I S S U E N U M B E R 7 - A U T U M N 2 0 0 5 I YENGAR® Y OGA A SSOCIATION (UK) www.iyengaryoga.org.uk President: Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar IYENGAR ® YOGA NEWS - Issue no.7 - Autumn 2005 Editorial Board: Kirsten Agar Ward, Debbie Bartholomew, E D I T O R I A L Philippe Harari, Rachel Lovegrove, Helen Scarlett he theme of this issue of Iyengar Yoga News is Yoga Printed by: Blueprint Press, Cambridge, on paper made using wood Tand Children and the magazine features several from sustainable forests and without the use of chlorine contributions on this issue; an authoritative article by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar, reports from children’s and teenagers’ ® used with permission of BKS IYENGAR,Trade Mark Owner classes in the UK and an interview with Rajiv and Swati IYA (UK) SPRING CONVENTION 2006 Chanchani, authors of “Yoga For Children”. & AGM This issue contains the second part of an interview with Prashant Iyengar. We also publish the second part in our June 17th - 21st 2006 series Guruji: Profile of a Yogi, describing how B. K. S. Iyengar’s teaching reaches across barriers of all kinds of Guest teacher: Jawahar Bangera sectarianism. There is an interview with three of the UK’s most respected and Senior teachers, Jeanne Maslen, Pen Brunel University, Uxbridge Reed and Lilian Biggs, and reports from Bellur and from the 2005 IYA (UK) Spring Convention, held at Brunel General Days University. Please note that next year’s Spring Conven- Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th June tion will be held in the same venue and will have Jawahar Bangera as the guest teacher. We have changed the Teacher Days format of the convention with Saturday and Sunday Monday 19th - Wednesday 21st June given over to general classes and the following Monday, (Certified IYA (UK) teachers only) Tuesday and Wednesday for teachers only. IYN 8 will contain a report of the Autumn convention in Bath Application forms to be sent out Oct. 2005 which will have just taken place when you read this.

We are very pleased to announce that three new Copy deadline for next issue (IYN no. 8): Iyengar Yoga Institutes have recently been formed, two Friday 25th November, 2005 in Scotland and one in the the South of England. This IYN 8 will be published in February 2006 brings the total of affiliated Institutes around the country Articles, letters, adverts, photographs and up to 15. illustrations should be sent to: Kirsten Agar Ward Finally, we are very keen to receive articles and photo- graphs from members for the next issue of IYN. 12 Station Road, Lower Weston, Bath BA2 3DY [email protected]

The drawing on the front cover is by Angela Köhn (aged 12). The photograph on the back cover is of the Patanjali Temple in the village of Bellur, Karnataka, India. CONTENTS Y O G A A N D C H I L D R E N

2 Yoga for School Children: Dr Geeta S. Iyengar writes about introducing yoga into the school curriculum 9 Yoga in Education: Korinna Pilafidis-Williams reports on the Research on Yoga in Education seminar 10 Yoga for Children: interview with Rajiv and Swati Chanchani 12 Children and Yoga: Kirsten Agar Ward on practising yoga with children 14 Yoga and Exam Stress: Kimberley Green describes how yoga has helped her cope with exams 15 Teenagers on Yoga: What teenage students at the Maida Vale Institute have to say about yoga 16 Classes for Children: Korinna Pilafidis-Williams and Johanna Heckman-Mohan on teaching children 18 Children on Yoga: What children practising at the Bath Iyengar Yoga Centre have to say about yoga

A R T I C L E S

20 Interview with Prashantji II: The second part of Richard Agar Ward’s interview with Prashant S. Iyengar 29 A Soulful Experience: Margaret Rawlinson describes an intensive yoga course in Pune 30 Yoga United: Louise McMullan writes about teaching yoga to professional footballers 34 Guruji: Profile of a Yogi - non-ssectarianism: Kirsten and Richard Agar Ward present part II of this series 38 Bygone Days: Debbie Bartholomew interviews Jeanne Maslen, Pen Reed and Lilian Biggs 51 Endings and Beginnings: Helen Graham writes about Iyengar yoga in the West of Scotland

R E P O R T S

27 Latest from Bellur: Judith Jones provides a bulletin and Fiona Dewar describes fundraising in Edinburgh 28 Astadala Yogamala: Brigid Philip heralds the publication of volumes 4 and 5 of Astadala Yogamala 45 Location, Location, Convention: Carol Brown writes about the IYA (UK) Spring 2005 Convention 46 In the Lab, Not in the Gym: Liz Brown and Philippe Harari on the teaching at the Spring Convention 50 Three New Institutes: Three Institutes are launched, 2 in Scotland and 1 in Dorset and Hampshire 52 Report from the Chair and Treasurer of the IYA (UK) 53 Report from the Treasurer of the IYA (UK) 54 Report from the Membership and Office Manager of the IYA (UK)

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

32 Events Listings: your guide to Iyengar Institutes in the UK 48 Classes at RIMYI: details and application form 56 The Certification Mark: Judi Sweeting and Elaine Pidgeon explain how teachers can qualify 55 Assessment Congratulations 57 Miscellaneous Announcements 58 IYA (UK) Merchandise - incuding newly arrived Light on Life by B. K. S. Iyengar 59 Yoga Rahasya: details and application form 60 Advertisements 64 IYA (UK) Executive Council 65 Guide to the Pronunciation of Sanskrit YOGA FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN This article, by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar, is reprinted with kind permission of Yoga Rahasya, the magazine of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. See page 59 for details of how to subscribe to this publication. oga is a subject which has universal appeal. It is a The yoga teacher should therefore have physical agility Yscience and an art for culturing the mind and devel- and mental sharpness. He must himself be a keen practi- oping personality. Educationalists have started thinking of tioner of yoga. He should be able to do the àsanas introducing yoga as a subject in schools. However, yoga is along with the children and not just demand and a vast and multifaceted subject and school authorities are command them to do the poses. His subjective involve- confused as to which aspect of yoga should be introduced ment is crucial as children essentially learn by seeing and to the students. Some authorities are only familiar with imitating. Their eyes catch movement quickly while they the philosophical aspects of yoga while others are only detest lengthy explanations. In any case, quick and agile aware of the diverse methods of meditation. There are movements cannot be explained and have to be imparted some teachers who think that yoga merely implies directly. relaxing in ÷avàsana with the eyes closed. Some school authorities are apprehensive as they equate yoga to a set The teacher should remember that the children have a of mild and orthodox physical exercises. They wonder tremendous defensive strength and do not get injured why one should switch to these archaic yoga àsanas easily. Children stop immediately if something goes wrong when so many modern forms of vigorous physical exer- while performing the àsana.They have a safe-guarding and cises are available. All these doubts stem from ignorance. self- protecting intelligence which is inherent at that age. They are not adamant like elders but are very courageous. Yoga àsanas should be introduced in schools

The aspect of yoga which should be introduced in schools for children between the ages of 6 and 16 years, is the àsanas. âsana is the only limb of yoga that can be directly imparted. Properly imparted and practised, àsanas will provide the children with sound physical and mental health, and will lead to balanced growth. âsanas are well suited for children as they are basically active and outgoing by nature. Children enjoy action, movement and creativity that the àsanas provide.Thus, the children will readily take to àsanas . Furthermore, the àsanas are safe and can easily be corrected. By exposing the children to yoga àsanas at the middle school level, interest in the subject of yoga will be created at the right age. Later, at the high school level, when these children are more mature, they can take up the higher aspects of yoga - theory, philosophy, pràõàyàma etc.

The role of the yoga teacher

The role of the yoga teacher is of foremost importance if yoga is to be successfully introduced into schools. The teacher must create interest in the pupils and arouse their desire to learn. He must inspire and enthuse the children and be cheerful in the class.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 2 Should yoga in schools be compulsory or voluntary? Children who chose to do yoga voluntarily were much more enthusiastic. They were eager to learn and always There is a debate as to whether yoga should be compul- wished to learn something new.They appreciated a chal- sory or voluntary in schools. 1 have taught yoga in schools lenge and made every effort to try difficult, complicated where the subject was compulsory as well as to groups of and advanced àsanas . They were attentive pupils and pupils who chose to practise yoga voluntarily. The made repeated attempts with a fresh mind. psychology and the mental attitudes of these two groups were completely different. Varying attitudes of children towards yoga

When children were compelled, they didn't like to prac- I have taught yoga to children from different socio- tice yoga. They were reluctant, naughty and rebelled. For economic backgrounds for over twenty years. Here I such children, I had to change my approach in teaching. I would like to make certain observations. For this purpose, started by teaching them simple àsanas .Then I further I shall divide the schools into four categories: simplified these àsanas by teaching them in easy stages. For example, in utthita trikoõàsana, I merely asked them a) Lower class schools:These children are often underfed to jump, spread the legs apart, and take the arms to the and were generally upright.These poor children never side. Initially the children did not hesitate to perform such shirked from "king" efforts.They were agile though they soft and simple movements. However, after a few turns looked fragile. They were bold in their approach and the children themselves realized that though these move- their sense of balance in poses like ÷ãrùàsana, ments were painless, they were also effective. Then I bakàsana, and årdhva kukkutàsana was very good. would demonstrate something special or difficult, an eye These children can certainly acquire skills in the art of catching àsana. Immediately the children would make an yoga if they are given better nourishment. effort to do it. This is how interest in the subject was created. b) Middle class schools:These children were by and large good pupils.They approached the subject with enthu- siasm and every effort to participate. When they performed àsanas , they displayed a tenacity, maturity, and stability that the lower class children lacked. They were also much quicker to grasp the subtle points and could hold the àsanas for a longer duration. These children's doubts and questions were intellectual.

c) Upper class schools: These students were often lazy and slow going. They were rather extroverted and disliked yoga as it had no pomp and show. It was really a tough job to change and culture their minds. These children were rather unruly though their schools imposed strict discipline. I therefore had to mould and shape them in a gentle manner in order to develop their sensitivity. I often had to be very strict and show my superiority in order to humble them. A friendly approach didn't work with these children as it did with the other two groups.

d) Country schools: The situation was quite different in these schools. The girls were very shy while the boys were bold. These girls wore long skirts to school and had no special clothes for yoga.This was a limitation. I could only teach them the standing poses - there were no sitting poses that could be done in these clothes. This school could not provide a separate hall for yoga

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 3 practice and the classes were conducted outdoors.The Syllabus children lacked facilities but still they were enthusiastic, obedient and respectful towards their teachers and The syllabus should be complete and comprehensive. It elders.They were honest, simple and straightforward. should be a guideline which suggests the basic require- ments and sequence of a yoga course. It should begin with At what age should children commence yoga practice? simple àsanas and proceed towards complicated àsanas. These àsanas must be taught in a proper School authorities and parents are both uncertain sequence. Initially children should be taught to stand and regarding the age at which children should commence sit correctly. The teacher should be able to catch the basic yoga practice. Children aged six years and above are fit defects in a child's posture and correct them. A rigid to commence yoga practice. Children between the ages syllabus defeats the purpose as children tend to lose of five and six can do some àsanas , but are too young interest. to practice yoga formally. The static poses do not suit these children nor do they have the capacity to do A question which is often raised as to which àsanas many dynamic movements.These little children are very should be taught in schools. Unfortunately, most yoga supple and elastic but their suppleness, vibrancy, and teachers in schools have confined their course to a few elasticity should not be taxed at this tender age. They basic àsanas. These àsanas include: padmàsana, lack muscular strength and therefore a yoga class of 25 matsyàsana, dhanuràsana, bhujaïgàsana, ÷ãrùàsana, or 35 minutes duration is too long for them, little chil- sarvàngàsana, halàsana and a few others. dren should be permitted to playfully and casually learn a few postures. They should be permitted to grow up One should not confine oneself to just a few àsanas naturally and discipline should not be imposed too while teaching children who learn fast. A child can easily early. learn 30 to 40 àsanas in the course of a year even if he is allotted just one class of yoga in a week. Obviously if chil- dren have two or more classes of yoga a week they need a syllabus with many more àsanas . Children need variety and novelty. By practising a variety of àsanas children can experience different movements of their bodies. The novelty is necessary to keep their interest in the subject alive. By repeating the poses in each class, the children get bored.Though the àsanas are age-old, the teacher must be innovative to keep the children's interest alive.

There will be no progress if the teacher tries to perfect one àsana before introducing new àsanas .While some important àsanas have to be taught and repeated in each session, there are others that one teaches occasion- ally. Besides the perfection of some àsanas depends on the performance of several other àsanas. For example, if a group of children find it difficult to perform padmàsana they need to practise several poses which are prepara- tory to padmàsana such as: gomukhàsana, vãràsana, eka pàda bakàsana, årdhva pàdottànàsana, utthita hasta pàdànguùthàsana, ardha padmàsana etc. Similarly, to improve halàsana, the cycle of paschimottànàsana - halàsana should be practised regularly.

Yoga teachers are sometimes apprehensive about teaching some àsanas to children. For example, some teachers are afraid to teach upasviùñha koõàsana although it is quite easy for children to attempt. Unfortu-

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 4 nately, several teachers do not practise a wide range of speedy movements. These dynamic movements activate àsanas themselves.They impose limitations on the chil- unused joints and muscles bringing suppleness to stiff dren as they judge the students’ capacities by their own bodies. This prepares children for àsanas that they limited capacities. cannot do easily. The dynamic and speedy movements have a positive effect on the mind too. They destroy Some teachers are afraid to teach children ÷ãrùàsana. lethargy and remove fear complexes that hinder free These fears are unfounded. øãrùàsana removes fatigue movements.They break mental rigidity and instil courage and rejuvenates the brain. Students should practise in the children. The children are able to achieve new ÷ãrùàsana regularly since they have to study a lot. During movements while practising static àsanas in combina- examinations children should practise several inverted tion with dynamic movements. The speedy movements àsanas such as ÷ãrùàsana, sarvàngàsana, halàsana, setu perform a sort of 'brain washing' and make the children bandha sarvàngàsana, vãparita karaõi etc as they remove fresh. fatigue as well as physical and mental strain. At our Insti- tute children who are studying for their examinations Sequences of àsanas that can be taught to children regularly practice these stimulating and relaxing àsanas . They also practice lateral twists of the spine to remove a) The cycle of sårya namaskar (commonly called the backaches and neck pain. They also do ÷anmukhã mudrà jumpings). These include the following àsanas in a to relax the eyes. series: årdhva hastàsana, uttànàsana, adho mukha ÷vànàsana, årdhva mukha ÷vànàsana, chaturanga âsanas that can be taught to children daõóàsana and reverse back in a similar manner. These poses can be practised in various permutations The sequence of àsanas has to be carefully worked out and combinations which give new patterns. so as to help correct the anatomical positions and the b) One could perform all the standing poses at a stretch physiological functioning. Groups of àsanas that can be without returning to samasthiti (taóàsana) each time. taught to children are:

1) Standing àsanas such as utthita trikoõàsana 2) Sitting àsanas such as vãràsana 3) Forward bending àsanas such as paschimot- tànàsana 4) Inverted àsanas such as ÷ãrùàsana 5) Supine àsanas such as matsyàsana 6) Prone àsanas such as ÷alabhàsana 7) Lateral twisting àsanas such as bharadvàjàsana 8) Backward bending àsanas such as årdhva dhanuràsana 9) Arm balancing àsanas such as bhujapãdàsana 10) Leg movement àsanas such as supta pàdàn- guùthàsana 11) Body knotting àsanas such as yoganidràsana

Many a time yogic àsanas are confused for contortions of the body. The teacher should explain that skill in the performance of yogàsanas means the correct placement of the limbs, muscles and organs in the different postures.

Static vs. dynamic àsanas for children

If children are taught too many static àsanas they will get bored and distracted. Therefore, the teacher should carefully combine the static movements with dynamic and

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 5 c) One could practise all the standing poses on the right c) The teacher can stress upon the graceful movements side at a stretch and finish with samasthiti. Then while going into the àsanas, staying in the àsanas perform the standing poses on the left side at a and gracefully coming out of the àsanas . stretch. d) Sometimes the teacher should make the children d) The teacher can blend the àsanas, i.e. utthita aware of the breathing while practising àsanas . trikoõàsana, ardha chandràsana, vãrabhadràsana, e) The teacher could also bring out the connection parivçtta pàr÷vakoõàsana, utthita trikoõàsana, pàr÷va between the technique of an àsana and the effect of uttànàsanaa, årdhva prasàrita ekapàdàsana, utthita the àsana. hasta pàdànguùthàsana. All these can be done at a stretch without giving a break.The same cycle can be If the students are taught in this manner they develop repeated on the other side.This can again have several grace, skill, freedom, courage, quickness, steadiness, a sense permutations and combinations. of balance, agility, suppleness, sharpness and physical and e) Combine two or more àsanas and practise this mental control. sequence repeatedly, i.e., pàr÷vottànàsana, årdhva prasàrita ekapàdàsana. The introduction of yoga theory in schools f) The cycle of nàvàsana, halàsana and each forward bend can be blended. School children do not enjoy formal classes on the theory g) Each of the forward bending poses and each of the of yoga which is dry.They understand and appreciate the standing poses can be blended with the jumpings. practical benefits of the àsanas .They will be attentive if h) All the forward bending poses can be done on the the teacher mentions the importance of yogàsanas while right side at a stretch and then on the left side at a teaching the àsanas. The children should be taught stretch. anatomy, physiology and how àsanas help in keeping the i) Combining each of the forward bending poses with body and mind healthy during the course of an àsana lateral twisting poses. class. Children greatly enjoy listening to the meanings and j) Each forward bending pose can be combined with a backward bending pose like årdhva dhanuràsana or uùñràsana. k) Form a chain of one of forward bending àsanas and one of backward bending àsanas . l) Advanced and difficult poses like bakàsana or yoganidràsana can be taught in stages by introducing each advanced movement or action involved in performing that particular pose separately.

The teacher can and should add several different permu- tations and combinations to the above mentioned exam- ples. Thereby the children will enjoy the variety and also derive many benefits.

Tips for teaching children

a) The difficult and complicated àsanas can also be taught with the help of a wall, i.e., ÷ãrùàsana, årdhva dhanuràsana, kapotàsana, etc. The support of the wall gives the child courage and helps them develop a sense of balance.The children's efforts are properly channelised and they are safeguarded from mistakes or injury by this method. b) The children can occasionally be made to stay for a longer duration in the first pose. This develops their stamina.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 6 the methodological studies that underlie the names of the its utility, its purpose and effect àsanas .They also like to loudly repeat the names of the 8) The interest should be kept burning, by showing àsanas . slides, films, video cassettes on the attractive and advanced àsanas with a talk on the benefits of yoga Formal yoga theory can be introduced at the high school practice. level. However, a separate theory class need not be 9) Live demonstration of àsanas with an accompa- allotted for this purpose as this would be a needless nying talk in simple words are effective in motivating burden on the children. Instead, once in a while the the children. teacher should give the students a talk an yoga theory. Some yoga teachers jump to the more abstruse aspects At these talks they can inform the students on subjects of Pata¤jàli's Yoga Sutras instead of giving simple explana- like: tions and information.They attempt to teach the children difficult concepts such as Kriyà Yoga and samàdhi. This 1) The concept of yoga sort of idealistic theory is not appropriate as children 2) The definition of yoga in simple words can't relate such abstract concepts to their day to day life 3) The concept of Aùñàïga Yoga and personal experience. 4) The introduction of Bahiraïga Sàdhanà which develops altruistic views On teaching children yama and niyama 5) The concept of morality should be introduced by regular prayers, good behaviour, character building, The ethical principles of yarna and niyama are very impor- physical and mental health awareness, etc. tant for children but they cannot be physically imparted or 6) The role of àsanas in improving health, character, directly taught. Moral principles have to be explained and concentration, intelligence, etc. children should be encouraged and not forced to follow 7) The name of the àsana, its meaning, pronunciation, them.

Pràõàyàma is not for children

Pràõàyàma is not suited to the nature of children and one must caution yoga teachers against teaching it to chil- dren. Pràõàyàma needs to be practised with tremen- dous attention. It is impossible to quieten two children when they get together.The mass psychology of children is such that when they are together they can't be serious nor can they be controlled. Pràõàyàma demands steadi- ness, seriousness and keen observation, whereas children are playful, naughty and restless by nature.

There are practical problems too in teaching children pràõàyàma. Children cannot keep their eyes closed for too long. If they are asked to do so, they burst out laughing. If while teaching the instructor points out some anatomical detail the children laugh and become mischie- vous. If you ask children to sit quietly they drop the spine. However, children can activate the spine better than the adults while practicing àsanas . If you ask the children to breathe consciously, they move the chest and abdomen dynamically and mechanically.

