2016 IYNAUS Convention Preview – Michelle D. Williams

PRACTICE: FROM THE PERIPHERY TO THE CORE TO THE PERIPHERY

BY MICHELLE D. WILLIAMS

The Florida Iyengar Yoga community is in full swing

with preparations for the next IYNAUS convention, to be held May 27–30, 2016, in Boca Raton. The theme for the 2016 convention will be “Practice: From the Periphery to the Core to the Periphery.” Abhijata Sridhar, the granddaughter of B.K.S. Iyengar, will be our teacher and guide for the convention classes. The convention leadership team includes Colleen Gallagher and Carol Fridolph, co-chairs; Suzie Muchnick, curriculum chair; and Nancy Watson, steering committee chair.

“The Iyengars have always urged us to practice,” Suzie says. The global Iyengar Yoga community has focused intently on teacher training over the past few years, which has helped build the next generation of teachers, but it’s important in the midst of developing teaching skills to always return to our own practice, which is at the core of our work as students and as teachers.

In many of his writings, Guruji has encouraged us to deepen our practice from the outside in. In Chapter 1 of Light on Life, he writes, “True health requires not only the effective functioning of the physical exterior of our being, but also the vitality, strength, and sensitivity of the subtle levels within.” When the idea for the theme of “practice” was presented to Guruji in the spring of 2014, he wanted to be sure that we honor the whole cycle of yoga—from the periphery to the core and from the core back to the periphery.

The convention planners have chosen the Florida state shell, the conch, as a symbol to emphasize the theme in the convention logo. “As children, we are excited by the shape and colors of the outer shell, but we are mesmerized when we hold the shell to our ear and listen,” Suzie says. “And so from the periphery of the body of the shell, we explore without hesitation its core. We wonder what lived inside, where it went in its transformation, and what it became. Guruji implored us to investigate a similar experience within our own selves.”

Welcoming Abhijata IYNAUS and the Florida Iyengar Yoga community are pleased to host Abhijata as the sole teacher for the 2016 convention. Abhijata is a senior teacher at Ramanani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune. As a young woman of 16, she had the good fortune of beginning her yoga studies under the guidance of her maternal grandfather, our Guruji, as well as her aunt, Geeta S. Iyengar, and her uncle, Prashant Iyengar.

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Abhijata earned a master’s degree in bioformatics from the University of Pune before making a decision to devote herself to the full-time study and teaching of yoga at RIMYI. Once she did, it was evident to anyone studying at the Institute that B.K.S. Iyengar and his granddaughter were devoted to one another and to the practice they shared.

“It’s one thing to see and hear someone on YouTube and another to be in the presence of that teacher,” Suzie says. “With the convention, we offer the excitement of studying directly with a teacher who we travel to India to study with. We are bringing India to Florida.”

Community Spirit With a strong focus on community, the leadership team for the 2016 convention will open doors and hearts to yoga practitioners who may want to learn more about Iyengar Yoga. “We want those who have not been touched by ‘the real thing’ to see, feel, hear, and touch the experience that pulled us on this path and keeps us on this path,” Suzie says.

The entire Florida-based Iyengar Yoga community has enthusiastically stepped forward with hours and hours of volunteer work and will also officially sponsor the convention. Iyengar Yoga schools and certified teachers in Florida are coming together to raise money to contribute to a scholarship fund that will help IYNAUS members—students and teachers alike—attend the convention.

“The Florida community has done an awesome job of coming together to put this event on,” Nancy says.

Abhijata will teach two mega classes on Friday, one on Saturday, two on Sunday and one on Monday morning. The convention schedule will include plenty of free time for students to relax, spend time with yoga friends and colleagues, and enjoy the beautiful Florida beaches in the area. In addition, there will be a convention store, archives exhibit, and a Saturday evening banquet. The IYNAUS Board of Directors will have a face-to-face meeting on Monday after the final class and departing Puja.

Logistics and Information More information about the convention schedule can be found online at www.iyengarflorida2016.com, along with registration details. Discounted lodging is available at Boca Raton Resort & Club and Beach Club for $127 per night. Parking and shuttle bus discounts are also available. For more information or to make a room reservation, please visit www.bocaresorts.com or call 561.447.3000. Be sure to indicate that you will be attending the Iyengar Yoga event.

The Florida community welcomes volunteers who can help with the convention before, during, or after the event. It’s a great way to build community, make friends, and have fun. The team needs help with everything from set up and registration to props management, storage security, and clean up. For more information or to sign up for a job, please visit www.iyengarflorida2016.com/volunteer.php.

As always, the convention store is a great way to share products and services with a significant audience of dedicated yoga practitioners. For vendor application information, please visit www.iyengarflorida2016.com/vendors.php.

Information about advertising in the convention magazine or providing sponsorship funds can also be found on the convention website at www.iyengarflorida2016.com.