga Teacher
by IYNAUS
Starting Young and Sticking with It
An Interview with the Youngest U.S. Iyengar Yoga Teacher
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Rose Goldblatt, 25, is the youngest Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher in the U.S. She passed her Introductory II assessment last year and lives in northeastern Vermont.
chris beach: When did you start doing yoga?
rose goldblatt: I was 14, and I became a serious student at 15. I had danced, though not seriously, and my father, David Goldblatt, had been teaching yoga since the 1970s. He was a student of Dona Holleman in the early days of Iyengar Yoga in this country, and has continued to study regularly with Iyengar teachers. The first workshop Patricia Walden taught was at his studio in Franconia, NH, around 1981. When my dance teacher moved away, my father was teaching yoga in the studio in our house, and I began to study with him.
At 16, I went to a workshop with Patricia and fell in love with yoga. I said to myself, “This is my calling; I know this is what I want to do.” I wanted to study and study, and eventually become a teacher. At 17, I started going to Patricia’s Wednesday class in Cambridge. Then, at around 19, I decided I wanted to start teaching. Patricia told me I was too young to do a teacher training, but said it was all right if I began teaching some small classes for young people.
When I was 22, I began a two-year teacher training program with Janice Vien, and at 24 I took my Introductory I assessment. The next year I did my Intro II. cb: You live in a fairly isolated area at the border of northern Vermont and New hampshire. What is the demand for Iyengar Yoga there?
rg: I teach at my Dad’s studio in Littleton, NH. I have more than 70 students, and my classes average about 8-12 students. There seems to be an ongoing interest in our classes. The people in this area do not really distinguish between one form of yoga or another. There are a couple of other teachers in the area, but not many. However, there is a demand for yoga. People in this rural area tend to be very self-sufficient. They chop their own firewood and grow food. Their down-to-earth practicality seems to make them interested in the precision of the Iyengar method. They also don’t have many preconceptions about what yoga is.
cb: Many younger people find Iyengar Yoga to be less “exciting” or movement-oriented than some other kinds of yoga. We hold poses for a long time and work on details. As a younger practitioner and teacher, how do you feel about Iyengar Yoga versus other kinds of yoga?
rg: I haven’t had much experience with other kinds of yoga, so it’s hard for me to
compare. Coming from dance, I knew I needed strength and stability. As far as teaching Iyengar Yoga to young people, it’s important to make things fun and exciting. You can still teach Iyengar Yoga with softness instead of rigidity. Patricia was an inspiration to me in terms of making things accessible, light. Young people don’t need to take things too seriously.
cb: Do you have young people in your classes?
rg: Some —probably in part because I’m younger. But the majority are not under 30.
cb: have you been to pune yet?
rg: I went to Pune in February 2010. It was the month when the bombing happened, which freaked me out so much that I had to go home early. However, the three weeks that I spent was an important learning experience and I am scheduled to return in December 2011. Overall, it was a good experience, and I learned a lot.
cb: Are there ways that IYNAUS can reach out to younger people?
rg: It’s not so much about attracting young people to Iyengar Yoga as getting them to stick with it. They won’t want to unless they see how good it is for them, spiritually and physically. I wouldn’t be surprised if even in the other styles of yoga very few young people actually come day after day, year after year. I bet those Bikram classes that you think have lots of young people have a lot of turnover. We need to get people to see how yoga can be transformative, and as yoga teachers we need to continue to let ourselves be transformed and not get stuck in our ways.
I think the fact that my dad and I do yoga together is very important. Discussing it with him has been invaluable and continues to be a learning experience for both of us.
