IYN 2 - 2002-Winter

B.K.S.
IYENGAR YOGA LIGHT ON YOGA

TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION (UK)
Registered Charity No. 1053093
ASSOCIATION President: Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar

President: Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar
www.bksiyta.co.uk www.loya.ukf.net
IYENGAR YOGA NEWS - Issue No.2 - Winter 2002
Editorial Board:
Contents
Kirsten Agar Ward

Editorial 3
Ros Bell
Interview with Geetaji by Judith Jones 3
Alan Brown
The Light on Yoga Research Trust by Kirsten Agar Ward 13
Joe Burn
Sheershaasana a guide to pronouncing Sanskrit tenns by Sallie Sullivan 14
Judith Jones
Savasana, the Brain and Consciousness by Joe Burn 15
Philippe Harari
IYN Readers' Questionnaire - results summarised by Joe Burn 17
Report from the Unity Group 18
Design: Philippe Harari A Little Detachment - a personal view of the 2002 Jubilee by Alan Brown 19
Printed by MSPrint,
Spirituality and Iyengar Yoga by Suzanne Hasselle-Newcombe 21
Northampton, on paper
from sustainable forests Iyengar Yoga and London - the first 50 years by Lorna Walker 24
The Case for Modern Yoga - report on the 7th DHIIR Conf. by Joe Burn 25
BKSIYTA and LOYA conventions 26
Institute listings 27
Points of View - the relationship between Iyengar practitioners and the Guru 29
Statement on the Certification Mark by Elaine Pidgeon (BKSIYTA Chair) 32
Astadala Yogamala Fund Report by Brigid Philip 32
Rajiv Chanchani in Birmingham by Brian Jack 33
Yoga Rahasya - subscription details 34
Iyengar books/videos for sale 34
Sheffield Convention 2002 - report by Dominic Batten 36
LOYA(UK) - LOYA News

LOYA (UK) Executive Committee 39
Annual Report 2001/2002 40
Reports from Institutes 42
BKSIYTA - Teachers' Section

Accreditation and Endorsement - Brain Jack 44
Review of 'Basic Guidleines for Teachers of Yoga ' by Geetaji - Judy Smith 45
Moderators - Alan Brown 46
Our New Assessment Co-ordinator - Meg Laing 47
Assessment and revalidation infonnation 48
BKSIYTA Executive Committee 50
The front cover

shows Geetaji teach Assessors and teacher training 51
ing at the Iyengar BKSIYTA EGM notification - 1st February, 2003 - London 52
Yoga Jubifee at Application for classes at the RIMYI, Pune 52
Crystal Palace in May

2002. 'Website information 53
Notices/Small ads. 54
Photo: David Browne
Iyengar Yoga News No.2 Winter 2002
Editorial
Dear Reader,
We are delighted to present to you this winter edi

tion ofIyengar Yoga News (IYN). This magazine is
printed on paper from sustainable forests (we have
been advised that this is actually more ecological
than using recycled paper, as it avoids the use of
chemical bleaches). This edition includes the
Teachers' Section that was formerly published sep
arately; this is the first time that the LOYA and
BKSIYTA magazines have been completely com
bined (although teachers will also be receiving a
copy of the updated teaching syllabus with their
magazine).
There is a huge amount of material within and we

recommend it all to you, but could we make a spe
cial mention of a few items. First, there is a very
important announcement from Guruji that will
interest teachers as it is about the Certification
Mark (p. 32). Secondly, there is a new item called
'Points of View' (p. 29); we hope that this will
become a regular feature in IYN as it should help to
open up debate on all sorts of issues of interest to
Iyengar Yoga practitioners. Please do not hesitate to
contact us with your opinions. Finally, it is usual for
IYN to publish application forms for the upcoming
conventions but these fom1s were not ready by the
time this edition went to press. However, rest
assured that there will be conventions next year (see
p. 26) and you will know about them as soon as all
the arrangements are finalised.
Could we take this opportunity to thank very much

all those who contributed material to the magazine
- IYN would, of course, not exist without your hard
work.
Copy deadline for next issue:

7th April 2003
Items should be sent to:

Joe Bum at [email protected]
or else by mail to
IYN clo 3 Finch Rd.
Cambridge CB4 3RB
(telephone 01223523410)
Iyengar Yoga News No.2 2

INTERVIEW WITH GEETAJI
Following Dr Geeta S. Iyengar's European Tour in April and May 2002, Judith
Jones interviewed her for Iyengar Yoga News. The interview took place on 25th
August 2002 in the library of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in
Pune. This is the first section of the interview and the rest will be published in
future issues of IYN.
eetaji, did you enjoy your first visit to tions which were given by Guruji to
G the UK.? everyone. But many a time they didn't
understand where they had to touch the
Geetaji: Yes, of course. It was enjoyable depth of it. Whether teaching or doing or
so I enjoyed it ! practising yoga it is not just something you
do yourself physically. Each thing as you
What were the most memorable moments practise and proceed, you have to pene
ofyour European Tour? trate further, deeper to fmd out its inner
depth. For example, I tell you today, some
Geetaji: It's a bit difficult to say memo body was practising in the hall Viparita
rable because many ofthem (the people) I Chakrasana - going back to Urdhva
had met here in Pune. Of course, not as a Dhanurasana then climbing up on the
big crowd at one time, but I knew people wall and doing Viparita Chakrasana.
from different countries who had visited There were a few other teachers who were
here and I know their standard of seniori watching. I said, "Now look at the person.
ty. Some of the people were new to me When he drops in Urdhva Dhanurasana.
since they had not visited Pune. Some had What is the potency of his attention"?
newly joined Iyengar Yoga so it was a When he was bending his back to drop his
mixed group. Also I have taught big anus he was very alert and attentive to do
groups like this (earlier). 1t was nice. that. Then when he climbed up on the wall
People were good and they responded and jumped, he just did inattentively. The
well to everything, were well disciplined. attention had gone. I said look, while
So I enjoyed it and everything is fresh in climbing up by taking the help of the wall
my mind still. The memory has not faded he is doing it physically. He is not within.
yet. But he stands proudly saying, "Oh I
jumped". Whereas in Urdhva
On this recent tour of Europe did you Dhanurasana he was going back with full
notice differences in the way Iyengar Yoga attention to drop his anus properly, curv
is practised in the different countries? ing his back properly etc., while climbing
up he was just throwing his one leg for
Geetaji: Well - it's not that they practise ward without having any curvature of the
differently. Any art you take there is back. I told him, "Climb up, now curve
always a kind of level in the beginning. your spine ·in order to come forward", and
The art like music or violin, yoga, whatev then he had to be really attentive and pen
er you take, in the beginning it is carried in etrate within himself. He was exactly on
a certain way with a fixed methodology. the borderline of fear that he may fall. At
As understanding of the students increases the same time he wanted to do and I
,the same topic becomes a little broader, a brought him to that borderline of fear to
little deeper. It changes accordingly. courage. I said, "Now, with the same atten
I can't say there was a difference as such. tion that you had in Urdhva Dhanurasana,
They had basically followed basic instruc do Viparita Chakrasana". Obviously he
Iyengar Yoga News No.2 3 Winter 2002

had to observe that at what level he climbs tain asanas you should learn, that you
up and jumps. Then I asked the others to should be able to present. So if it's a cer
watch his face and eyes. The first five to tificate oriented mind, learning yoga won't
eight times he had done they could see the work. Certification is definitely needed
ego projecting on his face. But when I because it organises the whole system. If
asked him to think about what he was you want to become an Iyengar Yoga
doing and how he had to do it, his face teacher, at least minimum you should
changed, he became sober and the teach know 'this' much. If you want a further
ers noticed this change. I said, "Now certificate you should know maximum
watch, it's not just the physical technique". 'this' much. But that in itself is not Iyengar
I didn't say, "Just walk a bit down, have a Yoga. Gruuji is not teaching only that. He
curvature and throw your legs"! When his tried to channel it through certification so
mind became sober he could jump from that people follow it in a proper way.
Viparita Chakrasana with the attention While practising or to do certain correc
inwards. tions or to bring the depth in practitioners
one needs to go inside. One's mind needs
These are the elements involved which to penetrate. The person who goes inside,
cannot be written in the book. You see, I he himself is a religious person. Because
can teach you a devotional song to sing. I when one learns to look into oneself, when
can teach you Patanjali sloka and say o.k., one learns to look into one's own mistakes,
you sing or chant, but what has to come one's own defects - physical, mental as
from inside - the feeling - that is something well as intellectual defects - I would say
different. It cannot be written. You have to that one has learning something.
be devoted. You need to understand the
depth of it. This is the thing which was So you can practise more advanced poses
lacking. but you have to learn the technique first?
Also I noticed one thing, that perhaps the Geetaji: Absolutely.

goal was to get the certificate. If you have
to get a certificate you know there are cer Then you have to penetrate jitrther, in the

----------------------------------------------------------~
same way a beginner will learn They were all doing whatever has been
Trikonasana, but also Trikonasana can be taught, but they were not knowing the art
practised in a mature way. of penetration. Along with agility of the
body, one needs to have stability of the
Geetaji: A mature way, and you have to mind and mobility of the intelligence too.
see that you are practising it to bring that
inner change, the transformation. In spite So when one is saying you are making the
of having physical problems the depth has body a fit vehicle for the soul, it doesn't
to come in the practice. And if that depth matter what state that body is in.
comes, even in the diseased body it works
to bring change. For instance, if! have a Geetaji: Absolutely, because everybody
backache and if! know that Trikonasana is has got a right for self-realisation.
good for that backache, there is a method Everybody has the right to have a god
of performing it. I have to concentrate on realisation, whichever word you use. It is
the painful area. I have to correct my posi not that this diseased body doesn't reach.
tioning, and in that process of correcting But one has to pay attention to a disease.
the action I will be going within, and there One cannot neglect that disease.
it brings the religiosity. This happens with
many people, for instance the cancer For example today in the children's med
patient begins to think deeper inside to ical class, a boy hardly eleven years old
fmd out how to come out of ~t, how to get who is partially blind, can figure out
rid of it. Things become more clear about though the vision is not really very clear.
one's own nature, not only the disease. He has very poor vision. He looks from
While teaching yoga this has to be taught his left eye sharply. So each time he knows
by the teacher. The teachers have to make when I call him, he recognises my voice
the students aware ofall these things. They but he responds from his left eye only. The
have to introduce the pupils not only to very first asana - he was in Supta Virasana
their bodies but mind, intelligence and - I told his mother, "When you are asking
consciousness. For example - Padmasana. him to look up - in supine posture he looks
The knee is not bending, the knee is upwards towards the brain so the brain
painful - fme - but take the person a step remains alert to focus the eyes but he looks
ahead to see when the person is avoiding fi·om his left eye, not from his right eye". I
Padmasana because the knee is painful. said that his left forehead is responding but
Then teach how to look into that knee, not the right. I said, "Look at your mother
where it is failing, how it has to be worked. with the right eye", and he tried. At the end
That means you are training the other way. of the class he came to say namaskar to
You are not working only on the painful me, and again he looked at me with the left
knee but the very thoughts, how to be eye. I said, "No, look with the right eye, do
channelled. Your mind has to be attentive you know where I am"? And he tried to
there. If I just say, "Oh! My knee is pain focus and he said, "Yes, right eye doesn't
ing, I won't do it". It's not going to work, focus as much as the left eye, I can see bet
and it's not good to the knee either. But if ter." At the end ofthe class he realised that
I look into the knee, at where it is paining, he can see better with the left eye but not
why it is paining, at what point it pains, at the right eye, so he put effort to open the
what degree of bending it is paining, how right eye more in order to use it. Is it not
I have to move at that point, where I the inner understanding of that boy who is
should force, where I should not force. just eleven years old? Ifhe goes to the doc
This way of looking into, when it comes, tor he will say both eyes are blind, but
then there will be maturity. what awareness came to him to see that he
looks now with his right eye. Then I
I wouldn't say I found difference as such. showed his mother when he is doing

Sirsasana how he has to look from his Now, why one community? - it is easier to
right eye at her right hand so it brings the have an access to communicate with. If
eye to focus. any doubt arises we have to fmd the solu
tion. Seeking the help of the Yoga Sutra.
So a teacher has to understand this depth. You are together there. All the students, the
If we just train students to certificate level, practitioners of yoga, when they are
saying that asana after asana you contin together then you are like one family. I
ue to do for your Introductory, might be in India and you might be in
Intennediate etc. then they will stick to England and somebody else might be in
that, whereas this penetration has to come. U.S.A., but still we belong to one family in
But I'm certainly not stopping people if this sense. The community is required to
they do at the physical level. Let them first have the exchange. Community members
do. We went to the lower kindergarten, need to seek the help of each other. Why
then upper kindergarten and then school, do you need a society? You might say,
college and University. W,,? may think that "Why can't I live alone? I don't need soci
kindergarten is not a big education but yet ety"! But who forms the society?
it is a foundation for further education. The Sociology says individuals coming togeth
kindergarten school has given us some dis er form the society. And what is society? It
cipline to continue now. In yoga too, these is the one where all individuals are indi
categories exist. viduals yet together. That is society. So
what does community mean here? We
Yoga practice is an activity one does want conununity in that manner. I'm not
essentially on one's own. Why is it so interfering in your kitchen or her kitchen.
important to maintain an international You have your own kitchen, you have
yoga community? your own food, similarly you practice on
your own - fme! But what do we do when
Geetaji: Yes, practice is individual, it's not we say let us exchange, let us help each
that you have to have an Iyengar Yoga other. What I know, you might not be
community. You students have given the knowing. What you know, I might not be
name Iyengar Yoga conununity. Guruji knowing. Let me know what you know
has never said that. What he teaches is and you say - yes - let me know what you
Patanjali Yoga. But the methodology is know, so we learn much better. What is
given by Guruji so you call it Iyengar society then?
Yoga. For instance Patanjali rishi, who has
given yogic philosophy in the form of Strength and understanding?
aphorisms is recognised as Patanjala Yoga.
But he has not expressed yogic science in Geetaji: Yes. It is also an organisation to
a communal sense. Patanjali hasn't used protect each other. When you have got
the word "Hinduism" anywhere, he hasn't some neighbours in society you help each
even used the word anywhere the name of other. That is communication, you have
the god. When he uses the word lshvara it friends. Why do you have the family?
means God. It doesn't mean a particular Because there is a communication. When
god. The one who is all pervading, to somebody gets married it is two families
whom everything belongs is Ishvara. That coming together, trying to have under
is the meaning, all pervading. If it has to be standing and you sanctify it. That is socie
said in English you would say - all per ty. The marriage is recognised. Sin1ilarly,
vading. If it has to be said in Sanskrit - when you are given an Iyengar certificate,
Ishvara. He doesn't say this god or that you are recognised.
god, or particular god. So yoga is meant
for all. Suppose you are a yoga teacher and you
have not been certified. Today you may

teach but tomorrow if somebody questions tect the knowledge.
what will you answer? You have no cer If I ask, who are you, you say you are so
tificate. You have not been recognised by and so, your parents are so and so. That is
any teacher. If tomorrow the question how we recognise each other. That is how
comes to you, on what basis are you teach we identifY each other. That is how the
ing? Who are you to teach? How can we community is formed. You don't come
believe that what you are teaching is from nowhere. Nobody comes from
absolutely correct? What is the answer? nowhere. There is always an origin and
When you have a certification you say one needs to trace that origin.
here is my teacher and I have been taught.
This is guru and sisya relationship in this Individually each one has to practise indi
manner. You are recognised as a student of vidually, each one has to do yoga, but
Iyengar. He is your teacher. It is true that among the yoga community or a yoga
the recognition is required. society, there has to be inter-relationship.
Cornn1Unity is required for that. More the
You can't call yourself a doctor unless you individuality, more the knowledge will be
are certified. Why do you go to university, scattered. It may get lost because oflack of
why do you take your certification there communication. Who has to protect it?
and then put up a board with your name on Something that is learnt, something that is
that you are a doctor? Because you need to understood has to be protected. In the sci
be recognised. You might know very well entific research what do we do? Don't we
about medicines but who will recognise keep records ofthe research because it will
you if you haven't got the certificate? And be helpful at any time to anyone. The
that makes us understand how to keep that research work in every field is preserved.
path and the method pure. If you are an The individual egoism may interfere to
Iyengar certified teacher, you will be fol say that someone makes the particular dis
lowing the method given by your teacher, covery, yet it is preserved because it is for
your guru. The method that is inclusive of the sake of the whole of humanity, for the
all that is taught by your guru, which sake of the community.
includes the methodology, the principles,
the technique, the behaviour, the character, So we have to see this when we are form
the thoughts, the thinking process and the ing this community. We have to under
discipline. Then you cannot go on the stand each other and not fight.
wrong path. You will be questioned if you Associations are not there to fight. Then it
are on the wrong path since you are an is not an association! What do you mean
Iyengar certified teacher. As an Iyengar by association? You have to associate with
teacher one cannot go on an inunoral path. each other. You have to come together.
One has to be ethical. One has to have this When two people come together they may
bearing on the mind. In Astadala fight but in the fighting one has to sort out
Yogamala Vol 3, which will be published the problem too because they are associat
very soon, Guruji says that the teachers are ed. To quarrel or fight is human nature.
certified so that they have a chance to The difference of opinion will be there but
serve the society. He is giving you a cer you form an association so that you come
tificate so that you can help those who are together. You sort out the problem, you
suffering. It is just the beginning to tread communicate your opinions. Because of
on the right path. It is not that you are a this one person, our Guruji who has given
master. It is a chance given to you, a green so much to us, we come together under his
signal. So .you begin to learn, begin to umbrella. It is a kind of umbrella he has
study, begin to help. That is why the com formed. He has given shelter so that we
munity is required. The association is can protect ourselves. Whether it is for our
required in order to protect the art, to pro health, or for our spirituality, or for our
7 Winter 2002
evolution, whatever, but come under one And generosity?
umbrella to work in this manner to give it
to others. That is why there is a guru and Geetaji: Absolutely. It is the chance given
sisya relationship. There has to be respect. to learn yoga. Do we not learn modem
It has to be given to the next generation. medical science? If you have a great
Who has to pass on the knowledge, the art. chance in any field, learn. We can study all
We all may perish, but art, science and phi the religions. Nobody stops us from learn
losophy do not die. It never happens. ing. Our life is so small and knowledge is
Therefore, it is better that we give it to so vast that we cannot learn everything.
someone else who will carry on. That is That's why at the end Upanishad says, life
what has been said in the Taittiriya is so small, the knowledge is so vast, so let
Upanishad. The gum says to the sisya, us have that faith and proceed with that
"Your study is over. Now you go and get understanding. Yoga is the subject which
married, have children. Why? So that you makes you to understand the very self, the
can pass on the knowledge. The thread of soul. The origin, the base, the foundation.
knowledge should not be broken." What we need is a broad frame for mind.
Some people do not want to do yoga since There are so many similarities and near
they believe it is a religion: it is in Sanskrit, ness to all the religions, but we miss to see
etc. that. When you begin to study and com
pare you feel somewhere they are very
Geetaji: Gumji has often said that Ygoga close to each other. You will fmd the foun
is sanatana dhanna. It is not Hinduism, or dation is the same. Christ talks about the
any other ism. It is something eternal. Ten Commandments which are very close
Sanatana means eternal. Dharma is reli to yama and niy ama. He didn't say, "Be
gion which uplifts human beings. This violent." Otherwise he would have taken
eternal knowledge was there always. It the opposite step. He says be non-violent
was always existing and which is now and Patanjali too says be non-violent. To
expressed in different languages. Patanjali be humanitarian we have to be non-violent
has to express it in Sanskrit, as the Bible is otherwise we will end up with the destmc
in Hebrew. And who knows tomorrow tion only.
English will vanish, Sanskrit will vanish
and some other language may come. How Human beings are the same, their emo
do we know?! You know there is a vast tions are the same. The six enemies of
difference between old English and new every human being are the same, to
English. Another few million years have to whichever class, caste, country, religion
go to tell us, "Yes! There was some belongs to. Anger, desire, delusion, greed,
English language in those days"! Now we pride, jealousy, aU these are common in
know that Latin is closer to Sanskrit and evelyone. Ifyou have anger you are going
the origin of English is Latin. If you have to have high blood pressure, you are going
broader mind, think in that manner so it is to have a cardiac problem. You are going
not my language or your language. We all to have fami ~y problems because it's your
have forgotten the ancient language. There anger. You fight with each other. Does the
is not Indian cloud or British cloud or my anger say that you belong to this country
cloud or your cloud. Everything is the or that sect so it would not affect you. So
same. Everywhere clouds are the same. the human problems are the same, which
Land is the same - only geographically we are invited by us.
divide. The land is one. We have demar
cated and differentiated. So we fight. The And we mistrust each other?
man-made countries fight. We need that
broad mindedness and nothing else. Geetaji: Yes. We don't tmst each other.
Iyengar Yoga News No.2

