Abhijata Online

Abhijata is BKS Iyengar's granddaughter, who is leading the international association after guruji's death. For these five past mornings I have been taking two hour classes with her on Zoom, her young children popping in and out of the room on occasion. A lovely person. Not sure how many students were participating, but she did have a knack for making it seem a smaller class.

Abhi did share a story about eating lunch one day with her grandfather, and how he challenged her when she said she didn't like jalebi because it was so sweet and sticky (for him, it was a constant favourite). "How do you know you don't like jalebi... this is not the same jalebi you had the last time you ate it... you are not the same person even, as the last time you ate it."  Challenge assumptions. Be aware of how your likes and dislikes influence abilities. Be aware of how wanting to do something, versus being obligated, changes the entire experience. Notice the biases you bring to each pose that can limit your experience.

A devoted student from a young age, Abhijata is physically able to take the asanas to their extreme position when she demonstrates, however she is reassuring in her approach that the final position isn't the destination. The asana is the whole motion, from beginning to end. 

The beginning and end extend before and after the asana, which illustrates how the asana is within yoga and yoga within the asana. To contemplate: the body you bring to the mat at the beginning of the practice, how you feel afterward when you step away. How breath, body, mind are separate but intertwine.

Someone asked the question about how can you tell when you are overdoing, or under-doing? Something I am sure every yoga student asks themselves - how much to push, how much to stay within the ease of a movement - where are the boundaries? These are things only the student can answer for themselves, and it is wise to question and then look inward for the response.

 

On the first day we spent so much time feeling the upward motion of poses, it felt very much like flying. On subsequent days, we challenged the differences between thinking and experience; focused on developing sensitivities and awareness within each pose (how does the breath change, how does the shape of the chest change with different positions of the arms and legs). There is value in learning even the simplest asana well because the lessons it teaches can be brought to other poses and extended off the mat.

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Urdhva Dhanurasana

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

- with arms at the side, with arms horizontally, with arms overhead

- with legs bent, with legs straight

Ardha Chandrasana, then Baddha Konasana, than Upavistha Konasana, then back to Ardha - 

see how the experience is the teacher

Pranayma

With pranayama, each day will be different. Pay attention when you first come to the mat .. which is coming easier in the present moment... the inhale, the exhale? Use the breath that is coming easier to access and focus for the practice.  

Generally it is best to do pranayama before asana, with a break in between; don't follow with too vigorous a practice.

Four of the five mornings I felt extremely tired and out of it. Allergies? Finally, day five I had more stamina but the poses were less physically demanding. Interestingly enough, even given my less than ideal physical condition on the other days, I was still learning. My limitations were frustrating but good teachers, in their own way.

As an aside, probably the most reasonably priced intensive I've signed up for, even including the annual registration fee to join the Iyengar Association of Canada.