Survey from page 19 are unnecessarily harsh and judgmental. Instead of just correcting my alignment, they have made a judgmental comment about me when they don’t even know me. For instance, a teacher screaming at me across the room: ‘That is an improper use of props!’ when I sat too far forward on a blanket. Why not just ask me to sit farther back? Once I leaned too far forward in Prasarita Padottanasana. A teacher told me, ‘You are a typical teacher—overly aggressive.’ Again, why the judgment? Can’t he just tell me to press my legs farther back? These things turn people off and they rarely ever happen in other systems of yoga. If you are a young person, are you going to go to a yoga class where a teacher might yell at you? I don’t think so!” —Anonymous teacher
“ I was attracted by the precision of the poses; building a pose from the
‘foundation’ is what brought me into the system. What didn’t appeal to me was the rough attitude of many teachers, still even today. Many teachers try to emulate Guruji’s rough, no-nonsense approach, which turns many people off.” —Allan Nett, Intermediate Junior III, 64
“ I can get turned off by the rigidity and lack of personal expression.” —Anna Hindell, teacher, 32
“ My first teacher could be demeaning at times, which was hard to receive and to witness. The instruction was good, and I found friends in my classes that I bonded with. Later I found a teacher that was kind, stable, and inspiring. —Aretha Blevins, Intermediate Junior I, 34
“ Competition, authoritarianism (and) superiority do not appeal to me in yoga. Unfortunately, I do not feel compelled to become a Certified
Iyengar Teacher because of these characteristics, which seem to become highlighted as teachers develop themselves.” —Carla Helena
Anselm, teacher, 39
“ Iyengar Yoga helped me with severe lower back pain immediately, so I kept returning. At the time (1988) I did not like that it seemed so dry, technical, and unspiritual. There was no integration of yoga philosophy, there were no Oms, no meditation in the beginning or end of class (not a problem today!), and I didn’t like the elitism, condescension, and arrogance. I am very happy much of this has been worked out as the teaching of the style has evolved.” —Joni Yecalsik,
Intermediate Junior I, 53
“ The clarity of instruction is what spoke to me, right away. The precision. That we can approach the practice of movement of our bodies with a sharp intellectual mind. I do, at times, have trouble with the teaching style. It can be very aggressive.” —Anonymous student
How can we compete with other methods of yoga in attracting young practitioners?
Eleven percent said we shouldn’t compete, but should let the students find us. The majority disagreed. We should give a new generation of students what they value and need, including more Vinyasa—“Keep them moving”—and an approach that is “joyful,” “lighthearted,” and “fun.” We should welcome students from other disciplines, become more a part of the overall yoga community, and better communicate the strengths of Iyengar Yoga. Other suggestions: competitive pricing, student discounts, free classes, and other incentives. There was a call for younger teachers. A few respondents commented that assessment was “scary” or too expensive, sometimes because of a lack of teacher training in their area.
“ We teachers should vary our approaches to asana—and understand the different needs and abilities of young versus older students, developing approaches to challenge and teach to all ages. Look at the children’s classes in Pune—lots of action, work, laughter, challenge, and alignment. Some talk, but that’s not predominant in an atmosphere that’s challenging yet encouraging to the kids. For younger students, we should do lots of poses with two or three main points taught throughout the class so they experience, learn, and remember them. Move more, talk less—this works well for children of all ages actually.” —Dean Lerner, Advanced Junior I, 60
“ A much greater presence at yoga conventions. If we want to attract young people, we have to show young people practicing. We also need to have articles appear in popular yoga magazines. Nowadays young people go for the sleek presentations, the fancy yoga booths at conventions. We have to show more of our versatility, especially in our advertising. We also have to move young people faster in the beginning classes without holding them for a long period of time while we give endless points. Students should be allowed to experience the poses in the first few weeks without over correcting them.” —Joan White, Advanced Junior I, 67
“ Lighten up, be less strict, use fewer instructions. Do more and stop less, show less. Think about how young people use technology and social media. Their lifestyles support short attention spans. We should tailor beginning classes to fit those expectations. In the beginning classes at Pune, they don’t give very many instructions, not much attention to detail and ‘alignment.’ I think our problem is partly that after being drilled on that in teacher training, it is hard not to focus this way in beginning classes. It is a big turn-off to many young people.” —Sue Salaniuk, Intermediate Junior III, 64
