IYASW Newsletter

Iyengar Yoga Association of the Southwest

In Memoriam of our beloved
Guruji

I Y A S W S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R
2 0 1 4
The loss of our esteemed teacher, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, was something that I found myself
completely unprepared for. When I tell my non-yoga family and friends about his passing, I
invariably get a version of same condolence; something along the lines of, Well, he was pretty
old, right? It is difficult to explain to them that yes, he was 95, but that just didnt seem old for
Guruji.
I once heard someone say that Guruji was bigger than his body, and as I ponder the events of the
last several weeks, Ive come to the conclusion that his presence was even more than that. Though
I never met him in person, everything I have read by or about him, or heard from those who have
spent time in his company, made it clear that he was completely unlike any other human on the
planet, old or young. To say that 95 didnt seem old for Guruji is not to say that he seemed
particularly youthful. Rather, I think its accurate to say that he was timeless, and that
timelessness is what made it feel like he would always be with us, even though he was living in a
body that was not.
As we have all come together in these past weeks to celebrate and remember him, I can see that
this timeless quality of Guruji will always be with us. For that and so much more, I am grateful.
Thank you Guruji!
Lisa Henrich, IYASW President


2
IYASW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Upcoming Workshops
Dean Lerner in Tucson
Advanced Junior Teacher Dean Lerner will
hold a weekend workshop at the B.K.S.
Iyengar Yoga Studio of Tucson October 10-12.
During the weekend, the studio will host a
community Satsang with Dean to honor Guruji
on Saturday evening, October 11 from 6-9 pm.
Click the flier for more information.
Backbend Workshop in Prescott
Introductory II Teacher Lisa Henrich will hold
a mini-workshop exploring backbends at Lotus
Bloom Yoga in Prescott, AZ on September 20.
Click the flier for more information.
Carolyn Belko in Scottsdale
Senior III Teacher Carolyn Belko will be in
Scottsdale, AZ November 14-16. She will
teach a workshop Friday and Saturday; Sunday
will be Teacher Training.
Click the flier for more information.


3
IYASW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Other Events
Classes Resume at Archana Yoga
Josie Lazarus will be returning to teaching at
her studio in Gilbert, AZ starting Monday
September 8. Visit
www.archanayoga.com for the schedule of fall
classes.
Memorial For Guruji
Scottsdale Community College Yoga Program
Director Carlyn Sikes will host a memorial
gathering for Guruji on Friday September 26
from 6-8 pm. There will be a viewing of the
1938 Practice Film of Guruji and T.
Krishnamacharya and a vegetarian potluck.
Trees for Guruji
The B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Center of Las Vegas
director Aileen Epstein-Ignadiou is
spearheading a project to plant 108 trees in
Israel in honor of Guruji. Visit
http://www.iyclv.com/ for donation
information.


