Well, it certainly feels like a breath of fresh air for most of us here in the USA on this inauguration day, January 20th. It was great to watch the virtual celebrations of the new administration stepping into office in Washington, D.C. I rejoiced in the possibility and hope to build a better and brighter future.
In other news of change and progress, I decided to not renew my certification for Iyengar Yoga™. I have updated my instructor bio and social media profiles to reflect this change in my career. This decision came from personal and professional reasons and I am feeling good about it.
I am grateful and honored to have been part of the global family of certified Iyengar Yoga teachers. I have learned from great teachers, and this method has immensely deepened my yoga practice. I will forever be indebted to the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar and the Iyengar family. Their expertise and knowledge in the practice of Patanjali’s ashtanga yoga (eight limbs of yoga) will always be a rich resource for me. Being formerly certified at the Junior 1 level, I had just dipped my toes in the ocean of Iyengar Yoga; although, it also feels like I took a deep dive and went on a journey with exponential growth —mentally and physically—since the start of my yoga career.
The reason to make a post and share this publicly is because I feel it’s fair to update my followers who have supported me over the years on my journey and also celebrated my successes through the certification process. Below I openly share some of the reasons for my decision to not renew the Iyengar Yoga™ certification.
War of Words
I have observed over the years and taken note of ongoing tensions and politics at play in Iyengar Yoga (IY) communities—in the states and also abroad. Maybe it’s been the case for decades and it happens due to bureaucracy that comes in any large organization, I’m not sure. One plain example that comes up for me is hearing of conflicting views between teachers in their efforts to clarify principles and techniques of the method as learned from or shared by senior teachers who studied directly with Mr. Iyengar or members of the Iyengar family. I imagine this may be common in other lineage based practices—the debate of authenticity of knowledge from the source, the tension between traditionalists and innovators, conservatives and progressives. It was all fun and games while it lasted (and I actually enjoyed some of the teachers contradicting one another as it made things seem less dogmatic) but over time I reached a threshold of tolerance with the political atmosphere felt in IY spaces. There were undertones of moral superiority among some colleagues and senior teachers. I noticed its impact to divide yoga communities and leave students confused and hurt. It created drama. I too played a part in trivial debates attempting to explain why some things were “allowed” and “okay to practice.” Over time I felt this just got in the way of good teaching and it took away from a fuller mind-body experience for the practitioner.
Tone and Tenor
I always appreciate IY’s approach for delivering instructions with clarity, practicing with precision, timing, and intelligent sequencing. However, oftentimes I found many teachers’ attitudes in classrooms to be authoritarian, a self-righteous tone of command, and too type-A in class management, for what it’s worth. At times I was dubbed as a fresh, playful, and dynamic IY teacher. I continually felt like I was an apologist for Iyengar Yoga and trying to defend against its mainstream stereotypes of an IY teacher: serious, strict, nit-picky, fear mongering, etc. At some point I felt this was not my role as it exhausted my energies to teach freely and openly. Even when my intention was to make practice non-dogmatic and fun, there was a looming fear about bending rules or questioning trends in IY method. My aim was and is to help students think for themselves and value principles of alignment and use of props based on their own practice not because of a rule book or authority of a teacher. I felt resistance when teaching playfully or with laughter and joy, as if such an approach undermined commitment to the method. Maybe it was all in my head?
Moon Cycle Management
This may seem minor but I couldn’t get myself to align 100% with IY’s stance in the precautions taken during a menstrual cycle. While I respect the concerns taken for students, I think some of IY’s approach during a women’s moon cycle are antiquated and could use peer revision. I always found it odd, being a male teacher, telling female students what they should or shouldn’t do during their cycle when I have never embodied that experience of menstruation myself, and I have no medical or clinical background on the female body. I was sharing blanket statements taught to me out of a rule book. I wish to continue offering alternatives in practice to menstruating students what I have been trained to my best knowledge, but that information cannot override a student’s intuition. Many students can jump, twist, invert, and bend in all shapes during their cycle. Many others don’t feel it’s appropriate and for good reason. I don’t wish to dictate what’s better, they decide. Refer to Jenny Rawlings slideshow: instagr.am/p/CF-3F.. and also Laurel Beversdorf’s post: instagr.am/p/ByvEV..
