It’s been raining non stop in Pune for the last 3 days. The last time I experienced rain like this was in Wellington. There the rain was accompanied by mist and the smell of Eucalyptus and Citronella. Here I’m hurrying to RIMYI as quickly but as carefully as I can so as to make it to class on time while avoiding getting muck on my shoes and clothes.
The 7 am class this morning was taken by Abhijata. We started with the Uttanasana and the Adhomukha Svanasana. We frequently start classes with these poses. Then we were asked to get bricks and then started the series of standing poses. We did all the standing poses without a break. We did the entire sequence on both sides taking a break in between. It took us only about 10 minutes. Abhijata then told us that we can do the entire sequence of standing poses every day and in only 20 minutes. In Iyengar yoga we start with the standing poses. These poses are sort of like the entry point to other poses and also the entry point to start correcting alignment issues. Structural and postural defects can be corrected only once the corrections from basic standing asanas are experienced by the body.
Another reason we begin with standing asanas is because while doing the asanas you focus on nothing but the asana. It’s difficult to think about how much you hate your boss when your thighs are screaming in Virbhadrasana 1. So for 20 minutes (while you are performing the sequence of standing poses), you get a mental break from whatever thoughts disturb you for the rest of the day. This state of focus and concentration is what meditation tries to get you to. In Iyengar yoga we use the asanas as a means to attain the meditative state.
When you try to sit and actively concentrate on emptying your mind or focusing on an object/word/thought, it’s difficult. It could lead to frustration as well (the opposite of what we hope to achieve through meditation). However, practicing asanas with consciousness and with an attention to detail ensures that for the time you are practicing you are also in a meditative state.
Perhaps this explains why I feel a sense of lightness here. (Starting to wonder if I want to make it back to Bangalore….)
I’ve practiced more in these 16 days than I ever have in my life. In Mysore practice used to be for an hour and a half. That was for 15 days. During my teachers’ training at SVYASA we used to have practice for up to 2 – 3 hours a day. Here we practice for up to 5 hours a day. Some students even opt to observe classes, so that’s more yoga during the day. It is intense, it is powerful, detailed, thorough and it’s amazing (I may already have mentioned that before.) In the past 2 weeks I’ve had time to really work on my asanas. I’ve also had a chance to see the practice in a different way. To kind of lift the asana lid and peer into the pot to find the importance and relevance of yoga in our lives. My own steadily improving practice and watching all kinds of people practice day in and day out. Doing the Trikonasana (and other asanas) over and over again drives home a few important lessons.
Practice makes perfect. But nobody’s perfect. So perfection is a process and practice is the means to it. In the age of beautiful Instagram filters, it is difficult to believe that even the jaw dropping and awe inspiring pose has scope for improvement. There is scope of improvement in everything. Your projects are a work in progress. Your relationships are a work in progress….your life is a work in progress. You are a work in progress! So accept your mistakes. Internalize the lessons they teach you and don’t make them again. Remember, a mistake made over and over again is a habit.
Spend a lot of time on your fundamentals. Here we have practitioners of all levels. However, what we practice day in and day out (yes for 5 hours daily) are the fundamentals. Trikonasana, Uttanasana, Downward dog etc. The other day the entire 2 hour class was about Uttanasana. That is all we did during the entire class. In fact, I’ve heard Abhijata say that your inversions will never be stable unless your standing poses are stable. Next time you find yourself fumbling in a pose, try and analyse why and what you can do to make the pose better. And next time you find yourself getting impatient or bored of the fundamentals, remember there’s always scope for improvement.
Cultivate discipline.Be strict with yourself because when it comes to your body no one else will be. Make the time to move your body, however inconvenient it may be. Make the time to cultivate a hobby which requires you to move. Enjoy the process of movement and getting in touch with yourself. The tragedy of our times is that people will set reminders on their phones to take the medicines they have now become dependent on, but they won’t throw back the covers and go for a quick jog. Every little bit matters, but you need discipline. To start and to stay on track.
