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5 - Iyengar Yoga Jubilee - Personal Ramblings.
 For months I have felt really fortunate and privileged to have the opportunity to participate in classes taken by Geetaji (without having to fly to India). So it was with great anticipation of the unknown that I and three ‘classmates’ arrived at Crystal Palace. We were slightly unnerved when we arrived to encounter two very exhausted students with huge yoga bags leaving the Convention, and they were teachers! Our nerves was further tested when we discovered a bandage as part of our ‘goodie bag’ and stories of classes in Pune started coming back to one.
However, a delicious Indian meal bussed in from Ruislip and photographs of our teacher Judith Jones standing calmly in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana along with Geeta on the podium restored our confidence, and we eagerly awaited our first asana class. As all 750 of us turned to greet Geetaji and to take part in the Invocation I felt ‘this is finally it’ My main memory of the first session was that we stood for almost an hour of it in
Tadasana, and that we opened our armpits and the palms of our hands until they were opened as they have never been opened before. I was also grateful that I was not the student who fainted or the “one in the pink T-shirt with the legs” I was wearing a pink T-shirt and my legs are the despair of my yoga teacher!
 The afternoon Pranayama class concentrated on preparing the body to do
Pranayama. Although Geeta did not demonstrate many of the asanas, I take away a very vivid picture of her sitting in
Sukhasana, so grounded yet so uplifted that it is posture that I will aspire to attain.
The Sunday morning asana class was the highlight of all her teaching (or was it because our bodies were beginning to respond to Geeta’s magical instructions). All the asanas taught were from the Preliminary Course, although Geeta’s beautiful Sanskrit made me think that they were postures that I had never done before, until I had a quick look at my neighbour. However, she did spring a surprise on us at the end of the session when we were all preparing for ‘basic’ Sarvangasana and we found ourselves doing Eka Pada Setu Bandha
Sarvangasana. We all worked out hardest to perfect our Virabhadrasana ll and our
Parsvakonasana. She seemed aware of what everybody in the hall was doing, and she could sense the mood. Our Sirsasana was absolutely not good, so up we went again and we were praised! Geeta illustrated her instructions in such a way that you remembered them. Her images of eyeliners to make us open our knees and the kite flying picture to help us to lift the body were two analogies that stick in the mind. But, the moment of enlightenment for me was when everyone came up from Uttanasana and she made us repeat it, this time concentrating on keeping the outside of our knees back to bring a ‘feeling of sobriety’. As all of us came up the second time the feeling of calm in the room was tangible.
After another delicious Indian meal which we all ate sitting in yogic positions on the floor, we were magnificiently entertained in the evening by mostly home-grown talent. There were contrasting demonstrations from Korinna’s children’s class and Judi’s guys arm balance class, followed by magical Indian puppets and Indian dancing, with a finale of soothing oboe pieces from yet another talented Iyengar practitioner.
Geeta’s ability for simple straight-forward explanations about the working of the body and the power of yoga practice was demonstrated in her question and answer session. A few lucky students were shown how to practise if they had a particular physical problem.
So, I finish where I began, feeling privileged to have been able to experience Geetaji’s inspired and gifted teaching. So much was given and we will all have taken different things from the event. I feel the richer for having been there and my body will not forget what it has learnt. I wish the event could have gone on for many more days - perhaps I can catch a boat or a train to India?
Victoria Palmer
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ORIYI News - September 2002