VICTORIA yogacentrenewsletter March / April 2005 March

Yoga is nothing if it is not perfect harmony of the body, senses, mind and intellect, reason, consciousness and self. When all these are integrated that is true . – B.K.S. Iyengar July 11-16, 2005 August 15-19 With Leslie Hogya, With Shirley Daventry French Ann Kilbertus This program is for teachers certified at Teacher and Linda Benn the Introductory Level II or higher. This six -day course will build your Shirley is a long-time student of B.K.S. Training understanding of teaching Iyengar Yoga Iyengar who awarded her a senior teaching based on the foundation of good credential. She has been teaching yoga for practice. Leslie, Ann and Linda are thirty years and is one of North America’s Intensives experienced teachers certified at the most experienced teachers in the Iyengar Junior Intermediate Level III through the tradition. Shirley has been training teachers Iyengar Association of Canada (I.Y.A.C) in Victoria and throughout Canada for and are qualified I.Y.A.C. assessors. many years. They are involved in teacher training Both Intensives will include daily classes in Victoria as well as assisting teachers in and , the art and in outlying British Columbia and Yukon science of teaching and peer teaching. communities. Philosophy and anatomy will be included. Preference will be given to I.Y.A.C As in previous years, Iyengar Yoga teachers members and those preparing for from other countries are also invited to assessment in the near future. apply. I.Y.A.C. members will get priority.

Fees: $560 + GST for VYC members $600 + GST for non members Registration opens February 23 To register contact the Victoria Yoga Centre, 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3K3 3250 386-YOGA(9642) A deposit of $150 will reserve a place. Full payment is due June 2, 2005. If you cancel before June 2 your deposit less 10% will be refunded. After June 2, refunds will only be given if your space can be filled.

Upcoming

WORKSHOPShort IYAC Assessment Dates

50+ Workshop: Backs and Hips Teachers: Leslie Hogya & Wendy Boyer 2005 June 17-19, 2005 Saturday, March 5, 1:00 - 3:30pm Introductory I/II Courtney-Comox BC Fees: Members: $30 +GST, Illumination Non-members, $35 +GST - Aphorisms of B.K.S. Iyengar Oct 21-23, 2005 To register contact (Victoria Yoga Centre, 2003) Introductory I/II the Victoria Yoga Centre, London ON 202 - 919 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8V 3K3 This beautiful book was produced by (250) 386-YOGA (9642) the VYC for Mr. Iyengar’s 85th Dec 9-11, 2005 Refunds will only be offered if your space birthday celebration.Get yours today. can be filled and are subject to a $10 Junior Intermediate I cancellation fee. Available from the Victoria Yoga Centre Montreal QC contents

2 Reflections VICTORIA by Shirley Daventry French yoga centre 6 Canadian Iyengar Yoga Conference NEWSLETTER Opening Address by Dr Geeta S. Iyengar EDITOR Melissa Worth NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Shirley Daventry French, Lauren Cox, 10 Geeta Iyengar’s 60th Birthday Gwynneth Powell, Greg Sly, Jane Munro, Taimi Mulder, Susan Robinson, Celebration Nancy Searing by Linda Shevloff DESIGN / PRODUCTION Cady Graphics PHOTOGRAPHY Melissa Worth, Corrine Lowen, Leslie Corcos, RIMYI; Photos of 12 Yoganga –Shikshaka – Chakravarti Geeta Iyengar by Nancy Bleck and Susan by Chris Beach Stewart; Photos from Yog-Sadhana by Gaye Barter; Cover Photo: Statue of Patanjali gracing the entrance to the Iyengar home. 14 Setting up in Sana’a ADS / ANNOUNCEMENTS Lauren Cox, Leslie Hogya by Leslie Corcos ILLUSTRATIONS Lauren Cox SCANNING Byron Smith, Taimi Mulder 16 Uttistha Sthiti –Standing DISTRIBUTION Keiko Alkire, Rosemary Barritt, Krysia Strawczynski Teacher Training Paper by Krisna Zawaduk MEMBERSHIP / MAILING LIST Karin Holtkamp 17 Reflection Practice PRINTING Hillside Printing

by Corrine Lowen DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE March 15, 2005

19 Forward Extension Asanas VICTORIA YOGA CENTRE SOCIETY is a non-profit society incorporated under the Societies’ Act of the Province of B.C., whose purpose is “to encourage the physical, mental, and spiritual growth of its members and other < COVER PHOTO LAST ISSUE: Figure of Guruji adorning the gates interested persons of the society at large by the to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute. study and discipline of Yoga.” The Society owes its inspiration to Swami Sivananda Radha and Mr. B.K.S. Iyengar. The Newsletter, published regularly by the VICTORIA YOGA CENTRE SOCIETY, provides current information on events concerning yoga in the Victoria area and the Yasodhara Ashram. Newsletter Advertising Policy (Adopted February 20, 2004) COURSE REGISTRATION: Send contributions, articles, photographs, In keeping with the mandate of the Victoria Yoga Centre drawings, information or suggestions to Society Directors, 2004, to update, review and document Drop in: 202-919 Fort Street, the Victoria Yoga Centre Newsletter: policies and procedures, the newsletter committee submitted a 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8V 3K3. policy which is a revision of the 1996 policy and has been Victoria, B.C. V8V 3K3 For information on activities and events, adopted by the Board of Directors as follows: call 386-YOGA(9642) or visit our website: Phone: www.victoriayogacentre.bc.ca. 1. Advertisements must not conflict with the aims of the 250 386-YOGA(9642) newsletter of the VYCS. Permission is hereby granted to reprint any of Refund policy: our material, except that copyrighted by the 2. Advertisements must be only for Iyengar Yoga author or artists. When reprinting, please credit Refunds will only be offered if your 3. Priority given to advertisements regarding: this Newsletter and send us two copies of the space can be filled and are subject publication containing our material. Copyright - VYC events to a $10 cancellation fee. material is only available with written permission. - VYC sponsored events The editor/newsletter committee hold the right to - CIYTA events publish or edit all articles at their discretion. - Radha House/ Yasodhara Ashram

1 REFLECTIONS — February / March 2005

n November 2003, two days before I was not be. I had reconfirmed my flight in Pune due to leave Hong Kong for India, I and again in Delhi. Unmoved, the agent told discovered that my entire itinerary for the me that I no longer had a seat and, despite the I ongoing journey had been erased mysteri- business class ticket which he was holding in ously from Thai Air’s computer. Things were his hand, that business class was full. They complicated because my ticket had been issued would see if they could find me a seat in by Air Canada. I never did learn how this coach. I protested louder that I wanted the happened, finding myself caught between Air business class seat which had been assigned to SHIRLEY DAVENTRY FRENCH WAS Canada who said they did not know why Thai me and supposedly confirmed. The Lufthansa AWARDED SENIOR CERTIFICATION had erased my itinerary and Thai, who blamed agent ignored me. FROM B.K.S. IYENGAR. SHE HAS BEEN Air Canada. It was not until the morning of It was the middle of the night. The car TEACHING SINCE 1972 AND FOUNDED my scheduled afternoon departure from Hong which had driven me to the airport had left. I THE VICTORIA YOGA CENTRE IN 1976. SHIRLEY LIVES IN VICTORIA AND Kong that I received confirmation of my had changed all my Indian currency into TEACHES WORLDWIDE. flights to and from Mumbai. Euros for my stopover in Germany. With no This year, the outgoing journey proceeded local money, no telephone, no hotel reserva- smoothly. Again I was staying first in Hong tion, tired and wanting to sleep, I decided to Kong, and must say I was relieved when I stay put and if nothing happened soon, phoned Thai to confirm my flights to India escalate my protestation. How, I was not clear, and all proceeded smoothly. The airlines tell but I was not going to go away. I did ask the you there is no need to reconfirm, but if you agent to write down what it was that Air are flying in Asia, don’t believe them. I have Canada had not done so that I could take it spoken to many travellers who have had up with them on my return. A little later, he similar experiences to mine. told me he had done this on the back of my ticket. If you don’t like disturbance in your life, I stood there. Time passed. About twenty minutes! Once or twice I asked what was stay away from yoga and particularly happening but received no response. Then, just as I was thinking of asking to see a great Masters. supervisor, the man suddenly turned and without a word gave me a boarding pass for It was on the way back that I faced a exactly the seat I had originally been assigned challenge this time. Having cleared the when I bought my ticket. Wordlessly but security you go through to get into the Indira thankfully, I left. Gandhi international terminal at New Delhi, It was not until I had boarded the plane and and put my baggage through the x-ray we had taken off, that I looked at my ticket to machines you must use before any airline will see what the man had written about this accept it, I approached the Lufthansa desk to problem. He had written nothing, and it get a boarding pass for my 3:30 am flight to suddenly occurred to me that my flight had Frankfurt. When I reached the desk and probably been confirmed all along and he might handed over my ticket and passport, I was told have been hoping for a bribe. All the interaction that my passage on Lufthansa had been had taken place between the two of us with no cancelled because Air Canada had not sent third party being consulted at any time. them some vital information for reconfirma- The rest of my journey was straightfor- tion. I protested vehemently that this could ward, and I arrived safely home to spend the

