FROM THE EDITORS IY(UK) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY. Don t Forget To renew your membership if you haven t already done so.

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1 May 2015 FROM THE EDITORS Dear Members Now is the time for rejuvenation and renewal and as the days lengthen and grow lighter and warmer we can incorporate this spirit into our yoga. Perhaps now is the time to break some of those ingrained habits in our practice and classes or to challenge ourselves to try some less familiar poses. With this in mind we have an exciting workshop being held in July. There is also a selection of articles reflecting on past events as well as contributions from a diverse section of our supremely valued members. Enjoy! Namaste Hazel and Mira Don t Forget To renew your membership if you haven t already done so Yoga WORKSHOP IN JULY WITH DARREN BLOOM Saturday 18 July pm pm Venue: St. Mary s Church Hall, 12 Compton Avenue, Goring by Sea, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4UJ 12 IIYS members 18 non-members Please Note: This is not an equipped yoga venue so please bring a mat, two blankets four foam blocks one belt and two wooden/cork blocks. If you do not have a set of equipment please ask when booking as some members may be able to bring extra or you can purchase a yoga kit from IIYS at the event. Darren is a well established Intermediate Junior III Teacher, who moved to live in Worthing two years ago from North London. He first tried a yoga class because of debilitating back and hip pain. After exploring different types of yoga he focused his efforts with the Iyengar method due to its attention to body alignment and BKS Iyengar s unique approach to remedial work. Darren teaches by paying attention to detail, his classes are enjoyable and satisfying. His students appreciate his passion for deeper knowledge and the understanding of how bodies work and can heal through yoga. IY(UK) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY Sunday 8th November am pm Venue: The Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3XZ Cost 24 (Full Day Attendance Only - No refunds) Please Note: PD Days are for fully qualified, paid up Teacher members of the IY(UK) Ltd. They are not suitable for trainee teachers. Teachers will not be required to teach at this 2015 PD day. Booking: Please book by 30th September 2015 Advanced booking necessary. Please bring all your yoga equipment including a pranayama pillow and bolster if you have them. SEE BACK PAGES FOR APPLICATION FORMS OR VISIT For Qualified Iyengar Yoga Teachers PD Days are facilitated by a Moderator and are intended to be enjoyable, inspiring and informative. The day will provide you with an opportunity to deepen your personal practice of Pranayama. The purpose of the day is to enable you to confidently teach and practice this important fourth limb of Yoga. Moderator: Brenda Booth Topic: Pranayama

2 TALES FROM INDIA Pune August 2014 It was with a mixture of anticipation, trepidation and immense excitement that Hazel and I embarked on our month at the Ramamani Institute in Pune last August. The first week proved to be a real challenge; adjusting to the Institute whilst battling daily against the constant damp deluge of the monsoon, the polluted pavements dotted with the odd dead rat, the dirt, the perpetual pandemonium of India alongside its beauty, vibrant colours and the gentle kindness of its people. What a lot to take in! What a land of extreme contrasts! That first week we were blessed to be greeted by BKS Iyengar, sitting upright outside his front door which is directly opposite and in very close proximity to the Institute. He looked frail but there was still a radiant light in his eyes. Thereafter he became rapidly weaker although he still requested to be placed at the entrance to the Institute in order to be closer to his students. Guided by this presence, Hazel and I gradually started to settle into our daily routine and enjoy the richness of the experience and the incredible teaching at the Institute. Neither of us could have foreseen that such a great man would pass away on the 20th August. That day left a deep impression on us both. Once we heard the news, we went to the Institute unsure what to do. Even by Indian standards there was a large crowd, many dressed in traditional white, the family seated outside the house. People were pouring in from far and wide: the young, the old, the sick, state dignitaries, locals and villagers, so many whose lives had been touched. The worldwide media swarmed. We were directed to go into the house and there lay BKS Iyengar, spread out on a simple rush mat, covered with flowers in white robes. So unexpected. Then followed a traditional Hindu puja ceremony as people kept arriving in a huge outpouring of love and respect. The sun shone brightly all day. That afternoon we all went in rickshaws and taxis to the crematorium by the river and watched as his body was burnt. We were both struck by how differently death is dealt with in India. As an integral part of life, not something to be dreaded, feared and avoided at all costs. Later at dusk, as we tried to absorb the events of the day, we were enveloped by the most spectacular sunset, the entire sky glowed golden, ablaze with radiant light. This was then followed by a truly phenomenal electrical storm which lasted for hours. Nature s fitting tribute to a great man who shone such an illuminating light into so many lives and the world. Mira Shirley Balewadi December 1st to 10th 2014 When Guruji became unwell in the summer of 2014, planning had begun for Gita s 70th birthday course due to take place in December. He insisted that it should go ahead whatever happened to him. So after he passed away in August, Gita was duty-bound to carry out his wishes, as she explained to the participants during the course. Ali Hahlo, Cathy Rogers-Evans and I were lucky enough to be able to attend. It felt like a family affair. But you might wonder how a gathering of more than 1500 people from 57 countries in a huge windowless sports hall could feel intimate, personal and at times intensely moving. Banners with the silhouette of Guruji in Tadasana hung from balconies and roof; great black and white close-up photos of his face, of his feet, of his hand in pranayama mudra adorned the walls. His presence was felt around and above us, everywhere. People constantly caught themselves speaking of him in the present tense. Then Gita overwhelmed us with her opening words: she spoke of feeling alone, of her grief at her loss. She asked us to remember Guruji and remember his teaching aright, invoking memory which is one of the fluctuations of the mind, but which used properly is a non-painful, yogic state of mind. She opened her heart to us, and then over the ten days she showed us how to open our hearts. She showed us how to keep the chest spread in all types of asana, to use props to the dorsal spine, to adjust our back and front chest in pranayama; all aiming at opening the physical, physiological and emotional heart centre. Because the rule for attending was only 3 years of practice, there were a lot of young students, sometimes with quite a basic knowledge of the subject. Much of the time it seemed that Gita s aim was to bring them on, to give as much as they could absorb. Like Guruji she has a great love for children. She said that the youngsters in her family felt like her children. At Balewadi everyone I spoke to had felt at one moment or another, a personal connection as if she was speaking directly to them. She has recently been awarded the title of Jijamata Puraskar, (mother of Shivaji the Maratha Emperor) which is given to mothers who bring up sons valuable to society. Gita said of the award I do not belong to the category of mother as such, but still my family is a rather larger one. For the world-wide Iyengar yoga community she is our yoga mother. Sallie Sullivan

