by Rob Schütze Gurus reunite for Pattabhi Jois’ 90th birthday

After 40 years of not seeing each other, BKS Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois met in July this year, setting a powerful example of unity for the followers of Iyengar and Ashtanga who have at times focused more on their differences than on their similarities.

australian yoga life 1 Pattabhi Jois Celebrates his 90th

The usually quiet upstairs living room was but have quite distinct approaches to different people because he was such a around the world gathered to pay tribute to Humble beginnings pregnant with anticipation and excitement practising (postures), as anyone who wealth of knowledge that nobody could him and continue to come year after year to Pattabhi Jois’s fame and fortune seem a when a hurried voiced exclaimed, “He’s has attended both Iyengar and Ashtanga gather it all. That’s how Iyengar described study in Mysore. Well-known Australian long way from his humble beginnings in coming! He’s coming!” Moments later classes would know. Unfortunately these it. It was not that friction of, ‘Oh my stuff teachers David and Simi Roche, Graeme Kowshika village and his years as a poor yoga history was made as a smiling differences at times fuel a competitive is better than yours’.” Northfield and Dena Kingsberg joined her Sanskrit student begging for food (bhiksha rivalry between practitioners of the two anna) from local brahmins in Mysore. His BKS Iyengar strode through the door to Besides discussing their time together in celebrating Ashtanga’s living master. most popular schools of . introduction to yoga came at the age of 12 greet his long lost friend, Pattabhi Jois, for studying with Krishnamacharya in the “Guruji was really happy to see his old when he was so transfixed by a yoga his 90th birthday. Alex Medin emphasises that this rivalry 1930s, Jois and Iyengar spoke about the students come back,” says Hall. “We forget demonstration from the great Tirumalai stems from the students of Iyengar and Jois sudden popularity of yoga in the West and Within minutes two of the most sometimes that if it wasn’t for this guru we Krishnamacharya that he prostrated rather than the teachers themselves. He the importance of study, or ‘intellectual celebrated hatha yoga masters of our time, wouldn’t have a lifestyle, we wouldn’t have himself before him and asked for points out that even the most earnest yoga sweat’, when practising. They joked about both affectionately called ‘Guruji’ by their the ability to practise this beautiful yoga instruction. It was the start of a 25 year practitioners can suffer bloated egos and coffee being the soma rasa (elixir of students, having not seen each other for and travel the world and earn our living. relationship with the man who has been deluded thoughts, despite the goal of yoga divinity) of our time and vowed not to more than 40 years, were laughing We forget that, so it’s important just called the founder of . being to dissolve the ego and reveal the forget each other. coming back and saying thankyou to him.” and hugging as they swapped stories of Krishnamacharya is said to have given Jois eternal, undivided nature of reality. One Australian present was Eileen Hall, the past and of their own beloved guru, Popular American Ashtanga teacher the Ashtanga yoga practice as his life’s work, “Ideally yoga should be unity in diversity, who has studied extensively with both Shri T Krishnamacharya. David Swenson says the real legacy of handing over an ancient Sanskrit manuscript it should be sambandha, coming together,” masters but is now a devoted student of Jois’s teaching is his ability to inspire so (Yoga Korunta) by Indian sage Vamana Rishi “For anybody that was there on that day Medin explains. “The problem is that a lot Pattabhi Jois and a certified Ashtanga many people to practise Ashtanga yoga so detailing the Ashtanga system. After decades it was incredible,” says Alex Medin, who of vrittis – all the modifications of the teacher. She describes the reunion as an practising and teaching this method, it was orchestrated the reunion at Pattabhi Jois’s mind – can also get intensified through inspiring act of bringing the yoga diligently. “He’s inspired thousands of only once he retired as a Sanskrit professor home in Mysore, South India. “There was yoga practice. When we practise our community together. “To see Mr Iyengar people to practise Ashtanga yoga and in 1973 that Jois became well known in this vibrant feeling in the air of too hard our egos get swollen, we here was great, to see him out of his that’s the potency of a teacher,” says the West and the trickle of Americans tremendous healing.” can become proud. So we need to stay territory,” Hall recalls. “He was really Swenson, who first came to Mysore in gracious and humble and funny… As he 1977. “Ashtanga yoga is a difficult pathway coming to study with him eventually filled was about to leave, he sat up and looked at and he will tell you, ‘Ninety-nine per cent the modest shala he named the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute. us all and his final line was, ‘I ask you all to practice, one per cent theory’. He Jois and Iyengar spoke about the sudden keep the flame of Patanjali burning bright encourages that practice aspect of it and This is where the ‘Mysore-style’ Ashtanga as our teacher Krishnamacharya did for it’s through this that his legacy lives on.” yoga practice has its roots. A small room of a popularity of yoga in the West and the us’. It was so beautiful.” Perfect birthday present importance of study, or ‘intellectual sweat’, It was the perfect end to a week of when practising. festivities in Mysore marking the 90th birthday of Shri K Pattabhi Jois. More than 800 students and friends from around the world gathered in their finest “All of us that were present just felt so clear of the six enemies of the heart Indian regalia to honour their teacher. A happy. Guruji (Pattabhi Jois) was so – desire, anger, greed, delusion, envy and packed auditorium echoed with live happy, Iyengar was so happy. They were sloth – which imprison us.” classical Indian music and excited chatter just radiant. They were hugging like Medin, a certified Ashtanga teacher who as old friends were reunited while waiting brothers, like two brothers who had been hatched the plan to bring Iyengar and Jois in line to pay respect to their guru. away from each other…and suddenly they back together while separately come together and express their love for Many students showered Jois in gifts and interviewing both men for his Masters each other. It’s a beautiful thing.” flower garlands, while others set up a thesis in January, says he is sure this is only charity in his name. In the space of a few News of the reunion spread quickly and the first of many meetings. He hopes to days they raised over Rs50,000 (A$1,500) left the Mysore yoga community buzzing arrange a joint conference where they can for the Rotary Artificial Limb Centre – with excitement. Many of the Ashtanga both share the different insights into yoga enough for thirty prosthetic limbs – and students who annually flock to see Jois felt that Krishnamacharya imparted to them. Rs22,000 (A$670) for a local school. inspired by the example of reconciliation Joanne Darby, who also witnessed the Stacey Platt, who helped set up the these two Krishnamacharya disciples are reunion, says BKS Iyengar highlighted the Shri K Pattabhi Jois Charitable Trust, says now setting. “The feeling I got was, let’s common lineage that Iyengar and Ashtanga it was a way of honouring their guru while stop this fighting between schools,” says also supporting the local community. yoga share, rather than their differences. certified Ashtanga teacher Mark Darby, “We wanted to show the community of “Iyengar said Krishnamacharya gave a little who has been coming to Mysore to study Mysore how much we appreciate their bit of his knowledge to different people,” with Jois since 1979. “Yoga is yoga, we’re hospitality,” she says. she recalls. “[Pattabhi Jois] took a certain all practising yoga.” part of Krishnamacharya, Iyengar took a Sydney based Eileen Hall says it is Pattabhi Jois and BKS Iyengar were both little part, Desikachar learnt a different testament to the power of Jois’s 68 years of students of Krishnamacharya in the 1930s, part. He left a different knowledge to teaching that so many students from