“ Competition is a waste of money and time. What we’re doing is a service. To water it down and try to get into the mud with everyone else is not validating what we do. We have high standards and should acknowledge them. Yoga is not a competition. If we follow the Yamas and Niyamas and the teachings of Guruji, and teach those students who are interested in learning, they will learn and may be helped with
those problems that bring them to yoga. Those who ‘taste’ the sweetness and goodness of yoga and feel a difference, may bring others. One or two stones make a ripple in the water. A few interested students will bring others, rather than the many who come for a quick taste, because they see an ad or free classes offered. I have learned this directly from my teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar, who has never advertised his classes. There is no competition with this man or his method, if taught correctly.” —Marian Garfinkel, Ph. D., Intermediate Senior III
“ Because I was young when I started I don’t feel it’s a problem. I have students of all ages and I teach differently to different groups. With young people, you have to keep them moving, you have to keep their attention. This is the methodology used in the kids’ and teens’ classes at R.I.M.Y.I. You can’t keep them standing in Tadasana for an hour, throwing out arcane ideas. It’s not unlike the question, ‘How do you keep kids in school?’ Don’t be boring! Kids today really need yoga. A lot of them are so out of shape. They’re gaming all day and they have thumb injuries at 16. Odd things are happening with young people physically. I think they’re forgetting how to be young. The beauty of
Iyengar Yoga is that it evolves. It’s so creative and dynamic a form of yoga, it evolves wherever you need to go. People take the teaching hierarchy as a negative, something that cramps their style, not realizing Mr. Iyengar’s brilliance in creating a way to keep his teachings flowing. Our duty as his teachers is not to fight with it or become egotistical about it. We need to do our best to understand and impart his wisdom on this subject, not as rules but intrinsic principles for transformation.” —Anna Delury, Intermediate Senior II, 51
“ In Pune, when there are ‘young’ students (in their 20s), when the rest of the class is winding down, the young group, under the supervision of the teacher, continues on through to the final version of the pose. They shouldn’t be held back.” —Bobby Clennell, Intermediate Senior I, 68
“ Remember that the details which we have worked so hard to learn from the Iyengars are for experienced practitioners. Beginners to yoga want and need to move, to feel their whole body, maybe to work so that they sweat a bit.” —Cathy Rogers Evans,
Intermediate Senior III, 56
“ Focusing on competition and ‘otherness’ can point us in the direction of separateness. To market Iyengar Yoga to young people, we must be our best selves. Even young people tire of the harshness, competition, politics, and pettiness of many workplace interactions. A yoga class and community are an opportunity to have a little place of peace and sanctity amid the stress of everyday. If we provide a place to play and explore other mind states, other ways of behaving and responding to adversity, then young people will come to Iyengar Yoga—and stay in the community.” —Carrie Owerko, Intermediate Senior I, 48
“ Bring more compassion, understanding, and joy into the teachings.
Less hard discipline. The discipline needs to come from within the student.” —Betty Eiler, Introductory II, 76
“ Smile more, be lighter.”—Allan Nett, Intermediate Junior III, 64
“ We will become extinct if we don’t modernize.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ A good way to attract more young people would be to offer more classes for children. That way, there is a chance to ‘hook ‘em young!’” —Mimi Visser, teacher, 42
“ One of the problems is that it is not ‘hip’ enough, and when the young peek into a class they see students of the age of their parents and grandparents. We also tend to be so serious and stern; there seems to be an unspoken law of how one has to be in class. The outer discipline overtakes the inner and creates an unattractive wall. We must not forget that it is fine to come to yoga for arbitrary reasons; what a great opportunity to introduce someone to Iyengar Yoga! Young people also like community; a space to gather, to sit around, read, or drink something.” —Lucienne Vidah, Intermediate Junior I, 48
“ One thing this generation values is ‘living well.’ They prioritize this over fame, wealth, and career. Here is a link to the best report I know of their generation. Perhaps tailor Iyengar Yoga to this profile.” See: http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2010/10/millennials-confidentconnected-open-to-change.pdf —Allison Bailey, student, 49
“ People want to be with their peers. A teenage girl doesn’t want to be in class with a 60-year-old woman. When I start teaching I would segment my classes: Yoga for People Over 50, Yoga for Teens, Yoga for
Kids, Yoga for Bodybuilders. Men have specific needs and they don’t want to be with flexible dancers. People are so competitive in their early career that they don’t think the way other practitioners think.