3 A DAY OF YOGA WITH ALARIC NEWCOMBE The workshop was held on February 25th, 2015 at Community Base in the heart of Brighton. Alaric based his workshop around his understanding of chapter 12 of Prashant Iyengar s book Alpha and Omega of Trikonasana,which was a noble and worthwhile endeavour. Prashantji explains that we should re-read and try to understand this particular section and says it is of critical importance. The practical work with Alaric was straight forward and definitely deepened our understanding of kriya and mudra in yogasana. In the afternoon session we worked on refining our digital pranayama techniques with the help of small elastic bands for our fingers. This is the smallest of all yoga props and they worked a treat! Alaric s thoughtful teaching was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Randall Evans

4 A DAY OF YOGA WITH ALARIC NEWCOMBE Assessment Passes Congratulations go to IIYS member Sarah Dewsbury on successfully gaining her Introductory Level 2 Teacher Certificate and also to Ali Hahlo and Randall Evans on passing their Intermediate Junior Level 3 recently. IYENGAR YOGA IN OUR LIVES...inspired a poem from Sara Calder-Jones Ode to the Asanas My perfect yoga day My asanas, my asanas, my daily asanas Yoga in a handy carry pack It s taken a while for the light to shine, My handy Iyengar carry pack with me all the time. Tis me, tis I tis me, myself I Out of bed with an Urdhva Hastasana A quick Uttanasana gets the socks on just fine. Kettle s a boiling, time for Gomukhasana Chai s a brewing for Padangusthasana A queue at the shops, no irritation for me, It s Tadasana, I just hope no one else can see! Walking the dog, sea air to breathe in Pranayama, chest lifted - stretch every limb. A quick clean of the floors, dustpan in hand, Prasarita Padottanasana yes I agree, yoga mad! Fantastic so far, but work s in the way! Round shouldered, computer slump for the rest of the day. A few more stretches when dinner s cooking, A quick glass of wine, while no one s looking. Ahh and so to bed at the end of the day, And Savasana helps sleep on its way! Alas, I awake and guess what it s been? Yes you ve got it all in my dream! Ha! Namaste...inspired insightfulness from Sarah Dewsbury So far I have found Iyengar Yoga has been a very gently enlightening process. It has helped me in my professional work as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in creating a different kind of internal space from which to work from. It has also helped me reduce the anxiety that can be taken on by my body. It is a kind of unconscious guiding light....inspired a few words in defiance from Hazel Johnstone! Words cannot convey the value of yoga - it has to be experienced - BKS Iyengar Challenging, life affirming, reassuring, comforting, Systematic, limitless, guiding, enriching, Companionship, community, evolving, discipline, Acceptance, bliss.

