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In Memoriam—BKS Iyengar

1918—2014

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YogAfrica September 2014

CONTENTS

Ed’s Notes 4

BKS Iyengar : The guru j i who brought yoga to the masses 5

Thus Spake Iyengar 8

Asana Solutions—Roger Cole 11

Dispel l ing Myths and Sacred Cows 14

Visi t to Pune—Eileen Weinronk 12

Courses 18

Notices 22

Tribute 23

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ED’S NOTES

YogAfrica September 2014

“Act ion i s movement wi th in tel l i gence. The wor ld i s f i l l ed w ith movement . What the wor ld

needs i s more consc ious movement , more act ion. ”

- B .K.S. I yengar - Light On L i fe

RIVA HIRSCHOWITZ

Dear Members,

I t has been a d i f f i cu l t and event fu l couple o f months. Our magazine th i s month pays t r i bute to the l i f e o f our

Guru BKS Iyengar. I t i s w i th grat i t ude, respect and humi l i t y that we honour the man that he was and the legacy

that he leaves.

As w i th the prev ious ed i t i on, the Yogaf r i ca i s i n i t s shorter format for eas ier access. I hope you w i l l en joy

reading th i s ed i t i on.

Thanks as a lways to St ra t ford Canning for t ypeset t i ng and to a l l t hose that have cont r ibuted. Should you have

any comments or would l i ke to cont r ibute to the next ed i t i on, p lease emai l me d i rect l y .

Be in j oy

Namaste

R iva r i va.h i rschowi t z@gmai l . com

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BKS IYENGAR: THE GURUJI WHO BROUGHT YOGA TO THE MASSES

YogAfrica September 2014

The famed yoga teacher who rev i ta l i zed the anc ient Ind ian d isc ip l i ne has insp i red tens of m i l l i ons around the wor ld

AYESHA VENKATARAM

Bel lur Kr ishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar cu t a mean f igure in h is o ld age, spor t ing a mane of white

hair and w i ld eyebrows tha t fanned h is forehead between the s t i f f l ine that was a lways drawn down the

midd le (a mark ing to denote h is sec t wi th in H indu ism) . Bu t the fa ther of modern yoga , as he was o ften

cal led , is remembered w ith an outpour ing of fondness and gr ief the wor ld over a fter h is dea th from k id-

ney fa i lure on Wednesday. The 95-year -o ld was largely responsib le for put t ing yoga on the g lobal map,

making the anc ient Indian d isc ip l ine more access ib le to peop le of a l l ages.

Yoga’s widespread popu lar i ty has made i t a mu lt ib i l l ion-do l lar indus try , wi th people pay ing top dol lar

for branded apparel , luxur ious yoga retreats and c lasses; the commerc ia l iza t ion o f yoga even saw

a copyr igh t lawsu it be ing f i led in 2011 by Bikram Choudhury, the face beh ind Bikram yoga , character -

ized by a sequence of poses and per formed in rooms hea ted to a h igh tempera ture. Al l th is runs

counter to the spir i tua l bas is of yoga , which seeks to increase the prac t i t ioner ’s phys ical and spir i tua l

wel l -be ing by un it ing the body , mind , emo tions and in te l lec t. In a 2002 in terv iew, Iyengar ( fond ly known

as guruj i , or respec ted sp ir i tua l teacher , by h is s tudents) addressed th is shi f t : “ I th ink many o f my stu-

dents have fo l lowed the adv ice I gave years ago , to g ive more than you take, ” he said . “The commer-

c ia l ism may wash of f some time la ter . ”

“ I would ca l l h im a prac t ica l ph i losopher who , be ing a very d iv ine person , had the un ique abi l i ty to

come down to the level of the most mundane , teaching methodolog ies for us to upl i f t ourselves, ” sa id

Dr . Rajv i Mehta , who stud ied wi th Iyengar for more than 35 years and teaches a t Iyengar Yogashraya,

an of f ic ia l Iyengar ins t i tu te in Mumba i, India ; she is a lso the ed i tor o f Yoga Rahasya, the quar ter ly jour -

nal o f Iyengar ’s headquar ters in Pune.

B.K .S . Iyengar drew on the ear l ies t accoun ts of yoga pract ices, mos t notably the Yoga Su tras o f Patan-

ja l i (a foundat ional text on e igh t-s tep yoga from r oughly A.D . 400) , break ing them down in to d iges t ib le

chunks wi th an emphas is on props such as ropes , b lanke ts , b locks , bols ters and be lts to ach ieve

proper a l ignmen t and phys ical r igor . H is s ty le re l i es on c lass ica l yoga, branded as Iyengar yoga by oth-

ers. “Some peop le say he pract iced a type of Ha tha yoga ; o thers say Ash tanga . Yoga is one , he of ten

B.K.S. I yengar seen du r ing the ce lebrat ion of h i s 94th

b i r thday in November 2012 in Bel lur , I nd ia . Domin ik Ketz /

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said. L ike God is one , yoga is one. D if feren t people ca l l i t by d i f feren t names, ” sa id Mehta .

Iyengar was born in to an impover ished rura l fami ly , the 11 th of 13 chi ldren ( three d ied young) in the

v i l l age o f Bel lur , in the southern Ind ian s ta te of Karnataka. He was a s ick ly chi ld ; r idd led w ith d iseases,

inc lud ing tuberculos is , malar ia, typhoid and in f luenza, he was to ld he wou ld no t l ive pas t the age of 20 .

“I was an ant i-adver t isemen t for yoga , ” he would la ter joke . In 1936 , Iyengar found respi te — and , sub-

sequently , h is l i fe ’s cal l ing — from his a i lments with the pract ice o f yoga , wh ich he learned under the

tute lage of h is bro ther - in- law Tirumala i Kr ishnamacharaya, a revered yog i, Ved ic scho lar and ayur vedic

healer , a t the pa lace of the maharaja o f Mysore, where Kr ishnamacharya taugh t the royal fami ly . I yen-

gar rose to the top o f the c lass and was sen t to Pune to teach.