Besides pràõàyàma is a monotonous and unintelligent job for children. It does not provide an outlet for their creativity. They do not find anything expressive or impressive in it.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 7 Nor do they find any immediate results or any sense of they are still mentally immature. It would damage the chil- achievements in the practice of pràõàyàma. Children dren's health if they mature physiologically at the wrong grow prematurely old if they are taught pràõàyàma. time.Thus children should not be taught the bandhas. Bhastrika pràõàyàma is dangerous for children as they can damage the delicate blood vessels and brain cells. Summary and Conclusion Therefore, children should not be taught pràõàyàma. Initially, children should be taught àsanas through How should one prepare children for pràõàyàma? The dynamic and skilful movements. This develops agility so older children should be made aware of breathing while that performing àsana which is sufficient preparation for chil- dren.They can be taught to rest with the chest raised up o Only yogàsanas should be taught to school chil- and well opened if they get tired while performing dren. dynamic àsanas .They will recover quickly and practically o The number of àsanas should not be limited. The learn the importance of correct breathing. Since àsanas advanced àsanas should also be taught to students cleanse the inner body, they can be used to prepare the who practice regularly. children for pràõàyàma without directly touching on the o Children need variety and novelty and find repetitions pràõàyàmic process . uninteresting. o Slow movements bore the children as the children's Shatkriyàs are not for children energy is always out bursting. o Perfection and accuracy in the àsanas should be There is a debate among yoga teachers as to whether or introduced gradually. not the shatkriyàs should be taught to school children. o Simple yoga theory should be explained occasionally. The Hatha Yoga Pradapika clearly states that the o Children should not be taught pràõàyàma directly. shatkriyàs are not meant for everyone.These kriyàs are They should be prepared for pràõàyàma through only for those whose humours are completely vitiated - àsanas that give healthy respiratory movements. the diseased people. Besides, these kriyàs are habit- o Children should not be taught the shatkriyàs and the forming. If a person habitually performs these kriyàs he or bandhas. she has trouble performing routine movements like emptying the bowels or even easy breathing if they don't The children become active, smart, flexible, mobile, quick perform the kriyàs.Therefore, it is not at all advisable to and gain stamina. The teaching should proceed towards introduce school children to the shatkriyàs sthiti, steadiness. To bring sthiti in the body physiological functioning should be at its peak.The dynamic movements Another reason that children should avoid the shatkriyàs improve the metabolism and the health of the body and is that there could be problems of hygiene, i.e., dirty so they help create sthiti. From sthiti, the teaching should thread, dirty water, etc.The first of the niyamas, ÷aucha,is proceed towards the sense of equipoise, balance, equilib- sufficient for children. It is enough to teach children to rium and stability. This equipoise is the outcome of brush their teeth, clean their tongue, gargle, blow the concentration which comes from the steadiness of the nostrils lightly, to move the bowels regularly, to bathe and body. Having achieved equipoise, teaching should lead the cultivate good habits. In addition, if children regularly prac- child towards the state of quietness and peace.Then the tise yogàsanas , their physiological functions like digestion, children have to be taught to perform àsanas skilfully, excretion, etc. will certainly improve. without unnecessary strain and distortions. The child attains the state of ease in the àsanas when the delicate Bandhas are not for children balance between extension and relaxation is achieved. In sahajàvasthà, the efforts cease. Finally, this process leads Children should not be taught uóóãyàna and other bandhas towards a state of calmness, quietness and non-duality. as the children become conscious of their lower abdomen This is essential for a child to face the problematic adoles- and reproductive organs by pracsing these bandhas.These cent years. To attain this, the preparation must start at the organs are functionally dormant in childhood. If children age of seven years.The travelling from childhood to adult- practise these bandhas, their physiology will start func- hood, from agility to a non-dual state is a progressive tioning before puberty. As a result, premature seminal journey, a fruition, which a child can attain by practising the discharge in boys or menstruation in girls may occur while third limb of Aùñàïga Yoga.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 8 Y O G A I N E D U C A T I O N In June 2005, Korinna Pilafidis-WWilliams attended a yoga and education seminar in London, organised by Research on Yoga in Education (RYE). esearch on Yoga in Education (RYE) was founded by Rteachers in France in1978 to take Yoga into National Education. Its objective is to bring a more holistic approach to teaching in schools. Therefore it is less about teaching àsana in a separate class but bringing physical, breathing and concentration techniques into other lessons.

On the day of the seminar there were about 50 partici- pants, mainly yoga teachers but also schoolteachers mostly teaching special needs. The guest speaker and RYE's founder, Micheline Flak, talked about the back- ground of the movement and her experience as a teacher and a yoga practioner. She adapted six of Pata¤jàli's limbs of yoga in the following way.

1. Living together (Yama) 2. Cleaning the house (Niyama) 3. Straightening the back (âsana) 4. Breathing (Pràõàyàma)* 5. Relaxation (Pratyàhàra) 6. Concentration (Dharàõà)

She illustrated all six limbs with examples and practical techniques and emphasised the importance of relaxation for both children and teachers.

It was interesting to see how other people approached such an important subject. Many of the techniques were very specific to classroom teaching and I would not use them in a children's àsana class. It also left some of the school teachers sceptical since they realised the difficulty of how to get pupils, especially of secondary school age, to agree to follow any of the techniques. Nevertheless the intention is admirable and they intend to set up RYE offi- cially in the UK as a registered charity later this year to join similar branches in most parts of Europe as well as Israel and South America.

To find out more about RYE, you can visit their website at www.ryeuk.org.

* Editors’ note: As Geetaji says in the previous article “Pràõàyàma is not suited to the nature of children and one must caution yoga teachers against teaching it to chil- dren.”

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 9 Y O G A F O R C H I L D R E N Swati and Rajiv Chanchani have been practising and teaching Iyengar Yoga since 1975.Their book,Yoga For Children, was first published in 1995 and is now available in four different languages.They were the visiting teachers at the IYA (UK) 2005 Spring Convention at Brunel University and after dinner on the Saturday night they gave an exclusive interview to Iyengar Yoga News about teaching yoga to children ur first question was whether Yoga was widely taught They have also evolved a Diploma in "Yoga for School Oto children in India, and Swati and Rajiv began by Children" on behalf of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial explaining that in India Yoga is seen not only as yogàsanas; Yoga Institute. This is a yoga scheme for schoolchildren the stories and practices of yoga are deeply embedded similar to the Duke of Edinburgh award in the UK; at age within Indian culture and the yogic terms, such as Yama, 9, children can gain the 1st level in their Diploma for Niyama, Samàdhi are part of everyday language. Stories School Children, the 2nd level at 11 etc. By 17 or 18, from the Ramayana and Mahabharata are well known they can reach the 5th level and as such are qualified to amongst children and there are many aspects of regular teach Introductory poses to children. Swati explained Indian life that could be thought of as 'yogic'. Moreover, that people of that age do not really have the maturity traditionally yogis tend to get greater respect in Indian to teach yoga to adults, however much they have prac- culture than people successful in politics or business; Rajiv tised, so this qualification only allows them to teach chil- explained that successful people in society have learnt to dren. control others, whereas the yogi has learnt to control him/herself, and is therefore more highly regarded. So Yoga Rajiv was critical of a school system that encourages awareness in general is widespread in India, but yogàsanas competitiveness and an over-emphasis on end-gaining are not systematically taught in most schools. through exams and qualifications.These days in India and in the UK, school education is about training children to A few Indian universities offer degrees in yoga, and some function in the materialistic world, and does not really schools do offer it to their students, but the only system- have much spiritual content.They talked about how chil- atic syllabus for Yoga in existence is that developed by dren need a 'moral compass' to help them find their way the Chanchanis under Guruji's guidance. In much the to adulthood, and yoga is an ideal educational tool to same way that the UK is made of different 'countries' provide this.They dream of a time when yoga is an inte- (Wales, Scotland etc.), India is made up of over 22 gral part of the school curriculum and is given as much different states, and education provision varies greatly respect as other school subjects. across them. There are English medium schools and 'vernacular' schools which use local languages and tend We asked at what age they felt that children should start to be for poorer people. One particular school board, practising yoga.They told us that before the age of 8, chil- the Indian Council for Secondary Education, manages a dren can be exposed to yoga but there is no point trying number of elite academic schools around the sub-conti- to teach them systematically before then.The best way to nent. These schools are very prominent and influential, encourage children to take up yoga is by example; the and developments that occur here tend to trickle down Chanchani's own children were constantly steeped in a to the rest of the education system. The Chanchanis yogic lifestyle from the moment they were born, they have been successful in persuading this board to take on regularly attended classes at the RIYMI as they got older the yoga syllabus that they prepared under Guruji's and are now committed practitioners. We pointed out guidance; it can be taught by any Yoga teacher but uses that in the UK children often rebel against their parents' Guruji's Light on Yoga as its key text and is firmly rooted lifestyles, and in fact are encouraged to do so by a society in the Iyengar system. This syllabus consists of teaching that values individualistic independence and ego-projec- yogàsanas and also covers the effects of different poses, tion as a sign that you are 'your own person'.This is much the health benefits of yoga and yoga philosophy etc.They less true in Indian culture although things are changing; very much hope that this initiative will lead slowly and increasingly, aggressiveness in business and individualistic surely to a greater focus in schools on the teaching of assertiveness are valued in society, and these concepts are yoga. antithetic to the practice of yoga. Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 10 The fact that yoga is much more deeply embedded in he would get children to lie still in ÷avàsana by telling Indian culture means that children will be more receptive them a story and saying "if anyone moves, the story stops". to its teachings. However, even in India, it is important that Young children are not capable of quiet reflection in the the children are made to enjoy their yoga classes and that, same way as adults, but if they can be persuaded to lie still if they are taught it at school, it is not simply perceived as for a while, then they can learn to appreciate inner quiet- a 'sidey' (a term Indian schoolchildren use to refer to ness, especially after puberty.Young children do not have something that doesn't really matter). Rajiv pointed out the cognitive development to appreciate abstract ideas, that a yoga teacher can make the learning of yoga "a joy but they can be taught about moral principles through the or a poison". The key thing is to keep the children inter- use of stories and fables. ested and Swati and Rajiv have pioneered a whole range of techniques that do this (many of which are described The Chanchani's have a very strong sense that yoga in their book). As Swati pointed out, children are bundles consists of much more than practising àsana and of energy and this means that children's classes have to be pràõàyàma and that it is the best vehicle in which to set fast-paced, with a lot of variety and little repetition, and full out on the journey to self-realisation.They argue that the of exciting activities.They described one idea for a class in teaching of yoga is the most valuable education that can which the children were divided into two teams and be offered to children. There is a long way to go before offered various 'quiz' challenges, like performing 2 asanas this is universally accepted in India, let alone the UK, but named after birds, or else deciding what pose to put under Guruji's guidance they have made a significant someone in if they have a cold and then timing how contribution.
quickly they could do it. Rajiv also explained that disci- pline can become an issue in children's classes and told us how he would exclude a disruptive child for 2 minutes Yoga for Children by Swati and Rajiv Chanchani is and then get the rest of the class to have lots of fun doing available from IYA (UK) books & merchandising. ÷ãrùàsana and not allowing him or her to watch. Or how See page 54 for details.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 11 C H I L D R E N A N D Y O G A Does our attitude about yoga practice and children tell us something about our develop- ment as yoga practitioners? If we can become disturbed easily when children are around are we really as advanced as we might like to think we are? Can we reasonably hope our children take up yoga if we exclude them from our practice at a young age? Kirsten Agar Ward examines some of the issues around practising yoga with children about.

e were fortu- spend together, but Wnate to have also that he is learning had Birjoo, Trupti and about our way of life. Rajvi Mehta as guests Our way of life centres in our home during the around yoga - we last few years. We had spend many hours many interesting practising, teaching, conversations, some of reading about it, talking which were about about it, attending yoga having children and days, going to India, doing yoga. spending time with other yoga practitioners from UK and abroad. We work When our child Saul was a baby we found it easy to prac- unusual hours and often work or attend meetings away so tise with him in the room. However, as he became more travel a lot - a situation that doesn't fit in with childcare or mobile it became a little more tricky. Our solution was to other people's lifestyles. We also think good fresh vege- spend many practice sessions practising alone with the tarian food is important so we spend quite a lot of time other partner taking care of him. Our guests made the on its preparation and try to eat together. Conversely we point that if a child is excluded when you practise (at don't do so much of the stuff many other people spend home or class) then instead of developing a positive their time doing - socialising, 'going out', watching TV. In interest in the subject the child will come to resent yoga other words, our lifestyle is very different from that of as it is keeping them apart from the parent(s).This really most people and as this lifestyle is dear to us as a family struck a chord with me. then of course it is also dear to us that Saul is fully involved in it.This is important not only now, but also for We are very fortunate that in our lives we have been able the future as we hope Saul will be interested in yoga as he to make choices which have enabled us to be with our grows up; after all, we think it's a good thing so of course child. We have resolved in bringing him up to do it we want him to benefit.We can't expect him suddenly to ourselves rather than place him in childcare.This was for develop an interest as a teenager or young adult if he is a number of reasons, the primary one being that person- excluded now and experiences yoga in a negative way. ally we feel it is impor- tant as parents to have Children learn by that close contact with what they see. They our child, to bring him imitate. So what up ourselves as best better way for a child we can. An important to learn about the aspect of this is not important things in its only the emotional family than to spend connection we have time with the family between us and the doing the things the precious time we family does day to Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 12 day? (It seems so obvious but I do feel that we are staying here in 2000 when his daughter Pooja was tiny. becoming disconnected from this in our society). So we He was sitting for pranayama and as I walked past the want Saul to learn about how we cook, eat, clean, wash, room I saw Pooja crawling over to him. Thinking she work, relax, resolve conflicts, negotiate and have fun might disturb him I tried to coax her to me, but she was together etc. in a practical way by us being together. determined and went and sat on her daddy's lap. Yoga is a core part of this so of course it was making no Nonetheless he was able to carry on undisturbed and sense to exclude Saul from our practice. This is not to she sat so quietly and calmly. It was beautiful. say that it is always easy with him there - of course his interests as a 3 year old do not always coincide with Birjoo and Rajvi suggested that we have Saul in the class ours! It is quite a chal- they were teaching lenge doing ÷ãrùàsana that we attended on when a toddler wants their tour last year.We to push you over or were concerned that otherwise play! But a this might not go down child has to be a child. very well with the As someone said, others there. The 'Play is the child's English are renowned work'. Actually these for preferring animals challenges make one a to children and chil- better practitioner in dren are typically the long run - in terms of stability, concentration and excluded from many things, even nowadays. Furthermore attention etc. it seems that many come to yoga to get away from their families! Whilst Rajvi and Birjoo were aware that the This is not to say that he is always there when we prac- English may not be very tolerant they encouraged us tise. In fact I enjoy very much practising when he is at firmly to bring him along. I am so glad we did.We gave him kindergarten which he recently started part-time. But an early opportunity not only to be part of our life but there is no doubt that his presence in the yoga room also to rise beyond our expectations and be so well brings lots of joy into it. I used to think I must have time behaved. In a group situation I have found that Saul is only alone to practise undisturbed but I think that really this interested in climbing on, pushing over Richard and me waiting for perfect conditions is just an excuse not to rather than others! We limit our children as well as practise.There has to come a time in one's development ourselves by putting artificial constraints on what we allow when one can rise above less than perfect external ourselves to do. Sometimes we have to be brave and conditions and realise that the disturbances and obstacles reach into the unknown and who knows we may surprise really come from within. Look at Guruji's example, he is ourselves and others. a householder and parent after all. Also Guruji's wife, who had less time to practise owing to her maternal Often Saul likes simply to use our poses and the equip- duties bringing up 5 children, still would endeavour to ment as a form of climbing frame, swing etc. However, practise and furthermore she succeeded in being an quite naturally he has also started briefly to copy poses exceptional teacher to we have done. He is them! There are times thrilled to have been however, when Saul is given his own yoga not there - for shorts (a kind gift from example when I do Sindhu at the RIMYI) pràõàyàma I cannot and he likes to put manage with him them on sometimes there - yet! However, I and have his own mat observed a lovely etc. Birjoo told us how scene when Birjoo was his son Tejas has

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 13 learned about yoga without being directly taught, simply YOGA AND EXAM STRESS by being around during classes and practice. Tejas 16 year-old Kimberley Green describes how yoga performed a beautiful demonstration of wrist balances for has helped her cope with exams. the Mumbai Institute's 2nd Anniversary celebration and he has also picked up incidentally what poses are good for n the run up to exams it is very easy to neglect any different things, such as knee problems etc.We are finding Iphysical activity whatsoever in order to try and spend now that, as well as copying poses, Saul also loves to play maximum time hunched at a desk, cramming in revision. the teacher - at the moment he especially likes to put my In truth, you would have to be almost superhuman to arms in position in supta vãràsana.Through being around devote every spare minute to intense and constant study. sometimes when we teach he is also learning.There was We are reminded all the time of the importance of exer- a lovely time when Richard was teaching adho mukha cise, but during the period of incredibly high pressure that ÷vànàsana and correcting someone's knees, saying, "You leads to public exams, we are often reluctant to have to make space here" and Saul came over to me as I completely abandon our notes and textbooks, in the fear was participating in the class and did a beautiful adjust- of not knowing enough to pass a test.This is where yoga ment on my knees saying "Mummy you have to make can come in. Although not very strenuous exercise, yoga space here"! can really help you to relax and calm down at the prospect of exams and revision. Whilst giving your brain a break from facts, dates and equations, it can clear your One of the things I like about India is how tolerant that mind totally, freeing up any tensions you are experiencing society is of children.When we visited last year with Saul and allowing you to escape, even if for a few moments, we were made to feel welcome wherever we went, in the lingering dread of exams. This is so important when the Institute, restaurants, and in people's houses. Not only revising. It is not possible to stuff your brain to saturation that, but people were so warm and friendly towards Saul. point with knowledge and expect to remember every- Indians accept that a child is a child and so a lot of the thing. Instead, regular breaks, where you can truly forget stress involved in going places in this country with a child your exams, should be taken. (ie the worry that they might run around, make a noise etc.), is removed. Aren't these qualities of warmth, friend- Furthermore, sitting at desks, we have the tendency to liness and tolerance qualities we should all try to develop tighten up every muscle, hunch our backs and strain our in ourselves as yoga practitioners?
eyes, especially when using computers. Not only can yoga help you to relax your mind, but also the areas of tension: you can leam to stretch or relax muscles to gain better posture, or even leam simple exercises that can be carried out regularly whilst actually sitting at a desk, to relieve the aches and pains associated with working.

I have found that I experience so many emotions during exams: the long, tedious waiting time of study leave leading up to an exam, the last few days or hours before an exam, when desperation sets in and I try to leam as much as I can, the pressure of the exam conditions, and finally the massive anti-climax and relief experienced Image used with kind permission of the artist Viv Quillin coming out of the exam room. All in all, exams are a very tiring process. Relaxing and doing certain yoga poses helps me to regain a lot of that lost energy so I can keep To read about Guruji's views on yoga and family life concentrating on the next exam. see Tree of Yoga. There is so little hassle where yoga is concerned, and To read more about Srimati Ramamani Iyengar's although a class may mean only an hour a week, any teaching of her children see "Our Gurukula" by escape from solid revision can help you work better and Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga Rahasya Vol 8, no 1 focus more in your next study session.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 14 T E E N A G E R S O N Y O G A Teenage students at the Iyengar Yoga Institute (Maida Vale) were recently given a questionnaire about yoga. This is what they had to say.

Why do you want to do yoga? Because my auntie does yoga and it looked good. It lightens up my week. What do you like about it? Because it is fun. I like all the poses we do. I like to learn new things. I find it really fun and relaxing. Because my cousin does yoga and he showed me some The poses. and it looked really good so I thought I’d like to do that. Making new friends and all the poses. To help my back. I like the fact that you have to be calm and I like most of the poses (even though I can’t do them). It stretches you.

What don’t you like about it? I don’t like the speed of the poses. I would rather do them slower. We do the same things over and over again. The pain. I don’t not like it. I don’t like it that I don’t know the simple body parts.. It is so long. How do you feel after a class? Relaxed. Which is your favourite pose? Tired. Warrior pose no. 3. Full of energy. Head balance. Relaxed and calm. The lion pose. I feel relaxed and tired. The lotus pose. Alive and active. The boat pose. Corpse pose. Which is your worst pose? Boat pose. None of them The opposite triangle pose. I don’t have a worst pose. The boat pose.