[Above: Healthy food choices always. Remember my 80/20 rule.]
When I was living in Sanaa, Yemen my parents decided that we should go to school during the summer holidays as well. Both my parents were working and three kids can be quite a handful. So they spoke to the principal of the school run by the Indian Embassy there, and we were packed off to what would become summer school for us.
There was a boy in my class during the time, who was from Russia. He didn’t speak English very well and couldn’t read or write it very well either. The English teacher was supportive but it is difficult to teach someone a language when you have no common language to communicate in. The thing that I remember about this boy is that he was a talented artist. Perhaps he’s a cartoonist or an illustrator or a graphic designer now. Back then he was amazing at art. Unfortunately, we grew up at a time when if you were good at Math and Science, you were smart…and nothing else really drew much appreciation.
One day we were given an assignment during English class and we were all furiously working on the assignment. All of us. At the end of the class the teacher was curious to know how the Russian student had done. He handed her his notebook and we all registered her stunned expression. She looked up and showed us his notebook. While the rest of us were working on our assignment, he was busy copying the cover page of the book. I forget what was on the cover, but I remember there were clouds and the name of the book was written over the clouds.
“See he’s drawn the English, he doesn’t even realize it,” said the teacher. “He thinks it’s a part of the picture. He doesn’t know what he’s drawn.”
I find a lot of that happening in yoga class. After 15 days here, at ‘the source’, I’ve started to feel like 95% of yoga studios/teachers/students in Bangalore have skewed focus. I see it in classes too. Students are in awe of other students and teachers who can go upside down or do other fancy things….and somewhere the focus shifts. The acrobats develop a comfort zone in which they preen and prance while the rest of us aspire to gain entry into that comfort zone. In any yoga class, you will see all the students practicing the basic asanas with concentration and focus. As the asanas get more challenging the students grumble and groan but still focus on the posture and working with their bodies. And finally, for the ‘advanced’ poses you will see most students gazing admiringly and enviously at the few who are able to do the poses.
At any point in time, when your attention is no longer on what is going on within you, then the practice ceases to be yoga. I keep on saying that yoga is not about the postures, yoga is about life. All of us have different lives, and so our relationship with yoga will also be unique and personal. What is going on in your body when you do the Uttanasana will be based upon your lifestyle, life choices, mental and emotional states. These factors will be different for your classmates and so their Uttanasana will be different. What I see in students is the desire to do the Uttanasana that their neighbor is doing. And those who are able to execute what they think is the ‘perfect’ Uttanasana stop working in the asana. Teachers too, focus more on how far down you can go rather than on how you can work your body optimally to execute the best Uttanasana you can given your mental and physical state at that given point in time.
The result of this style of teaching and learning is that we are missing the point. Movement in yoga classes is becoming mechanical and mindless. We’re missing the bullseye….in fact we’re not even aiming for bullseye. We are confusing asanas for acrobatics and vice versa. Every time someone else does kapotasana and we can’t, we’re lose a bit of ourselves. And going farther away from ourselves, which is opposite to what yoga aims to do. Remember, yoga means to join or to yoke together, and if you are focusing on the getting your leg behind your head, you’re not appreciating the feeling of expansion in your hips.
Stop drawing alphabets in the clouds, learn to read the words.
Lord Ganesh would probably be the poster boy for Hindu mythology. I’ve rarely met a foreign yogi who hasn’t heard at least one legend about how he got the head of an elephant. I’ve rarely been to an Indian or an Indophile’s house which doesn’t have a picture or a statue of Ganesh-ji. I don’t profess to have more than a rudimentary knowledge of Hinduism and am not in the least iconoclastic. But I also have a beautiful statue of Ganesh in my house. One of my favorite pieces of jewellery is a gold Ganesh pendant that a friend of mine gave me when I was about to embark on an import journey in life (thanks Lakshmi).
