Yoga Samachar SS2019

IYENGAR YOGA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES VOL. 23, NO. 1

Spring | Summer 2019

Cycles of Life: Devotion, Grief, Practice Plus: Special Section on Geeta’s Passing Convention Review Interview with Gitte Bechsgaard and Gloria Goldberg

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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 News from the Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Special Section on Geeta’s Passing Teacher and Friend Forever: An Interview with Joan White – Holly Walck Kostura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 13 Days of Mourning: Excerpts from Victoria Austin’s Facebook Diary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Your Practice Brings the Secrets to You: Reflections on Geetaji’s Shraddhanjali – Amita Bhagat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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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

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Communicate information regarding the standards and training of certified teachers

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Report on studies regarding the practice of Iyengar Yoga

Overcoming Fear of Flying in Iyengar Yoga – Kirsten Brooks . . . . . 21

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Provide information on products that IYNAUS imports from India

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Review and present recent articles and books written by the Iyengars

My Mother and I, Centenary Celebrations 2018: Balewadi Stadium, Pune, India – Laura and Rebecca Lascoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Report on recent events regarding Iyengar Yoga in Pune and worldwide

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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

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Present ideas to stimulate every aspect of the reader’s practice

Discovering the Wholeness of Yoga: An Interview with Gloria Goldberg and Gitte Bechsgaard – Heather Haxo Phillips . . . 27 Yoga for Letting Go­– Koren Paalman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Early Stages of Grief Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Moving Toward Healing Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Death and Dying: How Iyengar Yoga Helps Us Explore Unbounded Space – Kelly Sobanski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 An Inside Job: Yoga and Cancer – Deborah Baker . . . . . . . . . . . 39

IYNAUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONTACT LIST

Lighting the Way: Laurie Blakeney – Anne-Marie Schultz . . . . . . 43 2018 Iyengar Yoga Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Musings: Unraveling Resistance in My Journey to Truth – Sarika S. Gupta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Spring | Summer 2019 Amita Bhagat amita@sadhanaayoga.com

David Larsen david.larsen814@gmail.com

Lifelong Practice: David Goldblatt – Rose Goldblatt . . . . . . . . . . 49

Laurie Blakeney certification.chair@iynaus.org

Laura Lascoe lrlascoe@gmail.com

IYNAUS Store News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Sandy Carmellini yogasandy@rocketmail.com

Michael Lucey 1michael.lucey@gmail.com

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

David Carpenter president@iynaus.org

Ann McDermott-Kave amkave1@optonline.net

Gwen Derk grderk@gmail.com

Paige Noon paige.noon@gmail.com

Michele Galen michele.galen@gmail.com

Denise Rowe deniserowe.iynaus@gmail.com

Gloria Goldberg yogagold2@icloud.com

Holly Walck Kostura hollywalck@gmail.com

Susan Goulet ethics@iynaus.org

Jean Stawarz jeanstawarz.iyanus@gmail.com

Don Gura don@dongura.com

Chris Stein shamani108@mac.com

Chuck Han chuck@iyisf.org

Stephen Weiss

Scott Hobbs sh@scotthobbs.com Randy Just rajust@tx.rr.com Daniel Khalaf Daniel.Khalaf@morganstanley.com Lisa Jo Landsberg lisajland@hotmail.com

stphweiss@gmail.com Director of Operations Mariah Oakley director.operations@iynaus.org Contact IYNAUS P.O. Box 184 Canyon, CA 94516 206.623.3562 www.iynaus.org

Cover photo illustration: Don Gura Photos: Jake Clennell and Ken Duane at VisionsByKen

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Treasurer’s Report – Stephen Weiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Back Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

YOGA SAMACHAR IS PRODUCED BY THE IYNAUS PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Committee Chair: Holly Walck Kostura Editor: Michelle D. Williams Design: Don Gura Copy Editor: Denise Weeks Advertising: Sheryl Abrams Members can submit an article query or a Samachar 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 yogasamachar@iynaus.org.

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 Sheryl Abrams at 512.571.2115 or yogabysheryl.tx@gmail.

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IYNAUS OFFICERS AND STANDING COMMITTEES President: David Carpenter Vice President: Randy Just Secretary: Michele Galen Treasurer: Stephen Weiss

Letter

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Fellow IYNAUS Members, The Iyengar Yoga community continues to mourn the loss of Geeta S. Iyengar. This issue contains several reflections on this remarkable woman from people who were in Pune at the time of her passing. Our entire fall issue will be a tribute to Geetaji and will commemorate her 75th birthday.

A rchives Committee Scott Hobbs & Chris Stein, Co-Chairs Certification Committee Laurie Blakeney, Chair Ethics Committee Susan Goulet & Michael Lucey, Co-Chairs Events Committee Randy Just, Chair Governance & Elections Committee David Carpenter & Ann-McDermott Kave, Co-Chairs Membership & Regional Support Committee Paige Noon, Chair Next Generation Committee

Geetaji’s passing occurred at a time of growing challenges for Iyengar Yoga in the U.S. It is thus appropriate to reflect on what will be required to strengthen our community in a world without Geetaji.

B.K.S. Iyengar recognized that Iyengar Yoga could not grow worldwide if it was centrally administered in Pune. He thus encouraged the formation of IYNAUS and other national associations. Since our founding in 1992, IYNAUS has grown to an association with more than 1,100 CIYTs and over 3,000 student members. There are also untold numbers of U.S. Iyengar Yoga practitioners who are not IYNAUS members.

This growth occurred because of our devotion to Guruji and his transformational teachings. It inspired several generations of teachers who selflessly volunteered their time and talents to disseminating Iyengar Yoga in the U.S. Their efforts allowed IYNAUS—a shoestring operation with only one full-time employee—to do such things as run a certification system that has assessed 200 candidates annually.

Amita Bhagat & Gwen Derk, Co-Chairs Outreach Committee Denise Rowe, Chair Publications Committee Holly Walck Kostura, Chair Public Relations & Marketing Committee

But like all communities, our U.S. Iyengar Yoga community will continue to grow only if the forces that hold us together are stronger than those that can tear us apart.

Before his passing in 2014, Guruji united us all. Geetaji was so well-known and revered internationally that we continued to thrive after 2014. As we move forward, Prashant and Abhijata will be powerful unifying figures and revered teachers with whom our members will continue to study.

Amita Bhagat & Laura Lascoe, Co-Chairs

Gloria Goldberg, Attorney in Fact for the Iyengars Systems & Technology Committee Daniel Khalaf & Jean Stawarz, Co-Chairs Volunteer Coordinator Ann McDermott-Kave Yoga Research Committee Gwen Derk, Chair 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 For a full list of committee members and volunteers, please visit our website at https://iynaus.org/board-and-staff.

Even before Geetaji’s passing, there were worrisome signs that this trust is eroding. There is also growing evidence of pervasive fear that speaking out and raising concerns will lead to reprisals. While these perceptions may be wrong, they are nonetheless very real. As we enter a new era without Guruji and Geetaji, we must strive to eliminate these fears and strengthen the bonds of trust within our community. There is nothing more important than the basic human dignity of each of our teachers, members, and students. We must be inclusive and open to all, in fact as well as name, and attract new generations of students. We must be an organization in which no one fears raising issues and in which all opinions are welcome. With these steps, we can and will continue to thrive and will be even more effective in disseminating the brilliant teachings of the Iyengars.

GAR Y N

GA

Yours in yoga, David Carpenter IYNAUS President

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Many organizations have grown stronger after the passing of their charismatic founders. We can as well. But we must remember that our volunteer-led community fundamentally depends on trust. Students will not study Iyengar Yoga unless they trust that all CIYTs are committed to their well-being and safety. Individuals will not join IYNAUS unless they trust that its leaders are fair and reasonable. Candidates will not seek certification unless they trust the integrity of our assessors. Qualified individuals will not volunteer for these largely thankless positions unless they trust that their labors will be respected.

I YE

Iyengar Registered Trademarks Committee

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

News

FROM THE REGIONS

IYACSR We began the year with 168 members in the Iyengar Yoga Association of California Southern Region (IYACSR), which also includes Hawaii. We had our board elections in December 2018, and the board of directors installation took place at our annual members meeting on Feb. 2.

Here is the new 2019 IYACSR Board: President Kathleen Quinn (CIYT Intermediate Junior II), Vice president Stephanie Lavender (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), Treasurer Sheri Cruise (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), Secretary Nikole Fortier (CIYT), Communications Coordinator Sri Kota (CIYT), Outreach Chair Radhika Ponda (CIYT), Workshops Chair Liz Levine (Member at Large), and IYNAUS liaison Gloria Goldberg (CIYT Advanced Junior II).

Attendees at the 2019 IYACSR annual members meeting in February

We eagerly anticipate working with and for our growing Iyengar Yoga community.

A fare-thee-well to our departing board members. The IYACSR mandate is to disseminate the teachings of Guruji and the Iyengar family. First and foremost, these departing board members were true to that; to a person, they worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to bring us closer to the Iyengars, RIMYI, and IYNAUS through the communiqués and community events that we enjoyed during their tenures. Suneel Sundar (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) is outgoing President; Sharon Crockett (Member at Large) is outgoing Secretary; Edith Rosenberg (CIYT) is outgoing Workshop Chair and Scholarship Coordinator; and Chere Thomas (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) is our outgoing Communications Coordinator. Thank you for your service!

At the IYNAUS 2019 Convention in April, IYACSR held a meeting of attending members, friends, and colleagues to share experiences and get a group photo. It was exciting to gather with the community in Dallas, to share stories of last year’s centenary events, to mourn the loss of our teacher and mentor Geetaji, and to celebrate her life. Geetaji said our practice should be rigorous and “fourfold—moral, physical, mental, and spiritual.” Guruji said, “Practice with faith, practice with courage, practice with zest, practice with understanding, and practice uninterruptedly and reverentially…” Guruji and Geetaji were the embodied paradigms of their words. Together with Abhijata, we will continue along the path.

On May 18, B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center in Ocean Beach hosted a Free4Members workshop, where Roger Cole taught restoratives and pranayama. The next two Free4Members workshops will be in September with Isabela Fortes at San Marcos Iyengar Yoga Center (SMIYC) and in December with Carolyn Belko at the Iyengar Yoga Center of Encinitas (IYCE).

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

We invite all Iyengar Yoga association members worldwide, when in the area, to join us at these Free4Members workshops.

IYACSR is a major sponsor of the Festival of Yoga & Healthy Living San Diego 2019 to be held June 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Waterfront Park. The event is free and open to the public.

IYAGNY Several people from our region attended the auspicious centenary celebrations in Pune this past December. We learned at the feet of the most senior teachers in our method, Prashant and Geeta Iyengar, for five days each. We did not know yet that we were receiving the last teaching transmission from Geeta Iyengar before her passing on Dec. 16, 2018. We are mourning her loss and are planning some programs in 2019 to honor her and her legendary teaching. That same day, Dec. 16, the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York (IYAGNY) hosted a celebration of B.K.S. Iyengar’s 100th birthday and offered a free members’ class to over 70 students with three teachers who had just come home from the Pune intensive, Naghmeh Ahi, Tori Milner, and Liza Toft.

In January, we held our annual meeting for members, including a free class with Richard Jonas, Brooke Myers, and Sarah Perron, who co-taught the group with reflections on Geeta and Guruji sprinkled in. After the meeting, we held our first board meeting of 2019, with three new members—Ron Bozman, Judy Dennis, and Anna Iacucci—joining Kevin Allen, Mike Branson, Kate Karet, Michael Ketring, Sharib Khan, and Tzahi Moskovitz.

Rebecca Lerner came in February and taught 70 of us over two days. Her teaching connected us to the depth of the subject and the Iyengars’ teachings with grace, humor, and 3

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IYAGNY teachers in Pune, December 2018

Guruji’s 100th birthday class in New York

encouragement as she raised our awareness, opened up our consciousness, and gave us new avenues to explore in the postures and pranayama.

is feeling a part of the Brooklyn community! It gives an opportunity for people of all kinds to come together and practice yoga, and try out Iyengar Yoga at an affordable cost.

And as a teacher, this way of giving back to and being part of the community is very rewarding. As if that weren’t enough, we also get the opportunity to receive valuable feedback from those with more experience. It has been an important part of my learning and growth, and supports the mentorship that exists in our tradition.”

BROOKLYN COMMUNITY CLASS Every Wednesday night in Brooklyn, we offer a pay-as-you-wish class to the community. A less experienced teacher, who may or may not be certified, teaches the 75-minute class with a more experienced teacher present who observes and takes notes to offer on-the-spot feedback afterward. The students are a mixture of people in Brooklyn from rank beginners to those with more experience who enjoy taking a less expensive class with a whole range of teachers. The teachers who observe and give feedback are certified Intermediate Junior I–III, and they follow guidelines based on the information in our Certification Manual. Both the student teacher and observing teacher show up 15 minutes early to go over the planned sequence, and the observing teacher offers feedback on that if necessary.

The classes usually have anywhere from five to 10 students.

Observing teachers may offer assistance if they see it would be helpful to either the students in the class, the teacher, or both.

After class, James Murphy, our association director, joins the two teachers and listens in on the post-class conversation, offering guidance from his own experience. This class is multidimensional and addresses many layers at once: it offers an affordable class to our community; gives less experienced teachers an opportunity to teach “real” students; and it gives Intermediate Junior teachers an opportunity to offer feedback, practice mentoring, and prepare to become assessors someday.

Liza Toft, an association teacher who has recently joined the faculty, has taught the community class several times.

She says, “What I love about teaching the community class 4

The Community Class began in 2016, thanks, in part, to generous support provided by the Yoga Anywhere Fund, and has become a vital part of the continuing education programming that we offer to teachers.

IYALA Community building has been at the forefront of Iyengar Yoga Association of Los Angeles (IYALA) activities this year, as IYALA and our Institute entered their 35th year of operation.

The passing of Geeta Iyengar brought our community together to mourn and to celebrate her extraordinary life and accomplishments. An altar set up in our studio the day after her passing reminded practitioners of her incredible legacy. It felt comforting to have her encouraging eyes upon us as we attempted to embody her directive to not be fearful.

Our formal celebration was held on Feb. 2. Senior teacher Eric Small treated our community to a celebration of Geeta’s life.

Over 160 practitioners came together to listen to teachers remember their experiences learning from Geetaji. Senior teacher Lisa Walford programmed the event, and board members organized volunteers for garland-making and Institute decoration. Scott Hobbs put together an exhibit in Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Archival photos of Geetaji from the IYALA celebration of life

Dr. Geeta S. Iyengar

our lobby of photos of Geeta’s life, and poster-sized pictures adorned the hallway entrance to our Institute. Teachers gathered early to chant the Samadhi Pada as visitors entered to pay tribute. Teachers Eric Small, Lisa Walford, Christine Stein, Anna Delury, Marla Apt, and Linda Nisho shared their personal stories about Geetaji. We all participated in a Pushpanjali ceremony, adorning the altar with rose petals as we collectively chanted “Svhah” in response to Vedic chanting

by Yogananda Tulsiram. Then Eric Small treated us to a catered buffet. It was a wonderful gathering that brought comfort and courage to our local community.

also welcomed new board members Judy Brown, Marion Levine, and Varina Whitener who will serve alongside Alfred Bie and Scott Hobbs as Members at Large.

Senior teacher and board member Scott Hobbs has been working with the rich source of documents and photographs in the archives of the Iyengar family and Iyengar Yoga. Scott organized a way to share some of these treasures at our Institute by installing a set of glass display cases to showcase these items through rotating exhibits. This year began with an exhibition honoring Geetaji and her relationship with our Los Angeles teachers and students, and it was one of the focal points during our Geetaji memorial. A new exhibition devoted to B.K.S. Iyengar was installed in March, featuring rarely seen photos and a film of Guruji’s rooftop practice in 1975. All are welcome to drop into our Institute to see the current exhibit, whether you are a regular student or visiting Los Angeles from other regions.

The beginning of 2019 also saw the departure of a few of our board members and the welcoming of others. Mary Ann Kellogg and Laura Baker stayed on and were re-elected as president and vice president, respectively. Holly Hoffman of Palm Desert took over as secretary as Amy Brown finished her term. We said farewell to Mike Montgomery who served two terms and helped with financial decisions and negotiations.

Anthony Lorenzana of Camarillo took over as treasurer. We Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

With celebrations planned throughout the year, we find ourselves reflecting on just how far we have come. Senior teacher Lisa Walford has been an integral part of the Los Angeles region and Institute from the beginning, and she has shared her reflections from our 35 years below.

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF HISTORY In the beginning, our schedule featured 15 classes a week.

We now host over 40.

In the beginning, we had little 3x5 Rolodex cards that we used to register our classes. Now we have a fully integrated scanner and software that covers every part of the registration process.

In the beginning, the Institute was the hub of Iyengar Yoga in the Los Angeles area. Now Iyengar Yoga instructors teach at health clubs, city colleges, and yoga studios all over the city.

In the beginning, the teacher training program at IYILA spawned all of the Iyengar Yoga teachers in Los Angeles.

Now, senior certified teachers train apprentices through the credentialing process.

In the beginning, we had one home. Now, we have many satellites.

In 1984, when Guruji first visited Los Angeles, we found an empty gymnasium for us to meet in.

In 2001, the marquee above the Pasadena auditorium announced the Iyengar Yoga Convention. We packed the hall with green yoga mats and waited to meet Geetaji.

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By 2005, Guruji was a featured guest at Royce Hall, UCLA, and the book signing line for his 2005 Light on Life wrapped around the block at Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica.

Both 2014 and 2018 were trying years for our community. The light was passed from the one to the many.

It may seem as if the light dims with each change and generation, and yet the eternal flame, once lit, burns bright within the practice of everyone who steps upon a mat or a hardwood floor or the sand or under the stars.

The diaspora of Iyengar Yoga is a wonderful thing. What remains to be seen is how the Institute can adapt to these changes.

Students chant the sutras for Geetaji at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center in Minneapolis, 2001.

Throughout our history, the reliable foundation and presence of our volunteer board of directors and Yoga Vidya producers has sustained the community and the Institute through many changes.

You all know who you are, and we are forever grateful!

IYAMN In 2001 Dr. Geeta S. Iyengar visited Minneapolis for a few days at the invitation of senior CIYTs Kristin Chirhart and Lee Sverkerson, who were her hosts. During her stay, she taught a class to many Iyengar Yoga students and teachers from the area. Local teachers were invited to a luncheon honoring her, and there was also a gathering in her honor at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center in Minneapolis. At that event, a few students chanted Samadhi Pada of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Sanskrit and English. In the thank you note Geetaji wrote after her visit, she said that the chanting was what she enjoyed most about the visit.