5 IYENGAR YOGA IN OUR LIVES...inspired a yoga journey by Jenny Deadman Jenny Deadman was a contributor to a community talk on the subject of Mr. Iyengar recently and has kindly shared her musings. I have abridged due to lack of space but I think you will agree that this gives a fascinating window to the beginnings of Iyengar yoga in Sussex and the personal influence of Mr. Iyengar on Jenny s story. Here she gives a brief outline of her yoga journey. Having eloquently given a biography of Mr. Iyengar and his method, Jenny continued with a brief history of his introduction of Iyengar yoga to England and Brighton..(Editor) The sixties, Iyengar yoga really arrived in Britain. up till this point there had been only a few teachers leading yoga classes in England, mainly women who taught gentle league of health and beauty type of yoga asanas in stockinged feet. The British public in the West was not by and large ready for a barefooted, rigorous, ethnically Indian yoga teacher in shorts. However the sixties was a decade of radical change and by 1963 his visits to England had become regular annual teaching trips, and Mr. Iyengar taught 70 pupils in London and 20 in Brighton. In 1969 the Inner London Education Authority approved Iyengar Yoga in their curriculum, on the understanding that no Hindu philosophy would be taught. And in the same year, in Brighton, Helena Thomas opened the first dedicated Iyengar yoga centre in the UK. The building was officially opened by Mr. Iyengar himself in a ceremony of dedication in I was introduced to Helena Thomas s yoga institute in Brighton by a friend and fellow student in In the room you first entered there were very dignified photographs of Guruji and a pair of his revered sandals in a little niche, so clearly he was very special. Upstairs was the practice room and at the top of the building a room for meditation. The institute was an immaculate purpose designed yoga centre and I remember Helena Thomas as an exacting and perceptive teacher. From my very first lesson I knew this was for me, the imprint that Helena s teaching made on me was unforgettable. She had first encountered Mr. Iyengar through Yehudi Menuhin who introduced him as his Guru. Helena Thomas was suffering such bad pain with arthritis that she had been invalided out of the civil service, and when she was offered the last place in last class of that year s visit, she backed down, but she began to practice what she had been taught in the lecture demonstration she learned to breathe and set about getting my ribs off my spine where they were stuck. On his next visit she found herself placed in a headstand and to quote when he put me down again I felt completely re-charged and the agony had gone out of my spine. Progress had begun. Her centre opened in The benefactor was a famous actor named Nigel Green, also a student of Guruji. Mr. Iyengar came in person in 1971 to perform the opening and dedication ceremony at the new yoga institute in Bristol Gardens, Kemptown. The Yoga centre closed in the early eighties. Mr. Iyengar made several visits to Brighton after that, I remember being in his class at the Wagner Hall in West Street, and at the lecture at The Brighthelm Centre in North Road, and there are photographs of him walking on Brighton Beach and enjoying a picnic at Nymans Gardens with Rayner Curtis a much loved local teacher who many of you may remember. Another well loved local teacher, indeed my teacher for a year or two, Jonathan Hinden had these things to say about the class at the Wagner Hall. One struggling student told Mr Iyengar that he was trying, whereupon Mr. Iyengar said What is this trying, either you do, or you do not do and to another who was having difficulty in a standing pose How can you expect to control your mind if you cannot even control your knees And of Jonathan s wife he commented here is a woman with no neck. He could be pretty confrontational. I remember the class well, I can still remember how my legs were trembling as we walked out at the end of the class. Later I studied with Silva Mehta, a wonderful teacher and author, one of Mr. Iyengar s most dedicated and well known early teachers. She was running a large ILEA teacher training class in Paddington, and then, with a group from Manchester, I went to Pune for a month long intensive in The institute had opened the previous year and this must have been one of the first intensives to be held there. We were in class for roughly 5 or 6 hours a day, morning and evening, and I have the impression that when you were being taught by Mr Iyengar you constantly did things you had never known you could do, such was his confidence, his power of observation and the quality of his energy. We were guided and lead and Stamped with the impression of the poses. I also remember Mr. Iyengar himself preventing me from trying hanumanasana or splits on the ropes in our personal practice time, which was sound advice as he could see that I would probably have torn a ligament. He was tough and he could be funny, he was very serious and he brought out and indeed demanded you give of your best. He was in my opinion, spot on in his observations. His English was a bit unclear at times; you had to get used to language and invented terms. For example he coined the term the chip of the knee because of a statue which had been chipped on the outer corner of its knee. One put up with a bit of bafflement. When the teachers association was formed later that year, in 1977, I was given an Introductory teacher certificate by my teacher, Silva Mehta, it was signed by Mr. Iyengar and at that point I began my teaching career. The Brighton Natural Health Centre opened a few years later in 1982 and I started to teach a Saturday morning class drop in with Mr. Iyengar s early student, Rayner Curtis. (Continuing to this day! Ed). I went back to Pune in 1998 for Mr. Iyengar s 80th birthday where he taught a large and impressive international group of students and I returned again in 2002 for a month long intensive. By then his son and daughter were doing most of the teaching, with frequent interruptions from the back. Mr. Iyengar was there in the