Apart from being flexible and toned do you think there is something else you gain from the practice of yoga? Being relaxed. You gain relaxation. Do you think you will still be doing yoga in You learn about bones. 40 years’ time? I can relax. Probably. To be calm and listen. Yes!!! To be calm. I do not know. Yes!. Who knows. Let fate decide.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 15 C L A S S E S F O R C H I L D R E N The Times newspaper Body and Soul section recently approached Korinna Pilafidis-WWilliams and Johanna Heckmann-MMohan to help them with an article on yoga for children. Both of them have had extensive experience of teaching children at the Iyengar Yoga Institute (Maida Vale). In this article for Iyengar Yoga News they point out the positive aspects of yoga for children, as well as making teachers aware of certain cautions. n Iyengar yoga we only encourage children over the age small hyper-flexible body with a big head. She has suffered Iof seven to take up classes. A seven-year-old child is from neck problems and is unable to do uttànàsana and usually at school and is used to some sort of discipline and forward bends because her neck muscles are not strong is able to watch and listen when a pose is demonstrated. enough to carry her head. She has to learn to do standing More importantly most of them poses, adho mukha ÷vànàsana, have learnt the difference between (possibly with the head supported), their left and right sides. The phys- chaturanga daõóàsana, adho iological reason behind the age mukha vçkùàsana to strengthen limit is however more significant. her muscles. Under the age of seven most chil- dren's heads are bigger in propor- As teachers we have to look at a tion to their body. In some child's body as we do with an adult European countries they used to but with even greater responsibility carry out a simple test to see because by ignoring the problems whether a child was ready to go to we may aggravate certain weak- school.The child had to take the arm over the head and nesses, which can later lead to problems. For instance try and reach the opposite ear. If he/she was successful continuous backbends performed by a flexible child who he/she were ready to go to school. naturally will only use the lower back can cause back problems in Also in yogic terms a child with the later life. Having said this, kids don't head and arms not in proportion injure themselves easily and when should not attempt to do they do they will let you know ÷ãrùàsana or sarvàngàsana immediately and release the pose because the arms would not be while adults often endure the "bad" able to support the head, neck and pain just not to be seen as weak or body. Apart from that some of the incompetent. bones of the skull, for example the sphenoid bone, which is at the very The good effects of yoga for chil- centre of the head and a pivot for dren far outnumber the cautions. all the other bones and through which many important Standing poses and especially jumpings build up their structures like cranial nerves, veins and arteries pass, has bones and spine and are essential for a growing body. not properly fused. Pressure on the They are weight bearing and head in ÷ãrùàsana could lead to strengthen arms, legs, feet and the nerve damage if the pose is spine without causing over expo- performed wrongly. Furthermore sure and pressure, which some the big muscles, which help stability, sports can cause. This is of great have not developed before the age importance in the process of of seven. Therefore we often puberty when the hipbones and observe hyper flexibility rather than some cranial bones fuse. Further- stiffness in young children. For more they increase the heart rate, example a seven-year-old girl in the improve lung capacity and help the Maida Vale children's class has a whole metabolic system. Back- Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 16 bends can be a real boon with especially when the children have asthmatic children, whereas undergone traumatic experiences. standing poses can be for juvenile In the West however we often diabetes. encourage the children to close their eyes to refresh and cool the Body awareness is learnt in yoga eyes since they use them so much and can be observed after even a with television, computers and few classes. When they first arrive playstation games. in class they hardly know where their feet are. They have to learn to Mentally they become very alert stretch to the fingertips and during jumpings but also in become aware not to hold their neck and shoulders stiff. tàóàsana, vçkùàsana and garuóàsana, which increase Especially teenagers are taught to stand to lift their chest their concentration. They slowly begin to understand that and not to overarch their lumbar. doing yoga will help them over- Being taught a good tàóàsana come certain problems. A practice helps them to avoid pain in the of standing poses and inversions upper and lower back and how to after a prolonged time of study open and use their lungs fully. helps to increase the blood circula- When these explanations are given tion of the brain, and in the case of to them they usually respond and puberty, to balance the hypothal- don't react to it as the usual nag of amus, pituitary and gonad glands a parent.: "Sit or stand up straight!" responsible for the changes occur- The body awareness goes even ring in their bodies. Some forward further with teenagers who are bends are useful, because of their often not comfortable with their body and either feel to calming effect on the nervous system and their balancing thin, fat, weak, small or tall and they struggle to adjust to effects on the adrenal glands, which are linked to aggres- their "new" body-mindset, due to sive behaviour (a by-product of the effect of hormonal changes. puberty). For girls it is essential to Yoga helps them to become more know how to do forward bends, at ease with their body because baddha koõàsana and supta they are able to control it by baddha koõàsana for period pains. stretching, strengthening and For boys and girls it is important to observing how different parts of it learn to stretch and align their work. bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons as well as the correct Moving from the physical level we movements of joints when they must point out the psychological play sports. and emotional benefits. Similar to an adult class àsanas followed by ÷avàsana lead to a In conclusion yoga in the early years helps to develop a total state of relaxation. øavàsana is a very difficult but a healthy and strong body while later on as teenagers it important pose for children above leads to a greater respect for their the age of 7 or 9 because when body by physically opening it and properly understood they can use it disciplining their mind, which will in times of stress, overwork and lead to a greater intellectual ability sleeping problems. If they cannot do and emotional stability.
÷avàsana, setu bandha sarvàngàsana will teach them how to develop a quiet state of mind. Some children find it difficult to We are very grateful to Geetaji for keep their eyes closed and often it reading this article and adding is advisable to keep them open important information. Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 17 Kiera Lutz C H I L D R E N O N Y O G A Some thoughts on yoga from children attending the children’s and teenagers’ classes at Bath Iyengar Yoga Centre

I started doing yoga because I see it as a new challenge. I like it because it is really fun and a way to challenge myself. My favourite pose is downward facing dog because it feels like you are stretching everywhere.

I like doing yoga because it’s really fun Alison Ward (age 13) doing all the different poses.

One of my favourite poses is vãparita My name is George daõóàsana. You get a chair with an Thomas. open back and get a mat or a blanket and fold it up and place it on your chair. I find yoga, especially When you have done that, get in back- Iyengar yoga, most wards. Then when you have done that, exhilarating and lie down. extremely fun.

I like doing that pose because it’s really My favourite pose is good fun to do. I started Yoga when I padmàsana. was seven years old. I started because There is a picture of my Mum does yoga. She found out me doing it just about this yoga from leaflets. there.

I LOVE YOGA, IT’S SO MUCH FUN!!! Yoga is not just for girls. It’s actually Kiera H. Lutz quite fun for boys as well!

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 18 Kiera Lutz and Bea Lee

Angela Köhn and Daisy Lee

Bea Lee

Kiera Lutz

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 19 INTERVIEW WITH PRASHANTJI Part II of an interview with Prashantji conducted by Richard Agar Ward in October 2004. The first part was published in IYN no. 6.

ver the last few weeks it seems your teaching has an àsana, in an àsana, then only it becomes ultimate state Obeen concerned with our approach to Yoga; our of àsana. And therefore if you have to have a concept of motivation in the poses, what we do, and what we over- àsana, you must know something about it. Without look or neglect and there are a number of questions knowing what ÷ãrùàsana is, you will not be able to medi- dealing with aspects of this which we'd like to hear you tate on it and therefore knowing is very much important. expand on. For example 'Iyengar students do and do and do, but they don't know and know and know', so some- Now when you know, what do you know? You start thing is missing in the practice there. Could you explain knowing what the mind does in àsana, what happens to this view? mind in àsana, what the body does in àsana, what happens to body in àsana, what the breath does in àsana Prashantji: You see ultimately and what happens to breath in àsanas are limbs of Aùñàïga àsana. And a unified concept of Yoga. Yoga is meditation. Yoga is body, mind, breath, senses is an samàdhi, Yoga is meditation, and àsana. Therefore I have said àsana is one of the limbs, and somewhere that every àsana has therefore it must have the attrib- a body set, has a mind set, has a utes or characteristics of essential breath set and has a sense set. So yoga. Now if you have to medi- altogether will be a concept, and tate, where do you meditate? You then that will be a locus for medi- meditate on a concept, or you tation, that will be an object for meditate on an object and its meditation, that will be a concept concept.You don't meditate on a for meditation on which àsanas physical object, you meditate on can become yogàsanas. There- its mental apperception which is a fore you must, as a student, you concept inside the mind. Like a must know the àsana, you must lotus, you don't meditate on an feel the àsana you must sense the external lotus. You meditate on àsana, you must understand the internal apperception of a lotus, àsana.What is body, mind, breath, which is a concept. So meditation senses, each one working for the requires a concept and therefore others. Each one working for itself an àsana ultimately has to evolve into a concept. and the others. So that a unified concept can be crys- øãrùàsana should not be merely a posture, it has to be tallised in our mind and then meditation can take place on ultimately a concept on which you can meditate. You it.That's why knowing is important cannot be meditating on the physical structure of the pose. So therefore an àsana should not just continue and And they need to be known from different perspectives, end in just endeavour to do.You have to start with doing. because for example the other day you had us doing rope After doing you must know what you are doing.You must ÷ãrùàsana and you said usually with the inhalation the feel what you are doing. So you have to do ÷ãrùàsana,you floating ribs expanded, and then we worked on other have to breathe ÷ãrùàsana, you have to think ÷ãrùàsana. poses, we came back to rope ÷ãrùàsana and then you So that you can have a concept of it in your mind and said now, strangely, unusually the floating ribs will go in on then the meditation can take place on that. And since it is the inhalation, no exhalation… yogàsana it has to have all that process. So àsanas are to be not merely done they have to be thought of, thought Exhalation, yes on the chair vãparita daõóàsana. over. That means àsanas are to be done, are to be breathed, are to be thought about, are to be meditated So to know the essence of an àsana you have to approach upon.Then they are yogàsanas. So then you meditate on it from different perspectives, different treatments if you like. Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 20 Yes. So physical postures, skeleto-muscular postures, naturally unyogic is going to be harmful to man. If yoga is organic postures, psycho-mental postures, everything bountiful, unyogic is harmful. So many times what you should be understood ... everything should be objectified practise is unyogic and we think it is yogic.That is bhrànti- and understood. And that's why the knowing process is dar÷ana, illusory perception and with that illusion we that much important. practise and we think 'I practised yoga and still I lost certain qualities in me'. So it is not that actually I practised. Can you say that it's getting to the essence of a pose, it's I did not practise yoga; I practised opposite of yoga. finding the essence of a pose. Yes. It's also interesting to know that for beginners who Yes it's a process. Process of reaching the essence of the are not practising yoga with profundity often they receive pose. And that's what I said in the performance of tremendous benefits in the initial stage, almost as if their àsanas, there is activity, there is sensitivity, there is percep- suffering in some respects can be taken off. It's like a tivity, there is reflectivity. All those things. So those are the tremendous gift to them. How does this come about? components. All those components, if they are in the assembly then your àsanas will be profound and then Yes always anything to start with, like you know in you will like to meditate on something that is profound. economics they speak of The Law of Diminishing Returns. You don't like to meditate on any So if you are very thirsty the first ignoble or incomplete thing. You glass of water is almost a life elixir like to meditate on something that for you. Then the second glass is is profound. So àsanas should not so much.The third glass is not become profound and therefore so much. So that's the Law of it should be studied with all the Diminishing Returns. So that possible facets of it. If every time one happens even in our mundane things. So when one takes up to And therefore to practise in the practises with freshness, yoga one feels that the results are sense of doing and doing and one will definitely feel there. Sudden results are there doing treats the àsana like an and over a period of time the rate object and the body like an object that yoga is every time of receipt is slowly cutting down. and therefore it stops this profun- That is quite a natural thing when dity developing. giving its bounty. somebody has started it. It's a new subject so the mind is fresh. Yes. There is, interest in applying oneself to practice of yoga. But You also talked about how yoga one has done for ten years, practice can affect people in such twenty years, thirty years, then the a way as to worsen their charac- freshness is not there. If every ters and how it should… time one practises with freshness, one will definitely feel that yoga is every time giving its bounty. You have to re-frame these questions.Yoga doesn't work in harmful way. It is if you get in delirium when you prac- Yes. Some questions that Kirsten had, arising from the class tice.You think that you are wearing a yogic garb when you this morning. You talked about emitting as well as receiving are doing yogic practice; it is unyogic.The unyogic practices benevolence in relaxation and you gave some examples result in too dangerous conditions.And what you practice about what we emit and what we receive. Say if we emit is actually unyogic and we think it is yogic. malice in some form then malice is shown towards us.

I should have put that in inverted commas! Yes true.

Yes! So yoga will never have, doesn't have any dangerous And she wanted to understand how you get that stage effects at all. But we think that what we practise is yoga where you emit benevolence in relaxation. and actually it is unyogic and not only non-yogic. If it is non-yogic it won't be highly dangerous. But if it is unyogic, That is what Pata¤jàli says: that when yogis are in the

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 21 vicinity natural animosity is given up even by creatures. So lems to mind. So that's why subjectively I said each one the lion will not get after a deer, actually it will start plea- should be radiating benevolence to others so that they all suring a deer, fondling a deer. Because of the yogi's pres- come in benevolence atmosphere and then you will have ence there. So a yogi radiates ahi§sà [non-violence],he unified conducive state of benevolence. So radiation is does not only practise ahi§sà. When ahi§sà is important, not just receiving benevolence. mastered, accomplished, what it means is that he radiates ahi§sà and if they are in his vicinity, natural animosity will Yes and it's an internal radiation. be forgotten by creatures. That is because of radiation. So suppose when you are relaxing. If you do not radiate Internal. It's internal when we practise but for a yogi it also relaxation, people around you may be unrelaxed and then works externally, because for a yogi to be in a yogic state envious 'Oh this fellow is resting, relaxing, fortunate' etc. he must have no inclemencies outside him. All conditions So we have to see if we are radiating some relaxation out should be clement. And for that he needs to radiate of our practice.That person may not be relaxing with our ahi§sà, satya [truth], asteya [non-stealing], bramacharya radiation, but it is possible that he will be drawn to some- [self-restraint] so that the others around him will be also thing else and therefore he will not bother our relaxation. noble and as long as they are noble his practices can go He will not mind our relaxation, he might overlook. So if on unimpeded, unobstructed! somebody calls him or he is engaged with something, he will Yes I understand what you mean. get a call, so he will go out or he'll There's a similar idea in the Old be kept busy doing some work, Testament where they talk about somebody phones him and says the lion lying down with the lamb. get me this and he'll go that place It's an important figurative idea of to find, searching, finding some- ... the mind should not Peace, where, as you say, animosi- thing. So he will forget that you ties are given up and it seems as if are relaxing, so he will not create, just receive benevolence, people's nature is being funda- or radiate any malice. But suppose it should radiate mentally changed. I relax here and you sit and you are watching me, then you might benevolence to body and She also touches on the subject of develop malice after a while: 'That relaxology and how you explain it's fellow, he is relaxing'. But suppose breath. not just letting go, that's not relax- your child is around, then you ology. You have to do something. don't bother because you have And for example, primarily exhaling something to look at. So when for an effect but also pausing after we radiate relaxation it is not an exhalation and how you can necessary that other person will also try with an inhalation. also relax. It is even possible that he will not surface malice, actual malice or envy or jeal- Ye s ously in him because of different reasons - he's engaged in something, or brought in something else, or going away And I was thinking how when you mentioned this inhala- for some work, whatever. So that is important. If that tion has a relaxing effect, how just before, for example doesn't happen then he will be around here, and if he is you sigh, you exhale you release, just before that you around here he will be looking at you and then he will inhale in such a manner as to release, is that what you envy your relaxation. So radiation of relaxation is very mean, that inhalations can have a soothing, relaxing effect. important. Yes. No to start with it is always exhalation, so that's why Now in the class I said the mind should not just receive ÷avàsana will always start with exhalations. After you have benevolence, it should radiate benevolence to body and done that, when the nerves have been relaxed, the mind has breath.The breath should not have benevolence it should been relaxed, then the inhalation also can be done tenderly radiate benevolence to body and mind, so they will not and gently. Like gently bracing the awareness, the inhalation envy. Otherwise suppose the mind relaxes and the body gently bracing the sensory nerves or awareness or mind. So is in agony.The body will try to trouble, inflict some prob- it's the tender touch itself can be a relaxation in inhalation.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 22 And also the pause after exhalation. Graph B: smooth breath Yes, pause after exhalation.

But the pause after inhalation isn't often mentioned?

Yes, No it doesn't work that much because relaxation usually takes place by exhalation and not by inhalation.The inhalation relaxation is an echo relaxation of exhalation. So the echo can come but there is a time limit.The echo cannot be prolonged or cannot be delayed. You cannot Volume get an echo after half an hour, one hour or two hours. So there's a time within which the echo effect can be there. So inhalation has an echo effect of relaxation so that should be reaped to advantage and that's why inhalation retention won't work. Because inhalation itself doesn't intrinsically lead to relaxation. If Pata¤jàli wanted that then echo inhalation would have been given. Time Is it true that when relaxation becomes profound that inhalation and exhalation become difficult to distinguish, Now when the breath becomes smooth then it takes this because they seem to be the same? serpentine movement [Graph B].These cuts [as in Graph A] are not there.Then it becomes an almost microscopic Oh yes. Of course.That is what is kevala kumbhaka. Kevala spiral and only if you take a magnifying glass you will see kumbhaka is retention not preceded or followed by the spiral movement, otherwise it's almost a straight line inhalation or exhalation. That is what is the definition of [Graph C]. Now what does straight line imply? That there kevala kumbhaka. If you want I can draw diagram for you. is no upward movement, there is no inhalation, there is no So suppose we draw a graph of our breathing. This is a downward movement, there is no exhalation. So kevala time axis and this is volume axis, of breath.These are the kumbhaka is kumbhaka which is neither preceded nor inhalations, volume goes up, retention, exhalation, reten- followed by inhalation nor exhalation. Now only if you go tion, inhalation, retention, inhalation, retention [Graph A]. in with an electron microscope you will see that there is

Graph A: normal breathing Graph C: kevala kumbhaka I - inhalation R - retention E - exhalation

RR Volume Volume

IIEE I

R R

Time Time

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 23 a wavy line, otherwise it appears to be a straight line. So grasp the maximum meaning, if you like, the maximum there are no waves, no ruffles and it's a smooth move- importance of a concept, how is that to be done? Is it just ment. So in that case inhalation, exhalation is going on by taking lessons with Guruji or just in practice? almost parallel to the time axis. Even in practice, see it has to come in proper ambience, Yes it's difficult to envision without experiencing. But I condition. If you practice your trikoõàsana in proper understand a lot of what you say. She also mentioned ambience and conditions just trikoõàsana will mean a lot. about what you said about how a concept is more impor- But if I wake you up at 2.30 am or mid-night and say tant than the meaning.... 'Come on trikoõàsana', so trikoõàsana will not mean much. As a matter of fact you will detest it. But you have Than the meaning, yes. such a sequencing that what has preceded trikoõàsana, makes trikoõàsana have a great meaning for you. …in the matter of words. And I think you've talked about this in a class I was in too. For example, the meaning of a Resonance. glass of water at different times is variable, but the concept is… Yes Like at the beginning of the class I said 'Come on, trikoõàsana'. It didn't mean much. Yes.What water means to you is But suppose I had taken some more important than what water ÷ãrùàsana variations. Or you had means itself. If I offer water when done some twistings, you had done you are not thirsty and you don't some backbends. So when the require water it doesn't mean orientation is there, the body is anything to you. What is water? inclined, the assembly is there, H2O, that's all. But when you are ready. When you work with that thirsty, dying of thirst then if I offer assembly your raw materials are water, then it means life for you. quite finished. And therefore So what it means is important. So trikoõàsana will mean much to you what techniques mean to you in àsanas is more important than It'll become a creative pose. what techniques mean by them- selves. That's not important, turn Ye s the right leg out, left foot in, take the right hand down, left arm up. In fact it will suggest things to you… It has no meaning. What it means to you is important. That is why So what has preceded, what suppose, anyone takes a class and sequencing has been practised, you say 'Come on trikoõàsana, right leg in left leg out' and that can create meaning for trikoõàsana technique. So it's you do it. So Guruji comes and says 'Come on an ambience. What ambience a teacher creates, what trikoõàsana.' It means different. So just because Guruji ambience you create in your practice.When you are going comes and says it means different. to practise standing poses create an ambience, inclination, disposition in the cells and tissues and fibres and mind and Yes breath so that trikoõàsana would mean a lot. But there is no inclination.You are in this pose.And 'Come on standing But Tom, Dick, Harry comes and says 'Come on do poses, trikoõàsana'.Well it does not mean much. So basi- trikoõàsana' and says 'right leg out left foot in'. It doesn't cally you have to create a condition, ambience, then it mean. So what it means to you is important and that will would mean much. As I said water. Water has meaning if work on your execution. you get it in proper conditions. Similarly do àsana in proper conditions. So try to work for proper conditions Yes. So also for example if there were a technique that to do head-balance. Or trikoõàsana, or backbends. Or was vital to your understanding of a pose obviously to forward bends.Then they mean a lot. But if you are very another person it's just a series of words. So how can we stiff and on winter morning I wake you at 2.30, 'Come on

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 24 jànu ÷ãrùàsana.’ To hell with jànu ÷ãrùàsana at 2.30 on a breath or working mind. So if you work correctly you find winter morning, when the temperature is minus 2 or 3! that that avenue is closed to you effectively.

You're indisposed! True.