They’re still looking at people on the other mats. If you want to keep them, you want to put them with groups of similar people.” —Christine Nounou, teacher, 59
“ I think that what we ‘market’ to young people — that investing in yourself through a long-standing tradition with safe and effective practice—will lead you where you want to be in terms of a yoga practice/lifestyle.”—Ruth Fisk, Introductory II, 53
“ Stop being the yoga of no. Stop making it so hard to feel welcome in a class. A new person comes to a Level II class and they are told they are not welcome and they have to go to a Level I.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ Above all, do not change the practice to make it more hip or attractive. Be true to the revelation we have received: ‘Alignment is enlightenment.’”—Charles Tidd, Introductory II, 60
“ To compete we must be more friendly and compassionate. We need to teach classes that are more fluid, free. Classes where young (and old) people feel like they are moving, but at the same time are in a safe environment.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ A national publicity campaign, to be used by all studios, showing photos or silhouettes of different body types to help people to understand that they don’t have to wear spandex and compete with glamorous stars to do yoga and attain fitness.” —Anonymous student
“ Speed things up and keep them moving. They don’t care about quite so many details. I don’t mean it should be ‘dumbed down.’ I mean it should be more streamlined and flow a bit better.—Suzy Shapiro,
Introductory II, 63
“ Students need to have mental sophistication to appreciate Iyengar
Yoga. I look at it like opera. Most folks relate more easily to pop music, and that’s the way it is.” — Janet MacLeod, Intermediate Junior III, 62
“ When current senior teachers were young, we practiced everything.
Nothing was forbidden because of our level of experience. There was a sense of adventure. Our Guruji tried out ideas in class. One year feet were wide, the next narrow (different purposes, different results).
Over time the study of Iyengar Yoga has included so many people, so far from the source, that a bureaucratic system has taken over. Our
Guruji is playful and inquisitive in his practice, yet young teachers are not offered that. Over the years younger teachers, trained in this more hierarchical organization, learn and teach accordingly. That scary thrill of each class with Guruji has become a system of sequences, right and wrong ways to teach. Because of the scale and number of teachers, this may be safer. A price is paid, like that of children who are no longer allowed to disappear in private adventure or seclusion, but must be supervised every minute.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ As Guruji has written, ‘mollycoddle’ beginners. Don’t be so strict in looking for the most perfect pose. Keep it light and keep them moving.
Smile.” —Craig Kurtz, Intermediate Junior III, 56 forms of yoga out there. There needs to be more dialogue and friendliness between Iyengar teachers and teachers of different backgrounds, as opposed to keeping our method separate and cut off from other types. This is a more inviting approach, attracting people of all ages to the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, and ultimately, yoga in its purity.” —Maureen Casperson, teacher, 38
“ Put less teaching and more vigor into the practice. Teach it as B.K.S. used to, with fire. Iyengar Yoga has redefined itself as old people’s yoga: too much talking, too many props, not enough sweat.” — David
McDonald, student, 60
“ I see our beginning teachers (teaching to beginning students) do way too much talking, not enough doing. Younger people want to move. We need to be sure that while we teach well and thoughtfully, the pacing is not painfully slow.” — Nina Pileggi, Intermediate Junior II, 48
“ A sense of humor goes a long way.” —Nancy Preston, Introductory II, 52
Should we “market” Iyengar Yoga to young people?
Nearly 90 percent said “yes.”
If you feel that we should market Iyengar Yoga to young people, how do you think we can do so?
Answers echoed those to our question about how we could compete with other styles of yoga in drawing young people, suggesting a heightened profile in mainsteam yoga magazines, social media, and online; workshops and demonstrations, including multi-style yoga conferences; and supplying information to high schools and colleges. We should encourage younger teachers who can act as ambassadors to young students; classes for children and teens will lead them into the practice. Reduced fees were suggested and—again—a fast pace: classes that move, move, move!
