Holiday Practice 2 – Virabhadrasana

The other day someone asked me if I was excited about teaching a class beginning June. It made me reflective. It is a great responsibility and honour to be able to share yoga at the institute. But, what excites or rather inspires me is the learning and approach towards another facet of my practice, that of study from the perspective of a disseminator. 

My role will be simple, it would be to conduct a class, to share experience of asana. The poses in the syllabus have been in my repertoire for close to a decade in various avatars, independent, supported and denied. Each phase with its unique experience and understanding has meant a continuous evolving. All that I know of the pose comes from the pose itself, from how it feels within my embodiment. 

Yesterday, I worked on the triad of Virabhadrasana 1-2-3. It is interesting to see the progress of its teaching from first mention in Light on Yoga to subsequent renderings. With the changing canvas of my body, much of my practice is supported or modified. And yet, smrti had a wonderful aklishta moment as I recollected a long ago class of how Bhujangasana could inform the pose. Post practice, there was a luxurious patch of time to study and ruminate.

While I’ve mulled over the story of Virabhadrasana earlier, what I was reminded of was Guruji’s classification of stages of practice by varna. As a series, we learn 2 first before moving to 1 and then 3, with sufficient time to get comfortable in each of them. And yet, from an intensity point of view, the ordering is different. All three are challenging poses for me with the knee, in different ways. Thanks to the challenges posed by parts of my body that are compromised, I have to seek steadiness and ease in the pose. It makes for tinkering. 

While Virabhadra had no restraint in demolishing Daksha’s sacrifice, the asanas named after him are excellent exercises in understanding restraint. That takes a while to comprehend and a lot longer to implement in the body. Restraint is not an event, it is a continuum in asana and by extension, in its development as far as our consciousness is concerned. Over time, I see how there is an organic expression of restraint in life.

The forms assumed are elegant in its extension, expansion and circumferential aspects. It’s a great poster pose for sutra 1.20 which talks about shraddha, virya and smrti. In a difficult situation, firm faith moves mountains, making impossible things a reality. Virya is the endeavour to forge ahead in the face of obstacles, within and without. Smrti is the sum total of all our tendencies that make or mar our evolution.

Virabhadrasana is not for the faint of heart and yet thanks to props, it is accesible and reaps rich rewards. I’ve spent many months in a well supported Virabhadrasana 3 as my legs were educated. It is in that complete support that I learned how the pose should be felt. At day’s end, what remains is always how one felt and that is beyond language. 

Holiday Practice 2- On education

While there is a rhythm of institute work, there is also ample time to pursue other interests such as reading other books. The day began with assisting in an online workshop which threw up some interesting observations on many aspects of teaching and learning. Later in the day, I read an essay from an 80’s publication and it laid out the tradition of teaching and learning which resonated so much with how we learn at RIMYI. The piece reminded me of the last section in ‘The Tree of Yoga‘.

Sharing an excerpt from ‘Crafts and the Future‘ by Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay that I read today. So many parallels but what caught my attention was a section on the transmission of craftsmanship. It is a beautiful passage on teaching. Yoga education in the guru-shishya parampara of the Iyengar yoga system is the same. The language of crafts and yoga may be different but at the heart of both is the culturing of the person.

“Even though craftsmanship has always been considered hereditary, passed on from generation to generation, inheritance of actual skills was not assumed. The emphasis on the contrary was on proper education and the right environment for the growing generation. In the family workshop the young craftsman learnt as an apprentice the techniques in their entirety in direct relation to basic production, by practice. In fact he was just as much engaged in learning metaphysics and the true value of things; in short, acquiring a culture. There was no isolation of the school from the larger life, for in this setting the child learnt little tasks as part of the daily routine, picking up skills even as he did other components of his way of life. The problems were real, not make-believe, as the aim of education was understood to be the unfolding of the personality in all its fullness.
For the quality of inspiration which transmutes skills and competence can hardly be taught. It has to be cultivated by experience. This makes for a very special relationship between the teacher and the pupil, an intimacy binding the two. The latter looks up to the former as the source from which knowledge is imbibed, great truths learnt and interpreted.
The teacher educates the pupil as much through his own personal conduct as through studies, and is expected to show the same respect and regard for the pupil as he would for his own progeny and family. The sharing of problems and varied experience is a real contribution to the enrichment and formation of the pupil’s personality.
In a craft society the master craftsman is also a social leader and an important entity in the community. The teacher keeps nothing worthwhile back as a trade secret from the pupil. This form of institution makes craftsmanship a living thing, giving prestige and value to sound standards. The teacher spurs the pupil on to surpass himself and takes genuine pride in conceding superiority to the student.”

