Let the Sun Shine !!

April 17, 2019/Jennie Williford CIYT
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Last day classes…so much gratitude…

The morning was for Pranayama, and as expected it was lovely and healing. We worked on the waves of Viloma breath and spread Prana like the rays of the sun, extending out from our hearts throughout our consciousness.

After a short break, we came back for the much anticipated back bend class! Definitely did not disappoint, culminating with numerous ways to approach, tidy, and lighten the load of Urdhva Danurasana. But first, a run through of standing poses with movement and connection of hips and trunk. The play, the joy, and the experimentation will continue for years to come for sure.

The biggest gift came when Abhi sat us down to ask US questions. When I was in India in October I was taken aback by Geeta actually asking the group what we wanted to learn from her. She knew that she had limited time and so truly wanted to hear from us. Abhi, I am sure, has heard a lot about yoga and Iyengar Yoga in the United Stated as of late, and she was truly curious about our thoughts and concerns. Not that we had absolute answers, but it is amazing to know that she is here to listen, to come to an understanding of what we are dealing with as students and teachers – similarities and differences of what we face between India and the U.S. – how we are moving forward as a family and a community.

So, not that I remember ALL the questions, but I think local students also have a strong voice to share…let us know what your thoughts may be!

  1. How and why do you feel so connected to Iyengar Yoga without ever meeting BKS Iyengar himself?
  2. Why do we think Iyengar Yoga is losing popularity?
  3. What is/could be a definition of Iyengar Yoga?
  4. How do we balance the structure of the method with the experimentation of the practice?
  5. What can we do as a community to do better at engaging and bringing people to the subject without giving away the tradition and and discipline of the subject?

After these short 6 days, I think we all can agree that Abhijata is a ray of sunshine for our Iyengar community. She shines bright in her teaching and shares that heat and fire with the rest of us. We have been lucky to be practicing yoga at this time of the Iyengar family and are double-wise lucky to have Abhi for this next generation!

Jennie Williford CIYT

Jennie Williford (CIYT Level 3) is a transplant to LaCrosse via Montana, Illinois, and originally Texas. Throughout her life moves and 5 trips to India, Jennie has acquired a well-rounded and multi-faceted approach to Iyengar Yoga since her start in 1998. Jennie loves the experimental and explorative nature of yoga in accessing deeper knowledge of the Self on every level. The practice of yoga can be intense and introspective, however as practitioners we can be light-hearted and open-minded in our discipline. Jennie is intrigued by the philosophy of yoga and hopes to share this depth of subject while teaching the physical and mental benefits that come from the practice of posture.