Dear Members, n We are updating our website with a new look, a special member benefits area, sutras (chanted and in print), and a blog.

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1 Volume 22, Issue 1 January - April 2011 I YA S E I y e n g a r Y o g a A s s o c i a t i o n : S o u t h e a s t PRESIDENT S LETTER Dear Members, FUTURE ARTICLES If you have information that you would like included in future IYASE newsletters, please send an to Lori Lipton Ritland, Newsletter Chair, newsletter@iyase.org. RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN IYASE AND IYNAUS General Members can renew at iyase.org or send in the form on the last page of the newsletter! INSIDE THIS EDITION PG.2 Studio Spotlight Yoga with Betty and Friends BETTY LEWIS, OWNER PG.3 Save The Date Southeastern Regional Iyengar Yoga Conference PG.4 Asana Column Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana BY CINDY DOLLAR PG.6 Sutra Column Our Relationship with Time: Kala-Natural Rhythms of Time BY SIEGFRIED BLEHER Best wishes to Abhijata on her April wedding! In the spirit of Maitri (friendliness) I welcome our new and returning members to the IYASE of As I observe myself in my morning practice, I experience yoga as a singular pursuit. Yet a big part of this spiritual path is bringing the lessons learned from the mat into the larger community. So, in the tradition of recent presidents Phyllis Rollins, Joe Adlesic, Siegfried Bleher, and Nancy Mau, who provided leadership in carrying out our mission for IYASE I humbly approach this opportunity to serve you in the spirit of friendship, compassion, happiness, and equanimity. As an organization we have much to be happy about! n We welcome our new Board/Committee Members: Aretha McKinney, Iyengar Centers of Nashville, TN, Website & Scholarship Graham Williams, of Graham Williams Yoga, in Raleigh, NC, Board Secretary n We acknowledge our returning Board/Committee Members: Karyl Tych, Live Oak Yoga Studio, Myrtle Beach SC, Website and PR Margaret Carr, Inner Life Yoga, WV, Treasurer Diana Martinez, Yoga Source, Richmond, VA,Vice President and Membership Chair Lori Lipton Ritland, Unity Woods, Washington DC, Chair of the Newsletter Tedrah Smothers, Eastern Sun Yoga, Memphis, TN, Continuing Education n IYASE completed our first Annual Fall Membership Drive with membership of about 400 teachers and practitioners. Many thanks to all the students and teachers whose volunteering made our drive such a success! n IYASE is moving out from under the wing of the IYNAUS non-profit to form our own separate 501-C3. (All of the other regions have this status as well). n We are updating our website with a new look, a special member benefits area, sutras (chanted and in print), and a blog. n We re planning and coordination of Maitri SE: the 2012 Regional Conference, May 3-6 in Washington DC. As with all we do, our first regional conference reflects our mission: to build community and facilitate the learning and teaching of yoga based on the teachings and philosophy of B. K. S. Iyengar. You ve heard the expression: many hands make light work. We, the 2011 IYASE Board, reach out to you, the IYASE community, to lend a hand and whatever else is needed so that we may fulfill our commitments and accomplish great things. To get involved, please respond to our survey, me or anyone on the board, or contact your local studio. Volunteering two or three hours a month is all it takes, and we will be very grateful. Namaste, Susan Susan Marcus, IYASE President Rosemary Court Yoga Sarasota, FL Iyengar Yoga Association: Southeast News 1

2 studio spotlight YWBF : YOGA WITH BETTY AND FRIENDS by Betty Lewis Yoga With Betty and Friends (YWBF) is a small home-based studio that occupies the entire first level of my private residence i n R a n d a l l s t o w n, Maryland. YWBF is a one woman operation and an intimate studio. The space accommodates students at one time. It is a yoga sanctuary for both my students and me. It is my favorite place to be and the place where I am most at peace. All of the students that study at YWBF have come to study here from one of my off-site classes on a recommendation of another yoga teacher. Most have been long time students of mine. All are like family to me and to each other. Don t let the family description fool you. Classes are designed to appropriately challenge each student and offer them Iyengar Yoga as I understand it. Each student is taught in a way that would allow him/her to take classes with any other Iyengar Yoga teacher; as if my own teacher were standing in my class room and looking over my shoulder. Ahimsa is the guiding principle of the teachings at YWBF. Skillfully working through asanas within an individual s ability is encouraged. Understanding that no two bodies are the same is recognized. YWBF s small size promotes an intimate learning environment that s t u d e n t s r e a - sure. They write: I am