She concludes, “There is nothing spectacular about crafts. You do not find them in imposing structures humming with life and lit by million candle-power lights. They have mostly to be unearthed in twilit corners and humble cottages. Even though millions are engaged in crafts all over the world, they are never found in large congregations. Their tools are modest and unostentatious. They speak of an age when dignity lay in silence and beauty in subtlety.”

Holiday Practice – Season 2?

A couple of years ago, just before the institute opened, I practised and blogged about the same. This year, I’d like to attempt the same. It’s a study month as I prep for the academic year ahead with an additional role. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my days as a beginner and I recollect how the classes made me feel, how some asana sensations happened. As a beginner, I had just one year before moving to an intermediate level so the soaking in of that level happened much later, from the early online Covid days until now, both as student and demonstrator.

I hope to have Holiday Practice 2 as a way to mark this phase of my journey. My endeavour for the month would be to focus on the study of texts and do a comparative study. While I’ve read most of the books and articles, this time, I’m hoping to do so in a systematic fashion with the intent of consolidating my understanding upto this point in time. Today’s readings included portions from LOY, GFW, Arogya Yoga, Preliminary course etc. and the highlight was a reading of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It’s a text I’ve not spent much time on but today was an interesting experience, quite like fitting pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Sanskrit yogic literature is neat and progressive in its arrangement. I suppose that is what makes it easier to remember. Reading Guruji and Geeetaji’s works through the lens of the texts that they reference brings a different flavour, combining both their experience as well as the inherent wealth it contains.

While we have the luxury of finding all these works at our fingertips, just a century ago, much of this would have been part of an oral tradition as the written word would not have been as easily accessible. It is worthwhile to consider old methods of study, especially as we spin in a world of screens.

1.1- Salutation to Âdinâtha (Śiva) who expounded the knowledge of Haṭha Yoga, which like a staircase leads the aspirant to the high pinnacled Râja Yoga.
1.2- Yogin Swâtmârâma, after saluting first his Gurû Srinâtha explains Haṭha Yoga for the attainment of Raja Yoga.
1.3- Owing to the darkness arising from the multiplicity of opinions people are unable to know the Râja Yoga. Compassionate Swâtmârâma composes the Haṭha Yoga Pradipikâ like a torch to dispel it.

The initial three shlokas are representative of the tradition of acknowledging and revering the source of knowledge, one’s Guru and the spirit of service of the sadhaka. The subject matter is emphasised in triplicate here and the rest of the book is an unfolding of the practices towards Samadhi. It will be interesting to make the acquaintance with this text.

Leap of Faith

The calendar that hangs in my room says, ‘Yoga is equanimity’. Equanimity has an underlying context of a difficult period in its routine usage. But, I like to remind myself that it is the ability to maintain composure in good times and tough ones. Asana is a wonderful stage to explore the concept. Right from the invocation when the teacher says, “get composed, be humble,” there is a sense of setting the stage to accept whatever the mat brings. 

Yesterday was an exploration of Hanumanasana. It is a difficult pose for me with my knee condition but thanks to props, there is scope for working on the action in the asana. At best I can do 2 or 3 short attempts with ample padding. Any more and I would be inviting trouble. The class has a mix of students of varying age groups and experience levels which made it interesting to observe how a complex asana became one of play, display, endeavour and letting go. There was excitement which was tamed in a longish sarvangasana towards the end of the class.  

A screen grab of Guruji in a suspended Hanumanasana from the film, Samadhi.
The class had a lot of fun playing with this version.

