"All that is required for success in yoga is cheerfulness, perseverance, courage, correct knowledge of the techniques to be followed, moderation in one's habits, and faith in the practice of yoga. Then the effects of yoga practice as enumerated by the sages follow. These are beauty and strength, clarity of speech and expression, calmness of the nerves, and increase of one's digestive power, and a happy disposition that is revealed in a face full of smiles." (B.K.S. Iyengar, from Yoga Wisdom and Practice )
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Yoga Vancouver is distributed to members,
associate members and other subscribers.
The editor and the board reserve the right to
publish or edit all articles at their discretion.
Mailing Address:
Box 60639
Granville Park P.O.
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Hello Friends,
Summer greetings! This is the season to enjoy things fresh, including your yoga practice. This might
mean committing to a week-long sadhana at your regular studio, attending
an out-of-town retreat, or deciding to spend those extra daylight hours on your
yoga mat at home. Whatever you plan to do this summer, we hope that the articles
in this issue will offer some inspiration for your practice.
The review of the Gabriella
Giubilaro workshop is a joint effort by four teachers in our community, each sharing a personal perspective on the intensive.
The second review, written by Sarah Godfrey, captures the overall "feel" of Birjoo Mehta's workshop while highlighting some of its
wonderful and unusual details.
We also have a few news items and reminders so that you can
set up for fall before immersing yourself completely in the pleasures of summer. The hottest items are our two
upcoming workshops (mentioned in our last bulletin in early June), for which
registration has already begun: Leslie Hogya in early September and Father Joe
Pereira in October. If you are planning
to attend, please register now.
Registration forms and details of all of the following events are on the
Workshops & Events section of our web site: http://www.iyengaryogavancouver.com/events.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR FALL 2009
Sept 4-5: Workshop: LESLIE HOGYA (Canadian Senior Teacher's Series)
Location: The Yoga Space #202 - 1715
Cook Street, Vancouver BC
Oct 1: First day of our association's new
membership
year
We will send out a fall membership renewal reminder, but you don't have to wait! Renewal forms can be downloaded from:
http://www.iyengaryogavancouver.com/assoc/membership.html
Oct 2-4 : Workshop:
FATHER JOE PEREIRA
(International Senior Teacher's Series)
Location: The Yoga Space #202 - 1715
Cook Street, Vancouver BC
Nov. 29: Workshop:
BAYA HAMMOUDI presents:
A General Yoga practice (Local
Teachers Series, 3-hour Sunday Workshop)
Location: The Yoga Space #202 - 1715
Cook Street, Vancouver BC
2:00 - 5:00 pm |
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Workshop Review: Gabriella Giubilaro by Elizabeth Adilman, Eve Johnson, Patricia Fernandes and Heather Graham; photos by Eve Johnson
Elizabeth Adilman: From the
bottom of our feet to the fountain of our head
 From bottom
to top, this year's workshop with Gabriella Giubilaro was complete. I am not
one to take a lot of workshop notes, but one thing I did write down was: FEET,
FEET, FEET!
Gabriella
reminded us about strong roots at the beginning of the workshop, asking us to
press our outer heels down, ground our large toe mounds and lift our inner
arches up. These roots formed the
foundation of our practice for the next five days. Early on, we learned that by pressing the
outer heel down, you can draw an imaginary line up to the outer hip, creating
(as Patricia Fernandes called it) a retaining wall for the muscles of the
leg.
With strong
roots, we were soon able to branch out. Urdhva Hastasana in Tadasana became
Adho Mukha Vrksasana, which in turn formed the basis for both the back
extensions and the forward bends. As in a perfectly choreographed performance,
each asana laid the foundation for the next, so that by the end of the morning we
were perfectly primed and ready for, well, lunch!
Each day
was wonderfully balanced. No matter how
hard we worked in the morning's asana class, with a long lunch break and
pranayama to look forward to, anything seemed possible. In the question-and-answer
sessions after lunch, we discussed home practice (both asana and pranayama),
diet, philosophy and how to tackle specific problems arising in practice, such
as where to place the hands for Sirsasana (the answer being just behind our
fontanels or fountains of our head). If only every day were like this!
Afternoons were dedicated to pranayama. Once all our nails were appropriately
trimmed, and we prepared our bodies with Ujayii and Viloma breathing, we moved on to
digital pranayama where we learned the necessity of using both hands to keep
both sides balanced (since we tend to move our heads ever so slightly toward
the hand in use).