very grateful for your allowing me to join your wonderful studio and enjoy and benefit from your thoughtful, generous, precise, and rigorous teaching and the community you ve created in your home studio. It was probably my only regular outside-of-medicine community and activity, and it was an integral part of making Baltimore home for the time I was there. Thank you for that! I am truly grateful to you for introducing me to the Iyengar tradition of Yoga. You are a wonderful teacher I will miss having the opportunity to discover more about yoga from you. Although I ll no longer be in Baltimore, I m confident that your influence will last throughout my lifetime. The Tao is pointing me back to your classes. I teach a variety of students with no yoga experience to classes appropriate for all levels. One of my favorite classes is a class for Seniors. It is possible to breath better, be more flexible and more at ease in their bodies than they may believe possible. It is difficult for me to put into words how grateful I am for Iyengar yoga. I believe it saved my life and my sanity. I began my study of Iyengar Yoga in December of 1997 after the death of my husband of thirty-five years. I was not only bereaved but also fat, fifty plus, and seriously asthmatic. I wandered around with no clear picture of what to do or where to go. I was also emotionally drained. In the beginning I took a lot of workshops from a lot of different teachers because it was physically challenging. It felt good in my body and allowed me to relax. It took me a few years to realize that I needed to find a teacher that I trusted and to allow myself to stand still long enough for yoga to open me up to my fears and vulnerabilities. I am healthier (mentally and physically) because of yoga. I strive to live my life using the eight limbs of yoga as a guide. Pranayama is now the most powerful aspect of my practice. Thanks to it and the skills of my primary teacher, John Schumacher, I no longer take any athsma medication. 2 I YA S E

3 When students come to my studio to study, I know that they are attracted to the teachings of my teachers that shine through me. I give thanks to my longtime teacher and to the other teachers for their kindness, patience, encouragement and skills. Elizabeth (Betty) Lewis Certified Introductory II Owner, Yoga with Betty and Friends ww.ywbf.com SAVE THE DATE! SOUTHEAST REGIONAL Iyengar Yoga Conference MISSION STATEMENT The purpose of IYASE is to build community and facilitate the learning and teaching of yoga based on the teachings and philosophy of B.K.S. Iyengar. We currently do this by: 1. Information dissemination: Newsletters distributed three times a year to members and maintenance of internet presence via both a web site (iyase.org) and the mailing of e-bulletins ( s to members and others who opt in). 2. Two Teacher Training Workshops per year within our region. 3. A Scholarship program that includes awards for (1) participation in IYASE teacher trainings, (2) expenses associated with going through the Iyengar yoga teacher certification process, and (3) studying at RIMYI. 4. Maintaining the Lotus Fellowship Fund, created in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, that now provides IYASE a discretionary means by which to contribute immediate financial assistance to members in times of serious need. May 3-6, 2012 n Washington, DC The Board of the Iyengar Yoga Association South East is very excited to host its first Iyengar Regional Conference. The theme is maitri - friendliness. The intent is to support the connectedness of our community and to reach out to all yoga practitioners in the spirit of friendship. Take this wonderful opportunity to greet your fellow IYASE members and the yoga community at large, exchange ideas, practice and meet extraordinary people. The year 2012 is not too far, please check your calendar and if you are willing to volunteer your skills with our community, send an to membership@iyase.org. IYASE SCHOLARSHIPS n Scholarships for IYASE Sponsored Teacher Training Workshops n Scholarships for Certification Assessment n Scholarship for Study at the Ramamani Iyengar Yoga Memorial Institute n Go to iyase.org for further details on the application process Important deadlines for 2011: n July 1, 2011 deadline to apply for Certification Scholarship. n Oct 15, 2011 deadline to apply for RIMYI study in Please contact scholarship@iyase.org, for any additional information, copies of application forms, or if you have questions. Iyengar Yoga Association: Southeast News 3