On March 3, 2019, many people who were at those events of 2001, and even more who were not, gathered again at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center for a celebration of Geetaji’s life and legacy. This event, sponsored by the Iyengar Yoga Association of Minnesota (IYAMN), allowed time for connecting with each other as we reflected on all that Geetaji meant to us and all that she gave to the larger Iyengar Yoga community.

There were photographs of Geetaji, individual comments by people who studied with her over the years, and the sharing of memories over refreshments. We showed parts of a video interview that Kristin Chirhart and Lee Sverkerson conducted with Geetaji several years ago, in which Geetaji described her early life growing up as Guruji’s daughter, how she learned from him, and how she eventually became a yoga teacher

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herself. We also showed a short video produced by senior CIYTs Eddy Marks and Mary Obendorfer (directed by Francois St. Laurent and Marie Giroux) of Geetaji’s teaching in Pune.

Matt Sanford, CIYT in our region, continues his groundbreaking work in making the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar available to all.

He teaches classes using his own experiences as a paraplegic and an Iyengar Yoga practitioner as a guide and inspiration for his students. His nonprofit organization, Mind Body Solutions, is developing free learning opportunities by creating content for adapted yoga that can be used around the world. He has also become more involved in advancing ways that Iyengar Yoga can benefit individuals dealing with trauma, including PTSD. He spoke at the annual International Trauma Conference in Boston and has begun collaborating with Dr. Ruth Lanius and other scientists at the University of Western Ontario in their research on the neurobiology underlying PTSD. IYAMN’s biannual Yoga Days are always free for members, and in December a large and happy group gathered for a pranayama class taught by William Prottengeier (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) and our annual membership meeting.

Our association continues to promote events that draw members from throughout the upper Midwest. One example was the 21st annual Iyengar Yoga Spring Retreat hosted by Friendship Yoga, which is based in Iowa City, Iowa. It drew students from Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. The retreat was held May 31–June 2, 2019, at Prairiewoods, a serene and spacious eco-spiritual retreat center on 70 acres of woods, restored prairie, and cultivated gardens. Senior CIYT Bobby Clennell taught asana and pranayama classes that incorporated the theme of this year’s retreat: The Elements and Koshas.

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

IYAMW The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Midwest (IYAMW) Board welcomes new members Dawn Baurichter, Kristen Kepnick, and JR Lill. They bring much-appreciated enthusiasm, creativity, and structure to our organization. We say farewell and give deep thanks to departing members Donna Furmanek, Rebecca Smith, and Ann Socha with fondness and appreciation for their contributions over the years.

IYAMW provided three needs-based scholarships to regional members to attend the national convention. Both newer and seasoned students eagerly gathered to study deeply with Abhijataji, reunite with each other, and meet new members.

IYAMW members and friends could be spotted sporting our new logo T-shirts.

Ann Arbor School of Yoga received a community engagement grant from IYAMW to host a centenary celebration, featuring CIYT and cellist Alicia Rowe performing with a film honoring Guruji. The combination of the music and the archival film footage warmed our hearts and reminded us of the depth of Guruji’s practice and presence. The sold-out event also featured a panel of first-generation Iyengar Yoga teachers sharing stories about Guruji’s early trips to Ann Arbor.

Iyengar Yoga Detroit Collective also received a community engagement grant from IYAMW to host a centenary event.

Their celebration kicked off a year-long book discussion of Light on Life, and included a book giveaway. Participants, ranging from those relatively new to Iyengar Yoga to seasoned practitioners and teachers, have been finding many gems to enrich and inform their practice through the discussion of this accessible, inspiring book.

IYAMW new logo

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Iyengar Yoga Detroit Collective, a cooperatively run and owned center, moved into a new home this winter. With double the space, they are eager to host larger classes and events. They are more interested than ever to expand on their mission of making Iyengar Yoga accessible to all—especially the locals in their diverse Yemeni, Bengali, black, and Eastern European neighborhood. During the partial government shut down earlier this year, they offered free (Shut) Down Dog Yoga Classes, as a way to further their mission to create new and imaginative ways to make Iyengar Yoga relevant and useful to the community. In March, they partnered with local healers to host a Healing Day Retreat, featuring Restorative Yoga, massage, Reiki, self-care workshops, and more.

IYANC This year, the Iyengar Association of Northern California (IYANC) and the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco (IYISF) celebrate our fifth year at the Sutter Street location and our 45th year of serving the Northern California yoga community.

MISSION/VISION Our core mission is to inspire the learning, practice, study, and teaching of Iyengar Yoga throughout our region. Our vision is to build a universal culture as a thriving membership-based community of practitioners, nourish the Iyengar Yoga tradition throughout our entire region, and establish a permanent home for IYISF as a principle resource in service to our mission.

Rooted in tradition, and working together with our hearts and minds, we shape our future—a universal culture and community with practice at its core.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The board has begun the search for an executive director. This is the culmination of planning and preparation over the course of many years. For IYANC and IYISF to reach its full potential and to plan for our future—five, 10, 20 years out and beyond— we need to have the consistent, professional leadership that an executive director will bring.

MEMBERSHIP AND ACCESS This past autumn, a volunteer team generously developed and launched our regional website, www.IYANC.org. This site provides a pan-region calendar of events and home for information about Iyengar Yoga people, places, and things throughout our region. This effort represents an important step toward regional collaboration and membership expansion.

We are putting the finishing touches on a regional scholarship program for launch this spring. The program will be open to IYANC members for Iyengar Yoga programs in our region.

We launched a pilot program for IYANC members to save 7

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10 percent on designated workshops throughout the region.

In the works is an IYISF-specific program to provide financial assistance for learning through public classes. We are also working to encourage and coordinate community outreach by CIYTs who bring yoga to underserved communities.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRE RELIEF To help those who have suffered loss from the devastating fires in Northern California, we coordinated regionwide fire relief benefit classes. This brought us together as a community and raised funds for local relief organizations to help those who have lost their homes and all of their belongings; several of our own teachers and students were seriously impacted.

GEETA S. IYENGAR Geeta S. Iyengar is missed. That is a fact. Many in the region have set up altars and held events to honor her and to inspire each of us and the generations to come, by keeping in mind her words, her honesty, her sadhana, her devotion, and her teachings. A number of individuals from our region were in Pune in December and reported themes of honesty and togetherness that were threaded throughout the 10 days of centenary celebrations. While there is deep sadness for our loss, we feel hopeful we can move forward in unison with gratitude and love. May Geetaji’s profound contribution to the field of yoga and the countless lives she has touched continue onward.

IYANE The Iyengar Association of New England (IYANE) has had a busy year. In May 2018, we partnered with Patricia Walden, who invited Jawahar Bangera to come and share his enlightening teaching with us. Many of our member teachers and students have traveled around the region and the country—and further afield—to teach, study, and develop our practice.

We celebrated Guruji’s Centenary in Cambridge at our annual meeting in November 2018, which began with a class taught by Patricia and based on Guruji’s teachings using standing poses as a doorway into preparation for pranayama.

After a thorough opening and activation of the whole body, especially the rib cage, we were ready for our celebratory dosa buffet and birthday cake, alongside a wonderful video of Patricia interviewing Guruji in Cambridge and the requisite membership meeting.

We have new board members and new officers this year. After many years of exceptional service, Jarvis Chen has retired from the role of president. Tristan Boyer Binns is the newly elected president, and Chris Miyachi is the new vice president. Caron

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Patricia Walden teaching at the annual IYANE meeting in November 2018

Murray has joined the board as our membership chair. Rosie Richardson is newly elected to the board and is spearheading our regional events, assisted by a team of volunteers. Kathleen Swanson has also retired from the board but remains our amazing newsletter editor. This past year our newsletter, the Beacon, focused on Iyengar Yoga in New Hampshire. We plan to bring the focus to different parts of the region with successive issues.

A number of our members were in Pune in December for the intensive and were present when Geetaji passed. Their communications about both their emotions and the events they were present for helped us all as we processed this news from afar. At the beginning of January, we hosted a memorial event honoring Dr. Geeta S. Iyengar, her life and teachings.

Sharing our experiences and joining together in community was like a balm to help ease the pain of this transition and celebrate the wonderful impact that Geetaji has had on us all.

IYANE members have been busy creating new resources for Iyengar Yoga practitioners. Popsi Narasimhan has published a compilation of translations of the Yoga Sutras to support the work in Bellur (https://www.iyogaimages.com). Tristan Boyer Binns and the Boston Yoga Ropes Collective have published Yoga Kurunta: Learning the Ropes, a comprehensive guide to yoga on the wall ropes (www.ropes.yoga). Leslie Freyberg has finished her “Chant with Leslie” recordings of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, with Chapters Three and Four available now (www.chantwithleslie.com). Also, working with Sylvia Morrison, we have launched a video section on our website, with some videos available for free and some for a fee (www. mysticrivervideo.com).

IYANE is working to assist our members as we process the

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

challenging impacts of sexual harassment on our students and our selves. We have had discussions and communications and have added a Sexual Harassment Info tab to our website, IYANE.org.

We would like to remind our members that IYANE offers scholarship opportunities through the Patricia Walden Endowed Scholarship Fund. These funds exist to help you study at RIMYI and closer to home. We also fund community service projects and invite applications from teachers who would like to launch or continue classes or other opportunities in underserved areas. One of our members, Michael Blauer, has kindly donated 500 reflective mat bands, which we are selling to raise scholarship funds. So far, this has raised over $1,700!

IYANE is looking forward to many wonderful events and workshops in our region this coming year, and, as Patricia reminds us regularly, to “many inspired practices.”

IYANW Barbara Voss and Fred Dowd are the new owners of Tree House Iyengar Yoga (THIY) in Shoreline, Washington. Fred is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and Barbara is a long-time student. Under the new ownership, THIY launched an exciting new website and new Facebook page in February. THIY has also increased their partnerships with local nonprofits in alignment with the yoga studio’s mission. The studio continues to offer new innovative workshops for children, advanced chair work, and yoga for springtime.

Several studios in the Northwest region held events to celebrate Guruji’s 100th birthday. Jewel Yoga in Portland celebrated with a free class co-taught by seven teachers, followed by a community gathering. We enjoyed seeing photos and interviews of Guruji from decades past, which teachers brought in to share, while we had delicious chocolate birthday cake and tea.

Tree House Iyengar Yoga celebrated with a potluck and partially catered event. They shared memories of Mr. Iyengar, his humor, and his comments that challenge us in practice.

Students also reflected on how much Geeta Iyengar influenced their lives. The studio held a raffle for Iyengar Yoga books and props, and a professional storyteller and student of Iyengar Yoga entertained the attendees with humorous and thoughtprovoking stories. The presence of the Iyengars was felt by all—remembering, celebrating, and feeling the joy that yoga has brought to all our lives.

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The centenary celebration in the Flathead Valley of Montana was a great success. Teachers there took a long shot and rented out a new retreat space for the event. It was a great moment to bring interested students and all the CIYTs of Kalispell together. More than 20 students enjoyed the teachings from four of the local CIYTs. Attendees viewed Leap of Faith, enjoyed amazing food cooked by another CIYT, and all-in-all relished in the Iyengar Yoga community as we ended up celebrating Guruji and also saying goodbye to Geetaji.

IYASCUS The Iyengar Yoga USA National Convention 2019 was held in Dallas, April 11–17. It was a huge honor and privilege for the Iyengar Yoga Association of the South Central United States (IYASCUS) to host this major event. Thank you to all the volunteers and participants who made this convention a success. Abhijata Iyengar taught six days of brilliant classes with her great energy, clarity, and poise. Her teaching combined precise asana instructions with yoga philosophy, and of course, the delightful and touching stories of her grandfather, B.K.S. Iyengar, were especially memorable.

Many relationships old and new were strengthened among participants as everyone practiced and celebrated our community. We are grateful for all the practitioners who traveled far distances to attend this successful event.

In other regional news, Laurie Blakeney (CIYT Intermediate Senior III) traveled to Austin in January and to Houston in March to teach workshops. Peggy Kelley (CIYT Intermediate Senior II) travels to teach in Mexico regularly and Randy Just (CIYT Intermediate Senior I) travels to teach all over our region and across the U.S. Teacher training programs are now in full swing in Dallas and Austin as a new group of dedicated Iyengar Yoga teachers prepare for the next level of practice and assessment. Also, to further the practice of Iyengar Yoga, we are promoting the inspiring movie, Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey, which will show in the major cities across our region and the U.S. There was a special screening at the national convention in April.

In Arkansas, the Iyengar Yoga Studio of Little Rock, directed

by Martha Richardson (CIYT), recently welcomed Howison Hollenberg (CIYT) to their yoga community. Howison relocated to Little Rock from Atlanta and is happy to be back home.

Arkansas now has eight CIYTs—three are serving on the IYASCUS Board: Joy Wasson (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), Sharon Wilkes (CIYT Intermediate Junior I), and LeeAnn Woodrum (CIYT).

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NEWS CONTINUED

In Kansas, Dana Chamblin (CIYT) reports that the Iyengar Yoga community of Kansas City recently offered a three-part series called “Prop Focus,” with an emphasis on chair work. In March, the series included inversions and restorative poses.

Cindy Espinoza (CIYT), director of Cornerstone Yoga of Moore, Oklahoma, recently expanded her studio to offer classes in two classrooms. Cornerstone Yoga offers many programs for the community, including special needs classes and children’s classes.

We teachers and students of the IYASCUS region will continue to work to keep Iyengar Yoga growing in the U.S. We wish all of you a peaceful and productive year!

February membership workshop with Juliana Fair in Alexandria, VA

IYASE The Iyengar Yoga Association of the Southeast (IYASE) welcomed new board members Mariana Scotti, vice president; Ross Holland, secretary; Maria Doiranlis, membership; and Olga Reinholdt, public relations.

For 2019, the board introduced a new member benefit sponsored by IYASE. We reached out to teachers and studios around the region and asked them to teach or host a three-hour workshop for members. We received a fantastic response—11 workshops were held before March 30. Topics included standing poses, inversions, arm balances, philosophy, and more.

Crescent Hill Yoga of Louisville, Kentucky, and Stillwater Yoga Studio of Atlanta hosted “Tapas and Svadhyaya, Simplicity and Observation” and “The Origin of Actions” with Kquvien DeWeese (CIYT Intermediate Junior III).

Our Florida members had the opportunity to enjoy three workshops. We thank Suzie Muchnik (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) for hosting and teaching “Eyes Wide Open” at her studio Postures in Naples. A big thank you to Bobbi Goldin (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) for hosting and teaching “Exploring Many Ways to Enjoy Shoulder Balance” at The Yoga Institute of Miami. Fernandina Beach studio Community Wellness + Yoga hosted Peentz Dubble (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) with her workshop “Developing Intelligence in Asana.”

The North Carolina studio Iyengar Yoga Center of Raleigh hosted Graham Williams (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) with “Yoga for Healthy Backs” and Iyengar Yoga Ashville brought Randy Loftis (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) with “Developing Arm Balances.”

“Asanas to Bring Lightness and Clarity” with Becky Lloyd (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) took place at one of our cornerstone studios, Audubon Yoga, in New Orleans.

Members in the Washington, D.C., area had an opportunity to study with Juliana Fair (CIYT Intermediate Senior I) in her workshop on “Standing Asanas” hosted by Iyengar-Yoga-WithLeah in Alexandria, Virginia.

We will continue to look for ways to support, promote, and disseminate Iyengar Yoga across our region as well as work toward bringing more benefits to our members and build a tighter-knit community on and off the mat.

IYASE has a new logo! It was a great honor to work with one of our members, longtime practitioner Lillian Heyward. Thank you for your guidance. IYASE is looking forward to offering T-shirts with the new logo soon.

Studios in Memphis (Eastern Sun Yoga) and Nashville (Iyengar Yoga Center of Nashville) featured Lou Hoyt (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) with “The Balance of Ease and Effort” and Aretha McKinney (CIYT Intermediate Senior I) with “Building Courage in Your Practice.”

IYASE_logo

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Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

IYASE collaborated with film distributor Gathr to bring the movie Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey to our region. Our first showing and fundraiser took place in May in Miami Beach, Florida.

stability in asana and pranayama. The center also offered special weekend events, including open practices with certified teachers, a pranayama workshop, and “Heart of the Lion,” a fun yet intense five-hour practice covering all categories of asana.

In January, Randy Just (CIYT Intermediate Senior I) started a four-weekend teacher training in New Orleans, which will span through August.

IYASW would like to congratulate Carlyn Sikes for her advancement to CIYT Intermediate Junior II. We are grateful for her dedication and mentorship. She thoughtfully guides the teachers in her local community and nourishes the eager students that regularly fill her classes.

In February, teachers and students of iYoga Delray Beach had the pleasure to study with Manouso Manos, visiting from California. As always, his teaching imparted wisdom, clarity, and passion about the subject of Iyengar Yoga.

In May, John Schumacher (CIYT Advanced Junior I) offered a Teacher Training on “The Art of Teaching Yoga” at Serendipity Retreat, and Elise Browning Miller (CIYT Intermediate Senior III) presented “Yoga for Scoliosis: Part 2 at Eastern Sun Yoga.”

IYASW

Mark your fall calendars for the return of Dean Lerner in Tucson, Sept. 13–15. SCC and the Iyengar Center of Scottsdale will once again host assessments in October for Intermediate Junior I certification.

The IYASW community continues to grow and blossom. Thank you to all who participate in making our events a success. We always miss our seasonal visitors and look forward to their return in the fall and winter months; it’s a joy experiencing the practice together.

In the Southwest, we have the pleasure of practicing with many out-of-town guests escaping blustery winters. This year was no exception. It was also a great opportunity for all of us to practice with visiting senior teachers. Amazing workshops took place in February with the return of Rita Manos at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Tucson and Nancy Stechert at Scottsdale Community College (SCC) and The Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale. We are always appreciative of their passion and clarity in teaching. They challenge and motivate us to delve deeper into our personal practices.

Lauren Hosie (CIYT, CYT) of Open Spaces Yoga Center in Lakeside, Arizona, offered a special eight-week series titled “Yoga for Your Back.” She also partnered with Summit Hospital, creating the holistic program, “Your Path to Self-Care.” Classes included “Food is your Friend,” “Being Mindful,” and “Sleep Well,” along with a self-care support group that met weekly.

During February and March, Aileen Epstein-Ignadiou (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) of the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Las Vegas held a fruitful eight-week introductory course on Iyengar Yoga, teaching students how to practice safely and effectively.

In May, she traveled with a group of practitioners for a “Spring in Israel” yoga retreat. They experienced nine amazing days of yoga and sightseeing in this beautiful and holy place.

