Frances Homewood - Pune Journal Week Three

Week Three

One of the hallmarks of Iyengar yoga is the amazing body of work of yoga therapy. Here at the Institute is where I first witnessed and got inspired by the ways yoga is used in the medical classes. It was the main reason I wanted to set up a dedicated yoga centre in Sheffield, so as to have at hand all the equipment and props I had seen used here to such wonderful effect for those who cannot, for myriad reasons, attend a general yoga class.So the three times each week that I attend and assist in the medical classes are a highlight for me. I remember the atmosphere when Guruji and Geetaji were leading the classes. They had such insight into a person/ patient and exactly what was needed to help heal them (and incidentally because they knew, had little patience for those of us helping if we got it wrong).An American teacher Laurel, who has been coming to Pune for years to get guidance on her severe scoliosis, told me the other day that when for the first time Mr Iyengar put her into an asana where she felt she could breathe easily, she stood up in awe and asked him “ How did you know what would help? “ He smiled and shrugged. It was as if he could be inside a person’ s body/ mind and intuit what needed to change.At the same time, all the patient’s are expected to become self sufficient, to do the whole range of asanas, learn their programmes and practice at home whatever they can. It is not a “ gentle “ class. On Monday evening, I was helping a group of pregnant women, there for various reasons. Having rested for some time in Supta Buddha Konasa, Supta Virasana and cross bolsters, they were taken through standing poses at the wall or trestler, back bands at the ropes, twisting poses with high support under the buttocks and arms and then inverted poses. One lady, seven months pregnant with twins, was helped up into the ropes to hang in Sirsasana and stayed there contentedly as the space given to her abdomen and spine eased her pains. I found myself quietly asking “ How did they know what would help?”At one of the talks given by Abhijata Iyengar last week, she referred to how her grandfather spoke of yoga as a science, an art as well as a philosophy. In other words a way of living, born from rational and empirical thought processes, transformed by inspiration and imagination to bring qualities of space and beauty to this life. One would not expect, in the slightly chaotic atmosphere of the medical class to find an art form and yet to me that is what it is, be it in the smile on the patient’s face at the end of the class or the sense of peace pervading when you see someone’s pain has been eased.On Sunday we celebrated the Punya Thithi for Dr Geetaji Iyengar, the ritual that takes place one year after the person has passed away. From around the world as well as from the Institute here, people stood up and paid tribute to her. Her ability to diagnose the cause of suffering in a person and offer practical yogic solutions was mentioned more than once, as was her work in paving the way for so many women to practice and teach yoga, a thing we now take for granted.Christmas and the festive season seems a long way away from here and my loved ones have been so generous in supporting me to be here, not there. I feel the best way to express my gratitude is to be at practice and class on Wednesday and to try to honour the lineage of these great teachers whom we are privileged to have in our lives.Wishing you in Yoga a peaceful festive season.Frances[metaslider id=3050]