A week of Sankalpa with Abhijata Iyengar

“Sankalpa is an intention formed by the heart and mind—a solemn vow, determination, or will.” ~ IYNAUS Convention, 2023 - Sankalpa: A Yogic Life of Intent

As an online participant at the 2023 IYNAUS Convention held in San Diego, watching the instruction of students by 39-year-old Abhijata Iyengar, it is hard to miss the lessons on Sankalpa emphasizing the heart is at the core of authentic intent. Abhijata is a dedicated Iyengar practitioner who has studied extensively with her grandfather, BKS Iyengar, aunt, Dr. Geeta Iyengar, and uncle, Prashant Iyengar at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India, She teaches from the heart, not the organ of the same name but the energetic field close to it that is cultivated with ongoing abhyasa and vairagya (practice and detachment).

Abhjata teaches so the beauty of yoga can unfolds naturally within each of her students. Prashant Iyengar was interviewed for the convention’s magazine and also taught via satellite during the week-long event to impart his wisdom on the concept of sankalpa from his years of practice under the tutelage of his father, BKS Iyengar, extensive self-study or svadyaya, and extensive research into the ancient texts. One lesson that stood out for me was that sankalpa is considered “His intent” in some philosophical texts, which seemed to separate ego desires from the concept of intent and move it closer to a motivation toward universal truth.

Abhijata’s heart-centered teaching provided deep insights with disarming authenticity. She began her classes by recognizing the systematic and synchronized process of yoga. Explaining how BKS Iyengar associated the 8-limbs of Astanga yoga to “petals of a flower.” There is of course the idea of systematic steps or petals, “Character first, Yama, Niyama, then Asana, and Pranayama […],” etc. However, she explained that what some practitioners may not understand is that BKS also meant that “within each petal is the essence of the whole flower”. If we teach and learn from a list of techniques or “to do’s,” we lose resonance with the needs of the whole student in front of us or within us. Instruction of yoga requires more organic stages of instruction, lending more value to human instruction and interaction over a computerized form.

Asana practiced with the intent of vairagya or detachment, not comparison or competition with a neighbor, enables a holistic cultivation of mind, body, and spirit. Negative self-talk only yields resistance. Abhijata used her graceful sense of humor and explained if she constantly told you what you were doing wrong or complained about you, you wouldn’t want to be around her. The body responds the same way to our negative self-talk. “There are only two things in the universe, Prakriti and Purusha. Prakriti means nature, and Purusha means that sentient being which causes life.” We are both matter and life. Our body will never cooperate if we apply anger. We need to bring about “togetherness,” “helpfulness,” and “kindness” so the animation of every energetic petal of life, which is constantly seeking homeostasis, can blossom.

Abhijata explained, “What yoga does is that it is spreading the intelligence…permeating the intelligence through the body, so what we think is just in one area is all over, but we live in one area.” When the intelligence only resides in one area, it can cause stress or fear; however, the practice of asana helps us spread the intelligence all over, so the focus isn’t concentrated in, say, the knee to solve its pain or tension alone. Every cell in the body is alerted, so the load on the area is dispersed, creating a calmer approach where the entire system works together to ease the stress and reach stability within the configuration of the asana. Pranayama also serves to calm by “irrigating and generating that energy from within.”

Yoga teaches us to “sharpen the nervous system” to shorten the “lag time” between action and response. It teaches us to seamlessly and swiftly act and reflect. Imagine the reduction in regret from when we act without reflecting properly on the consequences of our actions.

Throughout the week, linking categories of asana such as twists to forward bends, Abhijata demonstrated their interconnections. We gained a sentient experience of how intelligence brought to one area of the body expands and enhances range of motion in another. Waking complimentary bone, muscle, tendons, and joints to their ability to serve in what Dr. Geeta Iyengar referred to as the “mobility and stability” in a particular asana.

As with all aspects of yoga the lessons apply on the mat and off it. Expanding our intelligence so we can recognize the interconnectedness of all things in life. Science continues to uncover the interrelationships within the solar system such as the Moon impact on tides and the Sun’s solar flares on the functioning of electrical systems on earth. Of course, there’s also connections between our social systems, economic systems, and political systems to how well countries, cities, communities, neighborhoods, organizations like IYNAUS, families, and individuals are able to survive, thrive, and evolve.

