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IYENGAR
YOGA NEWS
The magazine of the Iyengar Yoga Association of the United Kingdom

ISSUE NUMBER 20 SPRING 2012

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IYENGAR YOGA
ASSOCIATION (UK)
®

www.iyengaryoga.org.uk President: Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar

IYENGAR YOGA NEWS Issue No.20 Spring 2012

EDITORIAL
Welcome to the 20th issue of Iyengar Yoga News.We have kicked off this
issue with some fascinating photographs of Mr Iyengar demonstrating
poses to a British audience in the 1950s; the looks on the faces of the
people watching him perform these amazing asanas are rather interesting.
Talking of asanas, we have got more from Judi Sweeting, this time focusing
on backbends, and another extract, on Sukhasana, from Ray Long’s book.
Other articles include the second part of Kirsten Agar Ward's essay on
Teaching and Learning and two articles that look at teaching different kinds
of students: Laura Potts on teaching medical students and Cissy Harrison
on teaching deaf people.

Cissy’s class is partly funded by the Iyengar Yoga Development Fund, as is

the class that Christine Rumley reports on in this issue.The IYDF uses
funds given back to the IYA (UK) by Mr Iyengar from teachers’ payments
made to him for use of the Certification Mark to pay for classes for
people who would benefit from yoga but may not be able to afford to go
to classes.This year, we asked teachers to raise money for the IYDF in
honour of Mr Iyengar’s birthday, and we recently received this reply from him: "Just received your
greeting card and also your enclosed letter. It is really wonderful to hear that you have approached teachers
to make a donation to the "Iyengar Yoga Development Fund" which I am sure will grow into a stable position
to help vulnerable members in learning this art. May God bless these members with a gallant heart to come
forward and help to establish a good fund for this development.With all my good wishes to you all as ever.
Yours affectionately, BKS Iyengar".

Please read the Chair’s report which outlines the changes that are taking place in our Association,
and don’t forget that there is still time to book a place at our Annual Convention with Zubin
Zarthoshtimanesh.

IYA (UK) contacts Editorial Board: John Cotgreave,

Philippe Harari, Judith Jones,
Katie Owens: Membership and Office Manager Lucy Osman,Tehira Taylor
Telephone: 07510 326 997 Layout & Design: Lucy Osman
email: katie@iyengaryoga.org.uk Articles to: editor@iyengaryoga.org.uk
Address: IYA (UK), PO Box 4730, Sheffield S8 2HE Copy deadline 1 July 2012
Jess Wallwork: Finance and Bookings Administrator Advertising: John Cotgreave
Telephone: 07757 463 767 jbcotgreave@hotmail.co.uk
email: jess@iyengaryoga.org.uk IYA Office: admin@iyengaryoga.org.uk
Address: 15 West Grove, Bristol BS6 5LS Printed by: Blueprint Press, Cambridge,
Sara Braham: Assessments Administrator on paper made using wood from sustainable
Telephone: 07795443375 forests and without the use of chlorine
email: sara@iyengaryoga.org.uk ® used with permission of BKS Iyengar,
Address: 215,The Pastures, High Wycombe, Bucks HP13 5RR Trade Mark owner
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Contents
Features

4. Guruji in the 1950s

6. Backbending Asana, Guruji 1988
12. Book Review:The Hero’s
Contemplation
14. Learning and Teaching
20. Anatomy of a Pose: Sukhasana
22. Teaching Yoga to Medical Students
26. Themed Workshops, Classes and
Courses

Member Information

32. IYA (UK) Reports

45. Assessment Passes Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

47. Professional Development Days

50. Institutes

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Guruji in the 1950s

Richard Agar Ward

One day in February 2008 I received a

surprise visit to the studio at the Bath
Iyengar Yoga Centre.There entered a
man who appeared to be in his late 50s
or early 60s and who introduced himself
as Paul Grinke, the son of Frederick
Grinke the famous violinist. Frederick
Grinke was a friend and colleague of
Yehudi Menuhin and like Menuhin
himself was a pupil of our Guruji in the
late 1950s and early 1960s on his visits
to London. Frederick Grinke died in
1987 in England although he was origi-
nally from Canada. Grinke also taught at
Yehudi Menuhin's violin school at that
time and also lived in London.
Paul Grinke showed me an envelope containing
eight pictures previously belonging to his late
father.They were all black and white photographs
of Guruji demonstrating yoga asanas in front of
what looked like members of the Asian Music
Circle and possibly some of their associates. Paul
suggested that they were taken most likely in a
room at Ayana Anghadi's house in Finchley which,
cultural historians might like to note, was where Bath to visit his own son and he was suddenly
George Harrison of the Beatles first met Indian
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

inspired to type the two words “Bath” and

sitarist Ravi Shankar a few years later. Paul Grinke
had come across these pictures in an old box
belonging to his father, unopened for nearly fifty
years. He was seized by a sudden and compelling
desire to give these photographs away to
someone who would be interested in them and
who would look after them.
Paul already happened to have planned a visit to
4
“Iyengar” into Google to see what he came up
with and whether it would enable him to give
them to someone who might appreciate the
photographs as a gift. As a result he was directed
to our studio. I accepted his very kind offer grate-
fully without hesitation and immediately began to
think of how I might give them to Guruji as I
considered that they were now rightfully his.
The photographs were posted to Grinke from a
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person, probably the very person who snapped

the photographs, who took the trouble to
inscribe his or her name on the back of the
original envelope in which the photographs were
still contained. Unfortunately the name is difficult
to read on the envelope but it looked something
like Mairi or Maure.The letter was post marked
Streatham, in London, but the date could not
accurately be discerned. Paul did not know who
might have sent them although he was familiar, as
quite a young boy, with some of those involved
and recalled having attended one or two of the
events where Guruji demonstrated. of the pictures made its way, as a still, into the
film “Leap of Faith”, released in time for the 90th
Just one look at the photos shows how differently Birthday celebrations.
Guruji was seen in those days compared to now.
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Nowadays he is recognized for his enormous
achievements and celebrated around the world.
Then he was an unknown struggling for recogni-
tion in his art and little regarded. However, the
pictures eloquently speak for themselves and
require little further comment.
I contacted Guruji about the pictures and later
that year they were safely delivered to him. One
Although in this case these pictures made their way
back to Guruji by a remarkable and unlikely route,
there must be many such historical items and memo-
rabilia which have an interesting story to tell but
which perhaps have not yet fully emerged into the
light of day. If you know of anything, whether photo-
graphs or anything else which might be of interest to
Iyengar Yoga archivists please contact the IYN editor
with your information.
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Backbending Asana
Guruji 1988
This will be the last but one of the articles taken from the teachings of Guruji on the Pune Intensive 1988.This two-part
article will concentrate on back bending asana. Read the asana instructions carefully.To make the work easier to follow
‘bullet points’ have been used. Remember these are Guruji’s words and his instructions always work! He
asks us to ‘feel’, to ‘observe’ and to ‘penetrate’ in our practice.

Start your practice with the following sequence taken from the Back Bending Intensive 1991:
Adho Mukha Virasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana: Utthita Trikonasana, Utthita Parsvakonasana,
Virabhadrasana 1,Virabhadrasana 2.Then:

ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA CHATURANGA DANDASANA

• Palms active, arms active, biceps turn out. Legs
working evenly.
• Breathing should not disturb the asana.
• Shins back. Inner knee chips back.
• Which hand holds the mat, which does not.
• Without disturbing the diaphragm, concave
the spine.
• Lengthen intercostal muscles (in Urdhva
Dhanurasana the same has to happen).
• Dig head and base of shins in and extend body
forwards.
• Keep legs where they are and raise up.
• Observe the nature of the lower legs, the bottom
inner calves.
• Press palms firmly.
• Observe outer thighs are level with one another.

• Inner calf muscles up and lengthened.

URDHVA MUKHA • Move nearer the chest by digging tailbone in and
SVANASANA draw it forwards.
• Lift chest at the rim of the pelvis to raise up, more
and more.
• Feel the grip of the upper chest by work of the legs.
• Observe that the inner and outer knees and outer
thighs are level.
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Guruji demonstrated both poses

showing how he charged his legs
in just the same way in Urdhva
Mukha Svanasana and Chatu-
ranga Dandasana: Adho Mukha
Svanasana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana and Chaturanga Dandasana
should be interchanged several times to learn the various details.

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URDHVA MUKHA SVANASANA

With a brick between
the feet. The diameter
of the ankles to touch
the brick evenly
Some teachers shown in the photo-
graphs were not able to manage with
a lengthways brick, so did with a
widthways brick, still gripping with the
ankles/heels.

CHATURANGA DANDASANA
With a brick between the ankles
Move the inner legs in the same way as when doing Urdhva Mukha
Svanasana, inner and outer heels as alert as the two eyes.

PLEASE NOTE – In the class where the photographs were taken,

all Guruji’s work was taught in his words to the teachers. Some older
teachers or those with problems, used bricks for hands in Urdhva
Mukha Svanasana and in Chaturanga Dadasana a horizontal brick
under the frontal pubic/pelvic area and a lengthways brick under the
breastbone. Chairs were used later because some could not lift up
into Urdhva Dhanurasana from the floor. However, they all worked
their way through this programme and gained a great deal from it!
So we are all are able to take this work into our practice.

URDHVA MUKHA SVANASANA Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

With a brick between the knees

Raise the inner knees up and ‘hold’ the outer ankles to
turn the inner calves outwards making the shins face the
ground.

Do the same in Chaturanga Dandasana

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ADHO MUKHA VRKSASANA

• Extend outer edge of index fingers – first knuckles of ring fingers
pressed down.
• Look at the shape of the knuckles when standing up, then
keeping that shape place the hands on the floor and when doing
Adho Mukha Vrksasana retain the same space between the
knuckles.
• Second time, again observe whether the middle fingers are
straight or not – the inner middle knuckles in to take the ankles in
– lengthen the inner calf muscles.

URDHVA DANURASANA
Over chairs
Using the back of a chair
• Bent knees to a wall.
• Arms over head.
• Top knee-caps touching the wall.
• Use knee-caps as a brake.

Over the seat of a chair

• Feet to a wall, hold back of the
chair, then move the inner arms
towards the wrists, then the outer
arms.This makes the ‘driest’ part of
the chest ‘wet’.The sternum becomes
alive.
• The centre groin, top and bottom
parallel.
• Observe the bottom frontal ankles,
move them away from the head first,
then back and down.
• Feet together so that you know
whether the ankles are going forward
or backwards.
• Big toes, both sides, moving evenly and upwards.This
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

makes the head of the tailbone circular.

• Bottom of the calf muscles to heels – upper calf muscles
move to the ceiling.

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EKAPADA DWI VIPARITA DANDASANA

Over chairs
• Do pose over a chair with right leg bent up.
• Keep the mind on stretching inner thigh of lifted leg.
• Outer buttock going down.
• Sternum alert.
• Observe shape of both buttocks.
• Bring quadriceps muscles of bent leg towards the head
and stretch the leg up by moving the lower calf muscles.
• Repeat with
right leg again.
Keep right leg
bent over the
top of the back
bar of the
chair.

Question yourselves, where are the buttock bones on the right side,
are they parallel with the back of the seat?
• Grip the chair and take outer buttocks down.
• Raise the right heel up and place it on the back of the chair.
• Adjust the buttock bone.
• Middle knee straight without forgetting the stretch of the fibres of
the thigh – roll the fibres out, then stretch the leg up.
• Without losing that grip, think of the downward leg – root of the big
toe pressing the wall.
• Change the legs, keep the outer bent knee rolling in – bring the
outer right buttock away from the anal mouth.
• Heel on the back of the chair, move the outer and inner foot
forwards, hold the chair firmly and raise the leg up – foot nearer the
eye, fibres nearer the bone.

Guruji demonstrated and said: All I have taught you, Tadasana,

Uttanasana and Adho Mukha Svanasana, plus Adho Mukha Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
Vrksasana, Pincha Mayurasana, Sirsasana and variations, all are
included in one Urdhva Dhanurasana
(For this work refer to previous articles in Iyengar Yoga News Nos. 16, 17, 18, 19)

Notes from1988 from now on:

• Prepare with the hands on the floor.
• When you bend the legs, are your toes and heels parallel to each other?
• Which toe is in, which toe is out? Which heel is in, which heel is out.
• Start by drawing a straight line.
• The tailbone is the pole star of backbends.
• Everything has to be directed towards the pole star. Go up!
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URDHVA DANURASANA
Brick between feet
• Place a brick between the feet, and prepare to go up. Go nearer the brick with the
tailbone. Place the hands, and come onto the head. Grip the brick and come up with
the exhalation. Grip the brick so that the tailbone does not disturb. Move the legs,
the arms towards the tailbone. Compress the brick and stretch.With that pressure
the legs do not move forwards or backwards. Learn like that.
• Outer hip sockets up, outer armpits up and inner elbows squeeze in.
Watch your forearms and your calf muscles.The skin should contract on the fore-
arms when going up. Contract the skin, bend the elbows, go up. ‘Rinse’ the forearms
and in that ‘rinsing’ action – come straight. In ‘rinsing’ alone it should come straight. Now press the palms in the
opposite direction to the little fingers, roll the forearms inwards. In the same way the inner thighs roll out and
then ‘rinse’ the skin.
• Sacral muscles move away from the lumbar – they move nearer the legs, then no back problems.
Keep the crown of the head on the floor, raise your body. Move your hands back a little more, nearer the ears,
outer elbows nearer the inner elbows – ‘rinsing’ the skin. Do not allow the outer elbows to go out, keep the
outer elbows in.
• Now, like Uttanasana, the outer thighs should hit up and the outer shins should hit in, so doing all that come
up. If you don’t get equal weight, your hands or feet can be taken nearer to each other. Don’t go in too much,
thereby losing the weight on the hands. Keep the external part of the sacral muscles hitting the outer buttock
and then stretch.

Hands on bricks/ledges/walls
• Watch your armpit skin, the inner arm should be
strong and long.The distance (between) the inner wrists
and the shoulders should not vary at all, and do not
oscillate your shoulder blades.
• Do not oscillate your sacral muscles; do not oscillate
your shoulder blades backwards, but go straight.
• Outer elbows in then you have to stretch up straight.
The pelvic girdle should move towards the thighs.
• (Still hands on bricks). Go up, walk in.There should be
14 inches between the wrists and the feet, so much you
have to walk in without allowing the armpits to
collapse.The back of the top knees hitting the kidneys
from your heels. Still walk back. Calf muscles facing the
ground. Make your calf muscles face the ground.
• Hands on the bricks.Walk in. Do not straighten the legs
but walk in. Bottom calf muscles should pound down, heels down.
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Take the wrists nearer the wall. Only the ligaments of the knees
should lengthen.The back corner knee flesh should move towards
the elbows, bottom knee skin should move to the shoulders. Heels
down. Head of the calves should hit the bottom calves. Calf muscles
heavy.
• Elongate the fibres at the top of the back knees and walk in.Watch
the arches of the feet in Urdhva Dhanurasana; they should not vary
at all.They should not move.The arches of the heels should be in the
centre, and then you have to stretch the bottom of the frontal edge
of the arches – the skin touching the ground. Now can you stretch

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your body straight up? How many of you did not move the head of the calf muscles nearer the triceps?
• Take the wrists up onto any height and find out which hand is touching more, which is less. Open the back of
the arms more and lift up. Can you do Adho Mukha Svanasana with the ring of the big toes in this pose?