SCC and the Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale welcomed back Carolyn Belko in April. The community looks forward to her biennial visits. She helps us to refine our practice and build

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“It is our duty to carry on in the same intensity in the same depth of understanding so that we may be able to pass on the knowledge to the next generation who will miss seeing Guruji.” ­ —Geetaji, Yoganusasanam 2014

Photo: RIMYI Archives

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SPECIAL SECTION ON GEETA’S PASSING

Teacher and Friend Forever Senior teacher Joan White was among the many practitioners present in Pune during Geeta’s final Yoganusasanam intensive and in attendance at the centenary celebrations. Publications Chair Holly Walck Kostura interviewed Joan about her impressions of the atmosphere at RIMYI just before and just after Geetaji’s passing.

Holly Walck Kostura: What impressions did Prashantji and Geetaji’s teachings during the centenary celebrations leave on your heart and mind?

Joan White: I was aware of the two different approaches that Prashant and Geeta took in their respective classes.

Prashant wanted to share what Iyengar Yoga was about, how it came to be, and what the philosophy behind it is. He was not attempting to teach a lot of asana work but rather to introduce people to the thinking behind the method.

Geeta’s teachings took a more practical approach in a similar manner to the way in which Guruji would teach a large class.

She taught asana and pranayama interrelating the parts and the whole in asana and teaching pranayama in the very special way only she could teach it.

HWK: And the last two days of events, Dec. 13 and 14, what were they like?

JW: They were exciting and packed with programs including a very interesting program on yoga and yoga philosophy in the work place. We were shown Jake Clennell’s movie and enjoyed talks given by a variety of people on many different subjects. Many old and new friends who had not been able to come to the entire intensive attended those two days to honor Guruji. It was great to see so many people there and hear them reminisce about Guruji and his classes.

Geeta had been planning to give a talk and said she was too exhausted, but then she gave a talk anyway! She was so happy that the convention had taken place and that she had been there and been able to do her teaching as well as attend many of the afternoon programs.

Tribute to Geeta outside the Institute in Pune

Geeta had been planning to give a talk and said she was too exhausted, but then she gave a talk anyway!

HWK: How did you learn about Geetaji’s passing and what did you do upon learning the sad news?

had gone, grateful that she had made it through everything. We joked about what would happen for her 75th birthday in 2019.

She talked to me about my personal loss and how much she liked my husband Donald. She gave me encouragement to face the future and guidance for what kind of practice I should be doing. I was so grateful and happy when I left her.

JW: I had seen Geeta the night before, and we talked for nearly an hour. She was in a great mood, happy with the way things

I received a telephone call shortly after 7 a.m. from my friend Suzie [Munchnik], who was in Florida, asking me if it were

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SPECIAL SECTION ON GEETA’S PASSING

true. I had no idea what she was talking about, and Suzie then told me what she had heard about Geeta’s passing. I was so out of it, I asked, “Geeta who?” After hanging up with her, I immediately received a call from Gloria Goldberg confirming the news. I ran down the hall to wake up Patricia Walden, and together we ran to the Institute.

Geeta’s body had just been brought back from the hospital and was laid out on a straw mat on the floor in the living room.

Suchita told me what had happened and directed me to sit on a chair next to Sunita [Geeta’s sister] where I remained for the next couple of hours. There were a few other westerners in the room sitting along the walls. People started to come through to pay their last respects to Geeta. Many brought flowers, many were in tears, and all were silent and respectful. Everyone was in shock and disbelief.

HWK: Describe the events of that day for those of us who were not there.

She departed her body around 5:30 a.m. in the car on the way to the hospital. The body was brought back to the Institute around 7 a.m., dressed in a white sari, which covered the head but not the face. Cotton had been placed in the nose and the mouth. Otherwise, she looked peaceful, laid out on a simple straw mat in the living room, and with an oil lamp on the floor near the crown of her head.

Shortly after I arrived, Sunita gave instructions to bring pictures of Geeta into the room and set them up on top of a bookshelf. Someone bought some very simple garlands and laid them on the body. People were invited to view the body, and many were in tears, some in shocked silence as they entered the room. From the very small garlands that were first brought in, the offerings grew to very large garlands, flowers, and some other offerings.

I was leaving for Mumbai later that afternoon so around 10 a.m. I went back to my hotel and finished packing. When I returned to the Institute shortly before noon, a huge crowd of people was gathered in the courtyard and in the driveway.

Prashant, who had just gone down to Bellur the day before, arrived shortly thereafter. Some people arrived with tree limbs and built a kind of stretcher or bier to rest the body on for transport to the burning grounds. Another group of men quickly put up sheets on the windows so that Prashant and his sisters could have some privacy with the body and the

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She gave me encouragement to face the future and guidance for what kind of practice I should be doing. I was so grateful and happy when I left her.

priest arrived and went into the house. About 15 minutes later, Prashant came out and sat on a chair outside the front door, and those gathered came up to pay their respects.

The body was carried out by all the Iyengar men including brothers-in-law, sons, sons-in-law, and fathers-in-law. All were shirtless and wore dhotis. Geeta’s body was placed in an ambulance for the journey to the cremation ground. We were then directed to follow. A large crowd of people arrived at the cremation site, and we were allowed to go inside the gates— which is not often the case for women.

The body was laid out, and Prashant was given a very large clay vessel of water with a hole punched in it. He then proceeded to circle the body carrying the black vessel. Every time he completed the circle, another hole was punched into the vessel until it was empty; Prashant then threw the pot on the ground and broke it. It was an extremely moving ceremony watching as the life source [symbolizing the life force] ran out of that pot. The body was then moved into an iron sort of cradle with wood underneath it and covered in dung patties, which burn very well. An oil was then poured over several parts of the mound, which was then lit. When the flames were huge and very bright, we were all asked to leave.

It was and still is impossible to process her loss. I had just lost my husband of 50 years a little over two weeks before the intensive, and Geeta’s passing coming on top of that was more than I could process. I still haven’t come to terms with it.

Not only was she my teacher, she was also my friend for over 40 years. I will always love her and miss her.

Joan White (CIYT Advanced Junior I) has been studying with the Iyengar family since 1973. She is the director of the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga School of Philadelphia, where she offers courses at all levels.

She also travels worldwide teaching workshops.

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13 Days of Mourning EXCERPTS FROM A FACEBOOK DIARY

BY VICTORIA AUSTIN

Victoria Austin (front corner) practices Utthita Trikonasana during the Yoganusasanam intensive at Balewadi, December 2018. Photo: Shael Sharma

In December 2018, many international students and teachers were in Pune for Guruji’s 100th birthday celebration, for Geeta’s Yoganusasanam intensive, and for general study at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI). After Geetaji’s passing on Dec. 16, all classes stopped and the Institute began preparations for her cremation, followed by a 13-day period of mourning.

Victoria Austin was among the practitioners present and posted daily reflections on the activities at RIMYI to her Facebook page, Yoga and Zen With Victoria Austin. With her permission, we have excerpted several of the accounts here.

DEC. 16, 2018, PUNE This morning, when I received the news that Geetaji had passed away, I had been studying various actions in a sequence of standing poses, inversions, and forward bends.

I was trying to understand what she had meant by charana kriya, chedana kriya, bedhana kriya, and sodhana kriya as applied to asana practice.

Geetaji’s teachings were so present to me right then that, at first, the message that she had passed away did not make sense to me. When it began to sink in, my roommate Kathy and I quickly got ready to go to RIMYI to pay our respects. As the morning went on, the courtyard began to fill up with family, students, and friends.

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Now we are back and resting for the day—so far from where we started at the beginning of the day. Geetaji, as we knew her, is no more.

Prashantji had already gone to Bellur with about 150 students and teachers for the continuation of the 100th birthday celebration. They all turned around and came back. At around 1:30 p.m. the priest came for chanting. Everyone chanted with heart to help Geetaji on her way.

The men of the house carried Geetaji’s body to the ambulance for transportation to the cremation ceremony at Vaikunth.

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This was performed in the traditional manner. We were there to see her dear form covered with sandalwood and kindling, to see the flames lit, and to hear the pot break. Now we are back and resting for the day—so far from where we started at the beginning of the day. Geetaji, as we knew her, is no more. Now it is up to us to be arms and legs for her teachings.

DEC. 17, 2018, PUNE Geetaji appeared in my dreams in the wee hours of the morning. What I saw was pure light, and what I felt was pure joy and complete freedom from all pain.

Geetaji had the special quality of being able to put Guruji’s insights into action.

paracitta jnanam: (Sh)e acquires the ability to understand the minds of others. While Guruji was able to see directly into oneness, Geetaji’s unique ability was to translate that direct knowledge of Guruji’s into accessible steps and stages, such as her brilliant application of the Ayurvedic skill of kriya to asana and pranayama teachings for the specific people facing her.

*** Sunitaji told us that Geetaji had told her that her work was done. She said that she was needed through the 100th birthday celebrations, and she exactly fulfilled her promise.

Geetaji was a karma yogi. Guruji could see all the causes and conditions in people and how to address them. Geetaji had the special quality of being able to put Guruji’s insights into action.

She could help him. That level of skill is not easy to understand.

She could see how to get from here to there, and what to do to realize those steps. *** Offerings and chanting for Geeta continue at RIMYI. Today is lunar Gita Jayanti, and also Moksha Ekadashi. Gita Jayanti is the birthday of The Bhagavad Gita, for which Geetaji was named. Moksha Ekadashi is the day that purifies all karmas and thus bestows liberation. This day falls on the 11th day of the two-week period of the waxing moon, in the month of Margashirsha in the Hindu calendar. Sunitaji told us that Geetaji’s practice was to lecture on The Bhagavad Gita on this day.

DEC. 19, 2018, PUNE Someone asked Sunitaji what she thought we should practice in this time of bereavement. Sunitaji responded that she was no expert but would speak from her experience. She checked to see whether even pranayama was difficult, and it is.

Sunitaji said that when she lost her husband, Guruji suggested Sirsasana and Sarvangasana, which calm the mind and bring it to a state of balance, which it lacks at this time. For pranayama, Viloma I. DEC. 20, 2018, PUNE Geetaji’s gaze now meets us as we enter RIMYI. As in life, Geetaji’s eyes look directly into one’s heart to search the conscience. I am reminded of Yoga Sutra III.19, pratyayasya

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This morning as we chanted with Sunitaji, the Yoga Sutras held the sound of emotional challenge, grief, and a search for patience with the losses in human life. After we chanted Bhagavad Gita chapters 9, 10, and 11, Sunitaji spoke briefly about verse 9.26, which Guruji explained in Core of Yoga Sutras. Sunitaji [said] that if we only brought and offered that one teaching, it would be enough.

DEC. 21, 2018, PUNE Sunitaji is using Geetaji’s copy of The Bhagavad Gita. She told us that Geetaji’s underlines and notes are like a personal message to her about what is important. Chanting with its rhythm, music, and meaning gives lightness when we are trying to heal heaviness in the heart.

When the heart is heavy, its vibrations cannot be felt. With Japa, the vibrations come, and that sense of movement gives lightness. *** Today Sunitaji spoke about some very important and helpful teachings for when someone near and dear to us passes away.

These teachings are useful any time, but especially when we are grieving and need wisdom about how to re-enter our lives with a sense of meaning.

Like Guruji in 2014, Geetaji was cremated immediately with full respect for tradition. Having a traditional template can increase our sense of safety and make it possible to accept the changes of life. The first through tenth days are a time of simplicity and sequestration. The chanting we have been joining is to lighten the burden of grief. On the 10th day, Tuesday, Dec. 25, Sunitaji may not come to the hall, as there are rituals that must be done. Students are welcome to come to the hall and chant. We are not meant to stay in a mournful state. The 10th through 13th days are for the mourners to begin to emerge from isolation and deep grief.

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Empty practice hall with Geetaji’s altar at the front

This custom reflects tradition. Sunitaji told us that Garuda Purana speaks of how the soul is released after death to go up. In that tradition, every three days, there is a transitional ascension, and on the 13th day it reaches the Lord. On the 13th day is Shraddha Kriya, a remembrance ceremony, which includes what we might call a life celebration for the deceased person, who has now gone beyond.

Victoria Austin (Intermediate Senior I) began her practice in 1971, and she trained as a teacher starting in 1984. Since meeting B.K.S. Iyengar at the first national convention that year, she has studied regularly at RIMYI. Guruji asked her to train herself so that every action gives life, and Geetaji asked her to continually develop citta with courage from the foundation of practice.

*** Change of plans. Returning to San Francisco tomorrow. I will return to RIMYI this afternoon to say farewell. We are planning a San Francisco remembrance for Geetaji.

DEC. 26, 2018, SAN FRANCISCO In the centenary celebration in Pune up until the day before she died, Geetaji did not hold anything back. She gave everything from the heart—wisdom, love, soulful honesty. Her presence will remain with us forever.

DEC. 28, 2018, SAN FRANCISCO In a few hours, it will be the 13th day since our beloved teacher, Geetaji, passed away. Traditional remembrance, or Shraddhanjali, will be held at RIMYI starting at 5:30 p.m. Indian time … We will chant three Gathas that are used in classes for young people at RIMYI, then do a led practice of asana that Geetaji selected for her first day of teachings at the centenary celebrations at Balewadi. In the practice, we will emphasize the Yoga Sutras that first opened themselves up to Geetaji in her study of yoga.

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SPECIAL SECTION ON GEETA’S PASSING

Your Practice Brings the Secrets to You REFLECTIONS ON GEETAJI’S SHRADDHANJALI

BY AMITA BHAGAT

The manner in which they integrated us, their students, into the family life was generous and deeply meaningful to us all.

The platform at the front of the main practice hall

On the day of Geetaji’s Shraddhanjali, Dec. 28, 2018, the Iyengar family kindly opened the Institute for practice to those students who were in Pune. There was a puja going on inside the house, and the sounds of the mantras being chanted floated up to the main practice hall, which was being adorned with flowers for the function to be held that evening. We were invited for lunch on behalf of the Iyengar family, and so we went into the house where the puja—which Prashantji had sat for—had just finished. We bowed down and paid our respects to Geetaji’s picture and also to Prashantji.

Lunch included different types of rice, curd, vegetable dishes, papad, sweets—all the six tastes—and was served on giant leaves. We were given prasad, blessed food, and also a 10-rupee note and were told that a guest could not leave empty-handed. The hospitality of the Iyengar family throughout this time after Geetaji passed away was abundant: from the invitation to come into their family home and go to the cremation grounds on the day she passed, to opening the Institute for practice during the 13th-day mourning period to speaking to every single person at the lunch. The manner in which they integrated us, their students, into the family life was generous and deeply meaningful to us all.

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That evening, we gathered for Geetaji’s Shraddhanjali, which is a tribute to someone who has passed, a memorial service remembering them and their life. This ceremony is held after a 13-day mourning period, which all Hindus follow when someone dies. A few of us were still in Pune following the December celebrations, and more people flew in from other cities in India and abroad. Geetaji’s picture was set against Patanjali with flowers adorning her photo and a small diya (oil lamp). Another picture was up on the platform with the quote, “It is your practice that brings the secrets to you. No teacher can give you the secrets.” Sunita Iyengar explained to us that today Geetaji had reached Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu, and the suffering she had to go through to get to the doors of Vaikuntha were over.

Abhijata opened the evening by leading us in chanting the invocation to Patanjali. Prashantji, now the senior-most Iyengar Yoga teacher, presided first, telling us stories from Geetaji’s childhood and how her life had been laid out on the path of yoga. He recounted her life from childhood and told us how, in the 1960s, she became a yoga teacher when Guruji started going abroad. He left her in charge of teaching at the Gujurati school where there was a public class.

Others contributed to the evening with stories, reflections, and memories of Geetaji as well.

Nawaz Kamdin, a senior teacher at RIMYI and lifelong student and friend of Guruji and Geetaji, shared how life was not easy for the Iyengar family in the beginning. Geetaji, she said, had to travel around by bicycle to people’s houses to promote her lessons and propagate yoga. “[Geeta’s] perseverance as a teacher could be experienced in the medical classes, where she left no stone unturned.”

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Nawaz remarked on Geeta’s innovation, how she was truly devoted to her work in the medical classes, and how she had this expert eye for diagnosing the patient even before seeing the medical reports. But, said Nawaz, she had her own health problems: weakness, a connective tissue disorder, circulatory problems, gangrene, weak eyesight. Yet she worked tirelessly in medical class, Nawaz said, as if some divine source was moving through her. In the last weeks before her death, Geetaji repeatedly reminded her assistants that she was staying alive for the centenary celebrations and then she was done: She wanted to give all that she had to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of her father.

On the morning of Nawaz’s birthday, Dec. 16, she awoke to a call from Abhijata saying that Periamma (aunt)—Geetaji—was gone. Life and death is not in our hands, Nawaz said, and she let go, satisfied that she had completed her responsibility.

Next, Patxi Lizardi, a senior teacher from Spain who was appointed by Guruji to translate all of Guruji’s works into Spanish, recounted how he told his wife that “commitment” was the word he felt described Geetaji’s life. His wife said, “You are using the wrong word, the more accurate one is ‘sacrifice.’”

Geetaji sacrificed her own life for Guruji’s work. Patxi told his wife that we are all orphans now, without our father (Guruji) and our mother (Geetaji).

Rajvi Mehta then spoke about how Geetaji reached out to many levels of students at the intensive. She told the assistants that time was short and, as such, she didn’t want to take any breaks during the convention.

Abhijata concluded the tributes by telling us that Geeta made her honest. She told us we are exposed now and compared it with a chilly winter morning. When our quilts and warm blankets are removed, Abhijata said, it can be a bone-chilling experience, just like death. “It is palpable that the whole community is numb and everything stands still. Guruji was the soul and Geetaji was the heart of Iyengar Yoga.”

Abhijata told us she saw Geetaji from different angles, both as her teacher, who was a strict disciplinarian, and as her aunt, who was so loving. One word Abhijata used to describe Geetaji’s life was “purposeful.” Her life from childhood until Dec. 16 was connected by a single thread, a single purpose: yoga, Iyengar Yoga, and Guruji. For her these three things were synonymous; they were one. All her life moved on this single track, Abhijata said.

As we left, we paid our respects to Geetaji and went downstairs for dinner, which was provided by the family. As we descended the stairs, volunteers passed out bookmarks with a small picture of Geetaji, which is also up on the house and now greets everyone as they exit the Institute building, along with the quote, “It is your practice that brings the secrets to you. No teacher can give you the secrets.”

This is her message to us; it’s up to us to practice and realize the truth.

Amita Bhagat (CIYT) has been making annual trips to RIMYI since 2012 and recently returned from a four-month-long study there.

She is the former director of Sadhanaa Yoga.