I guess it was destiny for me to come to Maharashtra when the most special festival is going on. Ganesh Chaturti here is celebrated like Dusshera in Mysore. The festival has been immortalized in numerous Bollywood songs and last night I had the pleasure of visiting the 5 famous Ganesh mandals here in Pune. These are so famous in fact, that it is rumoured that Bollywood celebrities come all the way here to offer their prayers. Going to the old city and walking through the crowds to make your way to the Ganpatis is no easy feat, and I guess it was destiny once again that I had a group who was kind enough to think of me when they made their plan. Had it not been for Hariharan, Shivangi and Subbu I don’t think I would ever have had the chance to participate in the festivities.
The route.
We had a very capable and organized navigator. Hariharan did the groundwork. We had the names of the famous Ganapatis and the walking route printed out. We knew that it was going to be crowded, so we left our bags behind in the car and ventured out on foot. Don’t get too close to the venue to look for parking because you won’t find any. We parked on the other side of the Mula Mutha river and crossed the bridge. The area is cordoned off for vehicles.
Have to go back to this. I’ve heard there is a sound and light show here. Also, it looks very different from how it does in Bajirao Mastani. I will have to go back for a closer look.
The Ganapatis we wanted to visit were:
Kasba
Tambdi
Guruji Talim
Tulsibaugh (we missed this one)
Kesriwada
So the Ganapatis, in no particular order are:
The oldest Ganapati.
While here I want to make sure that I have as much vada pav and pav bhaji and other local fare, and in keeping with that we stopped at JumboKing for their famous Wada Pav Burger.
Mario Miranda on the wall.
Fortune tellers, old and new friends, phenomenal yoga teachers and amazing practice sessions…what else will Ganesh-ji bring my way during the rest of my Pune travels and in my life?
To practice or not to practice – even the most devoted yogini asks herself this once a month.
Here in Pune, women on their period are given a different, more restful sequence to follow. So they will do all the standing and seated asanas and the twists with the rest of the class. When the class goes into inversions (which is what we practice towards the end of the session), the menstruating ladies go into either forward bends or restful supine positions.
When I was in Mysore last year I found out that in the Ashtanga tradition, women are allowed 3 rest days while on their period and these days are called the ‘Ladies’ Holiday’.
Now that we know that two very old traditions of yoga recommend rest during this time, it’s worth dwelling on why. I’m sure I’ve talked about it in a previous blog, but the most obvious reason is that inversions force the flow of blood to go against the natural course, which may lead to unhealthy periods. Also, when you start to integrate bandhas with your asanas, the mula bandha opposes the flow of blood again.
Mensturation is also the time when a woman’s body regenerates and gets ready to procreate again. This ability to procreate is held holy and revered in many cultures. This is a time for a woman to slow down and give time and space to her body, spiritually and physically.
When I first started practicing yoga, I admit I thought not practicing when you’re menstruating was just a myth. And so I practiced all the time. A lot of us can get away with intense challenging practice sessions even while we’re on our period. However, your body will change and it’s important to be attuned to these changes. Your flexibility levels vary day to day, as does your stamina and state of mind. As your body and your practice change you can expect that one day you may just want to relax during your period. Listen to your body, don’t just obey your mind.
How did I make peace with easing up on my practice? I decided to take it the Iyengar way. During my self practice I spent a lot of time in Supta Baddhakonasana and in various forward bends. I did a lot of hip openers because I find that feels good. I worked on my Hanumanasana as well. My back feels relaxed and flexible and I still feel like I did a good practice.
On to other related topics. Lately I’ve started looking into having a zero-waste period. As many readers may know, sanitary napkins and tampons are non biodegradable or recyclable and end up in landfills. There are reams online about TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) but my primary interest in a zero-waste period is the environment. Pads and tampons started to feel like the deep-fried, coated in refined sugar, unhygienic sweet that I didn’t even want to look at. I discovered alternatives. Here’s a video that will shed more light on this:
And if you’re interested in getting your own set of re-usable pads, you can get them at the link below. The reason I like this organisation is because they are involved with lots of rural initiatives.
My host brought to my attention that there is a much respected astrologer close by. Everyone goes to him and his reading is usually spot on. The catch is that it’s difficult to get an appointment with him. Plus I didn’t have my birth chart.
If I could get into the Iyengar institute, famed or their coldness and hard-to-get attitude, then the neighbourhood astrologer would be easy to crack, regardless of how famous he was. Expecting it to take weeks to get an appointment, I started working on this right away. To my surprise and delight, I managed to get an appointment in the third call. So post my self practice session today, I decided to visit the astrologer. Armed with a map and loads of curiosity.
In the rows and rows of non descript government quarters, I wouldn’t have been able to find his house with no address. However, everyone seemed to know where he lived. An appointment was going on when I walked in. I’d expected the worst and was prepared to wait for hours, but Lady Luck was on my side and I waited for only 15 minutes.
I had asked my mother to send me photos of my natal chart on WhatsApp and I showed him these images on my laptop.
Astrologer: “You aren’t in the same line that you studied.”
Me: Nodded.
Astrologer: “What have you studied?”
Me:”Engineering. I worked as a software engineer also for a long time too.”
Astrologer: “But what are you doing now?”
Me: “I teach yoga.”
Astrologer: “It says here that you will excel at the studies of old things…maybe history…maybe humanity. You will do well in a field that requires you to gain deep knowledge, not superficial work. It says here your area of work will be beneficial for mankind. Are you only teaching or studying also?”
Me: “Yes, I study and teach.”
Astrologer: “Then there is nothing better for you than this. This is what you were meant to do. To study deeply and to help people. And yoga is after all a study of the human body and the human mind. And now with Modi getting interested…you can understand.”
Me: “Hmmm…but what else do you see? Only teaching and studying yoga? Same thing for the rest of my life?”
Astrolger: “No no….you will go deep. Even amongst yoga teachers, not everyone reaches the trance state. Not everyone goes to the higher levels. You will also go. You will teach and you will learn. Yoga will take you to different places. You will not settle abroad nor get a green card. But you will travel far and frequently.”
Me: “I will travel for yoga? But do you see a book published in my future somewhere?”
Astrologer: “When it comes to yoga, which is your chosen field of study, you will do whatever you want. There are no boundaries to what you will do and there are no limits to how much you will contribute. But stick to yoga, don’t do anything else. Now you tell me, why did you take up yoga?”
Me: “I myself can’t really tell you why. Something within me is drawn to the practice.”
Astrologer: “And that is what! That is why you must continue. Don’t worry about money. You won’t get Rs. 5, 10, 50…when you earn you will get in the thousands at one go. You will earn in different currencies, but only through yoga. Don’t switch your line and stick to it. Whatever you want, you will get.”
As I walked away from his office, I was reminded of what Pattabhi Jois was so fond of saying,” Do your practice and all is coming.” In a way, this famed astrologer was telling me the same thing.
I had a 7 am class this morning and boy was it jam packed! I think the practice hall can accommodate about 25 people comfortably but we crammed in about 50 people. We were told to keep our mats right next to each other. To adjust and to understand. In life and on the mat.
My self practice was in the evening today and it was simply AMAAAAAAAZING!!!! I had been avoiding practicing back bends for a while. I’ve analysed why in my head several times, however will take reams and reams of blog posts to get into why. Anyways, what I really like about the self practice sessions here is that the students come and practice with unwavering dedication, even though there are no teachers to help out or to guide. I come across so many people who say that they need to join a class else they slack off. Until now I understood this as a lack of inspiration to work out, to dance, to practice yoga etc. However, when I look around at the self practice room and see people practicing intensely, I have a new found respect for those who maintain a regular fitness regime. For myself, yoga isn’t a fitness regime. I’ll risk sounding clichéd, but it’s like brushing my teeth. It sets the pace of my days, it makes me feel balanced, it helps me focus and express myself. Yoga simply defines my days.
Soup of the Day: Tomato and Carrot
Today also marks the momentous occasion of me buying my very first Iyengar yoga shorts. There is a local man here (a Mr. Vasanth), who along with his wife makes yoga shorts and tees and props too. I’m going to upload his contact details here so that all who are interested can contact him. They customize the shorts as well, so I’ve asked for plain black. Until then I will make do with the blue tie and dyed ones I chose from amongst the ones he had.
And finally my first weekend in Pune has arrived! Anuja and I are going out for a meal so that we can let our hair down and set the tone for the weekend. I have two complete days to work this exhaustion out of my system (maybe going out tonight isn’t in line with that goal…). Anyways, girls who work hard need to play hard too.
Also, we watched ‘Hush’ last night. Completely forgettable.
The first day is always a day of exploration and learning.
My first class was on the second floor and we went through the standing asanas. However, because it was the Intermediate class we were expected to know how to do the Sirsasana, Halasana and Sarvangasana. In my class in Bangalore we did the Sarvangasana and Halasana with the help of chairs, however, here the only props we used were thick mats under our shoulders.
Post the class we had a break of 30 minutes after which the hall on the first floor was free for self practice. During this time we are allowed the use of the hall and all the props to further our practice. Since I wasn’t sure of what to expect, I decided to repeat what we had done in the led class and take my time with the asanas. Since I’m working on my Hanumanasana, I built up to that as well. Unfortunately, by this time (after almost 4 hours of practice) I was completely depleted of energy and didn’t give the practice my 100%. However, tomorrow my self practice and led class have a gap, so I think I’ll be able to use my time much more judiciously tomorrow.
Once I got home I searched for a good spot for wifi reception. The flora and fauna and the monsoons ensure the wifi signal is weak. However, good karma came to my rescue and my sister’s friend (who lives in the house next door)n offered me her wifi and the use of this space:
She happens to be a designer with a flair for interiors and this is her office. So for the entire month, this is what my workstation looks like. My desk is right next to hers, so I’ve got good company too. And hot homemade soup in the evenings (today it’s pumpkin soup). I I will be designing plans and blogging from here.
As for my pratice schedule, here it is for your reference:
Today was the last day for our Yoga In the Park group. We’ve been a strong group and have stuck together for 3 years. All of us keep on taking breaks to travel or to be with family, qbut at the end of the day we return to the group, enriched by all our adventures. From a small group of 3, we’ve grown to a vibrant group of 10. A year ago, when I went to visit my parents for 2 months, I had created a program that I wanted the girls to follow while I was away. It was a very general outline, and to my delight, one of the girls still had it saved on her phone. She sent the entire routine to me and I decided to make a few modifications to it to suit the practitioners after an added year of practice. Here it is:
Day 1 (Leg Intensive)
Squats (remember to do these slowly, engaging all your muscles)
Stretch your quads after this. Hold for 2 minutes on each side.
Trikonasana
Virbhadrasana 1
Virbhadrasana 2
Parsvakonasana
Janu Sirsasana
Paschimottansana
Day 2 (Arms Intensive)
Chaturanga -ups (try your best)
2 min plank
Adhomukhasvanasana (Downward Dog)
Gomukhasana
Paschimnamaskarasana
Garudasana
Remember to start all your workouts with a few stretches and Surya Namaskars. As the weather gets colder, you can increase the number of Surya Namaskars.
Those following my Facebook updates would know that I attended my first Iyengar workshop last weekend. I had been looking forward to the workshop all month. Turns out, the workshop became special for me. It was conducted by 3 senior Iyengar teachers. It was held at Belur, BKS Iyengar’s birthplace. Iyengar teachers are legendary for being strict and no nonsense. So when, at the end of the first day I came up with the idea that maybe I could do my first ever interview for the blog with one of the most famous yoga teachers in the world, I didn’t think it would actually happen. But it did! And I was kicked. Below is the interview. At the end is the link to where you can hear it on YouTube.
