6 minute read
Teacher and Friend Forever: An Interview with Joan White – Holly Walck Kostura
from Yoga Samachar SS2019
by IYNAUS
—Geetaji, Yoganusasanam 2014
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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.
HWK: How did you learn about Geetaji’s passing and what did you do upon learning the sad news?
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
Tribute to Geeta outside the Institute in Pune
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.
I received a telephone call shortly after 7 a.m. from my friend Suzie [Munchnik], who was in Florida, asking me if it were
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
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.