Iyengar Yoga offers somatic and visceral experiences to deepen our understanding of how the sankalpa of one part of an interconnected system can impact the essence of the whole system. Much heartfelt gratitude goes out to Prashant and Abhijata Iyengar for their invaluable contributions to this event and to their tireless work to spread of the art, science, and philosophy of yoga. Many thanks also go out to Gloria Goldberg, President of IYNAUS, Kathleen Quinn, the Convention Chair, and the many volunteers who gave up their participation in classes to make sure other participants online and in-person got their needs addressed on a moment-by-moment basis to facilitate real learning for more students regardless of their level of practice or infirmity. That’s the beauty of Iyengar Yoga. Namaste.

Iyengar National Association of the United States Iyengar Tribute

Celebrating the life of BKS Iyengar and his daughter, Dr. Geeta Iyengar

The Iyengar National Association of the United States or IYNAUS held a five-hour tribute to celebrate the 102nd Birthday of BKS Iyengar and his daughter, Dr. Geeta Iyengar. IYNAUS President Randy Just began with a montage of Dr. Geeta Iyengar under her father's tutelage, BKS Iyengar. He followed with footage of Dr. Geeta Iyengar teaching a rigorous children's class. Anyone who has observed the children's classes at Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, RIMYI in Pune, India, would not be surprised by the rigor. Exploring advanced poses demonstrates how creating the shapes of poses set a solid foundation for preparing the body and mind for more profound work.

The tribute continued with footage of BKS Iyengar’s classes with the adults in the early years. Classes were smaller, and we witnessed the exquisite refinements he addressed in the alignment of the feet, ankles, calves, knees, and thighs up to the palms of the hand, shoulder blades, neck, and head. The detail of instruction would be lost on students with limited training. In the early years, many of the students attending only three-week intensives admitted not fully grasping everything. It is one reason why an 8-year Iyengar training requirement is attached to the prerequisite for RIMYI training. Even then, it is difficult to fully digest and hold the wealth of knowledge imparted by Mr. Iyengar and his legacy.

Later in the event, Amita Bhagat, IYNAUS public relations and social media chair, shared interviews she conducted with many Senior teachers and others who had the opportunity to spend significant time with BKS and Dr. Geeta Iyengar. The stories serve as a rich and fulfilling resource for new students and old. They brought the character and personality of these great teachers to life. BKS Iyengar understood the power of experience and sharing that experience. The stories can serve to touch students at specific points in their life that might mirror those of more senior teachers and learn from them.

Some of the students Amita interviewed went to the Iyengar’s for healing. Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe or participate in the Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics knows what a great act of service and healing this class is for so many who felt their cases were hopeless. David Ufur, a student of some of the original students of BKS Iyengar (such as Mary Palmer, Priscilla Neel, and Susie Vidrih) began his practice in 1974. The help he received on his leg injury kept him on the learning path to this day, which he shares with his Ann Arbor students. Joan White is another long time student. She experienced a severe back injury after a horseback riding incident. The tragedy had the positive effect of pulling BKS Iyengar back to the states after a long hiatus and giving us a glimpse at his dedication to healing and service through yoga. It is what put Joan White on the path of yoga and a commitment to teaching Iyengar Yoga. John Abbott, the former publisher of Yoga Journal, had a knee injury and avoided major surgery due to his work with Mr. Iyengar. He later convinced Mr. Iyengar to be the featured teacher at the Estes Park Yoga Journal Conference. Patricia Walden suffered from depression. Her healing experience kept her returning to Pune so often, she is now the most advanced Iyengar instructor in the United States, with a wealth of learning to share with her students. Laurel Thomas has scoliosis. She is another student whose healing put her on the path to teaching. She sold everything, packed up, and move to Pune to study how to help others with scoliosis experience the healing effects of Iyengar Yoga. Bobby Clennell committed to the path and specialized in supporting women’s issues through Iyengar Yoga, publishing several books adding her illustration skills. After earning her Ph.D., Lois Steinberg left academia to focus on helping people all over the world through Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics.