The roots
of the teaching, the branches of Gabriella's breadth of knowledge and the
leaves of willingness to learn all created wonderfully ripe fruit in this
year's workshop with Gabriella. Good news!
She said she'd come back next year. So
keep your feet firmly planted, your nails trimmed and save your pennies. You won't be sorry you did.
Eve Johnson: A tool for making a permanent change
I came to Gabriella's workshop with this question about Sirsasana:
why do my hands become so tense and tired in the pose?
For the first few days, I wondered if she would take time to
answer. We did Sirsasana every day, but she didn't address hand placement. Instead, Gabriella pointed out a student whose upper
thoracic vertebrae were dropping back and down, and invited those of us with
the same problem, including me, to feel the placement of the vertebrae in her
upper back.
The next time I was in headstand, working with the wall so I
could focus on my upper back, she pressed her fingers into my spine so I could
feel the vertebrae lifting and pushing in.
Then we worked with backbends, including Viparita Dandasana with the
feet on a chair. In this version of
Viparita Dandasana, you lie on the floor with your feet on the chair seat, as
close to the chair as you can come, hands holding the chair legs. Then you lift
your pelvis, bring your hands into place for Urdhva Danurasana, come onto the
crown of your head, and clasp your hands behind your head. In this position,
you can access your upper back with much less weight on your spine than in
Sirsasana. The connection between the crown of my head and the upper thoracic
vertebrae was a straight, unimpeded line, and when I felt that line, I could
suddenly lift my upper ribcage.
Now I have the best possible thing you can take away from a
workshop - a tool for making a permanent change.
In headstand, I now work constantly with bringing my upper
ribcage in and up. Combined with the action of lifting the collarbones, which I
learned in Pune in July, it has created a feeling of greater lift and freedom
in headstand and, when practice is over, a new opening and lightness in my
upper chest.
As for my original question?
Perhaps I'm just too focused on my spine to notice, but my hands rarely feel
tight or tired anymore. 
Patricia
Fernandes: Travels
with my sciatic nerve
"Practice,
experience yoga in your body, this is not a theoretical subject" - words to
this effect linger with me after Gabriella's workshop.
For over 7
months I have been experiencing difficulties with my lower back and in
particular sciatic nerve pain. I underwent various treatments and modified
my practice to asanas which eased the discomfort and did not aggravate the
situation. Things were improving. I was dubious about how much I
could do at Gabriella's workshop but decided that if I ended up observing, it
would still be worthwhile.
Then in the
second pose on the first day, she looked at me in Supta Padangusthasana and
told me to rotate my left leg more. From that moment on, I realized that
I was taking the easy path in my yoga practice and that I needed to bring more
effort and fire back. The nerve pain improved immensely over the 5 days
of the workshop. A reminder to me that tapas is indeed a
cornerstone to practice.
Heather Graham: A gift from Gabriella
This is the third workshop I have taken with Gabriella. Each
time, I have been left daydreaming of running off to Italy, taking classes with
Gabriella and generally enjoying being among the Italians. They might not all have
her gift of firmness, caring and non-attachment but I imagine most of them have
her gift of fun and laughter.
 I admire people who speak more than one language, and I love
Gabriella's accented English. I think this makes me better able to take in
Gabriella's teaching instructions. Perhaps a different part of my brain fires
up and I hear differently.
Certainly,
the "new" muscles in my hips testify to
my brain's ability to direct her instructions to the correct area.
Gabriella's teaching seems effortless yet she is very
deliberate. Her sequencing was planned to achieve specific results over the
five days, and she did not move on until she was satisfied that we understood her
emphasis. I admired her thorough
approach: stopping everyone when necessary and declaring "a catastrophe" that
required us to back up, repeat, to "get it". I hope to take that quality of
thoroughness into my own teaching. Often I get attached to my class plan and
feel it necessary to move on in order to cover it all.
The asana teaching
had something for all of us - including the mature, the less able, and those
with current injuries or long-standing problems. Gabriella challenged us all on
many levels yet I felt encouraged.
I was
especially grateful for her gift of sharp seeing. For example, I did not mention my current hip
issue yet on day two she sidled over to me. We were lying on our backs working
on our hips in preparation for Padmasana. She said "This is great for you". I
had felt sure my body did not show this problem - yet she saw with ease and
mentioned it. I felt that I had
received a gift from her, and hope that others received a Gabriella Gift, too.