6 practice room with us every morning doing his own practice surrounded by his students. I got there a few days late and seeing a space in the corner that was not taken I chose it for my own. I soon discovered it was his spot, but he did not seem to mind me being there, I just moved over a few inches and got on with it. BKS Iyengar s impact and influence had slowly and gradually grown, his sickly adolescent body transformed by dint of intense determination and clarity of purpose. It appears he had been preparing himself for the moments when the time was right and opportunities would arise to communicate his teaching to a wider and greater audience, progressing gradually and inexorably forwards until the light of his personality was able to bring his yoga to the peak it finally reached and the accolades it eventually gained, worldwide recognition and the establishment of a system of teaching that has influenced millions, certainly everyone in the yoga world. I am sad that he has died but incredibly grateful for what he brought to us in his lifetime. Yoga teachings with devki desai In October and a blustery and rainy Brighton - we were extremely fortunate to be visited by Devki Desai, a direct disciple of Mr BKS Iyengar and a teacher at RIMYI Pune since The teaching was spread over 4 afternoon and evening sessions on 2 weekdays enabling members to attend around their busy life schedules. Those who attended were rewarded with highly motivational teaching taking them beyond their own perceptions of limitation. Sallie and Devki on Brighton seafront

7 NOTICE BOARD EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Members Prices Foam Blocks (up to 10) 3.50 Mats: Thick Mats: Thin Belts 3.50 Cork Bricks 6.50 To purchase contact Jenny Deadman, on Non-Members Prices Foam Blocks 4.00 Mats: Thick Mats: Thin Belts 4.00 Cork Bricks 7.50 We are always interested in any archive material or memories of days past. ALSO THE IY(UK) ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A NATIONAL ARCHIVE AND WOULD ALWAYS BE INTERESTED TO HEAR OR SEE ANY RELEVANT MATERIAL. USEFUL WEB LINKS Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex (IIYS): Please visit our site for up-to-date IIYS event information and membership details. The Iyengar Yoga UK IY (UK): The Official BKS Iyengar website: For classes visit: Brighton & Hove Yoga: Lewes Yoga: The Brighton Natural Health Centre: Just Yoga, Worthing: Honorary member Mike Bliss also has a site with a yoga page: THE FINAL WORD We welcome any comments, contributions and articles relating to Iyengar Yoga in Sussex - reflections on workshops, classes, poems, photos, drawings... By to: hazel493@hotmail.co.uk or by post to 10 Hayes Close, Ringmer, East Sussex, BN8 5HN A huge thank you to all the contributors who helped to make this newsletter possible. THE IYENGAR YOGA CERTIFICATION MARK This mark is only awarded to fully qualified and approved teachers of Iyengar Yoga. In order to qualify for this mark they have to undergo rigorous training, continually update their skills and have the necessary insurance in order to teach. BSK Iyengar BKS Iyengar was born in Bellur in Southern India. After being introduced to yoga by his Guru T.K.V. Krishnamacharya, he went on to study and teach yoga for over 70 years. He taught on all five continents winning global respect and admiration. His books on yoga have become classics, and he is recognised as a major contributor to the popularity of yoga in both the west and east. Iyengar Yoga, named after him and taught in his name, has become a widely practiced form of yoga with teachers and organisations in more than 40 countries around the world. Sussex was one of B.K.S. Iyengar s earliest centres. IYENGAR YOGA IN SUSSEX The Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex (IIYS) is affiliated to Iyengar Yoga UK and is a non profit-making membership organisation committed to promoting the practice and philosophy of Iyengar Yoga.