------------------ 8 ------------------------
Winter 2002
We have no faith in each other. If we don't Now there are too many teachers, so we
trust people, we are going to land up with need to filter because they come with the
all the problems. Somewhere you need to ambition to become a yoga teacher and get
have love. Somewhere you need to have the certificate. More than the devotion
trust. Somewhere you need to have faith, there is ambition. They are not basically
friendliness. So if you have an association, devoted to yoga. They just want certifi
fight but be friendly! That's all at the end cates. So we have to filter saying unless
of the day, we have to conclude. Fight! It you are devoted, dedicated to this - we
doesn't matter. But the fighting should be won't. And now Guruji has lessened the
constructive. Because that blings the inner period between two levels. He says
hidden misunderstandings to the surrace. youngsters are taking interest so let us not
It brings more transparency and then you give a big gap because when youngsters
are friendly. That's maturity. And the matu want to pick up let us have a small gap. Let
lity tenninates into proper solution. them get the certificate. If at the age of
twenty-five they want to have
So yoga teaches this maturity. To Intennediate Junior or Senior - fme. If they
whichever religion one belongs to, yoga are performing well let us give them a cer
teaches us to be friendly, compassionate, tificate. But at the same time Guruji is the
kind, happy. It teaches us to be indifferent one who is saying that the certificate is not
and unattached when there is a wrong the end of it. Certificate is the beginning of
approach like dishonesty, mistrust etc. knowledge. You are certified to foster the
knowledge and experience, because if you
Today if you only have four people in the are not a certified teacher you are just a
association the four will work in such a student. Fine - I will say you are just a stu
manner that there is no tussle. There is no dent, you learn this much, that is enough
fight. But then as the association grows for you. But if you are a teacher you need
bigger and bigger in its size we need to to have this knowledge. So it's the begin
have some laws and regulations so that it ning of knowledge. So you can infonn
brings haIIDony. them like that, those who argue with you!
In the early days recognised teachers were And why that kind of binding is required?
very few. Even I was recognised as a Yes, always you have to have a binding
teacher. I was not a master when I was with a guru to know the Oligin of it. You
recognised in 1961. Officially I became a know junk food is bad. You know that fast
teacher in 1961. It was not in 1961 that I food is bad for the health. You understand
was absolutely a mature yoga teacher and that junk food, fast food, is hannful to the
that I knew everything. But Guruji trusted. body. You want to have fresh food. You
He told me that up to a certain point I can want to have good food, rightly balanced
teach. He was guiding me. If a person had food, etc. Then is it not needed in yoga
the problem, if it was within my capacity, too? Suppose if they are certified through
he would say, "Teach," but if a person had Iyengar and also certified by someone
a serious problem, then he would teach. So else. Are they not making junk food there?
similarly when a small group in u.K. was Is it not just a fast food there that you have
there, he said ok - teach, because some got a certificate from Iyengar and you
where it has to reach the people. One per have a certificate from someone else?
son cannot go on. But where there were Certification courses are given every
problems he said not to touch such people. where, so you may gather another ten cer
They had to wait for Guruji to come and tificates. Are you not going to make a junk
teach. So in those days he had to recognise of it and land up with all the problems,
the teacher in that maimer. Now we have because nothing is clear to you though you
to filter to a great extent. are certified? And even if you are not

given certificates the same is going to hap were not known to anyone. When Guruji
pen. So if you want to have the celtificate came to the u.K. do you mean that people
you have to go through this whole subject were knowing the asanas? They may have
thoroughly, the whole method thoroughly, known head balance, shoulder stand. But,
otherwise it can harm like fast food, junk Standing poses were unknown, except
food, mixed food and old food. Nothing Trikonasana. Triangle pose was known to
will be digested. You need to have the everyone, in whichever way, different
intelligence to connect and co-ordinate styles, different ways but people were
whatever you learn and experience. That's doing triangle pose. Now they know
how it has to be .. So you can definitely tellParsvakonasana, they know
those people who are talking about certifi Virabhadrasana, Parsvottanasana.
cation, the Celtification Mark, that the Uttanasana was known, but
purity has to be maintained. Padangustasana was not known, Pada
Hastasana was unknown. In the lecture in
You see, it is simple. You have been given the States I also mentioned about this.
a name "Judith" and by mistake I call you These asanas were unknown. It is Guruji
Stephanie. You don't like it! You say, "I'm who made people to know about the
not Stephanie," right? Why you say so? asanas. The book Light on Yoga came and
Because you know that you are recognised people started recognising those asanas.
by your name and Stephanie is recognised Nobody knew balancing except
by her name. And then I have to say I am Bhujapidasana and Bakasana. Now
sorry because it's my fault calling you everyone does Urdhva Klfkkutasana,
Stephanie, because you are not she. So this everybody picks up Parsva Kukkutasana,
is how the recognition is required. So if although they may be belonging to differ
you are following Iyengar way it means ent schools. Urdvha Dhanurasana and
you are recognised, on that line. Guruji Salabasana were the only backbends
hasn't said that this is his method, but cer known. Now everyone does Viparita
tainly something special came of his way Chakrasana. Everyone does
of teaching and imparting. One day it may Natarajasana . So how did it come into the
become universal, who knows, what he foreground?
has worked out, what he has thought over,
his vision. It becomes universal one day. Often I say that now the next generation
The question doesn't arise then whether will not know about it. They will think the
it's Iyengar. People will say this is Yoga! asanas were known. Of course they were
Then the question of name doesn't aIise. existing, undoubtedly, but the world was
For instance, we say "Newton's Law" not knowing it. It was not known, it was
yes? We give credit to him. Every physi hidden, the knowledge was hidden until
cist will be agreeing that it is Newton's Guruji started travelling and brought them
Law because he was the first thinker to to the forefront. True that to Guruji it was
think in that manner. So similarly it is transferred through Guru
Guruji who thought in a certain way, so it Krishnamacharya. But when Guru
became the "Iyengar way". He hasn't spe Krishnamacharya taught Guruji he was
cially created his way. He has not said that, not doing all these asanas at that moment.
"This is his way and you follow". He has Since Guruji was young he taught him and
never said that. On the contrary, every Guruji stalted doing them aI1d continued
time he says that this is what Patanjali has to do them. Now, everyone has adopted
said. Only Guruji gave us a vision to look. them irrespective of whichever school
Newton gave us vision to look. That is they belong to or the method they follow.
how one has to understand. He never said The students of Iyengar doing them is one
that it is his yoga. But now believe me in thing, but like Newton's Law it has been
1960-61 these asanas that Guruji does accepted, is also the fact. So now every-

body has accepted these asanas, the vari certification is required. That i ' why guru
eties of pranayama. If GWllji decides to sisya relationship is required. You should
write on dhyana, I am sure it will be well be able to link your knowledge and your
received. Yoga is a universal subject. It has experience with the origin. The teacher
to become a universal subject. But as the leads you to trace the origin. AU these
pupils of GW1lji, we should be able to at things are interlinked. They are not sepa
least inform people that the source is here rate issues. They are not even issues to
who made people to recognise, understand fight. It is just to understand. It is an evolv
and appreciate the art of yoga. ing process. Yoga is not a stagnated sub
ject. The journey ends only when one
It s notjust that he taught yoga to the West. reaches the ultimate goal. It is a process to
It is more that he opened yoga to human maintain the purity, to continue with the
consciousness. purity. The method cannot be changed
according to one's whim and fancy. It can
That is exactly what we as pupils have to not be changed just to satisfY someone.
understand. So now the word yoga has The purity and sanctity of the subject
become close, familiar and popular to needs to be maintained. These days any
everyone because he made that subject to thing goes in the name of self-realisation.
come to this level. Even sex now is labelled in the name of
self-realisation. How can it be? These are
Last Sunday we gave a demonstration. the things one should know. This is
The explanation was in Marathi for thought pollution. Pollution in thought;
Maharashtrans. GWllji said that when he pollution in behaviour; pollution in char
came in 1937 to Pune, there were hardly acter. So to maintain the purity you have to
four yoga teachers who were known ill observe all these things. One may argue.
those days in the whole of India. Verbal argument is possible in any way, in
any direction. It is said that dharma (duty),
There were only a few yoga teachers. In artha (means oflivelihood), k.ama (world
those days nobody really knew anyone as ly enjoyment), moksa (freedom), are the
yoga teachers. Even the subject was four purusarthas (the objectives of
unknown. Very few, who had studied the human-beings). It is a very clear demarca
philosophy were aware of the subject. And tion. Otherwise kama and moksa, the
now in every lane you find the yoga teach worldly enjoyment and liberation or self
ers. That also I mentioned the other day in realisation become one. [ref Light on the
that lecture. Now is the time to recognise Yoga Suo'as of Patanjali p.35]. All four
which is the genuine yoga, because any aspects are indicated as separate - dharma,
one can put up a board. Anyone can open artha, k.ama, moksa. That is why GWllji
the classes. And it is true that every lane has said very clearly that dharma and
now you find yoga teachers, even in this moksa are like two banks of the river.
small area. So how did this subject come Kama and artha are like the river flowing
to recognition in that manner? between the two banks. Like the river
which flows and floods whenever it rains,
Now, why the Iyengar community has to these two never end. Our desires never
be there? - to protect the purity and give end. The money mindedness never ends.
knowledge. Let us not make a market of it. The mind hankers all the time after enjoy
Something which is easily saleable in the ments. The desires "I want this and I want
market - "Let us sell" - is the attitude of the that", continues. That is human nature. So
modem world. That should not be our atti GW1lji says to put a borderline to artha
tude. That should not be the aim. We have and kama with dharma and moksa. When
to see that the purity is maintained. That is we say duty, this is the duty - dharma.
why community is required, that is why Moral and ethical behaviour is a duty. To
Iyengar Yo a News No.2 11 Winter 2002

live a spiritual life is a duty. It is our duty to the knowledge. Then after the maniage
find out for what sake we are existing. We and family life there is vanapraslhashrama
have to find out the root cause of living. in which one takes off the mind from the
You may have given the word spirituality. family and proceeds towards san
What is spilituality? We call it adhyatma nyasashrama in which one sacrifices and
vic(va, the on which is covering the soul. abandons every thing and proceeds
\\That is the adhyatma. The one which cov towards the self realisation and freedom.
ers the alma (soul) is adhyatma. We need That's why we say that we should not have
to know these coverings these sheaths so apamrutyu. We should not die before time.
that we can remove them to see the soul. The death also has to come majestically at
The body, the mind, intelligence, con the right time. Dying in the middle of life
sciousness, all these cover the soul. One shows incompleteness. Therefore the
needs to realise these sheaths to uncover Upanishads say to live for a hundred years.
the soul. Suppose if God blesses us to say To die at an early age is considered as a
we are going to live longer and longer. Are tragedy. Because the link is broken, the
we going to be happy? The death is a bless duty is broken.
ing given to us. In the Mahabharata there is
a story. The father asks the son to give his So the certification is to keep the linkage.
life so that he remains young while the son The certification mark is like taking an oath
b comes old. The son takes the old age of to be honest to the guru. The certification
the father by giving him his youth. Then holders and certification mark holders have
one day the father realises, there is no point to remember that they have to follow the
in remaining young. How long can one yogic path having the fencing of dhamw
enjoy the sexual life'? At some point it ends. and moksha on both sides. They have to do
Love is beyond sex. One has to see that at the study aiming at liberation. They have to
some point the kama ends, the desire ends, pass on the kno'wledge to the next genera
and a pure love and pure devotion begins. tion. In between these two fences the arlha
[f one is all the time indulging in sensual and kama has to be well planned. They
and sexual pleasures we say there is some have to carry the message correctly. They
thing wrong with that person. We say that have to organise. The association is
treatment is needed for this because it is an required for this purpose. \\Thy does there
unusual thing to happen. It's abnormal. have to be an ethics committee? It is meant
Even some of the marriages are broken for this purpose to see that arlha and k£lIna
because of that, because it is an abnormal does not go distorted. It does not become
ity. One has to know which is normal, the soul and goal of Yoga practitioners.
which is abnormal, so that indulgence can Associations are to help the followers of
not be there. Similar to dharma, artha, Yoga and to have a check on them. So they
kama, and moksa, we talk about four also need to be honest and modest.
ashram as, or four stages oflife. These four Associations are not meant to boss over but
aims of the human beings are fulfilled in rather bring people together for good
four stages. Earlier in brahmachmyashra understanding and "Give and Take".
ma in which one studies for 20 years with
the guru to have the knowledge. lbat's why
the guru towards the end of the course
blesses and says, "Go, your bra
macharyashrama is over. Twenty five
years you have studied with me. Now the
next twenty five years be a grihasthashra
mi and give the knowledge to others
because it has to be protected. That is why
you need to have a famjly to continue with
THE LIGHT ON YOGA RESEARCH TRUST
Kirsten Agar Ward writes about LOYRT's role in disseminating the art,
science & philosophy of yoga
he LOYRT was fonned on Guruji's tional stability and clarity of thought when
T 60th birthday in 1978, using the pro
ceeds of his lecture-demonstration on that
they graduate. Annual examinations cover
both theory and practice and the course is
occasion. It is a charity registered in designed so that those who want to are able
Mumbai, India. Its main objective is to to teach Yoga to children after the final cer
propagate the teachings of Yogacharya tification. Since 1997 over 800 successful
BKS Iyengar amongst all strata of society. students have been awarded certificates.
The LOYRT organised Guruji's 80th birth The LOYRT has also conducted free yoga
day celebrations in Pune. These celebra classes for a number of years at lawahar
tions lasted for 14 days and around 800 Bal Bhavan, a government sponsored
practitioners from 6 continents participated. organisation working for the welfare of
LOYRT's other activities include: children in Mumbai.
Conducting classes for the public Publications

The LOYRT runs regular yoga classes for With RIMYI, LOYRT jointly publishes the
the general public aU over Mumbai as well quarterly journal, Yoga Rahasya, Other
as short courses in other cities in India. It publications include "Body the Sluine,
also conducts special classes for specialised Yoga thy Light" (1978) (later reprinted as
groups such as sportspersons, artists, musi "Iyengar: his life and work'" (1991)) and
cians, dancers, medics and the forces. Yogadhara (2000)
Conducting therapeutic Yoga Classes Scientific research into Iyengar Yoga

LOYRT runs therapeutic classes for those LOYRT aims to produce and present scien
with medical problems and injuries and tific evidence to show the benefits of yoga
classes for drug dependants where asanas practice and how yoga asana practice helps
are regarded as one ofthe primary means of in overcoming and alleviating various ail
detoxification. ments. One example is a research project
headed by Dr Tomrnij.e an Thomas of
Teaching Iyengar Yoga to Children California, USA in collaboration with
The LOYRT and the Ramamani Iyengar LOYRT, which was carried out at the 80th
Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) have birthday ceiebrations in 1998. This study
designed a Yoga Diploma Course for chil evaluated the physical, physiological and
dren aged 9 - 17 years. As well as forming psychological effects ofIyengar Yoga prac
part of the curriculum in three well-recog tice, the perception of stress and coping
nised Indian schools (the Doon school , the mechanisms of practitioners and compared
Weihams Girls High School and Anne personality characteristics of practitioners
Mary School), the courses run in public with non-practitioners.
classes for children and as an extra-curricu
lar activity in schools in Mumbai. The syl The infonnation jor this article was taken
labus spans eight years and covers five lev fi-om Zubin Zrthoshtimanesh's article
els according to the developmental level of "Light on ... now and forever" in
the children. It provides a finn grounding in Sahasrachandra Darsan (J998) and the
the science and philosophy of yoga ojficial BKS Iyengar website at:
enabling them to achieve good health, emo www.bksiyengar.com

SHEERSHAASANA
A guide to pronouncing Sanskrit terms - by Sallie Sullivan
At Crystal Palace, Geetaji corrunented those old enough to remember the Bisto
~efully on the mutual failure of kids. So asana is pronounced aasana.
Westerners and Indians to understand each Tadasana becomes Taadaasana - remember
other. If we were finding her English hard to lean on the first two syllables and rather
to understand, she had problems with our gloss over the last two. The vowel e is like
pronunciation too. This problem extends to the sound in "break". Thus Eka rhymes
the Sansklit names of the postures. We are with "acre" and not Boris Becker. Short i is
always encouraged to use the proper names like the vowel in "it" so Trikonaasana
for poses when teaching, not least so that sounds like "trick" and Siddhaasana like
students will recognise the names if ever "Sid." Make the Dwi of Dwipaada rhyme
they go to Pune to take classes. However with drip. Watch out for Prasaarita - the first
there are problems with saying the words a is short, the second is long and the i is
properly, partly because of the nature of short. People tend to pronounce the end of
Sansmt letters and the acaderrric conven it like the name Rita. Try to say Prasaaritter.
tions for writing Sansmt in the Roman Long i is now often written with a double ee
alphabet. The root of the problem is that in as mentioned above, so Vrrasana becomes
Sansmt there appear to be two or more \Teeraasana and Vrrabhadrasana becomes
forms of many of the letters, especially the Veerabhadraasana. The letter 0 is always
vowers a, i and u. In fact, although it looks long and pronounced like "cone" or "no" so
as though there are two forms, they are actu for example Konasana is cone-aasana.
ally different letters that can compietely Long and short u are like "spoon" and "put"
change the meaning of a word. respectively. This can cause problems for
English speakers when the letter u comes at
Basically vowels can be short or long. To the start of a word. Tly to say "Upa" in
follow the conventions correctly, you have Upavishta as ifit rhymes with super. Urdhva
to have the proper font to add the extra little should sOlmd like oordhva. Setu (as in
marks (diacritics) above or below the letters Setu-bandha) is tricky - it sounds like "say
that tell you how to pronounce them. In to."
English publications these marks are often
rrrissed out because the right fonts are not Ofthe consonants, s is probably the trickiest.
available. So texts increasingly are using a Plain s is like the s in Sam or yes. Both the
different convention which involves dou s with a dot under it and s with an accent
bling the vowel instead of using a bar across over it are pronounced more or less like sh.
the top of the letter. TI1is explains for exam Hence Sarvangasana has no sh sound in it at
ple why you fmd the two spellings Gita or all - it is Sarvaangaasana. However
Geeta. The added advantage of the dou Sirsasana comes out as Sheershaasana.
bling of the vowel is that it helps to remind The combination of sh with v in Svanasana
us to lengthen or stress the syllable where it or rather Shvaanaasana is hard for us to say
occurs. To emphasise this point, I shall write -the v is almost a w-sound and you have to
the stressed syllable in bold type. This all move quickly from the sh to v, like a drunk
sounds rather difficult. On the plus side, you saying "swan." There are other complica
can be sure that once you have mastered the tions in Sanskrit letters, especially the aspi
correct pronunciation, the letters are always rated or ''breathy'' consonants and all the
said the same way. (Compare this with the varieties ofd and t. However if you practise
English pronunciation of the letter a in after, the letters dealt with above and try to apply
about, acre and at) these sounds in the names of the postures,
you and your students will feel much more
The "short" letter a in Sansmt is always pro confident next tin1e you do Yoga with an
nounced like the a in "about." The long a is Indian teacher, whether over here or in Pune
like the sound in "after" or "aah Bisto!" for (formerly spelled Poona).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~
SAVA SANA, THE BRAIN AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Joe Burn takes a close look at Savasana