Guruji demonstrated and said: When walking the feet in see that the
outer chips of the knees do not disturb

Hands on the floor

• Hands to the floor and see if you can do better.
• Watch the buttocks.
• Without moving the calf muscles, move the outer quadriceps muscles in
and up.

Two belts on legs

• Place one belt on the quadriceps
muscles and one belt on the big
toes. Same distance for each belt. •
• Place the hands on the bricks, or
on the floor, and again do Urdhva
Dhanurasana.
• The toes hitting the belt, quadri-
ceps muscles going into the belt.
Letting the belts give a sense of
direction, so that the legs come straight. All learn like that.
• Raise the outer quadriceps muscles back, higher and higher and hit out
the toes.The grip of the quadriceps muscles and the grip of the toes on
the belt should not vary at all. If they vary, you are lost.
• Watch the big toes, the belt should stretch so that your toes are
touching the entire cloth of the belt. Hit out as though tearing the belt.
• Walk back.When raising the buttocks you should know where the feet are.You should know if they are too far
away or not. Hit the belt out.
• Outer quadriceps muscles rolling in. If you are not using the belts you are sinking. Lift the quadriceps muscles
straight up like Tadasana.

Guruji demonstrated on himself and said: Observe the bottom portion

of my thighs at the back. Naturally at first the top thighs near the
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
buttocks ascend, the bottom thighs descend. One must learn to make
them ascend. The belts compress so that you can learn to ascend the
bottom thighs.
Finish your practice with Prone Savasana: Adho Mukha Virasana : Halasana on a bolster : Savasana with a bolster on the
thighs.

All photographs were taken by Tig Whattler in the Friday Teachers’ Class at the Cotswold Iyengar Yoga Centre, in
Cirencester, Gloucestershire.The gems of wisdom were passed on by Judi Sweeting.To be continued in the next issue of
Iyengar Yoga News.

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Book review:
The Hero’s Contemplation
by Christian Pisano
Gerry Chambers
This new book by Christian Pisano is itself a kind
of yogic act. By this I mean that the book is the
creative expression (the shakti) of Pisano’s own
yoga journey. It is not a good idea to approach
this book looking to appropriate new techniques
or teaching points and, while study of the asanas
shown by Christian will be rewarding and
inspiring, those who want a detailed instruction
manual should look elsewhere among the many
Iyengar yoga books now on the market.
Guruji himself has said: “To have a clear notion of
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
12
the true natures of man, of the world and of God,
the sadhaka should study the sacred books
(shastra).” Pisano’s shastras are the teachings of
Kashmiri Shaivism and the subtitle of the book is
“Yoga in the light of the teachings of Sri BKS
Iyengar and non-dual Kashmir Shaivism”. In these
shastras the whole world is characterised as the
outflow of the consciousness of Shiva. In some
repects this brand of Shaivism resembles the
monistic and mystical Upanishadic philosophy of
advaita vedanta which teaches that all is Brahman.
The book commences with a comprehensive
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introduction to this school of Shaivism by the The book itself is attractively produced and has
scholar Mark Dyczkowski so I need not say much striking imagery: first there is photography of
more here.While the philosophy of monistic beautiful artworks from Indian temples and
vedanta is based directly on the Upanishads and museums locating yoga at the heart of Indian spir-
on Shankaracharya’s reading of these, the founda- ituality. There are also striking photographs of
tion texts of monistic Shaivism are historically Pisano’s asanas taken at different points in time
later and draw deeply on tantric and hatha yogic although Pisano reminds us that performative
teachings. Tantra might be called a set of tech- photographs of asanas “are almost always carica-
niques for divinising the body, and the correct tures and inappropriate”. And there is piercing
performance of the asanas harnesses and calligraphy which unlocks the vibrancy of the
expresses the various qualities of these divine asanas in a way that photography can’t.Thanks are
energies. If my body is my temple it has to be due to YogaWords, a division of Yoga-matters, for
approached in a certain way from the outer publishing the English version of this book which
prakaram (courtyard) to the inner sanctum, and was originally published in French in 2010.The
the deity at the inner core, the heart, has to be book deserves a wide readership and is available
circumambulated in the correct manner and directly from Yogamatters.
cannot be approached haphazardly. For Pisano,
asana, starting with the standing poses, Special offer for IYN readers: Order online at
commences the consecration of the body.The Yogamatters with code IYN20 to save 20%. Code
story of the body is a limiting one if we think of valid until end of April 2012.
ourselves only as historical subjects shaped by
what Pisano calls the “wardrobe full of beliefs,
prejudices and preferences”.The practice of yoga
invites us to ask a more fundamental question,
that is, “who am I?” This question can be
addressed through the vehicle of asana as an
exploration of “the texture of our embodiment”.
For example, and taking one of the most familiar
of asanas, trikonasanana is much more than an
intricate placement of joints and muscles but is
an example of a “divine geometry”. Pisano tells us
that the triangle symbolises the three divine ener-
gies of will, knowledge and activity.

The title of this book is The Hero’s Contemplation

and as Pisano made clear at a recent event in
London to launch the English translation of the
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

book, the heroic act is one that engages fully with

the everyday world with eyes wide open. It is an
approach to living in the everyday while main-
taining a pure consciousness. As Pisano says “each
experience from the most trivial to the most
subtle can become a contemplation of our
essence ... each and every thing happens at the
source of attention...” Such an awareness is
heroic contemplation.

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Learning and Teaching Yoga
Kirsten Agar Ward
This article in two parts was
inspired by classes attended
during a trip to Pune in
December 2010 and on talking
further with Prashantji.
Learning and Teaching Yoga
This article explores some issues
around learning and teaching
yoga.There is a danger that we
become stuck at a basic level and
never properly get to grips with
what it really means to “learn”
yoga.We might “know” a lot of
biomechanical points (ie generally
have picked them up second- or
third-hand), how to adjust etc. but
we need to understand that
learning and teaching yoga
involves much more than this, that
it is a culturing process at all
levels of our being, not only body.
So we should not get stuck there
in our learning and our teaching.
We have to keep moving forward,
not become impressed with what
we “know”, congratulating
ourselves on how far we have
come – that way lies arrogance
and stagnation.
Part 2 – Teaching
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
What Makes a Good
Teacher?
A good teacher must be a
good learner. If we put our
efforts into being a good
learner then necessarily we will
become a good teacher (even if
we are only teaching
14
ourselves). On a higher level of
practice you have to be a
teacher to yourself even if you
teach no one else.
Instilling Yoga Culture
Yoga is a culturing process so
as teachers we need to be
clear from the outset that our
role is to move beyond the
basic training resulting from
regurgitating instructions and
Yoga is a culturing process therefore as
teachers we have to take care what culture we
instil into our students.
instil yoga culture. Since the
real learning comes from
inside, pupils have to be
cultured in order for that to
occur in a proper way. Just as
when we have taught a child
how to read we cannot control
everything they read, but we
can instil a culture in them so
they make good choices.
So we have to take care not to
instil a dependency habit in
students relying on outside
inputs from us. As a spiritual
subject yoga depends on
potentials; the teacher’s role is
to make pupils aware of the
potentials within themselves, to
help them access them, then to
guide them in exploring, using,
evolving and realising those
potentials.
A Learning/Teaching
Continuum
Of course we must adapt to
the situation – teaching begin-
ners is totally different from
teaching seniors.You can’t
teach a beginner to identify
potential nor to use it. So
initially the process will be
heavily weighted towards direc-
tion, biomechanical instruction-
giving and adjustment.They
have to be doing at least a basi-
cally correct pose in order to
progress. But it is not appro-
priate to go on in this vein
forever.We don’t go on
teaching children basic phonics
once they have learned to read,
so we shouldn’t go on and on
with the basic points in
teaching yoga. Higher education
and learning is not merely a
case of inputting more material
into a student, even if it is
more complex/subtle; that is
merely training as distinct from
education.Traditionally in
education not only does
content get harder but more
importantly the teaching
/learning process evolves into
one in which the learner takes
a more active role, has to think
for themselves and work things
out, learns to apply process as
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well as content, becomes orig-
inal and creative and takes on
the culture of the subject not
only retains some facts about it
Therefore the teacher needs to
have in mind moving the pupils
along this continuum and grad-
ually teaching should be shifting
to bring them closer to yoga.
This has to be gradual since if
we suddenly remove the
supports of instructions then
the pupils will of course feel
support-less, but somewhere
we have to incorporate a plan
to do this. So we have to grad-
ually reduce the spoon-feeding
to break the habit of you as
teacher telling and them doing.
As Prashantji says: “Make them
think and feel so you don’t
need to do the spoon-feeding
but they see what is in the
spoon.”
This is not to disparage
content knowledge. Clearly a
good teacher has to “know
their stuff”. But the best
teachers are not those who are
merely a few pages ahead of
the pupils in a text-book of
content, but those who have a
well-rounded and deep history
of study of their subject and
who not only impart content
but guide the pupils towards
independent learning.They are
not merely regurgitating some
sort of script but respond to
those they have to teach, are
creative etc.We mustn’t get
stuck in the biomechanical nor
encourage this in our students;
yes it is essential to develop
this understanding but don’t
get stuck there, it’s not the
whole story.
What Should we be Trying
to do as Teachers?
At first pupils will need lots of
pointers and ideas, so that they
can make a start and begin
to build up some confidence,
develop sensitivity, and develop
a process for their own discov-
eries. But gradually we have to
reduce the point-giving.We
may think we are being helpful
giving points, but we have to
consider what leads us to do
this. Perhaps we don’t know
anything else except biome-
chanical points? Perhaps it
makes us feel good to be able
to impress the pupils with our
extensive knowledge and
“deep” understanding? But in
this spiritual sphere the
teacher’s role is to induct a
person to the potentials within
themselves rather than our
achievements and knowledge as
teachers! We also need to
understand the damage spoon-
feeding can do.When I worked
with adults working with chil-
dren with special needs, the
adults would sometimes do
everything for the child, (often
with the best intentions of
being “kind” or simply to
“justify” their employment) but
in so doing they undermined
the child’s self-belief (implicit
message – you can’t do this for
yourself) and created an atmos-
phere in which the child wasn’t
given space to find out for
themselves, making the
mistakes which inevitably
accompany learning.We must
not disempower and disable
our pupils, even if we mean
well.
So in practical terms we should
gradually make students aware
not only of their body, to
observe and be sensitive to its
symmetry, alignment etc. but
also, importantly, of their mind
and breath. For example,
helping them become breath
aware – e.g. whether they hold
the breath, how is the breath in
different types of poses (eg
forward compared with back-
ward bending). Later, helping
them start understanding how
to use the breath; seeing how
exhaling completely in a pose
affects the body, such as helping
overcome stiffness, bringing
power.Then they realise breath
is an important tool through
which body can be accessed.
We must also make them
aware of their state of mind.
All three of these aspects of
our embodiment have to be set
right.We have to learn to
understand our nature and the
interactions between these
three, and in so doing modify
our nature and find out how
far we can evolve within it.This
is the culturing process. In this
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
way gradually pupils will
become aware of the potentials
within themselves.
It is our duty to prepare
students for going to Pune,
familiarising them with the
teaching approaches of all the
Iyengars in our teaching and
encouraging them to read the
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IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 16
If you remain a good student then you will
become a good teacher.
books and listen to the CDs,
then they will be better able to
access the teaching; after all
they are not going there to
show off how many points they
have acquired from us! They
are going to learn, so we have
to prepare them to be able to
do that.
Essential Qualities of a
Good Teacher
Having profound knowledge
isn’t sufficient to be a good
teacher. Qualities such as toler-
ance and patience are essential.
Prashantji stresses that yoga is
a natural rather than an artifi-
cial process, so we have to
allow that organic process, not
be in haste, always implanting.
Slow learning is better, because
it enables consolidation.
Teachers can give clues but
everyone has different abilities
and potentials which we have
to allow for, for example some
are very emotional, others
intellectual, others sensitive,
others do first, think later.We
have to be patient – our
students might learn it the
tenth time!
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
Pupils will make mistakes and
we must let some of them go
as long as they are not
dangerous.Whilst adjusting raw
beginners is all right, adjusting
the more experienced gets in
the way of their learning; the
student doesn’t understand the
process of correction, just the
stroke of correction. Moreover,
16
adjusting is a jerk and jolt to
them, especially in pranayama
where it can be alarming and
explosive. So instead we need
to encourage them to feel or
watch certain things then they
evolve the process to get into
that aligned condition.This
requires much patience.
Teaching the Subject
Rather than Teaching
Students
At some point we should be
teaching the subject rather
than teaching students.With
the former you are not
concerned with the individual;
not all will grasp it, some will
learn today, some in a week or
a year. It may be an unfashion-
able and unpopular view, but
we can’t adapt the subject to fit
the students. In this case we
should teach for the deserving,
who might only be one or two
percent, then the legacy will
continue.When teaching the
subject it’s unhelpful to look
too much at the students who
will be experimenting and
trying, as not only is this not
good to look at(!), it’s inhibiting
if they feel they will be
criticised. Having said this we
should make students inwardly
so then they are not bothered
even if there is someone hyper-
critical around.
We should try to bring pupils
to a point where we are no
longer required. In Prashantji’s
words: “To remain a good
teacher see that you remain a
good student, develop your
understanding of these things. If
you have understood yourself
in your asanic endeavour then
you will become a good
teacher, rather than learning
other people’s points by heart,
regurgitating others’ points. If
you remain a good student
then you will become a good
teacher.”
Some Pitfalls for Teachers:
Teachers Making
Attractive Consumer
Packages so that Pupils
Come Again
This might mean trying to
make everyone feel “nice” in
the class or organising things in
other ways to suit consumer
preference rather than the
requirements of the subject.
But yoga is not concerned with
appearance or transient or illu-
sory states; it is about well-
being as distinct from sense of
well-being.Therefore as
teachers we should be
concerned with cultivating
well-being rather than sense of
well-being in our students.
Consequently the pupils might
finish a class feeling less than
happy in some way: that does
not mean they were badly
taught.We must not run things
to keep people happy and
maximise rebookings!
Ego
We might get ideas that “I
taught them this” etc. But
either our points are second-
hand regurgitation or else our
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 17
learning comes from the higher
teacher within. Either way one
is a medium and it is not “I”
who can take any credit.
Teaching Becomes a
Higher Priority than
Learning
We should understand that this
tends to happen; then we can
say to ourselves “Let me keep a
priority for learning although I
am teaching.”
Only Teaching Techniques
Prashantji points out that
teachers go on teaching
techniques because they have
nothing else to teach.Tech-
niques are dogmatic but the
teacher’s instructions have to
be pragmatic and customised
to the conditions. For example
in pranayama, after the initial
stages of learning, we should
try to avoid referring to the
skeleto-muscular as to an
experienced person it’s an
irritant as they are trying to
do something finer and you are
drawing them to something
gross. Prashantji’s challenge
“Can you teach a class without
reference to biomechanics?”
Hypercritism
It is easy to fall into the hyper-
critical pitfall, to show how
clever we are in being able to
spot so many faults in others. It
also helps us justify our exis-
tence as teachers! Clearly we
must not allow people to do
Prashantji’s challenge: Can you teach a class
without reference to biomechanics?
dangerous things, but we
should have a tolerance of
pupils’ imperfections and slow-
ness, after all we are like that
too! Being hypercritical is not a
philosophical or spiritual way of
life, it brings irritability and
diverts both teacher and pupils
away from equanimity. More-
over creativity of pupils cannot
come in a hypercritical environ-
ment. We have a to create an
atmosphere in which people
feel they are not there to
“perform” for our or anyone
else’s benefit and in which
mistakes can be made.
Talking/Doing Too Much
As teachers we should only say
what is necessary, not go on
and on with the constant
“AK47” of instructions. Nor
should we cultivate a habit in
pupils of incessantly doing and
never learning.We should allow
people time to reflect, to feel
what they have done and what
has happened, why they have
done it. If they have to listen all
the time then they can’t be
independent and also meticu-
lous instructions are an irritant.
This all stifles the pupil’s
creativity.
Talking Imprecisely
We should develop our ability
to enunciate Sanskrit words
properly, in order to convey
the essence of meaning prop-
erly, e.g. trikonasan not
trikonasanAH and Yog not
YogAH (the latter being a phys-
ical fitness programme & sense
of well-being as distinct from
well-being).
Also it is tempting to use
words as if any one of several
words will do to convey the
same meaning. But English is a
rich language in which different
words with broadly similar
meaning actually convey
different shades of meaning and
nuances, eg straighten, stretch,
elongate.We should be aware
of that and incorporate it in
our teaching.We should know
why we have used that word
and not another.This will
reflect our own inner preci-
sion, awareness and under-
standing and will help cultivate
precision and care in those we
teach. If we are casual then we
encourage that in them.What
we mean and what we say
should coincide (satya).
Identity Problems
There is a danger that we may
allow wrong ideas into our
minds such “I am a teacher as
distinct from a student”. It is
nonsensical to separate yoga
practitioners into mutually
exclusive categories of teachers
and students. Actually the
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
teacher identity is really for
others.There is nothing wrong
in someone calling us a teacher
or advertising as such but that
is for others, in our minds we
should basically be students of
yoga. Of course when we teach
we have to take on that
persona in order to be able to
do it, but we should not live in
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There is nothing wrong in someone calling us
a teacher... But that is for others, in our
minds we should basically be students of
that teacher identity.The iden-
tity should be: “I am a student
of yoga”; this avoids stagnation
in practice and teaching.
Copying Our Teachers
We have to learn organically
and find our own words, not
simply learn by heart and
parrot what our teachers say.
We can’t straight away teach
what we have been taught in
Pune, we have to go on prac-
tising, then it will come in our
own words and mould.
As Prashantji says: “Yoga is a
very natural process, don’t have
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
a regimen to follow. See what
the conditions are at a given
time and accordingly devise
your process, devise it rather
than prescribe it.”
Conclusion
It is up to us as learners to be
18
clear about
what the
yogic
endeavour is
and look for
teachers who
can guide us
in that, not
merely make
us feel good,
add to our
point list,
adjust (serve)
us, build up
our sense of achievement etc.,
like some sort of personal
trainer. And it is up to the
teachers to be clear about we
are trying to do in teaching
yoga, that this is something
much more being than a
trainer or instructor. It is our
duty to live up to that label of
“teacher” rather than seeing it
as our entitlement.To do that
we need to retain our primary
identity as learners and like
Guruji never give up learning.
With thanks to Prashantji for
your patient teaching and
explanation.
APPLYING FOR
CLASSES AT THE RIMYI,
PUNE
If you would like to attend
classes at the Ramamani
Iyengar Memorial Yoga Insti-
tute in Pune, India, you have
to apply through the IYA
(UK). For more details about
the application process and
to download an application
form, please visit our website.
The website also contains
lots of information about
travelling to and staying in
Pune, and about attending
yoga classes at the RIMYI.
CALL FOR
PHOTOS AND VIDEO
FOOTAGE
You may have noticed that we
have added some videos to
our website recently. Do you
have any good quality footage
of the Iyengars that you would
be happy for us to share on
the site?
We would also be pleased to
receive any interesting Iyengar
yoga related photos you have
that we could consider for
inclusion in our online photo
gallery, at www.iyengaryoga
.org.uk/photos and on our
Flickr pages.
If you have anything of
interest we’d love to hear
from you. Please get in touch
with us at admin@iyengar
yoga.org.uk or phone
07510 326997.
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 19
Telltales
Ally Hill
As most of you I’m sure are aware, teachers ask
students for details about the state of their health
before embarking on yoga classes.What some of
you might not be aware of is how important this
is.
Let me tell you a story –
I had two new students
arrive in my class. At
Sarva IYI we have quite a
comprehensive form for
new students to
complete, with plenty of
space for people to add
anything that the form
doesn’t cover or needs
to be expanded upon.
After all, it’s a form not a
medical dictionary – you
can’t put every possible medical condition onto a
form and expect someone to plough through it!
These two ladies had filled their forms in and had
admitted to the odd twinge here and there but
nothing major. I taught a standard beginner’s class
with the usual mix of some standings, inversions
and forward bends, including some preliminary leg
and arm stretches.
A few days later the husband of one of the ladies
called to request a refund as both of them said
the class had hurt their upper arm/shoulder area.
I had a look at my lesson plan (I keep all of them
– you never know when someone may query
something about a class) and could see nothing
that could have over-stretched this area. On
enquiring further, I managed to get out of this
man that they were both recovering from breast
cancer – there was nothing to this effect on their
forms! I went ballistic, explaining the need for
giving such information!! The husband backed
down quickly, stating that apparently they thought
this would be a new start and had put the cancer
behind them! These forms and, yes, Sarva’s form
does ask about cancer and any surgery in the last
three years, irrespective of how detailed they are,
need to be taken seriously.We teachers are not
being nosey; we need to
know these things so
that we can take good
care of students in class.
Had I had any inkling
that they had recently
undergone treatment
for such a major medical
condition, quite frankly I
wouldn’t have accepted
them in my class for the
following reasons:
• They had not had suffi-
cient time to recover from the treatment
• If sufficient time had passed, I would have
ensured that they kept the area passive so as not
to stress any scar tissue
• And most important of all – they need to go to
a senior teacher so soon after sugery – my
insurance doesn’t cover me to teach them!
(I’m an Intermediate Junior 1).They would have to
be well through recovery to come to my classes.
This tale is obviously about a serious medical
complaint but minor injuries and conditions are
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
just as relevant.Yoga asanas stretch and condition
the body; this is physical work where we expect
students to do just a little more than
they think they can and Iyengar yoga in
particular takes good care of those with health
and physical issues. Please help your teacher take
good care of you – tell us what we need to know,
in confidence!
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Anatomy of a Pose:
Sukhasana
Ray Long

