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Last summer in August I arrived in Pune to begin another 4 weeks of wonderful yoga at the RIMYI. Back in that familiar room under the X-ray eyes of Geeta Iyengar and feeling her finger or big toe hit the blind spot every time! 

Every month at the Institute there is something called The Monthly Meet, when either Guruji, Geeta or Prashant give a talk or some other event takes place. The year begins in June when the Institute opens again after the closure of the classes during May. In July Guru Purnima Day was celebrated, so in August Geetaji gave us a talk. During the talk I took some notes and what follows are the points I managed to scribble down.


From Geetaji’s Talk

Yoga is like introducing food gradually to a baby - not too much, not too spicy.

The 8 limbs of yoga are like 8 petals of a flower. One petal doesn’t make a flower. All aspects of yoga are necessary. Asana and Dhyana cannot be separated. The aspects are intra-penetrative and can be experienced inside as well as outside.

Selfishness comes from the afflictions hidden within – the five Klesas (ref. p.5 introduction to “Light on Yoga” - BKS Iyengar). We have to practise self-study to find out how to deal with them. This is not a selfish motive. Through Patanjali’s philosophy we have to know ourselves.

Abhinivesah (clinging to life, concern for our own survival).
When you do asana you have fear of pain, which is like fear of death, so you decide not to do it.
Avidya (spiritual ignorance)
In the technique of asanas you are learning to look into yourself. You have to consider for yourself alignment etc. and awaken the intelligence. The language for students may be “I can bend better after doing it three times”, but you have to ask, “ Why did it come better after three attempts? Now a new channel has opened – it is different”. So then you have applied the self-study process.

In meditation you have to learn to sit. Then you have to develop certain inner tendencies to develop the meditative aspect. If you don’t you will not continue to practise. In the process of straightening the legs, opening the bottom of the feet etc. the mind is taken to various parts of the body. Then the mind becomes broader, wider. You think of the right knee and then the left knee as well, then the mind has to be broader. If you have arthritis of the knee you stretch the knee to make it better. But even then the mind has to be with the knee and so goes towards Dhyana where the mind is in one place. While doing asana it seems that the physical body opens but in fact the mind which is harrowed because of pains and afflictions get broadened. The citta according to yoga is not atomic, rather it is all pervading.

So practise not just asana or pranayama but develop this way of analysing it to know about all the afflictions. They have to be burnt off. The five ethical disciplines of yoga – Yama (ref. “Light on Yoga” ). – cannot be taught. Their application is individual. For example - violence. You may not create havoc on the street but think of friendliness. Are you violent if you choose only to be friendly to some people? Guruji says you have to bring a balance between violence and non-violence in asana to train for doing it in life. You may be stretching your legs but ignoring another area, which is violence to that area. When the consciousness broadens and becomes wider and wider the principles of Yama and Niyama become easily accessible. The principles of yama and niyama are no more a burden for such a consciousness. You develop non-violence in nature. Violence in yourself has to be brought to the surface. If you make asana your only goal on a business level as a teacher you cannot develop on the yogic path. 

The sequence of asanas plays a big role to bring about an inner change on the mental, psychological level. The temperament changes, emotional qualities change. Patanjali says asana is a total action leading towards effortlessness. The standing postures make you active, they awaken you. Laziness goes to the background and the mind is activated. After standing asana you do forward extensions and then the brain becomes quiet and you recover, but it is not just the physical recovery. In burning the impurities you have broken the tendency towards laziness. Uttanasana in between the standing asanas is given to calm down. This brings a natural change in the tendencies from violence to non-violence.

If you develop the kind of mind that can look on both sides, all sides, this will develop other aspects also. The broadened and widened mind only can be sharpened to make it one-pointed. Emotional control comes as the physical effects of yoga. Physical benefits are ok but as you evolve in your practise you evolve towards meditation also. The quality of consciousness that occurs is taken further in the student.

Some say they don’t have faith in God. They don’t worship. But at the end of the practise in Savasana you may feel a change in your nature – a feeling of nobodyness which you enjoy. You witness your own presence inside. You surrender yourself to the very source of being. Then Isvara-pranidhana comes. (ref p 19 “Light on Yoga”) Then you don’t need religion. Its not a question of believing or not believing but a feeling of inner purity. In the process of tapas – self surrender – you sculpt yourself. Your practise should take you to your inner depth. Be sure about the way of learning.

The practise of yoga should be digestible like giving food to a child – bit by bit. The class may be the same, the teacher teaches the same each week but your understanding should grow to a different level. That is why practise at home is important - to develop on your own.

Judith Jones

Printed with permission from RIMYI and with many thanks to Geetaji for her wisdom and guidance.

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