PB: First of all Abhijata, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview. I know its on short notice but thank you so much.
AS: Welcome.
PB: So the first question I wanted to ask you is in your opinion what is the role of a guru. In the modern context when the practitioners have changed and the practice has changed, and you know, lifestyles and I think times have changed so now what is the role of a guru in a student’s or in a seeker’s life?
AS: I think the word guru is used very..uh… easily these days…because so many people that we see I would say are teachers, instructors…I mean it starts off with you know being..instructing a class, conducting a class, teaching a class… A guru is not somebody who teaches you a subject, a guru is somebody who teaches you about living, a guru is somebody who teaches you life. So, not everybody can get a guru, not anybody can become a guru (starts laughing).
PB: Hmmm..ok..alright..and do you agree that, you know they say that when a student is ready then the guru appears. So and…I feel that is sort of taking away responsibility from a student, like y’know you just keep on doing your work and the guru will come on their own. But do you feel for students today who are seeking something more from the practice, do you think they should go out and actively look for a guru or do you feel that they should just wait and when they are ready the guru will appear.
AS: Ah….I’ve been lucky to have had my guru (laughs again), so I don’t think it will be fair for me to answer this question because fortunately I was lucky enough to have been born in this family and to have been taught by him and by my uncle and aunt, Geetaji and Prashantji too and then Guruji became my guru. So yes, in a sense you cannot make a guru, but yes a guru appears it is true in one sense, but at the same time you can’t expect someone who is teaching you a subject to be a teacher and then somebody just comes and there the guru has appeared. I think a teacher transforms to becoming a guru, a student transforms into becoming a shishya and it doesn’t happen so easily, it’s not so easy. (starts laughing)
PB: And so that’s another question I had for you, when did your grandfather, he was your grandfather and then what was the moment when he became your guru? What was that transformational moment for you when you realized that ok this transformation has happened. It’s like a paradigm shift which happens in your life. So when did you realize that?
AS: I don’t know. Honestly I don’t know when he being my grandfather stopped and he becoming my guru emerged. When I came to Pune I just wanted to see what this yoga was about. I mean, why there are so many people from all over the world who come to my grandfather to learn…so let me see what this is all about, that’s how I started my learning in yoga. And he was teaching me asanas, and somehow it just evolved into he teaching me …
PB: life?
AS: ..so many other things (laughs).
PB: And also, so you’re one of the more younger teachers in the world of yoga, so how do you feel your teaching has evolved from the time your grandfather was teaching, from the time his guru was teaching? You know because people have also changed, so do you think your style of teaching has evolved with the times or is different from what the style of teaching of older teachers has been.
AS: Ah…I have not seen the older generation teach..you know..8 years ago I don’t know how it was but I’ve heard stories. I’ve heard stories of how my grandfather told his guru that he can’t do Hanumanasana. And his guru: Why? And my grandfather as a young boy when he told his guru that I cannot do the Hanumanasana because my langot is tight and his guru said just bring the scissors I’ll cut off your langot and you just do the Hanumansana. It’s about doing the Hanumanasana (both begin to laugh), it’s not about your clothing. So the gurus of those days I guess were like that (laughs). So…uh…I have started teaching in this age, so I have seen people, moved around people of this generation so it must have evolved in this style. But like I told you before, fortunately because I’ve seen them, I’ve seen Guruji, I’m still seeing my uncle and aunt, it is different. Because being closer to the source…I guess makes a difference.
PB: And what is a typical day in your life like? You know, when do you wake up and when do you practice?
AS: (laughs) Now my daughter has started school (laughs some more), so its changed. So I wake up, make her … pack her off to school and then my practice starts at nine. Goes on til twelve in the afternoon. And then I…two three days a week I also practice in the evening from four to six. Other two days I teach. My grandfather has said that if you are teaching a one hour class your practice that day has to be of three hours so…(both start laughing)
PB: I see, I’ll keep that in mind. (laughs). Your tips for yoga practitioners of the Iyengar tradition in terms of diet, practice and code of conduct.
