assisting Joan White at Omega, June 2007

...another extraordinary yoga experience! I am filled with gratitude for the privilege of serving as program assistant along with another very experienced Iyengar Yoga Instructor, Suzie Muchnick, to a wonderful Senior teacher, Joan White, from Philadelphia, during her Iyengar Yoga 5-day Intensive Workshop.

Omega is a mere 2 hour drive for me, and I love being in the green, going barefoot, swimming in the lake, walking through the garden, the library, and the food is great, too. Pictures: Top, Joan leading the group in Utthita Padangusthasana. Below, Joan is demonstrating Parivrtta Trikonasana (YIA PC p. 39), with Suzie (standing, left) looking on. Seated in front among the other participants were Certified Iyengar Yoga teachers Joann Warren (long braid), Nancy Kardon (glasses), and Cathy Eising (wearing all white). click on either for larger size views.

Joan focused much on Pranayama this time -- with beautiful imagery -- hoping to inspire us to a daily practice.

If you were an attendee, please add a post, with an insight or something you gained...

I recommend you join us all there for the last week in June 2008 to re-launch your summer practice. I would wager that Joan will lead you to new, previously unexperienced territory and guide you to the next level(s) in your yoga practice. Between the three of us, you will surely be thoroughly spoiled with astute observations and corrections, and of course, effective hands on adjustments. Included with the course is a comprehensive manual Joan has revised over the years, a great study tool. I am using the sequences in its pages this week in my own practice.

THE JOURNEY: with Geeta Iyengar in Las Vegas, May 2007

What a Journey! From the layer, or sheath (kosha), of Body (annamayakosa) to Sheath of Bliss (anandamayakosa). This was the theme (logo below) for the Iyengar Yoga Convention, held in Las Vegas, Nevada , wow, so amazing! (and I love the heat...) Our conventions are held every 3 years. Last one in Estes Park with Mr. Iyengar during his Light on Life book tour, previous one was in St. Paul, Minn.; before that, in 2001, since I was living in the Seattle area, I just drove up to Vancouver and attended the Canadian conference.

I had the prerogative of attending the Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher's Conference (about 400 attendees), followed by the General Conference (about 800 attendees), open to all Iyengar Yoga students (start planning for 2010). Then there was the specially unique opportunity to be on stage performing the asanas under Geeta's instruction, watchful eye, and magic touch (click on Getta and me for larger size view). A special thank you to Carrie Owerko for suggesting and urging me to volunteer on the stage as demonstrator of the poses.

The picture (right -click for larger size view) is me at Convention in supta padangustasana I (I still have some flexibility, it just takes a little more to maintain it these days).

It was wonderful to come back to my yoga students sharing some of the inspiring highlights from Geeta's teaching, especially from this pose baddha hastasana shown in the picture (which is in your Yoga in Action Preliminary Course books, p. 46!). As a cumulative result of the previous days exquisite instructions during other poses including Urdhva Hastasana and Pranayama, during this pose, I felt from deep behind the chest wall, that old bands of imbedded holding (and samskaras) were being (gently) shredded open.

I’m sure the hands-on from Geeta in Las Vegas had more impact than I can even describe, but all timely for my new life at 50.