4 asana column PARIVRTTA ARDHA CHANDRASANA by Cindy Dollar The first time I attempted Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon bilities of present moment awareness. May you, too, awaken to the present moment. Instructions Pose) I thought that if I ever 1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Separate your feet did it again, it would be too 3 & 1/2 feet apart and spread your arms out in line with your soon. Since I was in a class, shoulders. Press down with the feet and lift up through the that next time was in the crown of your head. Lengthen up through your side ribs. next moment. I did a little 2. Turn your left foot and leg in toward center 60 degrees better. Over the decades since that first time, I have grown and your right foot and leg out 90 degrees to turn to the to enjoy the practice of this standing, balancing, and twisting right until your entire body faces your right leg as if you pose. Note the operative word practice. Standing poses just took a giant step forward. The leg stance here is the teach us stability and that stability carries us through the same as it is in Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch). challenging times of life. Stability begats balance. Balance 3. Revolve the abdomen, trunk, and shoulders to the right in our practice promotes balance in life. In asana practice, as you soften the inner groins, press your pelvis back, and we learn to balance the different sides of the body, the vertical and horizontal actions, and the amount of effort required bring your left hand down to the floor (or a block) inside of your right foot. You are in Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved and the amount of release necessary. In Light on Life, B.K.S. Triangle Pose). Place your right hand on your right hip. Press Iyengar says In asana, we find balance and integration in your right hip, the pelvis and your left leg back as you bring the three dimensions of space, but we also find balance and your top sternum toward your head to lengthen the spine. integration in the fourth dimension of time. 4. Press the big toe mound of your right foot into The three dimensions of space are the vertical ascending of the future, vertical descending of the past, and the horizontal expansion of the present. This pose offers plenty of opportunities to practice all of these actions. So the practice of asana keeps us in present time. When we are present to an asana, to the physical body, the mind cannot go to past the floor and pull your outer right hip back and in toward center. Extend the spine and bring your left side ribs toward your front body to deepen the twist. 5. Bend the right leg and shift your weight onto your right foot as you place your memories or to future imaginings. Balance adds another dimension left hand directly below to the equation of stability and integration hence, your left shoulder about my interest in Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana. The pose is ten inches forward and wide open and expansive when the base is stable - and so is the mind both stable and expansive. As we train the body in asana, we train the mind. The mind becomes our slave, not our master, as we turn our attention to the base of the pose. As we maintain the solid base, we have the opportunity to expand beyond our petty worries and into the expansiveness of possibility. Knowing that the wings of yoga are practice (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya), I continue to practice this challenging and exciting pose as I release into the unimagined possi- inside of your right foot. Straighten your right leg and keep your left leg absolutely straight as you raise your left leg to be parallel to the floor. When your balance is steady, lift your right arm up toward the ceiling and turn your head to look up. 6. Breathe as you bring your head back to be in line with your tailbone. Press strongly into your inner right foot as you pull your outer right thigh and hip back and in to make a retaining wall of that outer leg. Press your left thigh up toward the ceil- 4 I YA S E

5 ing to balance the hips as you lengthen and revolve the spine. 7. To come out of the pose, bend the right leg, extend back with the left leg and take the left foot to the floor. Slide your left hand back by the right foot in Parivrtta Trikonasana. Raise the right arm up as you press your left leg back and return to an upright position. Turn to the left and bring the legs and arms back into Tadasana. 8. Take a breath or two as you reflect on the results of your actions. Repeat the process on the left side. Preparatory Poses and Suggestions for Practice As you begin your practice on any day, check in with your body both physically and mentally. The questions to ask yourself are simple. How do I feel? In what way do I feel strong? Where does the body feel tight or loose? As you move the body, find out What are the limiting factors for my body and mind in this moment? Respond with clarity and compassion. With this basic understanding, let s move into Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (Revolved Half Moon Pose). ARE YOU TIRED? Start with a lying down poses like Supta Padangusthasana I and II. Work your way up to Virasana and Bharadvajasana I. Check in with your