2 Christmas season with my family. this? What possible purpose could these The journey to and from Pune is never tragedies have served? The survivors, once the easy. Distance and time zones make sure of first devastating torrent of grief has subsided, that. These difficulties are often a portent of at least have the possibility of searching for challenges to come while in India and after answers which can only be found in a spiritual returning home. On the level of learning, if context. the teaching has got through to you, there will Those are the sort of questions which a follow the challenge of absorbing and assimi- student of yoga wrestles with. These are the lating new ideas and concepts which will questions which lie behind the effort to pull require you to let go of old ones. While up your kneecaps or stand on your head for stimulating, this is always uncomfortable. I ten minutes undisturbed. have learned from experience to give myself Before I went to India for the first time, I some space to allow not only for jetlag but for attended a workshop with Ramanand Patel. the evolution of those changes set in motion. It is especially difficult to teach. Teachers are supposed to know the subject and after being with Guruji, Geeta and Prashant I am well aware how little I know. As a teacher, I want to embrace what I was taught in Pune, but it is not yet fully digested. Except for a couple of occasions when I have returned home sick, my energy is generally high after a trip to Pune, and I find myself having to rein in this energy so it doesn’t get dissipated. If you don’t like disturbance in your life, stay away from yoga and particularly great Masters. If they accept you as their pupil and you accept them as your teacher, they will consider it their duty to accelerate your progress on the spiritual path by revealing the impediments which obscure the Light, and Someone had recommended him because he showing you how to remove or circumvent was not only a good teacher but he was them. You will be very attached to many of Indian. One morning, at the end of three these obstacles, even those which cause hours of work with yogasana he asked if aggravation and disease, and coming face to anyone had any questions. Someone posed face with this fact is going to disturb you. You some obscure philosophical question about can run away, bury your head in the sand, samyama (integration) or samyoga (union) or keep busy, do whatever you can to amuse or some such thing. Looking this woman straight distract yourself; but inevitably, sooner or in the eyes he said: I’ll answer that question later, you are going to be faced with major when you can hold your kneecaps up! challenges: ill health, accidents, family or At that time I thought, what a rude man, financial troubles, losing your job, war, but now I understand perfectly. It is a lot earthquakes, growing old or dying young. easier to contemplate some abstruse concept We have had the recent catastrophic than to look at the lack of concentration tsunami in Asia to remind us about our which is interfering with progress right now. tenuous hold on stability; and in Vancouver a In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras it is no accident that landslide in a residential area which, during dharana (concentration) comes before dhyana the night, destroyed homes and life. How (meditation) which leads to samadhi, or the many of those who died were prepared for culmination of the eightfold path of astanga 3 Guruji is always chastising us for wanting minds, in the present and the future. The karma that has been laid down has to be to move on to more advanced asanas dealt with; there is no choice about that. The choice comes in how and when. I before we have learned to sustain recall the following statement of the philosopher Cleanthes very often, basic actions in elementary ones. because it really describes this dilemma in a nutshell: Some follow the Gods willingly; the rest are dragged. yoga. Patanjali begins to delineate obsessed society. To quote Ramanand In one sense I can see that I have astanga yoga in the twenty ninth sutra of again: you can do the most perfect been directed all of my life along a path the second chapter. Along with kriya in the world and you’re still which has brought me to where I am yoga (the yoga of action), it forms an going to die. Clinging to life or right now. Many of the steps were taken integral part of the yoga of B.K.S. abhinivesa is one of the klesas, or five unwillingly as my recalcitrance necessi- Iyengar. afflictions which disturb the equilibrium tated a prod or push from the Divine, Guruji is always chastising us for of consciousness (Yoga Sutras II.3). and sometimes I had to be dragged. wanting to move on to more advanced There is so much misleading promo- Whatever the lessons were that I needed asanas before we have learned to sustain tion of yoga. A student who dropped in to learn, they came anyway however basic actions in elementary ones. It isn’t recently at a new yoga studio opened by much I tried to avoid them. Wouldn’t it that he does not want anyone to practise teachers of another style told me that the be better to seek them consciously? I do advanced asanas, but that the path can owner, a medical doctor, was touting not enjoy being dragged! Eventually I only be trod successfully in a systematic yoga as a cure-all. This student has been began to cooperate with what I perceived and progressive way. You want to do in yoga for long enough to have seen, as as my destiny, in the process learning a and you can’t even keep your have I, that even the most dedicated lot about letting go, surrender and non- legs straight in Trikonasana or student, even the most spiritually evolved attachment. - or stand straight in individual, is sometimes the recipient of It is with this adage in mind that I ! When Guruji is teaching such ill health and other misfortune. There are keep making the effort to go to Pune comments abound as he sees our gross many factors at work here. Yoga is not a despite the obstacles always arising along presentations which may come in stiff or guarantee of a happy and healthy life, the way. I do my best to identify and flexible bodies. In fact, he often demon- but rather a fulfilling life with a defined face the karma I have put in place and to strates how a stiff bodied person is doing purpose where the ego-self plays a do something about it, but on my own I a certain posture better than someone supporting role to the divine self. can only do so much. My practice reveals who is very flexible. Each one of us has our own karma to much, my reflection on my life in Whatever age we are, whatever state face and mitigate, in this life or another. general reveals still more, but my our body is in, whatever stage of life we The law of karma is often translated as ignorance prevents me from seeing are immersed in, there is no obstacle to cause and effect. According to yoga, clearly into many areas of my body-mind practising yoga and including asana as some of this karma came into this world and many aspects of my life. Great one of your spiritual tools. Yoga really is with us at our birth as a result of past teachers can penetrate that barrier of for everyone, despite the focus in Yoga lives and the karma we create in this life ignorance and shed light on reality. Great Journal and so many yoga advertisements will influence future births. My mind teachers give you pearls of wisdom for on youth, fitness, body building and a opened to the possibility of more than guidance in the future. But you have to narrow concept of beauty. one life when, in a book about the work be there and you have to listen not only One of the first yoga books I read in of the clairvoyant, Edgar Cayce, I read a with your ears but with your intuition, the nineteen sixties was called Yoga, quote by Voltaire: After all it is no more heart and soul. Youth and Reincarnation by Marcia surprising to be born twice than it is to On my recent visit to Pune in Moore. As yoga burst on the North have been born once. Life, whether one or December 2004, on the second day in American scene, this book became a many, is a mystery. the library at the Institute Guruji spoke bestseller. Thirty years later yoga is still Even if you don’t subscribe to the at length about his work, and how the touted as a means to look young and idea of many lives, all our past actions search for alignment had led him to attractive in our youth and beauty will have an effect on our bodies, our experience the inner mind. Guruji’s

4 speech is peppered with aphorisms which you have to take in, reflect on and discover their meaning through your practice and study. If I had had to return home the following day, this one discourse would have been more than worth all the time, trouble and cost of my journey to Pune. But I was fortunate; it was not all. I attended some classes at the Institute as well as a special course SUMMER taught by Geeta in honour of her sixtieth SADHANAS birthday. Geeta taught brilliantly in morning asana and late afternoon Student Sadhana is a Sanskrit term which means dedicated practice or quest. pranayama classes. In mid-afternoon she Intensive This Summer we will be offering glowed as she led us through a full a 21-day and a 5-day Sadhana. chanting of Patanjali’s one hundred and August 29 - September 2 ninety six sutras as well as some new 9 am-12 pm July 4-24, 6:30-8:00 am sutras dedicated to Lord Patanjali. With Robin Cantor, Learn how to establish and And, as if that were not enough, we Wies Pukesh deepen your practice. and Linda Benn were graced by Guruji’s presence and teaching each day of the course as well. Level 2 experience required. September 5-9, 6:30-8:00am With Robin Cantor For such riches, I am truly grateful. See next issue for more details. See next issue for more details.