Practice Demystified
I enjoy inverting for many reasons, but I don’t wish to continue promoting inversions as a hallmark of good practice and for reasons that are not evidence based. I can only share the value I gain from them. I practice inversions because they feel good and are rejuvenating. Some inversions like handstands can boost my energy, while headstand can be grounding and shoulder-stand calming to my nervous system. Though this may not hold true for others and omitting inversions doesn’t make one weaker in spirit. My grandpa lived up to 94 years of age (similar to Mr. Iyengar), and he lived a long and happy life. My grandpa never practiced inversions. He did however choose to move and walk everyday. Regardless of weather conditions, he would find time to walk any distance even if pacing around the house. Here is more food for thought on this topic: seattleyoganews.com/eight-myths-about-inversions/
Abuse, Cultish Dynamics and Guru worship
When it came to the subject of questioning and discussing abuse (verbal, physical or sexual) in the system, I felt estranged to speak openly and comfortably among my colleagues. As a student and a teacher, I felt a presence of cultish dynamics when it came to questioning some matters and moments in IY practice and IY history. While there is always room to give respect and honor the founders of any given system, there is also a chance where idolatry can easily make followers complacent. It’s possible to respect a “Guru” as a master of their craft and as someone who knows more than you and as someone who is willing to help you seek light from darkness; nevertheless, it is just as important to acknowledge them as a fellow human being, a person with human flaws and shortcomings. I felt the level of reverence towards B.K.S. Iyengar turn to guru worship, without question. I think it’s possible to have great admiration of a leader and system (for example the president of the USA and the nation’s governing body) yet still have the courage and conscience to speak against its injustices and dark past. I had spoken openly about this in a contentious Instagram post around this time last year.
“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
–James Baldwin
School of Rules
Professionally speaking, I found the new rules and guidelines set forth and shared recently by RIMYI (Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute – the home base for IY located in Pune, India), would impede my opportunities to travel and teach as I was doing so before the covid pandemic. In their FAQ’s it’s clearly stated that a visiting teacher to a foreign country must be approved by any local IY association before being permitted to conduct classes, whether at an IY center or any other yoga studio which may be hosting the teacher’s workshops. This applies for both in person and online courses. While I respect RIMYI’s important guidelines for “the association to be aware of all the activities, online or offline, related to the system occurring in their country through a formal channel of communication,” I think it would be a bit too much interference and delay in getting workshops scheduled efficiently. In the past, I’ve had some workshops scheduled with as little as one to two weeks notice as a surprise visiting teacher. This would be nearly impossible to clear before an association and hold workshops with any successful turnout.
Freedom
Lastly, this decision brings great freedom for me to explore, experiment and evolve in my practice. I have enjoyed the structure of teaching within the set of guidelines and principles from IY. These will still hold just as much value for me. My IY training will continue to be the backbone of my teaching and practice. Now, it’s time for me to let go being a lineage based teacher and continue on my own path. If I want to incorporate and adapt effective principles of mind-body awareness from another school of thought (i.e. Kinstretch, Feldenkrais, Animal Flow, etc.) I can do so without concern of any governing body to question me. I think we all synthesize information from various aspects of our life and create a fusion of understanding to share with others. I will choose to be influenced and inspired by what I feel is best for me and that may change time to time. I will choose to share practice in what I feel is valuable to me and that may evolve over time. It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me, yeah.
🎶 Currently listening to John Legend deliver a beautiful rendition of Nina Simone’s "Feeling Good" during the primetime celebration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' inauguration.