Yes! Which is a good thing. And also you used some phrases how you should work impressively, expressively and artic- And then something else you said was that in our practice ulatively. Could you expand on those ideas? we barely touch the organic body if you just work at the skeleto-muscular level. Yes. Usually the Iyengar students present àsanas very impressively. Because we think it's a performing art and Yes this morning I said that if we fiercely, rigorously, rigor- those who look better in their pose, see that there is ously work in àsanas, like forward bends, twisting and all symmetry and there is external beauty, what we call it those poses, we think it is working for organic efficacy. It aesthetic beauty actually, well proportioned and doesn't work. If you are slogging, working very hard, you symmetry etc. And that's how we try to make the pose are working on skeleto-muscular body which demands more and more expressive and impressive for others. So glucose, which demands blood in I said all those kriyas, when you that endeavour. So actually it will are doing vehemently, diligently, be taking from organic body. So if aggressively, rigorously, vigorously it has to be organic exercise, it has you can do, you have to do to be a yogàsana. Prayatna ÷aith- ... if we fiercely, rigorously, expressively. Every action to be ilya sthira sukham. So when you rigorously work in expressed, every action to be have that condition.When you do impressed. So do impressively, ÷ãrùàsana in that condition it will àsanas, like forward expressively and in backbends work on organs. But if you are also. But then also work articula- fiercely, seriously, vigorously, rigor- bends, twisting and all tively, that means you are doing ously working, turn the back, turn those poses, we think it is mindfully. See somebody the spine, open the chest then it commentating on an event has to will not work organically. Other- working for organic involve, get involved in that event. wise all those exercise people like Like a cricket commentary, radio gymnasts their organic body efficacy. commentary, a commentator would be healthy. It is not healthy, It doesn't work. must be watching the match with because they are slogging on the complete involvement, then only skeleto-muscular body. So if you he can be commentating on the slog on, as long as you slog on it, it proceedings. So similarly if you will not work. So you have to slog develop this art of articulation to prepare the body and make it fit, and then go for you will need to involve yourself.What am I doing? What organic exercise, so you do with rhythmic breathing, you is happening? I stretch the leg, what happens? Like bowler do with proper breath constellation of ÷ãrùàsana varia- bowls and what does the batsman do? So I stretch my leg, tions or sarvàngàsana variations or twisting variations so what happened to body? I stretched my hand, what that the suitable mind should be used, suitable breath happened to body? So you should be commentating. constellation should be there, then it becomes an organic When you commentate you get involvement. When you exercise. Merely contracting kidneys is not a kidney exer- get involvement you create a room, conditions for knowl- cise because we are contracting all day. Anatomical edge, knowing. And that's how the àsana can evolve. So I muscles or peripheral muscles and organic muscles. So do said you should do impressively, expressively and articula- kapotàsana and get the kapotàsana mind, kapotàsana tively Not orally articulate, mentally articulate. breath; then it works organically. And that mental commentary has to focus on the right How we worked from ÷ãrùàsana one day. I was struck areas not just the impressive or the apparent? that, it was doing ÷ãrùàsana, it was no longer possible to work skeleto-muscularly, it was only a question of working Yes. And everything because the commentator has to

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 25 explain the whole field when something happens. A be kept fresh - that's the way to keep practice fresh rather bowler bowls, batsman hits, where the ball goes and what than stale. the fielders are doing. Because he might throw and then Yes. And the other thing is that we all accept that it is a somebody has to back up the bowler or wicket-keeper or science.Yoga is a science. Now if it is a science, what is the the fielder doesn't bother - 'The ball has gone there I basic attribute, condition of a science? That there is a won't bother'. It's not proper! cause and effect relationship established. If there is a cause, we say this is the whole of the effect. If there is an And also the commentator has to comment on the game effect there is a cause. So even when we are doing asanas as it's being played. If you go to a pose, go to jànu we should do this, at times we will notice the cause. If we ÷ãrùàsana now, it's a different pose from what I did this notice that this cause has taken place, 'I have tightened my morning you can't commentate on the same thing. legs', then I should know that these are going to be the effects. And these have to be effects. So the effects are Yes true. So you have to explain the conditions, the crowd definite. But if I notice the effect, that my leg is got hard- conditions, the psychosis of the player. What their stresses ened, then I should know that it should only take place are. What their worries are. Everything you should be because of such and such causes. Has it taken place? So knowing, and you should be knowing the game.You should the cause and effect relationship has to be constantly be knowing the mind game of monitored, constantly verified, every player and then you are an studied, then only it's a science. So impressive commentator.You know if you want to know cause and the mind of the batsman and you effect relationships you must be know the mind of the bowler.Then constantly watching. 'I have done you can be impressive. this, this has happened.' 'This happened, I did this.' Now if the So it's a way of saying that you're relationships are proper then you present in the pose and not doing will say 'Yes it is right. I can tighten yesterday's pose or what you my leg because I have become hope tomorrow's pose will be. unconscious in the pose.' Now that's not a proper cause! So I Yes.True. should know the cause and effect relationship if my legs got tight- So that's, if you like, the yogic ened, why did they get tightened? paradigm for the mind - is that Did I get a cramp in my calf? So you have to be present in that this cause and effect relationship pose on that particular day. What- you will notice if you are ever you want it to be. observing diligently, carefully, mind- fully.Then only it's a science. If it is Ye s a science, keep watching cause and effect relationships. At times Or whatever you feel it might be. you will notice cause. Find out whether the effects are there.At times you will watch the effects, find out whether Yes. I mean that in order you don't go to past or future the cause had taken place properly. you must be commentating on the present. If you don't commentate there is every time that you will shift to past So is this taking the minutes rather than setting the agenda! or future. True! And the audience will get very restless! Both aspects. Setting the agenda and this is like taking the Yes! He says, 'About thirty years back or fifty years back'! minutes and seeing exactly what is happening when. But if you don't commentate in an àsana you will just go past or future, then you lose the present and that's why Tr ue you should commentate. As you say it's a scientific endeavour. That's been very And that’s where the staleness comes if you like because interesting. I would like to go on but I don't have any you talked about freshness earlier and how practice has to more questions. Thank you very much.
Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 26 L A T E S T F R O M B E L L U R Judith Jones provides a bulletin on the latest news from Guruji’s birth village, and Fiona Dewar describes a fundraising event that took place in Edinburgh in May 2005. Latest Bulletin on Bellur: June 2005 From Pune via Scotland to Bellur with Love Judith Jones Fiona Dewar

Bellur is the village in Karnataka, S. India where Guruji was On a warm sunny May afternoon the Edinburgh Iyengar born and lived for the first nine years of his life. Guruji has Yoga Centre opened its doors and welcomed visiting initiated a huge project to improve the cultural, social and musicians, from Pune, Rajendra Kulkarni a Bansuri artiste educational life of the people of Bellur, especially for the and Atulkumar Upadhaye, a violinist with Glasgow based young people and children. Guruji himself has financed the Tabla player Vijay Kangutkar. The concert in aid of Guruji's building of a splendid temple to Sage Patanjali - the first in native place Bellur was the first to be held in the centre. the world.The temple complex also provides a place for ceremonies such as weddings and houses a medical The hall was transformed with Indian rugs from Gandhi centre.The primary school has been refurbished and now Ashram in Bombay, Sage Patanjali, Goddess Saraswati and has a yoga hall. Sri Ganapati close by; the atmoshere was similar to the intimate house concerts held by music lovers the length However Guruji's vision did not stop here. After a lot of and breadth of India.The hall quickly filled up, we had two negotiation a Trust was set up with Indian Government visiting musicians from Delhi who had been at Rajendras approval to raise funds for the building of a Girl's High concert in Varanasi, 15 years before!! School and a hospital. Associations and individuals world- wide, including IYA(UK), made donations to the Trust and The music started with the introduction known as alaap land was successfully purchased and approval gained for and moved in to an afternoon composition Raag Sarang. the building project to commence.Also a water tower was After the interval the concert ended with light classical built to provide the village with much needed clean water. music. The interval was a time to stretch our legs, drink adraak chai (ginger tea) and eat Mrs Lottays famous On 30th May 2005 the High School was inaugurated.This home-made veg samosas.The kind lady woke at the crack is fantastic as when I visited Bellur in December 2004 the of dawn preparing them fresh so they were still warm and site was just rocky scrubland! The Government of crisp! Karnataka has now given permission for both boys and girls to be educated at the school which serves the Bringing these two siblings from Mata Bharat (mother surrounding villages as well. The Trust has agreed to give India) together was a privilege to be a part of, and it was three years’ free education, free books and free uniforms, thanks to the audience and their 'disciplined listening' that which has encouraged many families to send their chil- our visiting artistes had such an auspicious start to their dren to the school to continue their education. If the time in Europe. The fundraising was a great success and school is successful then a "junior college" may follow. But we raised nearly £400 for the Trust. the next project is to build a 20 bed hospital as the nearest hospitals are about 25 kilometres away. This will With thanks to everyone, not least the musicians, who be a huge benefit to the whole community as travelling helped make this a very special Sunday afternoon.
such a distance is a great problem.

If any of you would like to make a donation to the Trust fund, however small, you may send a cheque made payable to IYA(UK) to Leza Hatchard (see page 50).The Association will collect donations and forward them to Guruji with a list of donors. Please state that you are sending a donation for the Bellur Trust and enclose a s.a.e. if you need a receipt.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 27 A S T A D A L A Y O G A M A L A Astadala Yogamala volumes 4 and 5 are now published. Brigid Philip reports. stadala Yogamala, Guruji's collected works, are and Swami Radha" in 1992 from volume 5. Aplanned to consist of 13 volumes in all. To recap: volumes 1, 2, and 3 include articles, lectures and messages, The first two are interesting because they happened at a and cover philosophical and practice aspects, and how time (1984) when Iyengar yoga was seen as too physical yoga relates to the wider world (health, Ayurveda, sport, - a far cry from today with the new forms of dynamic age, teaching and social life etc.).They are fascinating. Now yoga! Questions like "Isn't the Iyengar yoga approach to come the next two… Volumes 4 and 5, interviews held teaching somewhat strenuous, rather more strenuous between 1958 and 1992. They will appeal especially to than is used in other schools of teaching?" "Why do you those of us who are more drawn to anecdote and stories give so many cautions and extreme prohibitions on medi- than to philosophy. tation and pràõàyàma?", "How far do you feel your kind of yoga has anything to offer to the person that is unable Some of us will have been present at these interviews, to move?", "Do chakrà really exist?", "Why are kapàlabhàti which we knew as Question and Answer sessions, during and bhastrikà pràõàyàma banned for women in Light on conventions and public meet- pràõàyàma but not in Light ings when Guruji visited us or on Yoga?" seemed designed to we him. We were invited to outwit him. Unsuccessful! The submit questions in advance answers are all illuminating, and struggled to think of really graceful, funny, practical, and telling ones to do justice to human.The answer to the last the unique opportunity. The question I well remember - “in results were woolly and women the breasts will wobbly efforts in the main! become loose and hang The thing that stands out to down, which Indian women me in all the interviews is how don't like(!),ovaries and uterus Guruji heroically turned our get unwanted strain, and preg- sow's ear questions into silk nant women may miscarry”, purses under our very noses! which he discovered after All the sessions have a fresh- writing "Light On Yoga". And ness and immediacy about on meditation "I do not want them, which demonstrate his my pupils to jump to that great skill and appetite as a meditation, which leads communicator to widely towards dullness and laziness varying audiences - the highly and which becomes unpro- informed, novices, the scep- ductive". tical, the practising yogis. He talked to us where we are at, Guruji exchanged ideas with not where we should be. Swami Radha, a Canadian yogi, in 1992 at a meeting with her students present. He had written the introduction to But how aggressive some of the strangers' questions her book "Hatha Yoga The Hidden Language" in 1985,and were! Or is it just because I recall the tense atmosphere although she had another guru herself (Gurudev Shiv- at the time? Often Guruji uses Socratic techniques - ques- ananda) it seems that she and Guruji, when they estab- tioning the questioner - to get us to engage with why we lished a common vocabulary, thought and taught along asked that question and thus persuading us to learn. similar lines. She explained that she was very drawn to Picking examples from each volume I have chosen "Light on Yoga" and used it as a teaching text. So this "Meeting B K S Iyengar", and "Mr Iyengar Meets the British whole discussion as a result is far more harmonious and Wheel of Yoga" both in 1984 (two related sections) from productive. They explored their stories which illustrate volume 4, and "Exchange of Ideas Between Mr Iyengar the importance of a sound ethical basis for students' yoga, Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 28 on which they agreed, and the centrality of disciplined life- lation.They are "A History of Modern Yoga, Patanjali and long practice. Swami Radha asked whether Guruji had Western Esotericism" by Elizabeth de Michelis (this book met her guru - which yielded his vivid and interesting was reviewed in IYN no. 6. A paperback version is due memories. She wanted to know about Guruji's medical out in September 2005 - contact the author at classes and how, using his approach of understanding [email protected] for details) and "Yoga in problems in his own body, he avoided loosing his own Modern India,The body between Science and Philosophy" identity, and kept his strength. He replied "…I use my body by Joseph Alter. These books have been a long time as a prop for them (students).To remove this strain on me coming! Worth seeking out for the light they throw on I do ÷ãrùàsana and sarvàngàsana every day without fail." Guruji's towering achievements and importance. Altogether a warm, enlightening and humorous session. With this great wealth of material available has anyone Last year saw the publication of two exciting (and thought of forming a study group to study the Astadala unusual) academic books which provide a fitting context Yogamala material to date? There seems to be so much and independently validate the background to Guruji's food for thought, study and discussion that it is bound to marvellous collected works. For those like me who didn't be very productive, and could, I think, cater for a wide have much clue what they were embarking on when variety of tastes, interests and types. If you are interested, taking so strongly to yoga when they started (nearly 30 please contact me at: years ago, for health, in my case) these books are a reve- [email protected]
A S O U L F U L E X P E R I E N C E Margaret Rawlinson describes a yoga intensive course in Pune

VENUE: PYC Gymkana - Pune not only show but to feel that reverence . DATE: December 2004 EVENT: Yog Sadhana Then Geetaj's precise, incisive instructions took us by the hand to lead us into a deeper understanding of the preci- A yoga intensive to celebrate Geetaji's 60th birthday and sion and alignment of the asanas; showing how we can Guruji's 86th continually increase that depth of knowledge in basic poses. ver 500 people from all over the globe assembled O(in the very place where Guruji gave his very first Guruji's appearance a little way into the classes was Yoga class in Pune in 1937) to come together in practice; silent, unheralded, unannounced - until we heard, from to learn, and to receive the words of wisdom from our somewhere in the room, the sound of his deep rich, revered teachers - and to celebrate! powerful voice, urging; commanding; firing us into more and more effort, more understanding, more penetration In that large room of wall-to-wall yoga practitioners on into the very fibres of our being. The hairs would stand edge-to-edge mats, the goodwill towards fellow students, up on my neck - and....yes more was possible - a few considering such tight space was a tribute to our practice words could bring light into those dark spaces, at least for of yamas. The camaraderie was evident in the animated the moment. But, more, much more Guruji wanted also chatter before the class began. to take our hand and lead us to the very core - THE SOUL. I think we had glimpses of that and once having The respect and love for Geetaji was evident with the been there we know we can, with diligent, intelligent, spontaneous outburst of applause and salutations as she honest practice - inspired by our enlightened teachers arrived at the hall. The reverence towards our art and find that place again. towards the ancestral Lords who began the generational SADHANA process of handing the precious gems of knowledge and dedicated, devotional practice wisdom, was apparent during the invocation. Geetaji's We have the role models - we have the inspiration - we gentle coaxing to prepare our sitting posture and state of must look into our Souls and find the honesty and mind was a vital ingredient to finding that inner place to wisdom to dig deeper into our own practice.
Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 29 Y O G A U N I T E D Louise McMullan writes about teaching Iyengar yoga to professional footballers

began teaching yoga at Manchester United Football Club On a typical day players finish training around mid-day and Inearly three years ago. It's not glamorous - what yoga trickle into yoga class between 12.15 pm and 12.30 pm class is? And it doesn't look much different from any of my showered and wearing after-shave! (Who said footballers other classes except that all the students there are male. weren't gentlemen?) There's plenty of banter, conversa- It has not increased my business, placed me more in tion and teasing among them initially but they soon settle demand or, heaven forbid, made me famous! It can be into their various sequences. And these guys don't just harder work than my other classes but it is a learning smell good, they're able to be extremely focussed too! curve I am grateful to be on and is often a lot of fun. The initial reaction of the players was shock "This is the I am a New Zealander and as such have been brought up hardest thing I've ever done" one remarked. (And it prob- with a typical Kiwi disregard for the 'girlie' sport of soccer. ably was. My own first experience of Iyengar Yoga was the Although I had lived in Manchester for seven or eight same). Sure of their fitness and physical capability and years before beginning work with Manchester United, I suddenly challenged by the very uncomfortable sensa- didn't know anything about English football. I had no idea tions in the hamstrings and kneecaps that just won't stay that football was a religion, that the 'blues' were Protes- up! Another player told me that in the beginning he tant and the 'reds' Catholic. Old Trafford was just a stop would sleep for hours after the class. Work with the first on the Metro to me. team players is twice a week for about an hour at a time. Attendance is voluntary. In the beginning they were easily Nearly three years ago now I was asked by the head phys- discouraged by the challenge that yoga presented. Praise, iotherapist at MUFC if I would come to the training empathy and encouragement and lots of little rests were ground at Carrington and teach a small group of players all as important as the poses. But within a couple of who had expressed an interest in yoga. My sense of the weeks the physical benefits were being felt. Lower back situation was that the club would much rather indulge the and hamstring niggles in particular were easing. Five whims of their first team players 'on site' under the months down the track and the players began to suspect watchful eye of their physio than have them find a teacher I was being easier on them - I wasn't. Yoga was beginning outside the Club who might do 'goodness-knows-what' to work its addictive magic: their bodies were stronger to their valuable assets. And fair enough too. and more pain free, their stamina in the classes was improving and they told me recovery from matches was When I first arrived there were a host of people with faster with no sore muscles. The afternoon yoga-induced flashing cameras waiting to catch a football star leaving the naps disappeared. ground. Beyond reception I passed through two security coded doors and into an enormous room used for indoor Poses and sequences can vary quite a lot from player to training. A few people walked past me and said friendly player according to their particular needs and injury hellos. Cleaning staff or equipment technicians I assumed. history. One typical sequence might be: half uttànàsana Then the head phsyiotherapist appeared and it turned with hands to a ledge, adho mukha ÷vànàsana with heels out that the friendly cleaning staff were my initial group of on bricks, adho mukha vãràsana, half uttànàsana with first team footballer yoga students. hands on bricks, lateral standing poses with the front leg 50 degrees forward of back leg, bharadvàjàsana on a All footballers seem to have injuries. In my first little group chair, standing marãchyàsana III to wall (or on the advice one had a plate in his foot, two had had knee operations of a very encouraging letter from Mr Iyengar 'one legged and another lower back problems. Many other problems màlàsana' on a table), parivçtta trikonàsana to a wall, half were plain to see: tight hamstrings and calves, drastically pàr÷vottànàsana hands to bricks or to a ledge, prasàrita misaligned legs very tight spines, locked up buttock pàdotànàsana, baddha koõàsana (buttocks raised for muscles, sacro-iliac problems, hyperextending knees and most) back to a wall with knees and often ankles dropped arches. supported and supta pàdànguùthàsana I with the down- ward leg bent.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 30 In June of 2004 I wrote to Mr Iyengar detailing all of the woman! This had never happened before. I should be poses I was teaching with some of the variations and to aware of this, he said, not because it wasn't okay but just which groups of players. His reply was most helpful. I felt because it was so very different for the players. So it reassured that I was on the right track with the very best was a very progressive move for United to open its of support! Two of his points however, were quite new to doors to Iyengar Yoga. And they have been wise to do me: one-legged màlàsana using a thick rolled blanket so cautiously. Anything new, and especially anything that between the thigh and calf to give flexibility to the knees, directly affects the players, must be introduced slowly so and putting each foot in turn on a table. And nàvàsana its benefits and any potential backlash can be carefully between two pillars with the front and back of the monitored. The worth of yoga had to be assessed by buttocks supported by bolsters, to rest the hips. Fortu- someone - this takes time and meant that in the busiest nately Jeanne Maslen (my teacher here in Manchester was part of his day the head physio. had to delegate his able to shed further light for me on those). Mr Iyengar normal duties to a colleague for several weeks in order further suggested that I ring Paxti Lizardi (a senior teacher to attend my first team classes. in Spain) who was injured through playing football and got relief through the angular presentation of the standing After the first six months the head phsyio. and coaches poses. Paxti's advice was most helpful but it was his were convinced enough to have yoga included as a manner that really inspired the yoga teacher in me. "I will compulsory part of the reserve and youth squads training. tell you everything I know," he said, "because everything I Apart from the obvious physical benefits, the coaches of know is given to me by Guruji and it is an honour just to the younger teams appreciate that it provides an aspect of be the messenger." training that is a relief from the constant competitiveness which surrounds the players. The Football Association has Nearly three years on and the yoga jokes have trickled to also been approached with material outlining the benefits a halt. The benefits have been felt and the Club's own of Iyengar Yoga. The FA takes keen interest in young injury statistics clearly bear out the worth of our discipline players. And of course while it is great that some of the as a successful aid in the prevention of injury to some of "big" names have spoken with broadsheet journalists and the top footballers in the world. One player's the like about the importance of Iyengar Yoga to their orthopaedic surgeon was so impressed he now recom- fitness, the greatest benefits for individuals, and therefore mends Iyengar Yoga to his patients as an aid to post-oper- clubs, are to be gained by bringing yoga to the young ative recovery. players. Prevention is better than cure.