April 15-17, 2005 Ingelise Nherlan is a dynamic and inspiring teacher. She has studied yoga for 30 years and was awarded a Senior Intermediate Teaching Certificate by her teacher B.K.S. Iyengar. She has studied directly Basics to Refinement with the Iyengars at the Institute in Pune, India several times. Ingelise teaches and practices from the point of with Ingelise Nherlan view that all learning is 1. present knowledge 2. exploration of that which still remains to be discovered Friday, April 15, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Saturday, April 16, 11:00 am – 1:30 pm, 3:00 – 5:00 pm “Combine the two and we can move Sunday, April 17, Noon – 3:00 pm from basics to the refined.”

To register, drop in or phone: 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 3K3 Fees: $190 +GST for members | $210 +GST for non-members 250 386-YOGA(9642) Registration open now Refunds will only be offered if your space can be filled and are subject to a $10 cancellation fee.

5 Canadian Iyengar Yoga Conference May 2-6, 2001 Vancouver, BC with Honoured Guest and Teacher, Dr. Geeta S. Iyengar

  ‒  

his sadhana proceeds towards won’t look at your heels, it won’t antaranga, then you touch look at your toes. My mind can be somewhere the inner mind somewhere else, outside, and I can’t T which was tempting this do my tadasana here. I will be just body, remaining itself, hiding itself standing on my feet like a statue, behind. Now you know your real but my mind can be wandering mind, what it is. And that is how anywhere, and if the mind is your practice begins. You have to wandering, the body, though it break the barriers of your mind seems to be in that pose, it is which want to put stoppage wandering. And that is why no somewhere. It says, “Oh enough; oh asana could be just physical – a little more; all that,” even in your somewhere it pulls your mind, it practice. You have to catch that makes your mind to gravitate mind. This is how you have great towards the asana. access to all these in sadhana. This is the thing which has Whereas abhyasa is further subtle, been given to us by Guruji all subtle in a sense, if you have a through his techniques. You may proper idea about why you do your find for tadasana so many tech- asanas, then it could be tadasana, niques there in everybody’s trikonasana, , vrksasana, notebook if you gather. A book will whatever. Once you are clear about be there on tadasana. But it is not it, that you are catching the thief - the technique that he wants you to your mind, catching the thief - the do; he has given our mind to see ego, the ahamkara, catching the how much depth there could be for thief which is intelligence, which the mind to penetrate. That is a sometimes misbehaves, very rarely it is yoga sadhana. Don’t use the word if great treasure we have. You have to behaves. And to culture this when you you are doing tadasana and trikonasana go to the goldmines you have to go on know that you are doing asana or that you did just physical yoga. It is a digging to find the gold. When it comes, pranayama or meditation, whatever, but yoga sadhana because it has got to give a if you say that it is a physical asana, then in that, now the abhyasa is such which is broad view and you have to set up the you are missing the gold because you are more subtle. In which it is subtle - you whole practice in that. So when you do watching only the side of the mud on the know that why you do tadasana - it is the tadasana then in that practice of tadasana, rocks. I hope you understand this part. first asana you start with . you are sharpening your mind. You come This is called abhyasa. In that abhyasa, If you are sure about why you are doing to your feet; you come to your toes; you you are all the time effortfully putting tadasana there, because you want to come to your heels; you come to your your efforts in order to see this gold- definitely do the practice of asanas, to see ankles. In order to see each part of your mine, then in which you may find more that you are doing yoga sadhana. body which is physical you require that and more gold. This is how the whole Tr y to understand what I am saying - subtle mind. If the mind is not subtle, it practice has to be built up. If the practice

6 has to be built up, the whole life – material they will be selling has to built up in that way. Your under the name of a good mind cannot then go anywhere wrapper. In the similar manner, out for any reason. There is no untruth is like that which has no reason because you are disci- end, but for truth there is only plined - anusasanam - the one end. Whatever is, is, and if beginning. If you compare that remains in your mind, you yourself to the others, if you are on the path of satya. watch very carefully, you will Similarly, asteya – non-stealing – know that, yes, we as practi- yes, we are not going somewhere tioners, sometimes, we are better. to steal someone’s property, but if Our body problems, if you the time comes, yes, be honest compare, that is a different and be truthful, see that we don’t matter than if you say, “Oh, do that. In classes sometimes, somebody hasn’t got pain in the when the class is going and I say back, but I have, in spite of doing asanas, that somebody picks up someone’s I have got the back pain.” Then you are If just the preparation blanket; they pick up this blanket and just comparing the sorrows, but who of food takes so long they don’t notice. The other one comes knows, perhaps your sorrows are stopped over, “It is my blanket.” This happens only at the back pain, but the one who is time, the yogic mind, because if we don’t take care, somebody not practicing, their sorrows might be has took the blanket, might be belonging deeper than that, only they haven’t if it has to be cooked, to someone, but we don’t pay attention opened their books, so they don’t know. how long might it with that. So, asteya is of that kind. And we are not going to open their Brahmacarya – similarly brahmacarya has a books for our purpose. We have to open be taking? vast meaning – having control over our only our book. So try to understand that senses, our organs, we have to see that we in spite of having these kinds of prob- brahmacarya, and aparigraha, it is the way lead towards the Brahma. We cannot lems, you may find that there is of looking within ourselves. If once you give in anyway to your mind just to get something greater than this that we are know the principles, the principles are entangled in the worldly pleasures. That having. That is how the yogic mind is there. It has been informed. It has been is what it means. Because we just take prepared gradually. If the food takes a returned. But it is you who has to see, the verbal meaning, and the verbal long time to cook – yes, you need to go are we non-violent when it is required? meaning will just say – having control to market, you need to bring the Are we violent with someone? Are we over the sex, sexual desires. Then you vegetables, you need to see that the disturbing someone? That also comes, it find that control over sexual desires vegetables you bring are liked by the is not a big violence there, but it makes means that you open the book of whole family, you have to see that it will us to think about it – we are disturbing psychology in different ways, but that be enough for the whole family, you someone by our way of behaviour, by really doesn’t mean that. It is telling the should know that, yes, it requires this our way of talking? Satya, it’s not that human being to have the control where much time, and that much time you you have to just speak untruth, if there is the control is required because your path have to give. If just the preparation of no fear, no untruth in your mind, of in is different. You have to reach the final, food takes so long time, the yogic mind, your heart there is nothing to speak ultimate goal. It is a spiritual path. So, to if it has to be cooked, how long might it untruth, the question of speaking truth have the control over the mind, this is be taking? It is how, from the market as doesn’t arise at all because it is truth. It is required. It shows the balance over there, we go to bring the vegetables and every those who want to say or speak untruth, the balance of the mind; and you find other thing, we have that this mind they have to calculate a lot. To cover each the person, who has lost the balance of collects in that manner all the yogic untruth, you require another untruth. To the mind, will be going on the wrong tendencies, all the yogic samskaras. Then cover that untruth, you require another path. That is why brahmacarya has got a it is how the practice has to be. untruth. And sometimes you find a good great meaning over there. It is not just It is not necessary to say that you do wrap, a distinct wrapping is done and meaning to have control over the sexual practice yamas: ahimsa, satya, asteya, when you open, it’s the same old matter desires because all the sexual desires