8 EVENT BOOKING FORM (PLEASE MAKE ALL CHEQUES PAYABLE TO IIYS ) YOGA workshop WITH darren bloom I wish to attend the Yoga Workshop with Darren Bloom on Saturday 18th July 2015, at St. Mary s Church Hall, 12 Compton Avenue, Goring by Sea, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 4UJ I enclose my cheque for: 12 (IIYS members), 18 (non IIYS members) (delete as appropriate) Name: Address (with Postcode): Member of IIYS Yes No I am joining IIYS today! Yes Tel No: Date: Signed: Please send completed form with cheque payable to IIYS to: Cathy Rogers Evans, 48 Grover Avenue, Lancing, Sussex BN15 9RQ. Enquiries to cathyrogersevans@gmail.com or mulligan558@btinternet.com IMPORTANT NOTE: If paying for more than one event at the same time, please enclose SEPARATE cheques. Cheques will not be banked until just before/after the event. Refunds create extra work for the events committee, please understand that your fee is only returnable in extreme situations. Tick box if you require an receipt, OR enclose a SAE if you require a printed receipt or map (please state which or both). For info on other IIYS events visit: If you are experiencing financial hardship please write to: Brian Ingram, 51 Meadow Lane, Burgess Hill, RH15 9HZ with details. iy(uk) professional development day I wish to attend the PD Day on Pranayama with Brenda Booth on Sunday 8th November 2015, at The Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3XZ I enclose my cheque for: 24 (IIYS members or non IIYS members). For Qualified Iyengar Yoga Teachers Name: Address (with Postcode): Certification Level: IY(UK) Membership Number: Year Awarded: I am a member of IIYS: Yes No If no, which local institute are you a member of? Tel No: Date: Signed: Please send completed form with cheque payable to IIYS to: Cathy Rogers Evans, 48 Grover Avenue, Lancing, Sussex BN15 9RQ. Enquiries to cathyrogersevans@gmail.com or mulligan558@btinternet.com IMPORTANT NOTE: If paying for more than one event at the same time, please enclose SEPARATE cheques. Cheques will not be banked until just before/after the event. Refunds create extra work for the events committee, please understand that your fee is only returnable in extreme situations. Tick box if you require an receipt, OR enclose a SAE if you require a printed receipt or map (please state which or both). For info on other IIYS events visit: If you are experiencing financial hardship please write to: Brian Ingram, 51 Meadow Lane, Burgess Hill, RH15 9HZ with details. IYENGAR YOGA IN SUSSEX The Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex (IIYS) is affiliated to Iyengar Yoga UK and is a non profit-making membership organisation committed to promoting the practice and philosophy of Iyengar Yoga.

9 institute of iyengar yoga in sussex membership application 1 st april 2015 to 31 st march 2016 I wish to join the IIYS and enclose a cheque payable to IIYS for The Institute was set up in 1993 with the aim of promoting education in the BKS Iyengar method of Yoga, known as Iyengar Yoga. Best wishes from Brian Ingram (Chairman), Randall Evans (Membership Secretary), and the IIYS committee. Brian Ingram Randall Evans Your subscription will cover you until 31 ST March Please complete all parts of this form and return with your cheque for (PAYABLE TO: IIYS), and a stamped addressed envelope for your receipt and membership card, to: Randall Evans, 48 Grover Avenue, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 9RQ. Please print clearly Surname: First Name: Address (with Postcode): Tel No: Are you an Iyengar Yoga student Yes No Are you an Iyengar Yoga teacher Yes No What is the name of your teacher? Data on IIYS members, such as address details, is kept on a computer. Lists will not be sent to organisations outside the IIYS and its parent body IYA (UK). To receive our News Letter and the Iyengar Yoga News we need your signed consent. I wish to receive the IIYS News Letter Yes No I prefer to receive the IIYS News Letter by Post Both I wish to receive Iyengar Yoga News from IYA (UK) Yes No Note: The IYN will be posted to you directly from IYA (UK). Date: Signed: Benefits of joining the Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex (IIYS) Local IIYS events at reduced prices Discounted yoga equipment IIYS newsletters Automatic membership of IYA (UK) the national Iyengar Yoga body The Iyengar Yoga News, a national publication which is published twice a year Advanced booking information for national IYA (UK) conventions The opportunity to make friends with other Iyengar yoga practitioners IYENGAR YOGA IN SUSSEX The Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex (IIYS) is affiliated to Iyengar Yoga UK and is a non profit-making membership organisation committed to promoting the practice and philosophy of Iyengar Yoga.

10 IYENGAR YOGA IN SUSSEX The Institute of Iyengar Yoga in Sussex (IIYS) is an affiliated institute of Iyengar Yoga Association UK (IYA (UK) ) and is a non profit-making membership organisation committed to promoting the practice and philosophy of Iyengar Yoga. Design & Artwork by Keith Boorsma. keithboorsma@sky.com Phone: