a moment from Pune

dear Everyone Namaskar!

It has been a delightfully dense learning in the embrace of the Iyengars; so much is packed in each ray of guidance they shine upon us, Geetaji and Prashantji in formal class, Guruji Iyengar in wonderful moments that you chance upon in your goings and comings in the Institute. One such moment was a late afternoon that I came to the Institue, and happened upon a gathering of Russian visitors, students of Iyengar yoga who were interviewing Mr. Iyengar. I promptly sat down amongst them and listened. I share with you some of these gems that I was able to note down...:

"art is infinite; it is like an ocean. Our minds are limited. .. As you go on doing, new gates open, reach that level as far as possible.

On the future and the past:
"I never look at the past nor the future. Only the present. The moment is stable, so I am stable. I will not get caught in the cycle of movement. Do you call the river, past, present, future? The river flows to the sea. . death is the culmination of the river going to the sea..

"If you get in frame of mind 'I want this', what is coming, you don't see. You make a frame and you don't know the content. Don't have a frame! That is called as without mind... the mind's dual role: the soul and the senses of perception - it [the mind] doesn't take you here and there, you don't sink nor swim. Yoga makes the dual mind into a single mind through asanas."

On the role of the teacher:
"A teacher should be a student, learn from students the mistakes; be a learner; practice at home why mistakes are made; correct them experientially; how students go wrong, correct, play with your body - take the shape and then correct it - learn how to shift the intelligence there - then guide. Be a learner like the raw student who does innocently - mind is innocent, you do calculatedly!"

On practice:
"Anatomy of the asana and anatomy of the human body - learn to synchronise the two. Don't disturb the anatomy of the body".

"Steps to clean the mind: experiential state that cannot be explained; experience = look!

"Make the intelligence to feel each and every part.

"Trace the avenues in the body so that the intelligence can move through; trace the intelligence in par with the body - evenly : 'sthira shukham asanam'".

You will find it delightful to know that Mr. Iyengar corrected the alignment of one of his students right there and then, the gentleman was in full street clothes, long pants and button down shirt: but Mr. Iyengar corrected the direction of the lift of the skin of his thighs and calfs to correct his Tadasana! Later he corrected the shape of his knees in Virasana, without ever looking at him straight on = the student was sitting on the floor in virasana right next to him (Guruji's left); not once did he look at the student, but saw all misalignments and by correcting the positioning of the buttuck bones, the direction of the calf muscle, he corrected this man's virasana! A delight was this to witness!

I wish everyone an opportunity to visit Pune too.

with blessings and love
naghmeh