IYENGAR YOGA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES VOL. 21, NO. 2
Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
21st Century Practice: Adapt, Evolve, Connect Plus
Garth McLean on MS Bobby Clennell on Virabhadrasana I Lifelong Practice: Felicity Green
YOGA SAMACHAR’S MISSION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Yoga Samachar, the magazine of the Iyengar Yoga community in the U.S. and beyond, is published twice a year by the Publications Committee of the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S. (IYNAUS). The word samachar means “news” in Sanskrit. Along with the website, www.iynaus.org, Yoga Samachar is designed to provide interesting and useful information to IYNAUS members to:
Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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News from the Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Yoga Tech – Heather Haxo Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Practicing the Social Body: Yoga, Race, Freedom – Kris Manjapra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Iyengar Yoga on Campus – Annie Melchior . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Exploration. Transformation. Evolution. – Garth McLean . . . .
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• Promote the dissemination of the art, science, and philosophy of yoga as taught by B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Prashant Iyengar
Bobbe Norrise: Trailblazer, Ageless and Timeless – Heather Haxo Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Lifelong Practice: Felicity Green – Paul Cheek . . . . . . . . .
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• Communicate information regarding the standards and training of certified teachers
Ask the Yogi – Bobby Clennell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
• Report on studies regarding the practice of Iyengar Yoga • Provide information on products that IYNAUS imports from India • Review and present recent articles and books written by the Iyengars
Treasurer’s Report – Stephen Weiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Become a Board Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Back Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
• Report on recent events regarding Iyengar Yoga in Pune and worldwide • Be a platform for the expression of experiences and thoughts from members, both students and teachers, about how the practice of yoga affects their lives • Present ideas to stimulate every aspect of the reader’s practice
IYNAUS OFFICERS AND STANDING COMMITTEES
YOGA SAMACHAR IS PRODUCED BY THE IYNAUS PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
President, David Carpenter dcarpenter@sidley.com
Committee Chair: Anne-Marie Schultz Editor: Michelle D. Williams Copy Editor: Denise Weeks Design: Don Gura Advertising: Rachel Frazee
Secretary, Michele Galen michele.galen@gmail.com
Members can submit an article query or a practice sequence idea for consideration to be included in future issues. Articles should be well-written and submitted electronically. The Yoga Samachar staff reserves the right to edit accepted submissions to conform to the rules of spelling and grammar, as well as to the Yoga Samachar house style guidelines. Queries must include the author’s full name and biographical information related to Iyengar Yoga, along with email contact and phone number. Please send all queries to Michelle Williams, Editor, yogasamachar@iynaus.org, and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Vice President, Vacant
Treasurer, Stephen Weiss stphweiss@gmail.com Past Presidents Organizational board–1991 Mary Dunn 1992 –1994 Gloria Goldberg 1994 –1998 Dean Lerner 1998 – 2000 Karin O’Bannon 2000 – 2002 Jonathan Neuberger 2002 – 2004 Sue Salaniuk 2004 – 2006 Marla Apt 2006 – 2008 Linda DiCarlo 2008 – 2012 Christopher Beach 2012 – 2014 Janet Lilly 2014 – 2017 Michael Lucey 2017 – David Carpenter
Archives Committee Scott Hobbs sh@scotthobbs.com & Chris Stein shamani108@mac.com, Co-Chairs Lindsey Clennell, Elaine Hall, Linda Nishio, Deborah Wallach
Certification Committee Laurie Blakeney certification.chair@iynaus.org, Chair Marla Apt, Steve Hornbacher, Peggy Kelley, Rebecca Lerner, Nina Pileggi, Ray Madigan, Sue Salaniuk, Jayne Satter, Nancy Stechert, Lois Steinberg
ADVERTISING Full-page, half-page, quarter-page, and classified advertising is available. All advertising is subject to IYNAUS board approval. Ads are secondary to the magazine's content, and we reserve the right to adjust placement as needed based on layout needs. Find ad rates at www.iynaus.org/yoga-samachar. For more information, including artwork specifications and deadlines, please contact Rachel Frazee at rachel@yogalacross.com or 608-269-1441. Cover: Zain Syed, or "Yogi Zain," a CIYT in Oakland, CA, shares inspiring Iyengar Yoga photos and video demos on Instagram. He has more than 3,500 dedicated followers and his posts get tens of thousands of views.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
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IYNAUS OFFICERS AND STANDING COMMITTEES Continuing Education Committee Carlyn Sikes, Chair Peggy Gwi-Seok Hong, Julie Lawrence, Octavia Morgan, Leanne Cusumano Roque, Shaw-Jiun Wang
Ethics Committee Manju Vachher dr.manju.vachher@gmail.com, Chair Members: Robyn Harrison, Faith Russell, Jito Yumibo Contact Ethics at ethics@iynaus.org
Events Committee Sandy Carmellini yogasandy@rocketmail.com, Chair Gloria Goldberg, Randy Just, Suzie Muchnick, Nancy Watson
Governance and Elections Committee David Carpenter, Chair David Larsen, Patti Martin, Michele Galen
Membership Committee Paige Noon paige.noon@gmail.com, Chair IMIYA: Jessica Miller & IYANE: Kim Peralta Katya Slivinskaya,Co-Chairs IYANW: Gwen Heisterkamp IYACSR: Stephanie Lavender IYASCUS: Jerrilyn Crowley IYAGNY: Ed McKeaney IYASE: Samuel Cooper IYALA: Laura Baker IYASW: Carrie Abts IYAMN: Mary Jo Nissen IYAMW: Donna Furmanek IYANC: Richard Weinapple
Next Generation Committee
Letter
FROM THE PRESIDENT
DEAR FELLOW IYNAUS MEMBERS, I have picked a fitting time and place to write my inaugural president’s letter. I am now in Pune, having spent the past month studying with Prashant, Sunita, and the next generation of RIMYI’s teachers. And I just returned from the Punyatithi held on the third anniversary of Guruji’s death. Needless to say, this was an emotional event. It was also inspirational. Abhijata was the featured speaker, and she gave a touching tribute to Guruji. I left the event filled with optimism. To be sure, there will never be another B.K.S. Iyengar. But I think he will prove to have been a transformational figure in world history, and with the generations of teachers he groomed, his impact can be even greater after his death than when he lived. I have also been impressed with the importance that RIMYI ascribes to IYNAUS and our sister national associations. One of the teachers at RIMYI actually began a class by asking the students to think about their national association and bring it within them. The yogic quest for knowledge and freedom profoundly depends on community. As Prashant says, yoga is a cultural activity, and like all aspects of culture, yoga is the creation of a community. We can go to our mats only if we have been educated and oriented by the community, and the community nurtures us in myriad other ways. I feel its energy and power every day in RIMYI’s practice hall, in every class I take, and every time I practice at home.
Amita Bhagat & Gwen Derk, Co-chairs
Outreach Committee Denise Rowe Yogini5352@gmail.com, Chair
Publications Committee Anne-Marie Schultz anne_marie_schultz@baylor.edu, Chair Don Gura, Rachel Frazee, Renee Razzano, Denise Weeks, Michelle Williams
Public Relations and Marketing Committee Shaaron Honeycutt shaaron.honeycutt@gmail.com, Chair Amita Bhagat, Laura Lascoe, Rachel Mathenia, Zain Syed
Regional Support Committee Patti Martin, Chair IYANW: Janet Langley IYAMW: David Larsen IYAGNY: Caren Rabbino IYASE: Lisa Waas IYASCUS: Randy Just IYASW: Marivic Wrobel
IMIYA: Cathy Wright IYAC-SR: Suneel Sundar IYALA: Jennifer Diener IYANE: Jarvis Chen IYAMN: Joy Laine IYANC: Athena Pappas
Scholarship and Awards Committee Carlyn Sikes carlyneileen@hotmail.com, Chair Lesley Freyberg, Richard Jonas, Lisa Jo Landsberg, Pat Musburger, Nina Pileggi, John Schumacher
Service Mark & Certification Mark Committee Gloria Goldberg yogagold2@gmail.com, Attorney in Fact for Geeta and Prashant Iyengar
Systems & Technology Committee Shaaron Honeycutt, Chair Ed Horneij, William McKee, David Weiner
Volunteer Coordinator Ann McDermott-Kave amkave1@optonline.net
Yoga Research Committee Gwen Derk grderk@gmail.com, Chair Jerry Chiprin, William Conde Goldman, Renee Royal, Kimberly Williams
IYNAUS Senior Council Kristin Chirhart, Manouso Manos, Patricia Walden, Joan White
Director of Operations Sharon Cowdery generalmanager@iynaus.org
Contact IYNAUS P.O. Box 538 Seattle, WA 98111 206.623.3562 www.iynaus.org
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Communities depend on communication, and one of IYNAUS’ major initiatives is to improve communications among Iyengar Yoga practitioners in the U.S. We are now sending eblasts to all our members twice a month, and I have also separately sent several eblasts to our CIYT members to apprise them of matters germane to Iyengar Yoga teachers. I plan to do more of that. But I understand that many members have missed some of our communications. Even if you are receiving some of our missives, please regularly check your spam folders and please authorize all communications from IYNAUS. We are also using Facebook and other social media to share important information, and in my time here at RIMYI, several practitioners from Europe have told me that they enjoy our Facebook postings. This piece of news led one dinosaur (me!) to subscribe to social media so I won’t miss out. I urge my fellow dinosaurs to do the same. We are also nearing completion of a top-to-bottom redesign of our website and a major overhaul of its contents. Absent some unforeseen snags, our new improved website will be up and running by the time this issue of Yoga Samachar hits the streets. We plan to regularly refresh the content on our website and use it to channel important information. So we urge each of you to establish a practice of checking the website frequently. As we plan for the future growth of our U.S. Iyengar Yoga community, we should always remember those who have established and maintained it. As a small gesture in that direction, we will now start listing the past presidents of IYNAUS in each issue of Yoga Samachar. We also thank all of you who have volunteered your time and energy to support the Iyengar Yoga community in the U.S. Our community has grown because of the selfless work of volunteers, and we stand on your shoulders as we plan for even better things to come. Yours in yoga, David Carpenter IYNAUS President
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
News
FROM THE REGIONS
IYACSR At the end of summer, the Iyengar Yoga Association of California Southern Region (IYACSR) was honored to host Birjoo Mehta again in San Diego. In 2013, he lead the IYNAUS Conference and Convention Sarvabhauma Yog, and in 2015, he came to teach the Panchamahabhutas, Five Great Elements. This time, Birjoo taught the five vital airs, the Vayus. The topic was philosophical, practical, and inspirational. We all learn and teach what to do in the asanas. We all strive to learn and teach how to do them. Birjoo teaches us why we do them. Whether he teaches Elements or Winds or gross physicality, Birjoo shares that any aspect of the practice that we focus on is an important part, something we can conceptualize. Just as there are many kinds of maps—topographical, Thomas Guides, the Waze app—so too are there guides for our sadhana. How one travels may necessitate a different sort of map (for example, Waze is no good to an airline pilot, and a globe will not help someone find a new yoga studio). Birjoo makes new yoga maps accessible to his students. The workshop took place over four days, Aug. 31–Sept. 3, 2017, at the Williams Barn in San Marcos, a beautiful event space in north San Diego County. We were treated to a practice on hardwood floors, with mountains out the windows and glimpses of horses walking past our space. The 150 students in attendance came from San Diego, Los Angeles, Idaho, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Mexico to learn from Birjoo. This was a community-organized workshop, starting with the IYACSR Board and carried out by dozens of volunteers every day. In the end, every attendee contributed to the well-being of the group. The weekend was quite hot—Birjoo jokingly thanked us for the Mumbai-like conditions. IYACSR appreciates the efforts of all who made space for a neighbor, who brought an extra fan into the practice hall, and
Stephanie Lavender supports Kim Mackesy in Adho Mukha Vrksasana during a demonstration at International Yoga Day in San Diego. Photo: Nancy Baldon
who looked out for fellow students as needed. IYACSR plans to share still photographs, captured by the gracious and talented Nancy Baldon, on our Facebook page and online at www.iyacsr. org. We also plan to release a video recording of the entire event, filmed by Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (CIYT) Dan Guida, through Vimeo. Please visit our website for more information. The collaboration extended beyond the region. IYACSR was delighted to work with John Schumacher and Unity Woods who hosted Birjoo Mehta in Virginia on the weekend after his time in San Diego. We see this as an opportunity and a model for interregional collaboration. We encourage our counterparts around the U.S. to communicate early and often about special events. On Sunday, June 18, San Diego celebrated and honored International Yoga Day in historic and beautiful Balboa Park. IYACSR represented this method and the Iyengar Yoga centers in our region. Our Community Outreach Chair Stephanie Lavender arranged a booth space, which she and her team of volunteers decorated with photos of Guruji and copies of books written by B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Prashant Iyengar. Of the dozens of booths participating in the event, IYACSR was unique as a noncommercial entity. We were not selling classes or clothing or coconut water. We were simply there to share the method. In addition to our displays, the IYACSR booth hosted a series of Iyengar Yoga demonstrations. Eleven volunteers showed poses in series for over an hour to an audience of onlookers that stood three deep. Practitioners from various regional Iyengar Yoga centers displayed asanas from all categories.
Participants in Birjoo Mehta’s San Diego workshop on the Vayus, or five vital airs Photo: Nancy Baldon
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Outside our booth, Stephanie Lavender (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) taught a class on Surya Namaskar the Iyengar way and Kim Zanger-Mackesy (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) taught arm balances to large and mixed groups. The participants could experience for themselves the practice they had observed earlier. 3
NEWS CONTINUED
IYAGNY This year, the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York (IYAGNY) had our most successful Yogathon to date, raising the auspicious amount of $108,000. That wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our association teachers, which now number 164. This year, we expanded our outreach to all of our association teachers by offering three free professional development seminars to all of our region’s CIYTs. The first was on financial planning, the second on developing a business model, and the third on using social media and marketing. All three were also broadcast on our website, which helped expand our reach to association teachers not in attendance and allowed us to continue the conversation online. We are looking forward to offering these seminars again next year on topics relevant to our teachers. We’re also offering continuing education classes several times a year to help teachers hone and improve their teaching skills, whether assessment is imminent or not. We also regularly offer “Back From India” sharings with CIYTs who have recently attended classes at RIMYI, and we host a guest teacher series, along with various workshops and lectures. This fall, we held a potluck to come together, celebrate our common bond of Iyengar Yoga, and thank our association teachers for all the ways we rely on them. We are truly grateful for all the support and the community.