Sukhasana is the seated position most commonly Sukhasana Preparation

used in meditation. Accordingly, many of the other
poses of Hatha Yoga are directed toward making it
easier and more comfortable to sit for long
periods in this pose. In fact, the Sanskrit word
asana is often translated to mean “a comfortable
and easy position.”
To sit comfortably in Sukhasana, we want to
minimise the muscular effort required to be in the
pose. One way to achieve this is by bringing the
knees closer to the mat, thereby lowering the
center of gravity toward the pelvic core. Do this
by stretching the muscles that surround the hips,
especially the adductors and internal rotators.This
allows the femurs to abduct and externally rotate.
Align the vertebral column over the pelvis so that
the weight of the trunk is supported by the
skeleton (bones) instead of primarily by muscular
contraction.This makes it possible to hold the
pose with less effort. Use closed chain contrac-
tion of the latissimus dorsi to draw the torso
forward so that the mechanical axis (the direction
of gravity) and the anatomical axis of the vertebral
column align with each other. Refine the pose by
engaging the accessory muscles of breathing to
expand the chest.
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
Stretch the adductor group on the insides of the
thighs with poses such as Baddha Konasana and
Upavistha Konasana. Use facilitated stretching to
lengthen the internal rotators with the cradle
stretch.
Lift the chest by fixing the hands on the knees
and attempting to pull back.The arms will not
move so the chest is drawn forward by closed
chain contraction of the latissimus dorsi.This
draws the vertebral column over the pelvis and
expands the chest.
• Step 1: Activate the psoas muscles by pressing
down on the knees while trying to lift them.This
produces a closed chain contraction, whereby the
origin of the psoas moves (not the insertion),
lifting the lumbar and tilting the pelvis forward.
This synergises the action of the quadratus