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Workshop Review: Birjoo Mehta
by Sarah Godfrey; photos by Elizabeth Shaw
 Close to 50 participants gathered at the
Yoga Space on April 16th to attend the four-day workshop with Birjoo
Mehta from Mumbai, India. From the onset of the workshop Birjoo encouraged us
to ask questions any time about a pose or the philosophy or to have him re-demonstrate
if something was unclear. And yet, relatively few questions were asked,
possibly because his explanations and demonstrations were beautifully clear and
specific.
His use of analogy, metaphor and imagery was delightful and
accessible to all. It was as though we didn't want to disturb him - or ourselves.
It quickly became evident that consciousness
was to be the theme for the workshop; it was woven into every aspect we
explored. Our quest was to understand how Patanjali's foundational sutra, 1.2: Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah ("Yoga is the
cessation of movements in the consciousness") was connected to what we do. Birjoo also introduced the theme of dharma, explaining that of several possible
definitions, the one he was offering was "action that creates no strife". At best, this can be a code by which to live,
and while practicing yoga asanas, we should do our best to cause little or no strife,
hoping to achieve the "effortless effort" described by Sage Patanjali in Sutra
11.47.
 Going Inward
As the poses progressed we were reminded frequently
not to make 'whimsical' movements which disturb the breath and mind, causing us
to lose our focus and stillness. A tip for the many teachers who were present
was to keep their teaching points to a minimum and not to give "frivolous"
instructions which tend to distract the students from their yoga. What the
group experienced time and time again was an immense sense of calm, stillness
and silence that engulphed the room as we performed each asana. As the age old
saying goes, "you could hear a pin drop".
Birjoo gave us the following reminder several times: "Do what I tell you
but not when I tell you." With this, we had permission to work wisely, at our
own timing. If ever there was an endorsement for home practice, the four days
with Birjoo was it. We knew what transpired in the room would be hard to
duplicate and that the quiet or privacy of one's home might just be the best
option.
As with most Iyengar workshops we started
from the gross and worked towards the more subtle aspects of yoga: from the
external to the internal. I think I can safely say the points mentioned for the
feet in standing poses were all ones that we have heard our wonderful teachers
remind us of on numerous occasions. However, it was the manner in which Birjoo constantly
reiterated the point that made it feel fresh and helped to penetrate the action
more deeply into one's cellular memory - a classic Iyengar trait. In Utthita Trikonasana and Virabhadrasana 2
for example, while focusing intensely on the placement and pressure of the
feet, our bodies practically aligned themselves and there wasn't the same need
for the myriad of adjustments that we habitually make.
Smooth Sailing Warriors
To impart the essence of Virabhadrasana
(Warrior 1), Birjoo used the images of Christopher Columbus and the sailing
boat. With our arms thrust upwards like a mast, and the wind coming from behind
and blowing into our sail-like torsos, we bent the front knee and set sail, all
the while keeping the back heel tethered to the mat. For many, Virabhadrasana 3 might have just
been the best one they've done in ages. With the mast-like arms now parallel to
the sea, the baby finger side of the wrists were pulled sharply away from the
vessel of the body - like Christopher Columbus setting out on his explorations. Ease and stability came
more freely to all in this sometimes challenging pose.
Inspiring Pranayama
 For even the most seasoned practioner, Birjoo's
take on pranayama was inspiring, creative and a breath of fresh air (no pun
intended!). Throughout the ninety minutes of pranayama each day his message was
clear: pranayama is not about the extension of breath; it is about the
expansion of consciousness and being able to observe consciousness. His
eloquent descriptions about the difference between asana and pranayama went
something like this: Asana is more about
doing, like a sculptor always chiseling, each movement a scrape of the clay. In
pranayama the process is more refined. Birjoo described the cooking of rice as
an analogy for pranayama. Set up the
ingredients, light the stove and leave it alone. No peeking under the lid,
because as we all know, the rice will be spoiled. He also provided a garden analogy
to help us understand. Prepare the ground and plant the seed and watch for the
seed to take root and for the plant to flourish. If we tamper with the dirt to
see what the seed is doing, it has little chance for survival.
