News From the Regions

IYACSR

The Iyengar Yoga Association of California, Southern Region (IYACSR) has broadened its outreach to the community of yoga practitioners in the region and beyond. We have established our website at www.iyacsr.org. Visitors to our website will find a directory of Iyengar Yoga centers in the region, with links to the centers’ pages. The site also includes a web-based application for scholarships, funded by IYACSR. We have awarded $600 in scholarships from online applications already. On the website, students can also register for email announcements of workshops and notable events for the Southern Region.

IYACSR sponsored senior teacher Birjoo Mehta from Mumbai, India, for a four-day workshop over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4–7, 2015. Birjoo taught asana, pranayama, and pancamahabhutas (the five great elements). Birjoo last came to San Diego in May 2013 as lead teacher for the IYNAUS Convention, Sarvabhauma Yog.

Birjoo Mehta teaches in San Diego.

IYACSR also recently sponsored two members’ workshops. Intermediate Junior III teacher Sunny Keays taught “The Koshas” in May 2015 at San Marcos Iyengar Yoga Studio. Intermediate Junior I teacher Nancy Phillips taught our fall members’ workshop at Radiance Yoga in October 2015. This was the first time that a members’ workshop was held at a studio that does not teach strictly Iyengar Yoga. The board approved this venue because it provided an opportunity to share Guruji’s teaching and method with a broader audience.

IYAGNY

Iyengar Yoga Institute of Brooklyn Celebrates Guru Purnima Students and teachers alike gathered at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Brooklyn for Guru Purnima on Saturday, Aug. 1. The celebration marked the special blessing of the association’s newer institute and a welcome for its new idol of Patanjali. Conducted by Pandit Ravichandran from the Arsha Vidya Gurukulum ashram in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, the puja ceremony included chanting and the formal installation of the new idol on a plinth in the new space. This Patanjali had auspicious beginnings, created by Guruji’s personal stone carver in India and blessed by Geetaji at her 2014 Yoganusasanam convention last December.

The celebration of Guru Purnima is a salute to our teachers, from Patanjali to the Iyengars, and an acknowledgment of all the teachers in the lineage. This intention shaped all the events of the afternoon and evening, beginning with a special benefit class for all levels taught by senior teacher James Murphy and faculty members Tori Milner, Kavi Patel, and Richard Jonas. The class drew on the sequence sent by Geetaji for the celebration of International Yoga Day. There were refreshments and then a puja ceremony with chanting and blessings. The evening concluded with a screening of Atma Darsana, a 2004 documentary about the life and work of B.K.S. Iyengar. —Richard Jonas

Brooklyn Class for the Intellectually Disabled Since May, the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Brooklyn has held a class for an organization called Brooklyn Community Services that shares the same floor. Every week on Wednesday afternoon, a group of 10 participants with a range of intellectual disabilities walks through the long hallway that connects our space. They remove their shoes and socks and are full of anticipation for their one-hour class. With nametags on, they eagerly claim their preset mats and the fun begins.

Each week brings different students—although many take the class again and again. We program a rotation of teachers to keep the students and faculty engaged with the program. As one of the teachers in the program, I do not exaggerate when I say that teaching this group is a highlight of my week. These folks have, on average, a first-grade level of intellectual ability, so it is a challenge to make it both simple and accessible. More than making sure they “get it right,” we find creative ways to present the postures and get them to aim in the right direction and pay attention along the way.

This is one of the only physical activities they engage in all week through their day program. It is gratifying to see their progress. The physical challenges that may come along with their conditions, as well as chronic tension and tightness in certain parts of their bodies, can make everyday movements difficult. Giving them an experience of supported chest-opening, even for a short duration, in poses such as Supta Baddha Konasana and supported Savasana make a profound impact on soothing their nervous systems. In one session, after Savasana, a young man sat up and exclaimed, “The room looks different. It got bigger!” I smiled and said, “The room is the same; you got bigger inside! That’s how yoga works!” He looked

as though he would burst with happiness, and said, “Yeah, I got bigger on the inside!”

