News
FROM THE REGIONS
IYAGNY
IYALA
The Iyengar Yoga Institutes of New York and Brooklyn hold over 100 classes per week, but one of those classes is quite unique. Meeting every Thursday, for over a decade, the Specific Needs class is led by James Murphy, with the assistance of as many as eight Institute faculty members. Students with a wide variety of situations attend, and they must submit an application describing their specific conditions before being admitted to the class.
Our membership continues to grow—we welcomed 32 new members into the Iyengar Yoga Association of Los Angeles (IYALA), and our current membership now well exceeds 500. We also welcomed four new IYALA board members this year: Laura Baker, Amy Brown, Holly Hoffman, and Mary Ann Kellogg. We are grateful for the other board members who continue to serve, including Mike Montgomery, Don Vangeloff (the new treasurer), and Jennifer Diener, who continues in her role as president.
Sometimes a regular student of the Institute will attend for a while because of an injury or a situation. It could be purely physical, such as learning how to work with a pulled hamstring, or it could be a more complex organic issue, such as dealing with the effects of cancer and chemotherapy. Some of our students are amputees; some have had accidents that have limited their ability to perform certain movements. Many have multiple issues to address. One of the functions of the class is to offer space to move along with focused instruction and hands-on guidance. We teach them how to use supports and props available to help them participate in general classes if that is appropriate. Some of the students have serious disabilities and require assistance to get into and execute the asanas that are helpful to them. In these cases, James and the other teachers in the class assist and guide them throughout the class. One of these students is Zachary, pictured here hanging in Sirsasana. He is a young man with cerebral palsy who recently graduated from college and aspires to be an accountant. In his first class, he stretched his arms over his head. He says that he felt like he could breath as never before, and the following days when he woke up, it didn’t take as long. “When I opened my eyes, it was an ‘instant awakening!’” We are grateful for the opportunity this class provides to share B.K.S. Iyengar’s teachings and to see the profound impact on members of our community.
Zachary, a student with cerebral palsy, hangs in Sirsasana during the Specfic Needs class at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2016 / Winter 2017
In May 2016, many Iyengar Yoga practitioners from the LA area attended the 2016 tri-annual Iyengar Yoga Convention in Boca Raton, Florida. Abhijata—granddaughter of B.K.S. Iyengar— charismatically guided all of us through four days of asana and pranayama with the focus of “practice.” Through her teaching, it was evident that she paid close attention to her many years of studying with her grandfather. She delighted attendees with story after story of her grandfather’s teaching, yet at the same time taking us deeper into the postures—many of us catching glimpses of the core, allowing us to dwell in our own true splendor (Sutra 1.2 Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam). Abhijata showed us all that she is the next generation of Iyengar Yoga, and with it she carries the legacy and splendor of B.K.S. Iyengar. We are in good hands! Returning home after the convention, Keri Lee taught a delightful class that served as an overview of the convention for those unable to attend. Keri reviewed Abhijata’s golden nuggets of wisdom through practice and recollection of many of the stories. It was wonderful to see such a large group of yogis turn out for Keri’s class, including many of our teachers, board members, and the wider community of students. Also at our Institute, the three-year teacher training program continues to thrive. We have 12 students currently studying in LA with teachers Gloria Goldberg, Marla Apt, and Diane Gysbers. Our teachers in training and the wider community of students benefit from our senior teachers through Sundays with Gloria and weekend workshops with Manouso Manos. The Institute and other local studios hosted several Iyengar Yoga assessments in September 2016, including the Intermediate Junior III, in which over 90 students participated. Of the nine teachers going up for assessment, seven were from our region. We are grateful to have so many gifted teachers in our midst. Our students are excited to support the teachers and IYNAUS during these important assessments. Outside of the Institute, we are fortunate to have many wonderful yoga studios where Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs) offer classes and workshops. Our website lists over 50 studios where Iyengar Yoga classes can be found in and around Los Angeles (www.iyala.org). 3