hen we lie down in Savasana be observing the body, not of course
W (corpse pose) we have a unique
opportunity to examine ourselves, espe
with our eyes but with our mind's eye.
We feel the breath calming down and
cially the way that our consciousness the various muscles relaxing and the
behaves. For example, we can experi body becoming still. This activity of
ence whether we have a tendency to fall feeling the body - it is important to note
asleep in the pose, or whether we start it has nothing to do with thought, imag
to work out particular problems that ination, sleep or memory - is an experi
involve logical chains of thought (how ence of the body in this present
to prepare a particular dish or win at moment, even a sense of time is no
chess, for example), or whether we start longer relevant.
to imagine things (space aliens or sun
sets, for example). My own experience The brain is the organ in which all of the
of corpse pose has given me all of the cittavrttis are housed. Thinking, imag
above. It is not uncommon for me to lie ining, sleeping and memorising are all
down and end up so involved in a day done by the brain. They are done by
dream or thought pattern that I forget what is known as the higher, outer or
completely where I am and what I am more evolved part of the brain. The next
supposed to be doing. I am sure that I layer of the brain deals with appetites,
am not alone here. What then are we urges and emotions - the fight or flight
supposed to be doing in corpse pose? response is generated in this part of the
Well, none of the above for sure! In brain and also sensory input is
corpse pose we seek to experience the monitered. The part of the brain that
body, to concentrate on the body, to deals with the body, its coordination of
become completely absorbed in every limbs (reflexes) and the control of basic
part of it, as sugar (the consciousness) body systems ego the breath and heart
dissolves in tea (the body) and when rate, is known as the core brain. What I
tasted all the tea is sweet. This concen am suggesting in this article is that in
tration on the body should not just be corpse pose we are looking to shine the
momentary but should go from present light of our consciousness on this part
moment to present moment; then it of the brain and not the higher part. In
becomes a meditation, an experience of corpse pose we are looking to move
the eternal. The present is after all eter from the higher, outer part of the brain
nal. through the middle to the lower, core
brain. In this way we do what Patanjali
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali clearly asks.
states that there are five types of cit
tavrtti - the fluctuation or modification In Iyengar Yoga we look for the mecha
(vrtti) of the ego, intellect and mind col nistic explanation underlying all the
lectively known as the citta. These are poses we do. What I mean is that we try
pramana (correct thought/knowledge) , to understand the mechanism of the legs
viparyaya (erronious thought/knowl (i.e. the muscles, tendons, ligaments,
edge), vikalpa (imagination) , nidra joints etc.), aims, chest and so forth so
(sleep) and smrti (memory). He says that we are equipped with a complete
that these cittavrttis are to be restrained understanding of how these limbs com
or stopped by Yoga practice. Thus in bine to produce the correct action in any
corpse pose we should not be thinking posture. This understanding gives us the
(either correctly or incorrectly), imagin knowledge that there is no magic
ing, sleeping or reminiscing; what then involved - we know that if every part of
is left for us to do? This is not easy to the body is placed in the correct way
answer but I will venture that we should then the pose will be attained and there
15 Winter 2002
will be no injuries. This mechanistic the brain generates the core self, which
approach must be applied t the brain as maps the body in relationship to the
well as the body. environment, and that the outer part of
the brain generates what he describes as
Research has shown that certain parts of the autobiographical self -our memories
the brain ar responsible for different opinions and beliefs. Damasio has spec
functions. If someone's brain activity is ulated that meditation, and here we
scanned whilst they are playing chess should include corpse pose, moves us
and lh n again when they are frightened from the complexities of the outer brain
then we see that different parts of the to the simpler , more internally orientat
brain are being used . ed core and proto selves.
. europsychologist Michael Persinger
of Laurentian University in Ontario has In a separate piece of research Andrew
managed to induce profound spiritual Newburg of the University of
experiences in people, time and time Pennsylvania Medical Centre has found
again, by stimulating their temporal that meditators are able to shut off their
lobe with a weak magnetic field. Some 'orientation area' situated in the parietal
people have reported that this is like an lobes, which results in a loss of a sense
experience of Samadhi, of unity with of space and time: something many
alman. Directing the magnetic field would describe as a spiritual experience
elsewhere in the brain has no such or being absorbed into God or Samadhi.
effect. Another scientist, Antonio
Damasio of the University of Iowa These three scientists have begun to
College of Medicine, suggests that a uncover some of the secrets of the brain
sense of self comes from the combined and how spiritual experience could well
system of brain stem, hypothalamus, relate to the manipulation of particular
and basal forebrain (or core brain). In parts of the brain and to show that there
terms of the body's physiology this sys is a mechanistic explanation of these so
tem monitors and detects tiny shifts in called mystical states. This I think is
the chemistry of the blood (the blood's fascinating and important work. It
water content and temperature for reminds me of one of B. K. S. Iyengar's
example) and triggers adjustments to sayings; that 'the brain is the most diffi
keep us alive . This system works con cult pa11 of the body to adjust'. Ifwe can
stantly - unlike the higher brain - and is learn to adjust our brains as we adjust
therefore specially placed to give a our kneecaps then spiritual experience
sense of self and continuity. This self is far closer than we ever thought, it is
Damasio calls the proto-self. Damasio in fact right between our ears.
goes on to speculate that the mid part of
IYN READERS' QUESTIONNAIRE - RESULTS
Currently, a small working group is attempting to come up with proposals for a

new Iyengar Yoga Association for the UK. In the last issue of IYN, we published a
survey aimed at discovering what IYN readers wanted from a national Yoga
association. Joe Burn analyses the results.
he questiolIDaire was answered by 33 ranking services ...22 to 28. All of these it
T people. This represents a reply rate of seems to me are vaguely cOlIDected to
1.3%, which is rather low. This low money and merchandising, which it
response may suggest that people do not seems people felt was relatively unim
like to answer questiOlmaires or of course portant.
that they are indifferent to how the new
Iyengar Yoga Association will work. A What other activities would you like to
reply rate of 1.3% is also not very repre see?
sentative of the Iyengar community at These were all one-off answers:
large therefore we calIDot use it as an - To check on teachers with an inspection
authorative voice of opinion. However group that dropped in on classes at ran
some interesting trends did emerge from dom.
the data, so do read on. The fmal point to - That points should be awarded to
make here is that 22 of the 33 replies teachers for attending events, this
were from teachers (and 7 of the remain should replace E.O.L. (revalidation)
ing 11 were from teacher trainees), this days.
suggests that teachers are far more likely - Money sent to Indian charities (eg those
to reply to these things, as out of the 2500 helping children).
magazines sent, only about half were sent - Affiliation to the British Wheel of
to teachers. Yoga.
- Yoga Holidays.
What services should a national Iyengar - To be a good example of Yogic attitude.
Yoga Association provide?
In order of preference: Why join a national Iyengar Yoga
1. Maintain teaching standards organisation?
2. Conventions In order of preference:
3. Magazine 1. To be kept informed about Iyengar
4. Teacher certification Yoga news and events
5. Teacher contact lists 2. To support Iyengar Yoga
5. Insurance for teachers 3. To be a part of the Iyengar Yoga com
5. Liase with RIMYI munity
§ 3. To be a part of a professional teaching
22. Bursaries for teachers association
23. Bursaries for practitioners 5. Insurance for teachers
24. Book and Video sales 6. To learn about Yoga
25 . Resources eg book/video library 7. To meet people with shared interests
26. Discounts at local events 8. To benefit from discounts.
27. Discounts at national events
28. Equipment sales Again it is worth noticing that the service
least desired is the one that is chiefly
The average score for the topmost rank about monetary benefit. The top most
?e

was 4.83 and the average score for the reasons seem to be about mutual SUppOlt
bottom most rank w.as 2.17 (services - of the organisation by individuals and
were scored 5 for important and 0 for not vIce versa.
impOltant). The results do of course
speak for themselves but I would like to Conventions: would you p,.efe/~ ..
draw your attention to the bottom most 1. One convention for practitioners and
------------------- 17 -------------------------------
Winter 2002
one for teachers at different times of 4. Personal accounts of practice/teach
year mg
1. One convention for practitioners and 6. Interviews with the Iyengars
one for teachers rum1ing back to back 7. Articles by the Iyengars
3. A single annual convention open to 8. Workshop reports
all practitioner. 8. News
8. Practice advice
What i ignificant here is that the major 8. Diet
ity ofp ople wanted separate teacher and 12. Local institute supplements
praditjon r conventions. 12. The business of teaching
12. HistOlylFuture ofIyengar Yoga
How often would you like a magazine? 12. Book reviews
The mean frequency for the number of 12. Yoga equipment adverts
magazines a year was 3 (actually 3.4 but
we are unable to produce a 0.4 maga It is important to note that all the above
zine). At the moment we only produce 2 were suggestions by respondents; the
a year; the feasability of producing an questionnaire itself did not make specific
adilltional magazine will be looked into. suggestions.
What sort of articles would you like to

Wh at should the website include?
see in the magazine?
In order of preference:
In order of preference:
1. Events listings
1. Philosophy 2. General information
1. Focus on poses 2. Teacher listings
3. Teacher development 4. News
4. International news 5. Class listings
REPORT FROM TH E UNITY GROUP
ollowing the joint unification motion that was unanimously carried at both BKSIYTA and LOYA gen
F eral meetings last May, a working group was set up with the aim of drafting a proposed structure for a
new single Iyengar Yoga association for the UK. The Unity Group, consisting ofthree representatives from
the BKSIYTA, three LOYA representatives and two 'wise friends' has now met three times . Having estab
lished common aims and objectives in the first meeting, the purpose of the second meeting was to come
up with a general structure for the new association. We consulted as widely as we could on this proposal,
and amended, refined and added a lot of detail to the structure in our third meeting.
The Unity Group has found itself largely in agreement over all of the aspects of the proposed structure so
far, but the key to success in this venture is to make sure that the whole Iyengar Yoga community in the
UK is moving forward together. We need feedback from all Iyengar practitioners as we go along. Rather
than print the proposed structure in this magazine (it is quite long), we are publishing detailed notes of all
of our meetings on the BKSIYTA and LOYA websites. If you would like a copy posted to you, please ring
01223523410. Please have a look at our progress so far and tell us what you think; even if you are in total
agreement, it is helpful to know.
Kirsten Agar Ward [email protected]

Nathalie Blondel [email protected]
Paquita Claridge [email protected]
Philippe Harari phi 1ippe. [email protected]
Brian Jack [email protected]
Judith Jones j [email protected]
Ginnie Owen [email protected]
Elaine Pidgeon elaine. [email protected]

A LllTLE DETACHMENT
Alan Brown gives a personal view of the Iyengar Yoga Jubilee,
held at Crystal Palace in May 2002
One of the reasons must confess that I almo t didn't go. vouchers com plimentary bandages and
I pracUse Iyengar Iseveral
TI1 thought of being part of a class of
hundred people with probably
various other paraphernalia. I particu
larly enjoyed this job as it gave me an
yoga is the aim
(occasionally only a distant, obscured view of whatev opportunity to say hello to a lot of peo
realised) of gaining er was happening on the stage, was less ple I may otherwi e not have managed
than appealing. Then the cost of attend to speak to. I was also happy to be
a precise. authentic ing both the teachers' and the main con working with such a friendly, co-opera
experience, be it in vention, added t travel fr ill Yorkshire tive team. Even though fati g1le clearly
the alignment of the and accommodation in London for both showed ill the face of the main organis
body during asana of us - well, we could have bought a ers, enthusiasm and good-natur never
practise, or through couple of return flights to India for the failed and that spi rit characterised the
good teaching or same money which for a while we seri whole convention. The organisers and
the environment in ously considered as an alternative. helpers, at least to my perception, did
which the expen However family commitments put paid everything they could to ensure the
ence is received. to that idea so we bit the buJ[et and sent atmosphere was unfai lingly warm,
Being taught by off our cheques. inclusive and supportive with never a
suggestion that anybody was more
Geeta earlier this important than anybody else.
Crystal Palace is not an ideal venue but
year gave all this it is not bad. There is the luxury of hav
and, of course, ing an Olympic size swimming pool to The catering was generally good ,
more. To be taught dip into whenever the fancy takes you although I personally didn't go over
by a member of the although I never quite managed to find much for the lunchtime sandwiches.
Iyengar family is a the time to succumb to that temptation. Also the queues for the evening meals,
great honour. It was All the facilities are nicely situated near especially after the arrival of the extra
something I was to each other so there is a good sense of participants for the main convention,
hoping to be able to togetherness. The main hall was more were enOm1OUS, but again with the exer
experience and now than adequate to accommodate every cise of a little detachment I found it a
body although the glaring lights in the marvellous opportunity to get to know
something I plan to
ceiling had to be left on for the video new people and catch up with old
repeat. cameras. They hummed with a persist fri ends.
Liz Brown ence which required quite an effort of
detachment to ignore. Geeta began evelY session with a long
puja, with various different prayers
The sense of togethemess during the day being chanted in Sanskrit, some of
helped to make up for a lack of suffi which we listened to and some we were
cient onsite accommodation. But per expected to join. I have tried going to
haps it would have been difficult to find church a few times but it always makes
a suitable venue with accommodation me feel awkward . I cannot easily agree
for so many people. There are a few with the fOm1 of the prayers I am expect
apartments in a nearby block, and some ed to recite or accept many of the
of us camped or caravanned at the aston Christian beliefs. I like singing hymns
ishingly pretty and secluded Crystal but again I have felt unable to connect
Palace campsite - it was hard to believe with the sentiments they express. Geeta
that we were surrounded by London. gave lengthy explanations about the
meaning of the prayers she recited and
This was the first national convention stressed that even though the names may
jointly organised by the BKSIYTA and be different, God is the same for every
LOYA and as a member of the BKSIY body. I know some felt uncomfortable
TA committee I had volunteered myself with that idea in spite of Geeta's best
as a helper for general duties. Mostly efforts to explain and encourage us all to
my job was to man one of the welcome participate.
desks at the entrance, handing out packs
with convention programmes, t-shirt For myself, not understanding most of
19 Winter 2002
the words I chanted meant that I could The teacher's Pranayama class, I did find Like all good teach
absorb myself in the beauty of the sound difficult. I wasn't well placed to see; ers, none of her
and sense of sharing w ithout having to bolsters littered the stage and we were words were wasted
worry whether I agreed with the content not allow d to stand too close, or climb or superfluous "
or not. F r bett r or worse, I was able to onto the stage because of the video cam qUite a feat in itself
detach myself from the concepts and eras. So I didn't get a lot from it and I am
when you consider
lose my elf in the experience. These j ust hoping that the video will make up
how many hours
pra ers went on for a considerable ti me for the inconvenience it caused me at the
but if one was not too attached to the time. she taught some
idea a getting on with asana practice, it times three or four
didn't matter at all. I was rather worried about the firs t at a stretch almost
Pranayama class of the main convention without pause.
The practice when it came may have because, owing to spectacularly bad While I had been
eli ' appointed some. As teachers we timetabling, the AGM was scheduled to told before that in
\\ ere considered to be ther to learn take place d irectly before it. India the teachers
rather than do a practice for our selve . Controvers ial and contentiolls items shout, I know that
For mo t of the class we huddled close having been plac d on the agenda I was some people,
to the stage. 1 think Geeta kept us there quite concerned that T would spend the myself included,
so we were not constantly wasting ti me whole of the Pranayama class churning
found the occasion
walki ng backwards and forwards to see. these matters over in my mind. As it
al ferocity of a
So it was not ea y to practise effectively turned out there wasn't time to discllss
what we wer seeing demo nstrated on the difficul t issues and I managed to remark surprising. I
others. But, of course (and I hardly n ed enter into my Pranayama in an undis found 'effortless
to say this), the in tru tion w as excellent turbed state of mind. In spite of a nig effort· further from
and delivered with a larity, p rceptivity gling cough (yes, sorry, that was me) my grasp whl1e ter
and good humour which was inspira wh ich I had suffered for weeks and rified of being
tional. whi h refused to go I experienced a picked out for doing
truly wonderful Pranayama wi thout so something wrong.
In the morning cla s of the second day much as a tickle. But. as Geeta said,
we were permitted to return to our mats "If I tell you some
to practice what we were shown. As a There was a question and answer ses thing once, you will
note-taker J didn't have the chance to do sion at th end of the last day with the
forget; if I tell you
that work, but the lass definitely fl owed usual valuabl explanations of how to
better and it seemed easier t understand deal wi th health problems through the three times you
what was being shown. There were use of prop and modifications, but may not forget; but
p lenty of interesting and u eful points Geeta also had to field some difficult if I shout you will
about what actions to perform with the and possibly pointed, questions about not forget. " Who
va rious parts of our anatomy but, with a our organisation and some of the issues can argue with
team of note-taker arranged around the con fronting it. She managed this astute that?
edge of the stage, we could relax and ly, with an honesty and go d humour Liz Brown
absorb tbe experience witho ut havi ng to tilat embraced us all under the same pro
worry about missing anything. There tective umbrella of Yoga.
were also lots of good points about how There are still
to teach which I won't elaborate here Finally, more prayers, presentations and cop ies of the
because the note-sharing essions in the thank yo us, and I fel t rather embarrassed Jubilee videos for
afternoon made sure that everybody to be invited onto the stage wi th a few
who attended had a good chance to copy thers and thanked for my small contri sale - see page 34
e erything down. bution on the welco me desk It's hard to for details on how
imagin the months of meticulous plan to order.
Some gntmbles surfaced about these ning and hard work that goes in to O1·<1an
afternoon sessions as mostly all we did i iog a big event like this. On behalf of
was 'it round en rna se and give out all everybody fortunate enougb to attend 1
th p ints we had managed to remember would like to say a real giant sized
r write down from the session with thank-you to the people who did that
G tao I suppose we cou ld have had work, all voluntary and simply for the
m re teaching, but it would have be n a love of Yoga.
hard act to follow for even our best
teachers. Better perhaps to be content Also to Geeta who brought us all togeth
wi th h t we had been given already er not only in one building but in one
and it did mean that evelybody had the spir.it. I hope she comes to visit us
chance to geL every point that was given. agaIn.

Some Reflections on "Spirituality" and Iyengar Yoga Practitioners
Suzanne Hasselle-Newcombe analyses the results of

her Crystal Palace Questionnaire
any readers of Iyengar Yoga News practitioners share the same opInIOns
The gender difference
for the sample was
84.6% women and
M were present at the Jubilee
Convention at Crystal Palace last May
and characteristics as those who com
pleted the questionnaire. Please read the
14.6% men. Age with Geeta Iyengar. At this event, I dis following results as "preliminary"
ranged between 23 tributed questionnaires as part of my description only.
and 76 years, with the research for an MSc Religion in
average age being 47 . Contemporary Society at the London For a majority of dedicated practitioners
The average respon School of Economics. I would like to the practice of yoga goes beyond just
dent attends one yoga sincerely thank everyone who complet the physical level. From the respon
class per week and ed a questionnaire or othelWise helped dents to the questionnaire, 64.4% feel
practises asana at in this project; in particular, I must thank that their yoga practice facilitates an
home for 3-5 hours a a member of the Iyengar Yoga Institute awareness of fee lings and 68.1 %
week; most respon (Maida Vale) who generously provided believe their practice helps them to
dents have been prac financial support for the project. manage feelings. Additionally, many
ticing Iyengar Yoga for Although I asked questions relating to feel that their yoga practice helps com
6 - 10 years and yoga many aspects of the practice of Iyengar bat feelings of stress; 79% feel this is an
generally for 11 - 15 Yoga, my dissertation focused on spiri important reason for continuing to prac
years. It is clear that tuaVreligious elements. I found this a tise. Thus, for at least two-thirds of the
the respondents were fascinating area to research, not the least respondents, the effects of yoga practice
dedicated, experi because there are so many different rea reach the physiological and emotional
enced practitioners - a sons why people practise yoga. I con levels.
particular section of cluded that long-term practitioners often
the great variety of do use their practice of Iyengar Yoga as Through conversations with many prac
people who practise a method for developing "spiritual" self titioners, I have found that there is often
Iyengar Yoga. knowledge. However, the conceptual (though certainly not always!) a nega
framework - the ideas - around the "reli tive association with the word "reli
gious" or "spiritual" remain unique to gion" as representing blind belief in
(jo every individual. dogma and "something dead."
Therefore, in the questionnaire, I asked
Out of the 750 people present at the for the relative importance of something
An amazing number of event, 188 returned completed ques "spiritual" in the practice of yoga.
Iyengar Yoga practi tionnaires - a response rate of 25%. It is Almost half of the practitioners found a
tioners In this sample important to stress that the findings that "spiritual element" an important reason
had university educa follow may not accurately represent the why they continue to practise Iyengar
tions. According to the British Iyengar Yoga community. Yoga (47.3%). Interestingly, approxi
1998 British Social Significantly, the practitioners who mately half of the practitioners (48.4%)
Attitudes survey, less completed the questionnaire were expe also began their practice with an idea of
than 10% of the gener rienced and dedicated: the average "spiritual development." It is likely that
al population have respondent has practised Iyengar Yoga many who practise Iyengar Yoga have a
completed an under between six and ten years, attends yoga personal interest in the "spiritual".
graduate degree. Yet class once a week and practices asana at Long-term practitioners are no more
643% of the sample home for three to five hours a week. likely to have a "spiritual" interest in
yoga practitioners had Therefore Iyengar Yoga is likely to have their practice than beginners. Therefore
completed an under an important place in these practition it appears to be unlikely that the prac
graduate degree and ers' lives. This is a good sample from tice of Iyengar Yoga itself generates an
29.8% had also com which to explore which aspects of interest in yoga as a "spiritual practice."
pleted post-graduate Iyengar Yoga are most important to
academic qualifica experienced practitioners. However, The concept of "spirituality" is very
tions. there is no way of knowing how many vague. Many popular definitions