body with a few basic poses like Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana, and then Urdhva Hastasana. Reassess. See how the body responds to Bharadvajasana in a chair, Parsvottanasana or to Parivrtta Trikonasana. FEELING ENERGETIC? Perhaps this is a day to begin with a series of standing poses. To lengthen the spine, get those arms up in Urdhva Hastasana, Urdhva Namaskarasana, or Baddhanguliyasana. Move on to lateral poses like Utthita Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana II, and Utthita Parsvakonasana. To lengthen the hamstrings, work with Parsvottanasana. Add a twist and play with Parivrtta Trikonasana. For balance, focus on Vrksasana, Parsvottanasana, Ardha Chandrasana, and Virabhadrasana III. Feel your way through your practice. When your body has enjoyed these preparatory poses, play with Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana. Notice what feels tight or which area is over doing. You may want to revisit an earlier pose and return to Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana. Here s a vinyasa of standing poses for happy hips! Take Tadasana to Utthita Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana on the right. Keep the front leg straight and turn the body to face the floor. Place the hands on the floor (or blocks) for stability, then come into Virabhadrasana III with hands back by the sides or forward in the classical position. Turn to the right, lower the left hand to the floor and be in Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana. Bend the right leg, extend the left leg back and come into Parivrtta Trikonasana. Raise the torso up, turn back to the left and step back to Tadasana. Take a few breaths, observe the results of the sequence, and enjoy the vinyasa to the left side. When you feel complete with you practice of this chosen pose, end with Prasarita Padottanasana, Sirsasana, Salamba Sarvangasana and Savasana. Check in with your body and mind to observe the results of your practice. Did the sequence quiet your mind? Did you practice with clarity and compassion? That s yoga. All the poses mentioned (with the exception of Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana and Parivrtta Supta Padangusthasana) are discussed in detail in Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar. benefits PHYSICAL: Strengthens ankles and thighs; improves balance; cleanses organs; builds suppleness and flexibility in spine; improves breathing; mobilizes and stabilizes hips; relieves mild back pain. MENTAL : Stabilizing; rejuvenating; grounding; builds confidence and poise; quiets mind by concentration and focus. precautions Not recommended for those who are pregnant, menstruating or have a herniated disc; not recommended for those with diarrhea or who have a headache. Cindy Dollar Certified Junior Intermediate I Owner, One Center Yoga, Asheville, NC Iyengar Yoga Association: Southeast News 5

6 the present moment becomes a past moment, and a future moment becomes a present moment; 3) the passage of time is organized or distinguished by nature s cycles: the day s cycle (governed by earth s rotation), the month s cycle (governed by the moon s orbit about the earth), and the year s cycle (governed by the earth s orbit around the sun). Much of our struggle with time is with its pace often we would like to fit in more activities, more work, more fun, into the same amount of time. At other times it may feel as though an experience is taking too long to end. In general, we may feel that time s pace is outside of our control. Consider sutra II.15 parinama tapa samskara duhkhair guna vrtti virodhac ca duhkham eva sarvam vivekinah, which means that to one who is able to discern, all is but sorrow due to anguish from changing conditions of life, sorrow from subliminal activators (samskaras), and conflicts among the fluctuating primary constituents of nature (the gunas). According to this sutra the most basic cycles of time are Time appears to governed by the basic constituents move in only one of nature, the gunas, which are direction, from continually changing. past to future, The three gunas, defined in sutras with a moment II.18 and II.19, are tamas, which is of present inertia (sluggishness in its negative in between. or excessive aspect, and stability in its positive aspect), rajas which is movement (agitation in its negative or excessive aspect, dynamism in its positive aspect), and sattva, which is luminosity ( spacey-ness in its negative aspect, spaciousness and radiance in its positive aspect). Although it seems as if tamas is paired with rajas in an inverse relationship, this is only true if they appear in their negative aspects. For example, I can practice Utthita Trikonasana with great stability in the feet (tamas), and a high degree of dynamism in the thighs (rajas). Each guna exists along a spectrum of degree and quality, from a large negative aspect on one