Dur ing Iyengar 's ear ly t rave ls to Europe , when he ident if ied himse lf as a yoga teacher , peop le

would ask if he wa lked on g lass and searched him susp ic ious ly. Rajv i Mehta

Yoga teacher and longt ime s tudent o f Iyengar

He spen t years ek ing ou t a l iv ing as a yoga teacher , somet imes subsis t ing on a s ing le p la te o f r ice

every few days . But h is pers is tence paid o ff : Ove r 16 years, h is repu tat ion s tead i ly grew af ter he taught

at an e l i te Pune spor ts c lub and then , independently , lead ing to a mee ting in 1952 w ith the v io l in maes-

tro Yehud i Menuh in , who had been exper ienc ing muscle pain . What was mean t to be a f ive-minu te in-

teract ion ba l looned in to three and a hal f hours as Iyengar led Menuhin through a ser ies of re lax ing

poses, or asanas , focus ing on prec ise a l ignment and pro longed pos tures — the ha l lmark of h is brand of

yoga. W ith h is bow arm loosening up , Menuhin was so impressed tha t two years la ter he inv i ted Iyengar

to teach in Sw i tzer land , where he was in troduced to Menuhin ’s s tuden ts, o ther ar t is ts and royal ty .

Fame fo l lowed, bo th a t home and abroad, as Iyengar ’s repute spread , and the yog i taugh t c lasses in

c i t ies across the Un ited S ta tes and in Europe. Soon, h is l is t o f ce lebr i ty c l ien te le inc luded wr i ter A ldous

Huxley, ac tor Annet te Bening , phi losopher J . Kr ishnamur t i , c r icke ter Sach in Tendulkar , Belg ium’s

queen mo ther El isabe th and Indian ac t iv is t Jayap rakash Narayan, among o thers.

“ In the ’40s and ’50s , when people spoke about yoga, i t would be esoter ic , ” sa id Meh ta. “Dur ing Iyen-

gar ’s ear ly trave ls to Europe, when he ident i f ied h imse lf as a yoga teacher , people would ask i f he

walked on g lass and searched h im suspic ious ly . That was the impress ion of yoga ; [ i t was ] though t to be

pract iced by madmen and eccen tr ics . From that he brought yoga to a respectab le leve l. ”

Iyengar ’s r is ing popu lar i ty led to the open ing of hundreds of Iyengar yoga schools (cur rent ly spread

over 72 coun tr ies) and h is 1966 book , L igh t on Yoga, h igh l igh t ing more than 200 asanas was trans lated

in to 17 languages and became an interna t iona l bestsel ler . Numerous acco lades fo l lowed , inc luding an

entry on h is s ty le of yoga in the Oxford Dic t ionary and h is inc lus ion in T ime magazine ’s 2004 l is t o f

the 100 most in f luent ia l peop le in the wor ld, as wel l as three of the top c iv i l i an awards in India , the

most prest ig ious jus t th is summer . But he remained seemingly unchanged by the fame , l iv ing by h is

words in L ight on Yoga : “S tay inspired bu t no t proud. ”

Dedica t ing h imsel f fu l ly to h is cra ft , he l ived a s imple l i fe in a house behind h is schoo l , the Ramamani

Iyengar Memor ia l Yoga Ins t i tu te in Pune , named for h is la te w ife . They had s ix ch i ldren, two o f whom,

Geeta and Prashant , are d irectors a t the ins t i tu te , whi le h is granddaughter Abh i ja ta Sr idhar - Iyengar

continues h is tradi t ion by teach ing at the inst i tu te, hav ing wa tched h im work over the years .

“Guruj i impar ted knowledge about yoga impar t ia l l y , ” she said in an in terv iew w i th The T imes o f Ind ia.

“He was l ike a great tree and h is s tudents , sapl ings growing around i t . ”

We are go ing to miss h is guidance, h is very presence and persona l ity, wh ich was so rad iant , l ike

the sun. The wor ld at large wi ll miss h im be ing there for the l ight that he could throw.

Firooza Al i

Yoga teacher and longt ime s tudent o f Iyengar

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Iyengar ’s s tr ic t teach ing s ty le — he o f ten barked instruct ions and jabbed h is s tuden ts when the ir

asanas fa i led to l ive up to h is s tandards — a ttrac ted some cr i t ics , such as au thor and ve teran yoga

pract i t ioner El izabe th Kadetsky , who wrote a not- very- f la t ter ing accoun t o f h im in her memoir F irs t

There Is a Moun ta in a fter spending a year s tudy ing w ith Iyengar . But h is long time s tuden ts l ike Mehta

and Firooza A l i th ink th is cr i t ic ism is unwarranted. “He was jus t a very ser ious and s incere teacher who

wanted to g ive the best to h is s tuden ts, even i f i t mean t he had to be a l i t t le hard on you, much l ike a

parent. I f h is cor rect ions or adjus tmen ts appeared rough to the on looker , for the person who got cor -

rected i t was b l iss fu l , because when he pu t you in the r igh t pos i t ion you exper ienced the r ight th ing, ”

sa id A l i , a wel l -known yoga teacher who has s tud ied wi th Iyengar for 37 years .

He fo l lowed h is own s tr ic tures , a t temp ting per fec t pos tures for two to three hours a day throughou t h is

l i fe , even af ter su f fer ing h is second hear t at tack at the age of 80 . “Pract ice is my feas t , ” he to ld The

New York Times when he turned 84. Wel l in to h is 90s, he could main ta in a headstand for a fu l l ha l f

hour . Heal th is “a s ta te of comple te harmony o f the body , mind and spir i t , ” he wrote in ano ther book,

L ight on L i fe . And thanks to h is emphasis on props such as ropes, b lankets , b locks , bo ls ters and belts

to ach ieve proper a l ignment , he ensured that anyone could be hea lthy , no mat ter what age or phys ical

const i tu t ion .

