Tribute to Ryan Conrad Edward Gardiner and Deborah Morgenthal

Remembering Ryan Conrad

BY EDWARD GARDINER, WITH HELP FROM DEBORAH MORGENTHAL

Ryan Conrad— our friend, teacher, student, and mentor— died peacefully on Feb. 23, after a yearlong illness. Family and close friends gathered at his home in Asheville, North Carolina, and sang “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” as his body was carried away amid rose petals, tears, and hugs. His body was 38 years old, but his essence lives on.

Ryan’s yoga story is an extraordinary reminder of how Iyengar Yoga has the capacity to transform our shared and personal journeys through life.

FINDING THE IYENGAR YOGA PATH

Ryan’s serious yoga practice began at Lighten Up Yoga in Asheville in 2002 when he was in his early 20s. He studied with Lillah Schwartz, who recalls Ryan “taking that very deep passion and flame and making it his own. Ryan recognized, as many of us do, the value of observation, honesty, and presence in each moment.”

According to fellow student Letitia Walker, “Ryan’s exuberance was fueled by true dedication and sincerity, tinged with a little goofiness. Lighten Up was a place for serious practice with reverence for the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. It was the blending of art and science with the self as the object of study that fascinated Ryan.”

EXCEPTIONAL TEACHER AND STUDENT

Ryan, after earning a 200-hour Yoga Alliance certificate in 2004 under Lillah’s tutelage, began studying and teaching at One Center Yoga, also in Asheville. Cindy Dollar, studio owner and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, says, “Ryan was in his element when he taught— radiating clarity, strength, and compassion. There was no division between his yoga life and his ‘real’ life.” Martin Fletcher, one of Ryan’s longstanding students, describes his teaching style as precise and passionate, with humorous zeal: “His students were lit up with his infectious fire as he held us in his laser beam and tricked us to go beyond our comfort zones. Ryan always started his classes by invoking what he referred to as the ‘Authentic Self’ and called upon his students to serve that which is greater than ourselves. Without fail, those two poles of intention were met by the end of class. He always encouraged us to practice at home, and his great respect for B.K.S. Iyengar was ever present.”

Ryan was committed to learning. He believed that the sustained practice of yoga allowed him to gain a fuller understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, and who he was as a person. “Yoga,” he said, “has given me a place of stability to move through life. I am grateful for all of my teachers who continue to humble me with their insights and knowledge.”

In 2005 at the IYNAUS convention in Estes Park, Colorado, Ryan attended an advanced pranayama workshop led by Mr. Iyengar, who observed Ryan struggle to settle his breathing and release his body. Guruji stood over Ryan in Savasana for about 20 minutes. This close observation and encouragement ignited Ryan’s own practice and teaching of pranayama, which became subtle and refined.

In 2014, Ryan attended a two-week class in India with Geeta Iyengar. The next year, Cindy recommended Ryan for Iyengar Yoga certification, which he earned in 2016, just months before his cancer diagnosis. Throughout his illness, he continued to attend workshops and correspond with senior teachers, including Manouso Manos, Dean Lerner, Eddy Marks, and Lois Steinberg.

In the last class he taught, Ryan reflected on the cycle of practice and learning. The teacher observes, offers insight, and the student goes home and works with the offering. The student then becomes the teacher, asking questions internally and moving to a new level of understanding. This is the lesson Ryan wanted most to pass on: to use the specificity of alignment cues to deepen your awareness and grow your practice from

that center.

A BRUTAL DIAGNOSIS MET WITH LOVE AND EQUANIMITY

Ryan was deeply moved by the abundant support, generosity, and kindness he received from people close to him, as well as from people he’d never met, whose donations have left a nest egg for his wife and son. This support powerfully demonstrates that our capacity to do good in the world is limitless when we

understand the stakes and get involved personally. Throughout his illness, we talked often about strengthening Iyengar Yoga offerings to benefit everyone in our community. “Ryan was a consummate practitioner and inspiration,” says Manouso Manos. “His belief in the powers of Iyengar Yoga was infectious, even during his health struggles. He took our community as part of his family and allowed us into his heart. He will be deeply missed by all who came in contact with him.”