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few people would sweat, stretch and balance worked with Jois to publish the first For now this extraordinary yogi, who has in silence while Guruji, who had little book detailing the Ashtanga primary inspired thousands to taste the fruits of English, spoke with his hands – through the and intermediate series. “Before, he yoga, shows no signs of slowing down. Still sometimes excruciating adjustments that was addressing you, touching you, it travelling the world, teaching for hours on have become yoga folklore. was individual. When he speaks now end each day and with a beaming smile many of this new generation don’t pick inviting newcomers – ‘Yes, you come!’ – “He worked us really hard,” says David up the message, don’t know what is behind Pattabhi Jois is full of strength and vitality, Swenson. “We practised twice a day, and the message. just like his old friend BKS Iyengar. then did (breath control), so Both men have devoted their lives to “He speaks about [looking place], three times a day. And he taught us some of studying this ancient science of liberation, the kriyas (cleansing practices)… He spent for example. He sees people looking tirelessly sharing that knowledge with so much time with us during the day. He around and says, ‘You know drishti.’ But rigour and compassion. By the hand of was 60 years old and like a lion, Pattabhi drishti goes beyond the point where you grace they may well continue that mission Jois. You see how energetic he is still but look. When he used to speak before, it was for another 90 years. then he was amazing, like a teenager.” what you do with your life, not only the drishti through the practice but after the New generation practice – how do you act, what do you eat, Pattabhi Jois has in recent years moved to a where are you going, what do you think. bigger house, incorporating a much bigger That is drishti too.” yoga shala to accommodate the growing David Swenson is more confident that the throng of students. This rising popularity legacy of Ashtanga yoga will outlive its most means that his teaching has perhaps become famous master. “Pattabhi Jois is a less intimate and personal – something that figurehead, but the real juice is coming from long time Italian student Lino Miele laments the practice,” he explains. “There’s always a Rob Schütze is a former journalist and now dilutes Pattabhi’s message for the new new generation, and this practice – runs Yoga Space in Perth. He is a student generation of Ashtangis. Ashtanga yoga – is almost a living entity that of Ashtanga yoga master Shri K Pattabhi “It’s very difficult, I believe, for the new lives and thrives through people practising Jois. Rob can be contacted on people to understand his message, because it. Through the breath of the practitioner (08) 9243 5114 or [email protected] there are bigger classes,” says Miele, who the practice itself grows and flourishes.” www.yogaspace.com.au

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