The guru a lso emphas ized center ing the body f i rs t , be fore turn ing to look inward, un l ike

the Sivananda schoo l o f yoga, wh ich s tresses medita t ion a longside asanas . “I t is through your body

that you real ize you are a spark o f d iv in i ty , ” he wrote in L igh t on L i fe . And count less fo l lowers thought

that o f h im. “He was a man ahead o f h is t ime . His body o f work and energy was amaz ing, ” sa id A l i , add-

ing, “We are go ing to miss h is guidance, h is very presence and personal i ty , wh ich was so radian t , l ike

the sun . The wor ld at large w i l l miss h im being there for the l igh t tha t he could throw. ”

Iyengar is surv ived by h is chi ldren, Prashan t Gee ta, V in i ta , Such i ta, Sun ita and Sav itha ; f ive grandchi l -

dren; and three great-grandch i ldren .

“Spi r i t ua l i t y i s not some externa l goal that one must seek, but a part o f t he d iv ine core of each of us, which we must reveal . ”

- BKS Iyengar — Light on L i fe

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THUS SPAKE IYENGAR

YogAfrica September 2014

BKS IYENGAR

How to detec t fear . In Ut tanasana , i f there is no fear , pup i l descends wi th concave spine . Nerve f ibres

pul l in oppos ite d irect ions when there is fear , wh ich creates res is tance in a pos ture. The mind is c reat-

ing the fear in the body . The body is no t causing fear . The mind crea tes hardness in the nerves. I f the

nerves are poor , the body canno t balance a t a l l . Because there is fear in the mind , the nerves res is t

the mo tion of the body. The unknown body wan ts to protec t i tse l f . The nerve f ibres become hard and

res is t the mo tion o f the musc les- con tradic t ion in act ion .

In to ta l s tre tch there is a chemica l change in the bra in and bra in and body become comp lete ly l igh t,

cool, so l id and s t i l l , there is no thought , the consc iousness moves only in the body , not ou ts ide . So you

do not have to te l l the pup i l to go in to the se l f , i t happens by i tse l f .

• When the pose is cor rect, there is a l igh tness, a freedom. When the pose is wrong , i t is heavy . Look

at the sel f not at the ego.

• Stand ing poses l imber the body. Prec is ion in poses.

• I f your throat is tense whi le doing the asanas or Pranayama, you are do ing i t w i th your bra in , in-

s tead o f your body .

• Front bra in is kep t re laxed , work from the back b ra in in a l l the poses (s i lent bra in)

• Can your in te l lect pene trate to s tretch the h idden areas o f your body? Digest the poses yoursel f ,

before you teach them to o thers.

• Dif feren t ia te between se lf – cul ture and phys ical cu l ture

• Whole body mus t work, not par t ia l .

• When there is hardness, there is no in te l l igence.

• Coccyx and inner sternum control abstract body.

• Learn each par t o f the body . W ithou t d is turb ing the outer back r ibs, can I create ac t ion , l i fe in my

inner back r ibs. E l imina te dul lness everywhere.

• Conver t abs tract in to concrete and concrete in to abstract .

• Withou t d is turb ing the externa l body, s tre tch the in terna l body that is abs tract . Penetra t ing the in-

ternal body, creates po tency.

• Do no t be caugh t in one exper ience a lone . Use each exper ience as a s tepping-stone .

• Using concrete at ten t ion , br ing awareness in to the abstrac t body. Watch and absorb in to your con-

sc ious awareness and wh ich par t o f your body is act ive and which par t o f your body is not moving at

a l l . = Ph i losophy o f the body .

• A comp lica ted de fect requires comp l ica ted at ten t ion.

• Use inte l l igence to pene trate the body and d iscover the source o f the defect .

• The in termed ia te s tages in the asanas are more impor tan t than going in to the f ina l pose. I f you do

not see the in termediate s tages, the f ina l pose wi l l not be cor rect. Learn the in termed ia te s tages in

s tretching. These should be d igested in your bra in. Th is is c lar i ty . The f ina l pose does no t g ive you

th is c lar i ty .

• I f the pup i l canno t grasp the pose through the in te l lec t, work from the gross body by g iv ing the pupi l

the cor rect feel ing of the pose . The teacher mus t descend to the level o f the pupi l .

• Tension is aggress ion .

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• To purge the in te l l igence, h idden pr ide mus t be b roken.

• We should be humb le wi th in .

• In co ld wea ther the body does no t bend immedia te ly , so you have to lubr ica te to get the pose. L im-

ber wi th s tand ing poses.

• When there is pain , t im ing should no t be he ld. Repeti t i on is impor tant . I f you force yourse lf to s tay

in a pa infu l pose, spasms are crea ted.

• Mot ion requ ires f lex ib i l i ty . Tens ion creates r ig id i ty .

• Do no t a l low pupi ls to pract ise a t home unt i l they have per fected the postures in the c lass. I f they

make mis takes when you are wa tching them, how many more mistakes w i l l they make a t home!

• Keep hea lthy peop le heal thy.

• The bra in mus t see the movement .

• Humi l i ty in act ion .

• Silen t bra in – ac t ive medi tat ion in Asanas

• Tense bra in – phys ica l poses .

• Meet ing of na ture and consc iousness.

• Do no t l ive in the fu ture. The mind l ives in the fu ture.

• I f there is no inner l igh t use ou ter l igh t.

• Always d iv ide energy from midd le of body or l imb .

• Hor izonta l and ver t ica l ex tens ion. Where there is a jo in t , there is a cross +. Weigh t on bo th legs

even. Both legs ac t ive .

• Keep the bra in s tab le, so i t can receive the ac t ion.

• All the 8 s teps o f yoga are inc luded in each posture. There is no d iv is ion . Tota l l iv ing is Samadhi .

Ar t o f s tretch ing is the e th ica l pr inc ip le .

• Fai lure in Se lf-cu l ture is caused by in tox icated in te l l igence .

• We are a l l in tox ica ted wi th our own con fus ion .

• Hypocr i t ica l pol i teness.

• Truth is one .

• All exper ience the same in med itat ion. Same s ta te of m ind .

• Zero s ta te- non aggress ive , nor du l l .

• Dull body = Dul l mind.

• Looking down at the f loor in s tanding poses causes d isharmony.