7 depend upon the sensual desires. but it gave you a mental poise. Sensual desires depend upon the And this mental poise has to be worldly pleasures, and the worldly used as a wealth to further the pleasures we like more when the practice. That means each asana mind is indulged in it. All are will be giving something, like linked. Aparigraha, last one, last of when there is a mental depression, the yamas. Patanjali says, “Don’t the mind went depressed. You ask show your ownership on anything, us what to be taught, and then we don’t hold on, don’t hold.” The self write you, “Make the person to do is giving, the aparigraha is a base. viparita , dandasana, etc.” If one follows aparigraha, the base Then you know the therapy for is such that it is leading you to go mental depression – if you do back on this path of brahmacarya, to go bendings, do full arm balance, do on the path of asteya, to go on the elbow balance, and as a therapy it path of satya, to go on the path of works wonderfully well. “The ahimsa. It’s no that you have to walk on That feeling of elation person comes out from depression,” you ahimsa and satya and asteya, there is no from inside is a wealth say, but is it only that thing that hap- path. The path is called completely pens? The patient is having the different. The path is that which pulls to be stored, to depression and you have taught the back the human being in opposite directions. bending and you have taught him to do It goes on hill. We are tempted to go on experience and utilize sirsasana, full arm balance, elbow balance. ahimsa path; we are tempted to go on at the right moment. By doing that, do you mean to say it is satya path; we are tempted to go on satya only that much relationship that the path; we are tempted to go on asteya That is the yogic path, fellow is suffering, and as a therapy you path; we’ll be tempted to go on brah- yogic mind. have introduced these poses? It cannot macarya path, and we’ll be tempted to go happen. He might come out from his on aparigraha path – this is our ten- depression, but again, it has got a great dency. It is absolute human tendency. All wealth for us to give. Because all of us of us will be having this human ten- has taught you something about sama, know that in spite of not having any dency; we can’t run away, only it might the tranquility of the senses of percep- depression that when you will do the be in different degrees. These human tion, but we don’t hold on to it. If we back bendings, when we will open up tendencies, we have to know, because think about that, yes, in savasana when I our chest, when we lift ourself properly they are our tendencies and we have to close my eyes and I’m there for five or with the spinal movement, there is a see how we cross these tendencies which ten minutes, whatever you do, your feeling of elation from inside. That are hidden inside, and we will be a better mind becomes quiet, your eyes have feeling of elation from inside is a wealth person, a better human being. That is shown you the path of quietness. If that to be stored, to experience and utilize at what yogic path is. experience is stored by us, understood by the right moment. That is the yogic Now to be on the yogic path, as I us, and opened at the right moment, we path, yogic mind. If I have done my said, some capital is required. The mind know how the tranquility is to be back bendings in a proper way, if I have needs some capital there, some wealth brought. That means savasana leaves its found myself elated, tomorrow if I have over there – and it is sama, dharma, imprints somewhere deep on the mind, to face something which will be very that’s called, that we have to have and that’s why you enjoy. And each asana difficult for me to face, but those back tranquility of our sense perception. will be giving this kind of feeling. Even if bendings may help. And you have When you do savasana, when you close it’s the perfect sirsasana – a day when you experienced that. Many of them have your eyes for savasana, you know there is do your head balance correctly, when you written me letters when there is some some sort of quietness in the eyes. For feel that yes, there was no neck pain, family problem, somebody is not well, five minutes even, if you do savasana, you there was no shoulder pain; when you somebody hospitalized, you said, “thank know that yes, there is a feeling of know that yes, you could stay there for god, because I was doing yoga I could silence, feeling of quietness, and you five, six minutes comfortably with full sustain this.” It could be a mental shock, come out of savasana as a different balance of mind. It was not just a whatever. So what is it that made you human being. Now that small savasana physically or physiologically better pose, sustain that? That is a yogic mind. You 8 practiced yoga, and that yogic mind gave mind which is getting cultured to a great how you uplift your yogic practices, how you this – that you could be courageous extent if you watch. As a science, we you go further progressively moving at that moment. may explain that forward bends are good yourself in yogic practices. And that is This is how from the discipline, the for this, back bendings are good for that, how the yogic practice is built up. That anusthana, because you want to practice and we have to say that otherwise you is how the life is built up. So it begins everyday, the anusanam, and then again are not going to understand anything. So from the discipline; it begins from the Sadhana, because there are different ways if you read the effects of the asanas, the understanding. of doing it – today you do standing effects of the asanas are not just +=, poses, tomorrow you do back bendings, giving the effect. It is also the reverse – Many thanks to Cathy Valentine from day after tomorrow forward bends, or that if this is the effect, from this effect Saltspring Island for transcribing this address. whatever you do, it is building up. Your you have to draw that energy to see that mind is more than your body. It is the how you enhance your yogic practices,

Member’s Scholarships are available for To subsidize your term fees please apply Scholarships all long workshops and intensives. 3 weeks prior to term. Please apply in writing at least one Applications and details for both Bursaries month prior to the workshop you are are available at the reception desk. interested in. See Calendar on back & Victoria Yoga Centre page for dates. 202-919 Fort Street Student Bursaries are available to all Victoria, BC V8V 3K3 students presently enrolled in classes.

Shirley Daventry French seeing &correcting Join Shirley Daventry French, senior teacher in Canada, for an inspiring teacher training workshop. Shirley has traveled to Pune many Friday Night times and has observed firsthand this most Gatherings challenging aspect of teaching. This one day interactive workshop will help hone your skills of observation and correction. Everybody is welcome to join us. Bring a friend, your partner Saturday May 7, 2005 11am-5pm or a family member. Bring your own snack. Fees: $ 95 + GST for members MARCH 4, 2005 $105 + GST for non-members Asana practice 6:30pm Registration opens: March 7 for members Potluck dinner 7:30pm March 14 for non-members By donation To register, drop in or phone: Free to members 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria, B.C.V8V 3K3 250 386-YOGA(9642) Bring food to share Refunds will only be offered if your space can be filled and are subject to a $10 cancellation fee.

9 Geeta Iyengars 60th Birthday Celebration Yog-Sadhana

Linda Shevloff

LINDA IS A CERTIFIED JUNIOR The following article was initially published in the Hong Kong newsletter, Svadhyaya Volume 3, Issue 1, INTERMEDIATE III TEACHER WHO 2005. It is with Linda’s kind permission that we are able to re-print it here. FORMERLY TAUGHT AT THE VICTORIA YOGA CENTRE. SHE NOW LIVES IN HONG KONG AND n December, fourteen Iyengar yoga On the first day, Geeta began by talking IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE IYENGAR students and teachers from this studio about her own yoga practice. She said that YOGA CENTRE OF HONG KONG. traveled to Pune, India to celebrate the throughout her life she has practised yoga and I 60th birthday of Geeta Iyengar. We were yoga practice has always been part of all part of a large group of well-wishers from 25 celebrations. For her sixtieth birthday, as so countries who attended a five day yoga sadhana many people insisted on having a special given by Geeta. About 550 of us crowded into celebration, she agreed to lead a special practice large hall and spread out our yoga mats to or sadhana to mark this event in her life. practice together. She talked about her own yoga standard, humbly explaining that in her view her stan- dard of yoga is not very high. Those of us listening all know Geeta as a dedicated and brilliant teacher, so her comments were touching. She said that her yoga is simply practice, and that her practice is also regulated by the other demands and duties of her life. She has health limitations now and she is currently working with an arm injury and so she does her yoga practice within that restricted framework. Nevertheless, all of her life she has tried to bring her practice of yoga to a certain level. Geeta discussed the theme of the Yog- Sadhana workshop. Sadhana roughly translated Sadhana roughly translated means “practice”, means “practice”, but for a yogi it means more than merely just a practice. She said, “It tells but for a yogi it means more than merely just how we need to have a complete gravitation a practice. She said, “It tells how we need to toward our inner evolution, our inner improvement. The inner inclination needs to have a complete gravitation toward our inner lead us to go inside to reach the soul.” Yoga sadhana is roughly divided into three evolution, our inner improvement. The inner steps. The first one, bahiranga is the more inclination needs to lead us to go inside to external, physical quest. In his edition of Light on the , Guruji B.K.S. reach the soul.” Iyengar explains that this external quest includes the first four limbs of Astanga Yoga,