From their stories and the many others interviewed, we learned how playfulness danced seamlessly with sometimes harsh wisdom and knowledge delivery. However, in every case, the manner of delivery had the distinct purpose of penetrating deeply through the frequently tamasic layers of our being to leave an indelible impression that stays imprinted on the heart of those lucky enough to receive it. Chris Saudek and Anna Delury spoke to how meaningful his strictness and discipline was for their practice, as well as his uncanny knowledge of where students were physically, mentally, and psychologically at any given time. After Mr. Iyengar's passing, it dawned on Anna the importance of her early training and the responsibility she felt to study more to share her experiences with those who never had the opportunity to work with Mr. Iyengar in person.

Patricia shared how the krama or order of teaching asana progressed with the timing of his integration of the Sutras of Patañjali . It highlights the idea of change in general and our resistance to it, which is a lesson in itself. BKS Iyengar, Dr. Geeta Iyengar, Prashant, or Abhijata never seem to resist change. None of the changes I know of that they've endured were easy, but they understood something most of us find very hard to digest. Nothing stays the same.

BKS Iyengar honored the universality of change and developed the krama sequence to educate us on being attuned to it within ourselves. His proprioception was second to none. It penetrated through all of the koshas or sheaths of his body. His total emersion into the minute details of specific parts of his body is what gave him the words to share with us about our tendencies. BKS Iyengar brought light to our oneness, the universal tendencies inherent in human beings. Working and studying by his side, Dr. Geeta Iyengar was able to bring to light the specific tendencies in women that only as a woman could she penetrate and experience. With his musical heart, Prashant continues to explore the universal rhythms of breath and the effects of its subtle shifts and masterful compositions. Their work doesn't change the gifts of BKS Iyengar's work, they enhance it, and Abhijata is bringing her insights, having had all of her relatives as her teachers. She can also offer perspective as a parent and can speak to younger generations of students inundated with diversions, data, and information.

BKS Iyengar went on a human expedition into his own body with the kind of tenacity and vigor that is unfathomable to most of us. It seems appropriate to question, not just to be told what to do, but to embody why BKS Iyengar experienced it and explained it the way he did. To ask ourselves why Dr. Geeta Iyengar developed a practice specific to the cycles of a woman's life and why Prashant has written volumes to encourage a deeper understanding of the power of our breath. To question our understanding of their lessons is our way of exploring the path that BKS Iyengar continues to shine a bright light on for us.

Embodying and respecting the changes within and around us with grace and gratitude is a big yoga lesson. It's not an easy one by any means, but we have so many great examples of how to do it with the Iyengar's and the many great instructors who share Iyengar Yoga to all parts of the world with dedication and service.

Scott Hobbs, Mary Obendorfer & Eddy Marks shared some great insights and stories about the process of learning to teach Iyengar Yoga. Scott spoke about the early years of Mr. Iyengar assessing and formulating the RIMYI, and arguably the most rigorous teaching curriculum for yoga instructors. Eddie encouraged students to exhaust the numerous resources now available. He said Guruji (what his students call him nowadays, from the root Guru or giver of light) became more transparent and natural in his experience of him. "The process of spirituality is not a process of addition, it is a process of subtraction," Eddie explained. Mary added that it is about removing layers and getting to the essence of who we are. She recalled something Guruji said that "yoga is an emotional subject." While Iyengar Yoga is very precise and the details can seem unending, coupled with how accessible he's made yoga with all the therapeutics, etc., what it all comes down to is, "the practice of yoga opens you to yourself." She summed it up by saying, "At heart, it's about the heart."

Namaste.

Thank you, IYNAUS, for sharing your tribute with us all, and Amita and all of the interviewees, thank you for sharing your beautiful stories. Special thanks to BKS Iyengar and the entire Iyengar Family —and extended family. 