end of the spectrum, to neutral in the middle, to a large positive aspect at the other end. Their flucsutra column BY SIEGFRIED BLEHER Our Relationship with Time: Kala Natural Rhythms of Time Time can become either a captor or a captain of our lives: for the role of captor note the following common expressions: deadline, ASAP, in the nick of time, there is no time like now, multitasking. For the role of captain : time heals all wounds, all good things come to those who wait, a season for all things, it s all in the timing, the timeless present, let bygones be bygones, live for today. Why is time so pervasive in our language? Can we cultivate a healthy relationship with time? Maybe if we answer the first question we ll have insights into the second. These two questions are the focus for the three sutra columns in The present column explores the idea that the presence of cycles, their beginnings, their endings, as well as their returns, lies at the source of our relationships with time. Tasks we perform and milestones we reach in life are all tied to such cycles (a minute, an hour, a day, a month, a year). The topic for this first column is such cycles, how they impart natural rhythms to the passage of time, and how such rhythms give richness as well as meaning and challenge to our lives. The Sanskrit word for passage of time is kala. Two other Sanskrit words relating to time are ksana, which means a moment of time, and krama, which means sequence. In Column 2, we look at how a moment of time relates to our state of consciousness, and how present and past relate to the present moment. In Column 3, the highlight is how Patanjali uses krama, or sequencing, together with an understanding of ksana, as the key to experiencing something outside of time timelessness or the eternal present moment. Time and the Gunas First consider the idea of natural rhythms of time. By natural rhythms I mean three things direction, pace, and cycle: 1) time appears to only move in one direction, from past to future, with a moment of present in between; 2) there is always a detectable pace at which 6 I YA S E

7 tuation in time is along this spectrum, and they are believed to underlie the function of everything we see and experience in nature, including our breath and our minds. Not only do the gunas continually change, but their rhythms are often in conflict, both of which lead to sorrow: when our level of tamas is high, our friend s level of rajas is high, and finding a way to spend time together becomes a challenge. This is similar to the Buddhist notion that all that is transitory is non-satisfactory (or nonsatisfying). Common experience is that time, or our relationship with time, can be a source of distress. Can we change our relationship with time? Is there truly a natural pace or flow of time that is out of our control? To answer this, consider the distinction between subjective and objective time and between internal and external rhythms. Subjective & Objective Time If I am doing something enjoyable I always seem to run out of time. If I am doing something onerous, time moves too slowly. The same measurable time feels different depending on what I am doing. There is clearly a difference between measurable or objective time and subjective time. One is out of my control, the other appears to depend on my state of mind or emotional state. Consider an objective aspect to time, determined by observable change and cycles in nature, and a subjective aspect, tied to the quality of the experiencing consciousness (citta). The first is alluded to in sutra II.15, as mentioned above, and sutra IV.12: atita anagatam sva rupato asty adhva bhedad dharmanam Past and future as such exist, because of the *visible+ difference in the paths of the forms *produced by Nature+, Feuerstein, The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. The clocks we organize our days by are ultimately tied to the vibrations of an atom of Cesium, which is used to define a second. Measurable times shorter than a day are all based on this kind of clock, whereas times longer than a day are tied to the earth s rotational period or its orbit around the sun, and measured on calendars. Together, clocks and calendars determine observable and measurable natural rhythms of time. Now, how is subjective time related to natural rhythms of time? What makes one experience seem to last forever and The pains which are yet to come can be and are to be avoided. another fleeting when the objective time is the same? The answer appears to be partly tied to whether the experience is enjoyable or not, and in general to the quality of the experiencing consciousness. Consider again sutra II.15, according to which all of nature is always in flux. Since our bodies and our onsciousness, citta, are part of nature i.e., governed the three gunas then they too are always in flux. Internal & External Rhythms Our physical bodies, perceiving