10 namely the Yamas, Niyamas (ethical instruction. She said that repetition is principles and observances), Asana and needed to penetrate the bahiranga Pranayama (yoga poses and breathing). further. “You have adjusted the outer body The second step is antaranga, a practice but you haven’t adjusted the inner body. If concerning the internal quest. When you just do once you can’t pay attention. considering the eight limbs of Astanga After many repetitions your mind begins to Yoga, this phase includes Pratyahara and penetrate. For the fruit to become ripe it Dharana (sense withdrawal and concen- takes a longer time. Need the mind to tration).The third step is antaratma reach everywhere. Then you begin to enter sadhana, a practice concerning the antaranga sadhana. You can’t do this in a innermost quest for the soul. This five day course. Penetration takes time. to protect our inner gravitation towards corresponds to the last two limbs of Keep your knee caps firm…” the soul. Inner absorption does not come Astanga Yoga, Dhyana and Samadhi What a wonderful birthday celebra- at once, but it has to be assimilated. The (meditation and a profound deep state of tion this was, and she was the one inner system has to be healthy and clear meditation and awareness). offering the gift. After five days I felt in order to assimilate so that yoga Geeta explained that no yoga awakened, charged with energy and penetrates deeper and deeper within. sadhana is possible unless you are totally completely alive. Thank you Geetaji. Geeta said that we can’t expect all of involved in the practice. Body, mind and Happy Birthday. this to happen within one life. As practi- soul need to do the sadhana. She also tioners we can see time limits, but in a explained that the first stage, bahirangas sense there is no limit. You can’t fix the sadhana, is quite big. Bahiranga sadhana development of these stages into a yoga includes training the outer body course. It is not a question of one life. We including the muscles, bones and skin. It have to have hopes that may extend over also includes the inner organic body and inspirations several lives. Like the fruit, we need to the senses. She said that a lot of time is from protect ourselves now so bahiranga needs needed to culture the cells of the body so to be done by all of us every day. that they fully participate in the sadhana. with Leslie Hogya After that introduction to the true India Antaranga sadhana only begins when meaning of yoga sadhana, we started the the outer body is prepared to help you May 13 & 14, 2005 yoga asana practice with heightened and can be available for you. On this Friday, 6:30-8:30pm attention and alertness. level one begins to penetrate the mind. In Saturday 11:00am - 1:30, The first pose was Tadasana and once antaratma sadhana one goes deeper inside 2:30--5:00pm we were standing in it she began to call using the instruments of body and mind. out instructions: “Everything has to be This all-levels workshop will be inspired by Geeta explained that all three steps of classes taken at the Ramamani Iyengar built up. The foundation has to be firm. the sadhana go together. Even though we Memorial Yoga Institute. Saturday The mind and intelligence has to stand afternoon will be devoted to questions verbally divide them, all three parts must ready. Bring yourself to attention. Be about establishing your home practice. be there. At first the practice is very attentive to yourself. Be attentive every- Leslie Hogya has a Junior Intermediate III much bahiranga, while the antaranga is level certificate, trains teachers and is an where within your cellular body. Attention proportionally much less, and the assessor for the Iyengar Yoga Association without tension. Be quiet within to catch. of Canada. She has studied in Pune six antaratma much much less. However, Distribute your energy evenly, equally. A times, most recently in August 2004. over time, with sincere effort and great chance to look at yourself. Are you in (Bring a snack for Saturday afternoon) training, the penetration within comes the right position?” She proceeded to Members $105+GST more quickly. Non-members $115+GST address the placement of bones, the When we start a yoga practice, she Registration open March 14 for members direction of particular muscles, the feel said we must come to the beginning and March 21 for non-members of the skin, the state of the eyes and watch ourselves with fresh eyes. Being To register, drop in or phone: ears…so that we shaped our bodies into 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 3K3 pupils of yoga our penetration has to Tadasana, the mountain position, 250 386-YOGA(9642) begin from the outside. The outer skin of standing still. Refunds will only be offered if your space a fruit protects the inner fruit until it is can be filled and are subject to a $10 We repeated Tadasana several times ripe. This is how we need bahiranga cancellation fee. and each time she went deeper in her sadhana to protect our inner interest and 11 Sri B.K.S. Iyengar Yoganga – Shikshaka – Chakravarti – “Emperor of Teachers of Yoga”  

Chris Beach

The Victoria Yoga Centre would like to express terrified at the same time, but he totally its gratitude to Chris Beach and Jean Smith surrendered to Guruji. He took off his shoes, for giving us permission to reprint this two- and Guruji put him onto his head. As part article which was first published in the Guruji made sure that the reporter’s shoulders Orange County Iyengar Yoga Newsletter Vol. were lifted, Jawahar (a senior teacher from 1, No.7, August 2004. Mumbai) held the man’s feet. And there he was in headstand, being taught by the greatest yogi on the planet! When he came t the most recent IYOC (Iyengar down, the reporter was so joyful, and felt the Yoga Orange County) party, amazing recuperative result of Sirsasana. many of us had the opportunity Guruji then explained that he saw that this to watch a new movie about the A man had a very “hot” mind, so busy with life and career of B. K. S. Iyengar. The intense energy. Guruji asked him, “How do movie, entitled Atma Darsana, reminded you feel now? How does your mind feel?” me once again of Mr. Iyengar’s intense And the reporter answered, “Guruji, my dedication to yoga, a dedication which is mind feels very cool, very relaxed.” With this equally apparent both in his practice and Anyone who has example in action, Guruji taught everyone in his teaching. there how the headstand cools the brain, how One part in the movie, however, ever met Mr. Iyengar it makes the brain balanced, and he spoke caused me to think more deeply about knows that he is nearly about how it is the king of asanas. All of the what it means to be a yogi. In one of the reporters listened with rapt attention, and interviews used for the film, Mr. Iyengar always teaching, one could see how Guruji teaches by explained that he is not a “fanatic,” example, allowing people to experience the because although he may practise eight yoga rather than simply talking about it. hours a day, when he is finished with his practice he returns to Even when Mr. Iyengar is not teaching, he is thinking about daily life as an ordinary person. how to make the subject of yoga more accessible and more Yet while he may not be a yoga fanatic, Guruji is a person beneficial to his students. The senior teacher Patricia Walden, who has clearly dedicated his life to yoga. Anyone who has ever in an interview published in , speaks about the met Mr. Iyengar knows that he is nearly always teaching, remarkable way in which Mr. Iyengar uses his own body as a working to pass on his knowledge and his example to others, laboratory for experimenting with the poses: trying to help those around him. I remember once watching him practice before teaching a class. A story told by Los Angeles-based Iyengar Yoga teacher I was startled to see his body twisted in uncharacteristically poor Chris Stein beautifully illustrates this point: alignment, but later in class I realized that he had been working When Guruji was invited in 2000 to Kolkata to be given the out the problems of his students within his own body. He once told title of “Yogacarya” from the World Yoga Society, he spent part of me that he learned his method by exploring not only what was one day being interviewed by the press. At one point during the right, but what was wrong; and that he hoped his students could interviews, he told one of the reporters interviewing him that he was learn from his experience. going to put him in headstand. The reporter was amazed and