The program is guided by association director and senior teacher James Murphy. Program faculty include Naghmeh Ahi, Eve Holbrook, Tori Milner, Tzahi Moskovitz, Kavi Patel, Dan Truini, and Susan Turis. —Tori Milner

IYALA

The Iyengar Yoga Association of Los Angeles has had a busy year, but then time seems to fly from season to season. Most recently, we had a wonderful Guru Purnima lecture by renowned Vedic scholar and spiritual advisor Phil Goldberg, professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He spoke on the history of the “Vedic transmission” from the east to the west via the United States, beginning after the Enlightenment in the early 1800s. His talk drew from his book, American Veda, which he brought and signed for attendees.

IYALA held a Sraddhanjali (tribute) celebration for the one-year memorial of Guruji on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Institute. Los Angeles Institute founder and IYNAUS board member Scott Hobbs and senior teacher Lisa Walford spoke on the meaning of the celebration and on the impact Mr. Iyengar had on the teaching of yoga and on individuals using his methods. They also spoke about and introduced the next generation of Iyengar family members who are carrying on the work begun by their father. A community gathering and feast ensued.

The Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles has hired a general manager, Erica Marie Liscano. She began work on Aug. 4 and is busy helping the staff, teachers, and board strengthen its mission and service to the community. Welcome to Erica!

The Los Angeles Iyengar Yoga community was also proud to host the Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics teacher education course at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles in February and July. Teachers traveled from all over the U.S. and even from other countries to study for three intensive days with Manouso Manos and other senior teachers. This is an important new initiative under the leadership of Manouso Manos, Gloria Goldberg, Marla Apt, Lisa Walford, and Eric Small.

The Iyengar Yoga Institute also continues to host “Weekends with Gloria,” where the public is welcomed in to one of the afternoon sessions. We are very happy to be of service to the teacher community.

IYAMN

One of the goals of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Minnesota (IYAMN) has been to support the Iyengar Yoga community throughout our region beyond the Twin Cities. In the spirit of outreach, this year IYAMN hosted its annual celebration of Guru Purnima day in Decorah, a beautiful small town in rural Iowa. Decorah is home to a thriving yoga community, and local students were joined by practitioners from across our region, including the Twin Cities, Fergus Falls, and La Crosse. Around 50 students attended class with senior teacher Chris Saudek in a lovely dance studio on the Luther College campus. Local Iyengar Yoga teachers offer classes on campus as part of the college offerings. The day concluded with a shared meal catered by Luther College. The day was a great success, and the Decorah community did a great job organizing and hosting the event.

Another goal of our association is to bring senior teachers from outside of our region to teach local students. In June, John Schumacher visited us from Washington, D.C., for a weekend of instruction. Throughout the weekend John shared his deep knowledge of the Iyengar Yoga tradition with us. He shared anecdotes and teachings from his many years of traveling to Pune and studying with Guruji. In the fall, we once again hosted Mary Obendorfer and Eddy Marks in the Twin Cities for a weeklong workshop.

Our association has a good foundation of offering workshops and yoga days to local students. As part of our efforts to highlight the senior teachers in our association, Chris Saudek taught a one-day workshop in September. Our goal now is to continue to seek new avenues for supporting and strengthening our association across our entire region. We are working on a new Web presence that is mobile-friendly and that will be a good resource for promoting the practice of Iyengar Yoga in our region.

IYAMW

The Iyengar Yoga Institute of the Midwest (IYAMW) is proud to have a lively and productive group of board members including Sue Salaniuk, Lorene Zant, David Larsen, Alicia Rowe, Annie Melchior, Alex Hansen, and Kelly Sobanski. Our committees include Events, Scholarship, Social Media, Nominations, and Membership.

Alex Hansen is our newly recruited social media artist and his first project has been posting a sequential “Daily Sutra” since April 1 on Twitter. We are halfway through all the sutras now and just about to start the exciting and sublime third pada. This is on our Twitter account: Iyengar Yoga Midwest (@IYAMidwest). A visual image is included many times, and these creative depictions allow viewers to see the sutras in a new light and further explore their meanings through art.

