Geeta Iyengar at the 2009 UK Iyengar Yoga Convention
This is a summary of what I understood in Dr. Geeta S.Iyengar’s opening speech held in London on May Sunday 24th, 2009, where BKS Iyengar’s teachings were given imparted during five days.
Geetaji started speaking on the requirements and the needs of the students who attended the convention. Some of the attendants personally knew Geetaji and had attended other conventions or had taken classes with her. Likewise, Geetaji knew some of them but not many others.
In such a big convention (800 people were confirmed to attend it) there are always persons of different levels and comprehension capacities.
Three different type of yoga adepts
Patanjali himself spoke about the four types of students (sadhakas):
- Lukewarm (mrdu). Whoever has a hesitant, undefined practice and cannot get over difficulties or troubles.
- Medium (madhya). This student has a more methodical practice.
- Intense (adhimatra). This is the most determined, meaningful, scientific and conclusive sadhaka.
- Extremely intense (Tivra samvegim). He/she is intense in applying his/her intelligence in the practice (sadhana); there is religiousness and purity in the sadhana.
Bearing in mind these differences and categories, Geetaji warns that it would be unwise to consider oneself as an advanced, know-it-all student on the first day of the course. This would be a wrong approach. Geetaji needs to know the students to adapt the course to the type of group and needs.
Likewise, we must know how to communicate with ourselves and with our instruments. Communicate with our body, with our senses, with our mind. We need to wake them up by just saying “Hello” to them as a way of preparation. If Geetaji arrived and started a class with the asana kapotasana there would be no communication and preparation. To wake this instrument (the body) takes and needs some time. It is necessary in the practice to reach and wake every corner of the body.
There cannot be any division in the practice. In the same way we cannot speak about physical Yoga, mental Yoga, meditative Yoga nor do the same thing with the margas (the four traditional liberation routes). These divisions are artificial.
Before starting the convention Geetaji did a puja (a ritual offering) to prepare and create a backing and conductive environment in the study held those days. In the temples of India several materials are offered, such as flowers and food, the elements, and recognition and gratitude before each celebration are given to the forces and deities who preside over various functions and events. When we offer the puja, there is a mind rise, an Isvara recognition.
We need to train our body, senses, mind, intelligence and consciousness, and for this we need to make this convention more backing. You do not need to demarcate between physical, mental or spiritual Yoga when you prepare it in such a manner.
Keep the teaching pure
This is another aspect Geetaji wanted to state clearly: to keep the teaching pure.
When Guruji came in the seventies he had big trouble in sowing the seeds Yoga, and now it is easy that this learning gets contaminated. That s is why some correction is needed to avoid this contamination.
When Guruji arrived he could not recite his invocation prayers or certain mantras as society did not accept it, and took some time in making those aspects valuable, acceptable and appreciated. Therefore, we need to establish the yogic culture for the future generations. Our responsibility or duty is to keep the purity of it, free of any contamination.
As a commentary to this instruction to consolidate the yogic culture given by Geetaji, we must point out that during the week 35 minutes have been daily devoted to recite entirely the Yoga Sutras, the Patanjali’s 108 names and various prayers of some deities (Ganapati, Brahma, Visnu. Shiva, the Guru’s invocation. Patanjali and some santi mantras).
Guruji started to speak those days on many aspects such as energy, the vayus, the thought’s waves and other still more subtle topics. He brought in many themes.
When maturity moves forward and comprehension increases, there is a long way to go and to progress. And to establish something you need to repeat it many times to really understand what is supposed to happen in our practice.