12 Mr. Iyengar is sparing with praise, of humor as well as his absolute integrity as a teacher: Mr. Iyengar will adjust a student who is uncomfortable in a stingy by our standards: even the pose. He’ll ask the student ‘Is that better?’ Often the student will begin to answer, ‘Yes, but...’ Mr. Iyengar will stop him, saying, senior-most teachers receive critical ‘Better is better, don’t be greedy.’ corrections from him. The highest Not being greedy, in our yoga practices and in our lives, is often a difficult task. Guruji’s reminder is a good lesson for all compliment I ever heard him grant of us. anyone was ‘Not at all bad.’ PRACTICE Any person who is not lethargic can obtain yoga, be he young, old, very old, sick or weak. Most of us can only imagine the dedication it would take to One who is intent on practice will obtain yoga, practice our asanas not only as a means of improving our own not one who is idle. faulty postures, but also in order to understand our students’ physical problems and limitations! This is what Mr. Iyengar Yoga is not obtained by reading scriptures, means by discovering a “divine, dedicated practice” rather than nor by wearing the dress of a yogi, nor by talking about it. an “egoistic practice.” Practice alone is the course of success. As yoga teachers, Mr. Iyengar has said, “We have to be cruel Hathayoga Pradipika (I: 64, 65, 66) to be compassionate.” To be cruel, in this case, means to be By dedicated practice of the various aspects of yoga, honest about our students’ mistakes. It is not part of the impurities are destroyed: the crown of wisdom Iyengar method to praise our students, to tell them how radiates in glory. beautiful their poses look. I can count on the fingers of one The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (II: 28) hand the times I have received a compliment on one of my poses from an Iyengar teacher. A battle ensues when the mind says, “I want to”, Valerie Read, who has been several times to Pune, told the but the body says, “I cannot.” It lies in your hands following anecdote about her experience studying with Mr. to see who wins. Iyengar: Sri B.K.S. Iyengar Mr. Iyengar is sparing with praise, stingy by our standards: CHRIS HAS BEEN STUDYING IYENGAR YOGA SINCE 1985, even the senior-most teachers receive critical corrections from him. AND IS A CERTIFIED INTRODUCTORY LEVEL II TEACHER. The highest compliment I ever heard him grant anyone was ‘Not at CHRIS HAS BEEN TO INDIA TWICE TO STUDY WITH THE all bad.’ IYENGARS AND WAS RECENTLY ELECTED TO THE BOARD I will end this article on Mr. Iyengar’s teaching with another OF THE IYASC. quote from Valerie, which I believe illustrates Guruji’s wry sense

What you learn will stay with you as a ready reckoner, a store of information for you to fall back on.

– Prashant Iyengar

13 Setting up in Sana’a

Leslie Corcos

ana’a is the mountain capital of determined the type of foam I needed. Yemen, which is the home of Immediately, 2 sample blocks were cut. I Osama Bin Ladin’s family, radical took them home to try and found they S Islam, and the Queen of Sheba. were too thick so returned the next day We moved to Sana’a shortly after I and had them cut them in half. They certified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher. I were just right so I ordered 36 more. I decided to set up my first yoga studio in then showed them my wooden block and my house, in spite of the challenge of most asked where I could get it copied. people saying, “This will never work.” I With what I was beginning to realize knew there were obvious steps involved to was typical Yemeni generosity, they were Leslie with Sa’ad, her bolster maker, make sure my studio succeeded. First I and his nephew in Sa’ad’s shop. anxious to help. A small, fierce man, needed to learn Arabic, even at a beginner named Mohamed, wearing a large dagger level, as few people speak English. Then I in a wide belt, was summoned to drive had to find yoga props, and finally I had dababs and in my new clothes felt I me to the wood, heshab, shop. First he to find my students! blended in a bit in spite of continually needed his morning tea break. I was My first two weeks were spent taking tripping over my robe. The next chal- brought a chair where I sat in the shade. intensive Arabic, finding my way around lenge was finding yoga props as all I had The foam workmen all brought their cut the city, and learning how to dress were mats. off plastic bottles or cans to be filled with appropriately. Having no car, I took Suqs are markets, and I combed their sweet, milky tea. They all then squatted public transport to my lessons. This alleyways for suitable blankets but was companionably in a circle on the hot, meant taking dababs which are minivans told firmly and repeatedly, no wool concrete parking area with the dust filled with Yemeni men and women that blankets! The only ones available were of blowing round them and ate flat bread hurtle up and down the chaotic, crowded very thick fluffy acrylic which I tumbled with cheese. streets with their doors propped open. off in Salamba . So I consid- Again, with the usual Yemeni No foreign women ride dababs, ered foam blocks, but the only foam graciousness, Mohamed cut his break instead most swish through the streets in around was too soft. One night, while short and bundled me into his small air conditioned Land Cruisers with walking with my husband, he spotted a truck with a shattered windshield and no drivers. It seems that only Yemeni tiny repair shop with a laborer working seatbelts. We careened through the women ride dababs. They dress in ankle on car seats. I was ecstatic to find a small streets, sometimes on the left, the right, length, long-sleeved robes called baltos. piece of very hard foam on his floor. The or in the middle, missing other vehicles Their heads are shrouded with black man, Yahya, offered to take me to the by inches, until we arrived at the wood chiffon and burkhas cover their faces. factory where it was made if I came back shop where I gave them my sample Some even wear black gloves. I bought a the next morning. So the next day I was block. Mohamed kindly delivered the balto and black chiffon for my hair but there. He wasn’t and his shop was firmly finished blocks to my house the next day. dared to leave my face exposed. After closed. In my faltering Arabic I asked I then found a place to have bolsters two weeks my Arabic was sufficient to do some men next door if they knew Yahya made and my daughter sent me straps the basics. I could get around Sana’a on and explained why I needed him. With from the U.K. so I felt quite well great kindness they immediately hailed a equipped taxi and told the driver to take me to the Having the rudiments of props, I I bought a balto and foam factory. now needed students, so ran an ad in black chiffon for my hair The factory was a beehive of activity The Yemen Times and also put up small and I was directed up steps where I posters in the German House, my Arabic but dared to leave found an office and two men sitting School and a beauty shop. Slowly the behind desks. In my childlike Arabic, I my face exposed. calls started coming and I asked them all gave measurements, drew pictures and to bring towels to pad the foam. Three

14 weeks after arriving in Sana’a, I gave my first yoga class to seven women. Word Update!!! then spread and I soon had a steady stream of takers. I have now been here nearly 6 weeks and have over 20 students. Happily four Fund Raising Appeal of my students are Yemeni, others are from Lebanon, Pakistan, Italy, New Zealand, OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO RAISE $10,000 Ireland, England, Canada, Holland, WE HAVE RAISED CLOSE TO $7,000 Slovenia, and the U.S. They all seem to appreciate taking a break from the swirling Thank you to all who have so certified at the Introductory 2 level. dust and incessant honking of the Sana’a generously donated to our appeal. Our special needs classes which help streets to spend time in the quiet of my many people deal with illness and It is not too late make a donation injury are very heavily subsidized yoga room. A certain peace is added to and help us meet our goal and by the Victoria Yoga Centre because doing yoga in Yemen, with the call to support the ongoing work of the of the low student/instructor ratio. prayer drifting through the window, Victoria Yoga Centre in promoting We also rely on many dedicated singing Allahu Akbar (God is great) as my Iyengar yoga in our community and volunteers. students release into Savasana. across the country. Your donations help support our instructors, We need your support so we can scholarships, bursaries and special continue our work! LESLIE STARTED PRACTISING YOGA IN 1972 WHILE STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY AT UC BERKELEY. SINCE needs classes. There are nine Namaste, THEN SHE HAS LIVED OVERSEAS AS A COUNSELOR instructors certified at the Junior the Instructors and Board of Directors AND TEACHER. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF 2 ADULT Intermediate and Senior CHILDREN ONE OF WHOM WAS BORN IN ARABIA Intermediate levels, plus seven of the Victoria Yoga Centre AND THE OTHER IN JAPAN.

The 21st Annual Retreat at the Saltspring Centre

Registration will open for paid VYC members on March 14, 2005. If there are any spaces left, non-members may register after March 21, 2005. June 3-5, 2004 Members Price With Shirley Daventry French $340 shared accommodation in the house $300 to camp, $265 for commuters Shirley is a senior student Non-members: of B.K.S. Iyengar and has Add $35 to the price above studied at the Ramamani All prices include GST. Memorial Institute in Pune To register, drop in or phone: many times, most recently 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 3K3 in December 2003. 250 386-YOGA(9642) Refunds will only be offered if your space can be filled and are subject to a $10 cancellation fee.