“ More presence in yoga magazines using younger models. Right now we are seen as exclusive dinosaurs. Many younger people don’t even know that Guruji is alive and still teaching and practicing.” —Joan White, Advanced Junior I, 67
“ Speed up the tempo. More jumpings, more kinetic Vinyasa. It’s not like this has never been a big part of the method!” —George Purvis,
Intermediate Senior III, 61
“Provide ways for people from other methods to try Iyengar Yoga. Get
Senior Teachers to teach workshops at mixed-method studios. Run ads in yoga magazines about the Certification Mark. Online marketing is really the best way to reach a young market. Young people are wowed by ‘fancy’ yoga demonstrations. Why not make viral several fun demonstration videos? Look to other methods to see how they are marketing to young people. It is possible to do this without
compromising the Iyengar method and ethics.” — Aaron Fleming, Introductory II, 36
“ All of the other types of yoga are being marketed; to continue to be a presence we must be on the same playing field. A greater presence in yoga magazines would help, perhaps having ‘celebrity’ students— i.e.
Martha Stewart, Donna Karan—as part of the marketing.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ As I peruse the yoga blogosphere and other media, people who don’t seem to be very familiar with Iyengar Yoga publish disparaging and negative things about the method. And there isn’t much to counter it.
The IYNAUS website isn’t all that appealing to the eye. And it doesn’t seem to be a very active voice for Iyengar in the US. Wherever there are inaccuracies published, they need to be countered.” —Anonymous student
“ Develop more children’s classes. Partner with schools or after-school programs; the institutes provide particularly good platforms for this.
Offer classes and workshops to the ‘coming-of-age’ group of 10-13 year-olds, as well as older teenagers.” —Victoria Austin,
Intermediate Junior III, 57
“ Take a look at the myriad places that are daily filled with young people (meaning the 20- and 30- somethings) and see what they do.
Lighten up. Move more. Get rid of some of the holier-than-thou attitude. Come down off the high hill of perfection. Just do it.” —David McDonald, student, 60
“ Start engaging kids at the middle school level, do true outreach into public schools, especially in NYC; you would reach minority populations and children from a socioeconomic realm that truly need the coping mechanism yoga and activity provide—at a time when gym budgets and the likes are being cut. It would also lay the groundwork for the next generation. They are limber at that age, and it would be something they could achieve and would feel good about being ‘successful,’ building much-needed self esteem.” —Anonymous student
“ Teach Asana with a lot of movement! Link the actions from one pose to another doing several on one side and then the other side. Take the arms up and down from Tadasana to Urdhva Hastasana and
Gomukasana. Roll from Paschimottanasana to Halasana.
Inversions appeal to so many young people; tell them how great staying up in the inversions is for their brains!” —Becky Lloyd,
Intermediate Junior II, 44 “ Class cost is the main reason young people do not study Iyengar Yoga.
Also, earlier morning classes might be helpful—Eddy Stern’s classes at 6:30 a.m. are ‘young.’” —Anonymous student
“ The hype may get them in the door, but if the class is not a fast-moving one that challenges them physically, they most likely will not come back. Most Iyengar classes are taught for older people.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ Explain the health and wellness benefits and how they can use yoga to help them get through school. I have a high school student who is attracted by the positive results she gets when dealing with A.D.H.D. and anxiety. It helps her study more effectively.” —Claudia Kuhns,
Intermediate Junior I, 61
“ Affordability. There are yoga centers that give classes for $99 a month.” —Lisa Beckwith Wolf, Introductory II, 45
“ Go to publications that serve the demographic. Participate in yoga/ music festivals like Wanderlust. When there is a huge gathering of yogis as in Central Park, participate. More integration into the larger yoga community, and stop being stuck-up about other yoga styles.
Support younger teachers coming up through the system and use them as ambassadors to the greater yoga community.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ Iyengar Yoga should be in every school’s physical education program.