The new lobby at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles, adorned with archival photos of B.K.S. Iyengar
students for workshops and classes. We continue to be blessed with a plethora of exceptional teachers in our region, many of whom offer regular classes and workshops at the Institute. One of the highlights was a course on menstruation taught by Marla Apt and Gloria Goldberg. Students immersed themselves in readings by Lois Steinberg and Geeta Iyengar and spent three days learning and practicing sequences and modifications for pre-, post- and during menstruation. Lectures by Dr. Lori Silver (OB/GYN) enriched our understanding of women’s bodies and how to respect the entire menstrual cycle by modifying the yoga practice throughout the month.
IYALA “Giving does not impoverish us nor does withholding enrich us.” — B.K.S. Iyengar Reflecting on the happenings in our region over the summer and fall, it is clear that our members have heeded Guruji’s profound words about giving. Free classes, member workshops, and community outreach have brought Iyengar Yoga to new students, while teachers and students alike contributed in myriad ways to strengthen our practice, beautify our surroundings, and encourage us all to become better people. The Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles (IYILA), now in its 33rd year of operation, has been enjoying a beautiful new studio, which was renovated last spring. We have fresh paint, new floors, and a well-organized and attractive props storage area— thanks to the hard work of many volunteers. Our inviting new lobby is adorned with photos of Guruji, obtained from the historical archive maintained by teacher Scott Hobbs and restored and installed by practitioners and IYALA members Alfred Bie and Joan Watanabe. Our new space is a refreshing change for continuing students and has drawn in many new 4
Our halls were also graced with the lovely voice of Gitte Bechsgaard (Toronto) as she led our community in chanting during a gathering for Guru Purnima on July 11. Gitte also taught workshops on yoga philosophy, supplemented with asana practice led by Gloria Goldberg, where students throughout our community came together to deepen their practice through understanding the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. In another major area of giving, Los Angeles and the surrounding community continues to be a venue for CIYT assessments, with the Institute hosting Introductory assessments in September, as well as Intermediate Junior I assessments in November. Other studios in the area also participate in assessments—Govinda’s hosted the Junior I and Yoga Daya in LA and Palm Desert hosted the Introductory in November. These assessments require generous contributions from both the hosting teachers as well as the students who volunteer for the classes. By the end of 2017, Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics (IYT) will be completing a three-year teacher training program, created under the guidance of Guruji. A new one-year therapy training Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
The generosity of everyone involved in our community is appreciated, from faculty to students to staff. We look forward to celebrating Guruji’s centennial year in 2018 together with Iyengar Yoga practitioners around the globe. program will commence in 2018 with Manouso Manos. The IYT program has extended into community outreach, whereby teachers are being placed into underserved communities in Los Angeles and Riverside through ongoing classes and workshops. Spanish-speaking parents, Russian immigrants, U.S. veterans, and children traumatized by violence are all experiencing yoga through the IYT outreach. For more information, see www.iyengaryogatherapeutics.com/events/iythelps-under-served-communities-3. Our teachers continue to share their wisdom through both local and out-of-town retreats and intensives. In her efforts to widen the student population and deepen the practice of existing Iyengar Yoga practitioners, Marla Apt will hold a retreat at the newly opened learning center in Santa Cruz county, 1440 Multiversity, Jan. 7-12, 2018. Find more information online at https://1440.org/program/deeper-potential-iyengar-yoga. Marla will also lead two intensives at IYALA next year. The five-day intensives are an opportunity for a kind of urban yoga retreat, to immerse oneself in extended asana and pranayama classes as well as yoga philosophy discussions. On the same days as the intensives, she will offer a course for all teachers who want to refine their teaching skills. Mark your calendars and plan to register early for these retreat weekends, to be held March 19-23 and Oct. 8-12, 2018. Our region extends far beyond Los Angeles and the Institute. Holly Hoffman, owner of The Iyengar Yoga Center Palm Desert, with the guidance of Senior Teacher Cathy Rogers Evans, hosted a five-day Summer Solstice Intensive in June 2017. In the Inland Empire, Amy Brown (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) offered a four-part series, “Foundations of Iyengar Yoga” in the Redlands area. Most of the students were new to the practice of Iyengar Yoga and were thrilled to find that the practice and its elements provide the framework for a mindful yoga experience. We are grateful for IYALA Board members—especially our new president, Mary Ann Kellogg, who is a former dancer and choreographer. Mary Ann began practicing Iyengar Yoga in the early 1980s with Mary Dunn in New York City, after a fellow dancer—Twyla Tharp—introduced her to the method. We also welcomed Lori McIntosh (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) to our board mid-year. Continuing board members include Laura Baker (vice president and membership chair), Don Vangeloff Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
(treasurer), Amy Brown (secretary), Jennifer Diener (past president), and members-at-large Holly Hoffman, Mike Montgomery, and Becky Patel. Longstanding practitioner and former board member Brad Sklarew is much appreciated for overseeing daily operations of IYALA and for his warm greetings to each person who walks through the doors. The generosity of everyone involved in our community is appreciated, from faculty to students to staff. We look forward to celebrating Guruji’s centennial year in 2018 together with Iyengar Yoga practitioners around the globe.
IYAMN The Iyengar Yoga Association of Minnesota (IYAMN) serves the upper Midwest region of Minnesota, western Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Most of the Iyengar Yoga students in this region are concentrated around the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, but there are strong Iyengar Yoga communities outside of that region as well. One of them is the area where Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa meet—a beautiful part of the Midwest with deeply carved river valleys. In Decorah, Iowa, a town of only 8,000 or so, Iyengar Yoga is taught at two yoga studios and at the small liberal arts college in town. Across the Mississippi River is Viroqua, Wisconsin, which has fewer than 5,000 residents yet has its own Iyengar Yoga studio. LaCrosse, Wisconsin, is a vibrant community of Iyengar Yoga practitioners as well, a community built over the course of 35 years by Chris Saudek and Francie Ricks. IYAMN held its biannual Yoga Day in LaCrosse in July. Rachel Frazee taught an asana class to students from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. IYAMN member and Matthew Sanford (CIYT) is a jewel of our community. A paraplegic himself, he has used the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar to help people of all abilities heal their bodies and minds in unexpected ways. An article about him recently appeared in Yoga Journal China, and a dialogue with him about the nature of compassion in our lives is airing on public television in our region. Matthew is currently finishing his second book on his experience with Iyengar Yoga, trauma, and paralysis from the chest down. Here is an excerpt from the in-progress book, Waking Again: With his profound emphasis on alignment, B.K.S. Iyengar not only revolutionized the practice of asana (yoga poses) for all who will follow, but also his approach revealed the possibility of energetic sensation for an aspiring paraplegic yoga practitioner. In my own yoga practice, part of why I was feeling awareness move through my paralyzed legs in Dandasana while sitting up on a blanket was that the simple alignment of bones directed the force of gravity through my body. This happens whether one is paralyzed or not.
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NEWS CONTINUED
IYAMN sponsored another weeklong workshop by Mary Obendorfer and Eddy Marks in October. Other activities in the region included a series of classes on Yoga for Women’s Health and a series on Developing Daily Sadhana, both at the Yoga Place in LaCrosse, as well as a workshop focusing on Muscle Imbalances by Julie Gudmestad of Portland, Oregon, held at the St. Paul Yoga Center. A particular highlight was the visit to both St. Paul and LaCrosse by premiere Indian yoga teacher Swati Chanchani in late August. She taught two extended classes at each place and included a visual presentation of art, architecture, and archeology titled “Yogini: Yoga Practitioners through the Ages,” which she narrated with a fascinating treatment of the history of yoginis.
IYAMW The Midwest Region rolled out a major revamp of its website after many months of work, especially by Alex Hansen (Milwaukee). We are eager for everyone to visit it, become informed, and be inspired, at www.iyamw.org. Iyengar Yoga Detroit continues to be at the vanguard of making Iyengar Yoga accessible to all. This studio hosts numerous Community Gift classes (sliding scale $5–$20) each month, including twice monthly Yoga Philosophy groups, which started this spring with Peggy Gwi-Seok Hong. The studio has been offering much-appreciated Restorative Classes on the second and fourth Friday nights of the month, as well as weekly Black and Brown Yoga specifically for people of color, Women’s Yoga, and Yoga for the Seasons (emotional health). Yoga for the Seasons is a new class taught by Erin Shawgo (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), who recently completed a Master of Social Work degree with a special focus on the use of Iyengar Yoga for mental and emotional health. She received a Community Engagement Grant from IYAMW to support this work. Iyengar Yoga Detroit celebrated its first anniversary as a cooperatively run center this fall.
Every night when I go to bed, I think about everything I am grateful for, including a warm bed and a roof over my head. At the same time, I think about all the people sleeping out on the streets... — Ingela Abbott, IYANW Midwesterners and beyond came together for the Annual Retreat Sept. 15 –17 outside Chicago, themed “Time and Presence.” Mary Reilly and Peggy Gwi-Seok Hong taught asana and pranayama workshops and led discussions focusing on several sutras from the fourth pada. IYAMW was happy to provide six full needs-based scholarships to the retreat. Enlightening workshops, nourishing and delicious meals, comfortable accommodations, a beautiful campus, and the camaraderie of other Iyengar Yoga practitioners contributed to another successful retreat. Hope you can join us in September 2018. Details will be posted on our website. IYAMW provided another $500 Community Engagement Grant to Kate Flock (CIYT) to help build the Iyengar Yoga community in Indianapolis. The money will go to support a new rope wall and student outreach. We hope the budding community there will grow and thrive, promoting the profound and healing teachings of the Iyengars.
IYANC Now three years into our new location in central San Francisco, the Institute and larger community keep growing. In 2016, regional membership increased 33 percent, from 376 to 502 members and continues to increase in 2017. To address the needs of enthusiastic practitioners throughout Northern California, a group of Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California (IYANC) Board members, CIYTs, and studio owners formed a regional subcommittee to facilitate connectivity, visibility, communication, and growth in our region. The region covers a large area and a variety of cultures and geographies from urban to rural to mountainous, and members on the committee represent our diverse locations. Plans are underway to convene our first IYANC regional event in 2018. In addition to strengthening the links between studios, teachers, and members throughout the region, the subcommittee aims to encourage and support activities that bring Iyengar Yoga to “yoga deserts,” communities that are underserved by highquality yoga instruction. IYANC’s June 10 Yogathon, “Yoga Is One,” was a great success. We exceeded our goal, raising $56,000 to support the mission of the Institute. IYANC is deeply grateful for the generosity of our expanding community. Here are some of the day’s highlights:
Asana demonstration at IYANC's June 10 Yogathon, "Yoga Is One," held at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco
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Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Yoga and help deepen ties for those who are already members of our local Iyengar Yoga community.
IYANE
CIYTs Mary Wixted (IYANE board member), Kris Manjapra, Nadja Refaie, Carol Faulkner, and Annie Hoffman (Community Service Committee Chair)
– A creative and grounding asana class taught by Victoria Austin, Anne Barbaret, and Cynthia Bates, leading up to a supported Natarajasana – Heartfelt, powerful asana demonstrations by Athena Pappas, Maria Calabria, Theresa Marks, Zain Syed, Victoria Austin, Sachiko Willis, Renee Razzano, and Anne Barbaret, with direction by Julia Sterling and live kirtan by Francesca Nicosia – A lively community reception with delicious Middle Eastern food provided by Janet MacLeod and home-baked cakes from our dedicated volunteer, Greg Silva The IYANC Board extends heartfelt gratitude to our teachers, students, and community members who contributed and were involved in making this year’s event a success. The IYANC Board continues to evolve. Lauren Fogel joined as secretary in February 2017. After four years of dedicated service, Chuck Han stepped down as treasurer, and Karen Woods, vice-president, is serving as interim treasurer. Richard Weinapple now chairs the Membership Committee and is leading the Subcommittee for Regional Development. Brian Hogencamp, Jeff Sikand, and Susan Wong run our Programming Committee. The board is currently seeking new members with a range of skills, including finance, fundraising, communications/marketing/public relations, and commercial real estate. If you are interested, please contact Athena Pappas at athena.pappas@iyisf.org. In August, the Institute launched a monthly community night and invites those who are new to Iyengar Yoga along with current members and students to gather for a variety of fun and enlightening activities. Events will range from movie nights to sound healings to ayurvedic talks and, in November, a kids’ and parents’ yoga night. We hope to provide an opportunity for connection with those who may not yet know about Iyengar
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
2017 has been a year of many transitions for the Iyengar Yoga Association of New England (IYANE). Patricia Walden has completed her third three-year term as vice president of IYANE since revitalizing the association in 2009 and is stepping down at the end of the year. We thank Patricia for her unparalleled leadership and championing of Iyengar Yoga in our region. In recognition of her unique role in our community as a senior disciple of Guruji, the IYANE Board has unanimously voted to appoint her as Guiding Senior Teacher of our regional association. She will continue to advise the IYANE Board in her new role. This year, Nancy Watson completes her term as IYANE’s representative to IYNAUS. During her time on the IYNAUS Board, Nancy was instrumental in organizing the 2016 IYNAUS Convention in Boca Raton. We are grateful to Nancy for her service and wish her all the best. The IYANE Board has appointed Jean Stawarz to serve as our new representative to the IYNAUS Board. IYANE Treasurer Claire Carroll is also stepping down at the end of the year. During her tenure, Claire has greatly expanded IYANE’s scholarship offerings as chair of the IYANE Scholarship Committee. IYANE continues to offer scholarships for study in India and to assist deserving students in our region with funds for conventions, workshops, teacher trainings, and to study with local teachers. For more information about IYANE scholarship offerings, visit our website at www.iyengarnewengland.com. IYANE Membership Chair Kim Peralta also steps down at the end of the year. During her tenure, Kim has instituted a monthly email blast to publicize Iyengar Yoga events in the region. We thank Claire and Kim for their dedicated service. With so many board transitions, IYANE is in the process of holding regionwide elections for four board vacancies. The new board members will be announced at the IYANE Annual General Membership Meeting in December. Kris Manjapra (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), in collaboration with the IYANE Community Service Committee, organized Yoga Days at the John D. O’Bryant Public School in Roxbury on June 13-14, 2017. Together with Massachusetts CIYTs Annie Hoffman (IYANE Community Service Committee Chairperson), Nadja Refaie, Tristan Binns, Carol Faulkner, and Lucilda DassardoCooper, Kris’s team taught approximately 200 students in six classes over the two days. The aims of Yoga Days were to
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communities by creating our Community Service Grants. The grant is awarded to CIYTs who donate their time or need help paying for a program dedicated to underserved community members. You can find out more about this program at www.IYANW.org. Looking for yoga in Boise? We are happy to report that The Iyengar Yoga Center of Boise is now open for business. It lies in the heart of Boise’s Historical North End, fitting in well with the active community. The new Boise yoga center currently has seven CIYTs and one teacher trainee, with an ever-growing population of students, many of whom began their study at the now-closed Boise Yoga Center.
