Yogarosa Blog

Remembering Geeta Iyengar on the first year anniversary of her passing... My first encounter with Geetaji was at Guruji’s 80th Birthday. It was my first time in India, and actually my first time traveling by myself without my family. I was very much a beginner, and had never heard of her. I had only heard about BKS Iyengar. On the first day, I was in the back of the class, and for those of you that were there, you may remember the venue was put together last minute because of flooding at the original venue. The yoga hall was built beautifully on the grounds of a place named Ambrosia. My mat ended up on an uneven surface caused by the root of a tree. Guruji was teaching Tadasana, and he said something about the foot I didn’t understand, so I stood up on my tippy toes to get a glimpse of the screen, which I could barely see above the tall man’s head in front of me. While I was on my toes, Geeta caught me. I quickly learned that in this place you are being watched ALL th...

Day 3 RIMYI Teachers Programme Pune, India Prashantji AM class What is the education in the prayer? Education begins right now, if you want to learn. Education is possible even without learning. Someone does not need to be learning to get an education. When you start to settle down for prayers, get your education with great awareness. How is the breath moving? With Yoga Software, the body and mind come together. Start with your breath in getting prepared moment by moment. Getting educated is more important than learning. If you don’t like the teacher, you won’t learn. Your awareness of the: -breath  -mind -body -embodiment -you  -yours Don’t just be aware of your breath. Your breath also has awareness. Like a “gastroscopy”. A camera goes in revealing everything in you. Everything on the monitor, “alimentic” canal, food pipe, as it goes, you see how everything is working. The breath has a “scopic” head. What interactions are taking place? How...

Day 1 RIMYI a Teachers Programme Pune, India Iyengar Yoga Teachers who mentor students from around the world were invited to this special program December 7-15. It took place at the private club PYC Hindy Gymkhana in Pune. The program will be very full, and we were asked not to schedule appointments during this event, as most days would begin in the morning and end in the evening. As we were awaiting Prashant, Abhijata asked us if we were jetlagged. We all said yes. She asked if we wanted her to teach a 5 minute class. We laughed. She said, no I’m serious, Parsva Swastikasana, Twist to the right! Open eyes. Open the outer corners of the eyes and look up, roll the right shoulder back! Uttanasana same Sirsasana head placement. Recover! Stand up. Padmasana right leg up. As many started to sit down, she said, no, standing! Now you will not be sleepy! Wake up! Eyes at the horizon level. Paschimottanasana Namaskarasana open the chest!! Sit down.  After we gr...

If you know what Supta Baddhakonasana is, and the effect, recall how you feel in class when the teacher announces it in class. In my 20+ years of teaching, it is the second Sanskrit name of a pose my students recall (first one is Savasana!) So imagine how I felt this morning, when I arrived for Prashant’s class, and the thick black cushioned mats were out instead of our regular sticky mats. That could only mean one thing. Restorative and pranayama class. YES!! It’s just what the doctor recommended. After I settled into my space with my pranayama pillows and blankets, I embarked on a Prashant expedition.  We started with rope Sirsasana or supine poses. Our choice of supine poses. (When I have a choice, I find myself asking , body, which one do you need?) Since I had extra blankets and pranayama pillows, I gave some away to share with some of the latecomers, as sometimes the props are not enough for all. It is expected for those who need less props to practice aparigrahah (non ...

“Abhijata, I’m recovering from having a very bad cold for 5 days. Shall I take the class today or observe?” She answered me, It’s up to you. You decide. I’ll do what I can and see how it goes. I was excited she didn’t say no, but already exhausted from walking to the venue, I knew I had to pace myself. When Raya started teaching the class, I realized I had set myself up right under the fan. Ugh. Blanket around my shoulders. Problem solved temporarily. Raya started to say we were doing standing poses, so ladies on their period and those not well could use the wall. My chance to find a fan less wall. Lucky for me there was space on a column. Never mind my back would be to the stage. I’ll make it work. Prasarita Padottanasana. Ok. Don’t need the wall for that. Already out of breath and we haven’t even started. Why are people so slow in getting a wall? Ok standing poses against the wall. Vriksasana, Trikonasana, Parsva Konasana, Ardha Chandrasana. Body happy to be moving, grateful for th...