Hanumanasana is named after the leaps the vanara takes beginning with the first one to Lanka in search of Sita. Light on Yoga says, “This asana is dedicated to Hanuman and commemorates his fabulous leaps.” These are poses not often covered in classes as they need practice and are more a journey of discovery through one’s own practice. Leaps of faith are solitary endeavours. One may have support of wellwishers but the path is to be trodden individually. 

Hanuman forgets his great power and ability because of a curse when he was a precocious young vanara who reached out to pluck the sun out of the sky. Jambavan’s reminder lifts the veil over his memory as he is now mature and has the power of discrimination. In Light on Yoga, Guruji states that “power without humility breeds arrogance and tyranny.”  Power needs humility without which it can easily be twisted and warped as we see so clearly in the events unfolding in different parts of the world.

Both Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti are right around the corner. One festival celebrates the birth of an avatar of Vishnu and the other of Vayu’s powerful son and the Lord of Prana. The same prana that is the single thread of our collective existence. The times we live in are starkly divisive, separating us from ourselves based on religion, geography and other such classifications. Even as we hurt and hurtle towards destruction of varying intensities, there is yoga. It is for all. It is that which gives equanimity to stand steady amidst the tumult of life. 

As an ideal, there couldn’t be a better model of devotion, wisdom, strength, wit, erudition, culture and other such qualities. It makes him a wonderful object of contemplation. (YS 1.37) One of my favourite passages is his first encounter with Rama and Lakshmana as the brothers wander in search of Sita. Hanuman appears as a brahmana and proceeds to have a soliloquy as he examines all the facts of their presence in the jungle. It is a light, witty and agile delivery delighting Rama.

Rama tells Lakshmana, ” How refined his voice is; how beautifully he speaks. Surely, he is a scholar of the Vedas. Nobody who does not have a sincere heart can speak so well.  This Hanuman speaks from his heart, and he is intelligent and able. Sugriva is fortunate to have such a minister; success will attend all his endeavours.”

The Ramayana – Ramesh Menon

While there is change and growth in the yoga studies, there are challenges in other areas of life. It is interesting to see how the years have brought a change in perceiving the current situation. It does seem like a repeat of history but like in computer games where the difficulty levels increase, this time there is more sharpness in the external circumstances. And like in those games where one levels up as a result of skill, life’s game also throws these challenges as one becomes capable of coping with them. The insides are not as rattled although there are emotional responses of sorrow. Even avatars are not exempt from it. But the path out of it is through it and eventually the dark jungle does give way to a clearing in the sun.

Another year winds to a close

It is the last month of the academic year and the days have a slower pace. Pune has been in summer mode since a ​while now and these few weeks are about settling into the hottest part of the year. Accordingly, ​a​sanas are about cooling and conserving energy. 

It is also that time when one decides on the next year’s schedule. Things will largely remain the same ​in my calendar except for one addition. I would be teaching a class as well. The enormity of it didn’t sink in until a few days passed. As with everything about being an apprentice, this too was an organic extension of the learning process. ​Initially, there ​w​as a small resistance about being an instructor but that ​​sprung from an apprehension, a fear of losing my way. But, then I also see my own teachers and their unwavering fidelity to yoga, come what may. And so, I believe that ​as long as I remain a student, all is​ well.

​It has been difficult to find time and sufficient quiet to mark my days here but I suppose that is the nature of an intense immersion. A couple of months ago, I was tired and close to breaking point with all that was happening, within this world and my life outside. Life situations haven’t changed but I’m learning to make small changes in rearranging my time to accommodate space for what I need.

Over the last couple of years, I see how I have been shaped by my teachers. What seemed impossible to accomplish in the early days is now instinctive. Most of all, there is a renewed sense of studentship. In the course of assisting classes, a few of us are suddenly told to teach a pose or then start a class. And we do so seamlessly. Mentoring of apprentices at RIMYI is brilliant in its simplicity and ease. Each of us  is different in ability and capacity and our mentors work with us rather than simply getting us to conform. Truly, a living guru-shishya parampara. That whole tradition of a living lineage is the subject matter of a separate post.

We had quite a few groups of students/ teachers visit the institute as part of the 50th year special programmes. It was interesting to observe different practitioners and see the similarities and differences between each of us. Many of them are first timers while some are seasoned hands. Some leave their roles in their world and are present simply as a student for a month or two while others are on a mission to take as much as they can get. Often, there is an almost immediate commodification of whatever is taught and shared freely even before sufficient time has been spent in chewing on it. Some are aware of it. In an exchange with a student, she mentioned, “we will take whatever we can get” but later she corrected herself to say, “whatever we receive“. It is a pertinent reminder to oneself that all one needs to do is prepare. Grace of learning is a gift, freely given and gratefully received. The body of work left behind by Guruji, Geetaji and which continues to be added to is an ocean. How can one lifetime be enough to swallow it all?

Another thing I noticed was how physical adjustments were a matter of such diffidence for many. Having been the recipient of many firm adjustments over the years, the assurance of confident hands is a given. But, that comes from RIMYI teachers’ opportunity of having handled so many different bodies. In general classes, we assist people in achieving an action in a pose while in medical classes, we do a bit more. And over a period of time, it is wonderful to see how Guruji’s ‘asana technology’ as Abhijata calls it and the students’ efforts create dramatic changes in a person’s quality of life. The goal is to help them get better and ready for a general class rather than having them dependent on a therapy class.

At year’s close, what have been my learnings? Maitri, Karuna, Mudita and Upeksha. In all situations. Every time a veil is lifted, these four pillars stand revealed. The very first of the sutras to have caught my attention is that which still continues to guide and direct. 

Once a blogger, always a blogger

​Wordpress informs me that I’ve been a blogger on this platform for 11 years. My very first blog on the site was a space to simply dabble in words with no clear intent. That site has been inactive for a long while now. Shortly after, I began a blog to document my running journey. That remained active for as long as I continued to run. Alongside that came up this blog to record some of the impressions as a student and practitioner of yoga and it has been a constant. Somewhere in the interim, there was yet another page to muse about anything that caught my fancy which has also been dormant. I suppose yoga really is the subject of my enquiry.

Beloved RIMYI

At the moment, there is not much bandwidth to write. Many of the things that feed my spirit are missing from everyday life with its pace. In the last few months, I’ve not been able to spend as much time outdoors or read or simply be. Commitments at the institute have kept me fully occupied. While the learning continues to be incredible, there is also fatigue, mental more than physical. Mostly, it springs from the anatarayas (1.30-31) that Patanjali elucidates in the beginning. The rest is a natural cascade into “wrong understanding and false conceptions” which generate “wrong feelings and taint the consciousness. This hinders the sadhaka in his efforts to experience the seer, and may create a dual or split personality.” (1.8)

I forget that the solution is elegant and given almost immediately after stating the potential causes. As soon as Patanjali talks about the obstacles in the path, he indicates the preventive measures in 1.32, “Adherence to single-minded effort prevents these impediments.” He then continues in a series of sutras to open out various ways in which to still the mind and consciousness (1.34-39).

While vrittis are harder to pin down, the kleshas are more easily identifiable with chief among them being avidya in which nests all others. Avidya is followed by asmita, raga, dvesha and abhinivesha. From 2.24-2.29, Patanjali lists out the cause and treatment of the same. The rest of the chapter is devoted to opening the first four of the eight limbs of yoga. 

Why all this reference to the sutras? Why the need to pin the various spots that I can identify? Simply because private study has always been my recourse to making sense of my world. I miss that terribly but find myself in a loop of activity. On the surface, it appears necessary but is it really? There is much that is accomplished but the price is heavy and I feel the weight of what is essentially a lightness. An outsider probably sees a different picture but the insides are what matter. 

As a marker of time, I could list out a whole bunch of things that happened from November and continue at a breakneck pace. There were a whole load of activities, Yoganusasanam, Guruji’s birth anniversary celebrations, a medical intensive which is ongoing. I’ve substituted for a few classes, taken visiting students on tours of the place and helped out in the office in addition to attending classes, assisting in them and documenting archival material. 2024 is packed with events commemorating 50 years of RIMYI and will see the same pace of activity. It is great to have such energy and buzz. But, at heart, I am a student and that part feels a bit dry. I need irrigation of the spirit. This blog has been one such. Perhaps the universe knew I needed a hand and gave the nudge with the notification of an anniversary to help come back.

