23/08/2024
The 20th of August was the 10th anniversary of the death of BKS Iyengar, 2014-2024.
Traditionally, it is called punyatithi, the day of the merit.
Here is a beautiful homage written by Christian Pisano Yoga Iyengar one of his early students.
Pune lion is dead
It was in the early morning of 20th August that I came to know the demise of my master Shri BKS. Iyengar. Pune lion is dead. Yet there was no sadness, but a deep nostalgia. The nostalgia of this wind of freedom that blew and was incarnated in its presence.
An author said the silence that follows Mozart is still Mozart. Suddenly in the absence of his form, his presence became only more evident, radiantly dispersing the clouds of doubt to leave room for wonder and gratitude.
How not to wonder about the Game of Consciousness that is incarnated in a legendary story and starts almost like a fairy tale. It is indeed the slanderer, sick child who has no future, without a great education that the gods will choose so that yoga can be revealed again, embrace the West and regain his letters of nobility in his country of origin.
What great storms, obstacles, oppositions, disapproval humiliations has he encountered and overcome.
Yogic practices had a sulfurous past. Often prohibited and clandestine, they addressed the renouncers, those fleeing the world. Yoga was assimilated with fakirs and other crazy vagabonds, banned by society. As for the pandits, they were only interested in a philosophical, intellectual approach, which often led them to the denial of the world and denial of the body.
So what credibility could a married man who practiced what appeared as contortion have?
The relationship with his guru Krishnamacarya was tormented and borrowed from fear. He only stayed two years with the latter, who taught him almost nothing, but pointed out he wasn't cut for the art.
From this terrible tension between the lack of recognition of his master and the rejection of society would shed a light that would illuminate the world of yoga.
What a deep loneliness he must have known when at a very young age with no experience and knowledge he found himself in Pune to teach.
In tradition, there are two kinds of gurus. One who was formed by rites, initiations, accumulation of knowledge and passing it on. The other is the one who is not shaped (akalpitaguru) conventionally, but who is initiated by the deities of his own Consciousness and echoes spontaneous authority.
That's what characterizes BKS teaching in my opinion. Iyengar. That perpetual initiation to oneself. He said practice was his mantra. Mantra that he majestically proclaimed for the rest of his life. Her exploration was constant, off the beaten track, which gave her innovative freedom that would revolutionize the approach to yoga.
Here are some aspects of it
1 The body as a mandala of Consciousness
"The body is my temple, the asanas are my prayers.
Each asana teaches you the art of silence.
Chaqe asana is free. Spread that freedom everywhere. »
We can say that with Sri BKS Iyengar postural language has become very clear, very precise. There is a clarification of the asanas in the different groups and their interactions.
This interaction becomes apparent with the notion of the series. Thus he created a whole postural alphabet that allows us to understand our internal semantics.
One of the major points of this semantic is the concept of alignment, which is not simply an external physical alignment, but refers to equanimity (samatva).
This understanding is facilitated by the use of media that allows the practice to be opened to everyone, with, of course, all the therapeutic aspect specific to its approach.
It is a wonderful gift made to the contemporary man wherever he is and whatever he does to have the possibility if he wishes to be able to feel Consciousness through his bodily form. Thus, when we explore the body, we fundamentally explore the vibration of Consciousness.
2 The verb precedes the word.
"Why chant OM. Om is in our own bodies"
Sri BKS. Iyengar is of course famous for using language in pedagogy to describe different actions. He uses it to get closer and closer to the inner instruction which is non-verbal but which is vibration and therefore mantra.
Describing this internal vibration in action and movement through language is another facet of his genius.
3 Observe the different colors of the mental in neutrality.
"Past and future are contained in every posture. The present is the perfect pose. »
Exploring different forms of asana becomes the magnifying glass of different mental attitudes. Placement is the clarity of certain areas in the asana allows to encounter antagonisms in neutrality.
4 The mind-body as an expression of breath
"When you breathe in, it is the Lord who enters you, when you breathe out you surrender to him. »
All asanas are fundamentally an exploration of different breathing modes. Sri BKS. Iyengar has given us the very effective ways (prioritizing certain asanas with support) to explore the different pelvic and vocal diaphragms. Intelligent practice of asanas is a sine qua non condition to understand pranayama techniques.
Here as well as for the asanas there is a clarification of the various techniques that were previously described only very superficially or not at all in the texts.
Beyond the various techniques, pedagogies he imparted, which influenced most modern yoga schools and which will guide generations to come my master appears to me as a bhakta who worshiped the supreme in the body and the various expressions of life.
He had fire, passion and absolute in him and only taught his art through them. In his presence we were always in a state of emergency, in the now, burning fears and hesitations. One day he was asked how he managed to stay in a pose for so long, he replied: "You strike the pose, I am the pose." Behind her ember eyes and brushed eyebrows, there was this mischievous question. What are you afraid of? What are you risking since you are not the mind-body.
The Pune Lion's roar was heard all over the world. He awakened us from a certain torment and showed us that whatever our circumstances we too can roar freely. Her cry for absolute will remain in my heart until my last breath.
Tribute to my guru, mahasiddha among the siddhas whose playground is the universe.
Greetings to the Guru who out of compassion for my ignorance introduced me to Yoga.
Glory to the Guru, light of Consciousness, mirror of my own presence.
Dhyānamūlam Gurur Mūrthihi The form of the Guru is meditation
Pūjamūlam Guroh Padam The feet of the Guru are worship
Mantramūlam Guror Vākyam The words of the Guru are mantra
Guru's grace of Moksha Moolam. Guru's grace is liberation