Jennie Williford (CIYT Intermediate Junior II), Ananda Johnson (CIYT), Erin Burke-Webster (CIYT), Dani DeLeon (assessing in October), Ashley Tetu (Teacher in Training), Julia Seaward (CIYT assessing Intermediate Junior I in September), Kisa Davison (CIYT and owner of Straight Blast Gym)
introduce 7th to 12th graders in this racially and economically diverse student body to yoga, to stretch the students’ imagination, and to give students an experience of relaxation, space, and wonder, in their first instrument: the body.
IYANW The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Northwest (IYANW) is happy to report on new studios in the region and on our continuing dedication to giving back to our Northwest communities. Yoga Northwest in Bellingham, Washington, which won the “Best of Bellingham” for the 11th year in a row, has dedicated itself to helping the local community. Ingela Abbott, founder of Yoga Northwest, has made combatting homelessness a particular focus this year: “Every night when I go to bed I think about everything I am grateful for including a warm bed and a roof over my head. At the same time, I think about all the people sleeping out on the streets here in Bellingham—cold, wet, lonely, and filled with fear. There are things we can do to help this crisis.” In September, Ingela took part in a 100-mile ride to raise money for a Bellingham organization called HomesNOW, which dedicates funds to building small homes for homeless. Ingela collected pledges from the Yoga Northwest community, and Yoga Northwest matched any funds Ingela raised in the event. Yoga Northwest also took part in a Thanksgiving benefit event, where Ingela taught a class to raise money for the Lighthouse Mission. IYANW has made it a mission for the region to spread Iyengar Yoga while also serving the less fortunate in our Northwest
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The center offers 12 weekly classes, nine Boise State University classes, a monthly mini-advanced workshop, and a community class in which donations go to various charitable organizations. The Boise community is grateful to long-time student, Lisa Bescherer for making this dream possible. We also want to thank Vickie Aldridge (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) for her willingness to share the experience and knowledge she gained operating the Boise Yoga Center, and Don Gura (CIYT Intermediate Junior II), who shares studio management and has been instrumental in organizing studio use. Finally, we have a yoga vacation idea for you: Mountains, rivers, and Iyengar Yoga. Have you heard of Kalispell, Montana? If you are a National Park enthusiast or like to ski, you might recognize this small town as the gateway to Glacier National Park or the Big Mountain skiing in Whitefish, Montana. But if you are also an Iyengar Yoga enthusiast (which you most likely are if you are reading this), you might also want to come to Kalispell for a yoga class at Straight Blast Gym—yes, an unconventional name for a yoga studio but don’t be deterred. In this small northwest corner of a big state, what we call the Flathead Valley, there are many wild and natural spaces to enjoy, but in our opinion, one of its greatest treasures is its energy and devotion to Iyengar Yoga. Straight Blast Gym has two studios dedicated to Iyengar Yoga, with five certified teachers, two candidates assessing this year, and a few more well on their way in apprenticeship. Straight Blast Gym is the brainchild of a husband and wife team, Kisa and Travis Davison. Kisa has nurtured and developed an effective system to introduce the active Montana community to Iyengar Yoga in a fun and dynamic way. We see big things for the future of Iyengar Yoga in the Northwest Region with Montana and the Straight Blast Gym tribe growing at the pace it is. Come visit for the view and the practice.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
IYASCUS We have had a positive and productive year at the Iyengar Yoga Association of the South Central United States (IYASCUS) so far in 2017. Our yoga community is growing and reaching more cities and yoga practitioners around the region. New studios are opening or expanding to larger facilities. We are coming together to practice and learn each month with teacher trainings and workshops, thanks to the efforts of many of our dedicated teachers and leaders. Several studios are offering free introductory asana and pranayama classes as well as sutra study groups to ignite students on the yoga path.
At the Audubon Yoga Studio Teacher Training program in New Orleans, students learn more than just how to teach. They also learn to deepen their practice and come to understand the richness and integrity of Iyengar Yoga. Our region consists of five states: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. We are excited to announce that the IYNAUS National Convention will be held in Dallas, Texas, April 12–19, 2019—taught by Abhijata Sridhar! Save the dates and plan to be here for this wonderful week of learning and fun with Texas food and hospitality not to be missed. Randy Just, our fearless leader, is already making plans and mobilizing volunteers. If you would like to be a part of the preparations, please contact Randy at BKS-info@tx.rr.com. Exceptional teacher training this year has proven to be successful as many teachers have moved forward on the path, passing higher certification levels. In August, the B.K.S. Iyengar Studio of Dallas hosted a Junior Intermediate I assessment. Candidates came from all over the country to this wellorganized and calm assessment. In addition, several of our intermediate teachers in the region traveled to New York and were successful in moving up to even higher levels. Congratulations to all our teachers—we appreciate all your hard work and devotion to Iyengar Yoga. In late August, Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast and brought destruction and flooding to Houston and many towns. Studios helped out through t-shirt fundraisers with proceeds going to the rescue and relief efforts. This year we have been fortunate to study with our senior Iyengar Yoga teachers. In September, Mary Obendorfer and Eddy Marks were in Dallas, Jaki Nett was in Austin, and Rebecca Lerner in Houston. In Dallas, John Schumacher returned for his famous arm
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
balances workshop, and in November Jawahar Bangera brought his wisdom to us. These wonderful workshops help us develop more understanding and deepen our practice. We are blessed to have Guruji’s teachings passed down to us by these teachers and thank them for traveling great distances to teach us. Information and updates from our region may be found on our website at www.IYASCUS.org and on Facebook. Our region is thriving, and we welcome all of you to come visit us soon.
IYASE The Iyengar Yoga Association Southeast (IYASE) sponsors general admission and teacher training workshops one or two times each year. Our schedule for workshops currently extends through 2019. In 2017, IYASE sponsored a joint Introductory and Intermediate Junior I teacher training taught by Kathleen Pringle (CIYT Intermediate Senior I). We also sponsored a “Yoga to Alleviate Anxiety and Depression” general workshop taught by Juliana Fair (CIYT Intermediate Senior I). In March 2018, IYASE will sponsor an Intermediate Junior I and II teacher training workshop in Miami, Florida, titled “Taking the Mystery Out of Shoulder Balance” with Bobbi Goldin (CIYT Intermediate Junior III). In July 2018, there will be a workshop open to all with a focus on knees in Louisville, Kentucky, with Colleen Gallagher (CIYT Intermediate Senior I). Registration is open now for the March 2018 workshop. For more information and to register, go to http://iyaseteachertraining-march18.eventzilla.net. Current IYASE members are eligible for scholarships and can download applications at www.iyase.org. In August, a group of dedicated Iyengar Yoga practitioners and teachers completed our 2017 Audubon Yoga Studio Teacher Training in New Orleans. The late Karin O’Bannon started the Audubon Yoga Studio Teacher Training program in 2009. It is taught by CIYT Intermediate Senior I teacher Randy Just. Over four weekends throughout the year, students come from all over the country to participate in the encouraging, fun, and challenging sessions. Many participants have gone on to pass various levels of Iyengar Yoga certification through the years. In this program, students learn more than just how to teach. They also learn to deepen their practice and come to understand the richness and integrity of Iyengar Yoga. The 2018 dates for the course are Jan. 19–21, March 2–4, June 1–3 and August 3–5. Please contact the Audubon Yoga Studio if you are interested in joining the program.
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Now students practice with a rich array of props, including a trestle, benches, and a rope wall. The student body is diverse in age, ability, and experience. Marcus says, “We share a commitment to Guruji’s work and to sangha—community.” Iyengar Yoga continues to grow in the Southeast. For almost 10 years, Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers and students held classes at the multidisciplinary Rosemary Court Yoga Center in Sarasota, Florida. Susan Marcus (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) and Deborah DiCarlo (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), grew their community and imagined having a space of their own. In August 2017, with Marcus at the helm, Sarasota Iyengar Yoga moved into its new home—literally a little house near the happening downtown. Now students practice with a rich array of props, including a trestle, benches, and a rope wall. The student body is diverse in age, ability, and experience. Owner Marcus says, “We share a commitment to Guruji’s work and to sangha—community. Some reside here year-round, and we welcome visitors, snowbirds, and new arrivals to sunny Sarasota. Come practice with us!” The only Iyengar Yoga studio in Charlottesville, Virginia, Allied Yoga, was on the brink of closing earlier this year. However, two devoted students and a certified teacher stepped in to keep it open with the new name Iyengar Yoga of Charlottesville. The new owners plan to devote a lot of energy to outreach and education and hope to introduce the magic of Iyengar Yoga to as many new students as possible. The community is grateful for their devotion.
IYASW Through the punishing summer heat, Arizona Iyengar Yoga students stayed dedicated to their practice. Katherine Maltz of The B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Studio of Tucson commented that “they had an active and busy summer despite the intense heat in Tucson.” SCC Yoga/Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale also saw a greater number of students committing to ongoing practice. This lead up to a busy fall as The B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Studio of Tucson welcomed Dean Lerner for his yearly visit to the Southwest. All the Iyengar Yoga students in Arizona are thankful
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that he comes to teach, and all continue to be thankful that Katherine sponsors this event. SCC Yoga/Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale saw a record number of students register for classes in the fall. Many came because of their interest in studying Iyengar Yoga as the community continues to grow. This fall a new ropes class was offered, utilizing the new rope wall. SCC Yoga/Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale in collaboration with IYASW also sponsored an Iyengar Yoga assessment in October, hosting candidates and assessors from around the country. Thankfully the weather had begun to cool so the visitors could enjoy the beauty of Scottsdale and the surrounding Sonoran desert. Marivic Wrobel, president of IYASW, and Carrie Abts, treasurer, attended the Sedona Yoga Festival to represent Iyengar Yoga at this popular yearly event. They were joined by volunteers Michele Cook, Jean Saad, and Steph and Robin Rubin to operate a booth providing information about Iyengar Yoga complete with books, brochures, and their personal testimony as to the benefits of this practice. Marivic Wrobel taught an Introduction to Iyengar Yoga asana class that was very popular with the festival goers. Because of the success of this event in 2017, IYASW will participate again in 2018 and will offer more classes. Congratulations to Terese Ireland of Tucson for passing Intermediate Junior I and Lily Tista of Pinetop for passing Introductory I in 2016. We are very proud of these new Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers and are very glad to see our community of certified teachers grow. Lauren Barnert-Hosie (CIYT) and Carlyn Sikes (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) completed their three-year Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics Training for Teachers with Manouso Manos. These ladies also received their CYT from International Association of Yoga Therapists. Carlyn Sikes completed a research article titled “Your Health is in Your Posture” through a grant issued by Maricopa County Community College District Professional Growth. The current IYASW Board, which has done great work promoting the growth of Iyengar Yoga in Arizona, is completing its term of service in May 2018. The board positions of president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary are open. Please consider volunteering for the IYASW Board and continuing the work that has begun in making Iyengar Yoga more well known throughout Arizona.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
YOGA TECH
FROM DVDS TO FACETIME, HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN DEEPEN PRACTICE
By Heather Haxo Phillips
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n today’s parlance, we would call our Guruji an “early adopter”—a person who starts using a technology as soon as it becomes available. When he was a teenager, Guruji was willing to use any medium to inspire others to practice yoga. Imagine the year 1938: The first commercial films made in India were gaining popularity, but few people had cameras of their own. Yet there was Guruji, participating in the first known yoga demonstration ever to be captured on film.
Decades later, when TVs appeared in most households, he was on every show that invited him, demystifying the practice, making it both accessible and exciting to viewers so they would take up a practice of their own. Today, technology plays an equally important part in spreading the practice of yoga. So much has changed since the days when Guruji was the only Iyengar teaching yoga. We now have access to his family, to senior teachers in India, and to thousands of other Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs) worldwide. But also, anyone who has access to an internet connection can create their own deeply personal and personalized practice. That is not to say that the direct guru-sisya relationship is not tremendously important. The practice has to be handed down in person from teacher to student, with the right information given at the right time to progress in the practice. Yet technology today is so varied, so vast, that it creates incredible opportunities to propel us in valuable ways. My first direct experience with technology in yoga was around the year 2000. I had been going to classes for several years, no longer a complete novice but completely dependent on my teacher for guidance. I was offered an opportunity of a lifetime— to move to Beirut to start a nonprofit organization. My one hesitation about moving across the world was leaving my yoga classes. How would I survive without my teacher’s guidance? Unsure of what to do on my own, I slipped an AM/PM yoga DVD featuring Patricia Walden into my suitcase. I decided to let Patricia be my guide! Having no home practice whatsoever, I completely relied on Patricia every day for the months I lived in Beirut. Each evening, I pulled out my very heavy laptop and let Patricia direct me as the sun set over the Mediterranean. Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
In the weeks and months after each workshop, I return to the audios again and again. Those months in Beirut with Patricia by my side were deeply transformative. I learned that I could practice on my own. I went from doing yoga twice a week to doing yoga every day. I saw how much my body and mind could transform with a daily practice. Stateside, my yoga life continued with technology firmly in it. I was still a novice, but somehow, I got talked into teaching yoga (I guess the daily practice had taken hold in my body, and I showed some tiny amount of promise). Eventually I became certified and continued my studies, listening to audio classes from my trips to Pune, taking careful notes, and bringing what I could into my own teaching. And then when I was preparing for my Intermediate Junior II assessment, I got stuck. Where could I learn these Junior II poses? I wasn’t learning them in class. Luckily, I discovered the website iHanuman and realized I could download audio classes with John Schumacher. Over several years of studying for the assessment, I downloaded dozens of asana and pranayama classes with John. I felt like I got to know everyone in class—including his students and assistants. I felt hot even in January, because John’s class that day had been recorded in August when it was sweltering. I tried out the knee pain variations even when my knee was fine. I groaned at certain poses, along with the rest of the class. In some ways, it was a surreal experience. I studied “with” John as often as I studied with my local teacher. I took all 11
The most innovative uses of technology provide platforms where we teach and learn in a deep and sustained way. his advice, though it was never offered to me personally. So was John my teacher? No, he wasn’t. But John was part of my support team. And I studied with him enough that it seemed important to reach out and create an actual relationship. I helped organize a trip for him to the San Francisco Institute and made sure to take his class at the 2013 IYNAUS convention in San Diego. When it came time for me to develop my own pranayama course, I reached out to John for advice. He responded immediately with incredible generosity, not knowing me but trusting me nevertheless. Using technology in my yoga practice and ongoing studies has given me direct access to particular knowledge when I’ve needed it. Despite being on opposite coasts, John and I have developed an actual student-teacher relationship in a limited but critically important way. I have been lucky enough to do two assessments at Unity Woods with students I knew from his online classes and with John actually in the room. Our smartphones have also revolutionized practice in so many ways. We can “voice memo” classes and workshops and use pictures to document setups to try at home. I have done informal recordings of every Lois Steinberg workshop I have taken since the day I got my iphone. In the weeks and months after each workshop, I return to the audios again and again. I especially rely on them when I am traveling and without my local mentor for weeks at a time. Even without a smartphone, you can have the Iyengars with you every day if you want. Every major convention has been carefully recorded and edited for all of us to enjoy. The online store at www.IYNAUS.org has nearly all the American conventions. These classes offer a trove of riches as valuable today as when they were recorded. It’s fun to watch clips of these videos at home and with others. Especially if you mentor others, these videos are a critical way for students to feel connected directly to the Iyengar family. Want to get started right away? Go online and search “Master Class with B.K.S. Iyengar London 1985.” Watch the video, and take part in the class. Better yet—project the video onto the studio walls where you practice, and invite your students and colleagues to join you in “taking the class.” Senior teacher Carolyn Belko did this at her center. It was a popular event and the studio was packed mat to mat.