Basic Joint Positions

• The hips flex, abduct, and externally rotate.
• The knees flex.
• The ankles are neutral.
• The trunk extends slightly.
• The shoulders flex slightly.
lumborum on the lumbar spine.Visualise the
sartorius contracting to flex, abduct, and
externally rotate the hips.This muscle also assists
the psoas in tilting the pelvis forward.
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IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 21
• Step 2: Bend the knees by engaging the
hamstrings.We relax these muscles once in the
pose but occasionally return to them to refine
the position of the legs and re-establish congru-
ency of the knee joints.
• Step 3:The tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius
activate to abduct the thighs toward the floor.
Note that these muscles are internal rotators of
the hips. Sukhasana externally rotates the hips.
Accordingly, prepare for the pose by stretching
the tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius to
lengthen their internal rotation components.Then
engage the same muscles to abduct the hips.Tuck
the tailbone while turning the thighs outward to
engage the deep external hip rotators. Refine the
pose by gently pressing the outer edges of the
feet into the mat.This activates the peroneus
longus and brevis muscles at the sides of the
lower legs.
• Step 4: Place the hands on the knees and
pronate the forearms to turn the palms down,
engaging the pronators teres and quadratus.
Contract the triceps to attempt to straighten the
elbows. Engage the infraspinatus and teres minor
muscles to externally rotate the shoulders.The
posterior deltoids synergise this action.Then pull
with the hands to draw the chest forward, acti-
vating the latissimus dorsi in a closed chain
fashion, as shown.
• Step 5: Draw the shoulder blades toward the
midline by contracting the rhomboids.This opens
the chest and stabilizes the scapulae in place,
preparing for Step 6. Activate the lower third of
the trapezius to draw the shoulder blades down
the back.
• Step 6: Stabilise the scapulae toward the midline
of the back.Then lift the ribcage by engaging the
pectoralis minor.The cue for activating this
muscle is to attempt to roll the shoulders
forward. Because the shoulders are fixed in place
by the rhomboids, they will not actually roll
forward. Instead, the contraction of the pectoralis
minor lifts the ribs and opens the chest.
Expand the chest further by engaging the serratus
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
anterior. Note how this muscle also originates
from the scapula and attaches to the ribs (like the
pectoralis minor). Accordingly, when the scapulae
are tethered in place by the rhomboids, engaging
the serratus anterior lifts and expands the chest.
The cue for contracting this muscle is to visualise
pressing the hands outward against a door frame.
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Teaching Iyengar Yoga to
Medical Students
Dr Laura Potts
Have you ever wished doctors
had a better understanding of
yoga, of what it is we do when
we practise, and of its impacts
on our health? In many years
campaigning in the women’s
health and public health move-
ments, a regular refrain was ‘if
only doctors learned about this
or that in their training!’ So I
love my very part-time post
advising on the curriculum at
Hull York Medical School
(HYMS). One aspect of the inno-
vative curriculum is the Student
Selected Component (SSC).The
purpose of these, as the official
documentation puts it, is to “give
medical students the chance to
broaden and deepen their
learning beyond the core
medical curriculum.
An important function of SSCs
is to allow bright and intelligent
students typical of medical
schools to expand their educa-
tional horizons.”
So to encourage such expanded
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
horizons, I teach an SSC called
Yoga for Health and Wellbeing
to first and second year
students.This is an intensive 10
session course for complete
beginners, “to give a taste of
what the theory and practice of
yoga is about and the benefits it
brings to physical, mental and
emotional health; it is suitable
22
for all ages and levels of fitness.
The classes all have a practice
element to learn some of the
classical postures; an opportu-
nity for reflection and discus-
sion; and mini-lectures in which
key elements of the philosophy
of yoga are introduced. All
students get a copy of Geeta's
book Yoga in Action: A Preliminary
Course to support their learning.
The General Medical Council
requires most SSCs to have a
direct relevance to medicine, so
the course assesses students by
a Reflective Learning Journal in
which they evaluate the benefits
to health and well-being of yoga
practice through both qualitative
and objective monitoring of its
effects and through critical
reflection on published research
about the effects of yoga.They
are also assessed on their
engagement, attendance and
participation in classes.
Many of the students do a lot of
sport which brings the
customary difficulties of
muscular strength but limited
flexibility. Several have reported
how their sports performance
has improved as a result of prac-
tising yoga, their focus sharp-
ened and their physical use of
the body more efficient. Many
come with a history of intense
study and the highly competitive
drive necessary to gain a place
at a top medical school. Initially
they find it hard to sit still or to
reflect on the inner processes at
work as they practise yoga.Their
reflective journals tell of how
useful they find their yoga prac-
tice as a way of developing
better concentration, of sleeping
better and of dealing with the
stress of exams and clinical
responsibilities. “Whilst prac-
tising Sukhasana, I had a better
appreciation of some of the
subtle changes you have to make
to your body in order to bring
your body into a greater state of
relaxation... I felt that these
adjustments to the posture did
in fact quieten my mind and my
consciousness allowing me to
experience a sense of tranquil-
lity”. Above all, these are
students with an extraordinary
capacity for learning: they absorb
new knowledge enthusiastically,
they practise diligently in their
own time, read widely and inte-
grate their understanding into
other interests and activities. But
of course many are young men
and women with vast reserves
of energy living very full and
busy lives.
They generally show a good
level of self reflection. One
student commented in her
journal, “I began to notice that I
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 23
was holding myself differently
and I felt invigorated. I was
standing tall, stretching all my
body and felt completely in line.
I realised that having time to
focus on myself and the posi-
tioning of my body made me
subconsciously change it.”
Another student wrote of his
understanding of the various
limbs of yoga: “Despite my lack
of flexibility and the slow
progress I was making, there was
a point in which I realised I
would never really appreciate
the essence of yoga unless I
abided by the fundamental roots
of the art. In other words I
would have to be truthful to
myself (satya) about my form, be
content with what I could
correctly achieve and not to be
envious of what others around
me were able to do (santosa).”
They make ready connections to
their practice of medicine too, as
another student articulates: “Any
one of the four principles of
[Iyengar yoga] precision, align-
ment, sequencing and timing that
we do not do correctly whilst
practicing yoga will cause harm
to ourselves ... I learned that
these principles could be applied
not only in yoga but also in life.
For example, if I were to read a
patient’s notes in hospital ... and
one of the four elements were
missing, I would put the patient
at risk ... Another important
principle [is] awareness of one’s
physical limits. For example,
whilst doing Upavistha Konasana,
I was struggling to get into the
pose ... pushing myself any
further ... would cause damage
to my body. I believe it is experi-
ences like this which will help
me in the future as a doctor, as
if I am not aware of particular
information, I will ask for help as
I will recognise my own intellec-
tual limit. I think this is an
extremely important concept as
if you don't admit to these limits
to yourself, or to your Guru
(teacher), you could, for
example, harm yourself physi-
cally during yoga or harm a
patient whilst being a doctor “.
The students at HYMS have a
wide range of ethnic and reli-
gious diversity. Several have
reflected on how yoga relates to
their own backgrounds, beliefs
and practices. “Many of concepts
that yoga stands for are very
important in my life and my
beliefs as a Muslim. Initially I was
a bit reluctant to join yoga as I
had read that it can conflict with
my beliefs because it stems from
Hinduism, what many may
perceive to have polytheistic
aspects. However, upon
progressing I had realised that
the two actually mutually benefit
each other... Adho Mukha Virasana
was also very relaxing for my
mind because I could let my
senses go and relax my mind for
a while. It is similar to the
Islamic prayer position ‘sujud’ in
which it signifies prostration and
submission to God, quite similar
to a Niyama principle known as
Isvara Pranidhana.” Another
student commented in his
journal: “As a Hindu, yoga is one
of the six dharshanas ...When I
heard terms such as
Namaskarasana and Swastika
used in the first sessions I felt at
home ...This feeling was further
enhanced as we started every
session with Sukhasana, the pose
usually taken while praying. For
me one of the most significant
learning experiences was when
we did the Surya Namaskarasana
routine...[d]espite it being
moderately tiring initially, I tried
it prior to praying the following
day and found that it had rein-
vigorating and energising effect
on my body. Having now prac-
ticed Surya Namaskarasana over
the week I now feel a positive
energy change in general,
furthermore I have learned that
after praying I felt much more
refreshed which helped me start
the day on a positive note.”
I have learned a great deal from
these students, perhaps particu-
larly from their exploration of
the health benefits of yoga prac-
tice. Their topics have included
asthma, depression, lower back
pain, anxiety and stress,
preventing injury when running
competitively, and insomnia.They
may well be sceptical, as good
scientists, about the more ‘alter-
native’ or ‘fringe’ perceptions of
yoga in popular discourse:
“Having done a biomedical
science degree I have the philos-
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
ophy that a scientific explanation
should be given for any treat-
ment given in medicine, whether
mainstream or complementary.”
But they bring an open mind to
the practice and are admirably
rigorous in applying empirical
method to their yoga practice.
Many have undertaken system-
atic observation of effects on
23
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 24
themselves: for instance, meas-
uring their peak expiratory flow
rate before and after classes and
practice to see how yoga might
help asthma, or keeping a
detailed sleep diary related to
practice of particular asanas.
They also undertake a related
literature review to appraise
published research on yoga and
health. As we know, there is
limited high quality, peer-
reviewed research on Iyengar
yoga’s effects and students are
quick to identify this and suggest
how future trials might be
undertaken.They notice too that
much of the published literature
is unspecific about what yoga
has been evaluated, what
method or discipline, what
asana-s or pranayama practised.
But most students conclude that
it would be valuable to under-
take more research, so that
medical practice could more
confidently include yoga as part
of prevention or treatment
when the evidence suggests that
would be appropriate. So there
may be a newly qualified doctor
coming soon to your neighbour-
hood or your hospital, who does
have an understanding of what
yoga is about, and some of the
health benefits it confers.
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
With grateful thanks to all HYMS
students who have taken the yoga
SSC and taught me so much, and
to Richard Nicolson for so
efficiently and enthusiastically
supporting the course.
24
John
Maslen:
Memoirs
Many of you will remember John
Maslen.You will have seen him
accompanying his wife, Jeanne
Maslen around the UK and the
world as she passed on Guruji's
teaching. John sadly died on the
4 September 2010 after a long
illness suffering from Alzheimer’s
disease.This is just a little
snippet of his contribution to
Iyengar yoga.
In 1974 John took time out of
his own work in Mumbai to visit
and see Guruji teach. He trav-
elled to Pune with Guruji in a
taxi to see the beginnings of the
RIMYI and to generally view life
in Pune on the back of Guruji’s
Lambretta Scooter. He made a
movie of this adventure by
resting his camera on Guruji’s
shoulders whilst mingling with
the numerous rickshaws, motor
scooters, cars, lorries, oxen
carts, cattle and people every-
where. John enjoyed every
minute of this escapade!
In 1975 the RIMYI was officially
opened. John often accompanied
Jeanne plus groups of 30
teachers and students on their
many, many trips to Pune for
Guruji’s superb teaching. John
took hundreds of photographs.
When Guruji visited Manchester
John hosted him at his home
and took time out from his own
busy schedule of work to see to
all Guruji’s needs.
Teachers and students of the
MDIIY gratefully remember John
for his dedicated and active
involvement with Iyengar yoga
and the Institute.The MDIIY was
formed 40 years ago in 1972 and
from then until recently John
gave practical help:
• Laying the beautiful floor and
making the stage in the main
yoga room upstairs, the Maslen
Hall;
• Creating the new Reed Studio
on the ground floor, taking out
the wall to make more space,
repairing and laying a new floor;
• Making all trestlers (Pune
Horses), backbenders, the rope
wall, and various other pieces of
equipment, not only for the
institute, but for many teachers
and students who also wanted
trestlers and backbenders for
their home practice, so he made
more and more!
He is greatly missed.
From the MDIIY Archives
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 25

93 Poses for 93 Years!

Ally Hill
Photo by Sonali Bhosale

BKS Iyengar turned 93 years old on 14 December bends! Sarvangasana finally signalled the end of
2011. In celebration a group of students and the sequence and after a little more “leg waving”
teachers gathered at Sarva IYI to do 93 poses in the one for luck was Savasana.
two hours.
We then followed this with cups of tea, savoury
Thirty seven willing participants duly turned up snacks and chocolate muffins – see what you
for the 5pm start, missed! Everyone
paying a minimum had a great time.
contribution of £5 All levels of
towards the student were in
Iyengar Yoga attendance, a few
Development were introduced
Fund, the chosen to poses that they
charity for this hadn’t tried
year. All moneys before but all
from such events were game to
around the have a go.
country will go to
this fund, enabling Although the
teachers to contribution
provide classes for requested was £5,
groups that may many contributed
otherwise not be able to afford yoga classes. more.We also received donations from several
These include prisoners, people who are under- people who were unable to attend. At the time of
going rehabilitation for drug abuse plus other writing this we have collected £360 for the fund.
groups who have health issues. Many thanks to all for making it a very special
celebration.
The session was lead by Sheila Haswell and Uday
Bhosale. I managed to escape the strenuous
activities by being the one to call the asanas on
the list that Uday and Sheila had put together.
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Starting with Tadasana they moved through some

standing arm work, then on to leg extensions and
the familiar standing poses; from there progressed
to balancings and inversions. Just as they all
thought “great, we get to sit down”, they moved
into leg folding including Simasana (the lion,
complete with tongue!). More leg extensions, then
seated twists. Still no respite – from there they
moved to wrist balances and to cap it all back-
25
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 26
Announcement: Themed Work-
shops, Classes and Courses
Ethics and Certification Committee
Early in 2011,Yogacharya Sri B K S Iyengar issued
a new ruling that only those teachers who hold an
Intermediate Senior Level 1 Certificate or above
were entitled to advertise or teach workshops,
classes and courses with a ‘theme’ other than the
usual: ‘Asana class or Restorative poses and
Pranayama class’.
Iyengar yoga classes are always a mixture of
asanas. Even if the focus is on a specific set of
asanas such as standing, seated, or back bends,
other asanas are invariably included. For example,
if the class plan focuses on forward bends, other
asanas will be used to start and complete the
programme – there is rarely a need for a partic-
ular type of asana to be presented as the theme,
and each class will have numerous themes.
If a teacher advertises an event such as a ‘back
bend workshop’, there is likely to be a perception
that the teacher is presenting themselves as an
‘expert’ on back bends. But the expertise required
to teach a workshop with a specific theme of this
type can only be gained by many years of personal
practice and teaching general classes to achieve
this. Senior teachers are more likely to have this
experience. In addition, it is only when it comes to
the senior certification levels that a teacher is
required to have studied under the guidance of
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
Yogacharya Sri B K S Iyengar, his family, and the
other teachers at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial
Yoga Institute in Pune.The experience gained by
attending the Institute in Pune is unique and
cannot be replicated elsewhere.
It is only on the basis of all this experience that
teachers can have an understanding of what to
look for and what to expect from the people in
front of them in a ‘themed’ workshop or class
26
situation, which may include those who are new
to the teacher or perhaps people who are rarely
seen, compounding the difficulty of being sure of
what correction or adjustment or instruction is
needed.There is also particular concern with
regard to teaching a workshop with a therapeutic
theme, such as back, hip, knee or shoulder prob-
lems, where even greater expertise is required.
Once teachers have gained seniority in yoga, they
often realise with hindsight that they had so much
more to learn.
Another reason for the ruling relates to an
increasing tendency, especially in Western cultures,
to present yoga as some kind of commercial
product. There is often pressure on teachers
(particularly those less senior) to label workshops
with ‘themes’, in an attempt to make them sound
more interesting or attractive to prospective
‘customers’. Might workshop themes also
encourage a mistaken perception that it is up to
yoga consumers to pick and choose the parts of
yoga that they think they want, rather than being
yoga students who humbly follow the guidance of
a teacher? Specific themes can lead to the notion
that yoga is a collection of separate topics, and
that learning yoga is simply a matter of ‘filling the
gaps’ in one's knowledge.
The introductory Iyengar yoga teaching qualifica-
tion, and the continued education and profes-
sional development that all IYA (UK) teachers are
expected to complete annually, already equips
teachers at all levels with knowledge and ideas
about how to help people in their regular classes
who have minor health problems or injuries, by
making adjustments or using props for individuals.
However,Yogacharya Sri B K S Iyengar’s method is
a holistic one.The focus is not solely on the back,
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 27
the knee, the hips, twists, stress, etc., but rather
on a mixture of asanas and pranayama, an inte-
grated practice, which helps to improve the
general health and well-being of the individual as a
whole.
It is important that the reasons for IYA (UK)
asking teachers to abide by this new ruling are
understood and accepted by all so, if you have any
questions please send an email to the main office
and it will be forwarded to an appropriate Execu-
tive Council member for a reply.
Obituary:
Selma Payne
1920-2011
Our mother Selma Payne sadly died peacefully
at home on 21 December 2011 at the age of
91. Selma was an Iyengar teacher for 30 years,
firstly in South London teaching through the
Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) and
subsequently in Broadway,Worcestershire.
Selma trained as a ballet dancer but went on to
marry, have children and lived abroad for 30
years.When she was 50 she was thrilled to
discover an Iyengar yoga class and knew straight
away that was what she wanted to do. She went
on to train to teach in the 1970s. I remember
going to a class with her to a very impressive
Angela Farmer. Selma went to the institute in
Pune on several occasions and was always
inspired by Mr Iyengar. She passed on her
knowledge and teachings to her children, grand-
children and many pupils over the years.
Richard, John, Alistair and Joanna Payne
Anniversary
Celebrations
for MDIIY
In July 1972 Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar was
welcomed to Manchester by members of the
newly formed Manchester and District Institute
of Iyengar Yoga (MDIIY). Members were delighted
that Guruji also agreed to become President of
the MDIIY. In September of that year the first
Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the MDIIY
was held in the University of Manchester’s
Renold Building. Eight MDIIY committee
members attended that meeting along with four-
teen MDIIY members.
From that point the MDIIY grew and in 1992 the
group found its home at 134 King Street, Dukin-
field. Members at that time worked tirelessly to
transform the space into rooms suitable for
Iyengar Yoga teaching and practice.
Forty years on, the MDIIY has grown and remains
a thriving group of over 490 members. 2012
therefore sees not only the 40th anniversary of
Guruji’s visit and the first MDIIY AGM, but it is
also the 20th anniversary of the opening of the
Institute building in Dukinfield as the centre for
MDIIY activities.
With these anniversaries in mind, the MDIIY
hopes to hold a special 20/40 anniversary event
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
during the second weekend in September 2012,
and we have invited two visiting teachers, recom-
mended by Guruji, to help with the celebrations.
We hope to give further details of the celebra-
tions soon, but are keen to welcome all Iyengar
Yoga practioners, friends and family members to
the celebrations.
Article by the MDIIY Executive Committee,
December 2011.
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A Message of Goodwill
Sharon Klaff
As I write this article, the season
of goodwill and joy is upon us
yet again.The easiest way to
deliver the goodwill message is
to pen best wishes in a pre-
printed card and pop it in the
mail, or nowadays to type same
and press send. However, like
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
expressing her love (How do I
love thee – let me count the
ways) I wish to send a message
that reveals a little more than
simply the “ho-ho-ho” of
Christmas. Like Barrett
Browning, I too had a quandary
– how to express something as
intangible as emotion. In her
case she sought the vocabulary
to describe her love (and
managed to do so very beauti-
fully). I am seeking to explain
the violent impact which the
expression of an age-old hatred,
persisting from generation to
generation, has on humanity.
You are reading this in a yoga
journal because all of us who
practice yoga have something in
common.We study not only the
mechanisms of the body and
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
how to twist and wind our
bodies into as many different
shapes as possible or to stay
upside down as long as the
clock is ticking, but we learn
how to be. In yoga we use the
word balance, as it is explicit in a
physical sense, but also applies
to how we feel, behave, react,
communicate.The yoga texts
28
make it easy for us as it is all
written down. All we have to do
is read, learn and practice of
course. As Iyengar yoga practi-
tioners we are even more fortu-
nate as we have the vast wealth
of wisdom written down for us
by our dear Guruji, based in his
life experience as well lifelong
study of the Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali, knowledge he so freely
shares with us.
In Astadala Yogamala volume 3
Guruji writes: “Yoga is not a reli-
gion but a religious subject
which enhances the religious-
ness of mankind.Yoga is a
subject that cultures the mind
and the intelligence of the indi-
vidual to develop religiousness
through practice. It has nothing
to do with man-created religious
order; yet it is a religion of
humanity, as it is filled with the
message of goodwill to one and
all.” (pp. 299-300)
Amongst the sutras of Patanjali
is sutra 11:34, “vitarkah himsa-
dayah krta karita anumoditah
lobha krodha moha apurvakah
mrdu madhya adhimatrah duhkha
ajnana anantaphalah iti pratiprak-
shabhavanam”. Roughly this
translates as “uncertain knowl-
edge [vitarkah] which comes
through perverse actions and
thoughts, will result in violence,
whether it is done directly or
indirectly, whether it is caused
by greed, anger, delusion, in mild,
moderate or intense degrees. It
results in endless pain and igno-
rance. Such behaviour might be
corrected by its opposite, that
is, introspection, proper thinking
and proper action.”
In Iyengar the Yoga Master, A. S.
Arun scrutinises the use of the
word religion, how it is inter-
preted and therefore reflecting
how the topic is understood.
Such scrutiny can be applied to
any word, throwaway remark or
contrived statement, exposing
the effect these can have on
both the perpetrators and the
recipients, whether by design or
by default.
We live in an age where govern-
ment recognises the equality of
human beings and can legislate
to protect the rights of all. So
we have equal opportunity, anti-
discrimination and race hate
laws, all devised to ensure that
nobody is discriminated against
for any reason whatsoever.
However, what government
cannot legislate against is how a
person feels inside and how they
deal with whatever issues are
confined in that space within all
of us called emotion (vitarkah).
Government also cannot legis-
late to contain loose tongues,
from which slip remarks and
throwaway hints as to who and
what we are as individuals and
how we deal with our prejudices
and uncertainties. Government
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 29
cannot mitigate the effect that
the expression of hatred and
fear of the other has on the
subject as well as on the perpe-
trator. We as individual human
beings, blessed with minds, intel-
ligence, reason and conscious-
ness, must deal with these
matters for ourselves to arrest
the hurt we can inflict on
others, but also to ensure that
we purify ourselves to be free
of the age old shackles that
confine us.
How lucky are we that we have
asana, not contorted shapes, but
beautiful postures that nourish
our bodies and our souls. As
yogis we also study the Yamas
and Niyamas; as Westerners we
are schooled in the Judeo-Chris-
tian ethic of the Ten Command-
ments. Both contain dos and
don’ts, how to be within
ourselves and how to be with
others. Just as a slip of focus can
unbalance our Sirsasana and
cause us to fall resulting in
damage and hurt, a slip of the
tongue or throw away
comments likewise cause hurt
and restrictions in ourselves as
well as in those at whom the
words are
aimed. Even
more though
is the spark
within us that
flames that
expression.
We need to
not only be
conscious of
what we say,
but we need
to work on
ourselves to
eradicate the root of the throw-
away comment, that slip of the
tongue, that expression of a
deep hatred or mistrust that has
no place in our souls.This is the
only way we can rid ourselves
of racism, hatred and fear of the
other, whether by religion, race
or gender.
It is not coincidence that
Christmas, Chanukah and
Diwali are festivals of light,
which is why my word for
contemplation over this season
of goodwill is light.This is a
perfect time for rumination
and reflection, to search again
that light deep inside each of
us; that light in terms of the
spirit and the burden of violence
our souls need to balance in
the infinite search for our own
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
enlightenment.
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Two Birds
Gerry Chambers
Pune December 2011