“The children stand the tallest in this world.” ­ —Geetaji, Yoganusasanam

Photo: RIMYI Archives

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Overcoming Fear of Flying in Iyengar Yoga EXPLORING THE PATH OF PRACTICE AT THE 2019 NATIONAL CONVENTION

BY KIRSTEN BROOKS

A

s I took the flight to Dallas for the Iyengar Yoga USA National Convention 2019 in April, I could sense lurking within me the dvesha klesha (source of frustration known as “aversion”) to the unknown I was about to experience. I had never studied with any of the Iyengar family before nor attended a national convention, and quite frankly, I was nervous about what the tenor of a gathering of our nationwide community would be, especially given the upheaval and conflict of the past year. I could also sense the opposite klesha, raga (attachment), standing directly beside the aversion—I was thrilled to see my friends and have six whole days to devote to simply being a student of yoga.

Arriving at the Sheraton, I was giddy. My presence at this convention was due almost entirely to generous benefactors— the IYNAUS Scholarship Committee and donors, and my teacher Sue and dear friend Sally who let me share a room with them—such fanciness is generally far out of my league.

Sue and Sally, having arrived earlier, had gone to soak up some nature at the Audubon Society, so I deposited my bags in the room with a glorious view from the 29th floor, and headed out in search of coffee.

As I walked past the reception desk on the main floor, I spotted a face coming toward me—a face I recognized, a face I had seen in photographs and videos. Suddenly realizing the face was Abhijata Iyengar’s, I beamed in involuntary delight and greeting. Abhijata smiled back! Her smile stunned me. It wasn’t the fact that she smiled—it was the quality of that smile. She didn’t smile with the tight-lipped formality used for strangers we pass on the street. She didn’t smile with the practiced cordiality of a celebrity being recognized in public. She smiled like you smile passing a school friend in the hallway between classes. She smiled a genuine smile.

Over the next week of study with her, I learned that everything Abhijata does or says comes from a place of profound honesty and genuineness. Classes began Friday morning with strong standing poses and deep hip openers. She asked us to examine what our top thighs were doing—and did we even know where our outer thighs were? She asked us to consider how memory was leading us to relay a certain narrative about the poses, to “choose a thread” of a storyline and base our response to the situation, the pose, on that story. As we grunted and struggled to isolate the action of the outer hip and sacral area in a prone Vrksasana, she lucidly articulated one of the most essential and possibly least understood aspects of Iyengar Yoga: the idea that asana and pranayama can lead to citta vrtti nirodhah because they teach how not to make Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

I was thrilled to see my friends and have six whole days to devote to simply being a student of yoga. that choice in narrative. She encouraged us to become aware of the gap between the thoughts (stimulus) and the “thread” (response), and she stressed that in knowing the gap, there is the possibility of experiencing the atha, the NOW. It was stunning to witness how effortlessly she wove together the teaching of 900 students of all different levels with accessible and brilliantly expounded philosophy, as well as moments of teacher education for good measure. In this first class, she urged us, as practitioners and especially as teachers, to thoroughly understand the networking and connectivity in the asanas—how one part of the body relates to another in all variety of poses, not just the ones that are usually grouped together as belonging to the same family. That way, we will understand how to instruct our students to practice so they improve. The key, of course, is practice—constant, devoted, honest practice. “If you are strict with yourself,” she told us not-so-jokingly, “I will be compassionate with you. If you are compassionate with yourself, I will have to be strict with you.”

We laughed and so did she, but she was clearly not referring merely to how many repetitions of the prone Vrksasana we had attempted.

Each afternoon began with a tribute to Geeta shared by one of her students. It struck me as particularly significant that in the first of these tributes, Chris Saudek said the only time she could recall having seen Geeta smile was when she was playing with her nieces and nephews. There is a certain kind of bond in family relationships that is incomparable, and there is a certain 21

Photos: Ken Duane at VisionsByKen

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It was stunning to witness how effortlessly she wove together the teaching of 900 students of all different levels with accessible and brilliantly expounded philosophy.

kind of bond in the relationships we form in yoga that also has no peer. I can only imagine the intensity of the bond within the Iyengar family and how heavily the loss of Geetaji weighs on all of them, particularly Abhijata. She even told us during the convention, “This is the first of these trips where I cannot afterward call my aunt and talk to her. Where she won’t ask me, ‘What did you do? How did they do?’” But that first afternoon of classes, it wasn’t only the loss of her aunt that was weighing on her. Taking the podium upon the completion of Chris’ tribute, she bade us, “Come close.”

“So,” she said with a hint of a smile, “what’s the plan? What am I going to do now? … I just want to talk with you all. Basically, I want to pour my heart out.”

And she did. With respect, with firmness, with dignity, and with intense love, she referred the Iyengar Yoga community in the United States back to her grandfather and, beyond her grandfather, to Patanjali as the cornerstone for what yoga is and must be. She stressed the need for asuddhiksaye, the burning away of impurities, and vivekakhyateh, knowledge of discernment, in our lives, in our practice, in our teaching, in our touch. She shared her personal experiences with both trauma and healing; she called us all her family.

The call she issued each and every one of us to hold ourselves to the highest standards is something that we are each accountable for in the deepest places of our hearts. I am accountable, as it says in sutra II.34, for all my own “violence, whether done directly or indirectly, or condoned.” In his commentary on this sutra in Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, B.K.S. Iyengar lists three types of disease, pain, and distress: those resulting from deliberate overindulgence (adhyatmika), those resulting from nondeliberate habits and behavior (adhibhautika), and those that are of genetic or hereditary origin (adhidaivika).

It seems to me that many of my shortcomings, as well as many of the struggles within our community and the issues facing

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our society and planet, stem from fear. Fear of falling, as in the airplane, fear of failure, fear of death. Fear of discomfort.

Fear of being judged. Fear of losing what I have. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of being wrong. Fear of not being good enough. These are a few of my biggest fears. Maybe you share some of them; there are many others.

In her keynote speech, Abhijata described fear as the greatest obstacle to practice, illustrating with a David Attenborough clip of a goose chick making a dizzying plunge from a cliff top to its parents below. This harrowing drop is the rite of passage for every chick of its kind—if it does not step off the cliff, it will starve. She described how her fear and the “thread” of the story she had chosen to tell herself about a particular pose had formed an obstacle in her practice. It was not about whether or not she could physically do the pose but about the mental blocks and excuses she constructed for not attempting it. She related Guruji’s practice to a boy who follows the song of a bird into the jungle: The beauty he sees and experiences around him is only seen and experienced because he is following the song of the bird.

For the remainder of the week, Abhijata encouraged us to follow the song of yoga—not to stay outside the jungle because of fear nor to focus merely on capturing the bird, but to explore, innocently, whole heartedly, honestly. She also encouraged us to ask ourselves difficult questions and to be prepared to make changes when we find their answers.

On the next to last morning of the convention, I stood looking out that 29th-floor window. Normally I would be afraid to look straight down, but I wasn’t. Suddenly a bird swooped from immediately above our window, plummeting toward the pavement like the goose chick in Abhijata’s video. It was as though I was falling along with it. Then just as suddenly, it swooped up and off to the roof of a nearby building. My gaze shifted, and up the center of the vista came an airplane taking off from DFW, framed by skyscrapers on either side. I smiled.

My fears about the convention, the future of our community, and the future of Iyengar Yoga, were assuaged. Abhi is flying this plane. We can breathe again.

Kirsten Brooks (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) started practicing Iyengar Yoga in Bethlehem, PA, in 2008. After moving to Ann Arbor, MI, she began mentoring with senior teacher Sue Salaniuk. Kirsten now teaches in Iowa City, IA, where she lives with her family.

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My Mother and I CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS 2018: BALEWADI STADIUM, PUNE, INDIA

BY LAURA LASCOE AND REBECCA LASCOE

Up front at the Yoganusasanam intensive, Laura Lascoe sits behind Lois Steinberg and Rebecca Lascoe sits behind Laura. Copyright RIMYI. Photograph by Shael Sharma

LAURA Last August, my mother announced that she was planning to travel to Pune for the centenary celebrations. I was pleasantly surprised yet shocked and a little nervous—for both of us. I know from personal experience that Pune can be overwhelming. Having grown up in a family that loves to travel, I was fortunate to have experienced many other countries before my first trip to India in 2015. However, my other travels did not prepare me for India and its endless dichotomies— women dressed in colorful saris precariously seated on the back of mopeds, cars honking from every direction, and fragrant spices and foods that cut through the pollution, traffic, and poverty. India is a gem, and the sensory stimulation I felt there is unlike any other I have ever experienced.

My mother gave me the gift of yoga. She planted the seed when I was three. During vacations from school, my sister and I often attended classes with my mom. Her teacher, Annie Ralston (CIYT), encouraged our participation by teaching us “fly on the wall” (Ardha Chandrasana) and other fun shapes.

Over the years, my mother helped me grow my practice—

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My mother gave me the gift of yoga. She planted the seed when I was three. —Laura Lascoe

sending sequences for various emotional and physical issues, helping me find a teacher during my college years, and encouraging me through the certification process. She proudly supported my first trip to Pune in 2015 to attend Yoganusasanam, a month of study at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI), and on to Bellur to visit Guruji’s birthplace and the yoga hall.

Reminiscing about my own yogic journey came to an abrupt halt when I realized the significance of my mother’s decision to attend the centenary celebrations. At the age of 61, she was making her first trip to Pune to explore another dimension of her yoga practice. Finally! And what a perfect way for her to delve further into this tradition and deepen her own practice. ***

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I feel blessed to have received teachings from Prashant and Geeta and to have shared this incredible experience with my daughter. —Rebecca Lascoe

REBECCA In the late summer, there was a buzz in the Iyengar Yoga community. Everyone was talking about the December intensive and centenary celebrations, and many of my friends and teachers were attending. I have been a CIYT for five years; I knew this was the perfect opportunity to make my first trek to Pune to learn directly from the Iyengar family. I felt that my mind and body were up to the task, and I knew my daughter would be by my side for the journey.

We sat together during the 10-day intensive and received knowledge and wisdom from Prashant and Geeta Iyengar.

Prashant taught the first five days. We could only comprehend a microscopic speck of his knowledge. At one point, Prashant said, “This is but a drop in an ocean of knowledge although to you it feels like a storm.” After experiencing his ability to challenge the mind, we were then graced with Geeta’s presence for the next five days. Her energy, enthusiasm, and love of the subject pervaded the stadium. She pushed the room of over 1,200 students (from 56 different countries), yelling, “Do or die!” She explained that she yelled because she loved us.

On the second day of Geeta’s classes, we were asked to enter the asana room without any props. Suddenly a swarm of children ran into the stadium and took their places in the middle of the room. I was excited at the prospect of watching them demonstrate poses for us, but Geeta announced that everyone was joining the class. What a surprise. After an hour or so of jumping in and out of poses without any props, I was elated that I was able to keep up with the class. I felt like I was 12 years old again. I had never before taken a class like that.

The knowledge and presence of Prashant and Geeta left us fulfilled, feeding our mind, body, and breath.

During the last two days, we celebrated the anniversary of Guruji’s birth by watching movies and listening to various lectures. A highlight of the celebrations was a presentation by students from Bellur who demonstrated beautifully choreographed sequences, which they have been exhibiting at various competitions. I was delighted by their skill and precision.

After the celebrations came to an end, my daughter and I boarded the plane and began our journey home. My trip began with some trepidation of traveling to an unknown country for an extended period of time and ended with so many 26

Rebecca and Laura Lascoe at the centenary celebrations in Pune. Copyright RIMYI. Photograph by Shael Sharma

wonderful memories. I feel blessed to have received teachings from Prashant and Geeta and to have shared this incredible experience with my daughter. *** LAURA I can imagine what it must have been like for my mother watching me grow into my yoga practice. Now the tables had turned and given me this opportunity to see my mother experience an important milestone in her yoga studies and practice. During our trip to Pune, I saw the wonder and amazement on my mom’s face on a daily basis. I was thankful to be by her side.

On our way home, as we landed in Delhi to catch our connecting flight to Los Angeles, we learned of Geetaji’s passing. When Geeta was 29 years old, her mother passed away. When I was 29 years old, the matriarch of yoga left her physical body. A child sees strength in the mother to move forward, and so too a mother can see strength in her child to voyage forward. Our final days learning from Geetaji sparked progress in our practice, a gift we will forever cherish.

Laura Lascoe is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and IYNAUS Board co-chair for public relations and marketing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA. Rebecca Lascoe is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher and editorial assistant for Yoga Vidya and lives in Calabasas, CA.

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Discovering the Wholeness of Yoga ANCIENT WISDOM TEACHINGS FOR MODERN YOGA PRACTITIONERS Gloria Goldberg and Gitte Bechsgaard have created an inspiring course of study and practice that is grounded in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The course offers insight on a wide range of contemporary questions such as the search for meaning, the role of yoga and spiritual practice (sadhana) in daily life, and the potential of human consciousness. Here, they talk with one of their students, Heather Haxo Phillips, about this two-year course.

Heather Haxo Phillips: Gitte, could you tell us about yourself and how this unique program became into existence?

Gitte Bechsgaard: I was in the last stages of writing the Gift of Consciousness and [Guruji’s book] The Core of the Yoga Sutras had just been published. I wrote B.K.S. Iyengar and asked if he would want me to teach on the Gift of Consciousness: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras together with his teachings and writings on philosophy, and he did. [Guruji] was supportive of the course having a two-year structure and four parts that would provide philosophical teachings in the Yoga Sutras as a main focus combined with our Iyengar Yoga practice and methodology. He advised that this be taught “both to the raw beginner as well as the seasoned practitioner.”

Gloria Goldberg: The asana and pranayama practices go hand in hand with the theory. The philosophy is not only integrated but is what inspired, I believe, Guruji's approach to teaching us all.

HHP: We are used to chanting the invocation but not so used to chanting other things. What is so important about chanting?

GB: Chanting the full Invocation to Patanjali and the yoga sutras is an integral part of what the Iyengars have emphasized. It is important to learn it slowly and steadily, and to do so together in communities.

HHP: One thing that makes this course unique is that it covers meditation and using all the eight limbs as gateways toward meditation.

GB: The sutras describe that if we start with concentration

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Gloria Goldberg and Gitte Bechsgaard. Photos: Kerry Reinking

We have to strengthen all the eight limbs of yoga to walk on this path with integrity. practice (dharana) and go progressively deeper it becomes meditation (dhyana). B.K.S. Iyengar said, “I can teach you concentration, but I bring you into meditation.” This is the approach we are taking in this course—looking at the traditional yoga sutras together with Iyengar’s approach to dhyana and the essential inner limbs of yoga.

GG: That’s true in asanas and, of course, pranayama practice as well. The deeper understanding you have of the asanas and pranayama from the gross to the subtle, the more your focus leads to that meditative state. Guruji’s approach is meditation in action.

HHP: The first course started in the U.S. the very same week that Guruji passed away. Now, with Geetaji’s passing, so many Iyengar Yoga teachers [and practitioners] are asking themselves, “what now” and “what next?”

GB: When a guru passes, and now also with Geetaji’s passing, it becomes more important for us to stay really connected with the method of practice and uphold the teachings within our own hearts and to integrate all that was shared with us so generously. Now is the time for understanding our method better, understanding the teachings better—in practice, in life, and in theory. It’s a very important time right now and has been since Iyengar’s passing. We all have to step up and be anchored within.

GG: I think the course helps people understand the foundation of Guruji’s teachings and that he designed a method that incorporated everything that was already there in yogic scripture. He did this in a way that we, especially westerners, can grasp over time through abhyasa and svadhyaya (practice and self study).

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When we have a guru, we have someone who is capable of bringing us from darkness and inner ignorance to light and awakening, who helps us go through that process. The philosophical teachings help us with that because they are ancient and perennial wisdom teachings. We have to strengthen all the eight limbs to walk on the path with integrity and compassion.

GB: When a guru passes, responsibility gets thrown back on us to study the teachings to make sure that we are really practicing that way, that we are following a spiritual path that is complete and whole. And that starts with yama and niyama; it’s something that we do need to study. We cannot leave it out. It has to be an integrated part of our learning right from the beginning. All the eight limbs rest on this ethical foundation. Otherwise we will be led astray.

HHP: Those of us who have gone through Gitte Bechsgaard teaches The Gift of Consciousness to students from around the world. the program have found it profoundly transformative in many ways, particularly through the deeper Jyotish, and contemplative practice—combined with your study of abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (detachment) and Iyengar Yoga practice—have guided this transmission. Can you the entire eightfold path. Your studies with your mentor Sri talk a little bit about that?

Krishan Mantriji in the areas of yoga philosophy, Sanskrit, GB: There were 12 years where I was practicing and teaching Iyengar Yoga. My whole life was so transformed by it. Then I had an accident where I could not walk yet wanted to maintain intense yoga practice in a form [other than asana]. That’s when the opportunity came to me to learn the Sanskrit and to study Vyasa’s Bhashya and the ancient Vedic scriptures. This became a doorway into deepening for me personally.

This came at a time when I was thinking, “How can I ever be a yogi again?” The practices [I had come to know as yoga] were stripped away from me, and I had to enter another kind of sadhana that was connected [to what I had already learned].

I had to undergo this huge transformation and discover the whole [of yoga]. Studying the scriptures, reciting sutras, and chanting added another dimension to what I’d been doing and shed a light on what I had already done. I made a vow that if I were to get better again, I would teach people to have a practice that included the study of yoga philosophy and the soul-psychology underlying the teachings, and to understand its importance in daily life and practice.

We really hope that, in our teaching, we bring forth the beauty and the profound wisdom in Iyengar’s method, as well as the life’s work of Guruji, Geetaji, [and Prashantji]. I really feel tremendously grateful, and [hope] we can convey what we have learned in a small way to others, because we did not grow up in India with the whole context of understanding. I found that in writing The Gift of Consciousness that a lot of it was 28

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informed by my trying to teach Iyengar Yoga practitioners and teachers and finding out what they understood and what they didn’t understand and where they needed additional guidance.

We want to share what was shared with us, in whatever way we can, and hopefully [we] have been doing so for the past five years.

HHP: And it is done with such joy and intention, and attention, and love. Thank you so much.

Gitte Bechsgaard, Ph.D., is the founder of the Vidya Institute in Toronto, Canada, and has taught in the fields of yoga, Eastern psychology/philosophy, and contemplative traditions for over 25 years. She is a Senior Iyengar Yoga teacher and a registered psychotherapist. Her book, The Gift of Consciousness: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, was published in 2013 and h er book The Sacred in Exile was published in 2017. www.vidyainstitute.com Gloria Goldberg, MA, has been teaching Iyengar Yoga to students around the world for almost 40 years. She has devoted her life to sadhana and takes joy in sharing the transformational power of practice with those who seek to learn with her. www.iyengaryogalamesa.com

Gloria Goldberg teaches Supta Padangusthasana variations.