It's hard to imagine a meeting of two more contrasting I hope that in future Iyengar yoga will become widespread worlds than that of yoga and professional football.Yoga, among sporting organisations. Minimizing the wear and a quiet private discipline with its emphasis on yamas and tear of constant training on players is, as we know, just one ahi§sà and football an aggressive competitive sport of yoga's many benefits. If the FA follow Manchester chock full of emotion, money and sensational media United's lead in their concern for the players' fitness and interest. Knowing that I am a tiny peripheral cog in the wellbeing, it is possible that they may become instru- big commercial machine that is Manchester United, it mental in bringing the benefits of Iyengar Yoga to young never occurred to me that my presence might pose footballers right across the country. From that platform it problems for the Club. And yet there are several would be an easier step to bring Iyengar Yoga into schools reasons why a yoga teacher might be more hassle than as part of the standard curriculum. worth to a football club. I was completely unfamiliar with the football world and was to be working with the valu- Perhaps this is a far-fetched vision, but in my opinion, not able bodies of valuable players - what was the potential an impossible one as there is such a need in society for for injury? An already heavily booked timetable was a the benefits of what we have to give. However, yoga may further consideration for the young 13-15 year old seem as challenging to an organisation as it is to an indi- players who still attend school. How would the players vidual coming to their first class. So if we are to bring yoga react? Would they be tired? Would it adversely affect further into the mainstream we must be very patient, their performance? And could the players and the club extremely humble in our work and respectful and flexible trust me? I'm very grateful that one player gently pointed in dealing with the needs and fears of those we connect out to me what must have been so obvious to everyone with.
else: it was totally new for footballers to train with a

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 31 EVENTS LISTINGS: YOUR GUIDE TO Avon Iyengar Yoga Institute
Alaric Newcombe, 19th November, Bath. For info. and bookings please ring Paul Reilly on 0117 966 3352 Nathalie Blondel 07812 010924 nblondel@tadasana.fsnet.co.uk

Bradford and District
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes Alan Brown 01535 637359 [email protected]

Cambridge
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes www.cambridgeyoga.co.uk Sasha Perryman 01223 515929; [email protected]

Dorset and Hampshire
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes Elaine Rees 01202 483951 [email protected]

East of Scotland
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes Rachel Woodward 0131 441 6405 [email protected]

Glasgow and West of
Penn Reed, 24th and 25th September 2005 Scotland Iyengar Yoga Institute
Jeanne Maslen, 12th November 2005 Fiona Dewar
Patrick Le Roy, 27th and 28th May 2006 0141 357 2175 [email protected]

Institute of Iyengar Yoga
Please contact the events organiser for details of events in Sussex and classes •• Brian Ingram 01444 236714 s" [email protected]

Liverpool
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes Judi Soffa 0151 7094923 [email protected]

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 32 IYENGAR INSTITUTES IN THE UK Midland Counties
Pilar Vigus, 17th September, Moseley Old Post Office Iyengar Yoga Institute
Anna Heavens, 22nd October, Moseley Old Post Office www.mciyi.co.uk
Judith Richards, 19th November, Shirley Centre Brian Jack 01789 205322; [email protected]

Manchester and District
Lilian Biggs, 24th September Institute of Iyengar Yoga
Fundraising evening, 1st October www.manchester-iyengar-yoga.org
Jawahar Bangeera, 21st/22nd/23rd October Janice Yates
Jeanne Maslen + AGM, 19th November 01613 683614; [email protected]
Christmas party, 16th December

North East
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Institute of Iyengar Yoga and classes Gordon Austin 01915 487457 [email protected]

North East London
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes Ros Bell 020 834 09899 [email protected]

Oxford and Region
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes www.oriyi.org.uk Philip Brown; 01635 35465 O..R..I..Y..I.. [email protected]

Sheffield and District
Padmavasini, 16th October Iyengar Yoga Association
Margaret Carter, 10th December www.yogasheffield.org Jo Holliday; 0114 2684210 [email protected]

South West
Please contact the events organiser for details of events Iyengar Yoga Institute and classes Jean Kutz 01872 572807 [email protected]

Affiliated Iyengar Institutes are non profit-making membership organisations committed to promoting the practice and philosophy of Iyengar yoga in their areas.They offer a wide range of classes and workshops led by qualified teachers with years of experience. For details of classes and local teachers please contact the people listed above. The membership fee brings you membership of both IYA (UK) and the Institute. As a member of both organisations you are entitled to: local newsletters, free copies of Iyengar Yoga News twice a year, local events and classes at reduced prices, discounts on national IYA(UK) conventions, the opportunity to network with other Iyengar yoga practitioners. Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 33 GURUJI: PROFILE OF A YOGI Part 2: Non-ssectariansim Part 2 of an occasional series taking a look at Guruji: a yogi in all respects.The way Guruji lives his life is a shining example of how we should strive to live in a yogic way. As Geetaji has told us, we should imitate Guruji, not just in posture but in his determination, his devotion to yoga and his philosophy of life.We would like to use this series to help you to get to know Guruji, the man. In this part Kirsten and Richard Agar Ward explore Guruji's even-handedness with all political, social and cultural groups.We look at the way his teaching reaches across barriers of caste, religion and all kinds of sectarianism.

oga is meant for the well-being of humanity. People adult life. Although we know from Indian art that in the Yall over the world are afflicted with the same physical, past there were female yoginis, more recently some have moral, mental and emotional problems. Yoga works on been of the view that yoga was solely for men. Further- head and heart as each one has heart and head. Hence it more when Guruji began teaching Indian society was is the culture of the universe.Yoga is founded on universal generally conservative regarding women - in those days, ethics and the notion of universal consciousness. Guruji men and women in India did not mix with each other has logically proceeded from this foundation in developing freely in public. In fact it was Guruji's Guru Krishna- his method and thus has an inclu- macharya, who first sent him to sive approach. He does not teach women - in 1936 Krishna- exclude anyone on the basis of macharya was on a lecture-cum- nationality, gender, caste, religion "The sun shines demonstration tour of Northern etc, rather he considers yoga to Karnataka and some ladies be a gift for all. Having been everywhere, it became interested in the subject brought up in a traditional society, and asked him to start classes for Guruji never disrespected its does not shine them. In those days women were modes and customs, but at the shy of practising in front of adult same time he never let these get here and there. men, so Krishnamacharya sent in the way of teaching yoga to Guruji as he was the youngest in whomsoever wished to learn. In the same way the group and the women happily Until fairly recently this stance accepted him as their teacher. would have been considered yoga is for Despite coming from a very radical, and it demonstrates his conservative background himself, enlightened ability to cut through Guruji has been a leader in traditions when appropriate and everyone." modern times in teaching yoga to act with humanitarianism and Yogacharya BKS Iyengar women, and later in teaching men compassion. From his earliest and women together. times in teaching Guruji taught women as well as men, the poor and the wealthy, non- We should also recognise how Guruji's teaching of non- Hindus as well as Hindus, Westerners as well as Indians, Hindus and Hindus alike has been forward-thinking and and made accessible to all what had been inaccessible and enlightened. He never differentiated between his students. misunderstood by the population at large. Among his early pupils were many Parsis and Muslims. Guruji, quoted in a Pune newspaper article August 20th Take the example of women practising yoga. Although we 1984 said: "Right from the early days of my career I have might take it for granted now that women participate in been an innovator. I taught yoga to women when the yoga, it was certainly not commonplace in Guruji's early Indian society was still quite orthodox and had Muslim Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 34 students when the Hindus and Muslims seldom mixed." In He explained this very eloquently in a 1993 interview Kutch when Light on Yoga Research Trust (LOYRT) with Mary Dunn when asked "How do you see the teachers were sent by Guruji to help after the 2000 Western yogi's role in the future?" he replied "No I will earthquake the population was entirely Muslim and the not distinguish at all between the Western yogi and the classes were taken in their Prayer Hall because the ground Eastern yogi. When we experience yoga, we are yogis. outside was rubble. Isn't that an inspiration to us all in Whether one is an Easterner or a Westerner, the content- these troubled times of how yoga can bring us together ment (in reality) has no divisions at all.You cannot say that despite our differences? so and so are Western self-realisation and others are Eastern. A yogi is a yogi. He has no frontiers at all. So Guruji has been at the forefront of bringing yoga to the when he has no frontiers he sees all men as his colleagues West, travelling to the West when it was still considered unusual and difficult for a strict Hindu. Unfortu- nately such travels meant that he knows what it is like to be racially discriminated against. In 1954 in UK he experienced a colour bar in the very hotel in which he stayed. Then in 1956 he was subjected to deeply racist and segregationist attitudes that permeated the USA in those days. In 1968 he was denied permission to enter South Africa. He fought this as he would not go as a second-class citizen and having won, then had to fight against the Indian Government who wouldn't let him go.Although he was humiliated by racism and castism he never inflicted it on others. He never accepted the mantle of inferiority himself and never cast it on the shoulders of others.

These days thanks to such enlight- ened thinking as Guruji's it has become accepted that women and people of all faiths and nation- alities can practise yoga and furthermore in Iyengar yoga can achieve prominence. For example many well-known Iyengar yoga teachers are women, and teachers include people of many faiths - Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Roman Catholics, Angli- cans, Jews, Buddhists.

For Guruji his approach is simply based on the teachings of yoga. Yogini, South India, 10th Century,

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 35 and wants to help them. So I don't think that there is any treated equally irrespective of their social or financial difference at all." And asked about including women and status; Rajvi Mehta told us that rickshaw drivers, domestic other castes and nationalities he said: "Yoga is universal. It staff, politicians, police commissioners and industrialists is for all. So without thinking of gender, caste, class divisions learn and practise together. It is impossible to know the I carried the art and it has appealed to thousands and caste, religion, economic or social status of the individuals thousands. This is the service I have done for humanity as in the classes; these factors are simply not an issue at a whole." RIMYI. The general classes are for everyone, we are all mixed,Western and Indian, all castes and social classes.The In the 1950s and early sixties many aristocrats, artists, same applies to medical classes. For example, a sweeper socialites and wealthy celebrities wanted to be taught by for the Iyengar family attends the medical class, and such him - and many were. The Indian newspapers began to people get the same attention as other patients. As identify him as the teacher of kings and queens! It might anyone who has sought the help of Guruji or Geetaji with have been tempting to be a Guru of the elite. But he a problem knows they are very generous in their help resisted the temptation of wealth, fame and society and whoever you are. instead carried yoga to the less affluent, the poor and the unknown. He himself taught for free at a Bombay Yet at the same time Guruji is not insensitive to traditional orphanage for many years. Guruji continues to be very attitudes. Although Indian society has changed a lot since concerned that all are given the opportunity to know his early years, there are still some very conservative parts yoga: for example when a prominent institute in the UK of the country. Guruji advises sensitively handling conser- had surplus funds and sought his advice on how best to vatism so that the message of yoga will be heard. When use these, he advised teaching unemployed people for teachers from Light on Yoga Research Trust taught at free. The local rate fees in RIMYI are very low, even by Jalore village in Rajasthan they found a very conservative Indian standards, and haven't changed for years, making it Jain community and they had to be sensitive to their rules. affordable for many Indians. In classes at RIMYI pupils are For instance, the villagers were taken aback by the teacher being female. Furthermore in that society a daughter in law can't sit down in front of her mother in law, so the daughters in law did not come to class at first! However, gradually they were able to break down these barriers such that they would even attend classes with their fathers in law. In fact more men attended the class taught by a female teacher and more women attended the class taught by a male teacher and the students did not even realise this aspect once they were in the class! Further- more the women students started in veils but by end of week through their own choice were in jogging pants and t-shirt! As Rajvi Mehta puts it, citing the example of old ladies in such a conservative society as India wearing shorts to attend yoga classes, "Guruji has got people to look beyond what they look like".

A recent example of his non-partisan approach was witnessed by us in the yoga hall at RIMYI in October 2004. At that time the Australian national cricket team was in India playing the Indians and their opening batsman, Justin Langer, came to the Institute with his yoga teacher and physiotherapist to be helped with injuries. Although Guruji has also been helping the Indian national cricket team by teaching them yoga, he was only too willing to help Langer despite his being on 'the other side' in cricket terms! In a nation of cricket lovers you can't get much more non-partisan than that!

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 36 Guruji has met and mixed with people from all political might otherwise not have encountered. Speaking person- parties. Guruji was invited to give demonstrations to ally we would probably never have met and made friends Jawarharlal Nehru and Rajendra Prasad (Congress) and with people from so many different nationalities, cultures, others since then, including Jayaprakash Narayan and did religions and backgrounds had it not been for yoga. a demonstration for him and PM Moraji Desai of the Guruji's method has transcended barriers of caste, class Janata Party. Leaders from all political parties have visited and race across the world. Guruji teaches the universality RIMYI or felicitated Guruji including the former Prime of yoga. He has not turned his system into a dogma or a Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. They belong to different cult. It is not tied to any doctrinaire system and therefore political parties: Congress, Nationalist Congress, BJP no one is excluded. It is easy to forget, now, when one has among many others. Guruji is never influenced by political only known the times where we can all participate, that it parties, nor does he favour any. He has presented his art is only thanks to enlightened thinkers such as Guruji that to and been praised by political leaders of all shades we in the West, we women, we of other faiths, we of all outside India too, including Soviet (Khruschev) and strata of society, know yoga at all.
Chinese Communist leaders through to Jacques Chirac. He is in no sense a "political yogi".

When you go to RIMYI you meet people from all kinds of To read more about Guruji's early life and experiences backgrounds and all countries, religions, races, languages. as a teacher and Guruji explaining the universality of Yet despite all the potential differences quite naturally we yoga see 'Astadala Yogamala' Vol 1 and 'Tree of Yoga' mix and can feel at home with one another despite our both by B. K. S. Iyengar, and available from IYA (UK) sometimes totally different backgrounds, as we all have books & merchandising. See page 58 for details. one thing in common - yoga. We can meet, get to know and appreciate people of all kinds and backgrounds we

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 37 B Y G O N E D A Y S Debbie Bartholomew interviewed Jeanne Maslen, Pen Reed and Lilian Biggs on the occasion of Jeanne and Pen’s 70th birthdays, and Lilian’s 80th. This interview was originally published in the Newsletter of the Manchester and District Iyengar Institute of Yoga . ast year Jeanne and Pen celebrated their 70th birth- no notice of them!" I went to her classes for about six Ldays and this year Lilian celebrates her 80th. I was very weeks then, she read out that Jim Foster was going to privileged to interview them at the Manchester and start a teacher training course the following Saturday at District Institute of lyengar Yoga (one of the oldest lyengar Bingley Baths. My husband said "Why don't you do it, you Institutes in the world), where Jeanne and Pen were the always wanted to be a PE teacher?" So I enrolled - nobody founding members. Lilian is one of the founding members asked how long I had been doing yoga. I trained for one of the Bradford and District lyengar Yoga Institute. All year and got my diploma and got let loose on the public! three ladies are still very active within their Institutes and still take an active part in the lyengar Yoga Association of Pen: Poor health, a fear of gymnastics and strong physical the UK. Between them they have roughly 110 years expe- exercise as a school girl. In the practice of yoga I found a rience of the lyengar method of yoga. Their sincerity, different approach to body movement, I began to feel a honesty and dedication to the lyengar method and to Mr sense of co-ordination for the first time. My health lyengar is absolute.They work hard and see the funny side improved rapidly as a deeper understanding of yoga of things when things don't quite go according to plan, as helped me to realise that a healthy body had an effect on you will see! The interview was filled with laughter from the mind. start to finish. Happy Birthday to you all and a big thank you from all of us. Jeanne: Well I think I first heard about it when the head of the centre in Withington, Manchester put up a notice to What drew you to yoga initially? say that Penderell Reed was a yoga teacher, recently removed back, I think, to the area of Marple Bridge. She Lilian: Richard Hittleman was on the television and I had been teaching at the local Women's Guild places and bought his book.Then my husband and I set off to go and various other clubs but wanted to come to education enrol to play badminton but the class was full.Then I saw centres, particularly in Manchester. Mr Sparrow the head that they were running a yoga course so I suggested to my of Withington Further Education Centre, decided he husband and brother that we enrol for yoga.We enrolled would let her come and give a yoga demonstration. I was (the class was a Wheel of Yoga class) and went to the class a member/substitute teacher of the Keep Fit class and I with our badminton kit on. My brother said "There are no saw a notice that Pen was coming on the day that the other men here", so he asked the teacher "Is it a mixed Keep Fit class was being led by me. So I went into Mr class" and she said "Well it is now!" So we joined the class. Sparrows office and asked...... We all sat round in a circle and after two minutes we were told to do headstand! Well I did it and kept falling So you were the teacher of the Keep Fit class? over and my husband said "You're going to kill yourself woman!" I kept trying to do it and the teacher said "Take Jeanne: No, not really. We had a regular teacher. I say regular, she was often off ill and I was always chosen to take the class. I didn't particularly want to do this, but I did so that we could keep the class going.There were about twelve of us. So as I was saying, I went and asked the head of the centre what the yoga demonstration was all about? He said "I thought it would be good for your class to see this person. The Keep Fit class is a ready made audience for her, she won't take long" (and she didn't actually).We still did Keep Fit afterwards! She stood on her head, and she told us about herself. She had three young children and I found out that she was six months younger than I (from left) Pen, Jeanne and Lilian, Pune 1986 and I thought, "Golly, if she can stand on her head, then I Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 38 could do that too. I went home and did it and nearly Jeanne: I came to assess in Leeds with Mary Helliwell. I can knocked my husband over. I broke his glasses [laughter] see this one [pointing at Lilian], sitting there, on her mat, but I did it! I went back to the classes the next week (both ready to start the assessment. Yoga and Keep Fit) and the next week and so on, until the yoga class took over completely. As I became more inter- Lilian: Then I found Jeanne! ested in the yoga, I and others found that there wasn't anything very deep in it, as Pen would agree. I found a Why did you decide that the lyengar system was for yoga book in 1966, not knowing that Mr lyengar had you? written such a book. At that time Pen and I didn't know what Mr lyengar looked like except from his book and Pen: After practising and teaching for a number of years I discovered that he was still alive. Allen and Unwin, the became bored with a repetitive programme. I realised publishers for Light on Yoga, gave us an address to write immediately that there was this man with a much greater to Mr lyengar to invite him to Manchester. Guruji replied, depth of understanding of yoga, even though the demon- if we could get enough people for him to give a demon- stration was timed with music, no words. I wrote to him, stration he would come to Manchester on his next visit to and was invited to classes he was taking in London in the UK. So we did get enough people, we got five 1968. hundred people to attend the first Demonstration of Yoga by Guruji in Manchester at The Spurley Hey School. Five Lilian: I liked the discipline - the alignment. hundred people at 2s 6d a time [12.5p] and he gave a fantastic demonstration. Jeanne: I really think that it was when I saw the differences of the lyengar system compared to other disciplines, and I When Guruji came to give this demonstration, how old certainly did when I saw Mr lyengar give that demonstra- would he have been? tion at the Spurley Hey School. His system was so dynamic in comparison to our practice at that time. Jeanne: He must have been in his mid-forties, because Before Mr lyengar's demonstration we decided to give a when I started I would have been thirtyish. demonstration to warm the audience up and keep them occupied whilst we tried to seat 500 people. Pen's Pen, you were invited to give a talk on yoga to keep fit husband, said he'd bring Mr lyengar later (he was staying class that Jeanne was teaching How did that come about? with them), so that we'd get our bit over with and the audience would be settled ready to receive Mr lyengar. Pen: I began practising yoga in 1963 in Sutton Coldfield We were doing the (simple as we thought) standing poses and took a teachers' course at the Birmingham Athletics on the stage, but we were doing it to classical music, Institute. My husband's work had taken us there, and Brahm's Lullaby! I was doing vãrabhadràsana III in the when we were moved back to Manchester in 1965, I had middle. Pen was sitting at the back in her lacy tights in approached Manchester Education. Mr Sparrow, head of padmàsana telling us what to do. I had to come in the the Withington Further Education Centre invited me to middle of the stage to do vãrabhadràsana III, so my body give a demonstration.The students, including Jeanne were and my arms hung over the edge of the stage. I'd got my enthusiastic, a class was started. I was also teaching in hands together. I was doing ever so well to Brahms Lullaby Cheshire as a result of a demonstration at a Women's [laughter] and right at the end of my fingers, was Mr Institute. lyengar on the front row! I couldn't get back out of it quickly enough! You should have seen where my legs and Lilian: My first teacher had a book at the side of her and alignment were! she was looking at this book and I read at the front that it was Light on Yoga.I asked the teacher "Could I have the You were shaking? address of the publisher" she said "It's far too advanced for you." I took the name (it was Allen and Unwin). I rang Jeanne: No I wasn't shaking, more like rooted with shock! them up and asked "If I pay a proforma invoice would you I thought it must be him! So I got out of it quickly, bent send me two of these books?' So I did that and sent one down (we had to do uttànàsana), looked back at Pen and off to my daughter Sheila [Haswell] who had found Liz I'm saying to her "he's in the front row" she said "I know." Knowles, an lyengar yoga teacher in Birmingham. That She'd seen him come in.Well then the audience clapped, would be 1973. they thought we were all wonderful and Mr lyengar gets up on the stage and first of all he started by "That is not Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 39 my yoga!" Then we saw him jumping into everything. gar's classes in London. We had tickets to work in a C Fantastic! I thought, that's what we want! There's some- class and observe a B class but nobody was allowed to thing there, there wasn't in what we were doing. I got observe the A class. People like Angela Farmer were in the bored with what we were doing (Pen knows that) I think A class. It was a big gymnasium and they had wall bars I would have left if we had continued. down one side. Hilda could take her leg right up here [Lilian points above her head] and I'm trying to take my Lilian: We would slowly come into a posture and slowly leg the same. I've got my bottom up here [tilts her lifted come out of it. leg buttock up to her waist] and I get a clout on the back of my head, I looked round and there's these eyebrows...... Jeanne: When you're used to doing exercise with music, Mr lyengar said "Why are you lifting your leg so high and keep fit, skipping, doing all sorts of energetic exercise, I can you so small?" [laughter] - those were his first words. I had quite see why people get fed-up with Yoga if only slow, already booked to go to India in the January and had gentle Yoga is being offered, and it was at that time. All taken out a bank loan to go at that! I thought, oh no! What around Manchester it was mainly that type of Yoga. I have I done!! remember telling Mr lyengar, after we'd had a few classes with him, that certainly I'd found what I wanted. lyengar So Jeanne your first impression was in vãrabhadràsana III yoga had something that was positive.You could see, you then? could feel it was right. The other types of yoga certainly were not for me. In those early years when we kept Jeanne: No, it really wasn't my first impressions.That came seeing these other types of yoga, Pen and I had meetings when we started having classes with him. Although Mr with people from the Further Education Centres, about Ivengar came to Manchester every time he visited the UK, these systems and their worth in education. The Educa- we had to go down to London for classes as well. He was tion Authorities agreed that there was something in what holding a Teacher Training type of class because there we were doing that could improve a person, whereas were a lot of students in London who wanted to become sitting on your bottom, staring into space, looking at teachers at that time. Pen wanted to turn the Friday [the candles was not. When teachers and students of these once Keep Fit class] into the first Teacher Training Class in other types of yoga were asked "What does it do? How Manchester, so she asked Mr lyengar about doing this. He do you prove a person is better for it?" There was no said "Yes,but I think you'll have to come to London to see answer. They could not show any progression from one how to do it". I went with Pen to London.The class was week's class to the next. The Education Authorities said held in a big gymnasium, it was huge and Mr lyengar had they didn't want that method of yoga in the Further many, many rows of people standing in straight lines.You Education Centres in Manchester. I remember writing to really felt as if you were in the army or something similar, Mr lyengar and telling him they wanted his type of yoga - as Guruji was marching up and down. I was about sixth he was overjoyed. In fact the head of centre where I even- from the front in a very long row. Pen was just in front of tually ended up training teachers had some lovely letters me. Guruji kept stopping between Pen and I and saying from him. I had them on show when we had our Silver something (his English was not as clear in those days). All Jubilee and Manchester's never looked back since. So I sorts of thoughts went through my mind! He seemed too was grateful that Pen came to the Withington FEC and we strict for the type of people we were and I just thought, worked out between us what we should do. here we all are, standing to attention as if it was the most important thing in the world. But - having said that, in What were your first impressions of Mr lyengar? retrospect, I realised it was the only way I was going to learn anything seriously about myself. Until then, I never Pen: A very strong teacher. He shouted when anyone lost took things seriously - life is fun not serious. One of the concentration or appeared not to understand his instruc- things Mr lyengar taught me, from that time onwards was tions. His English was not as good then, as it was in later 'shoulders back'. My mother had hit me to tell me I was years. I had studied Light on Yoga before I attended the going round shouldered, I took no notice - he hit me class, it was a shock to find his method of teaching yoga between the shoulder blades...... was far more detailed than a book could ever be. It was like beginning all over again. And you never forgot it?

