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the Sanskrit names for postures. All three teachers felt that this was helpful in adding to
their knowledge.
Regarding lineage, the teachers‟ focus is directed toward Mr. Iyengar himself. It
is important to note that amongst the three styles I have examined in this thesis, only
Iyengar takes its name from its founder; the studio is decorated exclusively with his
photographs. IT1 called Iyengar “Guruji” but said he did not have any personal
connection to him. Mr. Iyengar has retired from teaching; his children, Geeta and
Prashant, and his niece, Sunita, continue his work in Pune and internationally. IT1 was
taught by Geeta and Prashant while in Pune and IT3 was taught by Geeta and Sunita on
her visits. Both told me exactly the same anecdote about Iyengar during their stay there.
During the practice period, Iyengar himself (presently ninety-three years old) would set
up his mat and props in a little corner and do his practice like anyone else. IT3 said she
did not have much of a connection to Iyengar but she does have his photo on her
refrigerator. She said that her teacher was the senior teacher at the Montreal Iyengar
Centre, under whom she has studied for sixteen years. IT3 called herself “culturally
inappropriate for yoga” and said that “Iyengar Yoga connects [her] to India, to a lineage
and to a living person”. She met Iyengar and his daughter Geeta in Boston and was very
impressed by him. She found him to be “brilliant in many ways, very human but a rather
forceful fellow”; adding that Iyengar is considerably less harsh than Krishnamacharya.
When it comes to meditation and pranayama, the three teachers have a variety of
methods. Due to the fact that all three gave different answers with respect to meditation,
it seems that this aspect of practice is a matter of personal choice whereas the asana
practice is determined by the Iyengar council. IT3, who does not claim to have any
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meditation practice, said that “it is not talked of much in Iyengar Yoga”. IT1 however,
does one hour of seated meditation daily. We should recall here that IT1 began a regular
meditation practice before yoga. His practice consists of four to six malas of japa
meditation (with repetition of mantras) followed by silent meditation. IT2 has a ten
minute meditation practice but admits that it often suffers from inconsistency. Her
techniques vary though she mentioned that she predominantly uses breath observation
and a personal adaptation of Buddhist “loving-kindness”. IT1‟s personal yoga practice
has four week cycles and the focus of the final week is pranayama, otherwise he does not
practice it much. IT2 tries to practice pranayama three to four times a week but finds it
very difficult. IT3 practices thirty minutes every day as determined by the training course
in which she is presently enrolled.
All three teachers practice asanas quite regularly but each has a different routine.
IT1 follows the program set by the Canadian Iyengar council for his level of student. This
works on four week cycles and each week has a particular focus: week one is standing
poses, week two is forward bends and twists, week three is back bends and the final week
is pranayama. He practices six days per week. IT3 is currently following the “Junior 1”
training, which demands a high level of commitment (minimum five days weekly
practice). While following any of the Iyengar teacher training programs, what you teach
is regulated and also what you practice. The system is setup so that teachers do not have
any choice or freedom if they wish to remain under the Iyengar umbrella. As we have
seen, IT2 has in the past and continues to participate in different yoga styles and has
trouble swallowing Iyengar‟s exclusivity. As such, she practices what and how she wants,
although still consistently five days a week. In fact, each Iyengar teacher practises a
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minimum of five days weekly; demonstrating their level of commitment and the high
priority that yoga has in their lives.
Naturally all three have read Iyengar‟s books, Light on Yoga in particular. IT1
said that the works of Indian spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti have influenced his
spirituality and his teaching. He also frequently returns to the Bhagavad Gita and
Yogasutras. When asked what IT2 had read, she responded with a smile “everything”.
She explained that her curiosity led her to always be searching for information about
yoga in books, magazines and online. She mentioned three authors in particular; Erich
Schiffmann, Judith Lasater and Donna Farhi, all of whom are famous American yoga
teachers. She also said she has read the Bhagavad Gita, Yogasutras and Hathayoga
Pradipika. IT3 has read all of Iyengar‟s books as well as Swami Vishnudevananda‟s
Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga (1960) and Kausthub Desikachar‟s book about his
grandfather (Krishnamacharya) entitled The Yoga of the Yogi: the legacy of T.
Krishnamacharya (2005). She felt that no book or author had any particular influence on
her practice or teaching.
After examining the teachers‟ responses we begin to see spiritual language and
ideas. Each teacher‟s greatest influence is their particular teacher training program. The
orientation of the style and its training program strongly mold teachers‟ attitudes about
yoga and tradition.