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Today, technology affords us all more opportunities than ever. Those of us who enjoy Facebook have benefited tremendously from the videos and quotes that social media provides. For example, a group of ladies from New Zealand wrote daily dispatches from RIMYI on the ropes course that Geeta taught this summer. The pictures and descriptions were so vivid, I was able to take it directly into my practice and teaching. No longer do we have to wait months for our friends to bring us CDs from RIMYI. Now we can benefit from the teachings on the same day. We benefit and our students benefit. Instagram is another platform that can be a tremendous source of information on how to use certain props or how to address certain issues. In the same way that Guruji used pictures in Light on Yoga to instruct us as we approach our practice at home, Instagram can be a similar tool for investigation and inspiration. Last month, I hosted a teacher gathering to discuss what to do when a pregnant woman shows up in a regular class. We invited one of our pregnant students and together with the teachers, we practiced many of the most important poses. There was one particular setup I just couldn’t get quite right, so we returned again and again to a particular picture I had stored from Lois’ pregnancy workshop in 2014. Other poses were much more familiar to us and came easily. One of our colleagues documented the session with pictures, and we were able to narrate it using the Instagram Story function to help others in our community spark their own personal study. It was a student who pushed me to venture into Instagram in the first place. Yogi Zain Syed encouraged me to be an “early adopter,” patiently explaining all the different social media platforms and how to use them to communicate Iyengar Yoga effectively. In fact, he launched the social media program for Adeline Yoga and then went on to develop his own niche, combining his passion for Iyengar Yoga and videography with his DJ skills. And now yogis from around the globe can enjoy and learn from his artful videos. These social media platforms are helpful teaching tools, but they also help our Iyengar Yoga family get to know each other better and stay in touch. They give us a forum to be creative and express ourselves to a larger audience. The most innovative uses of technology provide platforms where we teach and learn in a deep and sustained way. In my teacher education program, it is important to connect participants to the lineage of Iyengar Yoga. I introduce my students to the Iyengar family as well as to the senior teachers who have impacted my personal practice. Students learn in a variety of ways: They have to see, hear, and experience. So instead of relying on books and my personal stories, I include videos as homework assignments so my students can develop their own connection to the Iyengars.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
In the first month of the program, we contemplate the term sadhana. I assign the video of Geetaji’s discourse on sadhana as a way for students to tease out what sadhana can mean to them personally. Much later, we get to Marichyasana III, a pose with many approaches. I assign videos of Marichyasana III as taught by Rebecca Lerner and as taught by Lois Steinberg. Students practice it both ways and write an essay comparing, contrasting, and applying the techniques in their own body. You can find these videos yourself on the Roads to Bliss website for your own compare-contrast experience. The Roads to Bliss videos are incredible learning tools and worth checking out if you haven’t already. Technology not only helps the students in the room, but it also helps students far away. Over the past two years, Carolyn Belko has been my main mentor. Monthly, I have been flying 500 miles to study with her—but what about weekly classes? Carolyn has opened my eyes to the opportunities. First, she invited me to Facetime into her weekly advanced class, which works amazingly well. I have a yoga buddy who patches me into class, setting me up on a stool right next to all the mats. I am part of the class but practicing from my studio at home. She catches my mistakes and encourages me as if I were right there with them. Other times, I have actually been in Carolyn’s studio during peer teaching sessions while the peer teaching us handstand was in Oregon. It seems highly unusual, but this does work very well for us. In part, it works because the person teaching from Oregon is a long-time colleague and already an experienced teacher. Also, we keep the setup to only one long-distance student among a group of students in person together, with a senior teacher present. Of course, my colleague misses out on the opportunity to physically help us get into Adho Mukha Vrksasana, but nonetheless, she can participate and gain knowledge when otherwise she would have been completely left out. The use of technology is exciting, but I do not recommend that everyone run out and start pressuring their teachers to get on the bandwagon. It works for Carolyn because she is excited about technology and its ability to bridge the distance with her students. Teachers and students need to be interested in using technology and sticking with it even if a call drops in the middle of class. Not every technology works for everyone. Years ago, excited by my experience with iHanuman and John Schumacher, I signed up to be an iHanuman teacher myself. It took me exactly three classes before I dropped the idea. The iphone and lavalier microphone combination that was strapped to my arm made my demonstrations clumsy and put a psychological barrier between me and the students in front of me. At the same time, I felt disconnected to any potential students who might be listening. Realizing that I just wanted to teach the students in front of me was a valuable lesson, and I let go of my audio dream.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Tech Resources for Yogis IYNAUS Video Collection: Find a long list of YouTube videos featuring Iyengar Yoga, including interviews, lectures and demonstrations, examples of teaching from various classes in Pune, as well as conventions led by B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and many senior teachers. https://iynaus.org/articles-essays/videos iHanuman: Download audio classes with John Schumacher, Lois Steinberg, Kofi Busia, Elise Miller, Bobby Clennell, and many more. Or, sign up to offer audio classes of your own. www.ihanuman.com Iyengar Yoga 101 With Carrie Owerko: Take this online yoga course as part of AIM Healthy U. www.aimhealthyu. com/courses/iyengar-101-reg John Schumacher Yoga: Download audio classes, including pranayama, asana, and more with John Schumacher. www.schumacheryoga.com/ Roads to Bliss: Discover free video clips with senior Iyengar Yoga teachers from around the country. www. youtube.com/user/Roads2bliss Vimeo: Type “Iyengar Yoga” into the search tool to find many snippets as well as full-length presentations from aspiring teachers on up to B.K.S. Iyengar. www.vimeo.com IYNAUS Facebook page: Read posts from Iyengar Yoga practitioners around the world, sharing inspiring teaching tips, videos, quotes, and sequences. www.facebook.com/ IYNAUS Instagram: Sign up and search for “Iyengar Yoga” to find and follow Iyengar Yoga practitioners around the world posting interesting prop setups and more. www.instagram.com Skype: Try “skyping” with your colleagues to share teaching techniques, or skype in a student who is far away. www.skype.com FaceTime: Use this built-in iPhone app in the same way as Skype to connect with students and colleagues over long distance. FaceTime can also be downloaded for Android smartphones or for use on a PC or Mac-based desktop computer. IYNAUS member benefits: Login at www.IYNAUS.org, and click the “Member Benefits” tab to see sequences, interviews, as well as audio and video recordings for members only. 13
Yogi Zain’s Recommended Instagrammers sadhanaayoga Rochester-based CIYT who started and led one of the first Iyengar Yoga “Instagram Challenges” this past summer. Less of a contest and more of a tribute for Guru Purnima, it was wonderful to see yogis from around the world participate daily for the two weeks of the challenge, which included an asana of the day and some kind of tribute to Guruji and his teachings. A fun mix of photos honoring her sadhana and Indian heritage. elegantganeshayoga A teacher friend from Austin who captures great studio and practice shots, which speak to the essence of Iyengar Yoga practice. She also does some really cool cut-and-paste artwork using Guruji’s photos from Light on Yoga juxtaposed over collage backgrounds. Great Instagram to check out! zeynstuff Turkish-born and Brooklyn-based Iyengar Yoga practitioner who shows fun practice photos as well as shots of her handmade yoga accessories from Etsy yogacordium Nashville-based CIYT mixes rock ‘n’ roll with Iyengar Yoga. Love it! iyengar_yoga_miami_beach Fun and engaging updates from this Iyengar Yoga center in Miami funwithprops Fun with props :) carrieowerko Carrie posts high-quality streaming videos of her Iyengar Yoga chair material. bobby_clennell Bobby shares her art and teachings. adelineyogastudio We have a wonderful shutterbug at the studio taking live action shots of classes taught by Michael Lucey, Heather Haxo Phillips, and Anneke Faas.
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Adeline Yoga student Katrina Totten filming Yogi Zain Photo: Jon-Mycal Cox
Even so, this method of long-distance study has given me the courage and experience to help others. Last year, a student from St. Lucia contacted me—who’s 4,000 miles away. Lenka Gargalovicova wanted to become a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher but was doubtful of the possibility given that she had no access to a mentor qualified to do teacher education at that time. We carefully mapped out a plan—several months of in-person study combined with classes with her local teacher, long-distance assignments, and plenty of Facetime. It worked. St. Lucia now has its second Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher. Where will technology and Iyengar Yoga go next? Already, meeting-sharing services are helping us organize regional activities here in the Bay Area as well as business training support through IYNAUS. Nothing can replace in-person learning and the deep somatic experience of being directly connected to your teacher. But technology can truly bring us together and inform our practice. It can also deliver Iyengar Yoga to bigger audiences in a variety of authentic and meaningful ways. Heather Haxo Phillips (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) is the director of Adeline Yoga Studio and former president of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco/Iyengar Yoga Association of Northern California. You can find her using technology at www.instagram.com/adelineyogastudio, at www.instagram.com/heatherhaxo, and on Facebook. Search for “Heather Haxo Phillips Yoga.” Please send any thoughts or suggestions to heather@adelineyoga.com.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
PRACTICING THE SOCIAL BODY: YOGA, RACE, FREEDOM BY KRIS MANJAPRA
“ We forward in this generation Triumphantly Won't you help me sing These songs of freedom? 'cause all I ever have Redemption songs” —Bob Marley, Redemption Song
Lucilda Dassardo-Cooper
Yoga practice is a kind of music. At its core, yoga, like music, is about vibration, after all. The vibration we feel in the body, like vibration in the universe, is the original principle of existence. If all life has breath, then all existence has vibration. Yoga plays an important role in awakening the deep bodily vibrations that move us to freedom. But what is this “body” that we play in yoga practice? What is its scope and what is its nature? We know the body is more than our limbs and sense organs. We practice Iyengar Yoga because at the core of our method is the insight that the body has many sheaths, and we can access the subtler layers through the more apparent ones. I have come to understand the social body as one of these sheaths. It consists of the subtler historical tissues that make us up, and the legacies of social experience and social power that tie us together. The social body is the connective tissue that ties me to you. And the social body is in pain.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
In Iyengar Yoga, we gain attentiveness to the body in a lifelong pursuit of integration and freedom. Racism in America is one major source of this pain, alongside patriarchy, sexism, and greed. Structural racism ensures that some groups in society are systematically disempowered, given limited access to wealth, education, health care, and the vote. Cultural racism alienates minoritized people from their own bodies and cultures, demanding that they cede to the values and judgments of the dominant group. And interpersonal racism covers up the actual interdependence between peoples, and instead creates a world of self versus other. After 500 years of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and “the New Jim Crow” today, defined by civic disempowerment, police violence, and mass incarceration, Black people know that the social body is in pain. But it is not just Black Americans who have an
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internal, situated knowledge of this pain. Native peoples also know the pain that courses through the social body, given the seizure of their lands and their forced displacement over the past 500 years of settler colonialism. Asian Americans, especially Muslim Americans, subjected to exclusion laws and Orientalist stereotypes for hundreds of years, also know about this ongoing social trauma. Jewish Americans know of the longterm genocidal record of Christian ethno-nationalism and the deep social scars it leaves. And Latino people know the pain of the social body too, as the bully pulpit preaches “a great wall” and deportation, while English-speaking society claims paternal superiority over Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking cultures.
In the Relational Body workshops, yoga does not serve as a retreat from the world. Rather, yoga takes our attention where it needs to go—to social experience. Yoga practice serves to bring us closer to the pain of the social body, but in a transformative way. We do this by acknowledging and talking about the effects of racialization on our physical and emotional experience. We complement asana practice with small group discussion and intentional exercises such as listening to music, journaling, and art-making. Placing asana in a social context allows us to keep vigil with groups that contend with the effects of race in America. We “try a little tenderness” together, as the Queen of Soul sings.
As yoga practitioners, we know that “liberation is near for those who are intense in practice” (YS I.21). Yet, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, a queer Black woman and Buddhist monk, reminds us that “liberation cannot be achieved alone.”
“ But it’s all so easy All you got to do is try Try a little tenderness”
“ Come on, sister, come along… we’re almost home.”
We can use asana practice and sequencing in the way a singer uses musical notes and the voice: We transform the social order from within by creatively rearranging it. In practice, I have co-taught workshops with Lucilda Dassardo-Cooper, Annie Hoffmann, Nadja Refaie, and Betty Burkes. Collaborative teaching changes the dynamic in the room. By co-teaching, the classroom is already opened up as a community space and convened in concert. The workshops are also donation-based, so there is no financial barrier to participation.
—Sweet Honey in the Rock, We’re Almost Home What does Iyengar Yoga do in response to this ongoing and articulating social pain, expressed by intersecting experiences of race in America? B.K.S. Iyengar developed a method of yoga that put focus on detailed instruction, the art of sequencing, therapeutics, and the use of the body as an instrument of meditation. In Iyengar Yoga, we gain attentiveness to the body in a lifelong pursuit of integration and freedom. But what is the connection between the study of our personal body and the study of the social body, which is in such pain? This question is important to me, especially since the typical Iyengar Yoga class in the United States is a very white space, in which whiteness and class privilege is continuously, if unconsciously, re-enacted and performed. How do we recognize our social ties and our responsibilities to each other in and through the way we teach and practice yoga, and thus practice for the social body? Two years ago, I started to explore this question and began teaching Iyengar Yoga classes for people of color and their allies. In addition to weekly classes, I also offered special workshops from time to time, beginning with a “Yoga in Troubled Times” workshop co-taught with my teacher, Patricia Walden. Recently, these endeavors have developed into a workshop series called, “The Relational Body,” in which we use yoga to explore our responsibilities to each other.
“ Words, sounds, speech, men, memory, thoughts, fears and emotions, time— all related, all made from one... all made in one.”