Lilian: Hilda Mitchell had got tickets for Beryl Howarth, Jeanne: I never forgot it!! I think he does that with every- myself and Margaret Hopwood to go down to Mr lyen- body around the world. He does something that leaves Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 40 his mark. Like Lilian said about her leg, he did that to my husband to allow me to come to India and said he could shoulders. I think you'll find he does something similar to improve my back!! But this had to wait for a number of everyone because he knows how to hit so you'll years. I was very grateful to have Jeanne with the support remember it! of her husband John to take over and bring the lyengar method back to us in Manchester. Jeanne: It's very subtle. You've all been to Pune many times, what would you say Lilian: What impressed me each time I saw him was how these visits have meant to you? he spots when things are not right, you would be a in big room full of people and yet he doesn't miss a trick. Lilian: Well to me, you never ever come back without learning such a lot more, because every time he teaches And Geeta's the same isn't she? it's like pearls of wisdom coming from him. When you come back you are full of it because you learn such a lot. Jeanne: Exactly, yes. No matter how often you go you learn more.

Lilian: Do you remember Jeanne, when I went to India Jeanne: I always came back and didn't want to teach. I just with you? We took an intensive and the first day, second wanted to do my own practice. I didn't want to get back pose, we were doing utthita pàr÷vakoõàsana and he said to classes. It always took me a while to get back to classes to me "go up on rostrum and do the pose" and I thought and teach what we had learned. However, once I started "Ooh good!" - I thought I was showing them what to do. I couldn't stop, what had been taught in Pune just had to I'm giving it all I've got and he said "Look at her! She's like come out! Obviously from my own practice I could do it. the waves on the ocean! [laughter]. Lift here! Lift here!" When I'd finished I said thank you to him because I Lilian: Mr lyengar told us when we were out there, you thought, "yes I've been doing it all wrong." don't go home and give this to your students straight away - you've got to understand it yourselves, which we He came to teach you here but what happened when he did.This is what Jeanne means, and then when you'd prac- went back to India, how did you co-ordinate teacher tised it on yourself you thought "Ah that's what he training and events? We are so used to instant communi- meant", then you felt ready to teach it. cation now and this is going back to the sixties. Pen:The visits have helped me venture further in my prac- Jeanne: Well we just had to remember it, we didn't have tice. To realise I am capable of far more than I ever any other way. Pen and I, on the Friday Teacher Training thought, when working on my own. classes, a group of a dozen people, soon found that the numbers grew once Mr lyengar had visited us.We had to make up our minds whether we introduced the lyengar system straightaway to our students or whether we did it more slowly, gradually. I had found what I wanted the moment I saw him, so I just changed. At first my students didn't like it, many disappeared from my classes, but even- tually it worked. I had people who really wanted to do the lyengar system.

Pen: Beatrice Harman and Angela Marris used to come up to Manchester and give us help with the postures. Angela Marris, a friend of Yehudi Menuhin, was Mr lyengar's secre- tary in the early years. I started a teacher training course with the help of Manchester Education.The only guidance we had in those days was during his stay with me here in Manchester and during his classes in London. In the early days I was unable to go to Pune because of my husband and daughter's health problems. My husband did not want me to leave him for four weeks. Mr lyengar had asked my Guruji teaching Jeanne at the Institute in Pune, 1977 Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 41 Is there any one visit that stands out more in your minds to Pune from the airport. We'd just got to the outskirts than others? of Bombay, going over the water part and I could really visualise this was going to happen long before it did, Pen: It has to be the first visit. I have never travelled so far because the roads were not properly made up. You just away from home. A complete change of culture, we had had a middle bit of road, the sides just dropped down.We to get used to being in India.The way the lyengars teach, were going on this bit, over the waterway, and there was a to learn to tune in to their way of speaking and to cope coach coming directly towards us. I don't know what with what seemed like anger when we did not respond. system they have but it always looked like the drivers are never going to give way.Anyway on this particular occasion Lilian: When we went down to Mr lyengar's sixtieth neither vehicle gave way and we crashed. I was covered in birthday, do you remember when they did that demon- glass but not hurt, although the driver had cuts. A big stration on the stage, Geeta, Prashant and Mr lyengar? argument ensued as to who was at fault. After hours of this, the drivers decided that one of them should go back Jeanne: Oh yes, that was good. I can't think of any partic- to town and acquire a vehicle to take us to Pune. Hours ular time that was better than the others. later a replacement vehicle arrived and we eventually arrived in Pune, many hours later than we had told Mr Lilian Pen and Jeanne [in unison]: Yes! In the Ramamani lyengar. He was worried and looking for us. Anyhow, we Institute they have all been brilliant. were to stay in some cottages. I decided to go to the top level away from the water and the mosquitoes. Some of us Jeanne:We have had some wonderful times. Our sense of were sleeping in beds and some on mattresses on the humour was there all the time, it had to be otherwise you floor. I was on the floor. In the night I saw some of the wouldn't have got through. In those days, I mean really, people on the beds bobbing up and down. We did look a with having very little equipment...actually there was none funny sight as we had improvised makeshift mosquito nets at all the first couple of times we were out there.The Insti- for our head and hair. Eventually I asked them why they tute wasn't finished, you had to have a sense of humour kept bobbing up and down. They thought that they could to survive, you really did. feel something running across their beds. On the first night we saw the rats!! Gnawing their way into our suitcases, I believe your very first visit to Pune was quite interesting. trying to eat the food we had brought with us.They were Today, Pune is very modern and very Westernised. I unafraid of us and would not be shooed away. That was believe things were a little different on your first trip. enough. I decided I wasn't making friends with the rats.The small group from Manchester packed and left in search of Jeanne:Yes.We were with this large group that was mostly better accommodation, others decided to stay there, but from London. we couldn't stay. Meanwhile, in the daytime, we were prac- tising at the Institute with Mr lyengar from 7.00am - 12.00 When was this roughly? noon. Then, because the building work was still on going we stayed behind to clean up after them. We then went Jeanne:The very first time when they opened the Institute, back to the hotel for some lunch and then went back to - 1975. We got a coach eventually to take all forty of us the Institute for 5.00pm - 7.00pm for pràõàyàma.

We don't know we 're born! Five hours with Mr lyengar and then stay behind to sweep and mop up!

Jeanne:Yes! You have it easy now! You have no idea how much we pioneered for you people! [laughter]. Yes, we were brought up the hard way.

Lilian:When we first went out to India, we had to take the thick mats with us and allow for it in our weight allowance. We used to leave them there.When we got there we had to do head balance and you'd be up there for half an hour and then when you did shoulder balance, again for half an Guruji with Jeanne, 1989 hour. No pads, no blankets or belts! Just flat on the mat! Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 42 Pen:There have been so many changes. Communications You had star billing? have changed, computerisation has made a vast differ- ence. Supermarkets, internet cafes, modem hotels and Jeanne:Well yes they did and they got the most applause! Western clothes, Western music are beginning to appear. Sad to me in many ways, though India still holds a magic Lilian:We were doing all the actions [starts to sing, to the and charm not to be found in the West. tune of my Darling Clementine]. - "Oh my back aches , Oh my front aches and my knees are aching too....." This was Jeanne: We had some fun times though. I remember one the chorus and we asked everyone to join in.When we'd occasion I was sharing a room with Jocelyn Cohen,Arlette finish, Mr lyengar was on the front row with his Guru next McClaren, Margaret Hopwood, Anita Woodward and to him. Mr lyengar turns to the audience laughing and Hilda Hunter - all of us in one room. Margaret Hopwood clapping and all the audience were whistling and cheering was very witty and would write wonderful poems every and we had to do it all again. After we had finished they day after class.They were always about what had gone on placed a beautiful garland around each one of us and then in the class. She was very good at rhyming. I remember on when we went off stage they whipped them off us to give one occasion, when she first saw the ropes, she took one to the next performers'! [Lots of laughter]. look at them and said to me "I'm not going on those ropes!" We had to queue up because they hadn't yet got How do you think your own practice has evolved over a full set.The first thing Mr lyengar told us to do was "run the years? up the wall, hang on and go upside down - legs up - head down".Well all right, if you know what you're going to do Lilian: I do what Mr lyengar says. For example he said don't but we had never seen or done this before. I think it was do backbends if your body is not ready for doing back- Pandu that showed the pose. He shot up the wall and bends and he was saying don't do it as though it's a chore. hung there. Well, it got to Margaret's turn and she was Some days I might not do a lot and then the next day I feel missing. Mr lyengar knew she'd gone. I was sent down I want to do more, so I do. I practise because I want to and stairs to see where she was. I couldn't find her.When we I feel good afterwards. I never do it because I have to. got back to the hotel, there was Margaret lying on her bed writing a poem about the rope work. I said "You disap- Did you use to do it because you thought you had to and peared!" She said "I told you I wasn't going on them as you have got older your practice has evolved to this. ropes". She had climbed out of the window in order to escape, realised she had left her shoes behind inside the Lilian:Yes I realise that as I've got older I have to work on building, so she had to climb back in to retrieve those.The the things that need working on for me. outside door was kept locked and shoes inside, because shoes kept disappearing when outside - although there Jeanne: I feel I have evolved my practice each time I went were no windows or bars! She was so funny in her to India and was taught by Guruji. I had to rely on what I account of this episode in her poem. understood and practised there. After Pen, I did not have another teacher in the UK, but I had many students that Lilian: Do you remember when they had a talent night for became my teachers. I have always believed that you can the 60th birthday party? We thought that this would be in learn much from your students.After all, teaching is a two- the Institute, we didn't realise that we would be going to way communication! a large theatre! Anyone that could do anything was invited. Now Hilda Mitchell said that we would do some- Pen: Looking back to the beginning of my yoga practice, I thing, but to bear in mind that we wanted star billing (this was nervous of pushing myself, my body was weak and I being myself, Hilda and Margaret Hopwood). I don't think lacked discipline. I had never experienced full extension, the Indian lady understood our sense of humour because, alignment was unheard of and postures felt unbalanced. of course, we had said it in a bit of fun. So we wrote this This has changed over the years. Now there is a feeling of song to the tune of "Oh my darling Clementine". It was at knowledge and joy in my practice. I am pleased to say I still the end of the intensive so we wrote about the back- have the same enthusiasm to improve at 70. My joints bends.The three of us had matching lyengar 60th Birthday have changed and different methods have to be found to tee-shirts and matching tights. Margaret was slightly taller practise the postures.The lyengars are still brilliant in the than I and Hilda was taller again. [anyone who doesn't way they find new ways, so age doesn't matter, we still feel know Lilian, she is only small].We were billed as a pint and we can move on and learn. two halves! Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 43 Do you feel that when you first started practising, that the lumbar.These things you never forget. way you did your practice was physical and now that it has matured that your practice is more spiritual? Jeanne: I don't have one favourite! I like to attempt them all - note I said attempt. Always in India, I got picked on Jeanne: No I have never felt that when I first started prac- to demonstrate my attempts. It didn't matter which pose tising, that the way I did the postures was just physical.The it was at that time, I had to be up on that stage and do best thing that has happened over many years is that I am my utmost to what Guruji was directing, and somehow I more confident when I teach because my own practice of managed to connect with what he was saying. I did this so the postures has matured. Perhaps this is what is meant by many times, up and down with different poses. I think being more spiritual? that's why I don't have a favourite posture.

How has Guruji's teaching changed over the years? Pen: No. Some are more of a challenge, but the way the lyengars find new teaching methods is wonderful and Pen: He sets high standards, this is why I've always been helps us to stay motivated, never give up. My problem is motivated to move on and feel the learning goes on, staying in the poses when my joints are inflamed. Geeta whatever your age or ability. was a great help in this matter on my last visit to Pune.

Lilian: Guruji has said that he has learned from his Is there a pose you wish had never been invented!? students. He changed after he had two accidents on his scooter. Geeta told us he had been so badly injured that Lilian: Oh padmàsana!! I'm the only one in my family who he was bleeding from the mouth. He was so badly injured can't do it! They can all do it! Even standing on their head!! inside. He said he was having to practise ten hours per day I cannot even do it sitting up. just to do trikoõàsana. He said "the x-rays showed that his spine was crisscrossed and very badly injured." .Before Jeanne: No there isn't one. But I would say that I dislike that he could do everything. Jumping into all the postures. staying in a pose that is beyond what one is capable of After the accident he realised that we struggled with doing, and making it seem as though you will really appre- some of the poses and that was when he started to break ciate it in the long run. the postures down and inventing the equipment to help. Well after a while you 're just hanging on, you 're not Pen: One class in London, he took me in a backbend - doing yoga any more are you? kapotàsana. It hurt my back and I had a bruise. He said" Now I understand your back" and later on this proved to Jeanne: No you are not. I remember a Teacher Training be of great benefit to me in my practice of backbends. I Course with Guruji and we had to hold the poses with have never doubted that he is a genius in his teaching and the students, whilst at the same time teaching the class. like all good teachers learns from mistakes. We soon learned our capacities for holding the poses!

Name your three favourite postures. If you ever watch Geeta, as soon as she sees the first person come down out of a posture, she tells everybody Lilian:To be honest I really do like utthita pàr÷vakoõàsana to come out of the pose. - I think because I was slapped so many times in the begin- ning! Yes I really like that one. I like ÷ãrùàsana and årdhva Jeanne:Yes she does. dhanuràsana, I say these because I feel as though I under- stand what I'm doing.When I'm in them I feel I can stay in Thank you very much. them for a long time. I remember I was in India and we were doing årdhva dhanuràsana up against the wall, trying to get our chest against the wall. Mr lyengar came along and said "you stretch from your elbow right up to your armpit" and run his thumb nail where I had to stretch which left a red mark which took days to wear off. It's when he's done things like that that you think "I've got it!" In head balance, at first, he used to tell me to keep the (from left) Lilian, Jeanne and Pen, pelvis back because I was always wanting to use my Pune, 1986 Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 44 LOCATION, LOCATION, CONVENTION Carol Brown, a member of the IYA (UK) Events Committee, writes about organising this year’s Spring Convention at Brunel University

fter months of searching and visiting potential venues Or is the success of a Convention more basic? A light, Ain the Greater London area, at last Patsy had found it bright, clean practice place, a comfortable bed, a nour- - the perfect site for our 2005 Iyengar Yoga Summer ishing meal, a chance to catch up with friends and Convention and AGM. Just one little problem, the perfect colleagues, an easy place to reach? site was a building site! Luckily Margaret Carter, Chair of our Committee, and Patsy Sparkman, the local coordinator, From the superb new Sports Hall to the fresh, clean en- had the vision to imagine the fantastic new sports facility suite rooms. From the renovated Food Hall to the vege- and the faith to believe the May deadline for completion. tarian options. From the Yoga market place to the café and seats for chat. From the air, rail, road, bus and car to Brunel By the beginning of January the Convention Committee - University, Uxbridge. Perhaps these details of infrastruc- which also includes Patsy, Margaret and Christina Niewola ture are a good measure of success. Location and - seriously got down to the business of putting the Convention. Convention together.With two successful conventions in Manchester behind them Margaret and Christina set the As organisers we hope you thought it went well and as agenda for the months ahead. we prepare for Summer 2006 we would welcome your feedback. Please send suggestions and constructive criti- Fortunately everything began to fall into place. An on-site cism to [email protected]. meeting at Brunel in early May, with a grand tour of the beautiful, brand spanking new Sports Hall, was a huge Nothing is ever perfect and we seek to improve - in our relief to us all. Another follow up meeting in early June to Yoga and in our Convention, which celebrates Iyengar re-assure ourselves that the chef and catering staff could Yoga in the UK. adequately (and adventurously!) meet our vegetarian standards with odd meal arrangements (what, no break- The 2005 IYA(UK) Spring Convention and AGM has fast!) and we were racing to our finish line - the Conven- proved itself a success in many ways. Its location at Brunel tion itself. There was only one thing left out of control, University, the teaching of the Chanchanis, the enthusiasm one thing which could make all the difference, one thing and hard work of the delegates, and of which no amount of practice could perfect - the weather! course…..sunshine.

How to evaluate success? If sunshine was the measure then yes our Spring/Summer Convention was a success. The sun brought out the best of the Brunel campus, (concrete loves sun!). It allowed us to work in a warm environment (at times a bit too warm!) giving us a touch of India; and to relax in a warm place, making the most of the indoors and outdoors. Our bodies and minds could soak up the sun's rays just as our bodies and minds could soak up the àsana and pràõa of our teachers.

If teaching is a measure of success can the Convention tick the box? Rajiv and Swati Chanchani each brought a thoughtful, insightful and explorative aspect to the Yoga sessions in their eloquent and articulate way. Comple- menting and contrasting with each class and with each other, leaving us with much to ponder, practice and From left, Patsy Sparksman, Margaret Carter and Christina explore - surely the mark of good teachers. Niewola, members of the IYA (UK) Events Committee

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 45 IN THE LAB, NOT IN THE GYM Liz Brown and Philippe Harari report on this year’s Spring Convention at Brunel University with Swati and Rajiv Chanchani

he 2005 Spring Convention of the Iyengar Yoga Asso- the early poses in the class demonstrated this point, Tciation (UK) was held on a sweltering weekend in svastikàsana, uttànàsana and trikoõàsana. In each one, June at Brunel University. The visiting teachers were Rajiv gave many instructions and after each one asked us husband and wife team Swati and Rajiv Chanchani. They how we felt, rather than always telling us what we should have been dedicated students of B.K.S. Iyengar for over 30 feel. Did we feel a particular difference? He might ask, but years and founded the Yog-Ganga Centre in 1988 in the just as often, what difference had we experienced? foothills of the Himalayas.The Chanchanis are the authors of “Yoga for Children: A Complete Illustrated Guide to One of the reasons that we enjoy Iyengar yoga so much Yoga”. Their work and devotion to the art of teaching is because we have come to realise that a seemingly tiny yoga to children has been important in bringing the study change in the way that we work can make an enormous of yoga formally into the Indian educational system. difference to a pose.This was further reinforced as Rajiv took us through a series of årdhva dhanuràsanas, each At the beginning of the teachers' workshop afternoon time making different or additional points to observe or session on Friday, Swati modestly confessed her concern work to do. During bharadvàjàsana, Rajiv noticed two about her talents as a teacher and that she had people practising the pose differently - one person had approached the class with trepidation. Her concerns were the forward arm bent with the palm on the thigh, the absolutely unfounded; the other had the arm straight teaching we received from with the back of the hand both Swati and Rajiv was against the thigh. Both are wonderful - inspiring, valid, Rajiv said, but it's impor- demanding, full of information. tant that we understand the Even some weeks after the difference. class and despite making notes on the way home (we In the afternoon, at the begin- were discouraged from taking ning of her class, Swati made a notes in the class), something telling observation. She said else that Rajiv or Swati said that in the UK it is easy to be surfaces when practising a yoga teacher: the only thing particular àsanas at home. people ask is whether you are flexible. At home in India, she The teachers' workshop day began with a morning class said, the questions are more probing: people ask about with Rajiv, the underlying focus of which was our her lifestyle, about her parents and about her children - approach to yoga. "We are in the lab," he would say, "not about her conduct rather than whether she can touch her in the gym" (although that's not to say that the àsana toes or not.This led back to Rajiv's point about the danger programme was physically undemanding). He also warned of thinking about the yoga as a linear, gym-based pursuit us not to regard our yoga practice as being "linear" - that rather than seeing it within the context of its far wider 'progress' is not necessarily mono-directional, 'straightfor- objectives. ward' in any sense. It is necessary to be pragmatic rather than dogmatic, he said: of course we have to listen to the The aim of the afternoon session was a seated words of our teachers, but it is also necessary to observe pràõàyàma session, for which we prepared with and understand what we ourselves feel when following uttànàsana, adho mukha vçkùàsana, pinchà mayåràsana, instructions or during our àsana practice. In what was a ÷ãrùàsana, and setu bandha sarvàngàsana. We worked direct contrast to a leading sports brand's exhortations, on the physical 'nuts and bolts' elements of particular don't just 'do' the poses, he said. Instead, experience them poses, like the importance of lengthening the deltoid and try to understand your experience of them. Three of muscle in pinchà mayåràsana and ÷ãrùàsana.And Swati's

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 46 comparison of the ribs to the slats of a blind was an illu- and to explore for ourselves cause and effect whilst in the minating simile: they should always be tilted up when in pose. As yoga students, we are expected to follow our seated pràõàyàma, she said. teacher's instructions unquestioningly, but on the other hand yoga is 100% experiential. There is an apparent On the Saturday and Sunday of the convention, Swati and contradiction here but there are very few people in the Rajiv taught alternate classes. They covered a variety of world able to discover the yogic path entirely on their poses and made many useful teaching points, but what we own - we are fortunate enough to have a living Guru who came away with from the whole weekend was not so is able to show us the way, but we have to walk the path much specific hints or tips for doing particular poses, but for ourselves and do so with awareness, rather than a very clear message about the practice of yoga. blindly following. This is why observation and reflection are so important. The teachers gave us instructions of Swati and Rajiv's key message was that the practice of what to do, but it was up to us to see for ourselves what yogàsanas and pràõàyàma are components of the wider was the effect of our actions. As yoga teachers, we should philosophy of yoga. Rajiv described àsana practice as a never impart instructions unless we have internalised 'technology' that we can use to achieve the ultimate goal them in this way. We were told to make sure that every of yoga, which is an inner journey towards the soul and movement, even the most subtle adjustment in a pose, be liberation from the cycle of death and re-birth. If one's done on an exhalation or an inhalation as appropriate, and practice is not used to move towards self-realisation, then to use the breath in this way to improve the poses. And it becomes simple physical exercise. Of course, anyone we were encouraged to look to the 8 stages of yoga as a can go to an àsana class and come out feeling calmer and complete system and not to get stuck in àsana and happier without any internal commitment to spiritual pràõàyàma practice alone. As Rajiv pointed out, B.K.S. practice. But this is using yoga to indulge the senses. An Iyengar first came to this country to teach Yoga 51 years analogy they used was to imagine one was to set out on ago so we should be ready to deepen our practice and a journey without a map, or even an idea of where we are understanding of yogàsanas and philosophy. going. âsana practice is like driving around in a good car, but without a destination and a map we are just driving Yogàsanas are a signficant part of yoga technology which around for the sake of it. It is pleasant driving around in a is designed for human transformation and upliftment.This nice car, but the enjoyment will soon wear off if the car is technology is rooted in yoga philosophy.The technology not going anywhere meaningful. can only be significantly applied if a yoga sàdhaka makes an effort to understand yoga philosophy. Efforts to prac- This message may be perceived as fairly controversial by tise àsanas without understanding the basic principles of some practitioners in the UK. Rajiv and Swati said that yoga philosophy will rob the sàdhanà of impelling power. following the path of Yoga required an understanding of dharma, karma (as you sow so you reap) and a belief in, Swati and Rajiv exhorted us to practise yoga as a spiri- and devotion to, God.They also mentioned that the time tual journey, rather than just a beneficial form of exer- frame for yogic evolution is several lifetimes. The Yoga cise. In their teaching, they encouraged us to observe Såtras of Pata¤jàli do mention these aspects but, as Rajiv and reflect on cause and effect in the poses and to pointed out, do not set down any specific belief system or remain aware of the breath. It was a very enjoyable and religion. Rajiv mentioned, that the path of yoga is spiritual inspiring weekend.
and mystic and cannot be successfully trod by people who are completely materialistic in their beliefs. They also With thanks to Rajiv and Swati for reviewing this article. stated that the path of yoga is the very best route towards self-realisation and liberation, and that B. K. S. Iyengar has provided us all with the fastest vehicle in which to travel that path.

