Cherry tree in blossom, Spring arrives in Victoria. Photo: Glenda Balkan-Champagne NEWSLETTER SPRING/SUMMER 2020 IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE OF VICTORIA NEWSLETTER Submission Deadline for next issue In this Issue (Fall 2020) August 1, 2020 EDITOR Roger Champagne NEWSLETTER COMMITTee Roger Champagne, Lauren Cox, Anne Glover, 3 Yoga in These Times – 16 Yoga, a Wealth to Johanna Godliman, Leslie Hogya, Hilary McPhail Message from Editor be Stored DeSIgn & PRODUCTION Cady Graphics By Roger Champagne By Geeta Iyengar IYCV LOGO Charles Campbell, Lauren Cox phOTOGRaphy Glenda Balkan-Champagne, 3 Breath of the Gods: 16 Thank You from Victoria Charles Green, Tracy Harvey, Leslie Hogya, Ann Kilbertus, De Orelle, Jess Paffard, Linda Shevloff, A Journey to the Origins CoolAid Society COVER PHOTO Glenda Balkan-Champagne of Modern Yoga PROOFING Roger Champagne, 17 Cabin Fever A Review by Julie B. Cohen ADS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Hilary McPhail By Jess Paffard DISTRIBUTION Adia Kapoor, Laure Newnham, 4 Reflections Krysia Strawczynski By Shirley Daventry French 18 Yoga 134: MEMBERSHIP/MAILING LIST Hilary McPhail A Credit Course at the IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE University of Victoria OF VICTORIA SOCIETY 6 Annual Tea Party Pose is a non-profit society incorporated under the By Ann Kilbertus Society Act of the Province of B.C., whose 7 The Core of Iyengar Yoga purpose is “to encourage the physical, mental, and spiritual growth of its members and other By Abhijata Sridhar Iyengar 20 When the World Came interested persons of the society at large by the study and discipline of Yoga.” The Society owes to a Halt… its inspiration to Mr. B.K.S. Iyengar. 10 An Immunity Sequence By Rajvi H. Mehta The Newsletter, published regularly by the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Victoria Society, provides current From Iyengar Yoga Delhi, information on events concerning Iyengar Yoga in demonstrated by Deanne Orelle 21 Spring Announcements the Victoria area. Send contributions, articles, photographs (high resolution), drawings, information or 11 Coping With COVID-19 24 IYCV Calendar suggestions to: the Iyengar Yoga Centre of By Jane Munro Victoria Newsletter, 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8V 3K3. Permission is hereby granted to reprint any of 12 Nin: Patience our material, except that copyrighted by the author or artists. When reprinting, please credit By Teddy Hyndman this newsletter and send us two copies of the publication containing our material. Copyright material is available only with written permission. 13 Contentment The editor/newsletter committee holds the right By Leslie Hogya to publish or edit all articles at its discretion. Newsletter Advertising Policy 1. Advertisements must not conflict with the 14 Yoga in the Time of aims of the newsletter of the IYCV. COVID-19 2. Advertisements must be only for Iyengar Yoga. 3. Priority will be given to advertisements By Linda Shevloff regarding IYCV events, IYCV-sponsored events, and IYAC-ACYI events. REGISTER FOR CLASSES & WORKSHOPS Please visit our website: www.iyengaryogacentre.ca for full information on classes and workshops. 202-919 Fort Street, Victoria, B.C. V8V 3K3 Phone: (250) 386-YOGA (9642) THE CENTRE IS VERY GRATEFUL TO THE VICTORIA FOUNDATION FOR Due to space limitations at the Centre, we regret we THE $14,664 GRANT WE RECEIVED cannot accept past issues of the IYCV Newsletter, Statue of Hanuman outside Rimyi. Yoga Journal, etc. TO PURCHASE NEW PROPS IN 2020. Symbol of steadfast devotion. 2 VICTORIA IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE NEWSELETTER Yoga in These Times – Message from Editor By Roger Champagne Jane Munro writes: Normally, yoga keeps me sane. And, healthy. Now, I’m especially grateful for my practice. I rely on its he Spring newsletter will only appear on our website and ability to reconnect body, mind and spirit. I also marvel at the gift for the first time will not get to the printer. This is one of of fascinating, insightful, dedicated teachers. T many changes we have had to undergo at our centre in Leslie Hogya reminds us to remember one of the guiding dealing with COVID-19. principles of yoga: We are certainly in the midst of adverse Our contributors have reflected on other changes they have currents. The virus is universal and spread over the whole world. experienced and ways that they are coping with these changes. Where is contentment? Guruji says in Light on Life when the We see home practices flourishing, with creative solutions to niyamas are followed, first comes first cleanliness, which leads to the need for props such as stacks of books and folded towels. contentment. “…contentment can only come from the ability to Online Iyengar classes are rolling out; we find ourselves sharing harmonize with our immediate environment. …Then we are not a teacher