To keep up with IYAMW workshops, scholarships, and news and to see artistic philosophical musings, please “like” us on our Iyengar Association of the Midwest Facebook page, follow us on Twitter at Iyengar Yoga Midwest (@IYAMidwest), and visit our website: www.iyamw.org

2015 IYAMW Iyengar Yoga Retreat

the beautiful Q Center. Senior teacher Laurie Blakeney and Intermediate Junior I teacher Debra Johnson led classes and inspired us to ignite the flame of devotion within ourselves. The annual retreat is an opportunity to spend an entire weekend immersed in asana, pranayama, book studies, sutra studies, quiet times of reflection, and bonding moments with friends.

The theme this year was “Luminosity,” inspired by a quote from The Art of Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar: “As one sees the invisible electricity in the form of light, the yogi too sees the invisible soul in the form of the visible body through perfect yogic performance. In this state he is alone, clean in body and mind, with focused attention and will, ripe in intelligence, simple and innocent in nature. He is full of delight in the tranquility of his consciousness.”

A book discussion was held about The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twin Eng. And new this year, Sue Salaniuk and David Larsen facilitated a philosophy discussion for those of us who wanted to dive deeper into the Yoga Sutras. In particular, we discussed Sutra I.47 and commentary from The Tree of Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar: “When an object is held against a flawless crystal, it reflects without refractions. Similarly, when the consciousness is cleansed from the clutches of thought-waves, it becomes highly sensitive, stainless, and pure and absolute as the seer.”

IYAMW awarded two full scholarships to members for attendance at the 2015 IYAMW Fall Retreat. IYAMW scholarship awards are based on financial need and dedication to Iyengar Yoga and are available to certified teachers and general members. The IYAMW scholarship committee’s upcoming projects include development of grant opportunities for IYAMW members who seek funding for community outreach projects.

All proceeds from our annual retreats are put into a scholarship fund to support future opportunities. For information about our retreats, please see our website: iyamw.org.

IYANC

The Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California (IYANC) celebrated its one-year anniversary in its new location in San Francisco this past May. The move has brought new energy and vibrancy to our community and teachers but has also come with a significant financial responsibility to pay back the construction loan. So far, we have surpassed our expectations in terms of new classes and well-attended workshops at the new Institute, but we know we can do even better!

In March 2015, we had our Annual Meeting of the Membership during which we had our first formal election of board members in many years. We had 98 members in attendance and doubled our board members with five new people stepping up to volunteer their time to serve with the association. Our new board is made up of seriously committed practitioners of Iyengar Yoga who also have needed and valuable professional skills to help us build and grow our organization. The new board of directors (iyisf.org/about/leadership) has been working hard to create a more financially stable organization as well as develop plans to expand, improve, and grow.

In an effort to improve our class schedule, attract more students, and increase revenue, our Programming Committee, made up of a combination of board members and certified teachers, developed a new schedule of classes with consistent times, regular options for beginning and intermediate students, and clearer class descriptions. We are also looking into ways to enhance our teacher education program and develop new programming focused on building students’ practice and “studentship.”

IYANE

Along with Iyengar Yoga communities all over the world, the Iyengar Yoga Association of New England (IYANE) observed United Nations International Yoga Day on Sunday, June 21, 2015. Our festivities began with a “participatory demonstration,” during which teachers and students were invited to take part in an asana improvisation for 10 minutes, each person playing off one another and creating a shifting tableau of asanas with a joyful and meditative atmosphere. Leslie Freyberg then led us in chanting the second pada of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. This was followed by an asana class in which New England teachers Roni Brissette, Claire Carroll, Jarvis Chen, Willamarie Moore, Nadja Refaie, Kathleen Swanson, Nancy Turnquist, and Manju Vachher guided us in the sequence given by Geetaji for Yoga Day. The practice sequence ended with a deep and profound Savasana led by Guruji himself in a recording from the 2005 Estes Park Convention. To hear Guruji’s voice leading us in Savasana was a tender and precious experience indeed! Together, our community raised over $500 in donations to support IYANE scholarship programs.