—Aretha Franklin, Try a Little Tenderness
Before the asana practice, we start off working with soft tissue. A friend, Bo Forbes, showed me how to use a tennis ball in class to bring students’ awareness to particular parts of the body, such as the trapezius, the pectorals, or the buttocks. “Ball work” invites students to shower a particular part of the body with tender attention, while also physiologically hydrating the tissue. Students come to use their interoception, or their internal awareness, to recognize places of tension or even unexpected stores of pain. The use of the ball allows students to pause in places of discomfort and work intelligently around them. We always integrate music, especially the music of the Black American tradition, into the workshops. This showcases a long and deep musical tradition, with profound insight into the meaning of freedom. We use a mix of blues, reggae, jazz, and gospel. After the introductory work, the workshops turn to asana sequences, but in a thematic mode that helps explore the connective tissue of social life. For example, we might do asanas that ground the legs and buttocks in order to address the disembodiment and alienation that racialization produces. On another occasion, we might do asanas such as twists and bandhas that press parts of the body into other parts to address the ways racialization impresses itself on the skin. If race writes a script on our flesh, yoga asanas can serve to rewrite that script.
—John Coltrane, Love Supreme 16
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
We can use asana practice and sequencing in the way a singer uses musical notes and the voice: We transform the social order from within by creatively rearranging it. the class. We also incorporate a sharing circle at the end of each workshop, allowing time to reflect on and integrate as a group the insights that come out of our embodied, communitybased inquiry into freedom. This workshop approach, in which asana practice is cradled by a set of intentional activities that acknowledge the effects of race on the social body, leaves us with an awareness of our interconnection. We feel we have played the body’s music together and sharpened our social intelligence.
Lucilda Dassardo-Cooper
We use chest-opening poses and backward bends to lift the heart, the site of passion and compassion, and to energize the throat from which we speak out against injustice. In another class, we might use restorative asanas, especially ones that support and spread the chest, to illuminate the way racialization seeks to contain people in small boxes. In yoga, we experience the expansion of space as we feel ourselves crossing internal limits into boundlessness. Space unfolds, and this experience provides an embodied way of counteracting racial containment. I was inspired to take this thematic approach to asana practice from the work of Gwi-Seok Hong, who also connects yoga to the experience of the social body in her “Yoga for Brown and Black” classes in Detroit. Both Gwi-Seok and I recognize the great wealth of the Iyengar Yoga method’s repertoire of sequencing, which can be deployed to address the themes of social justice in our classes. In the two-hour Relational Body workshops, we also make time to feel the social bonds in the yoga room itself and to be in community with others. After asana practice, we reserve time for artistic activity, such as journaling, poetry writing, or drawing, which allows participants to create an imprint or “signature” of their experience that they might choose to share with others in
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Such relational yoga practice does not retreat from the world but listens for the calling beyond the yoga mat. Spinning out from the workshops, we have started a collaboration with an inner-city public school to teach yoga to students. As opposed to a missionizing project, which involves “parachuting in” without context and imposing foreign practices, we would like to evolve a practice of “going there,” in which yoga serves as a bridge and an invitation to collaborate with communities that know first-hand the pain of the whole social body and that live at the flashpoint of this society’s ongoing violence of racialization. Iyengar Yoga has a calling in these critical times and in these flashpoints of race in America. Prashant Iyengar has said that our method sees asana postures as “iconic forms.” These forms are not meant to impose a universal shape on each body or create a top-down ideal of perfection. Rather, they bring our attention to a vast array of relationships: shoulder to hip, skin to flesh, outer world to inner world, and so on. The iconic forms of asana serve to create an embodied, physical experience of stability and balance—making our own bodies into objects for meditation, so that we can embark on the inward journey to freedom. We use our own bodies as instruments for objective study, while we also inhabit the instrument from within. In Iyengar Yoga, embodiment is subject and object simultaneously, which opens up a glorious path of succor and liberation. Iyengar Yoga is especially primed to address the pain of the social body, if only we allow social dynamics to be recognized within the ambit of our practice. Feedback from the workshops allows us to hear the voice of students. “This was divine for me, to do yoga in a space, conducted by a person of color, with such integrity and inclusivity. This is yoga. This is the world I want to live in,” wrote one student.
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Another student shared, “I was honored to be part of something that brings yoga and our connection to the world together. We are exploring an educational crossroad here.” And another participant contributed, “As a person of color, it is so encouraging and lovely to be in a space with other people of color, which is so rare for both Boston and the yoga community.” By practicing the social body, we develop receptiveness to the social responsibilities that result from our involvement in each other’s histories. We develop the capacity to linger in places of soreness and social pain, so as to transcend that pain through creativity. And we tap into archives of bodily intelligence that come out of our own varied cultural backgrounds and memories. We bring the world into the yoga room, as opposed to feigning retreat from it.
wounds of the social world. We have the ability to riff, improvise, and make music in yoga. This rhythm and resonance, for the liberation of the social body, is something that our times are calling for—and something that our yoga practice should cultivate.
“ May the heavy become light, May what’s ill become well, May what’s violent become peace, May rage be settled, May the idea of enemy be banished, May actions be filled with sincere purpose, May wellness be illuminated, May gifts be recognized, May all that we know to BE LOVE, Pour out and overflow, Wherever it is needed.” —Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, Be Love
When we introduce the language and themes of social justice into our teaching, a door to freedom and transformation is automatically opened. When we teach in collaboration, the spirit of community flows into the class. Yoga practice can be about hearing the polyrhythms and the vibrations, tarrying with the tensions and the pressures, and dealing with the scars and the
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Kris Manjapra (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) teaches in Cambridge, MA, and is a professor of history at Tufts University.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
IYENGAR YOGA ON CAMPUS
HOW CIYTS AT UWM ADAPT TO THE UNIVERSITY SETTING— AND SPREAD YOGA BENEFITS TO A WIDE RANGE OF STUDENTS
BY ANNIE MELCHIOR University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus
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hen I experienced my first Iyengar Yoga class, it was in the summer of 1995 in a studio in the Dance Department of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). It was taught with clarity, good humor, and engaging energy by Janet Lilly. I had taken some yoga classes previously, but this was different. This seminal experience lit a fire in me, stoked by the hallmarks of B.K.S. Iyengar’s teaching and practice: attention to detail and precision in action, intelligence of sequencing, and the artful use of props. I was particularly sparked by Janet’s ability to combine the intensity of the physical practice with a sense of humor and direction of mental attention, focus, and imagination—the perfect combination to make me a practitioner for life. It wasn’t just the body. This approach to asana also acknowledged the mind. For those who are used to practicing in a yoga studio, it might seem odd to take class on a college campus. But for me, it was obvious. The universality of Iyengar Yoga in the context of the university: a comprehensive integration of the body, mind, and spirit.
Many students assume that yoga will be “an easy A” but quickly discover and are actually happy to learn that there is much more required.
Beginnings Today at UWM, we have a thriving yoga program that is part of the Somatics track in the Dance Department of the Peck School of the Arts (PSOA). The program provides multiple sections of Introduction to Iyengar Yoga to the campus community, enrolling hundreds of students each semester (an intermediate level course is also offered every three semesters to meet demand). When Janet Lilly (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) was a new faculty member, then-chair Professor Marcia Parsons wanted to include yoga in the dance curriculum as a complement to other technique classes, a means to enhance body awareness, and as an aid in recuperation and to prevent injury. The course began with a focus on dance majors but quickly expanded its student population to include non-majors, attracted in large part because the course carries three credits in the Arts as a General Education Requirement (GER) course. Initially called “Yoga for Dancers,” DANCE 103 was renamed Introduction to Iyengar Yoga once Lilly became certified through IYNAUS. The course was immediately popular, starting with one section of 40 students and expanding to multiple sections as more Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers emerged. “This course also helped to develop and sustain the Iyengar Yoga community in Milwaukee,” says Lilly, who is now Chair of Dance at the Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
University of North Carolina-Greensboro. “Certified instructors with a proven track record were mentored into adjunct teaching positions at UWM.”
More Than Asana Introduction to Iyengar Yoga is primarily an asana class, but because it carries the three GER arts credits and also delivers the university’s shared system learning outcomes, requirements include two written assignments (a svadhyaya—self-study— paper and a written response to a dance or movement performance), a midterm and final examination (written and practicum, or demonstration), as well as quizzes and reading assignments drawn from the textbook for the course, B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga, in addition to the practice of asana in class. Many students assume that yoga will be “an easy A” but quickly discover and are actually happy to learn that there is much more required—not the least of which is exposure to the other limbs of yoga and a focus on and appreciation and implementation of the yamas and niyamas, also referred to as the Ten Ethical Principles, to complement asana study and practice. Implementing the Introductory I & II asana syllabi in the IYNAUS system, students become adept at the standing poses, 19
Students at the University of Wisconsin's DANCE 103 class: Introduction to Iyengar Yoga
seated poses and twists, beginning spinal extensions, and inversions such as shoulder stand and headstand. In some sections, students are assigned poses, put into groups and asked to create a sequence from the poses learned to that point in the semester. Each student in the group teaches a pose to their peers from the sequence as a midterm or final assessment. Students learn and practice the physical art form of yoga asana and learn about the other limbs, moving toward an integration of the corporeal and the intellectual—all the while achieving so many of the benefits we all experience through the practice of Iyengar Yoga: reduced stress and anxiety, improved concentration, balance, coordination, strength, vitality, and a quieting of the mind. Hundreds of students learning Iyengar Yoga each semester—what a concept!
A new model The system of Iyengar Yoga is well-suited to this academic environment—the art and science of yoga can be explored in this context because our method has a structure and is progressive. Students come to appreciate that they can improve on many of the physical and mental levels of yoga practice because of a regular engagement with the postures, breathing techniques, and focusing the mind. Considering the differences found between the studio setting and this academic one, the many positive results of the combination of a method that is systematic and progressive with the requirements of the university produce an approach that could actually benefit teaching in the studio as well. The differences in the student body between the private studio and the university setting are notable. By and large, students at the university are younger, though many are returning students, including veterans. They come from diverse racial, ethnic, 20
socioeconomic, and sexual orientation backgrounds, and the range in ability is great: We can have athletes and students stiff from sitting all day in the same class. Teaching yoga to this diverse population is a testing ground for how material is presented and what it takes to be a competent teacher in a large group (classes range from 25–34 students per section) with so many variables. Students who start yoga in the studio tend to be more mature, and they arrive with an interest in yoga that may predispose them to focusing and benefitting from the practices faster; however, both populations come to yoga with preconceptions. People seeking out yoga in a studio setting may have ideas about what yoga is, based on prior experience, so expectations can be in place that need to be examined and possibly released. University students may have chosen this class to fulfill their arts GER requirement and may have a vague idea or curiosity about yoga, but many were not necessarily seeking out a yoga class with the same intention as a person signing up for a series in a studio. Because students are taking the class for credit, they are much less likely to stop showing up or drop the class—which is easier to do in a studio. “They can’t just walk away if they are having a hard time,” says instructor Sara Arends Haggith (CIYT). “Something may come up in their lives—at the end of the semester, for example, but in a university course, there’s more at stake; students can’t just stop coming.” Arends Haggith says it’s great to see people work through difficult times and use yoga to transform themselves. Students overcome obstacles in the context of the class that carry over to other areas of their lives. Curricular guidelines and criteria (such as the GER outcomes noted earlier) and federal regulations such as Title IX and the ADA require that we accept all students into these classes. Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
The fact that hundreds of students each semester are learning techniques to improve their overall health and well-being, while at the same time developing their ability to be kinder to other people, is a gift. While these added challenges can be difficult to navigate, especially in times when budgets in public higher education continue to be reduced, working with campus support services can produce positive outcomes that offer even greater opportunities for learning and growth. For example, the semesters when deaf students and their interpreters were present brought an added experience of inclusivity to the class, as well as improvements in my teaching. I could see if those students were getting what we were doing and what I was describing—this experience helped me fine tune my descriptions and language. According to instructor Alex Hansen (CIYT), “Because we are bound by the rules of a public university, including Title IX and nondiscriminatory policies, there are checks and balances that require us to continue making Iyengar Yoga more accessible— just like we do in a public institution and less like a private studio or corporation.” Teaching methodologies change in this setting. University-based Iyengar Yoga classes are faster paced—we don’t use as much time for demonstrations and students spend more time in motion, integrating actions from pose to pose. “[We] are less rigid in our methodology, but you still feel the difference and know it’s an Iyengar Yoga class,” says Tracey Radloff (CIYT Intermediate Junior I). “The intention is the same. The focus is there.” Surya Namaskarasana is safer when you understand the actions of the poses you are doing—and it’s a good way to liven up a sometimes sleepy group. Energy and humor is a requirement to teach in this setting. “We can hold them to high standards—we are specific in our instruction and systematic in our sequencing—and, we can do this with a sense of humor,” says Arends Haggith, who also teaches an Iyengar Yoga class at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Onward We have something special at UWM that has proven effective: the anecdotal data from the majority of the self-study papers reflect that this class has had a positive impact on the lives of the students. In fact, many students note that they feel the course would benefit everyone on campus—that it could be a required course for all students—and the benefits to students and the campus community, indeed the community beyond the university, would multiply. Students often comment that the secular ethics of the yamas and niyamas are an important Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
aspect of the course that improves the quality of their lives. Given the stability of the curriculum and how the program has grown at UWM (we also offer lunchtime classes to university employees), we may actually be in a position to offer more yoga in different configurations in the university setting than what is offered in traditional studio environments. Expanding the Iyengar Yoga community to include more people of all ages and from all backgrounds could be fostered by the all-access approach we strive to accommodate in university classes. “The potential for more interdisciplinary connections in higher education between yoga and other schools or departments— philosophy, comparative religions, public health, kinesiology— could be developed further,” says Lilly, “Getting more yoga into the university setting requires people who will advocate for it. As time goes on, it’s possible that faculty in other [academic] areas who become teachers could be more engaged in crossdisciplinary opportunities; the question is how to coordinate those initiatives.” Many students entering today’s university setting face myriad individual and social challenges, adapting to a life far flung from the support network of family and childhood friends. While modern technology can help them stay in touch, it can also lead to isolation, a lack of interaction with others, and even a marked decrease in compassionate behavior. Students participating in the yoga program at UWM have remarked that their practice has helped them find a path toward alleviating stress and enhancing their resilience. The fact that hundreds of students each semester are learning techniques to improve their overall health and well-being, while at the same time developing their ability to be kinder to other people, is a gift. Like all gifts, it increases in power as it creates a ripple effect throughout each circle it touches—students, campus, and the community at large. I hope our work at UWM, outside of the traditional studio setting, will benefit the broader yoga community by encouraging Iyengar Yoga teachers to explore the many ways we can deliver these valuable teachings, enabling the transformative power of yoga to reach the greatest number of people. Annie Melchior (CIYT) has been a student of Iyengar Yoga since 1995 and a teacher since 2001. After many years of service as an arts administrator, she transitioned to being a full-time instructor in 2008, teaching many sections of Introduction to Iyengar Yoga. She also serves as the coordinator of the yoga program in the Dance Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Annie is also active in IYNAUS, serving as treasurer for IYAMW from 2012–2015. She can be contacted at melchior@uwm.edu.