involve the ideas of "higher meaning" many individuals shared sympathies While 48.9% of the
r "higher alues" to human Life as with several faith systems for instance: respondents had tried
importanl a peets of "spirituality, " This Hindujsm, Catholici. m and Buddh ism, a tradition of yoga
reson t . well with the respondents: or Hinduism and Protestantism. In all, other than Iyengar
Yoga add ' a "sense of meaning to life" 15.4% of the respondents refused to be Yoga, only 5.3% con
[or 84,6% of the respondents . The affi li ted with any single religious faith . tinue to practise any
importance of yoga practice in provid other tradition of
ing a sen e of meaning and purpose to Iyengar Yoga General asana practice. The
Ufe shou ld not be underestimated. Practitioners Popn. most overwhelming
Many people wrote in powerfu l state ofUK* reason why respon
ments on this theme: dents signified that
No religion 31.9% 45 .8% they practised Iyengar
[Yoga} underpins my !(ie, grounds it, Mult iple 15.4% 11/a Yoga was the quality
gives it a meaning and a rooted-ness. Buddhist 12.8% 0.1% of Iyengar Yoga
C ofE 11.2% 29.1% teachers. The reputa
I call it [yoga) my sanity insurance. It Catholi c 8.5% 8.6% tion and depth of BKS
p robclbly could be described as the C of Scotland l. 1% 3.7% Iyengar's understand
bedrock of my existence. Prote. tant ing of yoga were also
(not CoE) 7.4% 10.1 % important considera
Gave me a sense of purpose. Gives a Other 4.3% 0.6% tions.
meaning to being alive; brings a meas Hindu 1.6% 0.4%
ure ofsanity. Jewish 1.1 % 0.4%
Muslim 0.7%
Many respondents contrasted the mean Sikh 0.2%
ing the practice of yoga gave them with Don't Know 0.1%
a sense of meaninglessness to "materi No response 4.8% 0.2%
People begin their
alistic" and "capitalistic" mainstream
practice of yoga for
ociety. Some re pondents wrote: * 1998 British Social Attitudes Survey many different rea
sons: 59.6% began
L~le in the West is so f ast-paced and As 'hown above, the respondents have
their practice of yoga
materialisti '. Yoga can add meaning to significantly different rel igio u affilia
as an alternative form
one's otherwise shallmv, meaningless tions from the general British popula
of exercise. Hopes of
hie. tion. Importantly, the largest segment of
helping a specific
both groups feel affiliated with "no reli
physical condition
[Yoga is an} antidote to current con gion." However this sel ction was not
motivated 26.6% of
sumer values. always as secular as it appeared.
the respondents and
Several respondents wrote in commen ts
24.4% wanted to
It offers an alternaave to our material relating to their choice of "no religion":
address a specific
istic view of life, with physical, mental, "No Religion - but I feel I am interested
emotional or psycho
emotional, and spiritual aspects which in the best of all religions" and another
logical condition.
are sadly missing on the whole fro m our wrote "No religion - but I respect all
Significantly, 58%
culture. religions - I wish th re were just one! "
began yoga , in part,
"No religion" for some meant an affilia
for reasons that could
One of the most interesting characteris tion with secular hmnan i m, or another
be considered "per
tics of the respondents was a tendency secular/phjlosophical -based ethical
sonal development."
towards mixing reUgious inspirations framework . However, most simp ly
An idea of developing
while remaining grounded in a regular ticked "no religion" without further
"spiritually" motivated
practice of Iyengar Yoga. The respon comment.
47.3% of these dedi
de nts were velY unli kely to be practis
cated practitioners .
ing any other "style" of "hatha" yoga; The most significant single religious
Ie . than 5.3% of th respondent are tradition amo ngst the Iyengar yoga
currently practising any other tradition practitioners was B uddhism. Buddhism
of yoga asana alongside Iyengar's was marked by 12.8% of respondents as
teach ing. However, the respond nts their single -eligious affili ation; this
were also very unli kely to feel affiliated compares to less than 1% of the general
with Hindui m - less than 3%. Instead British popUlation. Most Buddhists
Iyengar Yoga ew No.2 22 Winter 2002

found the practice of Iyengar Yoga British Social Attitudes national survey,
The longer the years of completely complementary to their just under 10% of the British population
practice, the more metaphysical beliefs, even though the have university degrees. Amongst the
Important the fitness goal of yoga is (ultimately) to re-unite Iyengar respondents, 64.3% had univer
and flexibility gained by with (an impersonal) God and the goal sity degrees; an additional 29.8% had
practising yoga of Buddhism is to realize the ultimate academic post-graduate qualifications.
become: 85.1% found non-essence of everything, including In particular, many of these respondents
exercise an important conceptions of God. It is interesting that hold post-graduate certificates in teach
reason why they con such apparently opposing belief sys mg.
tinue to practise and tems can be seen to "fit brilliantly" (to
94.6% felt that flexibility use the words of more than one respon Mystical religion also tends to avoid
was an important rea dent). My research suggests that for any type of social organization largely
son why they continue many of the respondents the practice because all beliefs or convictions are
to practise. Many prac that they do - asana, pranayama and for completely up to the individual's con
titioners do find Iyengar 37.2% a form of meditation unrelated to scious. But the practice of Iyengar Yoga
Yoga an important Iyengar Yoga - is of more personal appears to provide a common activity
source of relief from importance than the belief system from for many who are creating personal,
stresses; 79.3% contin which it originates. eclectic systems of meaning in their
ue their practice in part lives. This might be because Iyengar
as a way to manage The responses to this questionnaire sug Yoga provides a specific technique, a
stress. Many long-term gest that Iyengar Yoga, as practised in "technology," of increasing awareness
practitioners (52.7%) Britain, is in line with "mystical reli of self - in mind, breath and body. An
also use their practice gion." A concept of "mystical religion" important role of the BKSIYTA is to
to manage a specific was developed by Ernst Troeltsch at the preserve the integrity of BKS Iyengar's
problem. whether phys beginning of the century. According to "technology" of yoga asana and
ical or mental. Over Troeltsch, mystical religion has its pranayama. However, exactly what
two thirds find the self emphasis on direct, personal religious each practitioner discovers, in the space
discipline of practising experience; there is no authority higher created by the yoga practice, is individ
yoga an important than personal experience. This type of ual. The meaning and language we use
aspect of the continued religion is "mystical" in a very ordinary to describe the personal experience of
practice. That yoga sense - it does not imply any direct rev yoga practice comes from our experi
provides some tools to elations from God or inspirational hal ence in a multi-cultural, largely secular
become increasingly lucinations. Other than a reliance on Britain. In this way each practitioner of
aware of feelings as direct experience, mystical religion Iyengar yoga is participating in a deep,
well as managing feel tends to be highly individualistic and traditional Indian science of self-knowl
ings was also a signifi syncretic - drawing on a variety of edge as well as engaged in creating
cant reason why many inspirations, both secular and religious, something radically new - specific to
continued to practise. in the creation of higher meaning to life each individual and characteristic of
as individuals. this time and place.
It is interesting to note Mystical religion tends to be associated I would be happy to discuss any aspect
that 83.9% of the sam with those aspects of society that have a of my research further with any reader;
ple did believe in a kind high level of education - it has been I can be most easily reached by email at
of God, whether one called the "secret religion of the educat
with which you could ed classes." According to the 1998 shassellenewco m [email protected]
have a personal rela
tionship, an impersonal
spirit or life-force, or
"God" as something
within each person. A
significant number of
the sample, 22.3%
believe in reincarnation .
Half of the sample is not
sure what happens
after death.
Iyengar Yoga News No.2 23

IYENGAR YOGAAND LONDON
Lorna Walker looks back on the first 50 years

his year we are celebrating the However, it was not until 1970 that the
T Si lver Jubilee of the Teachers'
As oc iation. It should also be remem
number of classes really began to grow.
It was agreed behveen Mr. Iyengar and
bered that we are celebrating the Mr. Peter McIntosh, Director of
Golden Jubilee of Mr. Iyengar's first Physical Education for the Inner
contact with the U .K. In March 1952 London Education Authority, that
Mr. Iyengar met Mr. Yehudi Menuhin Iyengar Yoga should be taught in Adult
(later Lord Menuhin) in Bombay. The Education Institutions. Following this,
success of that first meeting led to the in January 1971, Iyengar Yoga Teacher
invitation to Mr. Iyengar to visit Britain. Training classes were started at the
It was not until 1954 that he made bis Co llege of Physical Education,
fi rst trip to Europe to teach Lord Paddington Street. The expansion was
Menuhin, but the beginni ngs of Yoga in rapid.
the U.K. were laid in the trip Mr.
Iy ngar made to Bombay in 1952. Each year until 1976 Mr. Iyengar visit
ed and taught the would-be teachers. He
F rom 1954 until 1960 Mr. Iyengar decided who was and who was not
taught only musicians or other selected ready to teach. Once he had agreed that
students on his trips to Europe. a student was ready, classes were found
However, in 1961 the first open class for them. Such was the demand for
was held in London. Diana CLifton, one teac hers that, I believe, all who quali
of our Advanced Teachers, saw the fi ed were soon found a place to teach.
advertisement, applied, and attended
that first class. She remembers that there With the opening of the Institute in
were three students for it, herself, Pune and the growth in the number of
Angela Marris and Silva Mehta. teachers, Mr. Iyengar set up the system
However, the number of interested stu of Certification and the BKSIYTA.
dents grew rapidly. At the end of the Those, like me, who were already
two-week visit Mr. Iyengar instructed teaching were given certificates. Those
the group to practise together, led by who followed had to take an assess
Diana who had previously practised ment.
from a book. It was not "Light on Yoga",
as that was not published until 1966. We are now celebrating the silver
jubilee of the setting up of the BKSIY
It could be said that the first London TA.
teacher training took place later during
that year. Diana had photographs taken Information jor this article came from
of her doing asanas. She sent these to the .file at the Iyengar Yoga Institute
Mr. Iyengar who returned them with (Maida Vale), 223a. Randolph Avenue,
comments. When Mr. Iyengar returned London, W9 1NL. Early students and
the fo llowing year he agreed some of teachers have written up their memories
the students shou ld teach in pairs. So of their .first classes and the opening of
classes taught by Guruji's students the Institute. We would really like to
here,began. have further information, particularly
about the 1960's classes, the early
In an interview in the early 1970's Mr. teacher training, the outings with
Iyengar stated that he had been training Guruji and thejirst teachers. The aim is
teachers to conduct classes for the to provide a resource for the future. If
London County Council from 1967 and you have memories you would like to
that no teachers were accepted unless he share please send them to me at the
authorised. Institute address (see above).
------------------------------~
--------- 24
THE CASE FOR MODERN YOGA
Joe Bum attended the 7th International DHII R conference in Cambridge in September
2002 as a representative of LOYA(UK) and the BKSIYTA. This is his report.
-----
n Friday th 20th and Saturday the there is a standard paradi gm to estab lish
O 2 1st of September I was privileged
to represent the UK Iyengar Yoga com
the effi cacy of a treatment for a medical
condition. Take for ex ample a drug
mun ity at the 7th international DHHR given for high blood pressure (HBP).
Co nference in Cambridge (DHUR Now to test this drug a western scientist
stan ds for The Dharam H ind uja would take a random sample of say 100
In tinlte ofIndic Research). The confer HBP sufferers and divide the samp le
ence, entitled "Indic Health Conference randoml y in half. One hal f would be
1: The case of modern Yoga", was a part gi en the drug and the other would be
of a w ide ranging research exercise given a placebo. After some time the
called the Indic Health and Medicine patients would record if there was any
Research Programme which attempts to response to the drug. These results
un derstand Eastern approaches to would be analysed and then our sc ien
health in modem times. This conference tists could say either that the drug vvorks
was obviously being taken very serious or it does not. If the drug worked then
ly by its funders and the University of doctors the world over wo uld recom
Cambridge as the opening addresses mend this drug to their pati nts. This is
were delivered by none other than the a gross oversin1piification of what is a
Hinduja brothers and a1 0 Sir A l c complicated process and I have dune it
Broers who is the Vice hancellor of little j ustice but in principle this is what
the university. After these important happens. This is described as an objec
people had delivered their speeches I tive test of the efficacy of the drug.
decided to really pay close attention.
Sp eakers in the conferences higWighted
1 a m delighted to say that having vowed that thi s is not how Yoga therapists
to try and pay attention I soon fOLmd approach their patients or treatments.
that effort wa ' not required as th talks Rather it was made clear time and time
given were all thought provoking and of again that yoga treatment is SUbj ective.
a high quality. The speakers varied That is to say no yoga therapist would
enormously' there were Doctors and assume that one s r ies of po stures
professors of medicine, doctors of phi would be good for all their patients suf
losophy and professors of Indic fering from the same condition. For
research and indeed 'ordinary' fol . The example one series of postures for one
emphasis was on academic research patient with HBP m ight inc lude sup ta
into Yoga - both th e history of its litera virasana, but ano ther HBP patient may
ture and its medical applications - and suffer from chronic arthritis in their
infact there was no Yoga practi sed knees thu s making the pose unbearable;
its elf... a curiosity tha t one speaker the yoga therapist must immediately
cou ld not help mentioning. The organis modify the treatment by changes in the
er of the conference did point out that posture attempted or changing the
during some prev ious conferences Yoga sequ nee. This may not be possible with
postures had been practised and exam the drug for HBP where the patien t
ined. either takes the dmg or does not (there
may be alte :llative drugs). The point is
I do not have e nough space here to sum that aU people if looked at in the holis
ma rise points made in all the talks but I tic sense are different and therefore
will try to highlight one of the m ain the treatment of their ailments needs to be
oretical problems that many speakers personalised. The huge variety of yoga
addressed. It is as foUows: in the west postures and their variations give a yoga
Iyengar Yoga News No .2 25 Winter 2002

therapist a muc h bigger palette from the objective sense of the word, they
\'hich to ' on truct a treatment. Drug can never be measured or found and
lreatrn nl do not gi ' t: this flexibility. attempts to do so are futile. What we
need is an understanding that these were
h is [his ve fle xibility of treatment a metaphysical model created to explain
that - olZa
'-
ffers that is also its Achilles a sUbjective and repeatable experience.
he I in the es of the western scientist.
W t m 5 ience requires that the thing If we want to make yoga a mainstream
being tested -a drug, a sequence of pos treatment accepted by the establishment
tures - remains constant throughout the then we must understand the problems
test, if yogis are always changing and that this conference was trying to face
adapting their postures etc. so as to suit up to and as such I recommend its work
th e needs of the particular patient then to you and would encourage its contin
yoga is untestable and as a result will ued support.
never be accepted. This is a problem
that we need to solve. Finally it was really great to meet a lot
of people from other Yoga traditions,
Spirituality is subjective and is at the the British Wheel of Yoga, Ashtanga
core of Yoga but it cannot be measured, Yoga, Vini Yoga, Dru Yoga and many
there is no empirical evidence for it. As more. It was encouraging and not
such none of the talks were about spiri suprising that these persons were dedi
tuality as all speakers presented evi cated to increasing the health of their
dence for whatever they were talking members - both physical and spiritual
about, with the exception of Prof. through Yoga. With this and a recent
Arjunwadkar and Frederick Leboyer. article published in September in the
However all speakers were very keen to Guardian in mind I should point out
establish that they knew that Yoga was though that many persons were keen to
spiritual (many were Yoga practition see Yoga monitored by a government
ers) but that the disciplines of their sub body so that the current trend of 'rogue'
ject require that they stick to the justifi teachers might be stopped from teach
cation of hypotheses by evidence. This ing postures unsuited to their class
did make an impression on me as I members. This is something that was
thought that the conference would be a mentioned by Lady Diana Dunrossil,
very dry affair - it was not - and it was from the Prince of Wales's Foundation
really up]ifting to see many persons for Integrated Health, and we the
dedicated to understanding yoga and Iyengar Yoga community must engage
dedicated to grapple with the problems with the problem, the government and
that the objective/subjective approaches the governing body for Yoga on the
make. Another illustration of this was Sports Council - the British Wheel of
made with regard to the nadis, chakras Yoga - as soon as possible (see article
and the kundalini. These do not exist in on page 44 of this magazine).
BKSIYTA and LOYA(UK) annual conventions

At the time of going to press, application forms for these conventions were not
ready to publish.
The teachers' convention is schedu lled to take place on the 13th/14th/15th June
2003 in Manchester, with Jawahar Bangera as the visiting teacher. The general
convention wil li be hosted by the Bradford and District Institute and will take place
on the weekend of 30th/31 st August (venue/teacher to be confirmed). Hopefully,
we will be able to send out application forms as inserts in this magazine, but if
not, you can mark these dates in your diary now and you will receive full details
and application forms in due course,
I engar Yoga News No.2 26 Winter 2002

Events Listings your guide to lye
Avon Iyengar Yoga Institute

Contact: Bob Phillips ([email protected])
$0 Yoga day with Pen Reed - 7th June
Discounts for all LOYA members
Bradford & District Iyengar Yoga Institute

Contact: A/an Brown (01535 637359; a/an@diana/an.p/us.com)
$0 Yoga day with Lilian Biggs and Alan Brown - 18th Jan.
$0 Teachers' workshop morning - 7th June
Cambridge Iyengar Yoga Institute

Contact: Sasha Perryman (01223 523265; [email protected])
$0 Class and talk by Janet Tournier, followed by CIYI AGM - Sat. 16th Nov.
$oYoga day with Penny Chaplin - 18th Jan.
$oYoga day with Judi Sweeting - 17th May
$0 Yoga day with Jayne Orton - 15th Nov.
+- INSTITU T E - +
Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex

Contact: John Robinson (01243 551005)
$oNothing planned yet - please contact John for information about future events
Liverpool & District Iyengar Yoga Institute

Contact: Judi Soffa (0151 7094923; mai/@yogastudio.f9.co.uk)
$0 Yoga day with Judi Soffa and June Roberts (after their trip to Pune in December)
- Sun. 23rd Feb.
$0 Yoga day with Cathy Rogers - Sun. 30th March
$0 Yoga day with Richard Agar Ward - 18th May
£20 members, £25 non-members - discounts for all LOYA members

~--~--=-------------------------------------------------
~ ar Yoga Institutes aroundl the country
North East London Iyengar Yoga Institute

Contact: Tess Whitelee (020 847 7311; tess. [email protected])
Sunday workshops at the Harringay Club N8:
SvJoe Bum - 24th Nov.; 1-4 pm
Sv Sylvia Prescott - 26th Jan.; 10 am - 4 pm
Sv Sue Lovell - 23rd Feb.; 10 am - 1 pm
SvBrigid Philip - 30th Mar.; 10 am - 1 pm(followed by AGM)
Sv Cathy Stanton - 11 th May; 1-4 pm
Sv Richard Agar Ward - 29th June; 10 am - 4 pm
Oxford and Region Iyengar Yoga Institute

Contact: Phil Brown (0163535465)
SvYoga day with Margaret Austin - Sat. 25th Jan. - High Wycombe
Sheffield and District Iyengar Yoga Institute

Contact: Bev Fox (0114 2556340)
SvYoga class with Frances Homewood (fresh from Pune) - 18th January
SvYoga class with Richard Agar Ward - 5th April
SvYoga class with Jayne Orton - 21st June
All classes held at St Mary's Community Centre. Tickets are £ 15 for SADIYI and
other LOYA members, £20 for non-members.
, South West lyenQlar Yoga Institute

Contact: Alison Trewhela (01872 865675;
[email protected])
SvYoga day with Richard Agar Ward - 25th Jan.
listings on these pages are free for Institutes that are affiliated to the Light on Yoga Association
(UK) ; there is a small charge for non-affiliated Institutes. All Institutes on these pages are non
profit-making and are wholly dedicated to teaching Yoga using the Iyengar method.