Children use rock climbing walls, they do competitive sports, but they need yoga. We have taught high school students, at-risk teenagers and football players! All have responded positively. The association could market to schools. Schools are very used to certification demands. They would understand the evidence presented, which verified safe and effective training.”—Carol W. Nichols,
Introductory I, 60
“ A social media presence. Ask younger people how you should market to them. Get more young people involved in helping do things at the institutes.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ The classes for kids in Pune are all action, all the time! Guruji teaches and advises constant motion for kids, so what is your problem with that?” —Eleanore Wilson Williams, Introductory II, 73
“ Iyengar Yoga is suited for everyone. It’s about correct movement, awareness, learning about your body. Then you start seeing the way you interact with others, because of the respect and awareness you gained from yoga.” —Joanne Boccassini, student, 51
“ By not coming across as dry and rigid. Softening and juicing things up. Allowing for the tradition to evolve without the grip.” —Carla Helena Anselm, student, 39
entertaining, exposure at the least, and youthful yogis would attract young non-practitioners.” —Kate Morse Harris, student, 30
“ Younger teachers who can relate to the younger students; provide classes in locations where young people gather.” — Anonymous student
“ Facebook page, Twitter, etc. It’s the best way to reach these kids.” —Trisha Brabender, student, 44
“ Offer yoga in places where young people already congregate: colleges, centers where young folks practice sports. It’s important to go to them.” —Janet MacLeod, Intermediate Junior III, 62
“ It has to have a fresh, interesting appeal. We will never win over the population that is always looking for the ‘next greatest new method,’ but if we position ourselves in a ‘hip’ light, while keeping the methodology, we may get more people to try our style.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ Market it as smart, solid, intelligent yoga. A practice that transforms all of you.” —Anonymous student
“ In marketing-speak there are four phases of customer-building: awareness, trial, re-use, adoption. 1. Building awareness: What can we do to make Iyengar Yoga as recognized as Bikram, for example, but without sullying our ‘brand’? 2. Inducing trial: How do we use ethical marketing to get people into their first class? Can we segment our community not by class level but by demographic groups, such as students? What innovative ways can capture the younger community, such as holding classes at universities, giving age discounts, creating a Facebook page. 3. Encouraging re-use: How we treat newcomers in the class can have a huge impact on their return. Are we doing all we can to make people feel comfortable? Are we encouraging them or screaming about their alignment? (which they may read as embarrassing them). If they come from another yoga lineage, are we respectful of their experience? 4. Ensuring long-term adoption: Are our pricing policies and scheduling flexible enough for folks who may not be able to be consistent in their attendance? Are we making the non-teaching aspects of yoga ‘user-friendly’?” —Christine Nounou, teacher, 59 “ The mission statement for our IYNAUS regional conferences advocated giving Intermediate Junior III teachers an opportunity to teach and gain exposure. This came from discussions in which Patricia
Walden and some other teachers expressed the view that our community is made up of older students and teachers. That may be true, but part of the reason for that impression is that our younger teachers have not been in the spotlight. To maintain the longevity of the Iyengar method, we must attract younger students. We considered ways to bring younger teachers into the mainstream, via the regional conferences. In the lead-up to the New England Regional Conference, we experienced obstacles. Some longterm teachers were not moving forward on the certification path and still held Introductory certificates. There were also Intermediate Junior I and II teachers with longevity who were active in the community. We decided to expand our spotlight to include them by having them teach. I support the idea of projecting a youthful image of Iyengar Yoga, alongside that of more mature practitioners and teachers. Both are valuable. We want to broaden our base of practitioners, and promoting younger teachers will bring newcomers into our classes.” —Linda Di Carlo,
Intermediate Junior III, 60-plus
How is Iyengar Yoga suitable for—or not so suited to—young practitioners and others who may like a lot of movement and less instruction?
Young people need Iyengar Yoga, several respondents wrote. Others suggested ways to make the method more appealing to the young. The children’s classes at R.I.M.Y.I. were given as an inspiration. Though an emphasis on alignment may put them off, it was pointed out that younger students have a special need for correct alignment.
“ Iyengar Yoga is definitely suitable for young practitioners. I was young when I started and loved it. Some people like instructions. If someone wants a lot of movement, it’s probably just not a good fit.