Birjoo reminded us how the breath can be
both an involuntary (auto pilot) and voluntary (manual) procedure. We started
each session in Supta Baddha Konasana with feet elevated on foam blocks and a
strap around the sacrum and feet. In this position we experienced how the inhalation
must be voluntary while the exhalation is natural and takes no effort. This was
the type of exhalation to remember in pranayama. In Setu Banda (with the pelvis
on a plastic stool and support for the shoulders), we observed a type of natural
inhalation that one should feel in pranayama. The various techniques of
pranayama that Birjoo taught brought home how rich and
powerful this fourth limb of yoga is.
Gunas and Vayus
Birjoo's description of the three gunas
(qualities of nature) and their application to yoga asanas was insightful. For
example, tamasic (inert quality) is
not knowing what to do or how to do something. Rajasic (active quality) is when the student knows what to do (pull
the shoulders back), but not how to do it. When one learns what to do and how
to do it (e.g. lift the sternum to get the shoulders back and press the upper
arm bones down), then the sattvic
state (luminous, pure quality) is experienced. The struggle and strife disappears
and the pose becomes more effortless and benevolent. Birjoo stated that the
purpose of a prop was to make our poses sattvic.
We then explored the three main vayus -- apana
(earth and water elements), samana (fire element) prana (air element) and their
corresponding areas of the body : lower abdomen, midriff and heart region. We
learned how to create space between each section and not have them collapse on
top of each other like "crowded refugees". For example in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward
Facing Dog), we contracted the thighs strongly to pull the lower abdomen
(apana) away from the diaphragm (samana).
As we continued the udana (thoracic) and vyana (entire body) vayus were
introduced. Next the bija mantras or sounds which corresponded with the five
major chakras were incorporated: (lum with muladhara or root chakra), (vum with svadhisthana or gonad chakra), (rum with manipuraka or navel chakra), (yum with anahata or heart chakra)
and (hum with visuddhi or throat chakra). Through silent repetition
and use of breath we accessed these different regions and discovered how these
techniques enhanced the asanas. We were delving pretty deep! Birjoo at one
point said "the moment consciousness observes itself there will be peace and
tranquility." What more could one ask
for?
"Profound" was the one-word answer Ann
Kilbertus (from Victoria) gave when asked of her experience of the workshop
Birjoo had just given in their city. I
think that word best sums up the experience for those of us in Vancouver also.
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New Iyengar Book Hits the Shelves
 Looking for summer reading? The beautiful design of Guruji's
new book makes it a pleasure to browse. And at $30 Cdn for the hardcover edition, we'd almost say it was a steal (if that didn't violate the principle of asteya).
As described by Guruji in the Foreward to the book, "Yoga Wisdom and Practice is filled with gems extracted from the eight volumes of my Astadala Yogamala, covering yogic knowledge (vidya) and experienced wisdom (buddhi) for those who love and live in yoga."
In the absence of a reader's review (and
please feel free to send us one for the next issue!) here
is the publisher's description:
Iyengar Yoga Wisdom & Practice is a practical and
an inspiring anthology of Iyengar's insights into yoga, life and the path to
peace and happiness. Yoga practice lies at the heart of the book, and it is
illustrated with over 60 new step-by-step sequences of yoga postures specially
shot in India and accompanied by Iyengar's illuminating observations on
technique, their significance, and their benefits. This book not only presents
Iyengar's practical advice on how to perform key yoga postures, but also draws
on a wide range of other material taken from interviews and world lecture
tours, to the many texts Iyengar has written about yoga and about his own
life's journey.
Hardcover | 9.25 x 6.25in | 256 pages | ISBN
9780756642839 | 20 Apr 2009 | Dorling Kindersley
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Goodies from the Web
photo credit: Sir.Mo (www.flickr.com/photos /mmoosa/3504375822/#cc_license)
1. If you are seeking inspiration for home practice, you might like these illustrated practice sequences, courtesy of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New
York and the IYNAUS web site.
Click on this link to find two pdf files, one for level 1 and the other for level 2, each
containing four practice sequences:
http://www.iynaus.org/study/practice.php
2. Ever wonder how a metal chair from an office supplies
store
becomes an invaluable yoga prop? Here's a link to an article that shows you how
to remove the back from a steel chair. (It gives separate instructions for
using hand tools and power tools, in case you don't have a jigsaw and grinder handy...):
http://www.iyengar-yoga.com/articles/steelchair
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