15 Teacher Training Paper Uttistha Sthiti – Standing Asanas

Krisna Zawaduk

Why are standing poses To become a teacher in the Iyengar tradition, one someday we might reach a light-filled sattvic the foundation of must undergo rigorous training. Teacher training state. Psychologically, this fire brings forward through the Victoria Yoga Centre is a minimum our self-confidence. Improved posture reflects Iyengar Yoga? List 5 three year program comprised of studies including inwardly and outwardly. We may feel encour- or more basic principles anatomy, philosophy, practical teaching and, of aged to step out of our comfort zones. We that are taught in the course, personal exploration through yoga. Students may break old habits. We may feel more standing poses. What are required to write papers exploring these aspects adaptable and capable as we see that our do you think are the of study. Here we have published one such paper on bodies can be strong, flexible and capable. Or, standing postures. we may feel that even with our limitations, psychological effects there are possibilities for improvement – there of standing poses? tanding poses are the foundation is hope. I love BKS Iyengar’s quote, “STAND poses of Iyengar yoga because they ERECT OR YOU CAVE IN THE VERY get the student to explore movement SELF”. That really says it all. S in the body. Through the standing The standing poses are a good place to poses the student can get in touch with the start to make the mind-body connection. How body and all its various parts. When we can you stand on your head when you can’t practice the standing poses we will also even stand on your own two feet? You must discover how our posture can be improved. start at the beginning and build from there. It Proper alignment will start to come. We play is a safe place to start. Start from the outer- with balance and our centre of gravity and most layers, start from the arms and legs and find proper weight distribution. These asanas, head, feet, knees, elbows etc. We begin to Uttistha Sthiti, demonstrate all the possible realize how individual parts work with the movements of the spine: forward and back- whole. We are able to isolate different parts ward extension, sideways extension, lateral and delight in their functioning. I never knew and twisting movements. In the standing I could ache there! We begin to make new postures we also discover how the joints move connections – how can this action be trans- and function. In the beginning it is all about lated into other poses? How can this standing Utthita Hasta discovery. The student will discover how the pose teach that standing pose – and then how Padangusthasana II body moves, and also the qualities of their can this standing pose teach that backbend? bodies. We begin to see which parts of the How can I bring Tadasana into Sirsasana? As body are overworking and which are under- students, we can experience the links; we can working. We also come face to face with our experience the sequencing principles in our body and mind’s inherent strengths and practice. When some alignment and under- weaknesses. standing comes in the standing poses, we find When we begin, many of us come as that healthy patterns replace our old unhealthy tamasic creatures, set in our patterns of patterns. The body increases in intelligence. posture and movement. Standing poses break We have laid the foundation for self-realization us out of this inert, tamasic state and fire us and we may not even know it. up with rajas – action! – swinging us from KRISNA ZAWADUCK IS A STUDENT AND TEACHER one extreme to the other, in the hopes that AT THE KELOWNA YOGA HOUSE.

16 Reflection on Practice: Learning in the third year of teacher training

Corrine Lowen

earning how to practise is a never The new style of practice ending process. Initially we learn the basic rules of sequences: shoulder stand developed a momentum L follows head stand; twists follow and flow. I discovered new backbends, but can also come before; cooling poses follow warming poses; standing poses ways of practising, of teach the actions for all the poses. In the theory of sequence, all poses are important. Each linking and learning group teaches actions that help the others. for myself. I found fresh It is not possible to practise all the poses every day, but as I began to prepare for the insight into the ways Introductory Level I/II Assessment for Certification it became very important to students learn and I found include all of the poses in my practice regularly. ways to teach poses that I A common strategy is to take each syllabus and divide the poses into five days so each will had not thought of before. be practised at least once each week or two. I tried these practises, and attempted to devise a few of my own, but when I worked this way I labeled with a pose, the syllabus level, the found my practice seemed somehow alien, category (standing, sitting, forward extension, disjointed and out of whack. On Wednesdays lateral extension, backward extension, restora- I needed to add a pose from Monday, or tive). On the card, I also record ways of teaching Friday; the Thursday practice was unbalanced the pose, things I need to remember and but if I shifted things around other practices feedback I have received. Each card becomes a became too long or too short. I needed a new living notepad for its designated pose. approach that gave due attention to all of the I found many ways to use this deck of poses in a coherent sequence each day. cards. First I shuffled the entire deck and dealt I decided to make a deck of cards. Each is the cards out into eight days (nine poses per day). I added Sirsasana, Sarvangasana and Savasana to make twelve poses in each practice. Practising this way challenged me to think in new ways about how to sequence and how poses go together. I discovered links I had not considered before. This method requires a fair amount of extra time each day to think about Adapted Padmasana in sequencing but it has the advantage of cov- Sirsasana ering every pose on the Level I/II Syllabus at the end of an 8 day cycle. After a while I wanted to spend less time thinking about sequencing and more time Urdhva Danurasana doing asana. In stage two, I draw three new

17 cards each day and focus on these “poses needs more work I will keep it in the needs change and grow I continue to of the day” with extra attention, different practice for several days until the under- adjust the practice. The cards keep it props and ways of working. I go straight standing starts to come. For example, the fresh; they are a place to record my to the mat and give myself only a few last time Malasana came up I realized I learning and help me organize my minutes to choose asanas to prepare, had more to learn about this pose in my practice to include all the poses in a balance and focus body and mind in the body and about teaching it. For the balanced way. direction of the focus poses. Very quickly remainder of the week, I only chose two Developing a more effective practice I know where I needed to start to work. new cards each day and kept Malasana in has been my most important learning The new style of practice developed a every practice. By the end of the week I experience in my third year of teacher momentum and flow. I discovered new noticed an improvement in my ability to training. ways of practising, of linking and do the pose and I felt more confident learning for myself. I found fresh insight about the teaching ideas I developed. I CORRINE LOWEN TEACHES AND STUDIES AT THE into the ways students learn and I found tested these ideas when I taught the pose VICTORIA YOGA CENTRE. HER TRAINING TEACHER, LESLIE HOGYA, CERTIFIED AT THE JUNIOR ways to teach poses that I had not in all of my classes that week. INTERMEDIATE III LEVEL, IS SHOWN IN THE thought of before. I record the practice on a chart each PHOTOGRAPHS. The method of using cards continues day to ensure that all the poses receive to evolve and develop. If I feel that a pose due attention over time. As my learning

Thank You All! Victoria Yoga Centre volunteers are everywhere! Some recent sightings:

At the front desk - In the Special Needs In your neighborhood… afternoons… classes Janine Beckner Elaina Zackariuk two new volunteers Doug Hart Val Aloian Gary Wong Hilary McPhail Drew Yallop Maureen Doyle Nina Coverdale Denise Meyers Jeannette Merryfield On TV… Mary Lou Wakefield In between classes… Charles Campbell Aleta Crawley Wies Pukesh helped get the Sue Riddell Karin Dayton program committee organized Jim Riddell Charles Campbell and organized our free Ted Mather Tara Dutcawich In Arbutus and Birch classes. Lauren Cox Nancy Peterson Studios… Karin Holtkamp coordinated Anna Cox Kevin Aldous Bruce Cox made Arbutus the distribution of the Corrine Lowen Ewa Czaykowska-Higgins glow with a new coat of newsletter. Leslie Hogya…went live on Maureen Doyle yellow paint and added a the New VI at 7 AM to Laura Anderson Kevin Aldous and Weis fresh coat of ceiling paint promote the Victoria Yoga Janet Milligan Pukesh organized the Light to Birch. Daughter Anna, Centre. Karin Holtkamp Jim Riddell and Charles on Yoga workshop, Elaine Davies decorating the centre with Campbell extended On the road… Rosalyn Grey beautiful lights and making helping hands. Kevin Raymond picked up Katrina Chappelle chai and providing an overall Laurie Newnham …delivered festive atmosphere. a supply of foam blocks in a pinch. schedules to cafes, libraries Doug Hart and Wendy Boyer and local businesses. who are our main members practice space supervisors.