FOMO Fear of missing out is a real thing. Have you ever thought that you wish you had done something that you didn’t, or you went somewhere that you really didn’t want to go to, but didn’t want to miss out? I have been home sick with a very bad cold since Thursday. (5 days). 5 days at home would be inconvenient, but 5 days in India is a different story. Coming from Miami to Pune to study for a month with the best teachers in the world is a big huge treat for many of us. Missing 5 full days is a travesty. Each day, each moment, each class, is filled with learning that is spilled on us so fast, that the learning really comes later on during practice and contemplation. We are really exposed to the teachings here, not everything is absorbed or understood right away.  Part of the adventure of traveling, is that we are exposed to bugs that our bodies may not know. Having been couched and sneezed on pretty much all of last week with nowhere to hide, I caught a very bad cold that...

Saturday Geeta’s Class Sequence  Adho Mukha Virasana Adho Mukha Svanasana  Half did Supta Padangusthasana with the belt, the others did Utthita Hastasana padangusthasana with wall support We started with the top leg at 90degrees so that we could move the hip down. We were to move the buttocks down and middle buttocks in. Lengthen the sides of the trunk. Second time set up the hip properly with leg at 90, then raise leg without losing the hip. Half did Parsva Supta Padangusthasana with belt, the others did Parsva Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana with wall support  Start with leg at 90 degrees to acquire proper action of the buttocks. Second time set up hip at 90, then raise leg without losing the proper actions. There was a woman doing Parsva Supta Padangusthasana who had a hip replacement. Geetaji had us watch. She was bringing the foot up in line with the shoulder (as many of us have been taught), and she showed us how the pelvis goes wrong. Sh...

Prashant always tells us that he does not teach postures. That yoga can’t be taught. We need to discover our own inner guru. When we take a pose, and then stay in it, we are to observe all the processes taking place. Mind to breath, breath to body, body to mind. He guides us using various poses to observe what is happening on the inside. Repeating to exhale further and further, and to evacuate the mind, evacuate the breath, evacuate the senses, has an effect in us. Even just taking a breath creates chemical changes in us. This is what he is helping us to see rather than just doing and doing, adjusting and readjusting.  We come to RIMYI to learn. Most teachers want to have students come to him. He smirked today while telling us that he never told anyone to take yoga from him. That most teachers get sad if their students go away. He laughed as he told us that if all his students went away he would be very happy.  Prashant teaches us not to practice yogA, which is...

Geetaji’s Ladies Class  July 11, 9:30-11:45am When Geetaji arrives, she finds her seat and sits straight despite her age and ailments. She is sharp, witty, direct, and seems omniscient in the way she can detect students problems and foresee future problems. She is catching us in our mistakes, and our lack of understanding in the poses. She rightly gets frustrated that some basic points have not been understood, so she clearly points out how to improve. She sees the missing links. And not only reinforces them, drives them into us sometimes with a loud voice, sometimes by explaining the damaging effects of improper actions. She cares so much for our wellbeing, that she hammers into our heads what we are supposed to be doing, and doesn’t let us off the hook until we do it. At least she says “ok some of them are doing.” And for a moment she seems satisfied.  Today she spotted a young woman (in the back of the room) and asked her to come to the front. She asked her what...

Monday July 9 Prashant’s Class 7-9am Adho Mukha Svanasana Baddangulyasana in Tadasana Sirsasana, Rope Sirsasana or Setu Bandha with brick  Bharadvajasana  Upavistha Konasana Marichyasana 3 Ardha Matsyendrasana Ropes 1 Sarvangasana, Viparita Karani, or Janu Sirsasana Savasana  In today’s class, Prashant was guiding us into understanding the difference between doing a pose, staying in a pose, and being in a pose. He compared it to being in a relationship. When you are dating, if you will spend a short period of time together, you will be a certain way. The more time you spend together the better you get to know someone. If you get married, and you have to spend the rest of your life together, then too, you will be a certain way. He joked about only being able to stand him for two hours in class. If we had to spend more time with him, we may not want to, because we may think there’s only so much we can take of Prashant. (I wonder if he knows ...