Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student's Journey

I saw the documentary Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student's Journey. Many of the teachers at Yoga Centre Toronto have been to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India, and directly studied with Guruji or his daughter Gita. Both Iyengar and his daughter have died, so I will never have the privilege of taking a class with them, although I have definitely benefited from their teachings.

The two-hour film was a brief glimpse into RIMYI and into Iyengar's daily practice. It was also an opportunity to see other teachers, such as Father Joe, who works with addicts and criminals, seeking to bring them redemption from their problems. Or the woman who founded a home for young muslim girls, to rescue them from the fates of Mumbai slums, who knows that saving 80 girls is "just a drop in the bucket," but doesn't give up. Both these teachers have had such powerful influence on so many lives.

Then I think about all the teachers who BKS inspired, from all around the world, and the lives they have in turn touched. In Toronto we have Marlene, one of the most senior teachers in Canada, who has worked to certify more than 100 teachers over the years. It is phenomenal to think how one man can so profoundly influence so many lives in his own lifetime. No wonder Time magazine listed Iyengar in their Top 100 people who changed the 20th century.

Unstated in the film is that teaching becomes the part of many students journeys. I have thought of taking teacher training more than once, myself. Yoga has become a part of my day and I have been studying it for so many years. I have such gratitude for my teachers, but hesitate to take that road myself.

Yet....