18 Paschima Pratana Sthiti – Forward Extension Asanas by Linda Benn

Melissa Perehudoff is a teacher-in-training at the Kelowna When we slump in daily posture or over-round the Yoga House. The following question came up during her back in forward extensions, the front of the vertebrae and studies with Linda Benn. discs are compressed. The discs are thinner in the thoracic spine. This could lead to problems of nerve compression Why is the concave back position so important in standing or over time push the disc posteriorly out of position. and seated forward extensions? I understand that forward When the back is over-rounded, there will be restric- tion of the breathing muscles. Many of the internal organs extensions prepare the body for backbends and pranayama will be compromised in function. The abdomen should by extending the spine, but can you shed more light not puff forward and this tends to occur when the upper on this question? back is hunched and the chest collapsed. During forward extensions, lengthen the sides of the body, elongate the any people, myself included, tend to be lazy spine and lift the chest so as not to compress the organs. and slump into too much convexity in the When you look at the back of someone who is overly dorsal spine. When this becomes a habitual rounding the upper back, you will see a great deal of M posture, the muscles and ligaments of the hardness in the back and the skin. The spinous processes back lengthen but they are weak and can no longer will be poking out into the skin. The spinous processes of sustain an erect spine with normal curves. These muscles the thoracic vertebrae get smaller going down from the must be strengthened to maintain good posture and to base of the neck to the top of the lumbar curve. This may move into good forward and backward extensions. The mean there is more potential for movement in that mid supporting back muscles must contract to lift and back band at the lower shoulder blade area than in the lengthen the front body. upper thoracic. In Vancouver, at the 2001 CIYTA (now Tadasana and the standing asanas are essential to build IYAC) conference, Geeta Iyengar said that the back awareness of good upright posture as well as creating muscles and skin in forward extensions should be like stability in the legs and lower body. and butter. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana are also important asanas to The first stage of forward extensions, when seated, is develop awareness and strength in the dorsal region. Since Dandasana. The action of the legs grounding to the floor it is often easy to contract the muscles of the low back, is of key importance. Then we go into the stage that is students tend to overarch the lumbar curve and harden the often called the concave stage – lifting the chest and abdomen. One must learn to coordinate the correct action lengthening the trunk. In the final stages of the pose, the of the shoulder blades – learn to move them into the back thoracic spine will be rounded, but not hard. By using the ribs in order to lift and open the chest to concave the action of the legs and arms to lengthen the side ribs, any upper back – with the pressing in of the strain is taken off the spine. coccyx (tailbone). Teachers must introduce The goal of our asana practice is to penetrate deeper Incorrect action these actions so students lengthen the spine than the muscular-skeletal level. Any time that hardness is – slumping as much as possible in these asanas. occurring, the breath, the nervous system and the mind My understanding is that people that will be affected in a negative manner. Tension will be have a normally convex upper back will created. Irritation rather than stimulation will be the never completely reverse that curve into result. Forward extensions should have an inward focus concavity (hyperextension). However, the and result in a cool, quiet state of mind, body and breath. effort should be in the direction of Understanding and applying these principles and concavity. Once in a while I have had a actions will help a great deal with the practice of pranayama Correct action student whose normal upper back appears and in the healthy movement of vital energy. – extension to be flat or even concave but that is not common and there are challenges associ- LINDA BENN IS A TEACHER CERTIFIED AT THE JUNIOR INTERMEDIATE LEVEL III. IN ADDITION TO TEACHING, ated with this shape of spine. LINDA TRAINS STUDENT TEACHERS.

19 victoria yoga centre Calendar

MARCH SEPTEMBER 4 Friday Night Gathering 6:30pm 5-9 5 Day Sadhana 5 Saturday Workshop: 50+ Workshop: 6-11 Registration Week Backs & Hops with Leslie Hogya 12 Term 1 begins 19 Teachers’ Meeting 17 Teachers’ Meeting APRIL 23-25 Weekend Workshop with Felicity Green 15-17 Basics to Refinement with Ingelise Nherlan OCTOBER 23 Teachers’ Meeting 14-15 Inspirations from India with Ann Kilbertus, 25 Term 5 begins Melissa Worth 22 Teachers’ Meeting 21-23 Introductory I/II Assessment in London, ON MAY 31 Term 2 Begins 7 Seeing & Correcting with Shirley Daventry French 13-14 Inspirations from India with Leslie Hogya NOVEMBER 3-6 Weekend Workshop with Chris Saudek JUNE Junior Intermediate Workshop for levels 3 & 4 3-5 Saltspring Retreat with Shirley Daventry French 26 Teachers’ Meeting 11 Teachers’ Meeting 17-19 Introductory I/II Assessment in Courtney-Comox DECEMBER 2 Sutra Workshop with Shirley Daventry French JULY 3-4 Going Deeper with Shirley Daventry French 4-31 Term 6 9-11 Junior Intermediate I Assessment in Montreal 4-24 21 Day Sadhana 11-16 Teacher Training Intensive – Introductory Levels with Linda Benn, Leslie Hogya, JANUARY 2006 Ann Kilbertus 27-30 Heart of Yoga with Shirley Daventry French AUGUST 2-31 Term 7 15-19 Teacher Training Intensive – Junior Intermediate Levels with Shirley Daventry Check our website www.victoriayogacentre.bc.ca French to find out about the current class schedule. 29-Sept 2 Student Intensive

20 When you study you are humble, you are neither a teacher nor a doer. Work for yourself and on yourself, like an Iyengar teacher who is sharp and demanding.

– Prashant Iyengar

RadhaYogaRadhaYoga Centre Centre

THE TREE OF LIFE Hidden Language of Workshop Open House Saturday April 29, Saturday April 9, 1:30 - 4:30 pm 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Come for three hours of relaxing and Drop by for a free class, for tea rejuvenating hatha yoga combined or for quiet reflection in our with reflections on the tree as a garden and lawn labyrinth symbol. FREE CLASSES: NOW OPEN! Bring a new depth of experience to 10:00 - 1:15 Hidden Language this pose. The tree is sometimes seen of Hatha Yoga Radha Yoga and Eatery as a bridge between heaven and earth. 11:30 - 12:45 Kundalini Yoga 728 Main Street How am I like that tree? “Where have 1:30 - 2:15 Dream Yoga Vancouver my roots spread? Where do they get 3:30 - 4:45 Hatha Yoga Basics (604) 605-0011 their nourishment?” Can I hold my [email protected] ground in the midst of the many Please call to reserve a place in classes influences in my life? Can you? Drop by for A Relaxing Yoga Class Find out for yourself. &/or Delicious Vegetarian Food

Radha Yoga Centre • 1500 Shasta Place • 250 595-0177 • [email protected] • www.radha.org

21 time to renew VICTORIA This is a reminder that the yoga centre Victoria Yoga Centre membership SOCIETY expired on December 31, 2004. Membership and The membership subscription fee is $32 Newsletter Subscription and renewable each January. For a one year membership and newsletter Membership benefits include: subscription, please complete this form and send it with your cheque or money order to: • 5% discount on all classes Victoria Yoga Centre Society, c/o Karin Holtkamp, • free practice times at the VYC 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8V 3K3 • timed practices Membership/subscription fee is $32 (incl. GST), • having the option of getting the renewable each January. newsletter mailed to you Name: ______• early registration and discount for workshops Address: ______

• borrowing privileges in our library City: ______• eligibility to become a board member Postal Code: ______• eligibility for scholarships for workshops and intensives. Country: ______

To renew your membership, please fill in the Phone: ______membership subscription form (at right), E-mail: ______and send to the Victoria Yoga Centre.

■ Do not mail me my newsletter during sessions, I’ll pick one up at my class ■ Receipt required

Membership benefits include 5% discount on classes, free practice times at the VYC, timed practices, early registration and discount on workshops, borrowing privileges in our library, eligibility to become a board member and eligibility for scholarships for workshops.