The Yoga Bridge

To sum it up, the Boca Iyengar Yoga Convention 2016 was an enriching and transformative experience.  Afterwards, I felt changed and inspired to learn and practice more yoga. It was well worth the time, effort, and expense.

Volunteering was something I rarely did.  Since I lived in Florida and near to the Convention center, I felt that I should contribute time as a volunteer.   I worked on the first day at the t-shirt distribution table, but I also helped move props into the main hall where the Convention took place.   There was no conflict of doing volunteer work and attending the Convention. My only regret, as a volunteer, was that I didn’t give more time.

On to the actual Convention.   On the first day of Asanas, I was very limited in my yoga space. There were more than a thousand people in the Convention hall doing yoga so they really packed everyone in.  So, the only space allowed was the mat and a small imaginary border area around the mat.   I wasn’t complaining about it but expressing the experience.  On top of that, we had to move the props around in the tight area.  My biggest concern was that I would fall or bump into my neighbors.  The first and second Asanas attempted were very bad because I was super self-conscious.  After awhile, I did get accustomed to the conditions.

The use of technology was phenomenal.  I was impressed with the technology used at the Convention and the organization of the yoga practitioners, a system of rotating color block sections.  The rotation allowed practitioners to get an opportunity for a better view at some point of the Convention instead of a fixed seat setup.   When I closed my eyes, I felt that Abhijata, B.K.S. Iyengar’s grand-daughter, whom was the Convention yoga instructor, was right next to me even though she was on stage.   Also, it was very easy to see the instructed Asana from the floor.  There were two large screens on both sides of the center stage  which made her presentation very visible.   Aside note, I was also very impressed with Abhijata on how she managed all the yogi practitioners. Her instructions were very clear and concise.

At the start of the Convention, Abhijata explained that she would teach Asanas as if we were all beginners.  I was relieved.   It was clear, as the Convention progressed, even after three and half years, of three hours a week and a home practice, I was definitely a beginner.  We spent a lot of time on Ardha Chandrasana which would have made my yoga instructors happy since we practiced that pose a lot.   We spent time on Pachismatossana.  Afterwards, I did my best pose.  Abhijata’s instruction also helped with Uttasana.  One pose that I struggled with was Urdhva Dhurasana, a back bend, because I didn’t do this Asana very often.  Over all, I felt that I was keeping up.

On the last day,  exhaustion, stiffness, on the last pose, my body was shaking, like a small seizure over my entire body.  The body was trembling from the Asanas and Pranayama.  It went away in Savasana, corpse pose.  The  lights turned on and I gathered my belongs to head to the luggage storage area because we all had to checkout early from the hotel.  I felted dazzled.  I lingered for a moment. In a dazed state of mind, I took a picture of Abhijata while she was on stage.  The ballroom was cleared out.  I staggered across the hall.  My emotions were erupting, almost uncontrollable.  Tears poured from my eyes. I wasn’t a person that cried very easily. I felt embarrassed and also relieved. I felt something had occurred during the yoga practice to my mind and body. I asked a senior teacher what was happening.  She said that back bends released emotions.  There was something more to be learned from Urdhva Dhurasana which I planned to work on at home and at the Yoga Studio. I knew intelligence wasn’t just in the brain. Every cell has intelligence of its own.  A new question, could emotions be stored?

Pranayama.  In the time that I studied Iyengar yoga, I had only did Pranayama once and by a private teacher.  I tried advanced Pranayama from a yogi on youtube and I did injury myself.   The lesson learned was to go slow and be instructed by a person.  So, we were taught it at least three times at the Convention.  A mistake I made from trying to learn on my own was taking in a muscle breath.  The body doesn’t strain when done correctly. In between the yoga lecturers, I spent about an hour and half watching B.K.S. Iyengar yoga videos that were presented in a room at the Convention.  It was very education in itself.

During the Convention, people, Patricia Walden, Manouso Manos, Bobby Clennell, John Shumacher, Lois Steinberg, Geeta, Abhijata, and a few others gave stories of their experiences with Iyengar.  Iyengar had died a few years ago.   Geeta Iyengar gave thoughts and experiences via the internet.  All of the commentaries were very useful in getting an idea of whom Iyengar was like and possibly what he would expect out of his students.  Abhijata gave a presentation. The  biggest lesson learned from her lecture was that Yoga was more than doing a check list of body movements for an asana.   If yoga was solely a checklist, the partitioner would  stop growing from the practice. When yoga was done correctly, yoga happened.   Questions to ask self, before and after an Asana, ” How do I feel when doing a yogic pose?”  “What was missing?”   Every time a yogic pose was done, it should be done as if it were being done for the first time, even if; it was done a 1000 times before.

The banquet was packed.  I knew most of the people from the Florida community that did the yoga demonstrations. I was annoyed that I wasn’t asked to participate.

In conclusion,  I now have a vision for my future yogic practice moving from beginner to an advanced practitioner.  More time needed to be allocated.  Perhaps new instructors or more advanced instructors.