AS: Practice would come first. Diet and code of conduct would follow. Practice, practice with all your heart, practice with sincerity. You know, often we cheat ourselves and we don’t know we are cheating ourselves I mean, if the going gets tough we want to go away from that. We think this is my limit, this is all I can do, that’s how the human mind thinks. And it’s very difficult to challenge that if you don’t have a good teacher. I mean, Guruji was there telling me you are escaping, you are being lazy. At that time I thought I was putting in my best and I thought I couldn’t do anything more than this but then he would say no this is nothing. So he was there, to you know, push me through that. And again, its not just about the quantity or the intensity but it’s one part of it. The point is asanas teach you about your own thinking pattern. You know, we so often want to escape, you so often want to do so much lesser than what we are truly capable of so fortunately if you have a good teacher who can identify the weakness in you and push you along then it’s good. Otherwise you have to be really observant and critical of yourself, to see what you are doing. And once your practice goes up like that, your diet will change on its own because you will realize that if you had a late lunch it’s not working well. If you’ve had a heavy lunch it’s not working well. If you’ve had spicy food it’s not working well. So that will change on its own.
PB: OK and would you like to make a comment on vegetarianism….in today’s context you know…when…
AS: Ah..I’m a born vegetarian so I don’t know the other side of it. But what I have seen my grandfather tell people is that you practice and you…
PB: Yeah I read about that in ‘Light on Yoga’ also…And code of conduct? I know it’s a very vast thing but as a practitioner is there anything you’d like to say?
AS: Code of conduct is not needed just for a practitioner, code of conduct is needed to just be a good human being (starts laughing).
PB: Alright! And tips for yoga teachers, um…wanna be yoga teachers of the Iyengar style of yoga.
AS: (laughs) The wanna be yoga teachers of the Iyengar style have to realize that a lot more has to be put in before you can become a teacher. (laughs)
PB: Yeah…
AS: because it’s very … I don’t know whether the demand is so much…of late so many people have developed this interest to become a teacher. I don’t know whether it is because of the popularity, because of the media, because of the demand, whatever it is, but we shouldn’t compromise on the quality…so we shouldn’t hurry up to become teachers. My uncle often tells in class that you do all your schooling, you go for your graduation, you go for your post graduation, you do another degree and then you teach kindergarten. So you know you cannot learn for three years and then teach a one year old in yoga. So you have to have your own abhyasa before you are ready to teach, before you are truly ready to teach…
PB: OK, alright. So that’s pretty much all the questions I have. Thank you so much.
AS: Thanks.
And here’s a link where you can listen to the interview:
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qbut at the end of the day we return to the group, enriched by all our adventures. From a small group of 3, we’ve grown to a vibrant group of 10. A year ago, when I went to visit my parents for 2 months, I had created a program that I wanted the girls to follow while I was away. It was a very general outline, and to my delight, one of the girls still had it saved on her phone. She sent the entire routine to me and I decided to make a few modifications to it to suit the practitioners after an added year of practice. Here it is:
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Those following my Facebook updates would know that I attended my first Iyengar workshop last weekend. I had been looking forward to the workshop all month. Turns out, the workshop became special for me. It was conducted by 3 senior Iyengar teachers. It was held at Belur, BKS Iyengar’s birthplace. Iyengar teachers are legendary for being strict and no nonsense. So when, at the end of the first day I came up with the idea that maybe I could do my first ever interview for the blog with one of the most famous yoga teachers in the world, I didn’t think it would actually happen. But it did! And I was kicked. Below is the interview. At the end is the link to where you can hear it on YouTube.![POMELO_20160724194023_save[1]](https://yogawithpragya.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/pomelo_20160724194023_save1-1.jpg)
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