John's Letter Archives
WINTER 2006
NAMASTE,
Inspired, awed, grateful, loving: these words come to me as I write, still awash in the afterglow of B.K.S. Iyengar’s visit. For me personally, it was a wonderful opportunity to be with a man who has changed my life in ways profound and all encompassing and for whom I have such love and respect. How I spend my time, how I ply my craft and earn my livelihood, how I view my life, its purpose, its direction - all these things that constitute so much of what my life is have been deeply influenced by Mr. Iyengar.
As a yoga practitioner, I revere him as my teacher. When I am with him either in India or here in America, he continues to open doors in my practice that not only do I not know how to open, I don’t even know they exist. Every morning that I practice, which is most mornings of my life, he is with me. I hear his words guiding me more deeply into the poses or refining
(c)2005 Michael JP Oakes
the quality of my awareness of my breath. I look at Light On Yoga and study his sequences or examine his poses. I feel the touch of his hands awakening and adjusting my body to guide the movement of intelligence and energy.
At age 87, his own practice continues to be amazing and inspiring. It’s not just that he still does things I can only dream about doing. It’s that, after 70 years of practice, he still maintains an astonishing fascination with and intensity in his practice. His enthusiasm is full of innocence, and like the delightful exuberance of a child, infectious. I always enjoy my practice, but after being around Mr. Iyengar, I find myself approaching it with heightened fervor and increased curiosity.
As a yoga teacher, I honor him as a role model: knowledgeable, creative, perceptive, indefatigable, inspiring. When I am inclined to be casual in my teaching, to be satisfied with just a good job, my observation and recollection of his relentless pursuit of excellence in presenting the subject and in getting the best from his students goads me to try harder, to give more, to ask for more. His unending exploration of ways to make yoga accessible to his pupils triggers my own desire to find ways to educate and assist my students. And seeing the incredible skill he has developed through persistent practice urges me to study more deeply so that I might become a better teacher.
As a human being, I cherish his example of joyfulness, generosity, and compassion. In an interview that appeared during his visit here, The Washington Post called him "the happy yogi". And he is. He laughed a lot and enchanted everyone with an impish sense of humor and a quick wit. What’s more, his laughter and joy come not at anyone’s expense, but simply from his love of life. That love is contagious. The Iyengar Intensive during the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park was a love fest. It started with everyone thrilled to be there, eager to see again or for the first time this man who had touched us all, directly or indirectly. And when he arrived at the hall that first morning, the cheer that went up, the sustained applause, the inescapable love directed toward him, took even him, I think, a little by surprise. Our love reinforced the love he felt for us, gave to us, and has given to us for years, and so the spiral of love soared upward. After class, it was still there in the way people greeted each other on the paths between classes and spoke to each other in the dining hall.
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In the classes, he gave unstintingly of his knowledge to the students and teachers. He was not scheduled to teach during the conference; at 86, he is formally retired from teaching. But for each of those three days, he taught a large portion of the three-hour morning class, guiding the teachers to better ways of teaching and sharing a wealth of information with the students. It would have been tiring for a person half his age. Even so, he had the energy to give the opening keynote address to the General Conference, participate in a two hour question and answer session, engage in a nearly two hour public conversation with Annette Bening, and still leave most of his entourage in the dust.
Beyond that, in and between the classes, he worked therapeutically with a number of people to alleviate their suffering and show them how to use yoga to improve their health.
And during his visits to the various cities, including here in Washington, he often gave up his own practice time to help the senior teachers who were practicing with him. He instructed us how to work with our own problems and then how to use what he had shared with us to help others with similar issues.
Now those who know me know that I’m not one to gush or float off into lala reveries, but I say what I am about to say because I feel that it is true. It seems to me that B.K.S. Iyengar has reached a place (I’m sure he would say as a result of practice) where he can take the love that is directed toward him and not get caught in it. He is able to allow the light of love in and shine that light back out with such power and radiance that to be around it is to be in love - not romantic, dreamy love; not the "you are so much greater than I am" up-on-a-pedestal kind of love, but the love that comes from the joy of being in the presence of a clear mind and an open heart.
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For me, more than his innovations, his incredible insights, even more than his remarkable compassion and healing skills, the example B.K.S. Iyengar gives of the power of yoga to elevate oneself to a state of loving grace is his greatest gift. He has said it himself: All the other yogas -- Karma Yoga (the yoga of action), Jnana Yoga (the yoga of the mind), Raja Yoga (the yoga of meditation) -- all culminate in Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love and devotion, the yoga of the heart, and he is its shining example. His visit was short, but its light will be with us for a long time to come.
I would like to take the opportunity reiterate here the thanks I offered in my opening remarks at the Tribute to B.K.S. Iyengar at Lisner Auditorium: first and foremost, to Sri Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar for being gracious and generous enough to leave the familiar comforts of his home and country to share with us once again the wondrous and precious fruits of his passion for yoga; and to his grandson, Hareeth, whose loving caring for the well-being of his grandfather was an important part of making his visit possible.
Big thanks to publisher Rodale, represented by Stephanie Tade, for getting the ball rolling with respect to the creation of Light On Life; to Yoga Journal, in particular its CEO, John Abbott, for conveying to Mr. Iyengar the immense value his visit would have for the entire yoga community in America and for hosting the Iyengar Yoga Intensive at Estes Park, Colorado; and to IYNAUS -- the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States for their ongoing work in perpetuatin Mr. Iyengar's teachings.
Closer to home, I want to express my deep appreciation for the entire staff of Unity Woods, who toiled mightily to handle all the extra work with grace and perseverance. Thanks and congratulations to the Unity Woods teachers -- Joe, Carolyn, Rocky, Giulia, Mary, and Linda -- for the marvelous demonstration they gave at Lisner.
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Special thanks to Unity Woods’ administrator, Esther Geiger, for being the glue that held everything together day in and day out, especially when the chips were down as they were for the last few months.
And I am particularly grateful to Lori Lipton, the coordinator for the entire visit and program. She was the go-to person for every little question and problem that came up, which she handled with a good-natured equanimity and remarkable effectiveness that can only be described as truly yogic.
Above all, my deepest appreciation and gratitude to my lovely wife, Suzie, who tolerated my all too frequent irascibility and distractedness, served as a wonderful hostess to everyone associated with Mr. Iyengar’s visit, and was there for me throughout with pats on the head, kicks in the butt, and kisses on the cheek, almost all at just the right time in just the right amount.
One final and poignant note: Thanks and farewell to Stephanie Abrams, who is leaving us to start a new chapter in her life. Stephanie began her studies at Unity Woods ten years ago and started working in the administrative office in 1999. In 2001, she joined the teaching staff. Since then, she has built up a loyal following of students. They will miss her caring and sensitive teaching. We will miss her bright smile, easy laugh, and warm heart. And I will miss her thoughtful curiosity and the example of her compassion and concern for her fellow beings. All the best, Steph, in your great northern adventure.
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