We have to find young people who like instructions and not concentrate on convincing people they don’t have to be doing jumpings for the entire class. People who only like Vinyasa are probably not our target audience.” —Aaron Fleming, Introductory II, 36
“ Iyengar Yoga can be used as a tool in the Vinyasa or power yogi’s toolbox—to tune-up the legs in warrior poses as an example.” —Jay Averell, Introductory II, 58
“ I wish Iyengar was mandatory from elementary school up! If I had been taught how to stand and sit and move, I could have saved myself years of pain and the emotional aspects that come along with a tight, closed chest.” —Alexis Pierce, student, 30
“ Get Iyengar Yoga introduced in the high school, in extracurricular activities and with credit for PE time.” —Allan Nett,
Intermediate Junior III, 64
“ This is where you learn to be safe in a pose, getting in and out, developing strength and endurance. Teachers can move the class along a little faster than they usually do.” —Amy Duncan, student, 59
“ Iyengar could easily be taught with more movement. We could train up younger ones to teach more safe yet fun Vinyasa-style classes in the Iyengar spirit. I’ve been to R.I.M.Y.I. plenty of times and attended such classes. Ultimately, people who love yoga can appreciate our style and learn to love our nuanced methods of instruction, but it has to be presented with a light heart and a less rigid, dry style, which is a rut that many of our Senior Teachers seem to have gotten stuck in.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ Emphasize that alignment can actually help them do more, better.
Focus more on philosophy and the emotional effects of yoga practice.
Emphasize the practice aspects.” —Anne-Marie Schultz,
Introductory II, 44
“ Emphasize movement and variety, not instruction. Guruji said, ‘To teach young people, keep them moving.’” —Victoria Austin,
Intermediate Junior III, 57
“ My son is 14 and recently had a few days of yoga in his 9th grade P.E. class. He said it made him feel so good he laughed.” —Anonymous student
“ We all know Iyengar is suitable for this population. Almost more than anyone, they need this type of practice. What could help distinguish
Iyengar from the more flowing styles is emphasizing the wellroundedness of the practice: the integration of standing poses, backbends, forward folds, inversions, restoratives. And discussing the importance of different types of yoga based on time of day, time of year, etc.” —Catherine S. Marquette, teacher, 34
“ We meet students where they are. If they’re spacing out, as the
Nintendo generation can do, find ways to grab their attention. We are trained to do that. Younger students may need a more concrete explanation of what the benefits are. They have a hard time slowing down and focusing. Many young people have been told they suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder and they become complacent, refusing to strive for greater focus and contentment, taking medication instead, often in an erratic manner. This A.D.D. complacency could change if we offered a strategy targeted toward students who want to gain greater mental focus while optimizing physical and mental health. Our communities could offer special trainings for teachers who wanted to work with young people. We already have great resources, with Rajiv and Swati Chanchani.” —Chris O’Brien, student, 48
“ Instruction has to be simplified, pared-down so it is meaningful and accessible. Remember B.K.S. taught a fiery Vinyasa style for many years. A combination of Vinyasa and static work could be the way to go.” —Cynthia Worby Nero, Intermediate Junior III, 54
“ I have been in Iyengar Yoga classes that are incredibly challenging and full of movement and I have been in Iyengar Yoga classes where
I am cold and bored. It’s up to the teacher to keep it interesting.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher
“ I teach yoga at a private secondary school, so my ‘young people’ are 15 to 17. I’ve learned they want challenge. It’s important to focus on building strength and awareness and increasing awareness and stamina. Teenagers keep their focus better if you regularly introduce poses that are a little beyond them. They want to try exciting poses like arm balances and inversions. Even if they can’t do them well at first, having them test their abilities keeps young people motivated.
Teenagers need to move. They complain about Surya Namaskar, but it does them good to begin with a few rounds. Teenagers want to talk.
Even the more introspective kids are still just beginning their spiritual journey. They need to be encouraged to explore. During a class, I ask them questions: Where are you feeling the sensation? How was it different this time? Does this pose remind you of any others you’ve done? What do you want out of this class? Young people today live in a world that is anything but subtle. Although they desperately need the subtlety and thoughtfulness that Iyengar Yoga emphasizes, they need help preparing to appreciate them.” —Anonymous teacher
“ Iyengar Yoga is very clear and direct. Playfulness needs to be allowed.
