I have just returned from a wonderful week in Toronto after attending the annual conference of Iyengar Yoga Association of Canada / Association canadienne de yoga Iyengar (IYAC/ACYI).
This year the conference was entitled Iyengar Yoga Today - From The Source. The teachings we received were definitely from the source, as two senior teachers were sent as ambassadors directly from Pune, India to share B.K.S Iyengar's teachings. The teachers - Dr. Rajlaxmi Nidmarti and Raya Uma Datta led a very intensive schedule, with over 30 hours of teachings, demonstrations, lectures and yoga asana and pranayama practice. Although this will probably take me years to truly incorporate all that was brought into my body during the five days there, I hope I will be able to bring this forward to my home practice and teachings.
The teachings from Dr. Rajlaxmi and Raya were expressed with such sincerity and respect for Guruji (B.K.S. Iyengar) and given with extreme clarity.
Mr. Iyengar has always said there is no Iyengar yoga - it really has been the students of Guruji that have coined this term. Raya stressed this again and again explaining why Mr. Iyengar has never applied for a patent for his creation of props. Guruji says, " I designed props so people can benefit. Thousands are benefiting and will continue to benefit from them. Does God ever file a patent for his creation? Then what right do I, a mortal have to do so?" Raya talked about Iyengar Yoga as an open source - where no one owns and it is free for all to access. In this though we need to individually learn and know what is our source. Guruji has spent over 75 years of his life exploring and experimenting in yoga and has always been willing to share his knowledge with everyone, but we have to be willing to internalize this and get acquainted and comfortable with our own bodies. To have a relationship with ourselves.
Raya said, "Don't go for action, go for interaction." Yoga should not just be going to class - like a transaction in a store, but should be an interaction with ourselves at a deeper level.
A guru is one who takes the seeker from darkness of ignorance to the light of the soul. Thank you to Guruji, his family and teachers. I am truly grateful to have received the teachings from those so close to an amazing source.
Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
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