18 minute read
News from the Regions
from Yoga Samachar FW2017
by IYNAUS
IYAGNY
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.
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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.
IYALA
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.
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).
Los Angeles is also fortunate to have many CIYTs across a wide range of levels. Among these, we recently welcomed back to our midst one of our long-standing teachers, Nancy Sandercock, who returned to Los Angeles after completing her master’s degree in performance studies at the University of Alberta in her Canadian home. Many of Nancy’s students have been delighted to have the opportunity to study with her again in classes and workshops.
The Yoga Center Palm Desert also has ongoing IYNAUSapproved teacher education courses with Cathy Rogers Evans. Groups are limited to 15 so each attendee has an opportunity to teach and receive personal attention, as well as to develop a clear understanding of teaching with ample time for feedback. We have many exciting workshops planned for the upcoming season with visiting senior teachers as well as quarterly five-day intensives. See www.yogacenterpalmdesert.com for details.
Iyengar Yoga students in and around Los Angeles always have access to a plethora of excellent classes and workshops, including Ayurveda workshops for each of the three seasons by Jeff Perlman (see www.threeseasonsayurveda.com) as well as teacher training intensives by Marla Apt (see www.Yoganda. com) and Carolyn Belko. Jim Benvenuto’s Twist Workshop at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles (IYILA) last spring was a rare opportunity to experience Jim’s teaching. Jim has been teaching for over 20 years and he provided insight into the Iyengar method of practicing twists, layered with yogic philosophy, detailed explanations of Sanskrit language, and unique ways of exploring the twists. So many yogis attended this rich afternoon of practice, and much gratitude is expressed to Jim and IYILA for their commitment to offering excellent opportunities to study the art and science of Iyengar Yoga.
Earlier this year, the Institute also hosted guest teacher workshops including H.S. Arun’s creative use of chairs and other props, Carrie Owerko’s playful practice and many others. Koren Paalman continues to offer her Conscious Grieving workshops at various Los Angeles locations, as well as Iyengar Yoga retreats in Los Angeles, Ojai, California, and South Africa. She also has an upcoming retreat in Hawaii in early 2017— see www.inventiveascent.com for details. We are delighted to share the wisdom from our talented teachers with fellow Iyengar Yoga students both at home in Los Angeles and around the globe.
IYAMN
The Iyengar Yoga Association of Minnesota (IYAMN) has a new website, thanks to the initiative of one of our board members: Shannyn Joy Potter. We believe this website will better serve our members by allowing for online payments for workshops and yoga days. More importantly, the new website provides excellent resources, including links to research projects associated with the practice of Iyengar Yoga. We’re excited to finally have a website that will truly serve the needs of our community and that lends itself to further development.
In recent months, IYAMN has hosted two successful events. Michael Moore, one of our local teachers, taught the summer yoga day in celebration of Guru Purnima Day. The event was held at The Marsh in Minnetonka, and about 50 students gathered to learn and practice yoga together. After Michael’s class, there was time for socializing and viewing the movie “Ultimate Freedom” as a way to celebrate the teachings of Guruji.
Immediately after Labor Day, we hosted Eddy Marks and Mary Obendorfer for a third consecutive year. Mary and Eddy, as was the case last year, were able to spend a week in the Twin Cities teaching two classes each day. Practitioners in our area enjoy this opportunity to have an ongoing relationship with two senior teachers. Mary and Eddy have been focusing on Geetaji’s teachings from the 2015 Yoganusasanam Convention, a real boon for those of us unable to travel to Pune.
We look forward to hosting another yoga day in December and are planning an event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar’s birth.
IYAMW
In the heart of the Midwest encircling the Great Lakes, Iyengar Yoga continues to have a lively presence, preserving the legacy of our tradition, while expanding its boundaries.
A huge contingent showed up from our region for the IYNAUS Convention in Florida and left inspired and invigorated by Abhijata Sridhar’s stellar teachings. We renewed friendships, shared notes and meals, and engaged in important discussions about the role of Iyengar Yoga in our lives and in our communities.
The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Midwest (IYAMW) Annual Fall Retreat was held at the Palmer House in Chicago, Sept. 23–25. Chris Saudek and Patrina Dobish provided several in-depth asana and pranayama workshops for both continuing beginners and seasoned students, as well as philosophy discussion. Six need-based scholarships were given out to members and nonmembers as an effort to broaden the community. It was fun to be in the middle of downtown sharing time together as a community and taking in experiences beyond the mat. Stay tuned to www.iyamw.org for details about our 2017 retreat.
Lois Steinberg’s Iyengar Yoga of Champaign/Urbana (IYCU) began providing a “Modest Women’s Class” where Muslim woman are free to practice in a safe and supportive environment. Since this is a women-only class where the windows are covered, the hijab can be removed. Gwendolyn Derk started teaching this class at IYCU after her volunteer service at the Central Illinois Islamic Center Mosque. Muslim women who gather there requested an all-women’s yoga class, and IYCU was quick to jump on board. In the fall, Jeanine Berlocher will teach these classes to build community and share culture.
