San Angelo Iyengar Yoga with Jerri Crowley

Excellent presentation to honor our teachers. So fortunate to be there in the hall on this auspicious day.

RIMYI - Guru Pournima 2024

🕉जन्मदिन की शुभकामनाएं Abhijata🙏🏻
🎉Happy Blessed Birthday Abhijata!!🎈
”Yoga should make you a joyous human being.“
~ Abhijata Iyengar

GURU PURNIMA

“Yoga Is my Guru. Yoga alone taught me Yoga.

Guru is one who is full of knowledge, full of light. Purnima is a full moon day. The Sun throws the light and the Moon receives it. Guru too who is full of knowledge , pours that knowledge for his disciples to receive it. Therefore, this day is called Guru Purnima. It is a very significant full moon day on which to celebrate the Guru-Sisya relationship.

My parampara is traced back to God. This Yoga is presented to us by Patanjali, who is also my Guru. Patanjali says that God is the first, foremost and absolute Guru, unconditioned by time and ever present, who guides us from within. He is also my Guru. This Guru is nearest and dearest to me. He dwells in my heart and speaks to my heart, and I salute him who is within me.

When I look back myself, I feel surprised how the Lord residing within guided me! I never thought that the tree of Yoga would grow like the Banyon tree. I never thought that the hidden knowledge will sprout in such a gigantic manner. I am grateful to my Guru, who sowed the seed of interest in me. The seed survived and grew into a tree giving me a magnanimous fruit.

Another meaning of Guru is weight or heaviness. It is a weight of knowledge that the Guru puts on you. Guru Purnima Is the day of dedication where the pupil surrenders himself to the Guru. He follows the words and works of the Guru. He works selflessly and gains self-respect.

Yoga is the practice and Yoga is the soul. When sadhaka, Sadhna and Sadhya (aim) become one, it is union , it is Yoga. You are Yoga and Yoga is you. Kindle the light of Yoga, so that Yoga enlightens you to become a wise man.

BKS IYENGAR
ASTADALA YOGAMALA VOL: 3

With gratitude to Guruji, and all our teachers on Guru Purnima day 🙏

Thanks, Ely!

“When we say stretch, it is more actively that we have to do. When we learn to do it actively, then it becomes easier to understand how that elongation comes. Stretch is strong, elongation is softer. Stretch is rajasic, lengthening is a sattvic nature of your muscle, of your bone, of the tissues.”

Where does the body end and the mind begin?
Where does the mind end and the self begin?
No one can answer these questions.
So why demarcate, dismember and disintegrate the art and science of yoga?

There are 2 ways of doing āsana: either without any thought (ajñāna) behind it or with full attention in thought and awareness (prajñāna). While performing āsana, the spine, the arms and fingers, the legs and toes, the skin, the fibres, membranes, muscles and nerves, the organs of intelligence and the self, should be sharp, mobile, alert, alive, observant and receptive. In practising it, activity and passivity must go hand in hand to balance evenly so that one gets the best effect with receptivity. Total involvement and integration are essential while performing āsana.

Accurate performance of āsana bring peace in man’s mind, poise in the body and a healthy balanced personality. Perform the āsana with uninterrupted awareness and undivided attention (viveka khyāti). Do not perform them mechanically, with a wandering mind. Perform with total involvement. Pe*****te the intellect from one end of the body to the other end vertically, horizontally, circumferentially as well as diagonally. This will bring uniformity and harmony to the body and sculpt the body to bring out its latent beauty. Just as a goldsmith beats and melts gold to remove the impurities, so the yogin performs āsana to remove the toxins that are accumulated in the body. This gift of āsana acts to dissolve all types of complexities and enables man to come to simple living and high thinking.

The most important effect from performing āsana is that it brings the mind closer to the core of being, whereas its natural tendency and liking is to remain attached to the body, senses of perception and organs of action.

Astadala Yogamala

Compact and extend as Prashant also told us yesterday. Advanced backbends! "What keeps us from practicing them," Abhi asked? "Guruji gave us so many ways to explore, learn and practice through the use of props. We will show some ways now."
Raya said, "after all, this IS an intensive you came for." It was intense even with the props, but moved us to another higher state of possibilities.
Dwi pada Viparita Dandasana and Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana were the target poses
After multiple demonstrations of these poses, with the props and without, by the sharp RIMYI teachers, we were told to conduct our own investigation. Begin as we should to prepare ourselves and then try as many of the set ups as possible. I've got to sit and write some notes from memory, because there were at least 20 different ways, demonstrating to me, once again, how brilliant this system is. I went full into my own practice state and it was an incredible feeling. Just being in that practice hall gives you the energy and inspiration. We helped each other where necessary.The RIMYI teachers interacted with us if they saw we were stuck or had questions. Discipline and practice is what we need. What we seek is freedom of the self, and freedom within the self. My favorite, Eka Pada inside the tressle. Feeling great now.

All yogic postures - yogāsana - ventilate the entire human system through two ventilations, namely the respiratory and the circulatory systems. They function harmoniously, keeping the other systems in balance. They bring understanding and intercommunication between each other. Each cell of the body communicates with the others and appears as a true Self for the practitioner. They have their own voiceless language.