The intention with this blog was not readership as much as it was about sharing my experiences in the hope that it would find someone who might find use. This space has brought me incredible gifts of friendship and so much more. Back when I started to write about my RIMYI life, I never imagined finding myself where I am. It is humbling to see the extent of the rewards of practice. One of the sweetest gifts has been finding like minded studentship. Setbacks and plateaus like the current state are part of the road and are simply opportunities to reaffirm one’s commitment to life’s seeking. 

I am grateful for the ability to have this space and the love and encouragement of my fellow travellers. Thank you for being on my road.

RIMYI and Maitri

RIMYI is home. As I walk towards the institute, it is always the same. Familiar and comforting, what a loved home feels like. There is an entering into the space, the ritual of removing footwear, walking through the large doorway and settling into the rhythm of the space. Many things happen during the course of a day. Organizing various activities, archival and library tasks and being present in classes take up most of my time. Often, it appears as though things are simply going on but almost every day I am struck powerfully by how much happens below the surface.

I am beginning to experience first hand what Abhijata had spoken about a few years back about the non-formal system of teaching and learning that happens at RIMYI. I see it in the instinctive knowing before intellectual understanding. Small things, like the pose one may assume in a break between asanas while the teacher speaks, the choice of modifications even when it is not suggested but which is validated when the teacher follows up later with a suggestion and that is what one has done. It is present when there is a meeting of minds as we read something together and connect the dots between a film or a class lesson. Priceless, the warp and weft of community and subject.

Despite the increased interaction with students and teachers at the institute, I still remain mostly a soloist with respect to what I feel and think about the practice, the place and the teachings. But there is small change as I speak with my teachers or then a couple of friends. R had mentioned how he considers himself as belonging to RIMYI a few months ago, that’s how I feel about myself. I belong to the place and care about it deeply. It has been and continues to be a place where hundreds come everyday and many lives get better. I suppose the current avatar of it could be considered as Iyengar yoga 2.0. It is a changed world we inhabit and the practice reflects it. Old-timers, both local and international, feel the shift with its mix of tradition and contemporary relevance. The elders guide and pass on whatever they know even as the younger generation brings its dynamism echoing Guruji’s exhortation of letting his end be our beginning.

As I reflect over all these happenings, I can’t help but look at what is staring me in the face. Maitri. Very early on, it took root in my heart. Initially, it was just the sound of the sutra (1.33) but later it grew to become a powerful anchor through the years. Featuring soon after the obstacles mentioned in the first pada, it is a breath of fresh air in its availability for everyone. Later in a sutra in the third pada (3.24), Guruji translates, “He gains moral and emotional strength by perfecting friendliness and other virtues towards one and all.” What strikes me as different in this aphorism from the others is that I can’t think of anyway in which this siddhi can be misused. There is only a ‘graceful diposition of heart’ that is available on its realization. The heart is really the heart of practice. Guruji’s teachings came straight from that blazing centre as did his twinkle and laughter, generosity and compassion.

Strive, we do. In asana, in life. We strive as we meet the challenges of a pose, injury or life happenings. But, maitri, karuna, mudita and upeksha bring softness to meet all of it with ease. ‘Citta prasadanam’ is the promise. I’m just going to quote him verbatim, “This mental adjustment builds social as well as individual health. Besides cultivating these qualities, one should follow the social virtues of yama (2.30) for the well-being of society as a whole. This approach to life keeps the mind of the sadhaka serene and pure.” Considering all that is happening in our collective lives, the sutra is a potent reminder of our interconnectedness. There really is no other, we are one. Just like yoga is one.

Notes on Ganesh Chaturthi

It’s a big day in this corner of the world. There is much worship and celebration as people welcomed the elephant headed God into their homes. In my smaller corner of the world, it is a quiet day reminiscent of many things. The day itself carried shades of every feeling that is a given if one is embodied. If I had to summarize, I’d say it was mostly being – being oneself, being present.