“To have a clear notion of the true natures of
man, of the world and of God, the sadhaka should
study the sacred books (shastra).Then he can
distinguish the real from the unreal... Such knowl-
edge gives him insight to life’s problems and their
solution.”
BKS Iyengar, Light on Pranayama (p.224)
Even though I have visited Pune and the Iyengar
Institute on many occasions, it always takes time
to settle into the new surroundings.This year is
the 30th anniversary of my first visit to Pune and
to India in August 1981 when I came with a group
from Scotland for a three week Intensive with
Guruji, who was then a mere youngster at the age
of 63. Pune has changed enormously since 1981
and the bullock carts and bicycle rickshaws have
been replaced by Toyota dealerships and
Mercedes 4x4s.There hasn't been a single power
outage in the three weeks I have been here so far,
something of a record I think.
Since Lynda and I relinquished our ownership of
Yogawest in Bristol earlier in 2011, we are taking
a bit of a break from the UK and I am spending
four months in India, three of these at the
Institute.While feeling slightly bereft of a home
base, it is a delight not to be distracted by the
practicalities of running a yoga centre back home
and to just be here now.
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
I am spending about seven or eight hours a day at
the Institute. Most mornings there is a practice
session from 9am until 12pm. Guruji is doing his
own practice at this time and there are
impromptu teaching sessions which it is fasci-
nating to get involved in. I may spend some time
in the library between 2pm and 4 pm.Then there
is the medical/remedial class usually at 4pm and
the general class at 6pm. So I am getting back to
my flat or going out for food at about 8pm.
The Wednesday and Saturday women’s classes
which I observe are a real treat. Here you experi-
ence the guru-shishya parampara in action. In the
parampara tradition knowledge is passed on
successively through generations often within the
same family. Abhijata, the shisya or student is
Guruji’s grand-daughter who frequently teaches
these two classes in Guruji’s presence. He will be
there getting on with his own practice and at the
same time guiding Abhijata who will be receiving
his instructions for transmission to the class. But
this is not a mechanical passing on of teaching

December and January are my favourite months

in Pune.The days are warm and sunny with highs
of about 30 but, because it is winter, the nights
are cooler for sleeping and there are fewer
mosquitos. At the Institute the highlight of each
December is Guruji's birthday, his 93rd this year,
and there is an influx of both foreign and Indian
visitors.The birthday supplants Christmas as the
Institute's winter celebration.