POINTS OF VIEW
In each issue of IYN, the Editors propose to raise a question for discussion and to invite a num
ber of people to respond. These questions may raise issues that are controversial, and elicit
responses that some readers strongly disagree with. However, we must remember that whatev
er the differences between Iyengar Yoga practitioners in the UK, there is much, much more that
unites us than separates us. The editors of IYN would like to make it clear that the views
expressed below are those of the individual contributors. Readers are more than welcome to
write in to IYN with their own views . For this issue of IYN, we have asked 4 people to respond
to the following question:
What is the relationship between Iyengar Yoga Practitioners and the Guru?
Dominic Batten: dantly clear in Mr Iyengar's writings; by his ceaseless
practice, he is bringing to light the teachings of
In being asked for a response to the question of what is Patanjali.
the relationship between Iyengar Yoga practitioners
and the Guru, I have to make it clear that any answer What I experience over time is that those who are atten
can only be a personal one. I cannot speak on behalf of tive and devoted to Mr Iyengar's teaching can best help
other practitioners, have not read widely or thought me learn. I am grateful to those who have gone further
deeply about this question, but fmd it intriguing. along their journey of Yoga than I have, and am aware
that no-one today has gone further along the road of
In his article on the guru a couple of issues back, exploring yoga than Mr Iyengar. In our asana practice,
Richard Agar Ward refelTed to the excellent section in we ask our bodies many questions, and can expelience
Mr Iyengar's recent Path to Holistic Health book, - through our bodies - that the answers given by Mr
explaining that a guru leads you from darkness to light. Iyengar in his teaching are the right ones. And so I
I cannot think of a better description of a teacher, any sense that I am creeping towards a greater sense of
teacher. We all have people who by their qualities, good accepting that guru is appropriate as a term for the per
example or wisdom have helped us to become more son guiding, through others, how I practice.
fully alive; maybe a parent or relative, a schoolteacher
or a writer who has inspired us. Our lives would be It is right to question whether those we follow are fit to
darker without them; they have helped us to see. lead. Trust can be abused; so how do we judge? We test
the teaching with our bodies and we note the effects,
Light, or enlightenment, are words that trigger caution we consider the lifestyle of the leader - does he live
in us. We can probably think of examples of false, simply? Is there congruence between the words and the
exploitative gurus and give good reasons for suspicion. actions? Is there any sexual or financial exploitation? Is
I would like to counter this with a thought from a writer there a cult of secrecy and separation from people? Am
I have found greatly inspirational, the French mystic I required to compromise any values and beliefs? As
and philosopher Simone Weil, who commented that 'all we explore these questions, the answers can lead us to
that is mediocre in us hates what is light'. If someone is a sense of trust and truthfulness, and maybe we will
deemed to be on a pedestal, what is the origin of the lose our sense of inhibition about using the telm guru.
impulse to pull them down, or to join them (or maybe
replace them)? Tessa Martin:
Simone Weil also proposed that hierarchy is one of the I have been practising Iyengar Yoga for roughly 10
needs of the soul. Certainly, the Iyengar community is years and passed my Introductory Certificate in
hierarchical. We learn from our teachers who learn October 1999, and have been teaching since then. I
from Mr Iyengar. I cannot truthfully claim that Mr was born and raised in England and had a traditional
Iyengar is my guru, because frequency of contact Western upbringing, my parents were not religious at
seems to me to be part of the guruldisciple relationship all and I would go as far as to say were agnostic in their
and I have only been once to Pune. I realised during beliefs. I think this is relevant to the question put
this visit that yoga comes through rather than from Mr before me, I am going to endeavour to answer this
Iyengar. This is a further reason for trust in the teach question from a very personal point of view and I hope
ing: it is part of a classical tradition, as is made abun that my opinions do not offend anyone.
I have never had the opporhmity to visit India or be older he has obviously touched upon layers ofhis being
taught personally by Mr. Iyengar and with my person that we can only imagine. He has tried to describe
al situation now (single-parent et .) it is going to be these to us and bearing in mind that he is a Brahmin and
many many years before I will be able to do so. As I a deeply religious man obviously his religious beliefs
understand it Iyengar Yoga came to the West flfstly are reflected in his writings. Why can we not accept
through Mr. Iyengar teaching a small group of people this and respect him for his huge personal achieve
mo t of whom are now very senior teachers. This ments without feeling that somehow we are being
group had a very personal relationship with Mr. coerced into following exactly the same spiritual path?
Iyengar and they d ve\oped a high admiration for his Used intelligently as a tool the 8 limbs of yoga work
qualiti and consequently develop d great affection whatever culhlre, background, religion or non-religion
for him recognizing his integrity and finding him a we aspire to. This is what he has always said and this
truly inspiring teacher. It has be n the job of these seo is the way I try and work with them.
ior teachers to impart to us his unique method of teach
ing yoga and in so doing they have also im parted their It is a very personal matter; if people choose to view
huge enthusia m affection and re peet for him. If they Mr. Iyengar as their guru in the traditional Eastern
did not do this I do not believe Iyengar Yoga would sense then what's the problem with that? I choose to
have been as successful and widespread as it is. He view him as a guru in the sense of a phenomenal
in pires enormous motivation, which is the thrust of the teacher whose knowledge and advice is passed down to
spread of Iyengar Yoga. I also recognize this in the me through the teachers I go to and if those teachers
many t achers who are able to go to India regularly and wish to chant the invocation or other prayers prior to or
impart to us his pearls of wisdom. after the fonnal yoga practice session I have no prob
lem respecting this.
In India, within an Eastern culture and tradition totally
differ nt from ours, M r. Iyengar is also re ognized for IfIyengar Yoga is being seen as a cult following I think
his achievements and success throughout the world and this attitude must be coming from people who perhaps
it is a natural tendency on the pat1 of Indians to view have not made the effort to try and understand Mr.
hi m in their traditional sense as a guru with all the spir Iyengar's teachings and his culhLre fully or perhaps
itual and moral authority that that implies to them. This have not the confidence to follow their own path with
way oflooki ng upon Mr. lyeng,rr bas also naturally to in the framework of the 8 limbs of yoga. Far worse
some extent crossed over into the West, and it is this things I am sure have been fired at Iyengar and his
way of looking at him that I believe does not sit com methods but the man himself continuously rises above
fortably with all Westerners. such nonsense, and the Iyengar movement too, I am
sure, will not be phased by this small-mindedness.
To the best of my knowledge Mr. Iyengar himself has
never made any claims other than to say that if one Roger Ash Wheeler:
practises his method of yoga obediently, earnestly, seri
ously and is always willing to leam, regardless of one's After I was invited to make a contribution to the theme
culh lre, background, r....!igion or no religion, the prac of the relationship between Iyengar Yoga practitioners
tice will be of immense value to the practitioner and and the guru, I reviewed the questionnaires for both my
will bring only benefit and evolution. This has been In troductory Assessment and Certificate, and found
my experience ofTy ngar Yoga, I believe I am a com that the prerequisites or requirements of the BKSIYTA
pletely changed per on due to this practice. I came for a prospective teacher of Iyengar Yoga did not
having no interest in matters spirihlaJ whatsoever and involve entering a relationship with a guru, or spiritu
now I have an enormous interest in such and yoga has al master. Aside from the practical aspect of perform
lead me to find my own spiritual path. However, I do ing and teaching the poshLres to a particular standard,
not view Mr. Iyengar as my personal spiritual guru nor the only other written questions asked of me were
do I feel the need to view bim as such. I do though, rather mundane, such as: the date I started practising
bave enonn ous respect and loya lty [or him . I have Yoga, how often I practised, what my favourite poshlre
never ti lt that Iyengar Yoga i asking anyone to have is, my medical history, and various questions related to
blind faith, the experience of benefi t and personal evo the teaching of certain poshLres. There was no mention
lution can, and does, only come through persistent of an initiation to take, no talk of joining a religious or
practi e and personal reflection. spiritual organisation, and no accepting of certain rites
and rihtals upon becoming a certified Iyengar Yoga
Through his many books, papers, articles etc. Mr. teacher. Nor did I have the intention to join a spiritual
Iyengar has always been totally honest about his own organisation when I considered Mr. Iyengar's system of
practice. As his practice has deepened and he has got Yoga. I believed - and still do - that I was practising a

--------------------------------
well thought-out and meticulous method of Yoga that "Iyengar Yoga" is in reality a method to reveal chiefly
Me Iyengar spent years of his life perfecting. the practical aspects of Patanjali's system as laid out in
However, I did not feel I was entering a guru-disciple the Yoga Sutras. Prashant reminds us that his father was
relationship with Mr. Iyengar, and that was never asked not taught as we are being taught and that he worked
or expected of me. "To spread the teachings of for his knowledge single-handedly and unremittingly,
Yogacharya BKS Iyengar and maintain the teaching notwithstanding the vital contribution made by B.K.S.
standards set by him" (a phrase from the BKSIYTA Iyengar's own Guruji, Professor T. Krishnamacharya.
teacher's handbook) is not the same as engaging in a "His Guru was a guiding force from within. His Guru
special relationship with a spiritual master. One is sim was his intelligence, his mind. His Guru was every
ply being asked to teach a paIticular style of Yoga. thing in him." He also says that "no one is without a
Guru" and the implication is that we may be able to
Yet what I have been reading over the past year has reach, to hear and to be graced by this Guru within.
both concerned and confused me, since the memos and What a personal Guru may be able to do, with the ded
messages coming form the BKSIYTA have implied icated participation ofthe sishya or aspirant, is to bring
that if! am a loyal discipl ofGuruj i, I should not ques the aspirant into contact with this Guru within. In this
tion th imposition of the much debated Certification way, the flower ofthe teaching ofB.K.S. Iyengar for an
Mark* . By becoming a certi ficated teacher, does that Iyengar Yoga practitioner is when the gates of the soul
mean I have joined a spiritual - in this case autocratic are opened to shine in the practitioner.
organisation, where there is no place or vehicle for
debating for what and where the requested £35 annual What does it mean to call oneself an Iyengar Yoga
fee is heading? I even have no idea how my annual £35 practitioner? Some would point out that there is only
subscription to the Teachers' Association is being used. one such: Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar himself. He is
the pinnacle of the method but the rest of us "Iyengar
In Alan Brown 's article "What Kind of Organisation Yoga practitioners" have a common denominator in
Are We ?" (published in the section that was sent to that we are followers and fellow pupils of his method.
teachers with Iyengar Yoga News Issue 1 - April 2002) When we join an Iyengar Yoga class we may have a
he states "(BKSIYTA) now holds open elections and teacher who is not B.K.S. Iyengar himself but we are
you are part of a truly democratic organisation". Mr all his pupils as we are following his method. As pupils
Iyengar is the unelected Honorary President of both we are all aspirants (sishyas) in his method. For those
LOYA and the Teachers' Association. Does that give of us who are teachers of his method can we say that
him the legal right to do what he wishes with an annu the people who attend our classes are our pupils or our
al income of about £30000 from UK teachers alone? aspirants or are they his? Of course they are his. If we
Yes, it probably does. are teaching what he taught then they are his pupils, his
sishyas and not ours.
Yet I still feel uneasy belonging to an organisation
whose President need not be accountable for his In so far as we choose his method of Yoga and not oth
actions, and where there is a lack of transparency in the ers then he is our Guru from that level onwards; he is
organisation's presentation to its members and society. our guide to help us move from ignorance to spiritual
We need to clarify the realtionship betweeen knowledge. Guruji accepts us as his pupils when we
student/disciple and President/Guru. take up his method although in most cases he does not
know us beforehand and accepts us on trust through his
*Note: the Certijicatiol1 1V1ark applies only to Iyengar pupils who teach. The depth of understanding of this
teachers and not to non-teaching pracititioners relationship wiH vary from sishya to sishya, from pupil
to pupil, but Gumji does not vary in his understanding
R ichard Agar Ward: and adherence to principles at al1. He has to be like the
Guru within to us.
The question speaks of "Guru" a little ambiguou ly. In
"Yoga and the New Millennium" Prashant Iyengar Knowing that we vary as pupils, for how many of us is
reminds us that we may have the Guru who is a person it the most important question to as k oUI elves whether
who teaches us, guides and inspires us (personal guru).we are suitable and fit pupils or genuine aspirants? It
There is also our Guru within. comes much more easily to us to question and to doubt
others, even our fellow pupils, than it is to question our
Having reminded us of his father's enormous lifelong selves. Patanjali's recommendation of tapas, svad
contribution to Yoga, Prashant says that the system of hyaya and isvara pranidhana is the key without which
Yoga known as Iyengar Yoga is not really an individual we cannot unlock the door to the inner discovery for
or a separate system from that described by Patanjali. which God has provided a guide.

-----------------------
Statement on the Certification Mark - Elaine Pidgeon (Chair of BKSIYTA)
Guruji has decided that he would like to donate 40% of the income from
Certitication Mark fees to the Iyengar Associations worldwide.
He has written saying "40% of the collection after deducting all expenses would be
lefl for the Associations for the development of Yoga in their areas".
Each Association will be given a period of time to discuss ways to use the money.
Then we will send our ideas to Guruji for his approval.
So the committee of the BKSIYTA would like to hear from you with ideas about
how we can best use the money in the UK.
Astadala Yogama~a Fund Appeal Report - Brigid Philip
The Astadala Yogamala Fund (J J Evans) appeal was at the Crystal Palace Convention made £195.34, and
launched in December 200 I, but the news about it was three institutes subsequently made donations totalling
only more widely broadcast in Issue 1 oflyengar Yoga £600 (UYS, ORlYI, and IYIMV). Eleven individuals
News (Spring 2002), at the Crystal Palace Convention also sent very generous cheques, including, as a result
in May, and then on the www.iyengar-yoga.com web of the appeal letter which Stephanie Quirk hands out in
site. I promised to report on progress to you all. Pune, a surprising (and large) cheque, which alTived
out of the ether from Oita City, Japan. As we now seem
You may recall that the appeal has two objectives: to have sufficient funds for current needs, we propose
- to create a much wider interest in and knowledge of to close (temporarily?) the fund at the end of the year
Astadala Yogamala - Gumji's collected works, (anyway until more funds are needed). So if there are
which are intended to mn to 13 volumes when com any more cheques in prospect please send them ASAP,
plete, with two already available; made out to Astadala Yogamala (J J Evans) Fund, to
- to create a fund to enable John Evans to assist with Brigid Philip, 59 Northchurch Road, London Nl 4EE,
the next eleven volumes. and anyway before the end of the year, when I move
house.
The fIrst objective is well on the way to being achieved
in the UK at least! At the Crystal Palace Convention all John is grateful for the interest shown. He has fInished
the available volumes 1 and 2 sold out, and there was a his editing contribution to the text ofAY volume 3 and
long list of orders. The Iyengar Yoga Institute (Maida sent it on to Patxi Lizardi. It is due out this autumn, he
Vale) also offered the volumes at cost price during the thinks, and reports that it includes terrific material on
week of its fundraising event (workshop), which Ayurvedic topics. He remains very keen that we read
proved popular. If you have not got your copies hurry and digest Gwuji's collected works. He thinks that
to your nonnal stockist! They are suitable for all levels teachers, particularly, need to familiarise themselves
of student, and many chapters are only a page or two in with yoga philosophy in such a way that they are able
length, often with pictures. I recommend my students actively to articulate it in their teaching and practice,
to pace themselves and read a chapter a week, as the rather than have just a passive understanding.
words are few but the ideas are profound and difficult
for us to absorb and actually to incorporate into our Needless to say Gumji and Geeta are both encouraging,
lives and practice (which is the point after all!). and delighted with our efforts. Stephanie keeps them in
the picture.
We are all delighted with the fundraising efforts. So far
we have collected just over £ 1600. The collection box Thank you all for your interest and support.

FROM A REMOTE POI NT
Brian Jack reports on the visit of Rajiv Chanchani to Birmingham, August 2002
_iii.Paw~"'1
1 Those of us who attended the Teachers' think of the concept of centripetal force
Convention in Crystal Palace a couple going inward, rather than centJifugal force
of years ago will remember the teaching of going outward. I remembered PrashaIlt
Rajiv and Swati C11anchani with affection saying the same thing when he urged a
and admiration. The husband and wife class in Pune to "work in, don't work out".
team worked together to shar their knowl In the asana class Raj iv explained the con
edge of the practice and philosophy of cepts and details of key introductory
Iyengar Yoga and related it to Indian tradi asanas using people having different body
tion. We were fortunate to persuade Rajiv types. He emphasised that different types
to return to the UK last August to teach us of bodies need different points of correc
again in smaller groups. He began his tour tion. At one point he used the example of
with a weekend at Yogawest in BristoL He standing on a battlement at Warwick
followed that with a weekend in Castle the previous day, see photo. From
Birmingham and finally a weekend in the battlement he could view activity in
Manchester. This note is a brief recollec the distance, he urged us to eXaInine our
tion of the weekend in Birmingham. It is selves in asanas as ifwe are looking at our
not a summaIY of details of asanas but is selves from a remote point.
about Raj iv's visit in general.
Raji v stmted the intensive day with a dis
After teaching at Bristol, Rajiv spent a cussion of Ayurveda and its relationship to
couple of days in Bath visiting the city. body type and our practice. He then
Steve Lamont picked him up in Bath and moved to a more iDten ive study of
spent a day in th Cotswolds on the way to asanas, again using different body types to
Birmingham. In Birmingham Rajiv explain details. Again the theme was
stayed with his uncle and aunt, two local working inwards. The class was asked to
doctors. He did his daily practice in Jayne comment on a student in Adho Mukka
Orton's new Iyengar Centre of Svanasana. Several comments were
Birmingham. We soon discovered that made about legs arms etc. Rajiv told us
Rajiv has a strong interest in architectu re we only look at the outside shape of the
and communiti e , so Steve and others took posture, never at the inner posture. He
him to visit places of interest. Raj iv instructed us to look at the calm breathing,
enjoyed visits to shops in Binningham run the passive face.
by the local Asian communities and made
perceptive comments on the way the The class ended with an extended practice
British and Asian cultures were interacting of supported Janu Sirsanana. Rajiv
and influencing each other. Steve and instructed us to maintain support of the
Jayne took Rajiv to Warwick Castle and I head and close our eyes. We were asked to
was pleased to welcome him to my home change sides with our eyes closed. It
in Stratford upon Avon. We enjoyed seemed we were in the asana for an eter
Rajiv's company immensely. His interests nity. For many of u , that was an experi
and comments were stimulating. ence to cherish.
Over the weekend Rajiv taught a general Needless to say Rajiv has been invited
day in a local sports hall and an intensive back again to Birmingham. A week-long
for the Iyengar Institute of Birmingham. course was suggested. DUling the visit
On both days he explained that he was not Rajiv showed us photographs of his new
going to teach advanced asanas, but his Yoga Centre near Dehra Dhun at the
intention was to help us to work deeper in foothills of the Himalayas. It is a lovely
our practice. He began the general day building in a lovely area, near to the home
with an explanation of the philosophical of the Tibetan Buddhist Community.
background to Iyen gar Yoga. Ofcourse he
spoke of Patanjali and the Sutras, and of A spin-off from Raj iv's visit is that his aunt
Advaita and Samkya, leading to a discus gave Steve a lesson in Indian cookely.
sion of Prakrti and Purusa and their rela Steve is now acknowledged to be a good
tionship to our Yoga. He encouraged us to cook, Indian style.
YOGA RAHASYA
Yoga Rahasya is a quartenly journal on Iyengar Yoga and related

subjects; often featuring articles by the Iyengars and other senior
teachers.
In order to subscr'ibe for a year, please send a request, along
with your name and address and a cheque for £14
(made out to BKSIYTA) to:
Ros Bell, 19 Briston Grove, London, N8 9EX.
Four issues of Yoga Rahasya magazine will then be posted to you

direct from India, at approximately quarterly intervals. There is
often a delay between your payment being made and your first
issue arriving. This may be because it takes time to arrange pay
ment to India, because copies are posted from India and are some
times delayed, and because there is occasionally a gap of more
than three months between issues. If you need a receipt for your
payment, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
IYENGAR BOOKS FOR SALE
The Art of Yoga £10.50 Light On Yoga £12.00

Tree of Yoga £10.25 Yoga Pushpanjali £10.50
Yoga Rahasya (2 vols.) £10.00 Yogadhara £12.00
To order any of these books, please make cheque payable to "LOYA(UK)" and send to Jane Comah,
12 Kirby Park, Wirral CH48 2HA, or e-mail [email protected].
Astadala Yogamala vol. l £10.00 Astadala Yogamala vol. 2 £10.50

A Matter of Health (by Dr Krishna Raman) £25.00 Yoga Rahasya (2 vols.) £10.00
Preliminary Course £7.50 Yoga: A Gem for Women £10.00
Path to Holistic Health £20.00 (this book costs £25 in the shops)
Currently on order from India: Astadala Yogmala vol. 3 and Geeta's new teaching manual (see p. 45)
To order any of these books, please make cheques payable to "BKSIYTA" and send to Patsy Sparksman,
33 Ashboum Avenue, London NW11 ODT (tel. 020 8455 6366)
Iyengar Yoga Jubilee videos: Teachers' Event + Question & Answer session (4 tapes) £40
General Event + Question & Answer session (4 tapes) £40
Full set (7 tapes) £72
The Jubilee videos are available from Jane or Patsy - make cheques payable to "Iyengar Yoga Jubilee"
All prices include postage and packing in the UK. Please cntact Jane or Patsy for postage to other
countires. Print name, address, phone number and e-mail address (if available) clearly with your order.
Iyengar Yoga News No .2 34 Winter 2002

L T y GA
ala and ro s (from £9.00, S I't'pes)
Mat b gs ( om £8.00, 3 sizes)
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YOGA HOLIDAYS
Eating Fox - a breakthrough Every Easter & Summer
to India is a book written and at Penpont, Brecon , South Wales
illustrated by Janet Downs with Sasha Perryman
Tourniere about her rem ark
able personal j ourney to
India to study yoga with
Yogacharya BKS Iyengar..
"In Eating Fox, three strands are woven in
and out of each other: India in all its chaotic
splendour, the yoga with Iyengar and
the personal journey. 7J
(review in Iyengar Yoga News, Spring 2002)
12th - 18th April, 2003

Copies can be obtained from:
16th - 22nd August, 2003
Ros Morpeth , 3 The Old School,
£355 inclusive
Norfolk Street, Cambridge CB 1 2LE
for furth er information please send SAE to:
Sasha Perryman
Send details of your name, address (incl ud
Cambridge Iyengar Yoga Centre
ing postcode) and tele phone number, includ
59 Norfolk Terrace, Cambridge CB 1 2NG
ing a delivery address if different. Cheques
Tel: 012235 15929
payable to R L Morpeth for £15.00 (incl uding
sashaperryman@yahoo .co.uk
p & P in UK) or £17.50 (includi ng p & P out-
Iyengar Yoga News N·o.

