 ORIYI News - September 2002 |
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7 - Astadala Yogamala (J. J. Evans) Fund
At a recent meeting it was agreed to send a donation of £200 from O.R.I.Y.I. to the Astadala Yogamala (J. J. Evans) Fund. This fund has been set up to facilitate John J. Evans in the valuable work of helping in the editing of the huge volume of BKS Iyengar’s written (and transcribed) material that has amassed over the years. The volumes will be published in stages with the first two volumes of Astadala Yogamala already available. John has given a number of talks in our region and his easy and humorous method of explaining quite boggling concepts has always been warmly appreciated. Many interesting yoga-related subjects are covered in the Yogamala Astadala project but it can perhaps partly be viewed as a step towards further disseminating B.K.S Iyengar’s awesome understanding of sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras - something that Guruji is keen to see happen. The first volume is thoroughly enjoyable; it starts with B.K.S Iyengar’s own path in Yoga and is refreshingly honest about his struggles with his yoga practice over the years. He intimates that the reason he started with yoga was very humble and it took him a great many years before his practice became deepened. His adventure in Yoga started with him having little choice; after visiting (in 1934) his sister in her new matrimonial home in Mysore, his brother-in-law, the celebrated yogi Shri Krishnamacharya suggested that he stayed on and learn a few asanas to gain his health. For years asana practice was a real struggle for his weak and stiff body; in the beginning he didn’t even have faith that practice would do him any good. He says: “Now I consider that it was a stroke of good luck that yoga pursued me even though I was indifferent towards it” Philip Brown |