IYANE International Yoga Day celebration

suggestion, many of our members devoted themselves to quiet reflection and practice on this day, pausing in gratitude to recognize the profound influence that Guruji has had on our lives, our practice, and our teaching. As we did last year just after Guruji’s death, many Boston-area Iyengar Yoga teachers gathered for a small Sraddhanjali gathering at the Brookline yoga studio of Manju Vachher.

This year’s Annual General Membership Meeting took place on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, at St. Mary’s Church in Cambridge, Massachusettes. Patricia Walden taught a free class for IYANE members, followed by the General Membership Meeting. The evening concluded with an Indian dinner and a celebration of Guruji’s birthday.

IYANE is currently working on a much-needed redesign of its website. Visitors to the new and improved website can look forward to a sleeker and more user-friendly design, the ability to submit scholarship applications online, teacher listings for all certified teachers in New England, and a workshop calendar utility allowing IYANE member teachers to list their upcoming workshops and events. Check out the updated site at www.iyengarnewengland.com.

Our New England community continues to grow, and this year has been a record year for candidates applying for assessment. The latest group of candidates includes graduates from our region’s Iyengar Yoga teacher training programs (including programs directed by Patricia Walden, Linda DiCarlo, Peentz Dubble, Kim Peralta, and Janice Vien) as well as a number of teachers who are pursuing higher-level certifications. Our association wishes this year’s candidates the best of luck!

A number of teachers and students from our region are planning to attend Geetaji’s Yoganusasanam 2015 intensive in December. IYANE would like to remind its members that scholarships of $500–$1,000 are available to defray the costs of study in Pune at RIMYI. Application information is available at www.iyengarnewengland.com, and all IYANE members are encouraged to apply. IYANE is also working to expand its scholarship offerings, and we look forward to being able to announce new scholarship initiatives in the coming year. Our association is also eager for volunteers to help organize special events and workshops and for writers to submit articles and essays to our bi-annual magazine, The Beacon.

IYANW

During the quiet summer months this year, the Iyengar Yoga Association of the Northwest (IYANW) board made some decisions and plans for the future. Our (mostly) new board includes many members who live beyond the borders of the big cities of Seattle and Portland, and it has great enthusiasm for extending the Iyengar Yoga reach to the outskirts of the Pacific Northwest. For this reason and without hesitation, the IYANW Board raised the stipend for teachers willing to teach free member classes in our rural towns for the next year. We’re looking at it as selfless service to our Iyengar Yoga community on one hand, coupled with a motivation to expose the small towns of the Northwest to some great teachers.

This is also an opportunity to extend a helping hand to the many dedicated teachers who have worked diligently to gain expertise by years of study with so many of our amazing senior teachers in the country and abroad. The IYANW Board hopes to expose the next generation of yoga teachers to new students through this program.

In November, Nina Pileggi, Intermediate Junior III teacher from Portland, traveled south to the small Iyengar Yoga community of Ashland, Oregon, and held a member class for about 15 grateful Iyengar Yoga practitioners. We hope this class is the first of many member classes throughout our region in the coming months.

IYASW

The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Southwest (IYASW) hosted an Introductory I/II assessment in our region in October. It had been nearly 10 years since the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Tucson hosted an Introductory I assessment, with Rita LewisManos, Janet McLeod, and Dean Lerner as assessors. The Iyengar Yoga Center at Scottsdale Community College was excited to host this year’s assessors, Sandi Jordan, Glenn Kawana, and Sue Salaniuk, as well as trainee Craig Kurtz and some of this year’s assessment candidates. This was the first time for the Scottsdale Center to host the event, and the warm, sunny desert weather made for an inviting place for the assessors and candidates to spend the busy weekend.

We had our annual and always much-anticipated visits from senior teachers Dean Lerner and Carolyn Belko in October and November, respectively, and IYASW is gearing up to host our second Iyengar Yoga Teacher Meet & Greet event in the spring. Last year was such a hit that we decided to make it an annual event. We found it was a great way to bring teachers and students from around our geographically large area under one roof to meet new friends, see old ones, and of course, practice!