senses and emotional states, along with our expectations, attitudes, beliefs and thoughts (i.e. pratyayas, see e.g. sutras I.10, II.20, III.2), are in continual interaction with the stuff we perceive, both outside our bodies, and within our bodies and minds. Why would there not be natural rhythms in our bodies, mental and emotional states? Does one of these determine subjective time? Or does an interaction between internal and external rhythms determine subjective time? And do free-will and intention affect our internal rhythms? In other words, can I influence the ever-increasing pace of life around me by slowing myself down? We are encouraged to change what we can in sutra II.16 heyam duhkham anagatam The pains which are yet to come can be and are to be avoided (B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali). Suppose I practice an asana. I perform each action with a particular intention and aim. As long as my body responds well to my intentions, and I am not distracted by other concerns, then my experience is enjoyable and productive. If I am interrupted while practicing, or if my body presents obstacles, then my enjoyment may wane, or it may not, depending on how I perceive and interact with the distractions or obstacles. If I persist along my intended course without regard to the distractions or obstacles then I am headed for frustration or injury. If, on the other hand, I embrace the changes in my external environment (or the obstacles in my internal environment), and make them a part of my (wider) experience, then I may enjoy the experience even more. The quality of the experience in this example is tied to how well the rhythms in my consciousness (citta, including intention) are in tune with and embrace internal (body) and external rhythms. continued on page 9 Iyengar Yoga Association: Southeast News 7

8 May May 21 May 22 Sept 9 11 WORKSHOPS 2011 John Schumacher A Weekend for Teacher: Secrets of Sequencing Serendipity in Berkeley Springs, W.V. (301) X105 susan.mann@yoga.com John Schumacher Advanced Asana: Back Bends Unity Woods, Woodley Park, D.C. (301) John Schumacher Advanced Pranayama Unity Woods, Bethesda, M.D. (301) Dean Learner Iyengar Yoga Intensive One Center Yoga Asheville, NC (828) If you have workshops that you would like included in IYASE newsletters, please submit them through Congratuations to IYASE teachers who passed assessment in 2011! Introductory I Kit Ford Yael Ben-Chanoch Gay Richie Becca Franklin Chris O Brien Sharon Smith Mary Ann Travis Introductory II Becky Estes Rachel Mathenia Doerthe Braun Terence Ollivierra Chris Clawson Junior Intermediate I Marlyn Rubin Janet LeFrancois Aretha McKinney-Blevins Junior Intermediate II Kquvien DeWeese Becky Lloyd Nancy Mau Junior Intermediate III Siegfried Bleher In the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina, IYASE established a discretionary fund to help our members emerge from difficulties and tragedies. The monies donated to the Lotus Fellowship Fund will be distributed based on need for such things as scholarship, assessment fees, prop replacement, or anything else deemed appropriate and necessary by the LFF committee. Donations will be accepted year-round and when you send in your check for membership each year, please consider adding a donation to the Lotus Fellowship Fund. IYASE Income & Expenses 1/1/2010 through 12/31/2010 INCOME Interest Income $30.00 IYASE Membership (Including Rahasya) $15,100 IYNAUS Certified Teachers $4, Lotus Fund Donations $ Merchandise T-Shirts $60.00 Seed Money (IYNAUS) Membership Drive $1, Workshops IYASE Sponsored $3, TOTAL INCOME $25, EXPENSES Advertising $ Bank Charge $ Convention $ Cost of Goods: T-shirts $5, Election Ballots $ Membership Drive $3, Membership to IYNAUS (Including Rahasya) $8, Newsletter $3, Office $29.02 PayPal Fees $32.21 PO Box $ Postage and Delivery $ Professional Service $ Royalty Fee $ Scholarship $3, T-shirts (Studio Share) $10.00 Telephone $1, Travel, Bus $30.00 Website $ Workshops IYASE Sponsored $4, TOTAL EXPENSES $31, OVERALL TOTAL -$6, Cash in Money Market Account 1/1/2010 $29, Income for Reporting Period $25, Expenses for Reporting Period $(31,875.63) Net Loss for Reporting Period $(6,106.53) Cash in Money Market Account 12/31/2010 $23,501.27* *Includes Lotus Fund balance of $5, I YA S E