Heather Haxo Phillips is the owner and director of Adeline Yoga in Berkeley, CA, where she teaches Iyengar Yoga. She volunteers in the Iyengar Yoga community locally, nationally, and internationally. www.adelineyoga.com Please visit www.iyengaryogalamesa.com for complete workshop details and schedule.

ACCESSING INDIA’S ANCIENT WISDOM As we sit on the precipice of change within our Iyengar Yoga

When Geeta passed, we knew what to do. Our community of

community, many of us are looking for ways to access and

sadhakas, trained by Gitte and Gloria, gathered at RIMYI. We sat

cultivate our inner wisdom. Most of us are very familiar with

and sang, using prayers to help us find ourselves and each other

asana and pranayama as tools for personal transformation. But

in the darkness.

the ancients also included yamas, niyamas, mantra chanting, and contemplative prayer in their practices for empowerment.

Grief, fear, and frustration are all part of daily life. How do we handle these experiences without getting tangled up in

I always felt that Guruji and Geetaji used the ancient wisdom

them? How do we handle the complexity of our teachers and

in their own lives. They would talk about particular words and

community, and the complexity of our own personal lives?

sutras in deeply personal ways. But I myself never had the tools

A deep study and practice of the ancient teachings of India

to access the ancient wisdom when I needed it the most. Yes, I

can provide context and inspiration.

had studied the sutras and The Bhagavad Gita and other texts for many years. But I needed more context, more conversation,

Some of the benefits that I have personally experienced from

more understanding in order to get the learning out of my head

my studies with Gitte and Gloria include an increased ability

and into my actions.

to get quiet and sit with stillness, an ability to work with the difficulties in my life rather than against them, more authentic

This started to change nearly five years ago when I began

connections, a deeper commitment to seeing the divine in

studying with Gitte Beschgaard and Gloria Goldberg.

others, a devotional practice that is a refuge for me, access to my own intuition, and clarity on my soul’s purpose.

I met Gitte the week that Guruji died. At that time, I was cloaked in grief and needed a way to direct my emotions so I could

India’s ancient wisdom can support more than our bodies. We

rise for our community. Gitte taught us how to chant the Guru

have an opportunity to nourish our entire self, our communities,

Gita, and I knew it would be a potent tool. To cope with my own

and the world. I hope that each of you will create an opportunity

mental state, I committed myself to chanting the Guru Gita daily

to do this deep work with Gitte and Gloria, or other local

for one year. Over the year, I felt that the song allowed me to

teachers and healers where you live, work, and play.

grieve on all levels—physical, emotional, mental, and energetic— conscious and unconscious. With the chanting, I grew stronger,

—Heather Haxo Phillips

more focused, more whole.

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Yoga on the Isle of Skye with

Janet MacLeod

Isle of Skye -Sabhal Mor Ostaig Scotland, United Kingdom August 23-30, 2019 for complete info: www.jmacleodyoga.com 30

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Yoga for Letting Go

BY KOREN PAALMAN “Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”

—B.K.S. Iyengar, Guruji Uwatch (Compiled by Nivedita Josh, 2004)

DEATH, GRIEF, AND LOSS Each time we form an attachment to another human being, it is inevitable that, sooner or later, one of us will die. With every relationship we form, loss is guaranteed, though we rarely think about that outcome. Grief begins with childhood losses and its tantrums and tears. Over time, our responses to loss grow more complex. There may still be tantrums and tears, but also anxiety, anger, depression, numbness, and more. We think of death as the ultimate loss, but all losses make their mark on who we become.

In 2014, the Iyengar Yoga community experienced the death our beloved Guruji, and more recently, our cherished Geetaji.

Although we knew this time would inevitably come, their passing has left its mark on each of us individually and as a community. Patanjali tells us that our body is made up of the five elements of nature and that these primal elements create a temporary vehicle for our eternal soul to reside in. Our body undergoes constant change and eventual death; however, our individual soul is untouched. As yoga practitioners, we know that the soul is eternal and that each of us will physically pass through the various cycles of life beginning with birth and ending with death. We were all blessed to receive the teachings of Guruji and Geetaji, and their deaths mark time and are now milestones in our lives. In the words of Guruji, “Birth and death are beyond the will of human being. These two do not ask our permission.” (Astadala Yogamala, Vol. 5, p. 264) In 2007, I lost my life partner suddenly in a car accident, and in that moment, my life changed forever. My sadness was overwhelming and all encompassing, and my grieving seemed endless. I discovered how skillfully American culture avoids anything painful, particularly death. I learned, firsthand, that publicly displaying feelings and emotions is not ok, yet I was thrust into an unknown emotional state, rendered completely vulnerable and powerless looking for outlets to process my grief. My family and friends were comfortable holding space for my grief for a month or two, but then I was expected to get over it and move on. Understanding that their capacity for my grief had been exhausted, I built a new support community, seeking out those who had suffered a significant loss, attending a couple grief workshops, and putting together a yoga sequence that I practiced daily.

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Once I found solid emotional support and put into place a variety of effective coping skills, processing the loss raised my awareness and took my life in a new direction.

Once I found solid emotional support and put into place a variety of effective coping skills, processing the loss raised my awareness and took my life in a new direction.

Based on my experiences, I started a grief support service, combining yoga with other modalities to help people of all ages in grief as well as those supporting people in grief. The underlying theme of my work is to promote consciousness in the grieving process, thereby providing a transformational opportunity much like the transformational opportunities provided by a dedicated yoga practice.

WHY GRIEVE? If we believe the soul is eternal, then why do we need to grieve?

According to yogic philosophy, experiencing a significant loss plants seeds of karma, and planted seeds of karma have to be experienced, either in this lifetime or the next. For yoga practitioners, unmanifested seeds of karma can bear fruit and impede our yogic path. Our karma dictates how we grieve and for how long.

Western psychologists tell us that grieving is a necessary emotional journey that requires feeling the pain before we can experience the healing. Many strong and conflicting emotions are common in grief, including sadness, anger, guilt, regret, and thoughts of suicide. Grief expresses itself behaviorally as well with sudden outbursts of crying, unusual reactions to family and friends, withdrawal, and apathy. Physical manifestations of grief include insomnia, lethargy, high blood pressure, tightness in the throat, and headaches.

Grieving is rarely a progressive road that moves consistently forward but rather is a process that includes backsliding.

For most people, it can take two to three years to heal and

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If we believe the soul is eternal, then why do we need to grieve?

adjust to a new life. We need to deal with our grief because the emotional instability that occurs is mentally disturbing and as such is an obstacle to reaching liberation.

“Use each experience as a stepping stone.”

—B.K.S. Iyengar, Guruji Uwatch THE YOGA SUTRAS The philosophical teachings of the sutras provide essential tools for healing grief and loss. In the first chapter, Patanjali reveals that practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness. A regular and appropriate yoga practice helps reduce the stress of grieving while supporting the process of letting go. It improves posture and mood, both of which are greatly impacted by the grieving process.

During my own period of acute grieving, my home practice became more regular; the sequence was one that helped me let go of my loss. With deep reverence, I did supported inversions, supported back extending poses, and supine restorative poses. Truly detaching required accessing a different part of my brain. I had to figure out how to let go of my former life, while still honoring the beautiful being that had passed. I had to process my grief so I could quiet my mind and continue on my path of yoga.

Kriya yoga is another tool we can use to modify our thoughts, desires, and actions. It consists of a burning zeal through a devoted practice of yoga, study of the scriptures and ourselves, and a devoted orientation toward meditation on God. Kriya yoga reduces the five afflictions (klesas) that disturb the equilibrium of our consciousness—ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear of death, all of which are manifestations of ignorance. Overcoming the afflictions facilitates our healing process and leads us toward a state of liberation. Embracing the teachings of kriya yoga and the interplay of the klesas can be used as a kind of cognitive-behavior therapy. Traditional cognitive therapy helps people learn effective self-help skills that change the way they think, feel, and behave.

A yogic cognitive therapy works with the three aspects of kriya yoga and the afflictions to help process grief and loss to bring about a quieter mind. Processing grief and loss can potentially take years, so it requires burning zeal. Effective grieving requires studying ourselves emotionally, behaviorally, and physically so we know what we need to heal. During my 32

own personal healing process, I benefited from a belief in the everlasting soul of my beloved who passed, and that belief strengthened my belief in a universal soul as well.

An awareness of the interplay of the afflictions can help us remove the veil of ignorance around grief and thereby reduce our suffering. B.K.S. Iyengar described the afflictions as occurring in three levels: intellectual, emotional, and instinctive. The combination of a lack of knowledge and egoism limits our intelligence. Not knowing what we need to give ourselves while grieving, like time, rest, or self care, will prolong the grieving process. An egoism that deludes one into not grieving at all will result in endless suffering.

In my grief workshops, I’ve observed that many people who grieve are filled with misconceptions about their own grieving process. Many believe they are grieving incorrectly, that it shouldn’t be taking so long, or that they should be grieving similarly to others. One objective of my workshops is to provide a place for people to gather together and educate themselves about the process of grieving to learn that there are no “shoulds.” Grieving is as individual as people are.

I also work to help people accept their loss while still honoring the person who has passed. Accepting a loss requires letting go of attachments to the person who passed and the connection you shared. It also means eliminating various aversions that often accompany death, such as anger at doctors, family members, and sometimes even the person who passed. According to B.K.S. Iyengar, excessive attachments and aversions create disharmony between the body and mind and may lead to emotional disorders.

If we are unwilling to change the way we think and live after a significant loss, we will suffer endlessly. Fear, namely fear of death, is instinctive, but it is still something to overcome because it is limiting. It limits our ability to change because change requires overcoming fear of the unknown.

Patanjali tells us that the afflictions not only create disharmony between the body and mind but are also impediments to our spiritual pursuit. On both the path of grieving and of yoga, we are trying to chip away at our ignorance in order to reduce our suffering and move toward a state of liberation. Yoga can help us develop right thinking and action and thus also help us manage afflictions resulting from loss and grief.

The eight limbs of yoga provide guidance on our healing journey. Universal social practices remind us to cause no harm to ourselves and others; to be sincere and truthful to ourselves and others; not to steal or take another's wealth; to practice temperance; and to only acquire what we need. Individual Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

self-care habits remind us to practice cleanliness, cultivate contentment, live with determination, study ourselves, and practice the art of surrender.

Self-study helps with self-care. Self-neglect and neglect of others is hurtful and further isolates us. Universal and individual social practices are essential for processing grief and reaching a healing state.

You can transform the body through the mind or transform the mind through the body. When we use our body to transform our mind, the mind and body begin to understand each other better, thereby creating an opportunity for good physical and mental health to emerge. All yoga poses calm and satisfy the mind. However, specific categories of poses are especially good while grieving such as supported inversions, supported back extending poses, and supine poses.

Regulating the breath may be useful for those who have an established yoga practice in place. Antara kumbhakas with a very short kumbhaka after inhalation has been recommended

by Guruji. However, if lying down and closing your eyes causes sorrow, then the practice is not appropriate at this time. Never force breath regulation.

The aforementioned limbs of yoga help prepare us to withdraw our senses, our mind, and our consciousness from the external world toward the internal reality. With this comes better concentration; we can focus on what we need to accomplish.

With this refined mental state, we are more able to let go of our loved one and the life we shared, so we can build a new life based on our current circumstances.

The last three limbs of yoga—concentration, meditation, and absorption of consciousness in the self—are not practices we actively do. They are manifestations of the practices of yoga.

“Yoga is a mirror to look at ourselves from within.”

—B.K.S. Iyengar, Guruji Uwatch THE BHAGAVAD GITA The devotional Bhagavad Gita is another set of essential teachings for the path of healing grief and loss. An uplifting spiritual text, this work teaches an understanding of death that may ease some pain. After reading sloka II.19–20, losing my beloved felt less devastating because I came to understand that the soul of my beloved was still vibrant, that it did not die with the body.

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When grieving, we need to lift off the sadness that is weighing down our chest and elevate our minds into a new way of thinking.

If you think that this Self can kill or think that it can be killed, you do not well understand reality’s subtle ways.

It never was born; coming to be, it will never not be.

Birthless, primordial, it does not die when the body dies.

—The Bhagavad Gita, II.19–20 (Stephen Mitchell) When working with people who are grieving, I share my belief in an everlasting soul. For many, this idea brings solace. Even for those who do not share this belief, I still encourage them to communicate with their loved one. Most people feel like they need to create closure, and to do so, many need to apologize for something or just simply say they love and miss their loved one. I encourage people to share their thoughts to a photo of their loved one.

Grieving is mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting.

Many despair and turn toward substances to dull the pain.

However, you have to feel the pain to reach a state of healing.

Sloka VI.5 reminded me to lift myself up by myself, both body and mind. When grieving, we need to lift off the sadness that is weighing down our chest and elevate our minds into a new way of thinking.

He should lift up the self by the Self and not sink into the selfish for the self is the only friend of the Self, and its only foe.

There are countless other slokas that provide comfort on the path of healing. I encourage people who are grieving to pick up their favorite translation and find what speaks to them.

YOGA SEQUENCES A regular yoga practice will help manage some of the emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms of grieving.

It reduces stress and improves posture—both wonderful benefits for someone processing loss. Grieving can be very isolating so going to a class can make us feel like we are part of a community and less alone. A home yoga practice helps us connect to ourselves and rebuild our lives.

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On a deeper level, a devoted yoga practice provides us with some insights into the core teachings of yoga, namely how attachment leads to suffering and that quieting the mind moves us toward a state of liberation. When putting together a yoga sequence for grief, it is essential to do poses that lift the sternum to open the heart center and chest. Opening the armpits is also important because this brings about a feeling of happiness. Inversions are beneficial for everything. When someone you love dies, your world is turned upside down so inversions are even more beneficial in this context. Relaxing the diaphragm improves the quality of the breath, which in turn improves how we feel. Restorative and supported poses cultivate quietness and address the fatigue of grieving. While grieving, many feel best doing poses with their eyes open, even Savasana. When feelings of sadness surface during a practice, we should invite them to be present so they can be released and let go. Once they have passed, we can remind ourselves to relax the face, jaw, throat, and tongue.

with a sequence that is specific to a person. However, having a sequence to work with as a starting point is helpful.

I have provided two sequences especially for those processing loss and grief. The sequences, like much of the information provided here, were inspired by Guruji and Geeta and the vast array of writing they have both given us.

The first sequence is useful for the early stages of grief because most of the poses are supported and the prop setups are straightforward. The second sequence is appropriate once a grieving person feels less exhausted. With both sequences, feel free to skip over poses that either you can’t do or you don’t feel like doing during any given practice. However, stay with the order of the poses. Variations of the poses listed are fine. For example, if a block is uncomfortable in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, you can use a bolster instead. The sequences should be nurturing, not taxing. I would also recommend Guruji’s sequence for emotional stability in the back of Light on Life.

Guruji and Geetaji constantly reminded us that sequences are descriptions not prescriptions. It’s always best to come up

EARLY STAGES OF GRIEF Photos: Melanie Morgan Shatto

1. Savasana: supported

2. Supta Baddha Konasana: supported

3. Supta Virasana: supported

4. Prasarita Padottanasana: head supported

5. Uttanasana: head supported, legs apart

6. Adho Mukha Svanasana: cross ropes head supported

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Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

7. Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana: chair, head, and feet supported

8. Salamba Sirsasana: rope

9. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana: block

10. Ardha Halasana: supported

11. Salamba Sarvangasana: chair, legs supported

12. Savasana: supported

1. Adho Mukha Svanasana: head supported

2. Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana: Viparita Dandasana bench

3. Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana: chair, head supported

4. Bharadvajasana: chair

5. Sirsasana: independent

6. Salamba Sarvangasana: chair

MOVING TOWARD HEALING

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7. Ardha Halasana: supported

8. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana: bench

9. Supta Baddha Konasana: supported

10. Supta Virasana: supported

11. Supta Swastikasana: supported

12. Matsyasana: supported

13. Savasana: supported

14. Pranayama: antara kumbhaka (a brief pause after inhalation)

THE ONGOING JOURNEY Even if we believe the soul is eternal, grieving the death or loss of a loved one presents one of life’s most challenging situations. It is a uniquely personal journey that requires support and acceptance. Intense growth and remarkable personal transformation are possible when grieving is done consciously.

A dedicated yoga practice helps address the various emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms of grieving and also provides a philosophical framework for healing. As with yoga, grieving is rarely a progressive road that moves consistently forward but can present one of life’s most enriching experiences if the process is approached consciously.

Koren Paalman (Intermediate Junior III) has taught yoga nationally and internationally since 1995 to both adults and youth in a variety of settings. In 1998, Koren developed the first yoga program for credit at Los Angeles Unified School District and taught daily classes to at-risk teens. She was honored to work therapeutically with B.K.S. Iyengar and Geeta Iyengar in Pune biannually for 10 years. In 2007, Koren founded Conscious Grieving, a grief support service that combines yoga with other modalities in individual consultations and workshops nationally.

Learn more about her work at www.korenyoga.com.

“ It is my profound hope that my end can be your beginning.” —B.K.S. Iyengar, Guruji Uwatch

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Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Death and Dying HOW IYENGAR YOGA HELPS US EXPLORE UNBOUNDED SPACE

BY KELLY SOBANSKI

B

efore I took my first Iyengar Yoga class with Elizabeth Kerwin, I didn’t realize that philosophy was part of it. I had tried yoga so I could become more flexible to prevent injury while snowboarding. When I discovered yoga was about more than gaining flexibility, I started to heal and grow emotionally. Then I became inspired to be a teacher. From the philosophy I brought into my own teaching, one student was heartened and asked me to speak in the “Death & Dying” class at Indiana University. These classes typically have around 75 students who are eager to learn about how Iyengar Yoga can be applied in the face of death. Thanks to a Fellowship Grant from the Iyengar Yoga Association of the Midwest (IYAMW), I am able to offer my presentation along with free Iyengar Yoga class passes to these large groups.

During slide show presentations, I speak about my own experiences with death and how, at an early age, I was taught to contemplate the mystery when my dearest Aunt Kathy died from cancer. I explain how I found Iyengar Yoga and how the practice has helped me heal through difficult times of loss. In 2016, I learned to death-sit with my dearest Granny who chose me to be in the room as she passed. I believe she asked me because I created a peaceful atmosphere that encouraged nonattachment. I also believe she appreciated that I did not hinder her progression toward ultimate surrender.

In the “Death & Dying” class, I tell the students how Iyengar Yoga taught me to cope with the process of watching others transition and has also helped prepare me for my own death.

I show clips of Ray Spooner who, after finding out he had ALS, chose to bike across the country to raise money for the ALS Foundation. His story is incredible. Ray attended Lois Steinberg’s therapy classes up until the end of his life. During that time, many of the supported asanas with teachers' adjustments helped Ray to breathe. Check out his blog at www.rideforray.com.

I also share a clip from Lois Steinberg’s therapy workshop on the Roads to Bliss YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/ KN8AoPbRrGI). In this clip, Betsy Hearne, one of the students, talks about her experience facing death while overcoming pancreatic cancer and how Iyengar Yoga was a blanket of stability and grace. From these examples, students are exposed to the visuals of therapeutic Iyengar Yoga poses, which enable them to see that yoga can be more profound than simply physical exercise.

Inspiration for these presentations also comes from a class I took online taught by Dr. Ravi Ravindra called “Learning to Live by Dying Daily.” Dr. Ravindra says that it’s important to ask ourselves: What am I? Why am I here? How do I feel when I think about death? Where does fear of death come from?

What do I hope will happen to me when I die? What do I fear

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Penny Hanna and Jeanine Berlocher support Ray Spooner during his last therapy class in July 2016.

will happen to me when I die? How can I be free of both? What else do I need to be free of?

Here is an exercise Dr. Ravindra suggests: Lie in Savasana and imagine that your next breath is your last. Observe how you feel and what comes to your mind. Do you sense a need to forgive or ask for forgiveness? Do you have a memory that is joyous or sad? Do you wish to express gratitude or send love?

Dr. Ravindra emphasizes the need to practice dying daily in order to create freedom from being bound by our usual selves. This way, we can explore subtler frequencies that lead to acceptance and spirituality. On this route, we can

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Students in a “Death & Dying” class at Indiana University

maneuver toward clarity and compassion without attacking the self, doubting changes, or fixating on deterioration. When confidence builds through detachment and inner exploration, we can learn to be self-sufficient and self-confident in personal care during challenging times. By shedding that which hinders progress, freedom from clutter of the mind emerges, and there is room to explore the unknown. Dr. Ravindra asks, “Do you feel you have a Self that wishes to emerge? If yes, what whispers does it convey to your heart?”

This work of dying daily also reminds me of an experience Abhijata Iyengar talked about at the 2016 Boca Raton convention. When Guruji asked her what she was doing one day in the practice hall, Abhijata replied, “I am practicing the Marichyasana III you taught me yesterday.” Guruji walked away, but then came back and said, “Habit is a disease.”

Abhijata goes on to say that she has learned to go beyond her practice checklist to explore unknown territories. I believe it is important to access what is beyond our usual faculties by surrendering so the mind, body, and intelligence can be receptive. Acts of dying daily include making room for silence and making room to focus observational skills on the present moment. Since death is such a vast mystery, by contemplating that unbounded space, we may find spaciousness in life. From those unwavering openings, we can learn to trust the unknown without fear. Love of life and devotion is cultivated from illumination of eternal and endless states of consciousness.

This concept of dying daily is something I experienced when Geeta brought children into one of the conventions to help the adults see joyful, kinetic asanas. My experience practicing with these children was exciting and made me bellow with laughter.

I was dying to my old self as worries were shed and pure fun

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surfaced. Geeta taught me to eradicate self-doubt and egocentered thoughts. Through movement, an uninterrupted flow of concentration developed that was full of surprise and innocence. From there, acceptance and hope surfaced. I fell in love with yoga even more, and I gave myself space to accept that love.

At the end of my presentations in the “Death & Dying” class, students fill out feedback forms stating what they learned.

I have discovered that most learners initially think yoga is a physical exercise and not much more. One student wrote, “I never thought about yoga as anything other than physical activity. It’s really cool to see it as something that can really help people in their personal lives. I really want to try yoga after this presentation.” Another student wrote, “Yoga can help expose your heart to change and wash away depression, greed, and negativity. I want to try yoga.”

While reading their feedback forms, I was shocked to see the number of students who expressed the need for help from depression and anxiety. Overall from this experience, I have discovered that the next generation is a precious group to support through Iyengar Yoga. If we can succeed in showing them that yoga is more than physical exercise, then cycles of healing, hope, and acceptance through Iyengar Yoga can continue.

Kelly Marie Sobanski (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) teaches at Yoga Mala in Bloomington, IN, and enjoys spending time at Iyengar Yoga Champaign-Urbana, where she practices and assists in Lois Steinberg’s medical classes.

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

An Inside Job: Yoga and Cancer

BY DEBORAH BAKER

“ What do people plan?” —Daisy in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

W

e human beings like to plan for our lives. Even without a defined set of expectations, we quickly learn that we will get stuck without some advanced preparation. Wash your hands, pack a raincoat.

Deborah Baker hiking in Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs, CO

As students of Iyengar Yoga, our life plan includes behavior that promotes good health and well-being. Yoga helps us cultivate a healthy body and mind. We eat well, we use natural body and cleaning products, and have myriad healthy habits.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provides a lovely framework for discipline and good living. As a rule, we are a group who feel empowered by taking control of our health. Even before I took my first Iyengar Yoga class over 29 years ago, I followed a path of healthy living. I believed that these practices could give me control over my health. That illusion was shattered when I was diagnosed with an advanced stage of Hodgkins lymphoma, an aggressive blood cancer that was a quick and certain death sentence just a generation ago.

I became so dedicated to the practice of Iyengar Yoga that I eventually turned yoga teaching into a full-time career. It helped with the stress of raising children, and I even brought them with me on trips to Pune in 2005, 2007, and 2009. Yoga seemed to be the ideal path to good health. Discipline had long been a helpful coping mechanism for me, and I lived by the principals of abhyasa—practice and persistent effort—even before I understood what it was. A cancer diagnosis directly presented the principles of detachment and letting go, which now gives me a much clearer perspective of vairagya—letting go of fear and accepting what is. I live fully suspended between the twin pillars of yoga—vairagya and abhyasa.

Abyhasa matters to me, but I now have a much keener view of vairagya and being fully present with the way things are. “ Illness is the night-side of life, a more onerous citizenship. Everyone who is born holds dual

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citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and the kingdom of the sick. Although we all prefer to use only the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place.” —Susan Sontag Today I am healthy, thanks to the miracle of modern medicine.

Treatment has included well over 100 blood draws, which test 45 items ranging from blood cell counts to liver and kidney function, and I have endured well over a dozen CT and PET scans, two surgeries, three hospital stays, and a week in the ICU from a bout with deadly sepsis. I received a very strong but very effective combination chemotherapy called ABVD: Adriamyacin/doxorubicin, bleomycin, viniblastine, and dacarbazine. Each of these drugs has horrible side effects, and doxorubicin and viniblastine are known to cause latent heart and lung damage. I am statistically at risk for secondary cancers and a list of latent effects from the treatment.

On the positive side, however, these chemicals have so far eradicated my Hodgkin lymphoma. Fast-growing or aggressive cancers respond very well to chemotherapy because the rapid rate of cell turnover enables doctors to better target these cancer cells. During the six months that I received chemotherapy, I had very little energy or desire to do yoga asanas, plus the Power Port (a registered trademark) in my chest protruded like a golf ball under my skin. It attached to a thick line through my jugular vein and into my heart. I felt the port all the time, making it painful to move my chest. I did benefit from some restorative poses, especially variations of Supta Baddha Konasana. These helped my breathing and also helped me relax.

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“ There’s nothing more debauched than thinking. This sort of wantonness runs wild like a windborne weed on a plot laid out for daisies.” —Wislawa Szymborska

enormous part of cancer treatment because the medical community is still in the research stages of treatment. Immunotherapy is the latest breakthrough, but it remains in its infancy in terms of truly curing cancer.

I would like to be a able to say that I read yoga sutras as I rested in bed, Broadly speaking, 90 percent of all quarantined away from anything cancers are carcinomas or tumor that could cause an infection, but I cancers, nine percent are blood cancers, was much more interested in reading and one percent are sarcomas. There modern science. I wanted to know about are countless subtypes within each of Deborah Baker in the hospital with her husband Barry Schwartz cancer and cancer treatment. I spent these categories. For example, there months with blood counts so low (called are five subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma neutropenia) that I virtually had to stay away from everyone and roughly 100 subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Some and everywhere except the hospital and the offices of the non-Hodgkin lymphomas are indolent, slow-growing, and are Colorado Blood Cancer Institute. The beauty of being confined called “marginal zone cancers” that do not require treatment. and isolated was that I had time to read constantly. This was Others, such as mantle cell lymphoma, are aggressive and my practice. Abyasa during this period was learning about the deadly. In the book, When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi disease that had taken charge of my life. said, “There is cancer, and then there is cancer.” Every single cancer is unique, and every individual manifesting the disease When not at medical appointments, I read voraciously about is unique. cancer and science. It must have been another effort at having a sense of control. I learned that the more you know, Though there have been phenomenal breakthroughs, the the more you do not know. My maintenance, referred to as a average life expectancy of all patients, when averaged together, “survivorship plan,” includes regular visits with my oncologist/ from the time of diagnosis to the time of death, is just six hematologist for blood tests and for lump and bump checks. years. There is still much to be done in what President Richard Since lymphomas are typically not diagnosed through blood Nixon once described as the United States’ “War on Cancer.” markers, I still have to undergo routine PET and CT/PET scans.

I am exposed to high levels of radiation from these scans, but I “ U nderstanding someone’s suffering is the best gift you accept them as being medically necessary at his point. can give another person. Understanding is love’s other name.” —Thich Nhat Hahn You are never really finished with cancer. Post-treatment, you’re in the middle of your story. If you survive, you remain in Since cancer patients are now living years instead of just months the middle of your story, and it becomes a very joyful place to with certain types of cancer, it is increasingly likely that we will be. The specter of recurrence looms over me, but it helps me meet cancer survivors in our yoga classes. I feel strongly that shift into the present moment like never before. Life is richer, yoga teachers should learn more about cancer so that we can be fewer things are taken for granted, and little things that used better prepared to help cancer patients and survivors. to bother me no longer tend to bother me as much. Cancer treatment aged me physically. Cancer diagnosis also aged me If a student with cancer or a cancer survivor comes to class, mentally, and I believe I am, in many ways, wise beyond my do not make assumptions. Find out as much as you can, almost 57 years. depending on the comfort level of the person sharing. I am astounded to learn how differentiated people’s individual “ What if this mixture do not work at all? What if it be responses are to their cancer. I have met people who want a poison?” —Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to talk about it and want to learn about it, and I’ve also met people who seem to know nothing about their disease and Cancer is an exceedingly complex disease that humans prefer to remain ignorant. For some, it is too frightening have lived with and died from for over five thousand years. to have a closer look. We must respect their way of being.

Cancer was once a clandestine and shameful illness. Cancer Teachers, tap into everything you ever learned in teacher treatment is a very new science, and chemotherapy has only training about the skill of observation. been in use since the 1950s. Clinical drug trials are still an 40

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“ Sweet are the uses of adversity.” —Duke Senior in Shakespeare’s As You Like It

Deborah Baker in Pincha Mayurasana at Chitzen Itza before her diagnosis

I wish I could say there are general guidelines for how to treat an individual who comes to class as a patient or as a survivor. I believe our first role is to take care of this person emotionally. It is essential to observe how they might be feeling. How is their anxiety level? Honor any trauma they may still be experiencing. If you can help them relax, you are giving them a tremendous gift.

This is a good starting point for how to proceed.

As for what cancer patients and survivors should do to promote better health—it varies widely.

There is no hard and fast rule as to how active or how inactive a person should be, especially when they first complete treatment. Encourage the student to pay attention to his or her body. Very generally speaking, the Western model is that patients should try to be active, as long as they feel up to it or do not have medical complications.

My oncologists all encouraged me to be active when I felt up to it. The stem cell/bone marrow transplant floor at the hospital where I was treated in Denver has stationary bicycles that the doctors and nurses encourage patients to use. When I was at this inpatient facility, we were encouraged to get out of bed and walk the halls, even though we looked like bald clowns, connected to IV poles, donning yellow paper gowns.

To be active or not to be active. There are no hard and fast rules. There is so much we still do not understand. Again, every cancer is different, and every individual is different.

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“Post-traumatic growth” is a phrase I now use to describe my situation over the past two years. Initially, I experienced tremendous fear and had to learn to accept how helpless I was. I was stripped of the identity I once held, and showing up for treatment became a full-time job. I felt a very strong desire to live, though I did not ascribe to the concept of “fighting” cancer. I believe that my yoga background helped me recognize immediately that the slogan “Fight Cancer” was anathema to getting well. I felt great relief that there was medicine to do the fighting for me, and it was up to me to befriend my body. I made direct eye contact with death for several days when I was in the ICU with an uncontrolled infection. I was calm as I stared down death. Abhinivesa, clinging to life, is complex; the will to live is a powerful thing. I believe this will of ours comes and goes. We are alone when we walk the razor thin line between life and death and cannot predict what we will experience when facing our own mortality. May our mini-death experiences we have each time we practice Savasana help us find peace. “ Toto, I’ve a feeling we are not in Kansas anymore.”

—Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz Technicolor was a brand new high-resolution technology first introduced by MGM in The Wizard of Oz 80 years ago. In 1939, heightened, brightened color came to life on the big screen.

When I completed chemotherapy and began to feel better, I felt like I could see the world through Technicolor vision. When Dorothy made it to the Land of Oz, she left behind the dull gray of Kansas, as depicted through black-and-white film, and saw the brilliant, colorful hues of Oz. She saw with new eyes.

Surviving cancer has changed the way I see things. I hope I will never forget how light and bright things actually are. I try to remind myself every day to notice how precious life is, and I tap into that initial hypersensitivity and appreciation of life’s beauty. “ L ong and uninterrupted practice allows the yogi to reside in his own true splendor.” —Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Each time you stay present with fear and uncertainty, you are letting go of a habitual way of finding security and comfort or hiding from feelings. This is one of the positive side effects of a cancer diagnosis.

First-hand suffering and illness can turn into something incredibly beautiful. No one can truly comprehend what it is

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like to have cancer unless they have been diagnosed. Cancer survivors have a front row seat to their own mortality. This new awareness changes one in many positive ways.

When I feel gripped by the fear of recurrence or begrudge the possible side effects from the harsh chemotherapy I received, I try to shake the fears off. I still try to take charge of my health, though I am somewhat cynical about the anti-cancer diet and the naivetĂŠ in thinking that one can actually prevent cancer by eating right or following certain guidelines. Acceptance and practice are two ends of the spectrum. Most survivors I have met describe the nagging element of fear as a new state of normal. We are changed.

Put on a coat, grab a blanket. This does not mean that I see the world with rose-colored spectacles, and I try not to judge when people get upset over very small matters. I still have bad days, just like everyone. I live with the fear of recurrence on a regular basis. When I go to the doctor, I get white coat syndrome and my typically very low blood pressure is always high.

Cancer is not a gift but has presented me with a treasure trove of growth opportunities. It has given me a new perspective and has enhanced life’s richness. It is like when you look down and see clouds from an airplane or a high altitude hike. You know they are the same clouds that you see from the ground, but the clouds have an intensely different beauty because your perspective has changed.

Many I have met have also shared that they have learned to focus much more on the present and have learned to not let small things get in the way of living life to the fullest. I remember being stuck in traffic one day just a few months after my treatment, and I laughed at the realization that I was fortunate to be stuck in traffic because it meant that I was not dead!

Deborah Baker (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) took her first Iyengar Yoga class in New York City in 1991 and immediately fell in love with the practice. She has taught Iyengar Yoga since 1996 and is the owner of Park Hill Yoga, a small Iyengar Yoga studio located in central Denver.

Early this winter, my sister called me in a state of upset because her furnace had failed. No big deal! Make a plan.

Please visit the IYNAUS Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IYNAUS to join a discussion on this topic.

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Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Lighting the Way LAURIE BLAKENEY RECEIVES LIGHTING THE WAY AWARD

BY ANNE-MARIE SCHULTZ Laurie Blakeney received the Lighting the Way award for distinguished volunteer service to the national Iyengar Yoga community. John Schumacher presented her with the award, calling her “a madcap for service.” After learning that Laurie received the award, the banquet hall at the 2019 National Convention in Dallas filled with thunderous applause. Laurie acknowledged that she was, indeed, a bit crazy for volunteering as much as she does. But she then told the audience why she does it. When Laurie was 18 or 19, she and a friend took a long road trip from Michigan to California. On the way, they stayed with her grandmother, who told them, “You girls don’t know how to have any fun.

Trust me on this. You don’t have any fun in life unless you volunteer.” So, Laurie went home and started volunteering.

Laurie ended her acceptance remarks by exhorting each of us to get involved. If we can find a way to volunteer at the local, regional, or national level, she said, “this huge family would have a lot more fun.”

Laurie holds an Advanced Level Teaching Certificate granted to her by B.K.S. Iyengar. She began her study of Iyengar Yoga in 1971 and began making annual trips to study with the Iyengar family in 1983. She is the director of the Ann Arbor School of Yoga. She teaches a full schedule of weekly classes in Ann Arbor where she touches the lives of hundreds of students.

She also teaches workshops nationally and internationally.

Laurie’s service to the national Iyengar Yoga community is much like her long, uninterrupted, dedicated practice itself.

David Carpenter, president of IYNAUS, describes Laurie in this way: “Laurie has been my teacher, my mentor, my board colleague, and my friend. In all these roles, she has displayed grace, humor, tenacity, warmth, thoughtfulness, imagination, steely discipline, managerial acumen, generosity, poetic gifts, courage, integrity, and above all else, unflagging devotion and dedication to Iyengar Yoga and to IYNAUS. This has made her a uniquely effective member of our community who truly has lit the way for all of us.”

Laurie’s service to the national Iyengar Yoga community is much like her long, uninterrupted, dedicated practice itself.

One colleague who nominated her for the award offers this Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Laurie Blakeney wins the 2019 Lighting the Way award. Photo: IYNAUS Social Media

description of Laurie: “She is an excellent ambassador for our community. This award is well-deserved. Laurie has done so much volunteer work for our community and does it in such a low-key, practical manner that it seems to go unnoticed.”

Another colleague notes, “Laurie is serving her second term as Certification Chair. She has transformed how this committee works, making it more efficient. In the process, she has saved IYNAUS many dollars. Her reorganization of the committee will pay dividends for many years to come.”

David Carpenter affirms the value of her work in this capacity: “She worked tirelessly to establish a radically new and more efficient structure for our certification committee and has managed our assessment system with grace and aplomb.”

In addition to her invaluable service as Certification Chair, Laurie also served on the Curriculum Committee for four national conventions. She has a gift for organization! Laurie chaired the first regional conference held in Chicago in September 2011. This event was co-sponsored by the Iyengar Yoga Association of the Midwest and IYNAUS. Laurie was the first president of the Iyengar Yoga Association of the Midwest.

In that role, she inaugurated the popular annual retreats that the Midwest association holds each fall. She also started the region’s practice of providing scholarships for study in Pune and elsewhere. The communal spirit of the Midwest Region 43

Lighting the Way continued

When mentoring me, she comes to my level. With a compassionate disposition, her critiques act like a surgical knife with intentions to cure. is palpable and inspiring. It provides a concrete model for other regions to follow as they work to spread the teachings of Iyengar Yoga.

Here’s what some of her devoted students have to say about Laurie: “Laurie teaches yoga—not just asana and pranayama—and not just for on the mat. I have learned from her countless ways to observe myself and participate in life in a different and more fearless way through practice. She challenges her students, making us ask more questions, instead of just giving ‘the answer.’ Playful and insightful, direct and inquisitive, she clearly remains a student humbled by practice and guides us well to do the same.”

—Jennie Williford (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) *** “Lucky stars guided me to tutelage with Laurie Blakeney.

As a classroom teacher, she has shed light on my blind spots. My habitual patterns have been brought to a keener sensitivity. When mentoring me, she comes to my level. With a compassionate disposition, her critiques act like a surgical knife with intentions to cure.

“Her concerted and heartfelt efforts to help guide students are boundless. I am forever grateful to her and the teachers in this organization who strive to impart organic growth in their students and communities.”

—Patrina Dobish (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) *** “Laurie teaches me with words, with silence, with touch, by her stoicism, and by her life of service. She teaches me with the glance of her eyes and the timbre of her voice. Knowing her is one of the great blessings of my life.”

—Kathy Leech ***

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“Laurie is an utterly clear thinker with high personal integrity and tremendous strength of will. In her teaching, as a result, we get the benefit of perfect clarity, brevity, observation, and intuition. Relevant to our recent discussions on ‘Punestyle’ teaching, she is able to make us ‘do’ a lot in class, with us hardly noticing, just by getting to the critical point and not fussing. As a mentor, she demands a lot, as she should, delivers feedback calmly, and gives generously with her time if you are ready to work.”

—David Larsen (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) *** “I first knew her as a teacher who made me confront my feet and ankles, who always made yoga fresh and fun, and who created amazing lightness in my mind and body. When I had the audacious idea of trying to be a teacher, she was a gentle taskmaster who made me speak in two-word sentences and then pause and observe. She also would always talk with me and answer my questions.”

—David Carpenter (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) *** “I am privileged to come to know Laurie as my teacher and to experience the richness, depth, and intelligence in her teachings. It’s not surprising that it is hard to express the big ideas and feelings I have in just a few words. For more than 20 years, her teaching has drawn me into my relationship with yoga. I see in her teaching—which is always fresh and alive, often witty and infused with philosophy and stories—her own growth and learning. She is an amazing teacher, and I find her ‘yogic voice’ inside of me breathing yoga meaning into my daily life.

—Marcia Healey *** “I have been studying with Laurie on a regular basis since 2005. She has mentored me through my five assessments.

There are not adequate words to express my gratitude for Laurie! She is completely devoted to living a life interwoven with yogic principles and continues to be my inspiration to try to do the same in my life. I am eternally grateful for her practice, her teaching, and most of all, her joyful soul.”

—Aaron Fleming (CIYT Intermediate Junior III) ***

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

“Laurie inspires me to go beyond what I think I am capable of on a daily basis (both in yoga and in my daily life). She has been a guiding light for me both in and out of yoga class.

Because of her knowledge and wisdom, I feel like I continue to grow in my yoga practice, in my spirituality, and in my understanding of myself.

“Laurie is not only a dedicated teacher and mentor to her students, but she is a pillar of support to the ongoing education of yoga teachers in the Iyengar Yoga method. She epitomizes the integrity of Iyengar Yoga as she encourages students to dive deeper into the philosophy and meaning of yoga. Her service to the Iyengar Yoga community (nationally, regionally, and locally) is truly admirable.”

—Rebecca Lindsey (CIYT Intermediate Junior I)

partake in the depth of her teaching and mentoring! Every class, I leave with something to contemplate, try again at home, and deepen my practice. She was especially astute and generous in helping me prepare for my Intermediate Senior assessment, as we explored what it meant to offer penetrating, engaged, and refined teaching. She has a great love for Detroit, which is only 45 miles away from Ann Arbor, but culturally, economically, and racially, a world apart. She goes out of her way to support us, our developing teachers, and our growing communities. She has even been present to help us work through the stresses and conflicts that inevitably arise. Laurie has indeed been lighting the way for so many of us locally and beyond, for decades, by shining her strong, steady light in endlessly creative ways, sharing the vast field of Iyengar Yoga with all of us.” ­ —hong gwi-seok (Peggy) (CIYT Intermediate Senior I)

*** “When I decided to move from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Detroit in 2013, I was thrilled to be within short driving distance to Laurie. What a privilege to be able to regularly

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Anne-Marie Schultz (CIYT Intermediate Junior II) is the outgoing publications chair of IYNAUS. Laurie is her mentor.

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2018 Iyengar Yoga Assessments Congratulations to all the newly certified and upgraded Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs). The IYNAUS Certification program acknowledges the hard work and discipline of all our CIYTs and their personal ongoing development in the art of teaching and practicing Iyengar Yoga. Well done!

ADVANCED JUNIOR I

Sheryl Nigro

Tom Hess

Sandra Lamerson

Rebecca Lerner

Kathleen Quinn

Chen-Chi Yeh

Weimao Li

INTERMEDIATE SENIOR II Peggy Kelley

Pauline Schloesser Dmitri Shapira Carlyn Sikes

INTERMEDIATE SENIOR I

Richard Weinapple

Shelley Choy

Nuvana Zarthoshtimanesh

Christine Havener

INTRODUCTORY I & II Dewey Ambrosino Natalie Ashker Candis Berens Emanuela Bohnert-Rohde

INTERMEDIATE JUNIOR I

Mary Ruth Bradford

Nil Akin

Reagan Breen

Pamela Anderson

Tora Bueno

Kim Bagnoli

Dalia Cabral

Deborah Baker

Florence Cabre-Andrews

INTERMEDIATE JUNIOR III

Kirsten Brooks

Daniel Coogan

Suzana Alilovic-Schuster

Maria Izabel Carsalade

Betty Courtney

Claire Carroll

Karen Chandler

HĂŠloĂŻse Darcq

Waraporn N. Cayeiro

Yoon Cho

Evelyn McGee DeLiso

Jennifer Edwards

Tanya JP Coert

Rezeda Dow

Barbara Fabbri

Leah DiQuollo

Natalia Ferrer

Tonya Garreaud

Sonia Dovedy

Lorraine Finkel-Lopez

Rosa Lopez Santana

Dana Hanizeski

Leah Greenberg Flaks

Ann McDermott-Kave

Santiago Fernando

Mary Folger

Larissa McGoldrick

Hernandez

Elizabeth Franzen

Mary Pappas-Sandonas

Jacqueline Gerson

Hilary Friedman

Kelly Marie Sobanski

Neta Katz

Santhosh Kumar Gajendran

Jennie Williford

Kristen Ann Kepnick

Ned Gardiner

Nancy Marcy

Dina Georgoulis

Xinzhen W. McMinn

Sage Harrington

Jessica Miller

Joanna A Haszek

Marjorie Minkler

Porter Wyatt Henderson

Christine Miyachi

Victoria Campbell Hill

Beth Nelson

Hui Hu

Karuna Nicols

Avery J Kalapa

Kathryn Olson

Sharib Khan

Liat Philipson

Magdalene Khoo

Michael Romero

Annette Masters King

Birgit Scharrer Reimer

Srivarada Kota

Jonathan Troen

Katherine W. Krems

Sarah Tuttle

Lee Lahla

Josh Warren

Melissa Lam

Peggy Kwisuk Hong Craig Kurtz Aretha McKinney Blevins Manju Vachher

INTERMEDIATE JUNIOR II Vanessa B. Bacher Yvonne Caro Caro Gwendolyn Derk Rachel Frazee Donna Marie Furmanek Jeanne Kennedy Keri Lee JR Lill Randy Loftis Amy Van Mui Kathleen Mulligan-Hansel Inge Mula MyllerupBrookhuis

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Vrnda Leier Katherine Lotspeich Rose M Honda Dany Margolies Tolkyn Y. Martin Jolanda Messmann Valerie Moreno Caron Maso Murray Akemi Nagahara Janet Moon O'Brien Anne Philipsborn Naomi Rabinowitz Wei Hsi Riefler Nivine Rophael Sabrina Evans Schmidt Mariana Scotti Dian J. Seidel Alyssa Sikora Pamela Z Starcher Cynthia Stites Melisa Sweet Maggie Taylor Ashley M Tetu Katherine Liza Toft Stacie Truitt-Rasmusen Laura Webb Tymas Melissa Carol Vallone Catharine M. Vaucher Meg Walsh-Sinkel Kimberly Weeks Stephanie L. Weisenberg Grushenka Wolfgang Supin Wongbusarakum Sarah Woods

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Musings UNRAVELING RESISTANCE IN MY JOURNEY TO TRUTH SARIKA S. GUPTA

I expect that few journeys are what we imagine, and often when someone is at peace, a journey can be a welcome adventure. Navigating my fertility journey, however, has not been easy.

I began studying Iyengar Yoga in 2008 following knee surgery.

Along with gaining full movement in my knee, I learned to swiftly ground myself in breath and movement and assumed my practice would support me as I moved into the next phase of my life: starting a family. Pregnancy eluded us as we approached 39, however. We had been trying to conceive for nearly a decade and were told we had no significant health issues. Multiple miscarriages added layers of grief that we are still teasing apart.

Around this time, I applied for a teacher training program, committed to finding a path forward for myself and perhaps eventually offering yoga as a way to encourage and cultivate well-being in women who were struggling with fertility issues like me. I believed yoga could potentially help me conceive, despite my difficulties thus far.

While I knew intellectually how to do this, my physical body resisted.

I rolled out my mat each day, yet I avoided the space.

My first clue that I was attempting to escape came shortly after I read The Tree of Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar. This wasn’t our homework, but out of curiosity, I opened the text and read the first page of the first chapter (“Yoga Is One”) until I came to this: “Ninety percent of us are suffering in some way, physically, mentally, or spiritually.” I was hooked and dove into the rest of the book, hopeful I would uncover an unfamiliar pose or a sequence that would resolve my sorrow and lead me to pregnancy. I underlined, wrote notes, and dog-eared passages into the wee hours of the night rather than observe and acknowledge this extreme fluctuation. Suffice it to say, I did not arrive at my desired outcome and instead felt my sorrow growing.

Our Iyengar Yoga–based teacher training consisted of four long weekends over a six-month period. Under the guidance, skillful teaching, and mentorship of several senior certified teachers, we immersed ourselves in yoga philosophy, history, asana, pranayama, dhyana, and teaching methodologies.

The notion of resistance emerged again during pranayama.

Practicing Ujjayi I, I recall gasping for air. Moving into action, I searched for room in my body to retain more air. As my inhalation grew, my exhalations grew shorter, shallower, and eventually led me to sit up in a panic. I had jumped to the idea of a balanced in and out breath without taking steps to stabilize the foundation.

We began our philosophical journey by reading Yoga Sutras II.29–II.48. One resonated: II.36 satyapratisthayam kriyaphalasrayarvam: “When the sadhaka is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says comes to realization.” After years of trying to have a baby, my body and mind were overwhelmed and distracted by sorrow (dukkha) and unsteadiness (angamejayatva). I began thinking, “Are these mental states holding me back from becoming pregnant?”

A third clue emerged during my daily inversion practice. I used a block to support my sacrum in Setu Bhanda Sarvangasana and felt lower back pain. I could no longer straighten my legs as I had once been able to in this asana. I didn’t change my practice, however, and was determined to push through to the desired outcome. The pain (not surprisingly in hindsight) increased, and I fell ill with the flu shortly thereafter. Was the pain an indication of the oncoming illness? And why did I chose to ignore it?

I was eager to minimize these afflictions through intensive study and practice. However, I had no idea that, the more I studied, older afflictions related to my parents’ relationship would resurface alongside the newer infertility-related ones that were clamoring for attention. I also had no idea that in trying to escape or resist my feelings (rather than observe or acknowledge them), I was fanning the flames within.

A final realization that I was in resistance mode surfaced during a conversation with my husband. He was pursuing his MBA and felt overwhelmed. As someone who spent a lot of time in school, working full time while taking multiple classes, I was confident I could support him. (Red flag: Ego!) He expressed frustration about workload, and I immediately put on my “professor” hat (again: Ego alert!), as if I were talking with one of my graduate students. I asked if it might help to pace the work over the next week. Quickly he said no and

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

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Musings continued

with a seemingly instant focus, he began and eventually completed his work. I was awestruck. He made it look so easy. What wasn’t visible to me was the discipline (tapas) Sarika attempts Vrksasana while snowshoeing on and self-study Mont Tremblant near Montreal. (svadhyaya) he had been cultivating to observe his own mental and emotional state, still any fluctuations, and carry out his intention.

SEEKING TRUTH THROUGH RESISTANCE Kahlil Gibran said, “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.” I think the notion of opposing and uniting conditions can also be seen in the Yoga Sutras. In Sutras II:33–34, Patanjali talks about recognizing the opposing conditions, paksa and pratipaksa, and using the practice of yoga to measure, balance, and unite them within. We use asana as a vehicle to access the physical body, which helps us cultivate a temperament and practice to unify opposition in breath (pranayama).

While I knew intellectually how to do this, my physical body resisted. I rolled out my mat each day, yet I avoided the space. I clung to past memories (dharana and dhyana) hoping that one phrase, one pose, one cycle of pranayama would trigger “muscle memory” of prior contentment and self-awareness, efficiently removing me from my uncomfortable sorrow and unsteadiness.

It became clear that I was empowering my ego by pushing myself to create inner action without properly grounding my body (and mind). No wonder my body was expressing anger through pain.

How arrogant of me to believe that I could “jump to higher stages of practice without first establishing a firm foundation through the primary steps of yoga” (Sutra III.6). How selfish of me to believe a prior physical and emotional state would bring kaivalya in this difficult journey.

Yet there is an important truth in acknowledging our resistance. The question for me as a student became: What happens when I resist what I might learn through yogasana?

I further wondered, as a teacher, how I could encourage my students to safely confront fear and build compassion into their practice?

Shortly after I fell ill, a peer emailed me to say, “I hope you are feeling better. You are practicing yoga—not harming yourself 48

(ahisma) and living in truth (satya) by not doing asana when you are not well.” Several weeks later during a weekend philosophy discussion, my teachers posed the question: What qualities do we need to cultivate to maintain equanimity? I realized then that I had been harming myself by enabling a fluctuating citta rather than encouraging it to rest.

B.K.S. Iyengar said, “Your body is your temple and asanas are your prayers. First, we build a sound temple, then we open the windows and pray” (Iyengar: His Life and Work). I surrendered to my truth (ishvara pranidhana) during the following asana practice. I was holding my breath in an attempt to resist the sorrow that was building during Salamba Sarvangasana I. I exhaled and released the welling tears, coming down slowly to confront my truth. We were struggling with fertility, and it was possible we would never have biological children. I set an intention to first make movements to accurately place the body, then create inner action to express the pose. I chose in that moment of truth to rebuild my temple before I prayed.

If yoga is the union of mind and body, practicing yoga means honoring and accepting where the mind, body, and soul are at in the present moment. In setting the intention above, I invited myself to get to know and observe my body, mind, and breath as it was, rather than how it used to be or could be. Over time, I learned to welcome the richness of exploring and practicing the yogic principles from yama to dhyana (see Sutra II.29). I also now see my practice as an empowering path forward in the steadfast effort to still the fluctuations (Sutra I.13) and meet our resistance without judgment.

Many people still ask, “So are you planning to have a family?” I could resist the potential for pain in this question and offer that I remain cautiously optimistic that we will get pregnant. But the truth is we may not. I choose instead to continue practicing with the intention of cultivating discrimination to see things as they are, thereby freeing my mind from the “hellish to-ing and fro-ing” this journey has introduced into our lives (Sutra II.25).

What qualities do we need to cultivate equanimity? A compassionate and sustained practice led me toward the inner stability that is my “luminous, sorrowless light” (Sutra I.36). To others, I humbly offer that the answer (and your truth) likely lies in a devoted practice within an uncertain and uncomfortable journey.

Sarika S. Gupta is a student at Unity Woods Yoga Center in Bethesda, MD, and at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York. She holds a doctoral degree in Early Childhood Special Education and is an Assistant Professor at Hunter College.

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Lifelong Practice DAVID GOLDBLATT: HAVE FAITH IN THE PROCESS

BY ROSE GOLDBLATT

M

y father began his practice of Iyengar Yoga in 1972 and started teaching in 1976. Since childhood I have watched him maintain a consistent practice. In fact, he became my first yoga teacher and his devotion has inspired my own practice and ultimately my teaching as well. I was honored when Yoga Samachar asked me to interview him for the Lifelong Practice column.

Rose Goldblatt: How long have you been practicing yoga?

David Goldblatt: I started my yoga practice in the fall of 1972 and have maintained a regular and consistent practice since then.

RG: When and how did you discover Iyengar Yoga?

DG: I had just begun a training in psychotherapy in London, and many of the people in my group were studying yoga with Dona Holleman, who had trained with B.K.S. Iyengar. My supervisor encouraged me to start yoga, and I began with one of Dona’s students because Dona had recently left England for Italy. My first class was an Iyengar Yoga class. There were some other teachers while I lived in England, and they were all Iyengar Yoga teachers. When I came back to the states, all the workshops and classes I attended were taught by teachers who had trained with the Iyengars.

RG: Were you drawn to yoga for physical or spiritual reasons?

DG: I had no idea what yoga was before my first class. I was always a spiritual person seeking a path that worked for me and probably thought for those reasons that yoga was something I should try. What drew me back was the physical side because I saw the potential to develop strength and flexibility, and I loved the feeling of embodiment, the way yoga can allow you to feel at one with your body. It was much later that yoga became a spiritual practice for me.

RG: Did asana come easily for you, and were you flexible when you started?

DG: Asana did not come easily for me at all. I was the most inflexible person I’ve ever met. I had some strength but lacked the ability to extend or flex much in any direction. Since I was committed and practiced, eventually this changed and continues to change. Though I have made enormous strides, some things are still very difficult. Of course, we all know that having the picture-perfect asana is not what yoga is about.

