This year, more than ever before it seems, a lot of social media awareness has brought light into questioning the authenticity of modern yoga (check out www.yogaisdeadpodcast.com) the dark sides of lineages and gurus, and the hazy history of postural yoga practice. The critical thoughts and conversations go from right left up down and all around in circles debating the authenticity to somehow match a universally agreeable definition of yoga. And while most are speaking and questioning within the larger umbrella of Hatha yoga, I find that also within the sub-genre of Iyengar Yoga there are debates as to what is and isn’t real Iyengar Yoga
Recently while teaching a class at the LA institute, I asked the students what kind of music genre they would associate the style of Iyengar Yoga. One person responded with the answer “cool jazz.” And I said YES! I’ve always thought of Iyengar Yoga method akin to the jazz style of music. It can be serious and demanding, and rigorous in training, but also quite experimental and free form and free flow. Sequencing is not always so linear, and can be circular at times. Structure and form have their stronghold, but quite often intuition and creativity restructure and reshape the outcome of practice.
Here I am (video below) in a pose no one ever taught me. I’m not sure if it’s done in Pune, India (I will never get to visit to find out due to visa issues). But this setup (a floating Chatushpadasana or suspended bridge pose) over two chairs is what I need sometimes for my neck, shoulders and back. I could stay in it for a long time. And then transition into a supported Urdhva Dandasana or Halasana (depending how u see it/ feel it) with a single chair. A deluxe experience with ropes for arm support.
Is it real a pose? I don’t care. Is it Iyengar Yoga? It is to me. I couldn’t have created this out of nowhere without my heavily influenced practice and knowledge from this style. And my guess would be someone else has already done something similar.
🎧 Music track “So What?” - dub cover of cool jazz artist Miles Davis
“ Creativity is intelligence having fun.”