9 Sutra Column continued from page 7 My subjective time is therefore a combination of the natural rhythms of time in my external environment and those within. It is clear some of these rhythms are related. For example, my body s temperature and corresponding metabolism are related to the time of day, and constitute the circadian rhythms (governed by the body s internal clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus); the diurnal cycle repeats and evolves throughout the course of a year; the amount of light during the day changes over the course of the year, and that light has an effect on mood through brain levels of the hormones serotonin and melatonin. The Role of Intention To some degree, I can alter my internal rhythms by changing when I eat and sleep. My body does its best to adapt to changing internal and external conditions, and yoga certainly helps. I can also try to multitask, to do many things at once, or at least hold many unfinished tasks in my mind while I race to alternate from one to the other. The principle of homeostasis says that the body has mechanisms for maintaining a healthy functioning state, and homeorhesis says the same thing about maintaining healthy functioning cycles. But that is true only within certain limits. If I push myself to do more and more, then I am asking my body and mind to reset their rhythms to a condition where their resources are used and replenished at a faster rate. This works up to a point, beyond which the adaptive mechanisms become less efficient or fail entirely. Suppose the state of urgency that prompted me to go into overdrive ends, and I am lucky enough to slow down before I burn out. Even if the urgency is over, I may stay in overdrive until I am (physically and emotionally) exhausted, just because my natural internal rhythms have been reset. It will take a period of readjustment to reset to healthy sustainable rhythms. Practice and Detachment The relationships among inner and outer cycles point to an interconnectedness that can help us relate to time in a healthy way. If I try to change my life in full awareness and acceptance of nature s cycles, then I am more likely to succeed and to enjoy those changes. If, on the other hand, I push my agenda no matter what, it is almost a guarantee the experience will not only be difficult, but it will generate negative consequences for all who are involved (c.f. sutras II.12 14, IV.6 11 on the law of karma). Living in full awareness and acceptance of nature s cycles requires an equal measure of courage, surrender and discernment: the courage to act when it is time to act, the ability to surrender when it is not, and the ability to discern the gaps in the complex flow of inner and outer cycles that permits intention to fit in a harmonious way. Patanjali sums it up in sutra I.12 abhyasa vairagyabhyam tan nirodhah: practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness. Patanjali gives us another clue to timing in sutra IV.6 tatra dhyana jam anasayam, which can be translated as actions born from a meditative mind leave no karmic traces. In sutra I.14 Patanjali tells us that practice becomes firmly established only after a long uninterrupted time: sa tu dirgha kala nairantarya satkara asevito drdha bhumih. dirgha kala means long time and nairantaraya means uninterrupted. One possible reason for the need to practice over long periods of time is to allow cycles of differing lengths to recur numerous times. For example, I may notice immediate changes in my physical body and mind after a single asana practice, but those changes are not lasting. After a month of practice, repeatedly touching the same poses, I notice other changes occurring elsewhere in my body and mind that make the initial changes last longer than before. After a year of practice, my body and mind may be in a different place altogether (c.f. sutra III.13). The reason to avoid interruptions is that change on one level or time scale has to build up to reach to the next level or time scale (see sutra III.6). Another way to say this is that each kosha or sheath has its own natural time scale and rhythm. Koshas are the layers, described in Taittiriya Upanishad, that are believed to encase the soul, or purusha. These layers, and how we relate to them, affect our subjective sense of time, how we relate to past and future, and how deeply we can connect to the present moment. This is the subject for Column 2 in the series. Siegfried Bleher Inner Life Yoga Studio Morgantown, WV Iyengar Yoga Association: Southeast News 9

10 C/O Diana Martinez, 1050 Temple Ave. #243 Colonial Heights, VA Our website, contains valuable info about our members. Certified teachers are listed by state. There are links to the National Association and Mr. Iyengar s website. If you have any requests or suggestions, send them to: web@iyase.org membership registration form Please Circle One: New Member / Renewal Name Please Check All That Apply: n Annual membership to $60.00 IYASE and IYNAUS n Annual subscription to $25.00 Yoga Rahasya from India n I m adding a donation of: $ to IYASE Lotus Fellowship Fund for scholarship, props, etc. Address City State Zip Phone Fax Total Enclosed: $ Our membership year is January 1 - December 31, I would prefer to go green and receive the IYASE e-newsletter as a PDF NOTE: Certified teachers renew through IYNAUS, not IYASE. Please send a check made payable to IYASE with this registration form to: Diana Martinez, IYASE Membership Chair 1050 Temple Ave. #243 Colonial Heights, VA