Iyengar Yoga Detroit hosts 2nd and 4th Friday Community Gift Restorative Yoga classes, to provide a much-needed oasis for rest and recuperation, on a sliding-scale payment basis. The 2nd Fridays’ “Resilience and Resistance” with Peggy Gwi-Seok Hong is specifically geared for social justice activists and artists, to build inner resilience and cultivate camaraderie as we advocate for human rights and healing in our community.
IYAMW launched its Community Engagement Fund, to support projects such as the above, and more. We invite Midwestern Iyengar Yoga teachers to apply for $500 mini-grants to build partnerships and collaborations to bring Iyengar Yoga to communities that may not otherwise have access, and also to support teachers who come from these communities. The funds can be used to provide props, pay teachers, cover space rental, and as seed money to raise more funds. For more information, visit www.iyamw.org.
IYANC
In June, the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco (IYISF) and the Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California (IYANC) held its most successful Yogathon event ever, “The Great 108.” Teachers and practitioners throughout Northern California used an online fundraising platform, as well as word of mouth, to raise funds leading up to the Yogathon event, where IYISF teachers led a three-hour, 108-asana class. A reception and silent auction followed. The event energized our community, bolstering our spirits and energy levels as well as our institution’s budget.
In March, IYANC held its Annual Membership Meeting at IYISF. We updated members on finances, membership, and programming. Valuable member feedback was collected using targeted questions around our strategic goals of organizational stability, the growth of our association and institute through expansion of regional activity while attracting and retaining students, and continued commitment with integrity to the Iyengar Yoga tradition. Member feedback included ideas for marketing Iyengar Yoga as unique among the many yoga choices in Northern California, expanding community events, and further exploring opportunities to align ourselves with the San Francisco Bay Area medical community.
Outgoing Board President Randy Loftis has taken the opportunity to relocate to North Carolina. IYANC and IYISF both extend a huge and heartfelt thank you to Randy for his three years of excellent service to the board, with his last nine months as IYANC president. Current board leadership includes Athena Pappas, president; Karen Woods, vice president; Chuck Han, treasurer; and Karen Tercho, secretary. In addition, Patti Martin now serves on the IYNAUS board as our Northern California regional representative.
IYISF programming continues to be robust and unique, including a successful four-part series taught by Victoria Austin, “Asana for Practitioners with Health Conditions,” and a five-day training on “Yoga for Scoliosis” from Elise Miller. These healthrelated workshops have attracted students and teachers who are keen to discover more about healing the body and mind through Iyengar Yoga.
IYANW
Our IYANW teachers continue to reach beyond their studios and into the community to share Iyengar Yoga. Here is news from three of our studios.
This fall, the Julie Lawrence Yoga Center in Portland, Oregon, changed its name to Jewel Yoga. The studio has a new website, www.jewelyogapdx.com, and logo, but otherwise it remains the same in every way, with Julie Lawrence as the senior instructor. Jewel Yoga announced its new name at its
annual picnic on Aug. 20, honoring the second anniversary of Guruji’s death. The studio also announced a significant contribution to Living Yoga, a nonprofit organization with the mission of bringing yoga to vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Julie Lawrence and well-known author Kim Stafford offered a workshop at Jewel Yoga called “Writing with Yoga” in November, in which authenticity on the page and on the mat were explored together.
The Moscow Yoga Center, located in downtown Moscow, Idaho, offers level 1–4, gentle yoga and restoritive classes. Several students have been studying there since it opened in 1991. The studio recently added a middle-school yoga class. Instructor Rebekka Boysen Taylor reports that the students’ favorite pose is Savasana, and they want it to last longer! This is a good reminder of how important relaxation is. Moscow Yoga Center also began teaching two-week mini-courses that meet three times a week for one hour and 15 minutes. Jessica Ting, the instructor, noticed rapid progress with the three times a week structure.
Tree House Iyengar Yoga in Shoreline, Washington, works to be a part of the overall Seattle community. This summer the studio raised $200 to support NPR station KPLU, and in June it held a Surya Namaskar class to celebrate International Day of Yoga. Instructor Angela Dawn donated all proceeds to Treehouse for Kids, a local foster care facility.
Tulafest was held on the banks of Lake Union in Seattle in July. Tree House instructors Anne Geil and Fred Dowd taught public classes for beginners with no Iyengar Yoga experience. The festival promoted and benefited local nonprofits including Yoga Behind Bars, Street Yoga, Earth Citizens, and Yogafaith.
IYASCR
The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Southern California Region (IYASCR) has had a jam-packed summer and fall. Starting on May 1, we had a vigorous membership drive workshop at Full Circle Yoga as Suneel Sundar, our association president, taught “Surya Namaskar for Everyone.”
Of course, we enjoyed the 2016 IYNAUS Convention in Boca Raton. Abhijata was exceptional. Her anecdotal presence and sense of humor as she shared stories of Guruji were so heartwarming. The way she engaged all of us was a testament to her lineage. We look forward to her next visit—we hope it’s soon!
On June 19, Aman Keays taught “Iyengar Yoga for Stability and Balance” at the International Yoga Day celebration in Balboa Park. It was a celebration of all modalities of yoga in the San Diego area. Aman was the ideal ambassador for Iyengar Yoga, and his teaching was a welcoming introduction to practitioners who had not practiced our method. We look forward to similar future events.
Our Aug. 21 Membership Drive was held at San Marcos Iyengar Yoga Center. We began with the 2014 commemorative sequence in honor and memory of Guruji. Then Kathleen Quinn, our vice president and the studio owner, lead us in our quest to understand “Paksa Pratipaksa Bhavanam” and how these opposing actions become complementary in practice.
Our Nov. 2016 Membership Drive workshop with Kimberly Zanger-Mackesy was as dynamic as Kim, with a verve and joie de vivre that we all enjoyed.
In association business news— we have become FB’ers, again to expand our reach of Iyengar Yoga in our area. And, we received great news from India— Birjoo Mehta has graciously agreed to return for a weekend of yoga and study! We will host him over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-4, 2017. More details will be announced later, but the date is firm, so make your plans.
IYASE
We are proud and fortunate that IYNAUS chose to hold the hugely successful convention within our Southeast region. Florida teachers, as well as IYASE members throughout the region, worked tirelessly to provide a stellar experience for everyone. From the location at the lovely Boca Raton Resort to a well-organized program, beautiful banquet with memorable entertainment, scholarships for many of our members, and the commemorative magazine, we thank everyone who made this convention special. One outcome of the convention was a surge of membership in the IYASE region. We went from 370 members to over 500. Now we face the challenge of retaining and providing services to those members, to make a membership with IYNAUS and IYASE a worthwhile commitment.
Looking forward, we are developing an Iyengar Membership Outreach and Education program, also known as Iyengar MORE. We recognize that many areas of our large region are not served by Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYT). IYASE is composed of 70 percent general membership and 30 percent teachers, and on a recent query of the membership distribution, we learned that many members have no teacher within 60 miles. In addition, like the rest of the country, many major cities have no CIYT. We aim to reach out to these areas to find studios willing to host reasonably priced one-day workshops. If you are interested in hosting, finding a teacher, or know of a studio that will host a workshop, please contact president@iyase.org.
Our newly redesigned website is a thing of beauty and functionality. Go to www.iyase.org and browse our resources area. From press release templates for newly certified teachers to a new blog by Rhonda Geraci, the site has increased our ability to offer more information and resources. Soon, we will be adding practice plans for our members to download to use in their home practice. We also have plans to launch a YouTube channel with videos of our regional teachers teaching poses. Watch the website for these exciting member benefits.
In 2017, we will sponsor two teacher training opportunities. Our annual Introductory I/II teacher training and a “How to Handle Common Conditions” workshop. Watch the IYASE website for further information. Participants in either event will be eligible for scholarships through IYASE. In addition, we offer scholarships to help defer the cost of certification and trips to RIMYI for eligible IYASE members. Check the website to find applications for our scholarships.
IYASW
The spirit of B.K.S. Iyengar is flowing through the Southwest. Our new board was successful in promoting the benefits of Iyengar Yoga at local events this summer and fall. As the monsoon rains fell and the smell of creosote filled the air, we connected with local members on Aug. 20 for a “Summer Restorative.” The purpose was to bond with current members and grow our numbers. We gained several new members and were able to showcase the new rope wall, which is finally complete. Several dedicated members donated money, and Scottsdale Community College (SCC) students purchased t-shirts to help raise the funds necessary to make the rope wall a reality at the Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale. Come practice with us when you are in town!
Some of us attended the Yoga Rocks Festival on Sept. 23 and again on Oct. 16. Our booth was buzzing with activity, and people wanted to learn more about classes taught by Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers. It was also a great time to promote the awesome teacher training program at SCC, where most of our CIYTs started their training. We currently have six students doing teacher training with mentor Carlyn Sikes, Intermediate Junior I, to prepare for future assessment. This assessment preparation is not possible without our advising senior teacher, Carolyn Belko. Look for stories about these teachers’ path to becoming certified in future IYASW updates.
On Oct. 23, for the first time in Arizona, IYNAUS hosted one of its continuing education sessions for certified teachers. Held at Scottsdale Community College where the Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale is housed, regional teachers had the opportunity to study with senior teacher Laurie Blakeney. We were thrilled to see so many Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers in one room and look forward to hosting future events.
Our region is growing! Barbara Gitlin, newly certified in 2015, opened The Yoga Room in Prescott, Arizona, to share her love for Iyengar Yoga. Katherine Maltz, Intermediate Junior I, was Arizona’s very first CIYT. We want to thank Katherine for paving the way for all of us in the southwest and congratulate her on teaching for 20 successful years at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Studio of Tucson.
The B.K.S. Iyengar Center of Las Vegas is having a silver anniversary, celebrating 25 years teaching the legacy of Iyengar Yoga to students. Congratulations and thank you for the commitment to your students.
We are looking forward to the Sedona Yoga Festival on March 9–12, 2017, where we will spread our wings with a more regional focus. The festival will be a chance to meet and introduce future students to the benefits of studying Iyengar Yoga.
Spring news deadline: Feb. 15, 2017