• No load on back bra in

• Imba lance in pose – phys ical yoga . Balanced pose – sp ir i tua l yoga

• I f teachers do the poses incor rect ly – the pupi ls imi tate mis takes. I f you cannot s tand s tra igh t in

Tadasana you canno t teach .

• In s tand ing poses i f we ight is on the toes you are us ing the front bra in .

• I f you do no t l ive to ta l ly in the body you do no t l i ve to ta l ly in the Se l f . To ta l Awareness .

• The foundat ion (par t o f the body touching f loor ) should not be shaky. I f foundat ion is good, pose is

good. Sadhana (spir i tua l pract ice) is do ing the asana we l l . Conver t Ha tha yoga into Ra ja Yoga but

per fect ing the asanas – tota l awareness.

• Raja Yoga = Ego cu lture.

• Use inte l l igence in act ion . Fac tua l and ana ly t ica l .

• In trovers ion is medi tat ion .

• In te l lec t s tab le- no pas t, no fu ture, on ly presen t.

• Each movemen t is a Mantra why s ing OM? OM is in your own body.

• Energy mus t f low wi thou t in ter rupt ion .

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• Nature is s imp le , man has made i t compl icated. Same in postures . Take de fec ts o f nature and work

to conver t de fec ts to natura l s ta te – e ffor t ceases

• Action , not words .

• Japa (prayer ) is fee l ing in pos ture.

• Action and ad justment is feel ing .

• Feel warmth in back when pos it ion is cor rect. Open f lesh , then sk in , then bone .

• Unin ter rupted in te l l igence – at ten t ive everywhere

• Balance in space . Go into the unknown . Conquer fear . From the known to the unknown . See from

f in i te to in f in i te . In te l l igence merges w i th f low. No Ego . Soul is work ing , not body .

• Conver t phys ical yoga in to spir i tua l yoga .

• The rays o f the sun extend everywhere, bu t the source remains the same.

• Over enthus iasm in teach ing is Ego.

The teacher shou ld absorb the pup i l ’s m is takes . Cor rect menta l ly . Test pup i l , im ita te mistakes . See interna l as we l l as external .

This is the content of an e-ma i l received by Jenny Morr is , a l lowing the pub l ica t ion o f th is ar t ic le .

From: Uma Dhavale <umadhavale@gma il .com> Subject : P lease mai l a copy of the f ina l notes for the archives! Date: 07 June 2014 at 12 :46 :01 PM SAST To: Jenni fer Mor r is < jamorr is@ia fr ica .com> Dear Jenny Morr is , I ga ther from your le t ter tha t you came across no tes from my 1968 teach ings in Maur i t ius. I wi l l be very happy for you to get them pr in ted in your local magaz ine . I t is good to recol lec t the o ld w isdom in new thoughts for the present generat ion . With love and af fect ion , B.K .S . Iyengar

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ASANA SOLUTIONS: SUPTA VIRASANA

YogAfrica September 2014

ROGER COLE

Laid Back

A s ingle muscle holds the key to a l ignmen t and repose in

supta v irasana.

No yoga pos ture expresses the mean ing o f the word repose

( temporary rest from act iv i ty , exc i tement , or exe r t ion) be tter

than sup ta v irasana. Even i ts name—recl in ing hero pose—

evokes the image of a noble war r ior recover ing strength dur -

ing a qu iet in ter lude be tween ba tt les.

In fac t, supta v irasana is a near per fect counterpose to a l l the war r ior postures (v irabhadrasana I, I I ,

and I I I) . Energet ica l ly , these poses have a s trong e lemen t of mov ing forward and upward, whereas

supta v irasana is , l i tera l ly , la id back . Ana tomical ly , the war r ior pos i t ions demand tha t you intensely

contract the musc les in the front of your th igh and shin whi le bo ld ly l i f t i ng your trunk and head; supta

v irasana gently bu t pers is ten t ly coaxes those same leg musc les to re lease to their max imum length,

whi le i t pass ive ly suppor ts your head and upper body.

The unique pos it ion o f the body in supta v irasana g ives the pose an add it ional res torat ive qua l i ty that a

rest ing war r ior wou ld f ind bo th comfor t ing and usefu l : when a l igned just r igh t, supta v irasana a ids d i-

gest ion , mak ing i t one o f the few poses that you can pract ice sa fe ly a fter a meal .

Go Long

When al igned jus t r igh t—ah, there ’s the rub . Supta v irasana is essen tia l ly a l inear pose, long and nar -

row, no t w ide or deep l ike v irabhadrasana , bu t most people need he lp to achieve th is form. The rare

person who is f lex ib le enough to en ter the pose comple te ly wi thou t props (and wi thou t cheat ing ) f i rs t

bends the knees comple te ly so the but tocks rest f i rm ly on the f loor between the feet . And then , keeping

the th ighs s tr ic t ly para l le l to one another , l ies back, t i l t ing the h ips, trunk, and head as a s ingle unit so

they a l l rest on the f loor . In the f ina l pos i t ion , the th ighbones , pelv is , sp ine , and head a l l l ine up with

one another in the same way they l ine up in tadasana (moun ta in pose) . The arms reach ove rhead

(a long the f loor ) , cont inu ing the l ine of the body, and they s tretch as far away from the knees as poss i-

b le, e longat ing the en t ire pose from kneecaps to f inger t ips .

Al though a number o f factors— such as l im ited f lex ib i l i ty o f the knee or ank le jo in t—can make i t d i f f i -

cu l t for people to achieve the long , nar row, f la t pos i t ion of the rec l in ing hero, the most common l im i ta-

t ion is t ightness in the rectus femor is , be tter known as one of the four quadr iceps musc les that run

a long the front o f the th igh . The lower ends of a l l the “quads ” at tach to the kneecap , wh ich, in turn, at-

taches to the fron t of the upper shinbone jus t below the knee. But , whi le the upper ends of three quads

attach to the front of the th ighbone , the rectus femor is sk ips the th ighbone and at taches to the f ront of

the pe lv is just above the h ip jo in t .