30
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 31
points. Guruji gets Abhijata to come and practice
each instruction in front of him so that she has
the imprint of it in her mind/body complex
before teaching. Class continuity is maintained by
Raya, Gulnaz, or another teacher for these
moments.
For those of you who have not visited the Pune
Institute as a student, you need to know that
most foreigners who come for one or two
months are offered classes with Prashant Iyengar
and Geeta Iyengar, respectively the son and
daughter of Guruji. As Guruji himself has largely
retired from public teaching it is through the
teaching of Prashant and Geeta that Iyengar yoga
is now mainly transmitted. Now Guruji himself
has said that his own life and teachings are like
the trunk of the tree which has split into two
main branches, and I paraphrase and simplify
when I describe these as the branch of technique
represented by Geeta's teachings and the branch
of philosophy represented by Prashant. It is a
common but futile subject of discussion among
students at the Institute which branch of the
trunk represents the true path of Iyengar yoga,
and students will be often heard to express pref-
erences for either Geeta or Prashant. Often it is
put like this: Geeta's classes are physically and
emotionally challenging while Prashant's are intel-
lectually provocative peppered with his own
brand of upanishadic wisdom. Often in Prashant's
class we will literally sit at his feet and receive a
discourse, one of the original meanings of the
term Upanishad.
Recently I have been reading the Mundakopan-
ishad. Mundaka literally means "shaving of the
head" – perhaps that's why this Upanishad appeals
so much to me! Just like a razor removes the hair
from the head, the contents of this Upanishad are
said to remove the super-imposed veil of igno-
rance obscuring knowledge of the Atman, the true
self.The Mundaka contains the well known in
India story or parable of the two birds.The
following is a translation of the first verse of
chapter 3:
“Two birds bound to each other in close friend-
ship perch on the self same tree. One of them
eats the fruits of the tree with relish while the
other just looks on without eating”.
The story is often explained in the following way.
The two birds represent the real “I”, the Atman
and the false “I”, the ego, and both live in the
same tree, that is, the body. One bird, the false 'I'
pecks away at everything it sees around it – it
doesn't even discriminate.Thus it will suffer joy
or dissatisfaction according to the taste and
quality of the fruit it pecks. It lives in the material
world of punya and apunya, of sukha and dukha,
delight and suffering. Its friend, the second bird, is
the Witnesser: it merely looks on and doesn't
become involved. It has no desire to eat the
berries and fruits but remains unperturbed,
detached and tranquil.
Now these two characteristics exist within us all
but most of us are definitely lower on the
witnessing pole.When I attend classes with
Geeta and Prashant I am reminded of this story
of the two birds. It is not that Prashant and
Geeta represent separately the characteristics of
these two friendly birds. No, I do not meant that
at all. However I find that in a class with Geeta I
am like the first bird that needs to savour and
collect all her teaching points – I overindulge and
my notebook quickly becomes full of useful snip-
pets of teaching points and strategies. However,
when I attend a class with Prashant I feel the
reflective and witnessing quality is enhanced. My
notebook remains empty of juicy morsels but a
kind of clarity, of getting closer to the bigger
picture has been imprinted. I am very much
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
hoping that these two birds will continue to
remain friends with each other and engage in a
healthy dialogue over the next couple of months.
31
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Iyengar Yoga in the Deaf
Community: Humour, Empathy,
Vigorous Training
How do you teach a subject to
deaf students where language is
itself an approximation,
ambiguous and prone to be
misinterpreted? With two
essential ingredients: a good
interpreter and a sense of fun.
The subject in question is, of
course, Iyengar yoga.This
article describes the story of
teaching yoga to deaf students
with the help of an interpreter
– in three years we have
moved through lots of experi-
mentation to a situation where
deaf students are ready to be
trained to become this
country’s first deaf Iyengar yoga
teachers.Working with the deaf
group has been an inspiring
experience and we hope this
article gives you some insight. It
has been an unusual journey of
discovery.Together group,
interpreter and teacher have
mapped unmarked terrain,
shaping
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
and sharing yoga, creating a
space for it within the deaf
community.
Yoga is in part a visual subject
– teachers show on their body
actions for students to
perform, and students have to
form a mental image of their
own body in action. However,
32
I was ... astonished
to learn of a
completely visual
language, Sign,
a language different
in mode from my
own language,
Speech
Seeing Voices,
Oliver Sacks
teachers also use the voice as a
key instrument of instruction.
For example ‘lift the kneecaps’
is an easily understood indica-
tion which results from 'pulling
the thighs up', making knees
tight when legs are extended
and thus relaxing the
hamstrings into a stretch; it is
one of a multitude of simple
but crucial instructions often
repeated in Iyengar yoga
classes. How to make such
instructions meaningful to deaf
students? And then move from
the what and the why, the
effects on the body to the
impact of specific work on the
whole posture – and over time
operate the move from things
(e.g. kneecaps) to thought, and
thought to thinker that comes
with the self-observation of
yoga practice? How to commu-
nicate this turn from “outer
perception to inner wisdom”
(Light on Life, B.K.S. Iyengar)
that is the practice of yoga to
deaf students? This challenge of
communicating yoga to deaf
students opened up new
questions about how to teach
yoga, and an opportunity to
examine the ways to describe
what yoga is.
Deaf students are highly visual
people – the signs of their
language are completely visual.
So a first impulse is to show,
then expect the interpreter
and deaf students to create a
sign for this action, so that it
becomes part of a new
language.What could be
simpler? There is the rub – to
achieve simplicity is a complex
and challenging process. How
does a deaf person understand
yoga? The same way as all
students - through the practise
of yoga postures.Yoga has to
be experienced. General
teaching requires active looking
and listening on the part of
students – the teacher then
has to see what is 'caught' and
what is not. How does this
translate in a deaf context?
With the interpreter and the
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 33
remarkable openness of the
students we have used bodies,
sign language, facial expression,
partner work and many impro-
vised and constantly evolving
methods to create clarity of
understanding. A very subject-
focused group has emerged
with shared discussions
between deaf students
becoming an integral part of
how the concepts are under-
stood – all this communicated
through the interpreter back to
the teacher. Joy in the subject
radiates from the participants –
they love sharing their growing
awareness of yoga together as
a group.The following ques-
tion/answer will give you an
idea of the complex dynamics
involved in teaching yoga to
deaf students with an inter-
preter.
Cecilia Harrison
Iyengar yoga teacher, teacher
trainer and national assessor.
Questions and Answers:
Interpreter (Jules) to
Teacher (Cissy).
How did you feel coming
into contact with deaf
people?
The culture of the deaf
community increasingly
delights, impresses and fasci-
nates me.The group is so inclu-
sive – their positivity is
fantastic and the sharing of
understanding which they
operate is a remarkable thing
to be part of, to learn from, as
well as being the teacher
generating this subject. Oliver
Sacks writes about “the striking
enhancements of perception
and visual intelligence” that go
with the acquisition of Sign.
Teaching yoga in this context is
thrilling – language effects what
we think and know; it also
shapes thoughts.Whilst the
postures are at the core of the
class – they do the shaping in
the demonstrations that I give
– they are being approached
via the fluid movements of a
3D language when Sign is used
to communicate points of focus
on the body.
How have you found the
experience of working with
an interpreter?
Well – I knew you to be a
steady person having taught
you yoga for several years!
Initially I feel you helped the
group to gel by diffusing inten-
sity with jokes between your-
self and the students. In
beginners classes humour can
assist the teaching – it takes
time to develop seriousness in
the subject. It was very intu-
itive that it could occur the
way it did (quite something - I
did not feel my authority
undermined, but rather that
you were a real ally). I find the
students are more serious as
they grow in confidence in
their practice. I enjoy the chal-
lenge of making explicit what is
implicit - the most discon-
certing part is when students
forget I do not have Sign -
however, they have begun to
teach me.
The communication challenge
is in creating instructions that
students understand with the
interpreter, and that I can see
working correctly when
students perform postures.
Some concepts are easy to
communicate – e.g. extension –
but notions about the head of
the femur going accurately into
the thigh socket in trikonasana
we still struggle to make
understood. Directions of
muscles are easy to show on
the teachers body; refinements
such as alignment are subtle. I
am working with an extra filter
– the way I show a pose is the
same in all yoga classes; the
way I observe students doing is
the same in all yoga classes. But
here I have to be alert to a
language I cannot speak
becoming a door through
which my instructions are
made known. It evolves with
the group.The truth is in the
postures (as we say in Iyengar
yoga!) – I work hard to see this
in the students practise.
What have been the partic-
ular challenges?
The most obvious adjustment
has been the pace of the class.
There is more interactive
communication between myself
and the deaf students via you
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
as interpreter than there is in
hearing classes – this means
fewer postures, with more
detail than would be usually
given to beginners. The points
given lead to many questions
from the deaf students – their
curiosity, intelligence and
interest open up a space where
they describe their under-
33
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 34
standing and experience of
postures and actions.
One creative solution to my
not signing was to train a small
number of very able students
intensively at my home studio
(without interpreter). These
students were trained to teach
basic postures.We used lip
reading and writing to commu-
nicate through English in the
sessions.These deaf students
are fantastic teachers to the
rest of the group.To see this is
to witness something magical –
Sign language is a fantastic
language for yoga!
To see the video of deaf
students teaching go to
www.cissy.org. Pandu, from the
Ramanani Iyengar Memorial
Yoga Institute, Pune, showed
this video to Mr Iyengar who is
very pleased with the work.
The current teaching phase is
to build sensitivity to the reso-
nance of postures into the
understanding of the group, to
train them to recognise the
effects of postures on the mind
(e.g. cooling/calming etc.).Three
students in particular excel in
being attuned to this. Geeta
Iyengar talks of developing a
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
yogic mind – the mind’s pene-
tration into the body – and
how this means the ability to
stimulate as well as pacify.The
sequences teach this and bring
maturity.These are the goals
for the coming year.
To develop the autonomy that
will be required of students
should they go on to train to
34
teach Iyengar yoga is a key
focus.
My favourite sign picked up
from a recent class is the sign
for 'emotion'; it is beautifully
expressive (a hand centred at
the chest, moving in a circular
direction) - I hope we can bring
an understanding of yogic
emotional effects into the class
in the coming term
. a strong sense of allegiance to
Questions and Answers:
Teacher (Cissy) to Interpreter
(Jules).
What was your response to
the idea of setting up a
deaf yoga group?
I had described my own Iyengar
yoga practice to deaf friends
and colleagues, and realised
that they saw yoga as some-
thing they couldn't access.They
thought it was mainly people
lying around on the floor, with
their eyes closed.
I had a similar perspective
before starting Iyengar yoga,
but obviously had soon
changed my mind, having found
it to be one of the hardest and
most demanding forms of body
work I had ever engaged in! I
really wanted deaf people to be
able to take part in an Iyengar
yoga class and was happy to
volunteer my interpreting skills
once the group was set up.
In the UK, there are approxi-
mately 50,000 to 70, 000 deaf
people, who use British Sign
Language (BSL). BSL is a visual
language, with its own gram-
matical structure and syntax.
Signs produced on the hands,
facial expressions, finger
spelling, body language and
gesture all form a part of this
complex language. Deaf people
have their own community and
culture, and the use of sign
language forms the core of this
community. Interpreters are
often a part of the deaf
community – we learn BSL
from deaf people and we have
the minority language group.
Deaf people generally need an
interpreter to access main-
stream services. In the UK
interpreting for deaf people has
evolved over the last 50 years.
The most important shift in
interpreting has been a move
away from the metaphor of the
interpreter as a conduit or
bridge, to an understanding of
the interpreter as an active and
engaged part of the communi-
cation process. By this I mean
that the qualities the inter-
preter brings to the inter-
preted event impacts on the
communication between the
monolingual parties. So a male,
middle-aged interpreter will
bring a different worldview to
an interpreted event than that
of a young, black, female inter-
preter, and their different expe-
riences, character and attitude
will all influence their interpre-
tation in diverse ways.
Can you say what you
experienced in the early
part of working this way?
Very early on I realised I was
going to have to get up to
speed on my anatomical knowl-
edge. I also recognised that I
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 35
would have to enlist the skills
of the Deaf participants so we
could agree on some appro-
priate sign vocabulary. Instruc-
tions such as ‘lift the kneecaps’,
‘tailbone in’ and ‘shoulder
blades into your back’, all of
which I had accepted without
question as a yoga student,
suddenly presented a consider-
able challenge to my inter-
preting skills. After a couple of
weeks it became evident that I
would need to work more
proactively with the teacher, so
as to ensure that concepts
were made more meaningful.
For me, this meant making the
interpreting process more
transparent, as well as sharing
the responsibility for meaning-
making. As a result, discussions
about how to sign certain
concepts and poses were
opened out to the group,
making the teaching and inter-
preting process a collaborative
activity.
Can you describe this rela-
tionship you have with the
students?
There is a great deal of teasing
between myself and the
students, consisting in the main
of subtle winks, signs and facial
expressions, forming an under-
current running alongside the
teaching activity. I mentioned
earlier that interpreters can be
considered part of the deaf
community, and I think that this
is demonstrated in the relation-
ship I have with the deaf
students and the way in which
they tease me. I have a real
sense of emotional connectivity
with the deaf participants, a
feeling of belonging to their
community, and in a way this
enables me to take a very
active role in the group. It all
comes down to the trust we
have established between us.
This has been a very positive
aspect of my work with both
the group and the teacher
indicative of the trust that
exists between us. Due to the
language barrier the teacher
was originally not fully aware of
the extent to which this was
happening – the visual nature of
BSL and the subtlety of the
grammatical features mean that
it is not a simple language to
grasp. However, as the group
has progressed I have tried to
make the teasing more 'visible',
so as to allow the teacher to
appreciate and access what is
happening.
“The work with the Deaf yoga
group continues to be chal-
lenging, thought provoking,
reciprocal.”
The context is a culture
very different from general
classes. Can you elucidate
how it has been from the
interpreter point of view?
One positive aspect has been
the collaborative nature of the
work.This was a new experi-
ence for all of us. This has
meant we have had to work
together to find the best way
of enabling effective access.
Signs for certain concepts have
been discussed, negotiated and
agreed between all of the
participants – deaf students,
teacher and interpreter.This
feels like an extremely
constructive process as we
have worked together to
develop a creative lexicon,
which allows deaf people to
participate fully. Some of the
development has occurred
organically, while other aspects
have been discussed more
formally outside of the class.
Deaf students who have
attended intensive teaching
sessions with Cissy (without an
interpreter) have recently been
encouraged to teach or
demonstrate certain poses to
the larger group.To see a Deaf
person explain how to achieve
a specific posture has been a
salutary lesson about how to
truly make the shift between
‘2D’ and ‘3D’ language.The
work with the Deaf yoga group
continues to be a challenging,
thought-provoking, and recip-
rocal process. It feels as though
we (teacher/interpreter/deaf
students) are all working
together as ‘co-participants’ in
the interpreting process,
moving towards what sign
language academics refer to as
a ‘comprehensively collabora-
tive activity’.
Conclusion: As teacher and
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
interpreter we have evolved
our professional practice as a
result of our work with the
group.We hope this article
gives you some sense of what
an inspiring and creative an
experience it has been teaching
deaf students.
35
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 36
IYDF Castaway Goole
Christine Rumley
When I read an article last year by Helen White
about the Iyengar Yoga Development Fund (IYDF)
I really wanted to be involved in promoting yoga
to people who would not usually be able to
attend a yoga class.
I contacted the local MIND charity and they
passed my details onto an organisation called
Castaway in Goole. Castaway is primarily a
charity encouraging adults with learning disabili-
ties to become involved in the performing arts
but they also provide classes for their students
including IT and basic skills.
One of the Castaway organisers contacted me as
she believed that the students would benefit from
participating in yoga classes not only for general
exercise and relaxation but also for social reasons
and to generate new interests.
In May of this year I started teaching weekly
classes to the Castaway students. Initially I taught
on a voluntary basis as I was informed by Helen
that there was no more IYD funding available at
that time.Then Castaway managed to source
funding for half of the cost of the session and it
was agreed that the IYDF would fund the other
half.
The class is made up of approximately 12
students all with learning disabilities.The age
range is from early 20s to late 50s. Mostly they
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
live in supported housing or residential homes
and there is a member of care staff in the session
each week to support the students to take part.
None of the students have had any previous
experience of practicing yoga. Due to their
special needs all of the students would find it
difficult to participate in mainstream yoga classes.
Most of the students have not done any form of
exercise since they were children.
36
I initially found it quite challenging to teach the
class due to some of the students’ difficulties with
following instruction, lack of concentration, poor
co-ordination, communication difficulties and
problems with social skills. Compared to teaching
a mainstream yoga class I have to be very patient
and teach with simple instructions as the students
take longer to learn poses and require much
more encouragement.
I encourage the students to be familiar with the
poses and become aware of how their bodies
move so I use a lot of repetition. As they become
more familiar I add more postures and the
students occasionally ask for their favourite
poses.
I use demonstration, simple instruction, lots of
encouragement and mirroring to teach the class. I
find especially one to one mirroring with students
useful. For example, facing a student and holding
both their hands as we reach up together in
vrksasana.
The students have now been attending the class
regularly and I have found that there have been
improvements not only in their general fitness
and their ability to participate but also in areas
such as concentration during the class.The
students really look forward to the session and
are motivated to attend. Feedback from the
students has been positive, for example, “yoga
helps me sleep”, “I feel stronger”, “I feel fit and
healthy”, “yoga helps me not to feel tired” and
“yoga makes me more supple”.
From initially wondering whether I would find it
too difficult to teach students with special needs I
now realise that it is extremely fulfilling.The IYDF
has enabled me to teach people who otherwise
would not have the opportunity to gain the bene-
fits of yoga.
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 37
IYA (UK) Annual Convention
June 9 to 11 2012
At Brunel University, Uxbridge, West London
with Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh
In 2012 we are hoping to grab some of the excite-
ment of the Olympic year in London while keeping
you well away from the action both in term of time
and distance. Uxbridge is about 12 miles west of
central London, just North of Heathrow airport and
easy to get to from most parts of UK. If you have time
to explore the neighbourhood, there is plenty of
‘green belt’ land around, including the extensive Colne
Valley Nature Reserve and the Grand Union Canal.
We have been to Brunel before – the last time in
2006. It works very well for us.The sports hall is only
about ten years old, with a lovely wooden floor and
natural daylight coming in.The accommodation is well
appointed and all rooms are ensuite.There are
kitchens where you can make yourself a hot drink.
A little river, the Pinn, runs through the grounds.The
dining room will be shared with other users at the
university but we will have our own serving area for
our vegetarian food. Since we were there, they have a
coffee bar on campus serving hot and cold drinks with
outside seating as well as a shop and post office and
so on.
ZUBIN ZARTHOSHTI-
MANESH came to our
Nottingham convention in
2010, accompanied and
assisted by his wife,
Parizad. Nottingham was a
comparatively small
convention, but those of us
who attended were so
delighted we wanted to
bring Zubin’s freshness and enthusiasm to more of
you!
Zubin began yoga when very young thanks to his
father who suffers from ankylosing spondylitis and
who was helped to get a glimpse of true health by
Guruji. Zubin’s father not only stayed with yoga, but
urged his family, including Zubin, to take to yoga.This
initial introduction helped to set him on the path of
yoga.
Today, after 19 years of teaching and having learnt and
travelled with Guruji to participate in Conventions in
Michigan (USA), Crystal Palace, (UK) and Paris
(France), he is aware of the responsibility to help
spread the ethos of yoga to friends, families, commu-
nities and society in general. His teaching commit-
ments have taken him to Canada, US, France,
Germany, Holland, Spain, Belgium, China and Rishikesh.
These days Zubin and Parizad teach and run their
yoga centre, Iyengar Yogabhyasa at Matunga in central
Mumbai, which imparts a yogic education to more
than 400 students.
NEW DETAILS:
NATIONAL TOUR
SHEFFIELD 2-3 JUNE
Day 1 with Zubin
Level of workshop: General
Venue: Silverdale School, Bents Crescent,
Bents Green S11 9QF
Cost: £45
Timetable: 10am-12.30pm asana, 12.30-1.30pm
Break (Bring your own light refreshments),
1.30-3.30pm asana
Day 2 with Zubin
Level of workshop: Intermediate
Venue: Silverdale School, Bents Crescent,
Bents Green S11 9QF
Cost: £45
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
Timetable Day 2:10am-12.30pm asana,12.30-
1.30pm Break (Bring your own light refreshments),
1.30-3.30pm Pranayama
Plus Saturday Evening social event at Sheffield
Yoga Centre, 270 Burgoyne Road, Sheffield S6 5A
Cost for both Days: £80
Please apply for concessions Contact information
and how to pay posted on the SADIYA website:
www.yogasheffield.org or contact Liz Shaw on 0114
255 6406 or email liz.sadiya@gmail.com
37
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 38

2012 Convention Booking Form

Book online if you can (and save £5): see www.iyengaryoga.org.uk for details

Saturday - Monday residential £295 

incl. all tuition, full board

Email:
Mobile:
Telephone:
Postcode:

Address:
Name:
Saturday - Monday non-residential £170 
incl. all tuition & lunch

Saturday – Sunday residential £195 

incl. all tuition, full board

Saturday – Sunday non-residential £120 

incl. all tuition & lunch

Monday only £70 

incl. all tuition & lunch

Arrival night accommodation £45 

Friday  or Sunday 

Arrival night dinner £12.50 

Friday  or Sunday 

T-shirts Pre-ordered £10.50

Women’s fitted: 
XS  S  M  L  XL  XXL 
or
Unisex loose fit:
XS  S  M  L  XL  XXL 
(Tick one box only)

IYA(UK) Membership No: £17.50 

Or to join for 2012

If you wish to rent a stall, please contact Patsy Free parking

Sparksman patsyyoga@aol.com permit 

Total: £
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Amount to pay: £

Cheques payable to IYA(UK) and sent with completed form to: Jess Wallwork, IYA(UK) Bookings and Finance,
15 West Grove, Bristol BS6 5LS.

Cancellation policy: Fees will not be refunded for cancellations received after 1st April 2012 unless there are
exceptional circumstances. All changes to bookings and cancellations before this date will be subject to a £15
administration charge. Reduced fees may be available to those experiencing financial difficulties and who can
provide proof of their circumstances. Please contact Jess at jess@iyengaryoga.org.uk.
38
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 39

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT RUNNING A MARKET STALL AT OUR

ANNUAL YOGA CONVENTION?

We had a great marketplace in Glasgow and we’d like to encourage you to contribute to a
thriving market place in Brunel in 2012. We’d like contributions from ethical crafts, yoga
related equipment, and fair trades people. If you think you have items that would be of
interest to yoga enthusiasts then why not consider running a stall!

Suitable stalls: yoga equipment, props, books, arts and crafts etc, as well as clothing,
men’s yoga clothing in particularly short supply!

If you would like to propose running a stall then get in touch with Patsy: patsyyoga@aol.com

Book online and save £5!

We are encouraging everyone to book online for the 2012
convention so visit www.iyengaryoga.org.uk to find out how

NEW TIMETABLE FOR 2012!