The practice of āsana helps to increase the calibre of intelligence by destroying the impurities of the body and mind so that the crown of wisdom radiates in each individual making him friendly and compassionate towards himself, to his neighbour and to his society. That is the Art of Yoga teaches mankind.

Yoga is music for the body and the soul. The best of all music is silence. Silence has got its own rhythm and melody. Peace with silence brings harmony in the music of the soul.

The vibration of breath without any movement is known as silence in stillness. This silence is not found only in the body but also in the mind. The stillness and silence of the mind bring one into the present moment. As long as one lives witnessing the movement without getting involved in it, moment to moment, one experiences the music of the divine.

An unhealthy body cannot hear or experience the music of the divine.

- Astadala Yogamala

Life in India is so rich with experiences. Every day some new awakening. The rooster and life forms outside my window now are happy to be alive. Someone is sweeping the ground. So much fullness here, realizing we need so little. I am happy I came.
Classes continuing here at RIMYI. Prashant's morning class was brilliant. A few points he made about practicing yoga with purity. Some Prashantisms-

The act of chanting comes from the word "enchantment." Are you chanting or just reciting? You are enchanted when something is meaningful to you inside.
You cannot understand yourself or anyone else unless you know the language.
Doing vs knowing.
Knowing depends on whether we are observing and sensing in the moment. Body sense, breath sense, mind sense. Body gesture, breath gesture, mind gesture. Is this sensing a solo performance or a symphony? You are not the conductor. Your entire body, senses of perception and organs of action, breath and mind are. When we are in the poses, there is action, reaction and response. In different variations of the poses find out if we are reacting and responding to ourselves, not just doing. The breath is both done for and at the same time, responds to, the pose we are in.
The ocean is not known as the ocean by its extent, but by it's depth.
You have been, you are now and you will always be. You are timeless.
Today we studied Dandasana in multiple configurations and it was truly experiential and enlightening on many levels.
During one student's demo, he said we are getting a PhD in Dandasasana. :) Intelligence not like IQ or a lawyer would have a degree, but yoga intelligence YQ.

My take home understanding-the way inward is the breath. Key to integration is no matter what the condition, be silent, still, tuned in, and watch your breath. Savasana in every pose.

No group practice Sat 900am with Ely this weekend. She is out of town.
Restorative group practice Sun 500pm with Andy is on.

Prashant's class was brilliant. Birthday celebrations at PYC are happening now! First photo credit to Amit Sharma.

Happy Birthday Prashantji!

Prashant Iyengar, son of Yoga Master BKS Iyengar helps us to understand the classical teachings of yoga in his own unique way.

I am here at a very special place.

My dream to study here at RIMYI has come true. ❤️🙏

This is a great Iyengar yoga website to offer sequences for all levels to help with your home practice.

Overall Maintenance Yoga Class, for aging bodies. This class explores the many ways in which yoga can enhance overall health as you age, providing a sequence that can be practiced regularly to maintain strength, flexibility, and a pain-free life. This specially designed sequence will help improve mobility, strength, balance, and bone density. It also demonstrates how yoga can serve as a preventative measure against common spinal issues. Regular practice of this type of class helps to avert the pain and stiffness often seen as inevitable with aging. Learn how to safely modify poses that might be challenging if you have lower back problems or limited mobility, ensuring a safe and effective practice. The class also introduces a range of therapeutic poses aimed at relieving aches and pains in the lower back and throughout the entire body. Weekly Intermediate Class 348 will be released soon. Head to the website for more details.

Arun, from Bangalore, India, is such a calm and friendly teacher with so much wisdom. He teaches how to feel Savasana in every pose.

Arunji will be teaching in Dallas TX

https://youtu.be/0CWcNJIWufA?si=kN1Tv0bt43zjK3A5

Q&A Session with Abhijata Iyengar at Iyengar Yoga London in Maida Vale Abhijata Sridhar Iyengar visited Iyengar Yoga London on 3rd May 2024 - forty years after her grandfather, BKS Iyengar, opened the first building of the Iyeng...

Continuing the journey on the path of yoga.
Integrate legs, trunk and arms. Spread the soles of the feet to reach all.
Mon
900am Yoga Basics-Julia
1235pm Yoga 30-Jerri
530pm Iyengar Beginner-Jerri
Tue
830am Iyengar All levels-Jerri
1030am Foundations-Julie
Wed
930am Yoga Basics-Kenna
1235pm Yoga 30-Jerri
530pm Iyengar Interm-Jerri
Thur
830am Iyengar Interm-Jerri
Fri
900am Yoga Basics-Julia
1030am Chair Stretch-Debbie
1235pm Yoga 30-Mal
Sat
900am Group practice-Ely
Sun
500pm Restorative group practice-Ely

Restorative evening yoga tonight at 500pm with Jerri.

A beautiful pose of peace
Salamba Sarvangasana

“…..this Asana strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system.”
B.K.S.Iyengar
Light on Yoga

We move into a restorative week at the school. All classes will be looking at a good long Salamba Sarvangasana- SHOULDERSTAND.

Image of Hasu in a Sarvangasana variation with ropes and simhasana box from the Yoga Kurunta series with .q.yoga available