When you bend your knees to go in to sup ta v irasana, your shins pul l your kneecaps down toward the

f loor , drawing the lower ends of a l l the quads far away from the th ighbone. Jus t bending the knees

g ives a n ice s tretch to the quadr iceps musc les that at tach to the th ighs, bu t, in order to e longa te the

rectus femor is musc les, you have to t i l t the top of your pelv is—the par t above the h ip jo in t—back away

from your knees (whi le drawing your s i t t ing bones forward toward your knees) . I f the musc les can re lax

and lengthen suf f ic ien t ly , you can t i l t your pelv is back a fu l l 90 degrees—from i ts ver t ica l pos i t ion when

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you’re s i t t ing down to i ts hor izonta l pos i t ion when you’re ly ing down—but i f they can ’t s tre tch that far ,

the tau t muscles s top the pelv is a f ter i t t i l ts only par tway back .

Stopped Short

What happens a f ter the pe lv is can ’t t i l t back anymore depends on how you hand le the s i tua t ion . Mos t

people pract ice supta v irasana w ithout su ff ic ient awareness o f wha t the f ina l a l ignmen t of the pose

should be. They go into i t , wi thou t props, bound and determined to lay their torso back and down and

p lace their shoulders and head on the f loor . Unfor tunate ly , they typ ica l ly do th is by arching their lower

back, which puts s tra in on the lumbar ver tebrae and destroys the s tra igh t l ine of the pose . Meanwhi le ,

unless they take pains to prevent i t , the s trong tens ion on the rectus femor is draws the knees apar t,

creat ing a d iagona l s tre tch rather than a s tra igh t one . This not on ly reduces the amount o f s tretch on

the rectus femor is muscle , i t a lso indirec t ly reduces the amount o f s tretch on the trunk , making th is

common misa l igned vers ion o f sup ta v irasana less ef fec t ive than the s tra ight- l ine pose . Ra ther than the

long, nar row, low sup ta v irasana op timized for s tre tch , rest, and d iges t ion, you ge t a broad, over -

arched, uncomfor table approx ima tion o f the pose tha t of ten creates more s tress than i t re l ieves .

For tunate ly , a few s imp le props le t less l imber pract i t ioners en joy near ly a l l the benef i ts of the fu l ly

hor izonta l pose. Here’s how to become a re laxed supine hero wi th a l ignment and grace , regardless of

your level o f f lex ib i l i ty .

The Pract ice

The basic formu la for propping sup ta v irasana i s s imple : e leva te the shins and pelv is jus t enough to

re l ieve s tress on the ank les and knees, and then l i f t the upper back and head h igh enough to create an

inc l ined l ine of the body from knees to h ips to shoulders to ears. This conf igurat ion l imi ts the rectus

femor is s tre tch to a manageable level and a l lows the spine to s tay long and the knees to ho ld the ir

a l ignment .

I f i n f lex ib i l i ty in your ank les prevents you from kneel ing w i th your feet po int ing s tra ight back , prop your

shins f i rs t to re l ieve your ank les. Se t up a s tack of two to four b lanke ts and drape your ank les over the

edge, point ing your fee t in the same l ine as the sh ins. Your feet should be on ly far enough apar t to

bare ly admi t the width o f your outer th ighbones (greater trochan ters) when you s i t down .

Next , prop your pe lv is to ease any knee d iscomfor t. I f s i t t ing between your feet w ith your pelv is on the

f loor pu ts any s tra in at a l l on your knees , then e levate your pe lv is on fo lded b lanke ts or a yoga b lock,

us ing jus t enough he ight to re l ieve the s tra in . Keep your th ighbones para l le l , bu t the knees themselves

should no t touch one ano ther .

Now set up a s tack o f b lanke ts to res t the upper back and shoulders on when you l ie back . Long , nar -

row blankets a long the l ine of the spine work wel l , bu t i t ’s a lso f ine to fo ld b lanke ts to a shor ter shape .

Even i f the b lanke ts are long, they do not have to suppor t the lower back; i f they touch the lower back

at a l l they shouldn’ t force i t to arch excess ive ly . You may need to exper iment w ith the number of b lan-

kets ( fo ld ing and unfo ld ing them) to f ind the op t ima l he ight for th is prop . I t ’s usua l ly best to s ta r t out

too h igh and then remove props one by one. Put one or more fo lded b lanke ts on top o f the back suppor t

for use as a head suppor t .

Keeping the th ighs paral le l , press the tops o f your shins toward the f loor , t i l t the top o f your pelv is

back, and l ie down on the props. Lengthen your lower back by sett ing the back of your lower r ib cage

on the props as far away from the knees as you can. Adjus t your head suppor t so your forehead is

s l igh t ly h igher than your chin . Reach your arms overhead, in l ine w ith your body, and s tre tch them as

far away from your knees as you can, fee l ing your bel ly e longate and the s ides o f your wa is t lengthen.

Breathe eas i ly and rest comfor tab ly unt i l i t is t ime to return to ac t ion .

TROUBLESHOOTING

If you s t i l l s truggle w i th f ind ing ease in th is pose, adjust your props in one or more of the fo l lowing

ways:

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I f your th ighs separate and you canno t restore them to the para l le l pos i t ion, use h igher props under

your back and head .

I f your lower back arches more than i t does when you are s tand ing— or i f i t fee ls compressed or

p inched—then t i l t the pelv is more , moving your s i t t ing bones toward your knees. I f tha t doesn ’t restore

the back to a comfor table norma l curve , then ra ise the props.

I f you can keep your body in a comfor table neu tra l l ine from knees to ears but you don’t feel an engag-

ing s tretch in your th ighs, f i rs t t i l t the top o f your pelv is back and your s i t t ing bones forward more

f i rm ly . I f tha t doesn ’t work, then lower the props b i t by b i t unt i l you feel a moderate but manageable

chal lenge to your f lex ib i l i ty .

THE UNIQUE POSIT ION OF THE BODY IN SUPTA VIRASANA GIVES THE POSE AN ADDIT IONAL RE-

STORATIVE QUALITY THAT A RESTING WARRIOR WOULD FIND BOTH COMFORTING AND USEFUL.