:.. .:.:;,.:..=_
2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _~
3 5
:...-_ _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ __
Winter
_ _ _200_
_ _ 2_
LOYA 2002 - THE YEAR OF THE BUTTOCK
Dominic Batten reviews the LOYA 2002/BKSIYTA Convention, held in Sheffield

Probably most readers of this magazine w ill be aware
of the way Yoga can brin g a creeping transformation to
unexpected areas of our lives. r imagin e it is not often
that a crowd of people is invited, without ribaldry or
embarrassment, to contemplate a person's buttocks on
a stage (for those who were not th re, l should mention
that the area in question was covered). This was one of
many memorable moments in the Sheffield conven
tion. While one soon gets used to groin and buttock talk
in Iyengar yoga it was sti ll a surprise when Corine
Biria identifi ed back pain on the basis of the shape of a
buttock. No-one who attended Corine's sessions will
forget her distinction between football buttocks and convention (a ller account IS grven
rugby ball butt cks, and many will have been experi separately). Two observations to be made about Corine
encing how the attention we give this part can signifi are that - tme to the Iyengar style - she notices every
cantly change the quality of our asana practice. thing; and that in her presence and poise can be seen the
fruits of many years' practice. Her devotion to the
One always learns something new at a convention, and Iyengar method has been nourished through years of
it can be hard to work out why. We are rarely present nmning the Paris Iyengar Yoga Centre with her hus
ed w ith new or radical teaching, and many of the points band Faeq Bilia as well as annual visits to Pune, with
Corine emphasised were those that Geeta had present the additional benefit this year of participation in
ed in Crystal Palace (such as the spreading from the England and France in Geeta's visit to Europe. It is an
inner to the outer in the backs of the legs). And yet inspiration to all students to see how someone can
some teachers are able to comrmmicate an added come to embody the benefits of Yoga, not just in terms
degree of penetration in their teaching so we can expe of physique but also in a manner of presentation which
rience a sense of newness in how we perform an asana. includes humour, compassion and modesty.
F or me, spreading from the inner to the outer buttock in
Virabhadrasana J made it a new pose, which found an The years of LOYA conventions have allowed a partic
echo in the softening of the lower back when moving ular ethos to accumulate which encompasses compas
the outer groin away in Supta padangusthasana J. I'm sion and friendliness . As well as what the teacher can
sure everyone who attended LOYA 2002 in Sheffield bring to the convention, there is something that LOYA
will have experienced moments of revelation; certain has generated, a spirit which has come about through
ly one could tell by the look on people's faces that it practice and time. The spirit of LOYA seems to be a
was a good convention. constant, so that although conventions are organised in
a different place each year by different people, the flow
Noticing how a student's face looks during asanas was of energy from year to year seems to be unbroken.
one of the points emphasised in the pregnancy work Some of this stems quite simply from the practice of
shop for teachers . ted Corine prior to the full Yoga and the inspiration transmitted from the Iyengar
family.
Part of the ethos of the conventions is that they are open

to all practitioners. Some cifthose attending in Sheffield
had only a few months' experience of yoga. Long class
es are pretty demanding (I remember feeling shattered
after Faeq's visit to Sheffield in 1995 !), and mega
classes do not suit everyone. Having a pool of experi
enced teachers able to bring their particular gifts and
interests meant that a timetable could be planned which
could offer something for everyone, and the feedback
given from these smaller sessions confIrms that they

were much enjoyed. Planning to make a range of class buttocks, and it would be llilfair not to recall the excel
es available also meant that Corine was able to pitch lent food, friendly welcoming staff and bright sunshine
her teaching at a level suitable for more experienced - we knew Sheffield would do LOYA proud. There
practitioners. were times when planning the convention felt a bit
fraught, but all along we could be sure that the yoga
The coming-together of a large group of people to itself would generate a good spirit. Now we can feel
deepen their practice of yoga in itself creates a sense of oonfident that this good spirit will be carried forward to
celebration (a sense which was enhanced by being able the new organisation being formed to safeguard and
to make further use of the beautiful banners made for maintain Iyengar yoga in this country. We should also
Geeta's visit). Extending this celebration to include an acknowledge our gratitude to the person whose teach
opportunity to appreciate some other aspect of Indian ings and personal qualities have provided so much
culture has always been an enjoyable aspect of LOYA good health and inspiration throughout the world; in
conventions. We were lucky this year to have cultural our celebrations, we honour Mr Iyengar.
offerings on both evenings, with some gorgeously mel
low Indian classical violin playing - of interest as this
was Prashant's instmment - by a local musician,
Kamalbir Singh (who suffers from back pain; we rec
ommended he try yoga). Oi Bayliss presented another
of her mesmerising unfoldings of Indian story-telling
and puppetry on Saturday. I like to think that these
entertainments have an echo of the cultural festival that
formed part of the celebrations of Guruji's 80th birth
day.
So, overall, there was plenty to remember other than
PREGNANCY WORKSHOP
This workshop was held on the day before the main LOYA 2002 Convention
started , and was for Iyengar teachers only - Dominic Batten reports
When planning this workshop we expected about 40 there are three trimesters, and then there are beginner,
applications. The fact that twice that number came intermediate and more advanced students, so there is a
showed the hunger for more information and guidance wide variation in how the poses can be given.
on this topic. Corine's teaching is informed by her own
experience of pregnancy, her close and regular links to Particular cautions Corine suggested were:
Pune and the time given to the subject of pregnancy as
part of the teacher training presented in Paris. Those with fewer than six months experience should
avoid yoga in pregnancy
First, a word of warning. These notes are by no means Those with a history of recurrent miscarriage should
a comprehensive guide. It was noticeable on the day not practise in pregnancy
that Corine would describe, demonstrate (with particu Abdominal poses (eg leg raises) should be avoided
lar help from the one delegate who was pregnant) and Twists (except Bharadvajasana) should be avoided
then ask us to practise, yet many of us showed we had A fuU sequence of standing poses is too demanding,
not attended to her teaching. The written word is a very and if there is anxiety about the pregnancy, standing
poor representation of the actual teaching, which poses are best avoided.
always needs to be experienced and then consolidated.
The workshop was well attended so consultation with The importance of rest was emphasised; the compul
a teacher who was present is recommended before put sion to work, even when the work is not physically
ting these notes into practice! strenuous, is not helpfu~ in pregnancy. Rest is especial
ly important for the first trimester. Once past this, a
A four hour workshop only allows for half of the teach practice should start with 30-45 minutes of resting
ing Corine would normally present on the topic. As she poses.
pointed out in her introductory remarks, in pregnancy

The sequence suggested as being suitable during preg to the lwnbar (it is especially important that there should
nancy IS: be no pain in the back; back pain produces stress in the
Savasana on bolsters or Simhasana box, 5-10 minutes abdomen). A wonderful sense of release irI the legs can
Resting on cross bolsters, feet raised, 5 minutes be produced by rollirIg two mats together into a tight
Supta Virasana (ifknees and lower back OK) sausage which is then placed between the legs, which are
loga Mudrasana in Virasono bound together by belts firmly placed around the mid
Viparita Dandasana on bench or chair with feet thigh area and top of shirIbone. Rolled blankets can be
raised, 3-5 minutes placed to the side of the hamstrings to allow further soft
Adho Mukha Svanasana, feet wide, 1-3 minutes, or up ening in the buttocks. (n.b. after havirIg the legs bound,
to 5 minutes if supported by ropes. they should be bent after coming out of the pose).
Janu Sirsasana, head up with support from a chair,l
minute, x 2/3 Areas to observe, apart from the face, are the groirIs - if
Paschimottanasana, supported by a chair, 1-2 min the lower abdomen is thought ofas a funnel, there should
utes be a sense of upward rather than downward movement;
Upavista Konasana, supported by a chair, 1 minute to the diaphragm, which should be lifted producing a sense
each side, plus 3 minutes to the fi'ont of lightness, and the area between the tops of the breasts
Baddhakonasana, 3-5 minutes, sitting on bolster which should be open, to help breathing, rather than
unless knees open well sirIkirIg. This last area can be helped to open by the use
Supta Baddhakonasana, 5-7 minutes, one belt for of a slanting plank under the shoulderblades, especiaUy
each leg. irI the later stages; also, in adjusting, the teacher should
Chair Sarvangasana with bolster between legs and finnly roll the shoulder and upper arm downwards to
seat back, 5 minutes make space irI the armpit chest.
Ardha Halasana, 5 minutes
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, 5 mins In Baddha Konasana and Supta Baddha Konasana, two
Viparita Karani, 5-8 minutes belts should be used, wrapped round the groirI and ankle
Chair Bharadvajasana, 3 times each side with the buckles placed in such a way that the belt is
Savasano , 5-10 minutes. tightened by pullirIg towards, rather than away fium, the
body. Rolled blankets or mats should be placed aslant irI
Needless to say, there was only time to practise a few of such a way that they can support both the head of the
these poses, and the use of props is essential but slows femur and the ankles. This allows softness and space irI
things down. Points to be aware ofare that a bolster is the the lower abdomen. Two belts also should be used irI
most useful prop in pregnancy, that the face should Adho Mukha Svanasana, placed around the groins and
always be observed carefully for repose and a healthy pulled back and then to the side (hard work for the
colour (not a bright pink, or yellow), and that there teacher, this).
should always be space for the abdomen, with a sense of
upward movement in the groins. In forward bends, the Inverted poses can be done for as long as they feel com
trunk should stay upright rather than bending forward, fortable. Chair Sarvangasana is good, with a bolster for
and the legs can be kept separated. the shoulders and another behind the legs; but there may
be a need for extra support from a blanket to lift the
Not only is a greater use of props recommended, but the shoulderblade area. As space irI the abdomen becomes
adjustment of the props will vary as everyone has a dif constricted and the breasts swell, the breathing may
ferent shape and area of stiffness. For resting irI become laboured after about 7 months; if this happens,
Savasana , two bolsters can be used for support, one the pose should be abandoned for the rest of the preg
under the buttocks and another giving additional support nancy.
These notes give only a sketchy outlirIe of the teaching

presented by Corine in the workshop; we had not
realised beforehand how useful a video record of the
event would have been. Corine is well aware how much
she would be welcome to return to this side of the
Channel to present further teaching. If anyone has access
to a large hall irI a beautiful part of the country with good
transport lirIks to Paris, let's hope she can be persuaded!
(With thanks to Frances Homewood for the use of her

notes)

LIGHT ON YOGA ASSOCIATION (UK)
Registered Charity No. 1053093 President: Yogacharya B.K.S. [yengar;
OVA
EWS
In the last issue of Iyengar Yoga News , we Renewals for membership of LOYA are normally
announced the creation of two separate bursaries to due by 31st March for the new LOYA year.
help members who find themselves in financial However, LOYA may cease to exist as a separate
hardship in attending national Iyengar Yoga events. organisation if the plans for unification with the
LOYA is committed to enabling people to practise BKSIYTA go ahead. Assuming that the new asso
Yoga following the Iyengar method and we are ciation is launched some time next summer, your
pleased to say that a number of people took up this cunent LOYA membership will last until then.
opportunity.
There are some individual members who have not
There is still money available to he lp LOYA mem yet renewed their membership: please note that this
bers attend Iyengar Yoga events. Please note that year we have introduced a new sliding scale for
you are a member of LOYA either if you pay an subscription rates. We are asking individual mem
individual subscription, or else you are a member of bers to choose a subscription of between £6 and
an Institute that is affiliated to LOYA(UK). £ 10, based on their own particular circumstances.
(i.e. AIYI, BDIYI, CIYI, IIYS, LDIYI, NELlYI, We will not be asking for proof of concessionary
ORIYI, SDIYI and SWIYI). situations but will leave it up to individual members
to decide on their own level of payment (cheques
If you would like to apply, please write to: payable to "LOYA(UK)").
Jane Cornah (Treasurer)
12 Kirby Park, Wirral CH48 2HA Thanks to all members who have already paid their
[email protected] individual subs. and the vast majority of you who
You will need to provide the following details: chose to pay at a rate higher than the lower limit.
name, address, phone number and e-mail address;
the name of your yoga teacher; whether you are an Rac hel Lovegrove (Membership Secretary)
individual LOYA member or naming the LOYA 105 Lower Thrift Street,
affiliated Institute to which you belong; a brief Northampton NN1 5HP
description of your financial circumstances. [email protected]
LIGHT ON YOGA ASSOCIATION (UK)
Executive Committee 2002-2003
Officers Institute Representatives

Chairperson Philippe Harari AIYI Edgar Stringer
philippe. [email protected] BDIYI Gillian Clarke-Hill
Hon. Secretary Alison Trewhela CIYI no cunent rep.
[email protected] IJYS John Robinson
Treasurer Jane Cornah LDIYI Judi SotTa
cornah@wkirby. u-net. com NELlYI Tess Whitelee
Membership Sec. Rachel Lovegrove ORIYI Joe Burn
[email protected] SDIYI Dominic Batten
SWIYI Alison Trewhela
Individual Reps:
Kirsten Agar Ward, Nathalie Blondel, Martin Hall, Luke Hutchison, Dina Karim, Paul Walker

Annual Report of the Executive Committee to the 15th AGM of LOYA(UK)
2001/2002 - presented at LOVA 2002, Sheffield
We would like to welcome everyone here to the 15th LOYA AGM. On behalf of the entire LOYA mem
bership let us convey our sincere respects and heartfelt best wishes to our revered Guruji, Yogacarya Sri
B. K. S. Iyengar, president of LOYA(UK) who will soon celebrate his 84th birthday. Long may he con
tinue to teach us and inspire us in the path of Yoga.
Officers: Chairperson : Philippe Harari Hon. Secretary: Kirsten Agar Ward

Hon. Treasurer: Jane Comah Membership Secretary: Rachel Lovegrove
Institute Representatives: Avon: Edgar Stringer Oxford: Joe Bum

Bradford: Gillian Clarke-Hill Sheffield: Dominic Batten
Cambridge: Karen Stamper South West: Alison Trewhela
Liverpool: Judi Soffa Sussex: vacancy
North East London: Tess Whitelee
Individual Reps: Nathalie Blondel, Martin Hall, Luke Hutchison, Paul Walker
Meetings held: 14thAGM: 31st August, 2001 (Falmouth); EGM: 25th May, 2001 (London)
Executive Committee meeting: 10th November, 2001 (London); 2nd February,
2002 (Bath); 13th April, 2002 (London - special meeting): 15th June, 2002 (London)
Finances:
LOYA(UK) has continued to maintain its charitable status (see below) and the financial situation is healthy
(see Accounts overleaf).
Membership:
We currently have about 1400 members. Most of these are members via an affiliated institute but 326 are
individual members, 20 of whom have joined from the Sheffield Convention, and a few who have joined
since the Jubilee Convention in May. However, according to the database, about half of them have not
renewed their membership. I will be sending out reminders but first I would like to know if there are any
more records of people renewing or joining from the Convention in May. I will then send out a reminder
to let people know that if I do not receive their renewal by the end of October, they will be taken off the
membership list. Communication between us and the BKSIYTA is needed before the next magazine goes
out, so that the duplication of the mailout to membership of both LOYA and the BKSIYTA does not hap
pen again*. I would also like to suggest that we think about issuing membership cards of some sort, per
haps with a membership number, as this has been a criticism from many members that they do not receive
acknowledgement of their membership status until they get a magazine or a reminder to renew. Since send
ing out a letter in April stating that I would be stepping down in September as membership secretary, there
has not been anyone coming forward to take on the role. I am happy to continue until the end of the cur
rent membership year but if anyone would like to take over before then, please can they let the Committee
know.
Rachel Lovegrove (Membership Secretary)
* Note: the AGM decided that people who were members of both the BKSIYTA and LOYA should continue to receive two
copies of the magazine as they had paid two subscriptions.
Magazine:
An issue of LOYA News was published in December 2001. A new magazine, Iyengar Yoga News (incor
porating LOYA News and the newsletter of the BKSIYTA), was launched in April 2002. The editorial
board of IYN consists of Kirsten Agar Ward, Joe Burn, Philippe Harari (LOYA reps.) and Ros Bell, Alan
Brown and Judith Jones (BKSIYTA reps.).
Charitable status:
We have completed our sixth year as a registered charity. Under charity law we are required to list the
Light on Yoga Association's main objects and these are, as listed in the constitution:
1. To advance public education in the classical teachings of the science of Yoga based on the principles
of the highest standards of personal conduct and service to others.
2. To promote and advance for the public benefit the study and practice of and research into the thera
peutic effects of Yoga as a means of improving the mental, physical and spiritual health of the com
munity, and to publish the useful results of any such research."
Activities during 200112002:

The major activity undertaken during this year was the organisation of the Iyengar Yoga Jubilee in May
at Crystal Palace with Geetaji. The LOYA reps. on the organising committee were Kirsten Agar Ward,
Philippe Harari, Rachel Lovegrove and Paul Walker.
Another significant development was the setting up of a Unity Group, following much negotiation, with
delegates from the BKSIYTA and LOYA (Kirsten Agar Ward, Nathalie Blondel and Philippe Harari) .
Both the BKSIYTA and LOYA unanimously passed a resolution at the Jubilee event which sets out a
process by which a new single Iyengar association will be created in the UK by June 2003.
Following the unity theme, a new joint magazine was launched in the Spring consisting of a publication
aimed at all members of LOYA and the BKSIYTA, and an additional teachers' section produced by the
BKSIYTA.
We have continued to purchase books directly from Pune and have distributed them through mail order,
direct sales at events and bulk orders to institutes. Jane Cornah & Judi Soffa have been liaising with the
BKSIYTA on this to avoid duplication of efforts.
LOYA set up a bursary fund (£1 000) aimed at helping members in financial difficulties attend conventions.
LOYA offered to help the Sheffield Instihlte purchase a building by offering all of the surplus from
LOYA 2002 (guaranteeing a minimum of £500).
Note: the AGM voted to donate £3000 towards the cost of the new floor for the Sheffield Institute.
Martin Hall has continued to maintain and develop the website (www.loya.ukf.net).
The LOYA 2002 Convention was organised by the Sheffield Iyengar Yoga Institute. The 2003 conven
tion will be organised by another affiliated institute and will, assuming unification of LOYA and the
BKSIYTA goes forward as planned, be the first convention of the new association.
Philippe Harari (Chairperson) Kirsten Agar Ward (Honorary Secretary)
LOYA(UK) ACCOUNTS 1.4.2001 - 31.3.2002
Income Expenditure
Institute subs. £ 1602.00 Magazine printing £1583.00
Individual subs. £ 704.00 Magazine postage £ 303 .39
Advertising £ 122.00 Committee expenses £1065.04
Convention (Falmouth) £ 1824.54 Website £ 91.65
Books £3594.22 Books £2222.00
T-shirts £ 21.00
Interest £ 19.96
Donations (Liverpool - Birjoo) £1934.44
TOTAL £9822.16 TOTAL £5265 .08
Opening balance: £3875.76 Surplus: £4557.08 Closing balance: £8432.84

Jane Comah (Treasurer)

Reports from Affiliated Institutes - 2001/2002
Avon Iyengar Yoga Institute

We have enjoyed the continued support of old and new members (around 120) drawn from a broad locality. This
year we have introduced membership cards which also make it clear to members that they are automatically
members of LOYA. Our listing in the Yellow pages gives people a port of call in their enquiries, from which
they're given a list of member teachers classes from Somerset to Gloucestershire. We have also published two
issues of our local Iyengar class listings. They have proved very useful in handling enquiries. To celebrate Guruji's
birthday last December we had a collection in aid of the Indian earthquake appeal and we raised £800. We had
another very successful weekend with Faeq Biria in April and we also held workshops in local schools this sum
mer with Bob Phillips (back pain workshop) and Margaret Austin, which attracted beginners and old hands alike.
We still provide some of the new books from Pune and the classics which are sold at no profit to us. The A. I.YI
website is in the set-up phase, please bear with us until we publish the address. Our committee members have
been very active in the process ofjoining the two associations into a single organisation. We look forward to con
tributing to the new organisation in the future.
Bradford and District Iyengar Yoga Institute