Now at 76, an aging body presents new challenges with strength and flexibility. The beauty of Iyengar Yoga is how correct alignment and use of props, for example, teaches one

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

how to work safely and make progress where possible. Even with limitations, there is always something to do.

RG: As long as I can remember, you have been a very disciplined person, practicing yoga as well as your trumpet for hours every single day. Have you always been so disciplined?

DG: I have always been somewhat of a disciplined person because I know that without practice, progress cannot be made; anyone who plays a musical instrument knows this.

Really, this all stems from love of what one is doing. Not only love of music but gardening as well, for example—because as you know, I grow our yearly supply of vegetables, and without discipline, the results will not come. Somehow with yoga, it was different because yoga gave me the gift of a greater discipline, which spilled over to other aspects of my life. In other words, with yoga, I developed a level of discipline I never had before.

Maybe because I had to work so hard, and without that hard work, there could not be progress. There is an overflow into other aspects of life, not only discipline, that comes with yoga practice. We start to transform as a result of our practice, which seeps into all aspects of our body, emotions, mind, and spirit.

RG: Do you have a favorite memory from the early days of the Iyengars or of being in India?

DG: At the 1987 convention in Cambridge, I had two memorable encounters with Mr. Iyengar when he helped me with Virabhadrasana I and another time when he watched me adjust someone in Parivrtta Trikonasana. Both times, he was supportive and encouraging, and I cherish those memories.

I was only ever able to go to India once, and in 2013, I visited Pune and Bellur. I was deeply touched by what was happening in Bellur with the school and hospital and became aware of the tremendous and extensive charity work accomplished and ongoing by the Iyengar Trust.

RG: You have studied with many teachers. Are there particular teachers who have especially influenced your practice?

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Lifelong Practice continued

Rose and David Goldblatt in partner Navasana

DG: Living in rural northern New Hampshire, there were no Iyengar Yoga teachers—or in fact any other yoga teachers— to be found in the 1970s or 1980s, so I regularly attended workshops in other areas. These workshops taught by Dona Holleman, Judith Lasater, Donald Moyer, Arthur Kilmurray, Manouso Manos, Kevin Gardiner, Lois Steinberg, and others certainly influenced my asana practice, refinement, and understanding, and seeing the dedication and practice of these teachers inspired me. I also did a two-year teacher training with Janice Vien, and her wonderful teaching and magnanimous compassion will always be part of me.

It is really Patricia Walden, however, who has been the greatest influence on me for my own practice and dedication. It was Patricia’s inspiration as well that opened the door to yoga philosophy study. Patricia inspired me to study The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and other important texts. Patricia will always be in my heart as a guidepost for the true spirit of yoga. I must also honor Dr. Edwin Bryant because, through his seminars, I was able to find ways to go deeper into understanding yoga philosophy.

Although my personal contact with B.K.S. Iyengar was minimal, his unbelievable dedication and superb writings have been a mainstay since the beginning of my practice.

DG: In the early years, practice was mainly about asana and struggle with an inflexible body.

Pranayama, the sutras, and yoga philosophy study came later.

Pranayama has led me toward a more meditative practice in recent decades. I still have a daily asana practice though it has taken on strong meditative aspects, and I often stay long periods in poses.

As we practice decade after decade, sophistication and a deep awareness develops with each asana and how it integrates with body, mind, and spirit. Utthita Trikonasana in my 70s is a very different pose than it was in my 30s, both within and without.

This evolution is one of the very important aspects of developing a home practice.

RG: Have you any advice for students who are new to yoga?

DG: There is so much to yoga at many levels of body, mind, and spirit—so much to learn that is beyond merely physical and intellectual. Change happens as a result of the eight limbs—things you cannot make happen but that come with practice and eventually, too, with detachment. I encourage new students and continuing students to have faith in the process.

At worst, you can maintain a healthy body and mind within the particulars of your life situation, and at best, you can come to the realization of bliss.

David Goldblatt has been a long-time student of Patricia Walden and teaches classes at his studio in Littleton, NH. He also grows all the vegetables for his family’s yearly needs in his 6,000 sq. ft garden.

At the age of 15, Rose Goldblatt (CIYT Intermediate Junior I) went to a class taught by Patricia Walden and realized then that yoga would become her life’s work. Rose became the youngest person at the time to receive an Iyengar Yoga teacher certification in the United States. She is currently the director of a beautiful Iyengar Yoga center in the White Mountains of Vermont.

RG: How has your practice changed since your 30s and forward to your 70s?

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Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

Store News

Check Out Our New Offerings!

In October 2018, the store moved from Seattle to Oakland, and Julia Fogelson became the new IYNAUS store manager. The store was created to provide props, reference materials, and study aids to enhance the practice of Iyengar Yoga and raise funds to support our operations in the United States. The store focuses primarily on items produced in India that are not available from popular retail and e-commerce sources. Additional inventory items include books, audio CDs, and DVDs from senior teachers in the U.S.

Iyengar Yoga Home Practice with Jill Ganassi

Formerly sold only as a CD, these audio files are our first downloadable resource. These files are for the yoga student who has taken some Iyengar Yoga classes—or another type of yoga—and is ready to start a home practice. The four Iyengar Yoga practices of varying lengths (15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute sessions) make starting a practice accessible even to a busy person. The MP3 format is flexible—you can listen at home, on a computer, or on the go via a music player or smartphone. An accompanying brochure contains photographs of all the postures in each practice and lists the sequences in both Sanskrit and English for easy reference.

Each session has a variety of poses, which are intelligently sequenced to help students develop a strong foundation, build strength and flexibility in the body, and find balance and focus in the mind. Students will progress well when using these audio files as a guide to a home practice in combination with attending group classes with an experienced Iyengar Yoga teacher. Look for more downloadable resources in the future. ($22)

Organology and Sensology in Yogashastra

By Prashant Iyengar

This English translation of Sri Prashantji’s original Marathi book opens up a whole new dimension on our understanding of how the organs and senses work. The pocket-sized book gives us a very interesting modern, physiological perspective on the organs and senses combined with a yogic understanding of the same.

We understand generally that the eyes are for seeing, the ears are for hearing, the skin is for feeling, and the nose is for smelling. This book explains how the functioning of the senses is not just mechanical—for example, the eyes being like cameras or the ears like a tape-recorder—but that they are affected by the mind, intelligence, and emotions. Prashant explains how the organs also have their “own mind” and are influenced by the emotions. For example, the heart beat rises with physical exercise and also with fear. This book expands our horizons and the way we “look” at our organs and senses, which will naturally influence the way we practice our asana and pranayama. ($9)

Yoga Word Puzzles Nancy Roberts

Organized around four different topics—pranayama, The Tree of Life, asana and philosophy, and the sutras— these puzzles offer a good way to test yourself on yoga-related subjects and reinforce the teachings in your memory. Some practitioners have found them useful when studying for assessment. Nancy writes, “When creating the clues for this book, I found many things I had never seen before. I’m hoping that people who buy these books have the same experience.” Each book includes a signed letter from B.K.S. Iyengar to Nancy, who says, “It is really a fascinating idea to have brought out this project in the form of puzzles, and I am sure this is bound to create a lot of interest not only in the minds of the students of yoga but also the lovers of yoga.”

For more details on the specifics of each book, check out each listing in the store. ($10 each) Iyengar Yoga Brochure We debuted a new Iyengar Yoga brochure at the convention in Dallas. We have two versions with different graphics but identical content, perfect for distribution at your yoga studio or public events you are attending.

Here is an example of the content: “What is Iyengar Yoga? Iyengar Yoga is based on the teachings of the yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar. It is a form of yoga that uses physical alignment to create lightness in mind and body.

It builds strength, stamina, concentration, flexibility, balance, and power. Students experience continued growth not just in what they can do physically but also in their consciousness and awareness.”

(50 brochures for $13)

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Classifieds FOR SALE Yoga Studio Business & Building Comfortable apartment living upstairs or rent it for further income. Tired of city life? Come to the north woods where the air and water are clean and the outdoor recreational opportunities are unlimited. Located in Ironwood, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan/Wisconsin border. Continue to offer this area the experience of Iyengar Yoga, which has been established here since 1990.

Contact Felicia Santini 715.561.2880 feliciayoga@centurytel.net

IYNAUS ON VIMEO Are you following IYNAUS on Vimeo yet? Our Vimeo channel has a number of free videos for members to celebrate the centenary (password is “IYNAUS”).

Plus, you can purchase videos from prior conventions, including freshly released 2019 videos, videos from Geeta Iyengar’s 2001 Certified Teacher Class, and much more.

BECOME A BOARD MEMBER Do you have organizational skills, financial skills, legal skills, experience with nonprofit 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 needs volunteers with these kinds of skills.

If you, a colleague, or one of your students 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.

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 Sheryl Abrams at 512.57.2115 or sheryl.b.abrams@gmail.com for more information or to submit an ad.

Visit https://vimeo.com/iynaus today!

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 Aug. 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 Aug. 1.

JOIN IYNAUS To join IYNAUS or renew your current membership, please visit our website and apply online: https://iynaus.org/ join. Membership fees begin at $70, with $40 of each membership going to support teacher certification, continuing education, and member services.

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Treasurer’s

REPORT–IYNAUS FINANCIAL UPDATE

BY STEPHEN WEISS OVERVIEW IYNAUS has very limited resources. Yet our finances are complex, due to the number of functions the organization performs and the transactions we have with India.

distributing royalties and licensing fees on intellectual property owned by the Iyengar family, collecting donations and passing them on to the Bellur Trust, and distributing Yoga Rahasya, the quarterly journal from India, to its subscribers in the U.S.

We have a single full-time employee: our director of operations, Mariah Oakley. We have two part-time employees who perform discrete administrative tasks. We use outside contractors for some IT functions and for bookkeeping. Virtually all the things we do to promote Iyengar Yoga are the work of board members and other volunteers who do the work that paid staff perform in other organizations.

CASH RESULTS FOR 2018 AND PRIOR FOUR YEARS The table on page 54 shows IYNAUS cash revenues and expenses in 2018 and the four prior years. For ease of comparison, I have moved the revenues and expenses from events to the year in which the event occurs, except I have included prepaid expenses for our 2019 convention ($33,063) in our 2018 results as an extraordinary item. I have shown each year’s results both with and without the effects of events and extraordinary items.

We perform many different functions.

We hold a national convention every three years and just concluded a successful event in Dallas from April 11–17, 2019. We also have sometimes sponsored other events and continuing education workshops for CIYTs. We operate our assessment system, which is run almost entirely by volunteers. The certification chair and the committee manage the system; assessors donate their time, and studios provide the use of their facilities rent-free.

We publish information about Iyengar Yoga through Yoga Samachar, the IYNAUS.org website, member e-blasts, and social media outlets. We incur editorial and production costs for Samachar and the maintenance of the website.

We operate the online store that sells books, apparel, DVDs, and CDs. The store rents warehouse space, and we have parttime staff member dedicated to its operations.

We are engaged in activities to promote Iyengar Yoga.

Volunteers lead these efforts. To the extent that costs are incurred, they are paid for either from IYNAUS’ general funds or from a separate account that is made up of a portion of the trademark licensing fees paid by U.S. teachers. This account is jointly controlled by IYNAUS and Gloria Goldberg, in her capacity as the U.S attorney in fact for the Iyengars.

We manage the acquisition, storage, and preservation of archival material. Funding for the archives comes primarily through member donations designated specifically for this purpose.

We engage in an array of complicated financial transactions with the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India, with the Bellur Trust, and with the Iyengar family. These activities include facilitating study in India, collecting and

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

In 2018, IYNAUS again achieved its objective of earning revenues that exceeded its expenses in that year: that is, having positive net revenue. In many prior years, that was not the case, and we relied on profits from prior events to subsidize some of our operations.

We should understand that whenever we achieve positive results in a given year, it does more than ensure our ability to perform our basic functions. It also increases our cash reserves, and the greater our cash reserves, the greater our ability to make major investments to promote Iyengar Yoga.

For example, we used accumulated funds in our cash reserves to pay for a major overhaul of our website two years ago, and there are many other such projects that can be undertaken if we can increase our cash reserves.

A number of factors contributed to our positive results in 2018.

First, our dues revenues increased in 2018, and member dues is our single largest revenue source. Membership grew substantially in 2018, as is typical in the year before a convention because only members may attend our conventions. In the past, our membership generally dropped by 15 percent in the year following a convention, but we experienced a lesser decline in membership after the 2016 convention. We hope that trend will continue.

Second, Certification Chair Laurie Blakeney, the certification committee, and the director of operations were able to again find ways to significantly reduce the operating expenses of our assessment system. Because there were fewer candidates in 2018 than in prior years, assessment revenues were about $23,000 less than in 2017. But assessment expenses were $36,000 less, so the average costs for each assessment candidate declined significantly in 2018.

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Treasurer’s Report continued

IYNAUS PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT FOR 2018 REVENUES

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Unrestricted Revenue

Dues (less regions’ shares)

89,368

99,606

154,900

160,086

196,547

Previously withheld dues plus interest

12,769

34,597

—

—

Continuing education workshops (net revenue)

2,065

—

3,650

Event revenue Store revenues less cost of goods (store sales at events) Yoga Samachar advertising sales

—

—

60,142

85,921

74,378

85,542

2,604

5,091

135,103 109,431 (12,560) 5,554

4,257

6,984

Charitable contributions to IYNAUS

3,703

4,331

25,213

2,845

15,826

Restricted Revenue

Certification mark (less payments to India)

17,768

20,962

25,439

25,956

24,040

Charitable contributions to archives

8,621

6,661

3,156

1,305

1,428

Earmarked Revenue

Assessment fees and manual

84,955

93,125

98,188

94,670

71,230

Bellur donations

20,811

19,001

21,024

17,039

30,370

TOTAL REVENUES

287,972

349,532

612,605

380,536

435,617

EXPENSES

Bellur donations

20,811

19,001

21,024

17,039

30,370

Salaries and employment taxes

70,412

88,804

93,169

105,693

137,843

PR consultant

2,625

Production expenses for Yoga Samachar

29,413

23,633

24,947

33,171

25,034

Yoga Journal advertising

10,000

Assessment expenses

85,640

115,838

111,456

82,022

46,610

Website design and maintenance

21,995

28,659

16,838

20,116

32,684

IYNAUS board meeting travel expenses

14,906

16,178

24,516

22,235

31,378

Bookkeeping

995

3,545

995

—

2,159

Facilities, office supplies and expenses

16,899

30,648

23,775

41,665

13,875

Merchant and bank fees (for online transactions)

32,498

46,077

94,724

33,417

53,528

Nonemployee insurance and taxes

2,512

7,235

10,068

4,939

2,095

2019 convention deposits

12,500

33,063

Professional services

26,523

TOTAL EXPENSES

308,706

379,618

421,512

372,797

435,162

NET REVENUE

-20,734

-30,086

191,093

7,739

455

NET REVUNE—EXCLUDING EVENTS AND EXTRODINARY ITEMS

-20,734

-30,086

-6,167

20,239

33,518

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Third, we significantly reduced our bank fees, merchant processing, and insurance expenses in 2018 due to Mariah’s efforts.

Also note that there are areas where expenses remain high or have increased.

We had higher board meeting travel expenses in 2018, both because the board is slightly larger now than in 2017 and because a very high percentage of our members were able to attend our in-person meetings in 2018.

General administrative expenses increased in 2018. That was primarily because we hired our new director of operations in the Spring and had Sharon Cowdery remain on the payroll to orient Mariah for a month or so.

We also incurred significant professional service expenses in 2018 because of the independent investigation of ethics complaints against one of our most senior teachers. We incurred nearly $27,000 in costs for this investigation in 2018, but these expenses were partially offset by $5,000 in donations that were made to support the investigation.

So the net cost was $22,000 in 2018. It is gratifying that we had positive net revenues for 2018, notwithstanding this extraordinary expense. At the same time, the investigation meant our cash reserves (and ability to make future investments) were depleted to this extent, we hope temporarily (see below).

Independent investigation and an opportunity to make donations to support it. The independent investigation is now complete. We incurred an additional $120,000 in costs in 2019, so the overall cost was $147,000. That is about $25,000 more than we had originally forecast. We incurred this additional $25,000 because shortly before the investigation was concluded, the senior teacher under investigation resigned, and he threatened litigation against IYNAUS if we either provided the investigative report to the Iyengars or published the report to the membership. The Board then determined that we should not take either action without first obtaining independent legal advice that these steps were in the best interest of IYNAUS. We obtained that advice, at a cost of nearly $25,000. Based on this advice, we have provided the report to RIMYI and published redacted versions of the report and the executive summary of it.

Yoga Samachar Spring | Summer 2019

We have sufficient cash reserves to pay the entire $147,000 cost of the investigation. Even if none of the costs were offset by donations, this expenditure was essential to protect the reputation of Iyengar Yoga in the U.S., and we could not afford NOT to conduct this investigation.

That said, if donations are made to support the independent investigation, our cash reserves will be increased, and we will have greater ability to make future investments to benefit Iyengar Yoga in the U.S. To date, we have made no efforts to attract donations to support the investigation. Nonetheless, including the $5,000 donated for this purpose in 2018, we have received about $40,000 in pledges or donations earmarked for the independent investigation.

We are now publicizing the opportunity to make a one-time donation to support this investigation. If you are interested in doing so, please go to the IYNAUS website and press the “Donate” button in the upper-right-hand corner of the home page. Press the Donate button on the next page, and press the “IYNAUS Investigation” button on the next page. Every donation, no matter how big or how small, will help IYNAUS fund this extraordinary expense and allow us to do more to advance Iyengar Yoga in the U.S. in the future.

Prospects for 2019. Our financial results for 2019 will obviously be affected by the extent to which donations are made to support the independent investigation. There is an array of other factors, with significant uncertainty relating to each. For example, in addition to providing a fantastic experience for all who attended, our April 2019 convention appears to have been a financial success, but it will be some time before we know the precise results. We will continue to exercise discipline in controlling our expenses and do our best to serve and provide value to our members.

Stephen Weiss IYNAUS Treasurer April 18, 2019

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Those who are established in wisdom, the wise ones, who have abandoned the fruit born of action, and are freed from the bondage of rebirth, go to the place that is free from pain.

—The Bhagavad Gita, II. 51, translation by Winthrop Sargeant

Photo: RIMYI Archives

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GA

I YE

O

GAR Y N

B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States P.O. Box 184 Canyon, CA 94516 www.iynaus.org

Practice hall at the 2019 National Convention in Dallas. Photo: Ken Duane at VisionsByKen