Some personality and laughter are healthy too. —Carla Helena Anselm, student, 39
“ It’s suitable for all practitioners! Some of my teaching is in a gym, so I run across this all the time. I stay as dynamic as possible (verbally) and make sure there are strong poses with directions that will allow them to go deeper, yet give alternate directions for those without the ability to go that far. Students who don’t want my type of teaching simply leave. Not everybody will be happy with Iyengar Yoga.” —Anonymous Certified Teacher .
By Felicity Green The word “yoga” means a devoted practice that helps us become integrated, authentic people, linking together mind, body, and spirit. It is a spiritual endeavor we launch ourselves into when we start to practice yoga and then decide that we want to teach because we have been inspired.
To cultivate an integrated practice we first have to be devoted to the four practices of Yama, Niyama, Asana, and Pranayama. Most of us start with Asana, and through a daily practice, we learn about our physical selves. It’s also through our daily Asana practice that we learn how to apply the philosophical precepts to our bodies and teach yoga to others.
In Asana we learn to practice Ahimsa, non-violence, and Satya truthfulness, through our bodies. We learn to practice with Brahmacharya, moderation, and Aparigrahja, how not to be competitive with others. Practicing Asteya, nonstealing, teaches us not to overwork one part of the body and allow another part to be lazy and contracted.
These principles are the ethical base for yoga and should be applied at every level.
Saucha, the first of the Niyamas, is not just about external cleanliness but has to do with our practice of Asana and Pranayama and living our lives with purity. Santosa is that state of contentment that we reach when we stop comparing ourselves to others. Tapas, burning zeal, allows us to do everything we do in life with a sense of devotion and commitment. Svadhyaya, the study of ourselves, our actions, and behavior, must be a continuing practice. We need to study our thoughts and attitudes, the stories we tell ourselves, our Samskaras, and our direction in life. Finally, we practice Ishvara Pranidhana, the understanding that there is a power greater than our ego/personality, and we pay devotion to that—to the spark of the Divine that is in each one of us.
We practice Asana and Pranayama to cleanse our systems physically and mentally. These practices create space and freedom in the body, as well as strength. Through them we learn which parts of the body are Rajasic, overactive, and which are Tamasic, under-active. Sattva is the balance point between these two extremes. These are all integral parts of the practice of yoga, but as we are all unique, we will find different ways to express these aspects of ourselves.
With regular practice of Pranayama, we move our awareness to deeper levels including our attitude and understanding of Asana. Remember, B.K.S. Iyengar has said you are a beginner for ten years in Pranayama, so before you teach it, it is ethical that you have an established daily practice for at least a year. It seems difficult for students to establish a practice with their busy lives. But if you are serious about the path, yoga practice has to be number one in your life. Set the same time and place in your daily life for practice; do not try to fit it into the cracks of the day. As a mother with four children, I practiced every morning when they had gone off to school before doing my housewifely tasks, so I know it can be done.
The Bhagavad Gita, another text which gives us a different view of yoga, indicates that selfless service is of prime importance. It tells us not to be attached to the fruits of our labor, and yet to do everything devotedly, and to the best of our ability. We need to apply all of this learning to our individual practice and to our teaching, as well. B.K.S. Iyengar encourages us to teach with energy, but we need to be in touch with the capacity of the students. Over-activity creates injury, and this is not moderation.
In the system of Iyengar Yoga there are lots of opportunities to practice the ethical aspects of yoga. The organization has been based on students volunteering time and energy to give back to the community. Another way is to not turn away any sincere student because of a lack of money.
We live in a society where money is the measure of success and fulfillment. As B.K.S. Iyengar says, “We all have to have money to live, but we do not teach to make money.” This is a very important attitude to embrace to keep our ethical standard clear and pure and in line with yoga principles. Teaching yoga is a vocation, not a career.
Our teacher, Guruji, is the epitome of an ethical teacher. He does not teach to please his students. He makes a stand when he sees behavior that shows that the student is not open to learning or is not being humble. This sometimes appears harsh, but it is truly compassionate in that he sees that the potential of the person is not being reached.
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