In the àsana and pràõàyàma classes themselves, Rajiv and Swati showed us how important it is to perform the poses with reflection and intelligence, rather than auto- matically going through the motions. We were asked to observe subtle differences in the breath in various poses

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 47 C L A S S E S A T R I M Y I Applications have to be made through each country’s national association. A minimum of 8 years practice of Iyengar Yoga is required. The fee for classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune, is US$ 300 for one month.

Information for Teachers / Students For admission, the Institute requests that the student’s practice of 8 years reflects an understanding of the foundation of Iyengar Yoga.This would include the regular practice of inverted poses (8-10 mins. in the inverted postures). Women should know what is to be practised during menstruation. All students should have read, at the minimum, the introductory chapter to Light on Yoga and be familiar with the terms and principles covered in that chapter.

The following should be noted: 1. RIMYI offers one or two months admission.The deposit of $US 150 is for one month. 2. Please do not ask to change the date you are given unless you have a serious need to do so on compassionate grounds. 3. Advance deposit is part of the fees and hence not transferable to any other person or course. It is non-refund- able. 4. 6 classes are given per week, each for 2hrs duration. A schedule will be given on arrival. 5. The last week of each month will be pràõàyàma classes. 6. No extensions will be given beyond two months under any circumstances. 7. A confirmation letter will be given from the RIMYI and should be presented on arrival. 8. The classes will be conducted by BKS Iyengar or his daughter or son or by staff members. 10. Please make your own arrangements for board and lodging 11. Certificates will not be issued at the end of the course. 12. When applying please include relevant bio-data with any health conditions.

Please send Application Forms (see opposite) and your Bankers Draft for US$ 150 made out to RIMYI to:

Penny Chaplin, Flat 1, St. Johns Court, Finchley Road, London NW3 6LL

Please do not include photos or personal mail. Applications are for individuals only - no groups.

· Please send a self addressed stamped envelope with your application so that a receipt for your deposit can be sent to you. · Please be patient. The secretary of the RIYMI, Mr Pandurang Rao, receives many applications from all over the world.You may have to wait from 3 months to a year to receive your confirmation letter. · When you receive your confirmation letter and if it comes direct from India please let Penny know. You will know the letter has come direct from India by the stamp and post mark. If you receive a photocopied letter posted from London then your confirmation letter has gone through Penny and you don’t need to inform her. (Pandu sometimes sends a group of confirmation letters to Penny for her to forward to applicants)

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 48 REQUEST FOR ENROLMENT IN GENERAL CLASSES AT THE RAMAMANI IYENGAR MEMORIAL YOGA INSTITUTE (RIMYI)

This section to be filled out by the applicant:

Last name: ...... First name: ......

Middle/other name: ...... Age: ...... Gender: M / F

Address: ......

...... Postcode: ......

Telephone: ...... fax: ...... e-mail: ...... l No. of years practising Iyengar Yoga: ...... Name of main teacher: ......

What frequency of study with them (daily, weekly, monthly): ......

Date of last class taken with the teacher: ......

Can you speak English?: YES / NO Any previous classes at the RIMYI?: YES / NO

If applicable, the most recent date of attendance at the RIMYI: from (month/year) ...... /...... to ...... /......

Applying for admission for (please put in year and number in order of preference):

June/July August/September October/November December/January

The deposit of $US 150 made out to RIMYI in the form of a bank draft or international money order (do not send cash). The amount sent: $ ...... Signature: ...... Date:...... /...... /......

This section to be filled out by the referring certificated teacher:

Dear Mr Pandurang Rao,

I, ...... herewith recommend ...... who has studied Yoga with me for ...... years. She/he has also attended ...... course with senior teachers. As per my knowledge, she/he is a genuine pupil/teacher who follows the Iyengar method.

Yours sincerely, Signature: ...... Date:...... /...... /......

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 49 T H R E E N E W I N S T I T U T E S

A New Yoga Institute for Dorset and Hampshire

June 5th 2005 saw the realisation of a dream with the inaugural meeting of the Dorset and Hampshire Iyengar Yoga Institute (DHIYI). This was an important day both for the DHIYI, and for the IYA, as this is one of the newest insti- tutes in recent years.

Mary Heath, a senior teacher based in Dorset, and several of her fellow teachers had a strong belief that the two counties needed a focal point for Iyengar yoga. The Institute is affiliated to the IYA (UK), and, although having no premises at this time, will hold regular yoga seminar days at venues in the area.

The inaugural meeting was attended by a total of 27 teachers and students from across Dorset and Hampshire. An interim constitution was adopted which promotes the basic premises put forward by Guruji, who has given permis- sion for the Institute to start, and has sent his blessings. An Interim Executive Committee was also elected. The first Annual General Meeting is to be held in Bournemouth on the 1st of April 2006.

The Institute can be contacted through the Internet and is to be found at www.dhiyi.co.uk.. Enquiries about membership or any other issues can be made by contacting the secretary, Elaine Rees on 01202 483951 or [email protected].

Formation of Two Scottish Iyengar Yoga Institutes

June 12th was a hugely significant day for Iyengar Yoga in Scotland.Two new Institutes were established to represent Iyengar practitioners throughout the country.Teacher and student, new and old, now all those with an interest in Iyengar Yoga could, and hopefully will, be involved.

For over twenty years Iyengar Yoga has been supported by an active Teachers Association, the SSIYTA, and many people over the years have given time and energy to this organisation for which we are all very grateful. However with the development of IYA (UK), and the unification of LOYA & BKSIYTA this seemed the perfect opportunity for Scotland to also address the issue of involving students much more fully in the life of our yoga.

Last October the SSIYTA was formally dissolved and an Interim committee set up to implement the changes. It was quickly apparent that the best way to represent the Iyengar yoga community at the moment was to establish Insti- tutes as our organizing bodies. Institutes would fit well with the national structure and be wholly involving for students and teachers alike. Having an East and West Institute would give members in the North, South and middle of Scotland a real choice. So, after battling with the intricacies of constitutions, sorting out bank accounts and searching (arm-twisting!!) for even more volunteers, June 12th was the day that the proposals were put to an open meeting of all Scottish members of IYA(UK). It proved a great meeting, with full and frank discussion for the way forward and, most importantly, unanimous votes on all issues.

With the establishment of Scotland’s two new Institutes the only thing to do was celebrate in style, and that is what we did. Margaret Austin, ably supported by husband Gordon, led a truly fantastic class. In the best of Iyengar style we explored the àsanas, sought a new understanding and took with us a fresh approach for further practice. The new Scottish Institutes are called the East of Scotland Iyengar Yoga Institute (ESIYI), and the Glasgow and West of Scotland Iyengar Yoga Institute (GWSIYI). It was unanimously agreed at the joint inaugural meeting on 12th June that £2000 be donated to the Bellur Trust. Thanks to all the hard work by the interim committee (Carol Brown, Helen Graham, Diane Clow & Neil Gillies) in delivering a successful outcome.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 50 The inaugural meeting of the Dorset and Hampshire Iyengar Committee membersof the newly formed Glasgow and West Yoga Insitute (DHIYI) of Scotland Iyengar Yoga Institute (GWSIYI) ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS Helen Graham and Julia Graham write about Iyengar yoga in the West of Scotland lasgow and the West of Scotland Iyengar Yoga Insti- extended as more people trained to teach and events Gtute was formed on 12th June this year, but Iyengar were organised. I remember my first experience of a yoga was first established in the area about 25 years ago large yoga day with Jeanne Maslen from Manchester as by just a few dedicated teachers. the guest teacher.

We just want to thank those early pioneers who laid the Through events promoting yoga and selling equipment, foundation stones from which Iyengar yoga has been able money was raised. Therefore, when the group was to flourish. formally closed this year, most of the money raised was given to charity and I'm delighted to report that £500 is Tom Yeudall and Doris Graham, the first teachers in being sent to the Bellur fund to support Guruji's work in Glasgow, trained with Bob and Cathy Welham in Edin- India. burgh. It was as a result of their efforts and dedication running classes as well as encouraging and inspiring others As a group we seldom meet today. However, we are that more classes grew and Iyengar yoga started. In fact organising one last get together that I hope many of the Tom and Doris were the first people from Glasgow to original WOSIYG members can attend. visit Pune when they went in the early 80's. Finally, I feel Tom Yeudall deserves special thanks for Tom started teacher training himself and within a few training many of the Iyengar teachers in Glasgow and years a group of Iyengar yoga teachers had formed. Calling encouraging us so much in our yoga. themselves the West of Scotland Iyengar Yoga Group (WOSIYG) they met on Friday evenings to practise yoga, The opening of the new institute is just one more step- socialise and just support each other. ping stone on the path for Iyengar Yoga in Scotland and although we look forward to what the future will bring for The group initially made up of Tom, Doris, Irene Phillips, the institute, we still are grateful to all of those involved in Fiona Morton, Gwen McColl, and Carole Mackinnon, WOSIYG over the years who made this possible.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 51 C H A I R ’ S R E P O R T by Judith Jones, Chair of the Iyengar Yoga Association (UK)

his is a general report about the IYA(UK) over the last the Certification Mark by qualifying to become teacher T12 months.This year has been another of great activity members of IYA(UK) and hopefully some student for the new Association, which has had to take on board membership as well, democratic elections will be held, rapid change, implement new policies and attempt to probably later this year, to give ROI representation on the establish smooth running and efficient systems.This is not EC. The next step will be the formation of an Institute easy when everyone is having to juggle Association work with Guruji's approval. 3 new UK Institutes have just had with families, jobs, and Yoga as well. I want to thank their inaugural meetings - 2 in Scotland; in Glasgow for everyone involved in running and helping this Association West Scotland & Edinburgh for East Scotland, and 1 in for donating your time and energy, some very generously. Bournemouth for Dorset and Hampshire (see pages 50- 51 for a fuller report). The structure of the Association is still evolving.There will be changes to the composition of some Standing The Assessment and Teacher Training Committee is Committees to enable them to function better as their continuing to update procedures, rationalise paperwork particular role develops e.g. the Membership Secretary and formulate new policies to put us in a strong position seemed to sit more happily with the Ethics and Certifica- to submit an application for NVQ for the Introductory tion Committee than in Finance; it is suggested that the PR Certificate if it is decided that this is the right path.There and the Communications Committees combine; the has again been a busy programme of assessments for all organisation of Finance may need to change. At the 2005 levels of certification. As well as training new teachers, AGM in Brunel, members voted to abolish the Regional Associations worldwide should facilitate the development structure of the Association; now that the large majority and growth of teachers by improving their knowledge and of members join the IYA (UK) through an affiliated Insti- skills. In the UK this in-service training is currently provided tute it seemed more useful to treat the remaining 'indi- by the Professional Development Day programme. The vidual' members as a national group. EC regards these days as an important way for teachers to stay in contact and keep up with standards, methods All Executive Council Representatives serve a 3-year and new learning. Next year it is planned that the term. As the Association was new last year all the Reps programme will cover the new pranayama syllabus at were voted onto the EC at the same time. Therefore a each level of certification and will be taught by experi- cycle had to be established where 1/3 stand down each enced Senior teachers. All this will help to improve year. 3 Reps decided to stand down anyway & other teaching standards & help cultivate the excellent reputa- names were picked at random. So some Institutes have tion that Iyengar Yoga deserves. already reviewed their representation and Reps were re- elected and have begun their second term or other new Some teachers have been concerned this year that Reps have come onto the EC. Now that the Regions have employers have asked them to become members of the gone, all the Individual Member Reps will stand down & Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).The Association there will be national elections. Remember no positions has been talking to REPs and all our teachers are well on the EC are permanent and there is plenty of oppor- qualified to join this register if they wish.We are trying to tunity for anyone interested in helping the development negotiate a reduced fee.Very recently we have heard that of Iyengar Yoga in the UK to get involved (even if you the first ever National Occupational Standard specifically don't want to stand as a Rep). It is really quite exciting to for yoga teaching within the UK has finally been launched see this new Association taking shape and moving by Skills Active which will be recognised across the whole forward. health & fitness industry (Skills Active is the Sector Skills Council for Sport & Recreation, Health and Fitness). Last year Republic of Ireland (ROI) was made an Affiliated Membership of REPs may well now become a necessity National Group of IYA(UK). Guruji wishes that we help for teachers who work in fitness centres or for adult ROI teachers and students form their own Association education because of this. again in time.We have been conducting assessments there & when there are sufficient numbers of teachers holding Upholding high standards of teaching has always been Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 52 very dear to the heart of our organisation. This year we our own PR work. One exciting step in this direction will have begun to write to those who break the rules of the be the launch of our newly designed website which Association and the terms of the Certification Mark. Also should be on line by the time you read this. Communica- to inform those using the Iyengar name without proper tion within the Association is mainly through our magazine qualification about our new trademarks. New Teachers' Iyengar Yoga News.This publication has been re-designed Handbooks were issued last year with all the latest docu- this year and is full of information and good articles. It ments & guidelines but with more additions and amend- seems that not everyone reads it thoroughly enough ments to come updated Handbooks will be sent out again though! Please read it and absorb all the information that this Autumn. the Association is trying to communicate!! Good commu- nication also relies on Reps relaying information back to The revenue generated by the Certification Mark is the membership & also remember that the Reps are divided, after the deduction of administration costs, 60% there to communicate your views back to the EC.There to Guruji and the other 40% gifted by him to the Associ- has also been a suggestion that we have a platform for ation.This 40% is put into the Iyengar Yoga Development open debate and this is being considered.
Fund (IYDF). Guruji generously donated his 60% to the social & educational projects he has initiated in his native village of Bellur. The group appointed to administer the TREASURER’S REPORT IYDF have only met once but have made a bold and ambi- Judith Richards (Honorary Treasurer of IYA (UK)) tious proposal - that the fund is used to create a National Iyengar Yoga Centre.This suggestion will need to be thor- Althoughthe IYA (UK) is a not-for-profit organisation we oughly researched and have Guruji's approval before any will have to put the fees up in 2006, as our running costs concrete proposals can be presented. So far some of the have increased enormously as a result of increased IYDF has been used to award bursaries for the 2 conven- activity. The biggest increases have been in the cost of tions, and to fund an information campaign to publicise expenses and administration as we bring our organisation the Certification Mark and what it stands for. Some of you to a new level of professionalism. may have seen the IYA(UK) banner headline in the Body & Soul supplement of The Times recently. Leza Hatchard The IYA (UK) is a growing organisation. Our membership our newly titled Membership & Office Manager (MOM) is has risen to nearly 3,000 (the majority of whom are non- helping with this campaign and is also becoming involved teacher members); we are developing links with national with PR as part of her newly defined job which has and international bodies, other yoga organisations and evolved with the Association. She has valuable experience government and educational establishments; we need to in this field. As well as the new Job Title, the Job Descrip- maintain our place in the world to develop and promote tion and contract are being updated, as well as the adop- the practice of Iyengar Yoga. For these reasons we are tion of Health & Safety and Equal Opportunities Policies. developing a vision of the future in which we may have our We are all learning about having an employee and the own premises - maybe a national yoga centre - and Association being an employer. The MOM works an certainly more paid staff. There could be several adminis- average of 25-30 hrs a week and organises another part- trators and a manager, people paid to do specific tasks such time employee to come in to the office for up to 8 hrs a as website design or financial planning and maybe even the week. This is the most the Association can budget for at responsible job of teacher education could be a paid post. the moment. Having an Association office has been a great These things are ideas for the future, but we are making step forward. sure our finances are healthy to make them possible.

The public's awareness of Iyengar Yoga is something we We have therefore set the fees for 2006-7 as follows: wish to improve. This September IYA(UK) will again be represented at the Yoga Show, and this year we will have Institute members £5.50 a bigger profile with workshops and demonstrations. Last Individual members £12.00 year's show was attended by people from all over the Overseas supplement £12.00 country. It was felt important that we should feature Teachers £34.00 prominently this year but we will carefully evaluate the Teachers concessionary rate £21.00 success of this venture. Communication with the public is Introductory Level 1 (half day) assessment fees £50.00 vital but it may be that we can better invest resources in All other (whole day) assessment fees £80.00

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 53 R E P O R T F R O M T H E M . O . M . Leza Hatchard has been working part-time for the IYA (UK) since October 2003 and is the first paid employee the Association has ever had. She has now been joined by an assistant who works on a casual basis for about 8 hours a week. As our Membership and Office Manager she is central to the professional running of the Association.