The Belle of Bellur: Four Days of Gratitude with Abhijata Iyengar - Day 4

Celebrating BKS Iyengar’s birthday From the soil of his birth and in Bellur, India, and supporting his dream through the Bellur Trust  is a gesture. His granddaughter, Abhijata Sridha Iyengar expressed the emotions of love, respect, and reverence, all of those who have been touched by his work felt. We wanted to honor his birthday whether we ever got a chance to meet him in person or not. His energy is still very present. His life’s work continues to make it possible for people from all walks of life to experience the transformation of yoga.

Many refer to him as Guruji. It is from the word guru or bringer of light. It is very fitting for someone who put yoga into a language the modern world could understand —regardless of country, class, race, gender, age, or physical abilities or limitation. “Access” is a term we hear a lot relevant these days, and Guruji sought to find ways to offering any willing students access to the transformation of yoga.

Since its origins somewhere between the fifth and third centuries BCE, yoga has evolved and been packaged in innumerable ways. Diving into its depths is a daunting task, which is why BKS Iyengar’s work is such a gift. Anyone who has had the opportunity to observe or assist in the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) therapy classes located in Pune, Maharashtra, has witnessed the healing powers of his work. It is why he has students from all over the globe. It’s not that he thought himself god-like as so many with his kind of influence tend to think of themselves. He worked, played, lived, and breathed yoga with the highest integrity any man can have. He gave us a learning method that aligns and connects us, mind, and body, because he knew once that happens, the yoga can do the yoga.

Tamas - inert, dull

Rajas - fire, dynamic

Sattvic - luminosity

There are three qualities of nature or Gunas: Tamas, solidity, Rajas, dynamism, Sattva, luminosity. They are ever-present and changing throughout nature and life. Abhijata brought awareness of the Gunas and the transformative power of yoga in her final class. She began and ended with a Savasana or corpse pose. She pointed out the vast difference of experience between the two asana. For some of us, it was very early morning; for some, after lunch, others, it was evening. Time, place, weather, level of study all affect the experience. Abhijata highlighted the Sutra of Sage Patanjali, which BKS Iyengar transcribes as “Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached.”

II.47 prayatna shaithilya ananta samapattibhyam

Beginners may experience a generalized dullness, which is why Iyengar Yoga emphasizes standing poses in early training. They wake up the body. In Utthita Hasta Padasana, extended hands and legs pose, Abhijata taught with instructions such as lift the kneecaps and thighs and extend the arms from the sternum: the right sternum out to the fingertips and left sternum to the fingertips. Clear actions required the body and mind to engage progressively from the outer skin inwards to our muscles, bones, and nerves. The tamasic dullness moved into a more rajasic active state. Asana in an Iyengar class require intense focus and effort. Repetition allows that focus and effort to evolve. When we can better align and connect the mind and body, we move into another stage, a more rhythmic flow of effort, and a less effortful luminous state. These qualities of dullness, activity, and luminosity cycle within and around us day-to-day, moment-by-moment, class to class, asana to asana. With continuous practice, we can mindfully utilize these qualities of nature. When we need rajas, we can call upon it. When we are angry or agitated and we need to pause, we can call upon tamas. The harmony or balance of the two is sattva, so it is the more luminous state. We can learn to calibrate ourselves to adjust to inward changes or help us deal with outward changes in our environment.

In class, Abhijata generated rajas after the first few asana. She paused less between the asana, the rigor and intensity forced focused effort and then we experienced asana from the beginning of class again, now the effort was less effortful, the rigor and repetition transformed the body and mind, so by the time we got to Savasana, corpse pose for the second time, we were now acutely present with our legs, feet, ankles, thighs, hips, abdomen, chest, arms, neck, head, ears, eyes, mouth, nose and breath. We could actively surrender to earth from which we came and with it perhaps more conscious gratitude towards the man who helped us get there.

Iyengar Yoga is an experience not to be missed.

Thank you, Abhijata, for your willingness, your time, effort, and insight; Kishore for all of your patience and support; all of the panelists for demonstrating the poses and the many prop alternatives in the Iyengar repertory to address specific issues. I am grateful to you all. None of this could be possible without the birth of BKS Iyengar. Our continued experience, learning, and sharing of Iyengar Yoga can give him many happy returns.

Namaste.