Roger Cole , PhD , a cer t i f i ed I yengar yoga t eacher , t eac hes a t Yoga De l Mar nea r San Diego. He spec ia l i zes i n anatomy

and phys io logy o f yoga and r e laxat i on and has t aught yoga as a hea l i n g ar t t o t he medica l communi t y .

“You must purge you rse l f before f i nd ing fau l t s i n o thers. When you see a m istake in somebody e lse, t ry to f i nd i f you are making the

same mistake. Th is i s the way to take judgment and to turn i t i n to improvement .

Do not l ook at o thers ' bodies w i th envy or w i th super i or i t y . A l l people are born w i th d i f f erent const i t u t ions.

Never compa re w i th o thers. Each one 's capaci t i es are a funct ion of h i s or her i n terna l s t rength.

Know your capaci t i es and cont inual l y improve upon them. ”

- BKS Iyengar—Light on L i fe

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DISPELLING MYTHS AND SACRED COWS

YogAfrica September 2014

DARE TO DO DIFFERENTLY AND FIND CONNECTIONS

after GEETA and PRASHANT , Dec 2013

SWASTIKA cross shins bring feet deep in under thighs to buttocks, under root of thigh,

then middle thigh, then traditional, feel difference in hips & inner organic

Hold feet like socks, like you love them, simultaneously release legs,

groins quiet, lift spine in and up

Elbows back and down, pranayama course – opens sternum

Open sternum, firmness in hips – do both crossing of the legs, 2 X

VIRASANA Squeeze knees corresponding inner lift comes

DANDASANA Extend legs completely, allow heels to lift, feet toward the body – deep flex

Bring heels down without any change to thighs – lower abdomen lifts

VAJRASANA Tapas to get ankle bones to touch

VAJRASANA Cross feet/ instep, sit holding action of ankle bones to touch

SWASTIKASANA Slide into Gomukhasana legs from Swastikasana

LOLASANA Deep Swastikasana cross as above, and do

Then use belt over lower foot and thigh only, use blocks firmness in hips,

sides of the navel, sides of the abdomen, sides of the ribs

LOLASANA Do classical – notice what changed

DANDASANA As above

BHARADVAJ Support both butts, remember SWASTIKA holding feet how spine

Comes in and up so hold elbow to get same effect, arms away from the body

URDHVA PRASARITA PADASANA

10X exhale down, inhale up; 10X inhale exhale draw in, go down up

SIRSASANA – find wall if needed, fold mat in 4, be ready in TADA facing mat

TADA – UH – SIRSA 1 arms/hands in TADA – slide into GOMUKHA arms, release into UH arms – change interlock, slide into

GOMUKHA opposite arm – release – TADA – kneel down for

SIRSA 2 lift shoulders, keep lifted, place head, lift knees, walk in to

ARDHA SIRSA 2 lift into EKAPADA reach, release, change sides, stand up

TADA – UH, cross forearm bones, catch elbows, BADDHA HASTA, release into UH, change sides, release, PASCHIMA BAD-

DHA HASTA, lift into sternum, look up and back, release, change cross, repeat, kneel down, place arms for

BADDHA HASTA SIRSASANA lift shoulders, keep lifted, place head, lift knees, walk in to

ARDHA BADDHA HASTA SIRSASAN lift into EKAPADA, reach, release, change sides, change arms, do both sides, stand up

TADA – extend arms down, firm connection, look straight ahead, eyes quiet, kneel down

MUKTHA HASTA SIRSA lift shoulders, keep lifted, place head, lift knees, walk in EKAPADA, reach, release, change sides,

stand up

TADA – interlock hands behind, wide collarbones, lift sternum, standing back arch, release, change sides, kneel down, place

arms for

SIRSA 1 – pump forearms 3 X, place head, light, lift knees, walk in, down, change interlock, repeat, repeat, lift knees, walk in,

EKAPADA, change sides, stand up

TADA – UH, BADDANGULLY, reach up and back, release, kneel for

SIRSA 1 as above but go up EKAPADA, let 2nd leg lift from 1st leg action not thrown, not momentum, go up R, L to follow, R

down, L to follow, repeat L up, R follow, L down, R follow

AM VIRA rest, release, interlock hands on back, lift, space in chest, change interlock, stand

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TADA reach arms down, standing back arch

SIRSA 1 R up, L to follow, hold the pose, L down, R to follow, repeat L up, R to follow,

Hold pose, R down, L to follow

JUMPINGS

AMS – jump PARSVOT R – jump AMS – jump PARSVOT L jump

AMS – jump PRASARITA PADOTTANA - lead R – jump AMS – jump PP lead L jump

AMS – jump VIRA 1 R – jump VIRA 1 L – jump

AMS – jump VIRA 2 R – jump VIRA 2 L – jump

AMS – UMS – CHATURANGASANA - CHATURANGADANDASANA – UMS –

AMS – CHATURANGASANA – EKA PADA CHATURANGASANA R, return, L – CHATURANGASANA – UMS - AMS – EKA-

PADA AMS R return L– AMS – UMS – AMS – UTTANASANA – TADASANA – PASCHIMA NAMASKAR – UH – UTTANA – AMS

– jump PARSVOTTANASANA R come up PASCHIMA NAMASKAR look at ceiling – UH – PARSVOTTANASAN R – jump AMS –

jump repeat L – jump AMS – jump PARIVRTTA ARDHA CHANDRASANA R – jump AMS – repeat L – jump AMS – CHATURAN-

GADANDASANA – DHANURASANA –release don’t drop – SALABHASANA catch – UMS – CHATURANGASANA – STAM-

BASANA – USTRASANA – CHATURANGASANA - BHUJANGASANA – SALABHASANA – DHANURASANA – SALABHASANA

catch – UMS – AMS – jump PASCHIMOT – PARIVRTTA PASCHIMOT R – PASCHIMOT – PARIVRTTA PASCHIMOT L –

PASCHIMOT – UBHAYA PADANGUSTA – PASCHIMOT – DANDASANA – SWASTIKA – PARVATASANA – AM SWASTIKA-

SANA – keep both butts down, rotate deep, stay low in AM move into PARIVRTTA SWASTIKA R – AM SWASTIKASANA –