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2019 NATIONAL CONVENTION DALLAS, TX SHERATON HOTEL 400 NORTH OLIVE STREET
WITH ABHIJATA IYENGAR APRIL 11–17TH, 2019 PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS. We are pleased to announce the 2019 National Convention with Abhijata. The arrival and registration date is April 11TH, classes convene on April 12-17TH. Website and more details soon to come.
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Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
EXPLORATION. TRANSFORMATION. EVOLUTION. BY GARTH MCLEAN
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he word “evolution” implies a starting point from which a process or series of experiences serves as the foundation for the formation of growth. As we explore and experience, we recruit memory as part of our evolutionary process of consciousness and biological transformation.
In Guruji’s commentary on nirvatarka samapatti (YS I.43), memory is defined as reflected knowledge of past thoughts and experiences. He explains that through self-discipline, awareness, discriminating knowledge, and perseverance of dedicated yogic practices, we may come to realize that memory merges with intelligence, memory is cleansed, and consciousness shines without reflection. Newly refined experiences arise.
The Door to Possibility I first heard the words “Iyengar Yoga” within hours of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and I took up the practice shortly after I was released from the hospital. The door to possibility had opened. The practice offered hope for managing the trepidation of an uncertain future with an incurable condition, in addition to polishing the unrefined (sthula) nature of body and mind. Pondering the effects the practice began to have on my physical and mental outlook, I recall thinking that if there is one other person in the world who I could help navigate the challenges of MS, it is my duty to do so. Soon thereafter, I embarked on the path toward becoming a teacher of the subject. As a newly Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (CIYT), I expressed to Guruji that when I would see others who struggled with MS or other significant challenges, my heart would go out to them. “What good does that do?” he replied. “You must put that in your touch.” Recalling the impact of his adjustments on me, I instantly understood what was necessary. While I gained experience teaching general public classes in Los Angeles, my discovery continued to deepen in study and practice. As my daily practice intensified, I came to learn more about yogic aspects of the human condition, my MS, and the nature of myself. The vehicle of the body and that which changes, nature (prakriti), and the more eternal aspect of the Self, or that which remains constant and unchanged (purusa). This resonated strongly with me. A glimpse into this understanding, along with trial and error in practice and Guruji’s advice, all helped to refine and define my teaching of others—people with MS and people without. Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
As humans, we seem to share a fundamental desire to improve the quality of our lives. We also have an inherent need to connect with others. Soon I recognized familiar universal truths among students. As humans, we seem to share a fundamental desire to improve the quality of our lives. We also have an inherent need to connect with others. The degree of that exploration and discovery varies, of course, depending on the student and their history—whether the motivation to explore yoga is for health, to manage stress, to do a particular asana, to maintain calm in the midst of adversity and chaos, to find the courage to face and overcome one’s fears, or to manage the physical manifestation of symptoms akin to a particular condition. All seem to be rooted in freedom. Regardless, compassionate human touch and words of encouragement can make a vital difference in one’s realization. In 2009, with Guruji’s blessing, I first taught abroad when I accepted an invitation to teach and share my experience at the France Iyengar Yoga Association Teachers’ Convention. I was catapulted into action. Since that time, I have been invited and continue to offer remedial and general workshops at various locations around the world, primarily in areas where there are higher incidences of MS (Northern Europe, U.K., Scandinavia, Southern Australia, South America). As interest grew, I began to see a wide range of people and ages attending the classes with varying degrees of ability, neurological challenges, and movement disorders from MS to Parkinson’s, ALS, Muscular Dystrophy, Charcot-Marie Tooth (CMT), Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), Cerebral Palsy, Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD), and more. Teachers were also interested in learning how to help their students.
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Garth does Sirsasana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Florence, Italy, and Paris, France.
If as practitioners we can put fear and doubt aside long enough to open up the door to possibility, we can begin to explore strategies for how yoga can alleviate many symptoms and quell our concerns. Regardless of the condition or motivation, each student has shown up with hope and an eagerness to learn, take action, and enhance their quality of life, or the lives around them. The dualities of fear and skepticism usually lurk close by. To avoid offering false hope and move things forward, as a teacher I’ve had to be candidly realistic in telling students that the practice of yoga will not actually cure these more serious conditions. However, if as practitioners we can put fear and doubt aside long enough to open up the door to possibility, we can begin to explore strategies for how yoga can alleviate many symptoms and quell our concerns. While we may not be able to cure an incurable condition, we may be able to slow progression, regain some functionality, and offer relief to perhaps change our future.
Sensitivity, Observation, and Sensibility To properly serve people with these varying conditions— especially when seeing students for the first time—it is vital to first get a sense of students’ physical ability and experience as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is not always an easy task. In addition to communicating with the student(s), as teachers, we have to employ sensitivity, observation, and sensibility to guide our approach to teaching each class. I often refer to and
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encourage other teachers to look at the concept of parakaya pravesa (the ability to enter another’s body) that Patanjali mentions in Sutra III.39, to help assess a student’s condition. While I have yet to develop the skill to actually enter into another’s body, I try to imagine what the person may be going through. I then draw on my knowledge, experience, and practice. With discriminative intelligence and memory, I work to safely present and adapt asanas and pranayama that have proven beneficial in managing my own course of MS or that have had profound positive results for ongoing students in Los Angeles and abroad. Initially, I felt a responsibility to share the entire scope of everything that has worked for me to help others on their journey. As a teacher I may have an idea of what can help a particular student on any given day. But I also need to be judicious to not overwhelm students so they can actually apply what is taught and ultimately help themselves deal with the challenges life presents. I’ve observed that this principle holds true for teaching regular classes as well. For instance, in my experience, inversions have had a profound impact on brain health. So as a teacher, I would like to share this with my students, especially those who have MS, because experientially and intellectually I understand that inversions help to balance the immune system, which is a vital aspect of managing MS. Even if one does not have MS, a balanced immune system is important. However, if a student is weak, unstable in body, and unable to use their organs of action (the legs and arms), or if a student suffers from vertigo, it’s important to recognize that student’s level of ability and understanding. As teachers, we have to adapt the poses accordingly so the
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students can safely practice the inversions as part of their day-to-day discipline—and to allow them to have a long-term beneficial effect. Over the years, I’ve learned that less is more. Many students have a multitude of challenges; there may be a knee or lowback problem as a result of a gait imbalance or other dysfunction of the condition they may be addressing. What I’ve found to be effective is to efficiently distill what is most needed down to a few asanas and offer what can be effectively realized in a limited amount of time. I try to present fewer asanas, adapted to suit individuals with minimal use of props, and focus on what students can more readily do. This approach has helped remove a lot of fear and provides those with significant challenges the tools to embrace the practice and change their lives. Students with no physical limitations or challenges also benefit and find this of value—to harness a greater sense of confidence and create new avenues of possibility to explore and expand. With increased confidence, we can naturally build upon a foundation of perceptible growth to move beyond what we might have otherwise thought impossible. This technique has been of extreme value in more challenging cases. For example, one student with Parkinson’s is often rendered physically immobile (bradykinesia) when faced with new or unfamiliar situations and never thought it would be possible to balance on one leg. Through the evolution of practice and minimal use of props, he now regularly practices Virabhadrasana III to help culture greater stability, enhance his stride, and face the unknown with newfound confidence. I also have a student with MS who became depressed and isolated after losing mobility and strength in both legs. Through consistent practice of Utkatasana, with the support of a kitchen counter to hold on to in front and a seat behind so she can sit if she tires, she has regained the strength, ability, and confidence to get up and down from the floor. Learning the actions of a chair twist or seated Bharadvajasana has helped some students regain the articulation and freedom of movement to accomplish the simple human function of going to the bathroom unassisted—which in many ways is far more practical and rewarding than being able to accomplish Natarajasana. (Though being able to do Natarajasana is pretty cool!)
Community and Inclusion Sharing in each others’ struggles and victories also helps build a sense of community and inclusion among students and dissipates feelings of isolation and depression. A student with
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Sharing in each others’ struggles and victories also helps build a sense of community and inclusion among students and dissipates feelings of isolation and depression. MS in Moscow who has continued with the practice after a recent workshop reported, “During the classes we are filled with the warmth of the soul of each of us—the best antidepressant.” I am a lucky man to continue to teach in many locations around the globe. Even though we are pretty similar as humans, every location has a different set of variables. The approach needed for students in Paris one week may be radically different for those in Brazil the next. What works one day may not work the next. To truly be of service, I need to honestly connect with the human being in each student and “continue to be a learner,” as Guruji so often advised. Humility, flexibility, and adaptability are essential when dealing with all students and especially those who have conditions that are as unpredictable as MS, Parkinson’s, and other chronic ailments. As a teacher, I have to be able to think on my feet and be prepared and willing to change the approach at any given moment. As memory continues to merge with intelligence, a broader foundation forms, which in turn informs what is needed with refined efficiency and alacrity. The one thing that remains constant throughout is the touch of human compassion. As we progress in a rapidly changing world, evolving technology, online learning, social media, and increasing artificial intelligence, I am reminded that to survive our accelerated evolution, I must go on learning, adapting, refining, rethinking, redoing, and polishing my understanding of Guruji’s teaching. From Los Angeles to London, Sydney to São Paulo, I’ve witnessed many students, like myself, move beyond the fear of an uncertain future and perceived personal tragedy. The memory of the teacher’s human touch is often a gateway to deeper exploration, a transformation of consciousness, and perhaps the ultimate evolution of body and mind toward kaivalya. Garth McLean (CIYT Intermediate Senior III) shares his enthusiasm for Iyengar Yoga around the world and at Namastday Yoga Center in Beverly Hills, CA. He is a founding member of Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics in Los Angeles and a Certified Yoga Therapist.
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Summer Solstice Retreat with
Janet MacLeod Arsha Vidya Gurukulum Saylorsburg, PA June 21-24, 2018
This is my 14th year teaching this workshop with several other teachers. This year's line up:
Jul Chandralekha Forger Pat Layton Kati Walker Kathleen Wright
The retreat includes:
- asana/pranayama classes - yoga sutra chanting - yoga sutra lecture
Evening programs:
- meditation with singing bowls - Thai healing treatment based on Ayurveda (Elephant Walk)
For detailed information check my website: www.jmacleodyoga.com or Contact the Registrar: Deb Lowenburg: Lowenburg.deb@gmail.com (570) 236 4638
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Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
BOBBE NORRISE: TRAILBLAZER, AGELESS AND TIMELESS BY HEATHER HAXO PHILLIPS
B
obbe Norrise, born Barbara Ann Elise Rogers, peacefully passed on May 24, 2017. Bobbe was one of the founders of the Iyengar Yoga community in the Bay Area. Over her 40+ years of teaching and practice, Bobbe helped transform yoga in the U.S. from an esoteric pursuit to the mainstream practice it is today. As one of the first African-American yoga teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bobbe had a particularly important impact on the Iyengar Yoga community in Northern California. She was an outstanding woman, an inspiration, and a role model to so many. Bobbe began teaching in 1975 and earned her certificate as a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher (CIYT) in 1983 during the earliest days of certification. Bobbe was a yoga professor for over 20 years at San Francisco State University in the Department of Kinesiology. These classes were among the first yoga classes ever sanctioned by any American university. During her years at SF State, Bobbe taught thousands of people the benefits of an Iyengar Yoga practice. These young people were greatly moved by their studies with her. Shiri Goldsmith (CIYT) remembers her this way: “My first yoga class ever was Hatha Yoga with Bobbe Norrise. I was only 18 years old. It was the first day of my first semester of my first year of college, and the experience planted a seed within me that would later shape the course of my life. Bobbe was so joyful and light of being, both in her personality and in her asana practice, that I found myself thinking, ‘I want what she’s having!’ From these classes, I learned that a yoga practice could help me to not only feel better in my own body, but that it also helped me to have more control over my moods and feelings. I studied with her for three years, eventually becoming a CIYT myself.”
Bobbe was a quiet but noticeable trailblazer who inspired many African-American practitioners. Her encouraging demeanor made everyone feel welcomed and comfortable. explained, “Just putting that idea in people’s minds, that you can be of service to other people, that’s so important. Why else are we here?… I do think it is much more than just being in a studio doing some poses for ourselves.” In 1990, Bobbe published “Easy Yoga for Busy People,” a home practice guide developed in response to requests from her students. “Easy Yoga for Busy People” is unique in that it includes a notebook format for readers to write their own sequences and reflect on their practice experience. It is also
Bobbe liked to be autonomous, and at venues such as San Francisco State, she was able to bring yoga to a big and broad audience. Bobbe engaged her students in personalizing their practice and encouraged them to journal about their experiences. Though she had to give grades at SF State, she used the opportunity to encourage students to do a service project as a way to explore yoga philosophy. In a 2014 interview, she Jean Marie Moore, Bobbe Norrise, and Katrina Leshea Photo: Bethanie Hines
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
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Recognized as a trailblazer, the City of Oakland proclaimed “Bobbe Norrise Day” not once but twice—in 2011 and 2015. one of the only yoga books published that features predominantly African-American students. In this way, Bobbe was a quiet but noticeable trailblazer who inspired many African-American practitioners. Her encouraging demeanor made everyone feel welcomed and comfortable. “It was revolutionary in my mind what she was doing,” says Patty Hirota-Cohen, a long time friend of Bobbe’s, in an East Bay Express article from June 2017. “Back in the ’80s and ’90s, she was organizing retreats to Sonoma, and it was all people of color. She never promoted herself, but there are so many people I know [who had] Bobbe as their first yoga teacher.” It is not an exaggeration to state that nearly everyone who has done Iyengar Yoga in the Bay Area was in class with Bobbe at
least once. She was a dedicated practitioner both as a teacher and as a student. It was Bobbe, in fact, who inspired others to do trailblazing of their own. “Knowing that Bobbe was there doing what she was doing was huge for me,” Hirota-Cohen said in the East Bay Express article. “Bobbe was so communitybased, so connected to her friends and family, that, in effect, she gave many of us the inspiration to teach yoga within our own communities.” In this way, over the decades, Bobbe inspired dozens of students to become teachers themselves. She strongly believed in the importance of thorough teacher training programs and the required discipline of having a consistent personal practice. Bobbe was always a serious student of Iyengar Yoga, with a light heart. She studied Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and other original texts and taught yoga as it was originally intended—as an aid and physical foundation for self-realization. Bobbe was a yogi in all of her actions. She lived a healthy and balanced lifestyle in body, mind, and spirit. She was unfailingly generous to her friends and neighbors in need, personally cooking and delivering meals to the sick, sitting and socializing with the shut-in and bed-bound, offering a beaming stream of light wherever she went. Recognized as a trailblazer, the City of Oakland proclaimed “Bobbe Norrise Day” not once but twice— in 2011 and 2015. We recognize Bobbe as a pioneer in Black Holistic Health. As one of her friends Kweli Tutashinda said, she “made doing yoga ‘normal’ in the Black community and gave it her own flavor.” Bobbe is survived by her three children, four grandchildren, and loving sister. Bobbe will forever be fondly celebrated and deeply loved for her pioneering spirit, her generosity, enthusiasm, patience, a nurturing and fun-loving personality, and her courage to do what she loved the most. We honor her as she would wish: ageless and timeless! Heather Haxo Phillips (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) is based in Oakland, CA. The Director of Adeline Yoga studio, she is most content in Sirsasana with her cats.