This Institute is flourishing with a membership of about 200. Every member receives two copies a year of our
local magazine 'Yoga News' which is very good. At present we are looking for new editors, so if anyone inter
ested is reading this please apply. Among the very successful and well-supported Yoga events were the follow
ing:A Teachers Workshop; A day of Yoga led by JudI Sweeting. A very enjoyable family event took place in
September when a group of Yoga teachers and students with partners, children and dogs went for a walk in the
Ogden area near Halifax. There was an interesting mix of terrain. A day of Yoga explaining the correct use of
equipment including ropes was planned for this Autumn, but has been postponed until early next year as a new
Gymnasium is being built.
Cambridge Iyengar Yoga Institute

We currently have about 80 members from Cambridge and the surrounding area. We have organised a number
of events in the past year, including a launch event for Janet Tourniere's book, "Eating Fox", a yoga day with
Shyam Mehta and one with Cathy Rogers. We have sold several copies of Geeta's "Preliminary Practice" to our
members (at no profit). Our website (cambridgeyoga.co.uk) is proving very successful in advertising all the
Iyengar classes in the region. We have organised a programme of events for the coming year and are hoping to
expand our membership.
Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex

No report available at time 0.[printing.
Liverpool and District Iyengar Yoga Institute

We have about 90 members. We have had Richard Agar Ward and Cathy Rogers teaching special yoga days for
us this year and are delighted at the response to these events with practioners attending from as far as North Wales
and also Lytham St Annes. We have some enthusiastic members in Liverpool too with six of us travelling fur
ther afield to attend the Spanish Yoga Convention and also approx twenty Liverpool members attending Crystal
Palace and Sheffield this year. We are now underway with teacher training and hopefully will have ten new
teachers in a couple of years time.
North East London Iyengar Yoga Institute

NELlYI continues to provide a wide ranging and varied workshop programme, geared to yoga students from
beginners to those who teach, with a number ofteachers visiting in the next year, including teachers from Bristol,
Oxford and Sheffield, as well as the return of some old friends who we are always delighted to welcome back.
Our magazine, after a bumpy time where we struggled to fmd someone with the time to take on the task, is now

flourishing. Membershjp figures having dipped slightly in comparison with the previous year, seem to be
improving with new members joining during the year, though it will be easier to analyse once renewal fees come
in from September onwards. Many of our members are teachers and trainee teachers, and NELIYI is keen to get
more participation from non-teaching students over the next year. Many NELlYI members attended the inspir
ing Jubilee Convention with Oeeta Iyengar in the spring, and we look forward very positively to the future, new,
integrated organisation for Iyengar Yoga in the UK. NELlYI has long worked at fostering links with other yoga
groups, and anticipates an exciting time ahead for the Iyengar yoga community.
Oxford aDd Region Iyengar Yoga I nstitute

All is well here in the Oxford region. We have five yoga days a year (each in a different part of the region), all
well attended. We produce an excellent magazine twice a year. The bank account is healthy.
Sheffield and District Iyengar Yoga Institute

This has been a year with a high level of energy in SADM , with the two main projects being the plarming of the
convention and rapid progress towards achieving our goal of securing a dedicated Yoga building in the town cen
tre. Part of this process has included constitutional change as we move towards becoming a charitable company
limited by guarantee. We would parti ularly like to register our gratitude for the generosity shown by local and
national Iyengar Yoga practitioners who have given both financially and with their moral support. Om Institute
is functioning well in other respects with membership levels being sustained at just over 100, the production
every six months of a good quality magazine, and fom events a year with greatly appreciated visiting teachers.
A number of us attended the Jubile event at Crystal Palace and were inspired by Oeeta's teaching and the work
that had been put into making that occasion the success it was. It certainly feels that the roots ofIyengar Yoga in
Sheffield have become stronger and we look forward to future growth.
SADIYI Building news: Many people ha e been generous in their support of our project to acquire a former
chapel in Sheffield's cultural industJies quarter (near the station), and some were able to visit the building during
the LOYA convention. At present we are having a rollercoaster ride; having arranged a loan from Triodos Bank
and raised over £25,000:in donations and loans from members and well-wishers, the offer we submitted to the
builders who currently own the building was rejected. The offer we made was slightly higher than the two pro
fessional valuations canied out on the building, and was as much as we felt we could afford. One of our mem
bers, Bridget Strong, has spent many hours on preparing a robust (and realistic) business plan. However, we have
not given up hope. The building has not yet been sold and one has to question whether the owners will get the
p ice they hope for, as there are restrictions on the use of the property and the wider economic outlook suggests
a more cautious market. We have also made applications for grants which if successful, would give us more lee
way on our business plan which would allow us to consider making a further, slightly higher offer. The recent
arrival in Sheffield of a si th teacher allows us to plan for an increase in income from more classes. Clearly, we
owe it to our members and sponsors not to make a commitment we could not afford to sustain. E en so, we
remain convinced that the building is ideally suited to becoming a Yoga centre, which we feel will add to
Sheffield's 'spiritual capital' and health. Again, we give thanks to our supporters and hope to have better news for
the next magazine
South West Iyengar Yoga Institute

At present we have an enthusiastic memb rship of80, helped by last year's LOYA 2001 Convention in Falmouth.
We ordered a large number ofbooks from Ptme (via LOYA) on behalf of OUf shldents. We contin ue to maintain
the continuity of regular Intennectiate workshops with Richard Agar Ward especially aimed at teachers and the
more committed yoga practitioners. We have had a well-attended weekend of yoga with Sallie Sullivan, includ
ing an evening cone ntrating on the Level 1 Introductory po es, a general cia and a Sunday morning workshop
on 'Knees'. Pen Reed taught a yoga class for us after moderating our Teachers' Revalidation Day and she has
agreed to teach a whole day n xt year. In September 2002 w will hold a yoga + social event - 3 hours of yoga
with two teachers followed by a vegetarian Indian lunch cooked by yoga-practising Rick Stein chefs. Our Website
can be found at swiyengaryoga.ukf.net and we plan to produce an updated printed leaflet with SWIYI infor
mation and a list of teachers as soon as the unification of LOYA and the BKSIYTA takes place.

-------------------------------------------------
Pr&&Idenl-
Yogacharya BKS Iyengar
Iyengar Yoga News - Teachers' Section Winter 2002
ENDORSEMENT
In my article on communication in the last newslet Teacher" to us. BKSIYTA committee agreed that
ter, I explained that the Teachers' Association only Accredited Teacher is acceptable for our
Committee is working to achieve "Accredited teachers. BWY have been asked to reconsider their
Teacher" status for Iyengar Yoga teachers in the decision not to award full accreditation status to us.
UK, and to obtain endorsement of the Iyengar
Teacher Training process from the national We will stay in touch with BWY to discuss how the
Regulating Authorities. This is an update on issue can be resolved. In the meantime we will
progress in both areas of activity. explore what can be achieved by further discus
sions with Sport England and the European Yoga
Accreditation. Federation.
The word accredited carries a meaning in law. It
means the person who is accredited by an autho BvVY have told us that other large UK Yoga organ
rised body has satisfied the criteria of competence isations are aware that BWY and IY are in negotia
required by that body to carry out work in a speci tion on accreditation, and are waiting in the wings
fied activity. In our tenns, Guruji has authorised to see how the issue is resolved.
BKSIYTA to act as an authorised body to train and
assess Iyengar Yoga teachers in the UK. Teachers Endorsement of the Teaching Certificate.
are accredited by BKSIYTA. In national tenns A meeting was held with the Qualification and
Sport England, acting for the Government, has Curriculum Authority (QCA) to explore the proce
nominated British Wheel of Yoga (RWY) as the dures to achieve national endorsement.
Governing Body for Yoga in the UK. BWY are Subsequently we have spoken to large and small
empowered to accredit UK yoga teachers. Awarding Bodies (AB) and National Training
Organisations (NTO). The ABs assist the organisa
We have been in negotiation with BWY for about a tion seeking endorsement to write the training and
year. In outline, BWY require an accredited assessment programme in the fonnat and standard
teacher to have passed their training course and required by QCA, and they monitor the process on
joined BWY. We have explained to BWY that behalf of QCA. The NTO ensures industry stan
THIS is unacceptable to a major, self-contained dards are met and maintained. Neither is involved
Yoga organisation such as Iyengar Yoga (lY). We in the content of the course.
reached an agreement with the vice-chair of BWY
that a proposal be put to the BWY Executive This work has turned up a· potential problem which
Committee to award Accredited Teacher status to is that the Sport, Recreation and Allied
BKSIYTA as an organisation. The proposal would Occupations NTO, SPRITO, has worked with the
allow us to police our own systems, with occasion Governing Bodies within the sector to produce a
al visits from BWY to confinn we do what we say technical definition for the Adult Education
we do. The Executive rejected the proposal. One Industry. As the Governing Body for Yoga, BWY
reason quoted was that other Yoga groups had fol participated in preparing the text. The result is that
lowed the BWY system, and it would be unfair to the technical definition states that competent teach
give us special status. BWY Executive offered a ers and assessors are required to hold BWY diplo
second order recognition called "Registered mas. Clearly this is not acceptable to IY. Sprito
Iyengar Yoga News No.2 44 Teachers' Section: Winter 2002

agree the wording should read "BWY diploma or or commitment to obtain 7407 from new teachers
equivalent". We will expedite SPRITO to change before they will be employed. Other Author'ities
the wording. are training established teachers to C&G 730717407
during their employment.
Assuming the technical definition can be changed
by negotiation, the stage has been reached when we Our teacher training course incorporates no aspect
shall visit selected AB's and work with SPRITO to of this qualification. Previously BWY claimed that
agree how to proceed with the endorsement of our City and Guilds had given their training course
teacher training system. SPRITO are optimistic. accreditation to 7307 standards. Recently they told
Certainly our written procedures will require textur us that some AuthOlities have rejected that.
al revision, but not content revision. BKSIYTA
have nominated a task force to carry out the work. We need to consult C&G to see what can be done to
It looks like our teaching qualification will be clas incorporate aspects of the qualification into our
sified at NVQ3. teaching programme, to assist teachers who want to
find employment in Adult Education. As
Another aspect of regulation to be addressed is the Regulation advances it is likely that other employ
Government's requirement that teachers in Adult ers will be required to demand generic teaching
Education should hold the City and Guilds qualifications.
73017307 teaching certificate. It was to be opera
ble from 2001 , but has been deferred while it is It is clear from this work that we need to work with
upgraded to C&G 7407. 730717407 are genelic other Yoga groups in the UK to participate in the
teaching courses aimed at developing procedures of regulation of Yoga teaching. Clearly, by not work
class teaching to improve learning outcome, noth ing together in the past we have been left out as
ing at all to do with Yoga. C&G 7307 is rated at national standard procedures were drawn up.
NVQ3 and C&G 7407 is NVQ4. Working together can bring benefits to all Yoga
practitioners. We have written to Guruj i to ask him
In 2002 some Authorities will demand either 7307 to confirm his support for this work.
BASIC GUIDELINE CHERS OF YOGA
Another gem ff by Judy Smith

r-lI!qmiiif;r--, This teachers' guidelines practice, and the third chapter introduces a variety
book is based on , and of sequences which work effectively on the mind,
should be used in conjunc body and breath to bring about the required change.
tion with, Yoga in Action:
A Preliminary Course. The second part of the book deals with the theory of
yoga and presents a question and answer section
The book is divided into 2 which is succinctly set out and easily understood. It
parts, the first deals with helps to organise and categorise some frequently
teaching techniques and misunderstood concepts. The are also questions
the second gives the back and answers on the Hathayoga Pradipika. The
ground to the theory of penultimate chapter is the study of anatomy and
........._ _ _ _ _ _ _~ yoga. Some teaching gives clear drawings and explanations on the tech
points covered include organisation of the class, niques of asanas using the body as a reference.
demonstration of asanas, verbal instruction/voice
modulation, student observation and the use of The book ends with sample questions based on the
props. Also discussed, are ways of handling com Preliminary Course for teachers to study and
mon problems and certain conditions such as preg answer in order to consolidate their practice and
nancy and menstruation. theoretical knowledge. I found this book to be
interesting, enjoyable and 'user-friendly'. It clari
Three chapters are devoted to Sequencing. The first fies , reinforces and expands our ever-present thirst
explains the grouping of asanas - standing, sitting, for and knowledge of Iyengar Yoga.
forward bends, inversions, etc. - and their effects.
The second is about the sequence of learning the This book will only be available to Iyengar Yoga
asanas and offers a 7 month syllabus of suggested teachers (see p.34 for how to order a copy)

M RS
Our current Moderators are: Lilian Biggs, Silvia Committee. They were: Jeanne Maslen, Sylvia Prescott,
Prescott, Penny Chaplin, Elaine Pidgeon, Paricia Booth, Lilian Biggs and Patricia Booth. Margaret Austin joined
Margaret Austin, Pen Reid, Judi Sweeting, Meg Laing at that tin1e, having recently become a Senior teacher, to
and Julie Brown. Although nowhere defined in writing bring the number up to frve. Pen Reid, Elaine Pidgeon
I understand the role of our Moderators is to oversee all and Penny Chaplin were invited to join after a modera
matters to do with Teacher Training and Assessment tor's meeting in August 1995 bringing the total to eight.
procedures in this country. They make decisions on The Moderators' committee has connsisted of these
policy issues to do with those matters as weB as presid eight members until earlier this year when Jeanne
ing over Assessments and Revalidation Days. Again as stepped down (although she is still helping out with
I understand it in the absence of a written defrnition, the Moderating duties from time to time) and three new
Moderator's role in an assessment is to ensure that the members were co-opted; namely Meg Laing, Judi
assessment rules are observed, to be the organ of com Sweeting and Julie Brown. These three were chosen on
munication between assessors and candidates and to the principle that they were the three most senior mem
illfom1 candidates what is required of them. The bers of the association available, willing and possessing
Moderator's mark does not count towards the frnal all the qualifrcations necessary for the job.
result ofan assessment but it may be that the Moderators
exert some influence over the outcome in cases where Nowadays Moderators are not elected. In fact they never
agreement cannot be reached. have been since the fust panel was selected. New
Moderators are appointed by the existing Moderators'
Our frrst Moderator was Jeanne Maslen, who has this Committee and this way of doing things has been writ
year retired from the Moderator's committee after many ten into the constitution. With the joining ofBKSIYTA
years of dedicated service. For some time she took on with LOYA into one new Iyengar Yoga organisation
the task single handed until, in 1985, it was decided that there will be a new constitution and there are likely to be
she needed some help. Senior members of the some changes. It is possible that many of the present
Association were nominated and the entire membership duties ofModerators will be taken over by sub-commit
voted to elect a panel of seven Moderators as follows: tees in the new organisation, but how this will all work
Jeanne Maslen, Kofr Busia, Angela Farmer, Patricia remains to be seen. In the meantime our current panel
Booth, Maxine Tobias, Bob Welliam and Diana of Moderators will continue to serve the needs of our
Clifton. There was also a reserve list of members eligi teacher training, teacher trainer and assessment pro
ble for election should replacements be required for the grams with the same dedication and hard work they
future. have been putting in for so many years.
I don't know what happened in between 1985 and 1992 Special thanks to Tricia and Margaret for providing me
but by 1992 there were only four Moderators on the with the infonnation which has made this article possible.
To Jeanne Maslen who this year has retired from full Moderator duties. Jeanne has given
many years of devoted service to the BKSIYTA as our most senior Moderator and we owe
her much for all she has contributed to Iyengar Yoga during those years.
Also to Patricia Booth who has recently retired from the post of Assessment Co-ordina
tor. Tricia has been a Moderator since the formation of the first Moderators' committee in
1985 and has performed the important and demanding job of Assessment Coordinator for
much of that time.
We would also like to wish another of our Moderators, Sylvia Prescott, a VERY HAPPY
80th BIRTHDAY on December 24th, 2002.
I_engar Yoga News No.2 46 Teachers' Section: Winter 2002

OUR NEW ASSE CO-ORDINATOR
I have recently taken over from Tricia Booth as The Welham's teaching was so successful and classes
Assessment Co-ordinator for the BKSNTA and I have grew so much in nwnber that they realised they needed
been asked to describe what the job entails. As I have some more teachers to keep pace with the demand. I
only just taken over, my feel for the duties is still vel)' and two others were sent to Manchester to get a taste of
hazy. But Tricia, who has done the job with calm and Guruji's teaching when he visited there in 1976. In fact
cheerful efficiency for many years, kindly drew up a list that was when I first met Tricia; she and Tom kindly put
for me and 1 am unashamedly drawing on that for the up the three youngsters from Edinburgh during the
job description. weekend course. If I was hooked before, I was now
thoroughly overwhelmed with Gu~ji and his wonderful
As the title implies, the Assessment Co-ordinator has to teaching. The next thing I knew, Bob Welham had
collate infonnation regarding all areas of assessment packed me off to Purle. At least that's what it felt like at
procedure. I shall therefore be in charge of keeping up the time. In those days, provided you had a letter of rec
to date lists of postures for all the different levels in ommendation from your teacher and Guruji gave per
teacher training and assessment. Application forms and mission, it was possible to turn up alone to join inten
the letter ofrequirements for those wishing to start train sives at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute,
ing have to be kept up to date and supplied to Trainers. and that's what I did in the summer of 1977. Nowadays
Teacher Trainers and Assessment Organisers also have I think I would be considerably daunted by such a
to be infonned of any changes to syllabuses or assess prospect, but at the age of24 it just seemed like a huge
ment procedures. To that end, the Assessment Co-ordi ly exciting adventure. I had a marvellous three weeks
nator must keep an up to date list of Teacher Trainers and I still remember it as one of the most inspiring and
and teacher training courses as well as of Moderators, fonnative times of my life. Having a family and other
Assessors and Trainee Assessors. A vel)' important part duties intervened, and I did not revisit Pune until 1994
of the job is to keep a record of assessment results and when I was privileged to join a teachers' intensive taught
of who moderated and assessed at each assessment. It by Geetaji. That too was a wonderfully inspiring expe
is also vital to ensure that all the Moderators send the rience. I am delighted that I am going back again next
assessment results to the Membership SecretaI)' so that summer to take part in local classes.
the membership list can be kept correct and up to date.
I have discovered that answering letters of enquiry of a In Edinburgh, Iyengar Yoga continued to thrive and Bob
surprisingly wide range is also part of the remit. I am and Kathy set up the Edinburgh Iyengar Yoga Centre.
increasingly impressed by what Tricia has achieved over Thanks to them, and to Gwuji, who generously gave it
these past years and extremely grateful to her for her his blessing, Edinburgh was one of the first places in
kindness in helping me towards the full handover, which Britain to have its own Iyengar Yoga Centre. We con
will happen after the October assessments, and in prom tinue to enjoy it hugely - it is a place ofwonderful fiiend
ising to keep an eye on me and give me advice when I lmess and energy and hundreds of students come
need it (as I surely shall) after that. through its doors each week for classes. My fan1ily and
I spent two years in the mid 80s in Boston
I have also been asked to say a little about myself This Massachusetts, where I had classes with Victor
is a dangerous request to someone as talkative as I am; Oppenheimer and also did courses at Patricia Walden's
you may get more than you bargained for. But I shall Iyengar Centre in Somerville. When I returned, the
stick mainly to my experience in yoga, which I feel has Welhams had moved to Bristol, but the ErYC was still
been remarkably fortunate at evel)' tum. I was lucky humming with activity, the directorship having been
enough to discover Iyengar yoga when I was quite taken over by Elaine Pidgeon. It was marvellous to
young. I began in 1971 when I was a student of the return to classes there and to benefit from Elaine's teach
Histol)' of the English Language at Oxford. My first ing. Not long after I returned, Elaine asked me to help
teacher was the late Penny Nield-Smith who was a mar her with the Teacher Training course she had taken over
vellous person and a lovely teacher and I was vel)' soon from Kathy Welham. We have been running this course
'hooked'. In 1974 I moved to Scotland, having married together ever since, and we fInd it one of the most
a Scot who was finishing his medical training at the rewarding things we do. We learn a great deal from all
University of Edinburgh. So I continued my studies our trainees and our own yoga is energized and enriched
there too. Up till then there had been no Iyengar yoga in by their enthusiasm, dedication and commitment.
Edinburgh, but by great good fortune my move coincid
ed with the arrival in Edinburgh also of Bob and Kathy I have continued my practice and teaching vel)' happily
Welham, both newly qualified Iyengar teachers. I velY here in Edinburgh ever since, gaining my Senior
soon joined Kathy's class and was taught by Bob and Intennediate certificate in 1996. I have also enjoyed
Kathy for the next ten years. classes by visiting teachers, some of them from Pune,

including most specially Geetaji's recent visit on the years old and long since retired, but I still see him fre
occasion of the Assocation's Silver Jubilee at Crystal quently. I feel lucky to have two visionary, pioneering
Palace. Earlier this year I was honoured to be invited to and distinguished teachers in two different aspects ofmy
serve as a Moderator. Being very new to this and hav life. I'm sure Angus would agree though that yoga
ing taken on the Assessment Co-ordinator's job too, I remains a more interesting subject of conversation in
shall have a great deal to learn. I am looking forward to mixed company. In fact I recently gave him a copy of
the challenge - if with some trepidation. Yoga the Path to Holistic Health. He has not done any
yoga before, but he is now doing all the stretches and
Like many other Iyengar yoga teachers, I do not teach twists that he can manage from his chair and says he is
and practise yoga full time. I have a 'day job'. I am gaining great benefit from them and is very impressed
employed in a two-man outfit called the Institute for with Guruji's setting out of the philosophical aspects.
Historical Dialectology, which is attached to the English My two Jobs' do not often overlap, but occasionally at
Language Department of Edinburgh University. My conferences, when there are comparative historical lin
colleague works on Older Scots and I on 12th and 13th guists present, I try to impress them with my knowledge
century English. We transcribe texts from manuscripts, of Sanskrit. It very soon becomes apparent however that
analyse the variety oftheir dialectal spelling systems and my expertise is limited to words for parts ofthe body, the
plot the results on maps. We are making historical lin numbers one to six and a rather odd assortment of ani
guistic atlases and are in fact Medieval Dialectologists. mals and birds - I then have to own up to my sources!
As you can imagine, that is something of a conversation
stopper at social events. But I enjoy and am proud of the As I begin my new roles of Moderator and Assessment
project, which continues the life work of Professor Co-ordinator I feel more fortunate than ever that in order
Angus McIntosh, who was a pioneer in the field of his to renew energy and to keep a calm and steady mind (at
torical dialect studies and whom I was privileged to have least some of the time) there is the great gift and bless
as a supervisor when I was a student. He is now 88 ing of yoga.
ASSESSMENT CONGRATULATIONS
Many congratulations to all who gained Junior Intermediate Certificates in 2002
Levell Level 2 Level 3