A Workshop On Transitions with Bobby Clennell - Part 2

“Yoga is a gift for old age. One who takes to Yoga when old gains not only health and happiness but also freshness of mind, since Yoga gives one a bright outlook on life and one can look forward to a happier future rather than looking back into a past which has already entered into darkness.”

~ Geeta Iyengar, Yoga, A Gem For Women

Bobby Clennell’s Workshop on Menopause continued last weekend with a focus on Uttistha Paschima Pratana Sthiti, or standing forward bends and Viparita Sthiti or inversions. In Uttistha Paschima Pratana Sthiti, standing forward bends, and Paschima Pratana Sthiti, or seated forward bends, the heart is positioned to soothe the nerves to bring quiet and calm to the body. When supported correctly for a woman’s level of practice and her cycle in life, it becomes a quieting position and serves to help her recover from fatigue. Bobby half-jokingly said when women come to class at the end of the day, you can pretty much bet they are tired.

To prepare for forward bends, we did supported extensions like arching over a high cross bolster set up where the pelvis is at the apex, legs in Baddha Konasana, crown of the head on the floor, and a rolled blanket for the neck —- it offered such a release from stem to stern that this practitioner could have stayed in it the rest of class.

As with all Iyengar poses, there are many variations to accommodate issues like lower back (lift the legs and feet) or depression (make the chest the apex). The pose mentioned earlier, along with Supta Virasana, extends the abdomen, helps the adrenals, and prepares the body for forward bends. Another action these poses facilitate is sliding the tailbone forward, which positions the pelvis and its contents into an important alignment for women.

While we experienced the poses, Bobby educated us on the Ayurvedic view on menopause. In supporting women during this time, Ayurveda seeks to balance the three Doshas, which are the energetic constitutions of a body and can also be applied to the cycles of a woman’s life. The basic Doshas are Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. Kapha is considered the beginning of life; Pitta is more about the time of pushing, striving, moving, and attaining — “being a householder”. The end part of your life is Vata, which is attributed to the element of wind and said to be a time of wandering in the forest.

When a woman is 45 or over, healthy menopause begins with skipping periods; then once she has stopped her period for a full year, she is in menopause. Bobby recommends giving it more than a year to be certain. She explained that in the Ayurvedic view, menopause is the transition for women from the Pitta to Vata time of life. During the Vata period, insomnia, dryness, indecisiveness, and mental decline. However, it’s also a time of great wisdom as we have experienced with some of our teachers like Bobby.

The Ayurvedic system describes various Dosha imbalances that can occur during the transition time for women. Women may experience a Vata imbalance, which can bring on emotional upset. Pitta imbalances bring hot flashes and night sweats (both of which can be very disruptive). It can bring an estrogen dominance pattern of more or heavier periods. There can also be personality changes in Pitta imbalances that can bring about a fighting spirit enough to destroy relationships. A Kapha imbalance brings about a significant amount of weight gain, lower metabolism, and fluid retention. Yoga and Ayurveda offer ways to bring these imbalances back into balance.

“Older women walk a tight rope between working hard and accepting limitations.” ~ Geeta Iyengar

In Yoga, it is essential to learn to practice simple poses without being goal oriented during this transition. Bobby offered the quote to let us know what many of us (Bobby included) are struggling with, and yet it is this struggle that brings us to a more focused place in our practice. In several of the standing forward bends it is beneficial that the toes turn slightly inward to turn the thighs in, relax the groins, and create a natural concavity in the lower abdomen.

The ever-present, Adho Mukha Svansana, downward dog takes on a starring role during menopause. It has benefits in controlling migraines when done between episodes — especially if they are hormone-related. The pose also helps to balance hormones, ease brain fatigue, and open the chest to strengthen the area that is now more susceptible to colds.

“You are still a cyclic creature.”

A very memorable message, if my memory serves, is Bobby reminding women in post menopause, “you are still a cyclic creature.” She went on to explain that day and night, the seasons, and planetary movements are examples of cycles that we share with men. However, we have cycles unique to women because of our hormones. While Iyengar women practitioners are accustomed to doing mentrual and restorative practive to honor the menstruating cycle, Bobby encouraged post menopausal women to continue to honor these cycles by doing a restorative sequence, or the menstral sequence (no inversions) once a month — perhaps using the cycles of the moon as a guide.

