Enjoy Your Flight!
We were all sure it was going to be back bends this morning , and then….Urdhva Hastasana, Uttanasana, jump back to Adho Mukha Svanasana … you get the idea…
JUMPINGS !!!
It is always so amazing to me that Iyengar Yoga has become known “only” for alignment and precise, deliberate teaching. In India and here with Abhi, there has always been such emphasis on experimentation and movement and finding “joy” in practice – no matter what age, what ailment, or what issue. While we jumped and sweat through standing poses and arm balances, there was always a way given for everyone to participate. She wanted to make sure that FREEDOM and LIGHTNESS came to body and mind instead of just using brute physical strength to achieve.
Throughout the Convention she has encouraged us to find the “song” within each pose…the voice from within that is the unique experience of any asana. We ended the morning session with a long and lifted Sarvangasana…a new song and a new gift of flight!
The afternoon was another great rest and recovery with supported Savasanas and Pranayama. Abhi still had some questions she wanted to address from students, so gave us more clues on different ways to approach poses and practice for multiple concerns.
A couple of times, Abhi mentioned in class that though she has been in Texas, she had yet to see a cowboy. So, the organizers of the Convention found a student who is not just a cowgirl, but one who also sings! A group rendition of “You are my Sunshine” rang out and sent us on to the evening’s events.
Yogis clean up pretty well! Outside of bloomers and leggings, most take the opportunity to get dressed up and enjoy a lovely evening with food and friends! Laurie Blakeney (one of our Midwest senior teachers, and my second recommending teacher besides Chris) won the “Lighting of the Way” award that IYNAUS gives out to those teachers who have shown light to many within our community. Laurie has been a HUGE player in service for IYNAUS and our Iyengar Yoga community at large. She is a definite light amongst so many in our method!
We ended this evening with the first US screening of a new documentary about BKS Iyengar – “Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey”. So many of us have been waiting for this premier for years and it did not disappoint. The footage is intimate and highlights some work of Iyengar Yoga within India that is not well known – amongst those in recovery at KRIPA with Father Joe, and a program for girls out of slums.
Another long, but amazing day here in Dallas…unbelievable that tomorrow is our last day…so, maybe finally those back bends????