And in the midst of many waves that rose and fell, the gift of an unexpected class. I had to help set up a recording for my teacher and ended up doing it as well. It was strange to know that I was the only one in that class which was not real-time. And I wondered at how he managed to teach so effortlessly that it seemed like a regular class.

It was a gift at many levels. I had spent the time just before class reading from the Astadala Yogamala and the session touched on so many of those nuances. I did some asanas that I wasn’t even approaching these last few months. Like he put it so beautifully, even in heating asanas, one can find ventilation. So many gems.

Yesterday, in therapy class, I experienced a shift. Something changing within. Almost as though there was a tapping into a quiet stream of energy, invisible and unseen. Unhurried and yet alert. I felt it yesterday but the articulation only happened after some time. The teaching here is so robust, so immersive that one doesn’t quite realize when one is changed. There are no milestones, just sudden realizations. And at such moments, one looks at it and moves on.

For almost 50 years, the hall has been the stage for all kinds of students, practitioners, teachers. Visitors see a spartan space with a lot of wooden props. But the heart of RIMYI is in the service of its teachers, those who pour themselves into us, day in and day out.

As I call it a night, I see that today has been a benediction.

8 years later

8 years ago, Wednesday mornings were looked forward to with great anticipation. A thirsty waiting. It was class day when I’d be charged and riveted for an hour with my teacher. Ever since that very first class in June that year, my respect and love for her grew. Like everyone else, I loved her class or maybe it was her. I was simply one of many thousands who would enter the doors of RIMYI with a great deal of reverence. I remember the thrill when she gave me a card at the end of that year to move to Intermediate.

My own journey with the place saw me go through awe and reverence to its current place as home. Since that Wednesday morning all those years ago, I’ve been in many classes of varying levels with my teacher. Yesterday, I had to sub for her and so taught a class at RIMYI in that iconic hall. The class itself will remain etched in my mind because I miscalculated the time 🙂 and ended early. Later, my friends and teachers shared stories about their first class at RIMYI and their bloopers. So, it is a rite of passage. In balance, it was a good class.

Around the world, this system of teaching and learning has very extensive, formal pedagogy while at the heart of it all at RIMYI, the learning, teaching is organic. Depsite the modernity of yoga teaching and learning, it is a gurukula in spirit. We are children of the institute. One of my deepest satisfactions is being of service in whatever way I can. Packing up after a class for the teachers, doing stuff for the library, archives or then coordinating activities, all of these are a devotion to a place that has given me much. The subject, the teachers, the legacy is so enormous and yet it is worn lightly. And so I want to remain a student. Always.

Movie Time

Setting up for movie time

Last Friday we had a video screening at the institute. Another opening of a gateway to study as we watched a video from 30 years ago. It was a Q & A session on the therapeutic application of asana. While the brilliance of asana technology was on display, what was implicit was the need for study in one’s own practice. How problem areas need to be explored and addressed. When one stops to think of it, the vast knowledge of B.K.S. Iyengar seems inevitable. He spent hours in trial and error as a young practitioner and that relentless quest showered him with awe-inspiring brilliance that shines bright even beyond his time.

Another thing that surfaced was the student master relationship. Guruji was not merely a teacher, he was an accomplished master and while his utterances may seem arrogant, they are not. I don’t know if his statements were seen for what they were, a culturing of an attitude for they seem harsh. At its very heart though is deep devotion and religiosity in his practice. He asserts that he cannot pollute the subject. Something Prashantji mentions comes to mind here. He often says that he does not teach students, he teaches the subject. How many of us have that absolute fidelity to a chosen sadhana?

It was interesting to notice the dynamics of student teacher/master communication. It is a subtle thing, the traditional relationship between student and teacher. These days, one doesn’t see it much as there is easy familiarity between students and teachers not just in yoga but across all disciplines. Sometimes it can be disadvantageous as the necessary surrender is not present to allow transmission of learning. In learning, there is the teacher, the taught, the subject and the teaching. This set is the matter for contemplation on knowledge in the Taittiriya Upanishad. Well worth exploring as a preparatory exercise.

Studentship is a gift, like a well rounded, wholesome childhood fully secure in the knowledge that the elders have got your back. I feel like that unfettered child as I navigate my days at beloved RIMYI.