Standing, left to right: Romin Johnson, Corey Norrise, Richard Johnson, Stacey Harmon, Edsel Matthews, Ethel Golder, Humphrey Polansen. Sitting, left to right: Sonya Bryant, Bobbe Norrise, Kasuko Onodera
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Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
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Lifelong
PRACTICE
FELICITY GREEN BY PAUL CHEEK
O
n July 15, 2017, I had a long conversation with my teacher Felicity Green. She was in the comfort of her home on Lopez Island, Washington, and I was in Washougal, Washington. She shared her experience about the way her yoga practices have evolved over the years and of her relationship with the Iyengar Yoga community. Her example lights the way.
I knew about the body pretty well, and when I saw Iyengar Yoga, I saw that it fit. It had the integrity of the body in it. two-week teacher training. He came every year for the next three years and did several workshops in the U.S.
PC: What do you think it was about Iyengar Yoga that made you know it was the one for you?
Felicity Green at The Hamlet, where she lives on Lopez Island, WA
Paul Cheek: Why did you start yoga and how long have you been practicing? Felicity Green: I started yoga in 1964, with a class at a community center in Palo Alto, California. The teacher was in his 70s and had been doing yoga for three years. He knew more than I knew. I started yoga because, before I left South Africa in 1962, I had had a shoulder operation and I was given the prognosis that I would never lift my hand behind my head again or lift my elbow. After I settled down a little in the United States, I saw a notice for a class in yoga. I went to see if that could get me a little bit more movement in the shoulder.
PC: How long was it until you discovered the Iyengar Yoga method? FG: I discovered the method in 1970. Before 1970, I just did yoga—whatever attracted me. I went to different workshops and worked from a book with good illustrations. In 1970, I saw a French teacher, Rishi Jean Bernard. As soon as I saw him, I knew Iyengar Yoga was what I wanted to do. He offered a teacher training in France in 1971, and I went to that. It was a
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FG: I trained as an occupational therapist in South Africa. There were 10 of us, so we were just thrown in with the medical students for the first two years, which included a year of dissection, where we actually dissected the body from the skin down to the bone. I knew about the body pretty well, and when I saw Iyengar Yoga, I saw that it fit. It had the integrity of the body in it, whereas other forms of yoga didn’t really have that integrity of the body, of using the body in the way it was designed to be used. That was what attracted me to Iyengar Yoga. It seemed very pure in that way.
PC: So at that time, were the teachers teaching any of the philosophy or was it all body centered? FG: For me, it was body centered, although it didn’t have much effect on my shoulder in the beginning. The reason I continued with yoga was that I felt the difference in me when I practiced. I was much calmer and more centered and able to deal with my three little kids, being in a strange country, and everything like that, which, for the first six months to a year, created a lot of stress for me. The philosophical side, although I didn’t know a lot about it, definitely affected me and that was why I continued doing yoga. It was not so much because I felt there was a big difference to my shoulder, but because I felt that it made me feel different and able to cope more easily.
PC: When did you start your practice, besides taking classes and workshops?
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
My practice became very important to me as the first thing I would do to take care of myself. That has continued on throughout the years. FG: I started my practice pretty soon, because of [the way it helped me cope]. When the kids were really small—it was the day of playpens and I used to put the playpen up. I did my practice and let the kids play. When the kids were in school, I would see them off to school and my husband off to work and then I did an hour’s practice before I washed dishes, made beds, or any of the other household chores. My practice became very important to me as the first thing I would do to take care of myself. That has continued on throughout the years. I always did my practice first thing in the morning. When the children were grown, I would have a cup of tea, do my practice, rest a little, do my pranayama, and then do everything else. So, everything else came secondary to my practice; it came first.
PC: How did you meet Mr. Iyengar? FG: He came to California in 1974 to teach. The first day we walked into class, he talked a little, and he said that he had done headstand for so many years that the hole in the top of his head had opened. I was amazed because I’d just read the Book of the Hopi, which presented the mythological beginnings, like ours about the ark and so on, you know, the floods and the fire, and everything. They said that the human beings who started the race again were the people who kept the hole at the top of their head open. That they were open to god. That impressed me first, and then working with him was just amazing. When he came back in 1976, I was one of the people who was teaching—it was more Rishi’s style of Iyengar Yoga— but I was a teacher, and he needed assistance because there were 70 people in the class. One of my first memories of him was with him present and me teaching. He had everybody in Uttanasana and was putting his head in the center of their sacrum and pulling on their thighs. I watched and thought I’m not going to put my head there. So I put my head on one buttock and pulled the thighs. And from across the room he immediately saw and shouted, “Felicity, it’s just part of the body. Just put your head in the middle.” I learned very soon how practical and down-to-earth he was. That your body is just a body. That was a big lesson that I learned from him. In the early days, after meeting him and having experiences with him, I was convinced that he was my teacher.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
After a few years, he encouraged us to start certifying people. We said, “How can we certify people when we don’t have a certificate ourselves?” He gave some of us who had come to India a couple of times certificates so we could teach. An official one, a printed one. We had a convention after that in Pasadena. He had given different groups the permission to do teacher training. There was the western group, and there was the eastern group. What we found was we weren’t doing exactly the same thing. We weren’t doing it in the same way. That was when the discussion came up of starting IYNAUS. We needed an umbrella association that we all belonged to so that all the teacher training would be, in a sense, the same.
PC: Talk about the evolution of your own practice and how it’s changed over the years. FG: For the first 10 years, Mr. Iyengar would not let me do rope work, as I had an extensive operation on my left shoulder in 1961. After 10 years, he told me my shoulder was totally healed, which it was, and I could do anything. The prognosis I had from the orthopedic surgeon was that I would never lift my elbow above the shoulder or put my hand behind my head. If I had believed that and not tried, it would’ve been a self-fulfilling prophecy. And so, this is something that I’ve used in my teaching when people say to me, “Oh, the doc says this...” I’ve learned that doctors always give the worst possible outcome. Because they don’t want to be sued. They won’t take a chance in saying, “Well, if you really work at it, you might get more movement back.” With frozen shoulders, where the doctor has said, “Sorry, you know, we can’t do anything about it,” we’ve actually been able to do something about it. There are lots of things that doctors don’t know. I continued with my teaching, going to India every two or three years and learning what I didn’t know, then coming back and working two or three or years until I felt I did know. Then I would be ready to go back again. I felt it was important to need to go back to India, not just to want to go back. I didn’t go back yearly—I just went back every two or three years and worked hard in between those times. As I became older, I went through menopause before there was much advice on this. It was before Geeta’s book on women. I just followed my own feeling. I stopped doing head and shoulder stand because they didn’t feel good for me, and most of the standing poses I stopped, and I did restoratives and many forward bends. I went through menopause fairly well. I did have some hot flashes and things, but I found the restoratives and forward bends helped with those. After 2005, I developed atrial fibrillation, and I think that was because I went to New Zealand for six weeks and taught too
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LIFELONG PRACTICE CONTINUED much. I taught a teacher training where I taught six hours a day for six days. I was already in my 70s. I came back with atrial fibrillation. Then my practice became very quiet. No inversions, as I would feel as though I had high blood pressure, my face would go red, and I would feel all this pressure in my head. I started doing many restoratives again, heart opening poses, and a lot of forward bends, poses that calmed me and didn’t demand a lot of energy. I’m off most of the medications. I go to a naturopath, and my practice has come back except for headstand and some of the standing poses. I do a few standing poses, sitting forward bends, and shoulderstand. My body is aging, but I feel no aches and pains, and my body is surprising to me. It is very flexible, and my Padmasana has improved. I can still do Pindasana. I practice a good one hour a week. I don’t have a regular practice in the morning as I used to have. My morning practice is reading philosophy and doing meditation. My morning practice is not so much physical but being in touch with the psychological and philosophical. That is what has happened to my practice. My body is very flexible, it doesn’t seem to stiffen up, even if I only do an intense practice once a week, it just is there. Which I’m very grateful for.
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PC: What do you see as most important for the Iyengar Yoga community today compared with what was important in the 70s or 80s? FG: I think the board is doing a very good job. I like the things they’ve introduced recently like giving people who are certified and who have enough experience a certificate for therapeutic yoga. I read something about them introducing a program on the internet where students and teachers can ask other teachers questions. I think that’s a great idea. I’m very happy to see the Iyengar Yoga community on Facebook. I think that’s most important, to have that public media exposure. I’m happy with the way things are going, and it seems as Abhijata is turning into a very good teacher. She has just had her second baby, and yet she’s devoting herself to yoga. It’s very important because Mr. Iyengar has always said that his yoga is for the householder. And that’s what she’s being. She’s being a householder. She’s not being a swami, somebody who’s devoted their total life, in a sense, to yoga, but has an ordinary life as well as being a yoga master. Paul Cheek (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) has been studying and practicing yoga since 1990 and teaching since 1999. He is the owner and director of Rushing Water Yoga in Camas, WA.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Ask
THE YOGI
Vira I for Spondylolisthesis and Help with Halasana What advice can you give someone with spondylolisthesis (L5–S1) who sometimes experiences pain when coming into Virabhadrasana I? For example, how much pelvic tilt is allowed in the final pose? —Vicky Seff, owner of Floating Lotus Yoga in North Bellmore, NY Put Virabhadrasana I on a back burner while you strengthen your back muscles, (gently) make space between the intervertebral discs, and re-educate the way you use your lumbar region. Here’s a suggested sequence. There is no need to practice every pose listed, but do practice them in the order in which they are given. Unless stipulated otherwise, hold the poses for 30 seconds to a minute. 1. If the lumbar spine muscles are tight, tense or painful, begin with chair Savasana (figure A) with a bolster under your calves and a sandbag placed across your abdomen. Turn the chair around so the seat slants toward you. Don’t place the weight on the diaphragm or breathing will be affected. Allow your lumbar spine to spread from the center to the sides. Stay in the pose for 10 minutes. 2. Ardha Uttanasana over a tall stool (figure B) propped to hip height. Extend arms to the stool or horse. When the lumbar spine is really delicate, this is a safe and supportive forward bend. As the abdominals are supported, the sacrum will spread. Stay in the pose for five minutes.
A.
B.
Alternatively, practice Ardha Uttanasana (figure C) with a hip-height wall rope just below your hip-bones. Place your outer wrists to the top of a chair adjusted for your height, palms facing each other, toes turned in. Stay in the pose for five minutes.
These opposing movements extend the lumbar, decrease compression of the disc on the nerves, and reduce pain. 3. Adho Mukha Svanasana on ropes (figure D). Facing the wall, place a hip-height wall rope around your pelvis. Then turning right, away from the wall, step your left leg over the rope. Keep your heels as close to the floor as you can. Reach your hands forward. The rope extends the lumbar spine toward the wall, while the hands draw the spine forward. These opposing movements extend the lumbar, decrease compression of the disc on the nerves, and reduce pain. Turn toes in. Alternatively, it may be easier to simply place a rope around your pelvis, just below the hip bones (figure E), but this variation is not nearly as effective in opening up the lower back. Stay in the pose for five minutes.
C.
D.
4. Pavanmuktasana . Lie on your back. Place a folded blanket or bolster across the lower abdomen. Bend both knees over your chest. Stay in the pose for 10 minutes. E. 5. Ardha Pavanmuktasana . Bend one knee at a time over your chest (figure F).
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ASK THE YOGI CONTINUED
Virabhadrasana I is not generally recommended for those experiencing low back pain. The lateral standing poses are more manageable as you explore the limitations you are dealing with.
G.
6. Supta Padangusthasana (figure G). If the lower back is pulled up from the floor, place a block under the lower-leg foot and press that shin bone down. To keep both sides of the trunk an equal length, roll your right outer hip forward. You can also loop a belt around the top of the raised-leg thigh and across the ball of the lower-leg foot. Pull the belt taut. You may also take your arms over your head and hook your thumbs. 7. Utthita Padangusthasana I (figure H). Place your foot on an appropriate height. H. 8. Utthita Marichyasana III (figure I). Stand facing a chair with your right hip to the wall. Place your right foot up on the chair (add blocks for extra height). Press your right thigh to the wall. Always lift the spine, especially at the lumbar region: Press your left thigh back. The spinal muscles lift when the left heel is raised. Turn to the wall. 9. Bharadvajasana (figure J). In chair Bharadvajasana, the trunk lifts more readily than in seated Bharadvajasana. Keep your knees level and squeeze a bolster between them. Avoid twisting when the back is sinking. Lift the chest, then lift again! Press the dorsal spine (not the lumbar spine) forward. Move the left back ribs away from the spine, and revolve to the right.
I.
Alternatively, practice Bharadvajasana astride the chair (figure K). Now the lumbar spine muscles can more easily spread from the center to the sides, which helps relieve low back pain.
The lumbar spine supports most of the weight of the body. The standing poses improve overall posture and strengthen your legs, making for less strain on the lumbar. Here are just a few of them, followed by the rest of the suggested sequence: 1. Stating the obvious. Regular practitioners will know how to work in Tadasana . But just to remind you: Stand erect with your feet hip distance apart. To lift the pelvic floor and abdominal organs and to provide yourself with a better understanding of the lumbar spine, turn your toes in. Come to your heels. Roll your inner thighs back. Lift your inner thighs. Press down through the center of the fronts of your heels and move your tailbone in. Low back problems are exacerbated (and may even be caused) by dropped arches. Lift your inner ankle bones to the height of the outer ankle bones. Extend up through the crown of your head.
J.
K.
2. Much spinal traction is achieved in the simplest of poses: Urdhva Hastasana in Tadasana . Without throwing your thighs or pelvis forward, extend your arms above your head.
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Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana in Tadasana (figure L). Interlace your hands, and similarly, extend your arms up.
L.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
3. Utthita Trikonasana against a wall (figure M). The support of a wall allows you to explore and lengthen the lumbar spine. To give your spine plenty of space, take a wider stance and place your hand on a block. Move your right groin toward your left pelvic head and extend your trunk to the right. Coil your right buttock away from the wall. Externally rotate the heads of both femur bones. Keep your kneecaps firm. 4. Parsvakonasana (figure N). Some people get relief in Trikonasana , others in Parsvakonasana . To deal with low back pain or discomfort, start your standing poses with whichever of these two poses gives you the most benefit.
M.
5. Parivrtta Trikonasana to the wall (figure O) or using a chair (figure P) 6. For experienced practitioners only: straight-leg rope Sirsasana 7. Baddha Konasana N. 8. Supta Baddha Konasana 9. Ardha Supta Konasana (figure Q) 10. P rone Savasana (figure R). Three blankets—one each under torso, pelvis, and head. Turn your thighs and toes in.
Virabhadrasana I is not generally recommended for those experiencing low back pain. The O. lateral standing poses are more manageable as you explore the limitations you are dealing with. That said, the purpose of the remedial sequence is to return you to your regular practice, and this pose teaches us much about the lumbar spine: When you are ready, come into the pose with your hands on your hips. You have turned to the right and your legs are straight (figure S). Align the midline of your torso and pelvis with the center of your right thigh: Roll your left outer calf, thigh, and hipbone forward. To align the pubic bone in the front with the sacrum at the back, draw the pubic bone in and up. Lift your trunk away from the pelvis so that you get an even openness on the front body (not a deep backbend at the back body).
P.
Bend at your right hip to bring your right thigh parallel to the floor and your right knee directly above your right ankle. Simultaneously, pull up through the inside of your pelvis. Now raise your arms (figure T). Hook your thumbs and, straightening the elbows, use the dynamic lifting action to help maintain length in your sides and traction through the spine.
Q.
To center your sacrum, press down through your left outer heel and roll your inner left thigh back. Spread your sacral muscles from the center of the sacrum across to your left hip, and again, move your left hipbone forward. You should now have enough leverage and support to bring the spine, from the inner tailbone to the neck, into an upright position. The most important thing for those with spondylolisthesis to know is that when the pubic bone drops forward, the lumbar spine also falls forward causing the vertebral discs to compress.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
R.
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ASK THE YOGI CONTINUED
How much pelvic tilt? Without pushing the lumbar spine back (no one wants to flatten their back), move the pelvic floor forward. As you practice this and other poses—such as Supta Virasana, Bhekasana (start one leg at a time)—the fronts of your thighs and groins will lengthen, allowing you a wider range of motion.
I often have a problem coming into Halasana . I sometimes experience a pulling sensation along the right side of my spine (Paraspinals of T12-L4). I’ve found that I need to lift the hips high (bolster + a folded blanket) so that the hips are much higher than my shoulders, just to roll into the asana. Is there anything else that you would recommend? —Vicky S.
S.
Continue rolling up into the pose with a bolster and blanket. To strengthen your spinal and abdominal muscles, continue working with the remedial poses listed above.
Ardha Halasana (figure U). When practiced with a strong upward lift, Ardha Halasana strengthens the muscles on either side of the spine, thereby supporting vulnerable discs. Place your toes on the chair, and push them out against the sides of the chair rest. Press your outer, upper arms down and, with your hands pressed into the back as close to the shoulder blades as you can get them, pull your anterior spine up from the front groins. Open the backs of your knees to the ceiling. When you are ready, lower your feet incrementally and in stages to the floor. Coming out of the pose, follow this sequence:
T.
1. After Ardha Halasana, Karnapidasana (Figure V) with a chair is a recovery pose. Hook your toes onto the front of the chair seat. Drop your knees toward your temples. Alternatively, come into Ardha Supta Konasana (figure Q). 2. Another soft way to recover after Ardha Halasana is Pavanmuktasana with two horizontal bolsters (figure W)—one under the head and shoulders, the other under the buttocks. 3. Finish in Prone Savasana (figure R) or chair Savasana with bolster and sandbag (figure A).
U.
Many thanks to my models—teachers all—from the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York.
“Anything physical is always changing; therefore, its reality is not constant, not eternal. Nature is in this sense like an actor who has only different roles.” —B.K.S. Iyengar V. Bobby Clennell (CIYT Intermediate Senior II) is a core faculty member of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York. She is the author and illustrator of three books: The Woman’s Yoga Book, Watch Me Do Yoga, and Yoga for Breast Care. For more information: www.bobbyclennell.com.
W.
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Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Treasurer’s
REPORT — IYNAUS FINANCIAL UPDATE
BY STEPHEN WEISS
During his tenure as IYNAUS treasurer, David Carpenter established a practice of reporting the association’s balance sheet in the Fall/Winter issue of Yoga Samachar and the Fiscal Year Profit & Loss Statement in the Spring/Summer issue. This has provided IYNAUS members with a clear and transparent picture of IYNAUS’ finances and has helped members of the association and the board understand the issues and challenges we face and the choices we make. In my term as treasurer, I am going to continue this model of reporting. At last April’s in-person meeting of the Executive Council in Chicago, a great deal of time was dedicated to analyzing the whole organization on a program by program basis (e.g., Publications, Certification, Events, etc.) For each program, we identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Prior to that, each program had submitted a budget that was then used to create a concise overall operating budget for the association. One legacy of David’s time as treasurer was to bring focus to the annual operating budget so that IYNAUS does not subsist on the unpredictable revenue of conventions
but on a stable, measured income calculated against expenses of the day-to-day operation. These tools are now being incorporated into ongoing board practice to apply greater precision in our operating procedures and to continue to provide a stable financial position for the association.
Current IYNAUS Balance Sheet A balance sheet reports an organization’s assets, liabilities, and net worth at a particular moment in time. It also shows the organization’s liquidity to help understand the range of flexibility and responsiveness indicated by the cash and assets on hand. As there is no perfect time of the year to show our balance sheet and because the major objective is to allow year-to-year comparisons, October has been selected to provide that comparison. The following table shows IYNAUS’ balance sheet as of October in each of the past four years.
Manouso, Thank you for your unwavering dedication to yoga and your extraordinary
PHOTO: SARA SWATY
ability to heal, teach, challenge and inspire. The imprint from your teaching in the three-year Iyengar Yoga Therapy Training Program will continue to spread and benefit many.
With deep gratitude, Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics and the Program Students
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IYNAUS FINANCIAL UPDATE CONTINUED
IYNAUS BALANCE SHEET
OCT. 2014
OCT. 2015
OCT. 2016
OCT. 2017
CURRENT ASSETS Unrestricted Assets IYNAUS bank accounts and cash equivalents
155,177
83,936
266,717
275,707
37,030
31,818
0
0
12,190
0
0
Accounts Receivable Withheld 2014 dues—IYAGNY Withheld 2015 dues—IYANC IYASE loan on Maitri Conference loss
3,000
0
0
0
Store accounts receivable
3,852
1,836
1,253
117
IYNAUS store inventory
95,046
106,870
90,590
83,054
Prepaid expenses
669
720
1,172
2,500
Computers and equipment
3,452
2,729
753
1,364
IYNAUS archives bank account
3,740
8,363
5,460
5,450
Certification mark bank accounts
83,394
90,818
111,433
133,843
TOTAL ASSETS
385,360
339,280
477,378
502,035
Accounts Payable
1,837
0
Prepaid 2015 assessment fees
3,300
0
0
0
Long-term notes (international archives)
9,250
9,250
9,250
9,250
TOTAL LIABILITIES
14,387
9,250
9,250
9,250
EQUITY (Net Worth)
370,973
330,030
468,128
492,785
TOTAL CASH OR CASH EQUIVALENTS
242,321
183,217
383,610
385,000
UNRESTRICTED CASH OR CASH EQUIVALENTS
155,117
105,126
266,717
275,707
Restricted Assets
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Our balance sheet is now stronger than it was in October 2016. In turn, at this time last year, IYNAUS’ balance sheet had been strengthened by the successful 2016 convention and recovery of various receivables and was much stronger than it had been in October 2015. So the trends remain positive. Following the standard set before, my primary focus will be on the unrestricted cash: the money available to spend for any purpose. This October, it is $8,990 higher than it was a year ago. Several factors have contributed to these improvements. The main one is that the certification committee has been experimenting with an entirely new model for managing assessments. While we will need more experience before we can say for sure, it appears that administrative expenses in the
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first two thirds of this year were considerably lower than they had been over the past eight to 10 years. This has buoyed up our balance sheets. Our “restricted” cash is also up again substantially from the year prior. A note: These monies primarily consist of the certification mark account that is jointly controlled by IYNAUS and by Gloria Goldberg in her capacity as the U.S. attorney in fact for Prashant and Geeta Iyengar. These monies are available only for jointly approved projects to promote Iyengar Yoga, and it is good that we have more monies available to invest in promoting our system. We have a separate restricted account composed of charitable contributions designated for our archives project, and this account is holding at the same level as last year.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
Update on Financial Issues and Challenges Here is an update on some of the financial issues discussed in the last report. DUES Despite an increase in our annual dues for teaching and nonteaching members, our membership revenues have been trending downward. Although we have generally exceeded our expectations in retaining members, there has been a substantial fall off in members in one region (IYALA). The dues increase has cushioned the effects of this fall off. Obviously, we will not know the annual results until year-end. RETAINING NONTEACHING MEMBERS AND ATTRACTING NEW MEMBERS Our goal is to hold on to the members we have, retain the members who have only recently joined, and grow the base through new members. Keeping membership attractive is primarily done with a strong set of benefits and those continue to improve. In view of Mr. Iyengar’s centenary birthday celebration, there will be many coordinated opportunities between the regional and national associations to create interest in membership.
our archives project or can make contributions that are unrestricted, which can be used for any of our programs. We are grateful for the generosity of those members who have made these contributions; they finance the initiatives like those mentioned above and offer the association additional range to enhance existing programs. For those of you who have the financial means to do so, please consider making a charitable contribution to IYNAUS before the end of the current calendar year or at that time when you pay your annual dues. IYNAUS is also able to receive gifts made in wills or other estate planning documents, so please consider these options as well. Stephen Weiss IYNAUS Treasurer October 2017
CERTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT In 2017, there are 219 registered candidates for assessment, similar to the candidate number for 2016. As mentioned earlier, the expenses associated with the certification are still coming in, but it appears that new practices being introduced and adopted by the chair and committee to manage the assessment process will help reduce expenses. THE IYNAUS WEBSITE The board has approved hiring a manager to oversee completion of the new website and has also approved hiring a paid editor to update and maintain content on the site. CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO IYNAUS As a standing practice, IYNAUS receives contributions for the Bellur project and passes them through to the Bellur Trust. Charitable contributions are also made to IYNAUS itself, which is a tax exempt Section 501(c)(3) corporation under U.S. tax laws. Donors can choose to designate these contributions for
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
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BECOME A BOARD MEMBER The IYNAUS Board of Directors, like the boards of the 12 regional Iyengar Yoga associations across the U.S., is made up of volunteers who have been appointed or elected through their regional association. For many board members, service provides an opportunity to devote time and energy to sustaining a community that has had a profound and transformative impact on their lives. Each region has one or two representatives on the IYNAUS Board, and all members serve a four-year term (and can be re-elected for a second term for a total of eight consecutive years of service). Terms are staggered so that four new people join the IYNAUS Board each year. Do you have organizational skills, financial skills, legal skills, experience with not-for-profit or membership-based organizations, technical skills, skills with social media, public relations, or development skills? Are you a good writer or good at strategic planning? The IYNAUS Board—as well as the boards of our regional associations—needs members with these kinds of skills. In addition to seeking Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs) with these skills, the IYNAUS Bylaws require that a substantial minority of the board be individuals who are not teachers. In an
ideal world, our board would include a significant number of longstanding Iyengar Yoga students who have had successful careers in law, advertising, public relations, finance, information technology, management consulting, or other businesses or who have had significant experience on other nonprofit boards of directors. If you know of any such students or if you are such a student and are interested in serving on the IYNAUS Board, please write to us at president@iynaus.org. We’d be very glad to hear from you, discuss the possibility of your service on the national board, and then make a recommendation to your regional association for appointment. Please consider becoming involved at either the regional or national level. Our organization depends on the energy and commitment of its members. To learn more about our regional associations, take a look at their websites: https://iynaus.org/iynaus/regions. If you’d like to become involved on the national level but not necessarily serve on the IYNAUS Board, please review current volunteer opportunities on our website: https://iynaus.org/ volunteer.
Classifieds CALL FOR MUSINGS Yoga Samachar seeks submissions for our “Musings” column, which features a range of short thought pieces from members. These can be philosophical in nature or might focus on more practical topics—for example, a great idea for managing your studio or for creating community in your home town. Please send your own Musings to yogasamachar@iynaus.org by Feb. 1. ASK THE YOGI Yoga Samachar seeks questions for our “Ask the Yogi” column. Rotating senior teachers provide answers to a range of questions submitted by IYNAUS members. We welcome your questions related to how or when to use props, how best to deal with specific health conditions, philosophical help with the sutras, tips on teaching or doing certain poses, and more. Please send questions to yogasamachar@iynaus.org by Feb. 1. JOIN IYNAUS To join IYNAUS or renew your current membership, please visit our website and apply online: https://secure.iynaus.org/join.php. Membership fees begin at $70, with $40 of each membership going to support teacher certification, continuing education, and member services. 40
YOUR AD HERE Yoga Samachar accepts short, text-only ads to announce workshops, offer props for sale, list teacher openings at your studio, or provide other yoga-related information. Ads cost $50 for up to 50 words and $1 per word over 50 words, including phone numbers, USPS addresses, and websites. Please contact Rachel Frazee at rachel@yogalacrosse.com or 608.269.1441 for more information or to submit an ad.
CORRECTION In Susan Goulet’s article “From Crippling Pain to Astavakrasana” in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of Yoga Samachar, we did not include the full name of the author’s first yoga teacher. Her name is Maria Luisa Basualdo. The editors apologize for this oversight.
Yoga Samachar Fall 2017 / Winter 2018
I like to say, “In Iyengar Yoga, there is a way.” There is always a way to practice, to play, to grow and adapt, and to become more resilient. We learn to see possibility everywhere and in everything. It is the practice and art of possibility. —Carrie Owerko
Carrie Owerko (CIYT Intermediate Senior II) in Eka Pada Rajakapotasana IV Photo: Shahar Lion
B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States P.O. Box 538 Seattle, WA 98111 www.iynaus.org
Yogi Zain engages Iyengar Yoga community on Instagram.