John Aplin Ann Ansari Jonathan Akester
Ann Fletcher Sophie Carrington Lesley Buckley
Rita Gardner Heide Connell Helen Clay
Linda Head Fiona Fallon Jane Fraser
Karey Morley Neil Gillies Anna Heavens
Joanne Robertson Gael Henry Brian Ingram
Edgar Stringer Carol Johnson Korinna Pilafidis-Williams
Kathleen Vaile Dina Karim Veronica Pogson
Diane West Caroline Kennedy Glenys Shepherd
Susie Lever Patricia Sparksman
Judy Lynn Bob Waters
Shirin Marshall June Whittaker Pisano
Christina Niewola
Fiona Reid
Hilke Tiedemann
Judith Tomlinson
Thanks to all those who helped with organisation, moderating, assessing and catering.
Best wishes for next year to those who were unsuccessful this time.

JUNIOR INTERMEDIATE ASSESSMENTS
These will take place in March 2003
Candidates for Part 1 and those wishing to go forward for assessment to Parts 2 or 3,
should apply as soon as possible to:
Meg Laing (new Assessment Co-ordinator)

36 Comely Bank
Edinburgh
EH41AJ
N.B. this is urgent so that we can estimate numbers and book suitable venues for the assessments.
Successful candidates last year for Parts 1 and 2 and any res its will by now have heard from Ros
Wakeford, the organiser for the 1.I. assessments.
If not then please contact: the Junior Intennediate Assessment Organiser:
Ros Wakeford, 24a Christopher Way, Emsworth, POlO 7QZ
REMAINING REVALIDATION DAYS 2002

Do not wait to be contacted. Apply to the organiser.
Region Date Organiser Moderator
London N. Thames 24th November Korinna Pi1afidis- Lilian Biggs

(lYI Maida Vale) Williams
020 7372 2726
London S. Thames 1st December John Shirbon Penny Chaplin

020 8672 7315
REVALIDATION CHART
Date of the last Certificate or Revalidation Revalidation Due Second Revalidation
1996,1991, 1986, 1981, 1976 and earlier 2001 2006
1997, 1992, 1987, 1982, 1977 2002 2007
1998,1993,1988,1983,1978 2003 2008
1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1979 2004 2009
2000, 1995, 1990, 1985, 1980 2005 2010
I engar Yoga News No.2 49 Teachers' Section: Winter 2002

BKSIYTA Executive Committee 2002
Scotland Elaine Pidgeon 52a Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5PX

Email [email protected]; Tel. 0131 552 987: Chairperson, Unity Group
Carol Brown 5 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AB
Email [email protected]; Tel. 0131 5575739
North&East Gordon Austin 8 Stavely Road, Seabum Drive, Sunderland, Tyne& Wear SR6 8JS
Email [email protected]; Tel. 0 191 5487457: Yoga Alliance Liaison Officer
Alan Brown 23 Middleton, Cowling West Yorks. BD22 ODQ
Email [email protected] ; Tel 01535637359: Newsletter Editor
North & West Margaret Carter 14 Foxley Close, Lymrn WAl3 OBS
Email [email protected]; Tel. 01925 758382
Christina Niewola 15 Hampshire Close, Congleton CW12 ISF
Email [email protected]; Tel. 01260279565: Honorary Secretary
Central Brian Jack 4 The Gardens, Garden Row (off Scholars Lane)
Stratford upon Avon CV376HF
Email [email protected]; Tel. 01789205322 : Development Task Force, Unity Group
Sheila Haswell 75 Mary's Mead, High Wycombe HP 15 7DS
Email [email protected]; Tel. 01494 711589: Introd. Assessment Organiser
North Thames Ros Bell 19 Briston Grove, London N8 9EX

Email [email protected]; Tel. 020 8340 9899: Yoga Rahasya, Editorial Board IY N
Patsy Sparksman 33 Ashboume Avenue, London NWll ODT
Email [email protected]; Tel.020 8455 6366: Merchandising
South Thames Judith Richards 25 Effingham Road, Long Ditton, Surrey KT6 5JZ
Email [email protected]; Tel 020 8398 1741 : Treasurer
There is one vacancy in this region
South & West Judith Jones 17 Baydon Road, Lamboume,. Hungerford RG17 8NT
Email Judith@jonesyoga .fsnet.co.uk; Tel.01488 71838: Vice Chairperson, Unity
Group, Editorial Board IYN
Tig Whattler 64 Watermoor Road Cirencester.G'los G 17 1LD
Email [email protected]; Tel 01285 653742: Membership Secretary
South Central Ann Ansari 23 Mitchell Road Bedhampton P09 3QA

Email [email protected]; Tel 02392474197: Assistant Membership Sec.
Brian Ingram 51 Meadow Lane, Burgess Hill RH 159HZ
Email [email protected]; Tel 01444436714: Minutes Secretary
Moderators Committee Rep. Pen Reed 8 Greenhill Cottage, Mill Brow, Marple Bridge,
Stockport SK6 5LW; [email protected]; Tel 01614271763
Revalidation Day Organiser Judi Sweeting 64 Watermoor Road Cirencester, Glos. G17 1 LD
Email [email protected]; Tel 01285 653742
Assessment Co-ordinator Meg Laing 36 Comely Bank, Edinburgh EH4 lAJ
./unior In!. Assess. Organiser Ros Wakeford 24a Christopher Way, Emsworth, POlO 7QZ
Margaret Carter has retired from the post of Honorary Treasurer this year and John Shirbon from that of
Honorary Secretary. These are both demanding and time consuming jobs which Margaret and John have
performed conscientiously and efficiently. The committee expresses its gratitude to them both for their
valuable contributions.
Iy ngar Yoga News No.2 50 Teachers' Section: Winter 2002

INTRODUCTORY ASSESSORS December 2001
AGAR WARD Richard (Bristol), AUSTIN Gordon (N.E), AUSTIN Margaret (N .E),
BELL Rosamund (London) , BIGGS Lilian (Bradford), BOOTH Brenda (Kent),
BOOTH Patricia (Manchester) , BROWN Alan (Yorkshire) , BROWN Julie (Manchester),
BROWNE Dave (NE), BUTLER Pam (London), CARTER Margaret (Manchester) ,
CHAPLIN Penny (London), COATS Diane (N.E) , CURTIS Rayner (Sussex) ,
EGGLESTON Yvonne (N.E), ELLISON Margaret (Manchester), GREEN Sheila (Hereford),
HARRISON Cecilia (Nottingham), HASWELL Sheila (Buckinghamshire) ,
HEATH Mary (Boummouth), INSTRELL Catriona (Scotland), IRVIN Dorothea (N .E),
JACKSON Ann (Manchester), JACKSON Peter (Manchester), JONES Judith (Berkshire),
KILBURN Marion (Manchester) , KNIGHT Jean (Scotland), LACK Pam (I\J.E), LAING Meg
(Scotland) , LONG Susan (Essex), LUMBARD Janet (Scotland) ,
LYNCH Jackie (Salisbury), MASLEN Jeanne (Manchester) , MEHTA Rukmini (London),
MUSGROVE Jean (N.E) , ORTON Jayne (Birmingham) , OGLE Lynda (Manchester),
PERRYMAN Sasha (Cambs) , PIDGEON Elaine (Scotland), PRESCOTT Si lvia (London),
REED Pen (Manchester) , RICHARDSON Anne (Salisbury), RIDLEY Josette (Manchester) ,
ROGERS Cathy (Sussex) , SCHOONRAAD Ursula (London) , SOFFA Judi (Liverpool),
SULLIVAN Sallie (Reading), SWEETING Judi (Cirencester) , TROWELL Kim (Dorset) ,
TUERSLEY Pat (Manchester), VAN DOP Judith (Cornwall), WAKEFORD Ros (Hampshire) ,
WALKER Lorna (London), YATES Janice (Manchester)
TRAINEE ASSESSORS
Alaric Newcombe, Linda Purvis, Patricia James, Lyn Farquar, Helen Graham , Julie
Hodges, Elizabeth Tonner, Dawn Hodgeson
Trainee assessors do 4 assessments over two years - 2 part 1 and 2 part 2. Part 1 first
year, part 2 second year Anyone who has held a level 3 Junior Intermediate certificate
for at least two years and would like to become a trainee assessor please apply to
the Moderators' Committee via the Assessment Co-ordinator.
B.K.S.I.Y.T.A. TEACH ER TRAINING COURSES IN THE U.K. June 2001
TEA CHER TRAINERS:

AGAR WARD Richard (Bristol), AUSTIN Margaret (N .E) ,
BELL Ros (North Thames, London), BIGGS Lilian (Bradford), BOOTH Patricia (MDIIY),
BOOTH Brenda (S. Thames, London), BROWN Alan (Yorkshire) .
BROWN Julie (MD .I.I.Y.and New Cross) , BROWNE Dave (N.E .),
BUTLER Pam (S. London) , CHAPLIN Penny (N.W.& Central London) ,
CLARIDGE Paquita (E. Sussex - not training at the moment), CLARKE Diane (Maida Vale
training with Sallie Sullivan) , GREEN Sheila (Herefordshire), HARRISON Cissy
(Nottingham training with M. Austi n) , HASWELL Sheila (Buckinghamshire) ,
JONES Judith (Berks), KILBURN Marion (MDIIY training with PBooth and J. Brown),
KNIGHT Jean (Edinburg h), LAI NG Meg (Edinburgh), LONG Susan (Essex), MASLEN
Jeanne (MD .I.I.Y. (Adviser), NEWCOMBE Alaric (Maida Vale training with Sallie Sullivan) ,
ORTON Jayne (Birmingham), PERRYMAN Sasha (Norwich , Cambridge),
PIDGEON Elaine (Edinburgh), PRESCOTT Silvia (N.W.& Central London),
PURVISS Linda (Bristol training with Sallie Sullivan) ,
REED Pen (New Cross London) , SCHOONRAAD Ursula (S. Thames, London) ,
SOFFA Judi (Liverpool) , SULLIVAN Sally (Reading London), SWEETING Judi
(Cirencester), VAN DOP Judith (Cornwall), WAKEFORD Roslyn (Hampshire),
WELHAM Kathy (Bristol - not training at the moment).
Iyengar Yoga News No.2 51 Teachers ' Section: Winter 2002

BKSIYTA - Extraordinary General Meeting
An EGM, called for by 286 BKSIYTA members (in a letter paid for by Bradford
& District Iyengar Yoga Institute and North East Institute of Iyengar Yoga) is to
be held on:
Saturday, 1 February 2003 at 1.30pm
at 'The Meeting Place', 153 Drummond Street, london NW1
to debate and vote on the motion that:
'There will be no payment of money for use of the certification mark other than
for the purpose of one-off legal registration, without the expressed approval of
the membership by majority vote'
Applications for Classes at RIMYI, Pune.
Applications now have to be made through each country's national association. For the UK this is the
BKSIYTA. A minimum of 8 years practice of Iyengar Yoga is required. The fee for classes at the
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune, is $US 300 for one month.
Information for Teachers / Students.

For admission the institute requests that the student's practice of 8 years reflects an understanding of the
foundation ofIyengar Yoga. This would include the regular practice of inverted poses (8-10 mins . in the
inverted postures). Women should know what is to be practised during menstruation. All students should
have read, at the minimum, the introductory chapter to Light on Yoga and be familiar with the terms and
principles covered in that chapter.
The following should be noted. There are some changes.
1. RIMYI offers one or two months admission. The deposit of $US 150 is for one month.
2. Admission is strictly for the dates given.
3. Advance deposit is part of the fees and hence not transferable to any other person or course. It is non
refundable.
4. 6 classes are given per week, each for 2hrs duration. A schedule will be given on arrival.
5. The last week of each month will be pranayama classes.
6. No extensions will be given beyond two months under any circumstances.
7. A confirmation letter will be given from us and should be presented on arrival.
8. The classes will be conducted byBKS Iyengar or his daughter or son or by staff members.
10. Please make your own arrangements for board and lodging
11 . Certificates will not be issued at the end of the course.
12. When applying please include relevant bio-data with any health conditions.
Please send Application Forms (photocopies can be made from the forms that were sent out to all teach
ers in the last BKSIYTA Newsletter) and your Bankers Draft for $US 150 made out to RIMYI to:
Penny Chaplin, Flat 1, St. Johns Court, Finchley Road, London NW3 6LL
Please do not include photos or personal mail. Applications are for individuals only - no groups.

www.loya.ukf.net www.bksiyta.co.uk
LOYA (UK) Website Local Classes Listings Service
CitylLocality in which teaching ............. ................ ... ............... ..... .............. .... ......... .
Name ................................................................. Telephone ....... .. . ...................... .
Fax .... ............ .. .. ................ . .. ..... .. e-mail .................................. ........................ .
Teaching certificate held: ... ... ............... .. ................. .. .............. ..... .............. ... ........ .
o Individual member of LOYA(UK) o Member of affiliated institute (please specify) ............... .
Classes (please continue as separate sheet as necessaty)
Day Time Location Level
I certify that I teach solely Iyengar Yoga and that I am qualified and insured to teach Iyengar Yoga
Signed: ...... .. ..... . .............................. .... . ........... . ... Date ............ . ................ . ...... .
Return to: Martin Hall, Glackin, 199 Clashmore, Lochinver, Lairg IV27 4JQ
If you want your name and the town/area in which you hold classes published on the BKSIYTA
website, as long as you are a current member of the BKSIYTA, please send this information to:
Brian Jack, 4 Garden Row, off Scholar's Lane, Stratford on Avon. Warwickshire CV37 6HF
m tters
Callers are welcome at our new
premises in North London.
Monday-Friday P.30 to 17.30
Saturday 10.00 to ' 3.00, also open
Sundays in November and December.
Other times by arranpment
I I n
matters~
32 CLA RENDON ROAD LON DON N8 oDJ
enq uirlesOyoga matters.com
o 8888 8588
53 Winter 2002
Notices
WANTED
Old issues (1-3 , 5-8, 10,23) of

LOYA News for our archive.
Please send to Kirsten Agar Ward
12 Station Road, Lower Weston,
ADVERTISING in Bath BA1 3DY
IYENGAR YOGA NEWS
If you wish to advertise in the

next issue of Iyengar Yoga News, Small Ads.
please send all text, photographs
or artwork, together with a Inexpensive INDIAN YOGA
cheque for the correct amount BELTS, BANDAGES,
(made payable to 'LOYA') to: BOLSTER SETS, PRANAYA
MA SETS, WEDGES and
Joe Bum at [email protected]

ROPES for sale.
or else by mail to
SAE price list or 'phone/fax.
IYN c/o 3 Finch Rd.

Kirsten Agar Ward
Cambridge CB4 3RB

12 Station Road,
Oh earth, sky and heavens, let

(telephone 01223 523410)
Lower Weston, Bath BA 1 3DY.
us meditate on the splendour of
Tel. 01225 336144
Savitur, so that he may enlight
Advertising rates or e-mail;
en our minds.
Iyengar Yoga News is read by at [email protected]
least 2000 individual Iyengar The image on the back cover is

practitioners. Rates for advertis of the most sacred verse of the
Yoga weekend in Beautiful
ing are as follows: Rig Veda . the most sacred book

Snowdonia, 14th - 16th March,
in Hinduism. It is a hymn that
Full page: £75
2003, with Ros Bell
praises the God Savitur who is
Half page: £40
(020 8340 9899)
usually associated with the sun,
Quarter page: £25
or is perhaps the name of the
Small ads.: 30p per word
sun at dawn . The Gayatri
Mantra plays a central role in
Deadlines Hinduism as does the Lord's
The deadline for the next issue of Prayer in Christianity. The God
Iyengar Yoga News is: Savitur is described as having
golden eyes, golden hands and
7th April 2003 a golden tongue. Also, there is
a metre used in Sanskrit poetry
called ,Gayatri which has three
feet of eight syllables each.
NB. the Editorial Board reserves
according to the orthodox Hindu
the right to refuse to accept
tradition the Gayatri may only
advertisements or parts of adver be uttered by the top three
tisements that are deemed to be at castes.
variance with the stated aims of
the Light on Yoga Association Translation and commentary by
(UK) or the BKS Iyengar Yoga Joe Bum
Teachers' Association Image supplied by Dale Rathbone

IYN 2 - 2002-Winter

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B.K.S.

IYENGAR YOGA LIGHT ON YOGA

ASSOCIATION President: Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar

IYENGAR YOGA NEWS - Issue No.2 - Winter 2002

Kirsten Agar Ward

Report from the Unity Group 18

BKSIYTA and LOYA conventions 26

Statement on the Certification Mark by Elaine Pidgeon (BKSIYTA Chair) 32

Astadala Yogamala Fund Report by Brigid Philip 32

Rajiv Chanchani in Birmingham by Brian Jack 33

Yoga Rahasya - subscription details 34

Iyengar books/videos for sale 34

Sheffield Convention 2002 - report by Dominic Batten 36

LOYA(UK) - LOYA News

Annual Report 2001/2002 40

Reports from Institutes 42

BKSIYTA - Teachers' Section

Moderators - Alan Brown 46

Our New Assessment Co-ordinator - Meg Laing 47

Assessment and revalidation infonnation 48

BKSIYTA Executive Committee 50

The front cover

Yoga Jubifee at Application for classes at the RIMYI, Pune 52

Crystal Palace in May

Photo: David Browne

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 Winter 2002

We are delighted to present to you this winter edi­

There is a huge amount of material within and we

Could we take this opportunity to thank very much

Copy deadline for next issue:

Items should be sent to:

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 2

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 3 Winter 2002

Also I noticed one thing, that perhaps the Geetaji: Absolutely.

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 4 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 5 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 6 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yoga News No.2

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 9 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 10 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yo a News No.2 11 Winter 2002

science & philosophy of yoga

Conducting classes for the public Publications

Conducting therapeutic Yoga Classes Scientific research into Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 13 Winter 2002

A guide to pronouncing Sanskrit terms - by Sallie Sullivan

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 14 Winter 2002

Joe Burn takes a close look at Savasana

Currently, a small working group is attempting to come up with proposals for a

What sort of articles would you like to

REPORT FROM TH E UNITY GROUP

Kirsten Agar Ward [email protected]

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 18 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 20 Winter 2002

Suzanne Hasselle-Newcombe analyses the results of

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 21 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yoga ew No.2 22 Winter 2002

Iyengar Yoga News No.2 23

Lorna Walker looks back on the first 50 years

We are delighted to present to you this winter edi