PARIVRTTA SWASTIKASANA L – SWASTIKASANA centre, sit up – PARSVA SWASTIKASANA R – centre – L – SWASTIKA-

SANA – hold feet deep under, lift sternum, PARYANKASAN in SWASTIKASANA – come up, change cross and redo all as above

PADMASANA or ARDHA PADMASANA or SWASTIKASANA do as above – PARIVRTTA, PARSVA, PARYANKASANA bring

arms over into BADDHA HASTA

MARICHIASANA 1 (intended – not sure if did)

SETUBANDASANA/ CHATUSHPADASANA pump pumpkins at least 3 X

SARVANGASANA

SAVASANA

“The hardness of a d iamond i s part o f i t s usefu lness, but i t s t rue va lue i s i n the l i ght that sh ines through i t . ”

- BKS Iyengar—Light on L i fe

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VISIT TO PUNE—DECEMBER 2013

YogAfrica September 2014

EILEEN WEINRONK

RD: “You are from South A fr ica are you no t? ”

EW: (caut ious ly , hes i tan t ly) ……Who? Me? Ye e e es …………

as I ba lanced on one foot , put t ing on socks and shoes in the forecour t to R IMYI and the Iyengar fam-i ly home and st i l l somewha t s tuck in the c lass we have jus t f in ished wi th Gee taj i , I see, feel , hear

Raya and Ab i ja ta cal l me over

RD: “Not the usual suspects you understand …”

EW: ………….are you ser ious????? SERIOUS!

Would I l ike to say a few words to Guru j i a t h is 95 t h b ir thday ce lebrat ions in 2 days t ime ? Wel l ,

would I? Cou ld I? Shou ld I? Did I? Yes ! And the rest is h is tory .

Ina Gerber and I shared an apar tmen t wi th 2 s tudents from the Sou th of France and our home for the month was f i l led w ith fore ign languages , new fr iends and new ins ights . They inv i ted us to jo in a group who were prepar ing a chan t for Guruj i for h is b ir thday . We would meet for an hour ’s pract i ce most days on the roof top o f an apar tmen t bu i ld ing opposi te the inst i tu te look ing s tra ight on to the rooftop of a “thousand headed cobra ”. Thus our Sanskr i t pronuncia t ions and in f lect ions were honed as we ohm-ed and in tonated w i th more new peop le, faces , or ig ins and voices . The group grew and shrunk; some tens ions and cha l lenges came and went as the date o f Guruj i ’s b ir thday drew nearer .

We made i t to the s tage and f i l led the space

What a pr iv i lege to be at R IMYI a t th is t ime where we could g ive thanks in some personal and par -t icu lar ly appropr iate Indian way to our Guruj i , whose l i fe ’s work ho lds us focused in tr igued and ever

ready to explore more .

I t was a mon th wi th great h ighs and lows, humb l ings and tumbl ings in both pract ice and p lace .

I t was la te one n igh t tha t we go t the news that Madiba had d ied . S tunned and somewha t los t, sad and dr i f t ing we searched the papers, l is tened ove r and over again to radio c l ips of in terv iews wi th a l l sor ts o f South A fr icans , looked for p laces to wa tch foo tage o f a l l that was happen ing and fe l t very far

away from home. Unsa tis fac tory a t bes t , i t was hard.

Geeta j i gave a pranayama in tens ive to Indian Nat ional Teachers in the week preceding Guruj i ’s b ir th-day. We have been for tuna te to exper ience that week’s teach ings from the DVDs tha t were made

dur ing th is t ime . Absolu te treasure.

Our c lasses were fu l l to over f low ing in con tent and par t ic ipan ts . In add it ion , we were ab le to observe and occasional ly par t ic ipate in the med ical c lasses where the learn ing, unpack ing regroup ing rev iew-

ing con tinued.

BKS h imse lf is ever present and ever demanding of h is teachers to know more . He engages chal-lenges and d irects much in the medical c lasses as wel l . Prashan t cap tiva tes and contro ls a t leas t 5 d i f ferent asanas being exp lored in ro tat ing groups a l l a t one t ime , e loquen tly explor ing mu lt ip le themes o f yog , yoga, yogah , do ing undoing non-doing beyond the phys ica l in to the spir i tua l and back to the being , seeing , fee l ing, f ind ing. No h id ing f rom Gee ta j i ’s eag le eyes tha t can p ierce and tear r ight to your core and then sof ten and laugh w ith great gen tleness and warmth . Each one so d i f fer ent but so on the same track. Through d i f ferent means and mo tiva t ion , both g ive you ins igh ts and d irec-t ives as you pee l o f f the layers and can look back and forward wi th renewed focus and restored en-

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ergy.

I g ive my b igges t thanks to my husband and daughter for the g i f t o f be ing able to s tep out of and away from al l the fami l iar construc ts o f my dai ly l i fe , s t ructure and space, and to have the t ime to absorb re-v iew and recons ider how we are who we are where and wha t and why and to return recharged and hum-

bled.

Namaste to the Iyengar family

Namaste to my personal fami ly

Post scr ip t :

As you wi l l a l l real ize th is was wr i t ten wel l be fore Guruj i ’s dea th.

Al though I am amb ivalen t , I wan t to share the joy and wonder o f being in the presence o f our migh ty master cra ftsman as wel l as the l i fe af f i rm ing exper iences o f s tepp ing in to our mu lt ina t iona l community of Iyengar yoga prac t i t ioners tha t come together at RIMYI to learn and to ass is t. We trus t tha t th is tra-d i t ion wi l l con t inue and adjus t as i t must , as our most extraord inary teacher rests in peace , work wel l

done.

From the c learest sharpest and mos t wonder fu l n ight o f Guruj i ’s 95 t h b ir thday in December last year to “hold ing ” the space a t h is memor ia l last Sunday I do indeed feel b lessed and g ive my deepes t thanks for h is l i fe for h is work and for h is e ffec t on my l i fe . By con t inuing w ith th is phenomenal system and

yoga journey we are empowered to be the very best we can be .