New member application forms to help it to run more smoothly for you all next year. If It's been a very busy few months in the main office with you have any feedback or comments about renewals - all of the renewals and there are still a good number of please direct them to me here at the main office and I can new applications coming in each week to IYA (UK). If any make sure that Louise sees them. of our teacher members would like to give IYA (UK) application forms out to their students please contact me Office opening hours at the main office and I can send this form to you - and if Please also note that the main office is run from my own any of our individual non-teacher members would like home on a flexible part time basis and therefore does not application forms for anyone - please get in touch! operate at weekends and in the evenings. I have had phone calls at 7am on a Sunday and as late as 11pm in the Please read mailings evenings - please try to call between 9 - 6pm and if you Unfortunately, there are still a lot of instances where get the answer machine please leave a brief message just people do not read the items which are sent to them and with your name and number and I will call you back. many teachers are contacting me for information about things which were advised to them in the renewal news Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who submitted their and on the A4 information sheet sent back to them with renewal papers on time - it really does make a huge differ- their insurance documents etc. I know how busy you are, ence to the running of the office and I really appreciated but please do try and find time to read the information; your efforts. Also, many thanks to all those who there was important information about REPs sent back to expressed an interest in my leg lengthening operation and you with your insurance docs etc. wished me well - it is successfully lengthened now and you will see me in a shoe shop near you very soon! Events Hurrah! Teachers: keep submitting to the Upcoming Event's which is e-mailed approximately every 2 weeks. This is proving All the best and until next time! Leza to be very beneficial to most of the teachers who use it. If you do not have access to e-mail you can either phone me with details of any workshops/holidays etc you may Leza Hatchard have coming up or send the details to me in writing and I Membership and Office Manager will make sure that they are added. This information only IYA (UK) gets circulated by e-mail at this stage as it would be too expensive to send it by post every two weeks to so many 23 Queens Walk, Ealing, members. London W5 1TP

Membership renewals Louise Cartledge is now well and truly installed as the telephone: 020 8997 6029 new Membership Secretary and we are currently planning [email protected] alterations we can make to the current renewal process

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 54 ASSESSMENT RESULTS

The following people were successful in Level 2 of the Introductory Assessments: Evelyn Donnelly Lucy Lynch

The following people were successful in Level 1 of the Junior Intermediate Assessments: Jeannie Adams Sandy Bell Frances Brown Maureen Coxon Simon Edwardson Ruth Galinsky Alan Gould Andrew Hall Megan Inglesent Zoe Jones Jean Kutz Stephen Lamont John Leachman Pavara Alison Pegg Iris Pimm Amanda Ridgewell Annamaria Sacco Cressida Senkus Andree Shrivell Lesley Stevas Chris Swain Cedric Taylor Melanie Taylor Berni Thompson Greg Walsh

The following people were successful in Level 2 of the Junior Intermediate Assessments: Marios Argiros Sharon Aslett Jill Ayles Celia Baker Nathalie Blondel Carol Brown Joe Burn Eileen Cameron Susan Clark Rosemary Da Silva Karen De Villiers Jenni Doohan Susan Doxat Maureen Gallagher Ofra Graham Sue Hill Brenda Hobdell Maitreyavira Barbara Norvell Prabhakara Paul Reilly Lois Shilton April Stead Dorothy Tyler Maggie Waters Diane West

The following people were successful in Level 3 of the Junior Intermediate Assessments: Lucy Aldridge Paul Brown Lin Craddock Maggie Dix Barbara Hicks Lydia Holmes Liz Knowles Sue Lovell Philippa Vale Malcomson Lorraine McConnon Amparo Rodriguez Gill Rowe Clare Stephen John Callinan Margaret Cashman Helen Gillan Svada Ruddle

The following people were successful in Level 2 of the Senior Intermediate Assessments: Helen Graham Sheila Green Alaric Newcombe Lynda Purvis Margaret Rawlinson Judith Van Dop

Best wishes for next time to those that were unsuccessful in this round of assessments. Many thanks to all those who helped with organisation, moderating, assessing and catering.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 55 THE CERTIFICATION MARK Judi Sweeting (Professional Development Days Organiser) and Elaine Pidgeon (Chair of the Ethics, Membership and Certification Commitee) explain how teachers can get their 25 hours training to qualify for Certification mark. y and large our teacher members did very well this What does not count? Byear in making up the hours required for the Certi-
A practice session with your friend. fication Mark. However there were some people who
A class with a non Iyengar teacher definitely does not had difficulties so we would like to go over the different count. ways you can make up your hours. We have made the
Vague details of your 25 hours do not count. Please methods as varied as possible so that everyone can do be specific about hours, when, where and who with. it. Remember that as Iyengar Teachers we have an obli- gation to keep in touch with the work that is done in the Please be honest when you renew your membership and Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune and apply for your Certification mark. We are an under- to maintain the highest possible standards in our standing organisation when there are difficulties but we teaching. do make spot checks on the stated 25 hours and sadly the results have sometimes been disappointing. So what ways can the 25 hours be made up?
You can attend regular weekly classes with your local If you have had a difficult year and have compassionate senior or intermediate teacher (approximately 70 grounds for dropping your attendance at classes, work- hours!). shops or conventions, then talk to us. If you become preg-
You can attend the annual IYA(UK) AGM Convention, nant and have to take time out, let us know. If there is recently often taught by one of Guruji's senior Indian something you would like to know, please don't hesitate teachers. (Fri/Sat/Sun, approximately 14 hours). to phone, write or email us.
You can attend the IYA(UK) annual Autumn Conven- tion. (Fri/Sat/Sun, approximately 16 hours). A large proportion of our membership has exceeded the
Attend workshops around the UK arranged locally by 25 hour requirement by a large amount and that is local Institutes, centres or individual teachers. fantastic. It is really not difficult to do 25 hours of training (Approximately hours for each day attended). in a whole year and whatever you learn is of inestimable
Attend the Professional Development Day in your value to you and your students. We owe it to our area. The list of PD days is published annually in Iyengar esteemed Guruji to keep on practising, learning and Yoga News. (5-6 hours). understanding. Remember svàdhyàya, self study is central
Attend general classes at the Ramamani Iyengar to yoga.
Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune India for one month (please see the last edition of IY News p 38). (Approximately 48 hours).
Training classes for Intermediate Junior or Intermediate Senior Certificates also count (hours variable).

Remember that the Iyengar Yoga News is excellent for finding out what is on and where. Apply to attend classes at the RIMYI in Pune as long as you fulfil the prerequisites. If you can't do that, attending regular classes with a more senior teacher who has visited the RIMYI ensures that you are constantly updating your knowledge. Finally PD days are your official in-service training as a professional Iyengar Yoga Teacher and ensure that we all stay in touch. TM

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 56 A N N O U N C E M E N T S LIGHT ON LIFE book launch John J. Evans, co-author of B.K.S. Iyengar’s forthcoming book, Light on Life, will be giving a talk followed by refreshments on Saturday 17th September 2005, at 4:00 pm, at the Iyengar Yoga Institute Maida Vale, 223a Randolph Avenue, London W9 1NL (telephone: 020 7624 3080; website: www.iyi.org.uk). Light on Life is published on 30th September but advance copies will be available at the event.Alternatively, you can buy the book through the IYA (UK) - see over- leaf for details.

Correction On page 49 of IYN no. 6 it was stated that Satish Kumar, patron of the British Wheel of Yoga,was a grandson of Krish- namacharya; this is is not true and we apologise for the error.

Caroline Cole We are sad to report the death of North London Iyengar Yoga teacher, Caroline Cole, at the end of June 2005. She had been seriously ill since before Christmas, but never lost her positive orientation on life, nor her love of yoga. She had many devoted yoga students who will miss her gentle but exacting care, and many more friends and family members who will miss her unfailing kindness and her joyful approach to life. As well as teaching yoga, Caroline was a talented professional artist and animator, and loved dancing. Happily, she managed to get to Pune for a month of general classes in September 2003.Whilst there, she was inspired by and loved the classes, and came back glowing with enthusiasm. Some of us saw Caroline at an IYA teachers' professional development day in March this year, and at a pranayama workshop in May. She did what she could, and continued to find her yoga practice a great support, even as what she could do physically became more limited. At that stage, she knew that cancer had damaged her body and was proving hard to treat, but she always looked to the future and delighted in what life brought her. Ros Bell

Celia Wright 1945 - 2005 I was well into my sixties when I found yoga, but Celia welcomed me and my health problems into her class! It was soon obvious to me that she was dedicated to Yoga and her students. Our class took place in a sometimes rather smelly room in a local school. Our equipment consisted of straps, wooden blocks and foam pads, all of which were toted by Celia to and fro for all of her classes across about a forty mile radius in Kent. The school provided chairs, complete with dried on chewing gum, and we brought our own blankets. I think we all felt that the class was "tailor- made" for each of us although we were clearly of very mixed abilities. She always stressed that we should listen to our own bodies and work accordingly. Our class was one big "family", sharing all the ups and the downs of everyday life. Little did we know that the very worse of the downs was yet to come! When Celia told us that she had been diag- nosed with ovarian cancer I think I can speak of all of us when I say that the bottom dropped out of our world!! Not so with Celia, however! She was determined that she would not let this "wretched thing" beat her!! It was not long after this that her beloved husband, Ray, was taken very seriously ill. It was obvious to us all that she gained an inner strength from her yoga and amazed us all with the ways in which she coped with this and the treatments for her cancer and the dreadful side effects they brought with them, practising her yoga throughout. In addition to taking sometimes two classes a day, she still ran the family home with all that entailed. She drove herself to and from the hospital for all her treatments and would probably take a class in the afternoon. In short, she was a truly amazing lady. As her illness progressed she did say that sometimes it was a real effort to motivate herself to come down to take a class. However, once her students arrived she knew it was all worthwhile. In this respect, I feel that we were all able to give her a little back, albeit very little in comparison to what she gave all of us. At Easter, I went to see Celia at the Royal Marsden Hospital and were amazed to find her sitting on her bed in baddha koõàsana! I'm sure I speak for all her students when I say that Celia was, and will continue to be, an inspiration to us all and we feel that we are extremely privileged that she touched our lives in such an unforgettable way.

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 57 I Y A ( U K ) M E R C H A N D I S E BOOKS Light On Yoga (new edition) £15.00 Astadala Yogamala vols.1-4 £12.00 each Yoga Rahasya (2 vols.) £10.00 Preliminary Course £10.00 A Matter of Health (by Dr Krishna Raman) £25.00 Yoga:A Gem for Women £12.00 Light on the Yoga Sutras £15.00 Light on Pranayama £12.00 Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga* £12.00 Yoga for Children £14.00 Tuesdays with Prashant £12.00 New titles: Alpha and Omega of Trikonasana by Prashant Iyengar £12.00 Astadala Yogamala vol. 5 £12.00

* available to teachers only

CLEAR-OOUT SALE: Iyengar Yoga Jubilee videos Teachers’ Event + Question & Answer session (4 tapes) £10 General Event + Question & Answer session (4 tapes) £10 Full set (7 tapes) £15

CD-RROMs from the RIMYI (prices include postage and packing) Yoga for You (£14),Yoga for Stress (£12),Yoga for Asthma (£12) and Yoga for Blood Pressure (£14)

Light on Life by B. K. S. Iyengar£16.00

All prices include p & p in the UK. Please ask about postage to other countries. Make cheques payable to “IYA (UK)” and send to: Patsy Sparksman, 33 Ashbourne Avenue, London NW11 0DT; 020 8455 6366; [email protected] PLEASE PRINT name, address, phone number and e-mmail address clearly with your order.

The Jubilee videos and the following books are also available from Jane Cornah: please make cheques payable to “IYA (UK)” and send to Jane Cornah, 12 Kirby Park,Wirral CH48 2HA, or e-mail details to [email protected].

The Art of Yoga £10.50 Light On Yoga £15.00 Tree of Yoga £10.25 Yoga Pushpanjali £10.50 Yoga Rahasya (2 vols.) £10.00 Yogadhara £12.00

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 58 Y O G A R A H A S Y A Yoga Rahasya is a quarterly Iyengar Yoga journal published in India. Four issues a year are mailed to you, normally starting from the next available issue. Back copies are sometimes available (£3.50 each); please write a separate note if you are enquiring about these, listing the issues you are seeking.To subscribe, or to renew an existing subscription, please complete and return the form below with a cheque made payable to “IYA (UK)” to:

Tig Whattler, 64 Watermoor Road, Cirencester, Glos. GL7 1LD.

Queries to this address or to [email protected].

Please write very clearly (or type the informa- tion on a separate piece of paper).

In order to comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, IYA (UK) agrees not to release the details you give us here to any external party without first seeking your permission.We may pass on these details to our Indian Yoga Rahasya publishing partners. This information is collected, stored and processed for the purposes of Yoga Rahasya journal subscription and distribution administration. IYA (UK) does not sell or exchange its membership lists with other organisations.

Name: ......

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Is this a renewal? ...... If so, please state issue no. new subscription is to start with, if known. Vol...... No......

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Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 59 S M A L L A D S .

Y o g a S u p p l i e s

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Call 01225336144 or e-mail [email protected] for price list

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ADVERTISING in Flat to rent, in quiet location. Comfortable, spacious and clean. Short pleasant walk from the Institute. Cleaned IYENGAR YOGA daily and cook available if required. NEWS For details contact [email protected] or 0141 357 2175

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IYA (UK) c/o Leza Hatchard, Forthcoming Yoga Days this Autumn & Winter: 23 Queens Walk, London W5 1TP Maitreyavira: Beginners Session Julie Brown: General Yoga Day [email protected] Sylvia Prescott: Teacher's Day Marion Kilburn: General Yoga Day The deadline for the next issue of Iyengar Yoga News (due out February 2006) is: For full details please contact [email protected] or phone 077251 20043 Friday 25th November, 2005

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Quarter page: £30 Small ads.: 35p per word NB. the Editorial Board reserves the right to refuse to accept advertisements or parts of advertisements that are deemed to be at variance with the stated aims of the Iyengar Yoga Association (UK)

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 60 ADVERTISEMENTS . NEW . NEW . NEW . Bath Iyengar Produced by Janette Browne Edited by Judith Richards Yoga Centre Yoga classes and Yoga This audio CD contains one hour of beginners’ poses, equipment sales with suggestions as to how it can be split into three shorter classes. It was designed to facilitate beginners to Intensive weekend with Ali Dashti Iyengar yoga, who often don't know what to practise, to Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th September 2005 develop good habits of practice. The audio medium helps maintain focus and dispenses with having to Workshop with Kirsten Agar Ward looking at a screen.The accompanying booklet shows Sunday 4th December 2005 photographs and descriptions of the poses. Easter Intensive with Richard Agar Ward Saturday 15th - Sunday 16th April 2006 Teachers can place orders direct to me: 6 or more at £9.50 each/10 or more for £8.50 each + £1.50 Weekend with Annette Herrenleben from Pune/Berlin p&p (retail £12.99 + p&p) Saturday 29th April - Monday 1st May 2006 Cheques to Janette Browne, Retreat with Richard Agar Ward at the EarthSpirit 1 Anns Hill, Centre near Glastonbury London, SW18 2EZ Friday 26th May - Wednesday 31st May 2006 Also available from www.yogaloka.com 12 Station Road, Lower Weston Bath BA2 3DY and soon on Tel/Fax 01225 336144 www.amazon.co.uk [email protected] Iyengar Yoga Retreats Iyengar Yoga with Institute Mary Niker of “Peace in the body Birmingham brings poise to the mind” 150 Westley Road, Acocks Green Birmingham BKS Iyengar See www.iyengaryoga.uk.com for details of forthcoming events and intensives with Senior teachers, holidays and teacher training. Tel: 07786 194391 New Intermediate training [email protected] commencing Spring 2006. www.marynikeryoga.com Tel. 0121 608 2229

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 61 ADVERTISEMENTS Iyengar Yoga Retreats in Le Marche/Italy

29 Settembre - 03 Ottobre 2005 29 Dicembre 2005 - 02 Gennaio 2006

These retreats are suitable for both beginners and the more experienced yoga student; everyone will work within their own capability with attentive instruction and correction.We will be practising standing, sitting and inverted as well as restful and restorative postures. You will be able to build up a strong foundation for your own practise. 2½ hours of Asana classes will be held both in the morning and evening. Situated in the foothills of the Apennines, the ancient hilltop university town of Camerino is close to many day- trip destinations, including such historic cities as Perugia, Assisi, Loreto and Urbino, as well as the Sibillini Mountain national park and the Adriatic coast. For those wishing to accompany their partners but not participate in the Yoga retreat, there are numerous opportunities for such activi- ties as hill-walking, climbing, wine-tasting and sampling the the local marchigiano cuisine.

Contact Karin Montali 0039 339 580 33 50 or 0039 0737 633500 [email protected] or www.yoga-camerino.it

North Surrey Centre for Iyengar Yoga www.yogadham.co.uk Practice and Enjoy YOGA DAYS with Judith Richards (£24) with Julie Brown 12 noon to 4pm - Sat Oct 22nd 2005; Feb 4th 2006 An Iyengar Yoga Instructional Video YOGA DAY with Ros Bell (£25) 10.30am to 2.30pm - Sun November 27th 2005 VHS = £12.99 each + postage YOGA WEEKEND with Judith Jones also available on DVD Fri 13th to Sun 15th January 2006 (discounts available for bulk orders) YOGA WEEKEND with Judith Richards If you are a beginner or a student of many years, this at East Clare Yoga Centre, Eire video is designed as a tool to help you “Practice and October 28th to 31st 2005 Enjoy” your yoga at home, as well as in your class. see www.eastclareyoga.com There are 5 sessions of 15-20 min each that you can YOGA HOLIDAY with Judith Richards & Janette Browne use, including a relaxation session, plus limbering-in at Molino del Rey, Andalucia, Spain poses to do at the beginning of each session. see www.molinodelrey.com and www.yogadham.co.uk 9th to 16th April 2006 Julie Brown has taught for over 20 years and is a FIRST AID COURSE qualified senior teacher. St John' s Ambulance Certificate - valid 3 years (soon to be necessary for yoga teachers) 9am to 5pm - Fri 9th Dec 2005 - £75 To order or for further At North Surrey Centre for Iyengar Yoga information: 25 Effingham Road KT6 5JZ 01625 879090 Contact: Judith Richards 020 8398 1741 [email protected] [email protected]

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 62 ADVERTISEMENTS

Intermediate Junior Training Workshops with Sheila Haswell Starting September 2005

01494 521107 www.sarva.co.uk High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3AB

Wanted east clare yoga centre situated in the west of ireland, the east clare yoga centre Iyengar Yoga Teachers is a family-run rural retreat centre offering iyengar yoga for a new Yoga Centre in the Kensington classes, workshops and residential yoga holidays and Chelsea area of London which is due to open January 2006. summer/autumn 2005 residential iyengar yoga weekends sept 16-118: yoga weekend We are looking for experienced Iyengar with laurence o'toole (ger) - 290/Stg £190 yoga teachers who hold the Iyengar Yoga oct 14-116: intermediate yoga weekend with cathy-rogers evans (us) - 290/Stg £190 Certification Mark, ideally qualified to oct 28-331: halloween bank holiday workshop Intermediate Junior level or above. with judith richards (uk) - 430/Stg £285

To apply, or for any enquiries, Stg prices may fluctuate with exchange rate. Price includes yoga tuition, shared accommodation, all meals, please contact daily snacks & transfer to/from Shannon International Roshanak by e-mail at Airport. Workshops limited to 12 people.

[email protected] for further information visit www.eastclareyoga.com, tel. +353 (0)61 640923 or email [email protected] or mobile 07813 112 551 colour brochure available on request

Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 63 I Y A ( U K ) E X E C U T I V E C O U N C I L Name e-mmail Telephone Position Committee Chair

Gordon Austin [email protected] 0191 5487457 NEIIY rep. Debra Bartholomew [email protected] 01706 841942 MDIIY rep. Ros Bell [email protected] 020 8340 9899 NELIYI rep. Nathalie Blondel [email protected] 078 120 10924 AIYI rep. Archives Brenda Booth [email protected] 01892 740876 individual rep. Patricia Booth [email protected] 01663 732927 special rep. A and TT Alan Brown [email protected] 01535 637359 BDIYI rep. Carol Brown [email protected] 0131 557 5739 EESIYI rep. PR Joe Burn [email protected] 0113 250 4336 Secretary Margaret Carter [email protected] 01925 758382 Vice-Chair Planning / Events Louise Cartledge [email protected] 01428 645 825 Memb. Sec. Jon Cotgreave [email protected] 0161 969 1724 LIYI rep. Helen Graham [email protected] 0141 642 0476 GWSIYI rep. Philippe Harari [email protected] 01223 523410 CIYI rep. Communication Judith Jones [email protected] 01488 71 838 Chair Management Jean Kutz [email protected] 01872 572807 SWIYI rep. Judy Lynn [email protected] 020 7328 0898 individual rep. Christina Niewola [email protected] 01260 279565 MDIYI rep. Lindsey Patterson [email protected] 07789 190913 ORIYI rep. Prabhakara [email protected] 0121 449 7496 MCIYI rep. Elaine Pidgeon. [email protected] 0131 552 9871 Special rep. E, M and C Judith Richards [email protected] 0208 398 1741 Treasurer Finance Andy Roughton [email protected] 01273 326 205 IIYS rep. Helen Scarlett [email protected] 0114 225 7025 SADIYA rep. Andrea Smith [email protected] 02392 466750 DHIYI rep. Patsy Sparksman [email protected] 0208 4556366 individual rep. Merchandising Co-oopted members Management Committee: none Ethics, Membership and Certification Committee: Penny Chaplin, Pen Reed, Judi Soffa, Judi Sweeting Assessment and Teacher Training Committee: Margaret Austin, Julie Brown, Sheila Haswell, Meg Laing, Jayne Orton, Sasha Perryman Finance/Membership Committee: none Planning Committee: none Communications Committee: Kirsten Agar Ward, Rachel Lovegrove Public Relations Committee: Janette Browne Archives/Research Committee: Susan Vassar Conventions/Events Committee: none Merchandising Committee:Tig Whattler

Moderators: Margaret Austin Tricia Booth Julie Brown Penny Chaplin Sheila Haswell Meg Laing Sasha Perryman Elaine Pidgeon Jayne Orton Pen Reed Judi Sweeting Professional Development Days Coordinator: Judi Sweeting Assessment Co-oordinator: Meg Laing Senior Intermediate Assessment Organiser: Jayne Orton Junior Intermediate Assessment Organiser: Sasha Perryman Introductory Assessment Organiser: Sheila Haswell Republic of Ireland Assessment Coordinator: Sheila Haswell Iyengar Yoga News 7 - Autumn 2005 64 PRONUNCIATION OF DIACRITICS The Sanskrit names and words printed in this magazine are transliterated (as opposed to printed in Sanskrit text). In order to pronounce these words correctly a series of diacritical marks is used. Joe Burn provides a full guide to the correct pronunciation of Sanskrit. VOWELS: a as in about à as in father e as in made i as in fit ã as in fee o as in born u as in put å as in boo ai as in bite au as in found ç as in rich

CONSONANTS:

The tongue should touch the back of the upper palate in these: k as in kiln kh as in backhouse g as in good gh as in aghast ï anger

The tongue should touch the front of the upper palate in these: c as in chill ch as in church j as in jug jh as in john ¤ puncher

The tongue should curl a little backwards in these:

ñ as in try th as in courthouse ó as in dog óh as in send home õ as in niggle

The tongue touches the back of the upper teeth in these: t as in toot th as in cat home d as in dot dh as in send home n as in natter

The lips start together and then open in these: p as in pat ph as in pop home b as in band bh as in abhor m as in mat y as in yoga r as in rat l as in luck v as in we

ù as in sheet ÷ as in push s as in sound h as in hit