MONDAY TEACHERS' DAY
It makes sense that all those attending the teachers day arrive and start together on the Saturday
and work up to the potentially more complex poses, so this year we are having the teachers' day on
the Monday. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Saturday Sunday Monday (teachers and trainees)

8am breakfast 8am breakfast 8am breakfast
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
9.30am-1pm Asana 9.30am-1pm Asana 9.30am-1pm Asana
1.30pm lunch 1.30pm lunch 1.30pm lunch
4.30-6.30pm Pranayama 2.45-4.15pm AGM 3.30-5.30pm Pranayama
7.30pm dinner 4.30-6.30pm Pranayama
7.30pm dinner

39
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 40
IYA (UK) Reports
CHAIR - PHILIPPE HARARI
At our AGM in June 2011 we approved a new set
of Articles to replace our existing Constitution.
The purpose of these new Articles was to enable
us to apply to Companies House to become a
Company Limited by Guarantee; we have now
made this application and been accepted, so the
official name of our organisation is now “Iyengar
Yoga (UK) Ltd.”
During the following months, a small team of
Executive Council members worked to produce a
first draft of Standing Orders designed to (a)
reflect the new status of the Association and (b)
allow us to apply to the government for Awarding
Organisation (AO) status. If we are successful in
our application to become an AO then our
current Iyengar teaching qualifications will be offi-
cially recognised by the government. Our
teachers will no longer need to apply to REPS or
any other organisation in order to have a formal
yoga teaching qualification.
The AO application is, as you can probably
imagine, incredibly detailed and complicated and
another team of people have been working hard
on getting all the necessary paper work together.
Hopefully, by the time you read this, the applica-
tion will have been sent to the relevant govern-
ment department.
In order to become an Awarding Organisation, we
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
will have to make only a very few changes to the
way in which we train and assess our teachers,
and the award will be retrospective; all current
teachers will automatically gain a nationally recog-
nised qualification. However, one requirement is
that we keep the ‘delivery’ aspect of our organisa-
tion (i.e. the part that actually trains teachers)
separate from the ‘assessment’ aspect. This is like
an exam board needing to remain independent
from teachers in schools in order to ensure that
40
the assessment process is fair. In order to fulfil
this requirement, we are proposing to create two
branches to Iyengar Yoga (UK) Ltd.The ‘delivery’
branch will retain the name “Iyengar Yoga Associa-
tion (UK)” and will operate in much the same
way as it does now, but with all responsibility for
assessment and moderation removed.The ‘assess-
ment’ branch will be called “Iyengar Yoga Qualifi-
cations” and it is this body that will comprise the
Awarding Organisation.
This restructuring of our association requires a
complete re-write of our Standing Orders and we
are now at the stage of being ready to consult
with our members. A draft Standing Orders
document has been compiled by a small working
group that we have set up and our next job will
be to ask all relevant individuals and committees
to comment on this draft.The consultation
process will involve all Member Institute Reps.
and Individual Reps., amongst others, so members
can give us feedback via them. By the time you
read this, the process will have started and our
aim is to bring an agreed version to the AGM in
June 2012.
TREASURER - PAM MACKENZIE
The Financial Statements for 2010/11 have been
presented to the Executive Council for approval
at the January 2012 meeting.The accounts for the
2011 Convention held in Glasgow have been
finalised and I am happy to announce an overall
surplus of £16,000.The increase in the surplus
this year arose from the huge success of the
convention, which had 280 attendees the highest
in recent years. I am also pleased to report that a
donation of £4,917 has been made to Bellur
Trust, a very big thanks to everyone who
contributed during 2011.
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 41

I have listed the membership and assessment fees almost 200 more than the previous year which is
for 2012/13 that were previously reported in the a wonderful response to the pleas from the
Autumn IYN. membership office for members to use this
Membership fees £ method of payment.
Institute members 6.75
Individual members 17.50 Teacher membership renewal
Overseas extension and Teachers are required to continue to keep up to
individual membership 35.00 date with the latest membership renewal require-
Individual teachers 17.50 ments, before they renew. Also those who are a
Teachers supplement 37.00 member of an Institute should ensure that their
Teachers concessionary rate 22.00 Institute membership is kept up to date.
Affiliated centres 100.00
Non-teacher membership
Assessments fees £ It is essential for teachers to be members of the
Introductory I 64.00 Association but this is not the case for students
Introductory II 102.00 and the support from those who join by their
Junior intermediate 102.00 own free choice is very much appreciated.
Senior intermediate 102.00
Teacher training registration 36.00 Farewell!
This will be my last membership renewal as
The Certification Mark fee for 2011/12 is £31. membership secretary (my departure being a
The fee is currently based on US$50 and the constitutional requirement) so I am moving on to
exchange rate that was in place on 1st November pastures new in another area of the Association –
2011. in the understanding that my experiences gained
over the past six years may be of assistance to
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY - the new Limited Company. Again a big thank you
BRENDA NOBLE-NESBITT goes to Katie, whose commitment and hard work
is outstanding.
Membership numbers – December 2011
Institute Individual Totals
Members Members
Teachers 753 318 1071
Including: UK 983; Ireland 67; Overseas 21
NonTeachers 1199 274 1473
Including: UK 1355; Ireland 91; Overseas 27

Membership numbers since 2008/09: Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
Non- Teachers Totals
Teachers
2008/09 1674 996 2670
2009/10 1465 1009 2474
2010/11 1409 1056 2465
2011/12 1473 1071 2544

Membership renewal 2011/12

For membership renewal, starting in February
2011, 997 members renewed online! This is
41
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 42

SECRETARY REPORT DO YOU WANT TO BECOME AN

- HELEN WHITE IYENGAR YOGA TEACHER?
I always send Mr Iyengar a birthday card on behalf
Before being accepted on an Introductory
of the IYA (UK), and this year I told him we were
teaching training course a student must have
fundraising for the Iyengar Yoga Development
completed a minimum of three years' regular
Fund. I will let him (and you all) know how much
study with an approved Iyengar Yoga teacher. A
money has been raised, but the response has
letter of recommendation from the student's
been really good! Thanks to you all for your
regular teacher is also required. For full details
generosity.
of how to apply to start training, please visit the
IYA (UK) website.You can also search for
We have a new Committee Member: Isabel Jones-
teacher trainers near to where you live, and
Fielding will be representing Cambridge IYI; we
there are details of specific teacher training
have also had a wonderful response to my appeal
courses around the country.
for an individual member on the Executive
Committee. As I write this, we have an on-line
Some teachers continue training beyond their
vote going on as 5 people put themselves
Introductory certificate and go onto Interme-
forward. I will put the results on the website as
diate Junior, Intermediate Senior and, ultimately,
soon as they are all in.
Advanced certificates.To progress to teach
more advanced postures, it is up to the indi-
I hope you are all enjoying the lengthening days,
vidual to attend classes with Senior or
and looking forwards to a yoga-filled 2012.
Advanced teachers.These more advanced
certificates demand more of teachers, both in
the number and difficulty of asanas practiced,
and in the subtlety of their understanding of the
theory and practice of yoga. For more informa-
tion, and to book an assessment online, please
visit www.iyengaryoga.org.uk
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

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Assessment Passes
Congratulations to all those who gained success in their assessments

Advanced Intermediate Michael Davies Louise Radinger

Junior level 1 Junior level 3 Christian Di Giorgio Sharadamba Rao
Special congratula- Annette Bluhdorn Michele Donnelly Rebecca Reynolds
tions to Jayne Orton Sarah Constantinidis Jane Durkin Adrienne Riel
who was issued with John Cotgreave Colin Elliot Aileen Slein
a Advanced Junior Karen Dunne Shawn Ellis Belinda Snellgrove
level 1 certificate by Julie Franciullacci Catherine Elton Disha Sughand
Mr Iyengar on 12 Elisabeth Gill Nicky Enright Anita Turner
December 2011. Tamara Hockey Sue Forde Stefania Vitali
Thomas Franklin Jane Walker
Intermediate Introductory Pauline Hamilton Liz Whelan
Senior level 3 level 2 Olivia Howden Jenny May While
Kirsten Agar-Ward Julia Alderman Galina Hutchinson
Carolina Anschutz Karon Jacobson
Intermediate Sophia Argyris Michelle Jobling
Senior level 2 Sarah Barber Anne Kilgour
Marios Argiros Marcy Barsi Eva Komvues
Sophie Carrington Monika Becker Steve Lemon
Julie Hodges Stuart Bolton Ann Lewis
Lorraine Bonete Robert Leyland
Intermediate Markus Braun Gwyneth Little
Senior level 1 Michelle Chandler Louisa Lloyd-Jones
Eileen Cameron Jenny Channon Vanessa McNaught
Fiona Fallon Leonora Coll Brigitte Miller
Lydia Holmes Pauline Collison Veronica Mitchell
Sue Lovell Theresa Correia Rebecca Morris (Tratalos)
Lorraine McConnon Janet Crawford Kate Murdoch
Prabhahkara Suzanne Cristinacce Sandra Noble
Edgar Stringer Gillian Crossley Nicholette Ojeda Sierra

BOOK YOUR ASSESSMENT ONLINE Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Teachers and trainees can now download syllabi and book and pay for assessments online. Please visit
the IYA (UK) website at www.iyengaryoga.org.uk.The deadlines for assessment applications are:
Introductory Level 1 – 1st March
Introductory Level 2 – 1st May
Intermediate Junior Levels 1,2 and 3 – 30th September

For Intermediate Senior assessments, please contact Penny Chaplin (pennyyoga@btopenworld.com);

the deadline for these applications is 1st May.

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IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 44

IYA (UK) Professional Development Days 2012

This year’s theme: Iyengar Yoga for non-specific back pain and knee problems
Area Organiser Date Moderator

South West
SWIYI Gillian Kamali 01736 360559 29 Sept. Sallie Sullivan
Penryn, Cornwall gilliankamali@hotmail.com

West & South Wales

AIYI Edgar Stringer 22 Sept. Marion Kilburn
Long Ashton nr.Bristol 01249 716235 (office hours)
edgarstringer@gmail.com

London & South East

NELIYI - North east London Kate Rathod 0208452 4417 3 June Sasha Perryman
kateyogajudd@hotmail.com
IIYS - Sussex Brian Ingram 01444 236714 29 Sept. Mary Heath
brianiyoga@tesco.net
IYIMV - North west London Barbara Norvell 02076243080 7 Oct. Jayne Orton
(for bookings)
barbara.norvell@googlemail.com 18 Nov. Dave Browne
IYISL - South London Glenys Shepherd 0208 6940155
iyisl@btclick.com

North West Region Janice Yates 0161 368 3614 14 July Margaret Austin
MDIIY & LDIYI - Manchester janice.yates@sky.com

East Central & North Emma Rattenbury 16 Sept. Sheila Haswell

SADIYA & BDIYI 0783 7811 967 / 0114 255 6406
Sheffield emma.rattenbury@blueyonder.co.uk

North East & Cumbria Dorothea Irvin 0191 3888593 23 June Judi Sweeting
NEIYI - Newcastle dirvin@talktalk.net

West Central Jayne Orton 0121 608 2229 15 Sept. Trisha Booth
MCIYI - Birmingham jayne@iyengaryoga.uk.com

East Sasha Perryman 01223 515929 7 July Penny Chaplin

CIYI - Cambridge sashaperryman@yahoo.co.uk

South Central
ORIYI - High Wycombe Sheila Haswell 01494 521107 15 Sept. Brenda Booth
sheila@sarva.co.uk
DHIYI - Bournemouth Kim Trowell 01202558049 8 Sept. Judith Jones
kimtrowellyoga@gmail.com

Scotland
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Edinburgh Katie Rutherford 01314474708 22 Sept. Diane Coats

katie.rutherford@blueyonder.co.uk
Glasgow Liz Sumner 0141 586 9677 20 May Elaine Pidgeon
liz.sumner@ntlworld.com

Ireland
Dublin Margaret Cashman 22 Sept Penny Chaplin
+353 (0)1 882 8858
info@iyengaryogacentre.com

County Sligo Helen Gillan 00353 719146171 TBC Julie Brown

helengillan@eircom.net
Northern Ireland Margaret Gunn-King 028 2586 1202 23 June Meg Laing
Co. Antrim iyengaryogaschool@gmail.com
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Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 46

IYA (UK) Executive Council

Officer Rep. Name Email Telephone
Chairperson Philippe Harari chair@iyengaryoga.org.uk 01223523410
Treasurer Pam Mackenzie pammackenzie@live.co.uk 02083738356
Secretary Helen White secretary@iyengaryoga.org.uk 01132746463
Membership Sec. Brenda Noble-Nesbitt membership@iyengaryoga.org.uk 01913884118
Vice Chairperson Emma Pinchin emz40@hotmail.com 01235 820223
EC Rep. Judi Soffa info@yoga-studio.co.uk 01517 094 923
Chair of AT Sheila Haswell sheila.haswell@talk21.com 01494711589
AIYI Edgar Stringer edgarstringer@googlemail.com 01249716235
BDIYI Michelle Mangeolles mmangeolles@yahoo.co.uk 07910963183
CIYI Isabel Jones-Fielding isabel@movement4health.co.uk 01159749975
DHIYI Elaine Rees elainerees@europe.com 01202483951
ESIYI Agnes Matthews cmtpartner@aol.com
GWSIYI Liz Sumner lizsumneryoga@googlemail.com 0141 586 9677
IIYS Mary Mulligan mulligan558@btinternet.com 01273604588
KIYI Brenda Booth brendaboothkent@aol.com
LIYI Helen Green helengreen124@hotmail.com 01517287207
MCIYI Vacancy
MDIIY Joan Abrams joanabrams@hotmail.com 01457 763048
MDIIY Robert Leyland robert.leyland3@virgin.net 0161 440 9941
NEIIY Gael Henry gaelhenry@btinternet.com 01914775904
NELIYI Tessa Bull tessabull@onetel.com 02083402091
ORIYI Clare Bingham bingham_c@hotmail.com 01844212770
SADIYA Wendy Weller Davies wendy@wellerdavies.co.uk 01142363039
SWIYI Julie Smith schmooly@hotmail.com 07816 236158
Dep. Mmb. Sec. SWLSIYI Anita Phillips anita.phillips@btinternet.com
RoI Rep Aisling Guirke aisling_guirke@hotmail.com 00353872891664
RoI Rep Eileen Cameron eileencameron@eircom.net 0035312841799
Hon Mem Elaine Pidgeon elaine.pidgeon@virgin.net 01315529871
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Chair of TC Ex-Vice Ch. Ros Bell r.j.bell@open.ac.uk 0208 340 9899