Hambe Kahle Guruj i

“Yoga a l lows you to red iscover a sense of wholeness in your l i f e , where you do not fee l l i ke you are constant l y t ry ing to f i t broken p ieces together. ”

-BKS Iyengar—Light on L i fe

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COURSES

YogAfrica September 2014

VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS

2015: Corine Biria: Johannesburg: 28 Feb — 04 March Cape Town: 07 — 11 March Firooza Razvi: Johannesburg: General Classes: 03 — 04 October For teachers only: 06 — 09 October

YOGA RETREAT WITH BRIGITTA TUMMON

YogaPoise Retreat November 7-9, 2014 Bodhi Khaya Retreat Centre, Gansbaai

For more information and booking please contact Brigitta, brigitta.tummon@gmail.co.za

Brigitta Tummon will be leading Saturday morning workshops from 08:30 to 10:30 in

Newlands at Seven Oaks, Main Street.

The programme continues is as follows:

01 November upside down

29 November restore and renew

If you would like to attend please confirm with brigitta at brigitta.tummon@gmail.com or phone

083 2300047

BRIGITTA’S SATURDAY MORNING WORKSHOPS

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YogAfrica September 2014

IYENGAR YOGA IN OUDTSHOORN

The BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo South Africa

September 2014

This Centre is dedicated to the teachings of Sr i B .K .S .Iyengar

Welcome to the BKS Iyengar Yoga Cen tre, nest led in the beaut i fu l and tranqui l Schoemanshoek va l-ley on the way to the famous Cango caves. Sur rounded only by na ture and the majes t ic Swar tbe rg Mounta ins , the Centre o ffers the comp lete yoga exper ience. Our fu l ly equ ipped Cen tre is des igned to g ive the Iyengar yoga pract i t ioner the oppor tuni ty to exper ience h igh-qual i ty yoga tu i t ion in a peacefu l and pr is t ine set t ing. Dav id and I are act ive ly invo lved in the teacher ’s tra in ing program for bo th In troductory and Jun ior In termedia te levels . Tra in ing is done as a semester -s ty le program – more deta i ls ava i lab le. For in forma tion abou t the 3 & 6-day retreats , regular workshops and our res ident ia l teachers tra in-ing program, p lease v is i t our webs ite, wh ich has been speci f ica l ly des igned to g ive you a compre-hensive p ic ture o f what the Yoga Centre has to o ffer . The Schoemanshoek val ley of fers a var ie ty of su i tab le accommodat ion to comple te the exper ience. The town of Oud tshoorn comp l imen ts th is qu ie t , rura l env ironmen t and George a irpor t is a mere 65kms away.

More abou t us a t h t tp: / /www. iyengaryogawi thdav id.com

h ttp :/ /www.iyengar -yoga-sequences.com

Next retreats will be

SPRING – Fr iday, 24 t h October 2014 – Sunday , 26 t h October 2014 SUMMER –Saturday, 22nd November 2014 – Wednesday, 31s t November 2014

Fr iday 12 t h December 2014 – Sunday, 14 t h December 2014

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IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE IN ST FRANCIS BAY

Iyengar Yoga Practice with

Senior Certificated Iyengar Yoga Teacher David Jacobs St Francis Bay

Sunday, 30th November 2014 Sun General Class

09h00 – 12h00 Asana

12h00 – 13h30 Lunch

13h30 – 16h00 Restoratives /Pranayama

Venue: Maria’s studio, 186 St.Francis Drive, St. Francis Bay

Cost: R600 per student Early bird discount: R100 if paid by end of October

Bookings: Jürgen 082-886-7568 Shavonne 082-951-5697 Sharon 082-667-6118 (lunch)

This will consist of 1 day workshop & the study of the Iyengar system of yoga. Class con-tent will build so that, at the end, students will have a thorough, in-depth understanding of the fascinating complexities of this system – from an asana, Pranayama and phi-losophical perspective.

Please bring along your own equipment.

Bank details: Account name: David Jacobs Standard Bank Sea Point Branch Current account number: 071040749 Branch code: 024109

Please give your name as reference when making electronic transfers Workshop fees are NOT refundable, or transferable to another workshop

BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn, Klein Karoo, Western Cape Tel: 082-886-7568 http://iyengaryogawithdavid.com/ - info@iyengaryogawithdavid.com

Directors: David Jacobs (Senior Intermediate III), Jürgen Meusel (Introductory II)

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YOGA WITH JUDY FARAH

Dear Sadhakas

Herewi th the dates for both Saturday Asana and Satu rday Pranayama Classes unt i l t he end of 2014.

Saturday Asana Classes 08h30 - 11h00 (p lease take note there i s no Saturday c lass in Ju l y or September)

4th October; 8th November; 6th December.

Saturday Pranayama Classes 08h30 - 10h00

20th September; 11 th October; 29 th November.

I f t here are any quer ies p lease do le t me know.

In the meant ime may you a l l cont inue on your j oyous yoga journey.

K ind regards

Judy 082 825 6792

“Heal th i s a s ta te o f complete harmony of the body, m ind and sp i r i t . When one i s f ree f rom phys ica l d i sab i l i t i es and menta l d i s t ract ions, the gates of the soul open. ”

-BKS Iyengar

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NOTICES

YogAfrica September 2014

Newsle tter comp i led and ed ited by Riva H irschowitz .

Typesett ing by Stra tford Cann ing.

Our s incere thanks to a l l who took the t ime and made the ef for t to con tr ibu te to the con ten ts o f th is magaz ine . Anyone w ishing to con tr ibu te ar t i c les, pho tos, in forma tion or suggest ions to the newsle tter may contac t our ed itor : Ph 082 782 8275, ema i l : r iva.h irschowi tz@gmai l .com

“Breath i s the k ing of m ind. ”

–BKS Iyengar—Light on L i fe

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The teachers and students of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, Oudtshoorn, South Africa,

honour our beloved teacher and mentor, Sri BKS Iyengar

Tribute Yogacharya BKS Iyengar 14 December 1918 to 20 august 2014

Our thoughts and prayers are with you

Our sincere condolences

David Jacobs & Jürgen Meusel South Africa 1918 - 2014