News

All classes resume on Thursday May 4, 2017.
Basic 1/2 class is from 5-6.15pm.
Intermediate 1 class is from 6.30-8pm.
Classes will be held at the same location, Hilo Betsuin Administrative conference room. For more information, please go to the Instruction page.

I wish I can show you what the hall looks like when students are practicing but no photos are allowed. So, I will just post shots of Pune. The colors of Pune…marigold (?) being sold for the festival of Dussera where the Goddess Durga attains victory over evil. Next, a street shot, not far from where I stay.

Each foreign student (as we are called here) is given a class and practice schedule. For the month of October, I attend the morning general classes and practice sessions which are in the morning or late afternoon. Not all students are given the same class and practice schedule. The reason is not clear to me. Foreign students can also observe any class that’s not on their schedule.

Prashant and Geeta Iyengar have been teaching the asana classes I’ve been attending. This is a great blessing and a gift.

Prashant does not teach how to get into poses. You just need to get into them quickly!! And you stay for what may seem like eternity as he talks about exploring beyond the physicality of the posture. He talks about the mind, the breath, our intelligence and awareness and their connections. For example, he talks about doing the pose for the back of the body; from the back of the body and see what effect that has on your mind. To him, this is the work of a mature yoga practitioner. This is all heavy stuff and certainly not all clear to me. ..I have a long long way to go…

Too often yoga is done for performance (“look, I can do this beautiful backbend”). And there is a culture of “do, do, do” but for Prashant that’s not what yoga is about.

I must say that the last 2 classes by Geeta can only be described as “electrifying”. Wednesday’s class was intense and we covered standing poses and seated twists. Yesterday’s (Saturday) class was on backbends. Her sequencing of the asanas got the whole class to the point where we did urdhva dhanurasana (upward bow) probably 10-15 times, with each time staying for 30s or so. Here is her sequence (I hope I’ve remembered it right).

1. Adho Mukha Virasana
2. Adho Mukha Svanasana
3. Uttanasana (feet apart)
4. Purvottanasana (with legs in different positions)
a. legs straight
b. swastikasana
c. baddha konasana
d. padmasana
e. virasana

5. Uttana Padasana
6. Uttanasana
7. Sirsasana
8. Urdhva Dhanurasana
a. from floor
b. strap across elbows
c. hands on blocks at wall, strap across elbows

9. Uttanasana
10. Chatushpadasana
11. Halasana
12. Sarvangasana
13. Karnapidasana
14. Paschimottanasana

I felt joyful after the class but after lunch, I was completely exhausted!

Finally, I arrived in Pune on September 29, so I’ve been here for 11 days now. It’s a huge change from Hawaii and Singapore (I stopped in Singapore for 12 days to visit family before flying to India).

Pune is anything but quiet! Even though I’ve been to India before, it’s somewhat of a culture shock still. Pune is a cacophony of sound, noise, sight, color and everything else in between. Auto rickshaws, cars, scooters, buses, trucks ply the roads weaving in and out each other, honking away. Vegetable and fruit carts are common by the road sides. My flatmate and I often buy veggies and fruits from these vendors. Street dogs and cats inhabit the pavements and so do piles of rubbish and a black pig! For someone who’s never been to a place like India, this may seem like utter “madness” but there is a method to all this. Things may not work at the speed they do in Singapore or the US but they get done eventually. Vehicles honking at you as you make the run across the street…is not rudeness (that’s my interpretation) but just saying to you “watch out, be careful!” Everyone and every vehicle get on with the flow of the traffic with patience…at least the traffic moves steadily and I have not seen any road rage so far.

So I’m homesick and unsettled somewhat but my friend Mala texted me “this is part of the (yoga) practice”. What does one do if thrown into an uncomfortable unfamiliar environment? What if in my first yoga class a teacher asks me to do a headstand (sirsasana)? Where do I find my center, my equanimity?

What about RIMYI? The classes have been great and inspiring! For the last week, I’ve attended classes by Prashant, Geeta and Sunita Iyengar and Navas. One does not know who’s going to teach a class and sometimes it’s a real surprise. Last Wednesday morning, the chant was led by one of the senior teachers and after we opened our eyes, there was Geeta Iyengar sitting on the platform ready to teach! I’ve heard that she hasn’t been teaching for a while because she’s not been well so that was a great surprise and a blessing to be in her class!! I will not forget that feeling and moment.

Interestingly, so far in the classes by the Iyengars not many poses were taught but there is a focus on understanding the actions and how to do them. There’s also the emphasis on the interconnectedness of mind, breath and body. The Iyengars stress the importance of learning, education and instilling awareness in the asana. I’ve also observed a few Intermediate classes taught by other teachers as well as a remedial or therapy class.

All students are also assigned a specific practice time every day at the hall. I’m not used to practicing with 30 or so people at the same time so it can be daunting. There are some very strong practitioners. So…I practice what I need to practice for myself. This is my time, my practice…I know this will sustain me in the 2 months I will be in India.