Individual Ally Hill ally@sarva.co.uk 01494521107
Dep.Treasurer Individual Sev Kanay sev.neliyi@yahoo.com 02083687898
Individual Anna Macedo annamacedo@clara.co.uk 01903242150
Individual Sharon Klaff sharon.klaff@btopenworld.com
Individual Karen Dunne karenjodunne@yahoo.co.uk 07939 834252

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IYA (UK) Committee Members
Management Committee
Philippe Harari, Sheila Haswell, Helen White,
Pam Mackenzie, Brenda Noble-Nesbitt, Emma
Pinchin, Sasha Perryman
Planning
Sheila Haswell, Philippe Harari, Sev Kanay, Pam
Mackenzie, Brenda Noble-Nesbitt, Sasha Perryman,
Anita Phillips, Emma Pinchin, Helen White
Ethics and Certification
Elaine Pidgeon, Ros Bell, Penny Chaplin, Judy Lynn,
Sasha Perryman (Appeals Officer), Judi Soffa
(Rep. on Ex.), Tig Whattler
Assessment and Teacher Training
Margaret Austin, Alan Brown, Debbie Bartholomew,
Penny Chaplin, Diane Coats, Sheila Green, Sheila
Haswell, Judy Lynn, Sallie Sullivan
Communications & Public Relations
Joan Abrams, John Cotgreave (IYN), Philippe
Harari, Judith Jones (IYN), Lucy Joslin, Sev Kannay,
Lucy Osman (IYN), Emma Pinchin, Elaine Rees, Tehira
Taylor (IYN)
Finance and Membership
Pam Mackenzie, Brenda Noble-Nesbitt, Sev
Kanay, Anita Phillips
Archives/Research
Debbie Bartholomew, Suzanne Newcombe,
Janice Yates
Conventions/Events
Patsy Sparksman, Isabel Fielding Jones, Mary
Mulligan, Vanessa McNaught, Judith Richards
Moderators
Richard Agar Ward, Margaret Austin, Brenda Booth,
Tricia Booth, Julie Brown, Dave Browne, Penny
Chaplin, Diane Coats, Sheila Haswell, Judith Jones,
Marian Kilburn, Meg Laing, Sasha Perryman, Elaine
Pidgeon, Jayne Orton, Judi Sweeting
Professional Development Days
Co-ordinator
Judi Sweeting
Senior Intermediate Assessment
Organiser
Penny Chaplin
Junior Intermediate Assessment
Organiser
Judy Lynn
Introductory Assessment Organiser
Sheila Green (level 1), Sallie Sullivan (level 2)
Therapy Committee
Ros Bell, Penny Chaplin, Lynda Ogle, Judi Sweeting
Committee chairs are in bold. Co-opted (i.e. non-
Executive Council) members are in italics.
There are always changes to the membership of the
Executive Council, as no-one can be on the Council for
more than six years.We would like to say Goodbye
and Thank You to Martell Linsdell (BDIYI rep), Linda
Head (ESIYI rep), and Brenda Booth (KIYI rep), and a
warm welcome to Agnes Matthews (ESIYI), Isabel
Jones-Fielding (CIYI rep), and Karen Dunne, the new
Individual rep. Most members of the IYA are part of
Institutes, and so any queries or suggestions can be
made through the Institute representative. Some
members, however, are not part of Institutes, and so
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
can contact the Individual reps.We would also like to
thank Judith Richards for her work as an individual
rep, and also as Chair of the Events Committee - she
will still be on the Events Committee for the time
being.
47
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Member Institutes
Please contact the events organiser for details of events and classes, or see the events page on the IYA
(UK) website: www.iyengaryoga.org.uk

Avon (AIYI) Kent (KIYI)

Bob Philips Louise Robson:
yogabob@homecall.co.uk weezrob@googlemail.com
0117 963006 Genie Hammond: 01689 836706
www.aiyi.org.uk www.kentyoga.org.uk

Bradford and District Liverpool (LIYI)

(BDIYI) Judi Soffa
Alan Brown info@yoga-studio.co.uk
events@bdiyi.org.uk 0151 7094923
01535 637359 www.yoga-studio.co.uk
www.bdiyi.org.uk
Manchester and District
Cambridge (CIYI) (MDIIY)
Sasha Perryman Janice Yates
sashaperryman@yahoo.co.uk janice.yates@sky.com
01223 515929 01613 683614
www.cambridgeyoga.co.uk www.mdiiy.org.uk

Dorset and Hampshire Midland Counties (MCIYI)

(DHIYI) Prabhakara
Kim Trowell prabhakara@freeuk.com
01202 558049 01214 490413
www.dhiyi.co.uk www.mciyi.co.uk

Dublin (DIYI) Munster (MIYI)

Eileen Cameron Dorothy Walshe,
00353 12841799 dorothy.walshe@gmail.com
dubliniyengaryoga@gmail.com
www.yoga-ireland.com/Iyengar

East of Scotland (ESIYI) North East (NEIIY)

Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

www.eastscotlandyoga.org Gael Henry

0191 477 5804
gaelhenry@btinternet.com

Glasgow and West of North East London

Scotland (GWSIYI) (NELIYI)
Valerie Miller Nancy Clarke
vjmiller@talk21.com nancyclarke@btinternet.com
www.gwsiyi.org 0208 44 20617
www.neliyi.org.uk
48
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 49

Oxford and Region The Iyengar Yoga Studio East Finchley

(ORIYI) www.theiyengaryogastudio.co.uk
Gaby Case Genevieve Dicker, Patsy Sparksman, Wendy Sykes
gabycase1@gmail.com 020 8815 1918
01264 324104
O . R . I . Y. I . www.oriyi.org.uk Edinburgh Iyengar Yoga Centre
www.yoga-edinburgh.com
Sheffield and District Elaine Pidgeon
(SADIYA) 0131 229 6000
Dominic Batten
dominic.batten@btinternet.com
0114 264 9418
Iyengar Yoga Institute Maida Vale
www.yogasheffield.org www.iyi.org.uk
Alan Reynolds
020 7624 3080
South West (SWIYI)
Jean Kutz
Knutsford Iyengar Yoga Centre
jeankutz@hotmail.co.uk
www.KnutsfordYoga.co.uk
01872 572807
Margaret Carter
www.swijengaryoga.ukf.net
01925 758382

South West London & Maidstone Yoga Centre

Surrey (SWLSIYI) www.iyengar-yoga.co.uk
Jane Howard Lin Craddock
07504 126078 01622 685864
swlsiyi@gmail.com
North Surrey Centre for Iyengar Yoga
Sussex (IIYS) www.yogadham.co.uk
Sallie Sullivan Judith Richards
sallie.sullivan@virgin.net 0208 398 1741
www.iiys.org.uk
Putney Iyengar Yoga Centre
AFFLIATED CENTRES julieyogaputney@yahoo.co.uk
Julie Hodges
Bath Iyengar Yoga Centre 0208 704 5454
www.bath-iyengar-yoga.com
Kirsten & Richard Agar Ward
Sarva Iyengar Yoga Institute
www.sarva.co.uk
01225 319699
Sheila Haswell, Ally Hill
Congleton Iyengar Yoga Centre 01494 521107
www.congletonyogacentre.com
Christina Niewola
Sheffield Yoga Centre
www.sheffieldyogacentre.co.uk
01260 279565 / 07970186109
Frances Homewood
Cotswold Iyengar Yoga Centre 07944 169238
www.cotswoldiyengar.co.uk
Judi Sweeting, Tig Whattler
West Suffolk Iyengar Yoga Centre
jane.perryman@btinternet.com
01285 653742
Jane Perryman
01440 786228
49
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YOGA RAHASYA MAGAZINE

Yoga Rahasya is a quarterly publication of the Ramamani Iyengar
Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI), Pune and the Light on Yoga Research
Trust (LOYRT), Mumbai, India. It is published on the occasions of the
Annual Day of RIMYI, Hanuman Jayanti, Guru Purnima and Patanjali
Jayanti.

The aim of Yoga Rahasya is to share the essence of Yogacharya BKS

Iyengar's teachings. This journal contains original articles and transcripts
of talks by Guruji Iyengar, Geeta and Prashant Iyengar on philosophy,
psychology, science and art of yoga and life. It also includes articles by
his students on their experiences, practical details on the practice of
asanas as well as treating chronic ailments through yoga.

2012 Subscription for Non-Teacher Members of IYA (UK) Member Institutes

ORDER DEADLINE 1 JULY 2012

Please use this form if you are a member of a Member Institute of IYA (UK). Teachers and individual
non-teacher members can subscribe when renewing their membership with IYA (UK) using the online
or paper renewal form.

To subscribe to Yoga Rahasya for 2012 please complete this form and send with your payment of £16
to IYA (UK), PO Box 4730, Sheffield S8 2HE by 1 July 2012.

Visit http://bksiyengar.com/modules/Referen/YR/yr.htm for information about previous issues.

IYA Membership No (if known)

Name
Address
Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

Postcode

Please circle your institute: BDIYI, CIYI, DHIYI, DIYI (DUBLIN), MIYI (MUNSTER), ESIYI, GWSIYI,
IIYS, KIYI, LIYI, MDIIY, MCIYI, NEIIY, NELIYI, ORIYI, SADIYA, SWIYI, SWLSIYI. All other Institutes
and yoga centres are not Member Institutes.

I enclose a cheque for £16 / !19 payable to IYA (UK)

50
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 51

IYENGAR® YOGA ASSOCIATION (UK)

President: Yogacharya Sri B. K. S. Iyengar
IYA (UK) Membership Office, PO Box 4730, Sheffield, S8 2HE
Tel: 07510 326997 e-mail: admin@iyengaryoga.org.uk
® used with permission of BKS IYENGAR, Trade Mark Owner

Non-Teacher Membership Application and Renewal 2012/13

As a non-teaching member of IYA (UK) you receive 2 magazines per year (February and September) and
regular updates by e-mail on all upcoming Iyengar Yoga events, workshops, conventions, Yoga holidays etc.
IYA (UK)’s subscription year runs from 1st April to 31st March. This form is for membership year ending 31st
March 2013 only.

Please visit our website to join or renew: www.iyengaryoga.org.uk

Members of IYA (UK) Member Institutes

If you have joined one of the following IYA (UK) Member Institutes you do not need to renew as an
individual member as your Institute will pay your IYA (UK) fee out of your subscription to them. If you do
not renew your Institute membership, your IYA (UK) membership will also expire.

The Member Institutes are: AIYI, BDIYI, CIYI, DHIYI, DIYI (DUBLIN), MIYI (MUNSTER), ESIYI, GWSIYI,
IIYS, KIYI, LIYI, MDIIY, MCIYI, NEIIY, NELIYI, ORIYI, SADIYA, SWIYI, SWLSIYI. Your membership of
IYA (UK) is paid by these Institutes. All other Institutes and yoga centres are not Member Institutes.

Members of Affiliated Centres, or organisations not listed above are required to pay the IYA (UK)
membership fee to be a member.

If you are not a member of an IYA (UK) Member Institute and do not wish to use our website to join or renew,
please complete this form and return to the address below.

Name:

Address:

Telephone No Membership No (If known)

e-mail

Name of your Iyengar Yoga teacher (if you have one): !!!!!!.!!!.!!!!..!!!!..

If you live in the UK or Republic of Ireland and it is not possible for you to renew online, please return Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012
this completed form and cheque, made payable to IYA (UK), to the address below. Cheques in Euros
can only be accepted from members in the Republic of Ireland. The Overseas non-teacher membership
fee is £35 and application online is required.

Membership fee for the UK £17.50 !

Membership fee for the Republic of Ireland £17.50 ! / "20 !

Signature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Date!!!!!.!.!!!!!!!!!..

Send completed form with payment to: IYA (UK), PO Box 4730, Sheffield S8 2HE
51

!
 Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

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IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 53

ADVERTISING IN THE IYENGAR YOGA NEWS

We only print quarter page adverts (80mm wide by 118mm high); you can either send the completed artwork (as a
‘press quality’ PDF, a high resolution JPEG or a QuarkXpress document) OR you can send the images (as high res. JPEGs)
and wording and we will make the advert up for you. Please note:

· Advertisements for yoga classes, events, holidays etc. - will be only be accepted from certificated Iyengar Yoga teachers
· Advertisements for Yoga Centres will only be accepted from official Iyengar yoga organisations
· Where yoga equipment is itemised in an advert, this will only be accepted for equipment which is used within the
Iyengar method. The name ‘Iyengar’ must not be used as an adjective attached to specific items of equipment e.g. use
‘blocks for Iyengar practice’ rather than ‘Iyengar blocks’ etc.
· Goods or services which are not used in yoga and/or which are not acceptable within the Iyengar method will not be
advertised in IYN
· Advertisements for other goods (e.g. Books/CD ROMS/videos) will only be published if they concern the Iyengar
method or have otherwise been approved by the Ethics & Certification Committee of the IYA (UK)

If you wish to advertise in the next issue of Iyengar Yoga News, please send all text, photographs or artwork by the next
issue deadline of 1 July 2012 to jbcotgreave@hotmail.co.uk

Advertising rates
Circulation: 2800. Quarter page £50; Half page £100; Small ads 60p per word NB. the Editorial Board reserves the right to
refuse to accept advertisements or parts of advertisements that are deemed to be at variance with the stated aims of the Iyengar
Yoga Association (UK). IYA (UK) does not necessarily endorse any products etc. advertised in this magazine.

Yoga Supplies
Inexpensive
INDIAN YOGA BELTS,
BANDAGES, BOLSTER SETS,
PRANAYAMA SETS, ROPES.

Call: 01225 319699 or

E-mail: kirsten@bath-iyengar-yoga.com
for prices

Iyengar Yoga News No. 20 - Spring 2012

53
IYN20:IYN.qxd 15/02/2012 10:48 Page 54

Bath
Iyengar Yoga
Centre
Classes, intensives, retreats
Teacher Training - Introductory. Junior, Senior
Iyengar books & equipment

WE HAVE MOVED TO NEW PREMISES IN THE HEART OF BATH

! THREE FULLY EQUIPPED YOGA STUDIOS
! STUDIO HIRE TO IYENGAR YOGA TEACHERS FOR YOGA EVENTS
! QUIET & CENTRAL LOCATION

FORTHCOMING WORKSHOPS INTENSIVES & RETREATS 2012

2-4 March Gulnaaz Dashti
6-8 April Easter Intensive
13-15 Apr Retreat in Yorkshire Dales
14-15 July Cornwall Intensive
27-31 Aug Summer Intensive
7-9 Sep Christian Pisano
28 -30 Sept Ali Dashti
10/11 Mar; 23/24 Jun; 25/26 Aug Senior training (Richard)

14 Charlotte Street Bath BA1 2JP

01225 319699 www.bath -iyen gar-yoga.com

$45!(45"1*$    
 
 
 
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