The inversions during the workshop followed a post menopausal sequence for the most part, and began with preparations like supported Prasarita Padottanasana, or wide spread leg pose. The head is down on a blanket, raised to the level needed, elbows pressed outward into the inner knees to align any misalignments that could have happened over the years (estrogen makes the ligaments soften, which can cause things like over stretching or a knock knee type of situation). After other inversions, we double bound a block in our upper thigh and went up into Sirsasana, or head stand. This binding is seen in Iyengar Therapeutics in their remedial classes in Pune. It has therapeutic effects for various injuries. For women, the bind helps strengthen the pelvic floor and bring hope for incontinence and any prolapse issues. Niralamba series, or unsupported shoulder stand, from a chair at the wall offer great support for women in and after transition. Bobby listed the many benefits of inversions as outlined by the Iyengar’s: “Inversion balance the hormones, which is connected to bone density, the mineral loss from bones is checked- tone and balance the uterus, they balance the endocrine, lymphatic, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, lymphatic, urinary, excretory, and central nervous system. They eleviate constipation and hemorrhoids, as well as keep the body warm. “They are the pillars of our practice,” she added.

The weekend closed another segment of Bobby’s six part series leaving us with even more shiny wisdoms and poses to put into our practice and share with our female students, who like us are growing more aware of just how much The Iyengar Family has done to make sure Iyengar Yoga supports us no matter where we are in the cycle of life.

Thank you Bobby Clennell, and all of her hosts at Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics, and The Iyengar Family for continuing to share your wisdom with us.

Please note any information shared here is based on my recollection and interpretation of the workshop. I encourage women to get with their Certified Iyengar instructors, Bobby Clennell, or The Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States, IYNAUS to learn more.

Wisdom is a Simple Shift from External to Eternal

The first expression of viveka विवेक, or "wisdom" is ‘I am suffering’. ~Edwin Bryant Professor of Religions of India at Rutgers University on The Wisdom Samskara.

In one of Edwin Bryant’s many talks, he tells us that the definition of asana is seat. In the West, asana is predominately our idea of yoga. The postural practice helps to train our being to sit steadily (sthira) and comfortably (sukham) and begin to learn to still our busy mind.

Bryant has studied ancient texts of India extensively and imparts to me the vast breadth and depth of this life path. These texts are far more than our “Greco-Roman” neurology can ever hope to comprehend completely or any “modern consumer society” for that matter. 

However, personally, what I am most grateful for is my experience that I do not have to understand it all. I have realized I simply have to choose to practice. Benefits reveal themselves.

My understanding of BKS Iyengar’s method of teaching yoga are that the benefits of an asana practice alone bring the inner most part of ourself and its uncanny knowing to the surface. It nudges us to continue and go deeper. As we practice more, the path of Patañjali’s yoga, which is 8-limbed, clears the lens of our being. The inner most part of us can then look outwards with more clarity and see how we have been existing.

It shows us that our existence has been veiled in an addictive cycle. As Bryant explains in this talk, we get trapped in “If” and “when” statements: If I get my degree. If I get that job. When I make more money. When I get that house and that car. When I get promoted. When I connect with that perfect orgasmic other. Then I will be fulfilled and no longer suffer. 

But fulfillment never comes.  

The external is random, ever-changing, and precarious. We see we are suffering and we’ve been chasing the unattainable. We can’t unsee that. BKS Iyengar’s commentary on sutras relative to viveka in Light On The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali tell us, “Wisdom does not function in duality. It perceives only oneness.” Once viveka takes hold our internal radar directs us further away from the shackles of impermanence naturally —towards the eternal part in all of us. Perhaps that is why Mr. Iyengar is so often quoted as saying, “Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” Bryant explains we may take detours, think we can go back to the external carrot chase for lifetimes, but once viveka or wisdom imprints on our brain creating a Samskara (impression) it can not be erased.

by Rhonda Geraci