from India with students from Mexico, France and disturbed by inevitable challenges and disturbances.” p. 259 Wisconsin. Change drives innovation and has forced us to adapt our With social isolation forced upon us, these opportunities to technologies to meet our needs. Some of these changes may gather, even online, can serve to assuage the loss of community continue into the future and be a part of how we connect. Of as our centres close. The virtual response to our isolation is not course, it is impossible to say what the future will look like, but a replacement for our actual community; however, it allows we can see how our current adaptations meet our needs and us to support each other emotionally and financially in these we must trust that each of us will evolve our practices to meet challenging times. It can be one important part of a practice; those needs. We will continue to need our teachers, our guiding the voice of a trusted teacher can be motivational and inspiring. principles, and our home practice. We also hear from writers rediscovering the opportunity to develop a quieter, deeper home practice; an important practice that can reflect an awareness of personal needs each day. Breath of the Gods: A Journey to the Origins of Modern Yoga A Review by Julie B. Cohen and teachings. He interviews several Krishnamacharya’s century — through now-legendary students and relatives the movie-making process, he realizes hile yoga can be linked and interweaves them with rare historical that “that’s not what it’s about.” In the directly to Lord Shiva, its footage and lavish re-enactments. He end, he finally understands that “done W 20th-century incarnation owes learns the sun salutation from Pattabhi mechanically asana is nothing more much to Indian practitioner Tirumalai Jois, who developed and popularized than a stretching exercise, but with Krishnamacharya (1888-1989). At the the vinyasa style of yoga known as concentration and the right breathing, heart of this feature-length documentary, ashtanga; the king of asanas (headstand) it’s more. It begins to take effect — and German filmmaker Jan Schmidt-Garre from Krishnamacharya’s brother-in- then it is yoga,” he concludes in the seeks to discover the source of the law, B.K.S. Iyengar; and a secret life- movie’s final scene. asanas. Not only is Breath of the Gods saving yoga sequence — four breathing In fact, the documentary turns out enlightening in terms of documenting exercises, eight asanas and concentration to be a metaphor for the yoga journey modern yoga’s history, the film also exercises — from Krishnamacharya’s son itself. Assumptions and expectations — captures important wisdom from T.K. Sribhashyam, a practice that his like those made by Schmidt-Garre when preeminent practitioners who are no father did until his death at age 100. he started making Breath of the Gods — longer here to share what they know. While Schmidt-Garre’s original turn out to be impediments. Only by Schmidt-Garre’s personal quest to quest was to find where the asanas letting go, can one begin to learn what find authentic yoga encompasses an came from — mythical times or from yoga really is. exploration of Krishnamacharya’s life SUMMER 2020 ISSUE 3 Reflections By Shirley Daventry French of her students were urged to practise on Swami Radha had established a three- Practice has to become their own at home. In classes she offered month residential Yoga Teachers’ Course A perfect weave of Action and Reflection. sprinklings of yoga philosophy and at her ashram to meet this demand for – B.K.S. Iyengar directed us to read related texts. A former teachers. It embraced not only yog-asana nurse, she taught some rudimentary but yoga philosophy, psychology, study ow, more than ever in this time anatomy and physiology. Eventually, after of western and eastern philosophical and of COVID-19, our yoga practice some of us had repeated several sessions, spiritual texts and intense scrutiny of the Nrequires a balance between action she encouraged us to learn from the only mind. The required booklist was sobering and reflection. Sadly much of the Yoga of other yoga teacher in town in that era, a and although aspects of the course were today has not only lost this balance but is man called Gordon Limbrick. He too quite academic, it was experiential at ignorant of the role of a personal practice emphasised Yoga as a personal practice. heart. We didn’t just learn concepts, we in integrating what we have learned in Both these teachers were English had to find ways to put these into practice classes into our daily life. A home practice and had lived in India in the time of in our lives. Many of these concepts were is a vital part of this equation. the British Raj much of whose energy hard to digest, i.e. the body is mind made Reflective practice can and does take was used to keep their two cultures manifest! place in group classes but is rare.