4
IYASW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
A Few Words From Senior Teachers Ben and Tommijean Thomas
Pere ln Lhe l?ASW reglon, Lhere have been
pockeLs of lyengar-sLyle pracLlLloners (Leachers
and sLudenLs) ln 1ucson, Cro valley, hoenlx,
CllberL, Show-Low (WhlLe MounLalns) and oLher
locales for many years. ln Lhe pasL year, we have
become organlzed lnLo a speclflc uSA reglon, wlLh
several cerLlfled Leachers aL varlous levels up Lo
lnLermedlaLe Senlor Level l. ln !anuary, 2014, we
held Lhe lnaugural l?ASW workshop conducLed by
8en 1homas.
We (my wlfe and l) have been forLunaLe
and blessed Lo have sLudled wlLh Curu[l wlLh 11
Lrlps Lo 8lM?l durlng 1979 - 2007, numerous uSA
ConvenLlons, and Lo be carrylng forward Lhe
Legacy of 8kS lyengar. uurlng a conversaLlon wlLh
Mr. lyengar, we asked hlm and rashanL, Pow do
you deal wlLh and reconclle Lhe adoraLlon,
prosLraLlons, near-worshlpplng LhaL Lhe sLudenLs
besLow upon you?" 1helr answer was, uo noL
deny, refuse, or resLraln Lhe expresslons from
Lhem, for Lhls ls how Lhey see you. AccepL Lhe
compllmenLs, and conslder Lhem as expresslons
of appreclaLlon and graLlLude Lo Lhe enLlre legacy
of Leachers, noL solely Lo myself."
ln anoLher conversaLlon, Curu[l
emphaslzed LhaL we should express Lo all our
sLudenLs LhaL each of us ls a parL of Lhe legacy
and herlLage of ?oga Leachers and phllosophy."
1hls legacy of lmparLlng knowledge, lnsplraLlon,
LradlLlons, eLc., has been passed along from Shrl
krlshnamacharya, Lo and Lhrough ?ogacharya 8kS
lyengar, Lhrough hls chlldren (rashanL and
CeeLa), Lhrough and Lo each of us who have
sLudled wlLh Lhem, and Lo Lhe sLudenLs LhaL learn
from us. 1hls Langlble legacy ls real and
slgnlflcanL.
My wlfe and l have been forLunaLe Lo llve
and be a parL of Lhe exposure and expanslon of
Curu[l's Leachlngs LhroughouL Lhe world - from
une Lo Mumbal, lndla, Lo Lhe uSA, Lngland,
Canada, Cermany, AusLralla, and numerous oLher
counLrles. Slmllarly, each and all of us ls ln Lhe
process of evolvlng ourselves and our spheres of
lnfluence and communlLles of lyengar-sLyle ?oga.
ln Curu[l's honor, here ln Lhe l?ASW
reglon, we who are Leachers carry forward Lhls
legacy. ln our [ourneys slnce 1979, we have
LaughL, creaLed a poslLlve lmpacL on llves,
lnsplred some Lo become Leachers, always
expresslng reverence for and of Curu[l ln many
venues: lorL Lauderdale, llorlda (1979-1981),
AusLln, 1exas (1981 - 1983), San !ose - Slllcon
valley, San lranclsco 8ay area, Callfornla (1983 -
2008), and now ln norLhwesL 1ucson, Arlzona
(2009 presenL). lrom each of Lhese venues, Lhe
legacy and conLrlbuLlons of Curu[l have spread.
We have wlLnessed and been a parL of Lhe
Lransfer of Leachlng responslblllLles from
predomlnanLly 8kS lyengar, Lo rashanL[l and
CeeLa[l, oLher Leachers from Lhe Mumbal area,
and Lhe Lralnlng of Curu[l's grand-daughLer.
We Loo have walked a slmllar paLh as we have
moved around Lhe uSA counLry and aged. AL each
locale, we have LaughL and Lralned many local
sLudenLs and Leachers. As we moved forward
from one clLy Lo anoLher, Lhe sLudenLs and
Leachers Look over Lhe relns and responslblllLles
ln Lhe local area. 1hls was mosL evldenL ln Lhe San
lranclsco 8ay area, where we were parL of Lhe
faculLy aL l?lSl and 8en was co-founder of
1eacher 1ralnlng aL Avalon ?oga CenLer. As we
aged and moved Lo 1ucson/Cro valley, Arlzona,
many of Lhe Leachers and lndlvlduals rose Lo Lhe
occaslon and began fllllng Lhe vold - conLlnulng
Lhe legacy of 8kS lyengar, becomlng vlbranL
sLandard bearers ln Lhelr own rlghL. We celebraLe
and honor Lhem. 1he !ourney ConLlnues.
1here are many manners of summarlzlng
and compllmenLlng Mr. lyengar for hls lmpacL on
a sLudenL. lor 1omml[ean and 8en[amln 1homas,
we chose Lo wrlLe abouL ?oga as LaughL by 8kS
lyengar, Lhrough our evolvlng eyes and years.
lor my wlfe and myself, Mr. lyengar was
Lhe lnsplraLlon for us Lo wrlLe a book !"#$%&'
)*%&+ ,-# !$.#%'&.#/ &$/ 0*123.24 5&.- .*
0#&1.-: - our lnLerpreLaLlons, lnslghLs, and
undersLandlngs of ?oga. 1hese wrlLlngs became a
book of our learnlng over 30 years.
AfLer our 1
sL
and 2
nd
Lrlps Lo une ln 1979 and
1983, 1omml[ean began Lranscrlblng our
exLenslve noLes from all our sesslons aL 8lM?l.
She also, belng a dancer and a buddlng


5
IYASW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

1983, 1omml[ean began Lranscrlblng our exLenslve noLes from all our sesslons aL 8lM?l. She also,
belng a dancer and a buddlng Choreographer, began creaLlng Serles/Sequences of posLures. Cver
Llme, Lhls led Lo furLher expanslon and lncluslon of Loplcs as we learned. Cur orlglnal manuscrlpL
!"#$%&'"(#)*'$ '& ),- .*$/ #$/ 0'/1 ls sLlll ln Lhe llbrary aL 8lM?l. lL was one of Lhe flrsL books
wrlLLen by sLudenLs of Mr. lyengar. 1here were many Lo follow. Cver Lhe years, our book became Lhe
LexLbook for Leachlng wlLhln Lhe looLhlll College sysLem ln Los AlLos and MounLaln vlew, Callfornla.
We ulLlmaLely became deLermlned Lo self publlsh" our book. We presenLed Lhe near-flnal copy Lo
Mr. lyengar ln 2006 wlLh Lhe LlLle of 2%)#$3# 4'3# *$ ),- 51-$3#" !"#/*)*'$. Pe had, wlLhln Lhe prlor
year, publlshed hls hlghly lllusLraLed book )*%& 6 ,-# 5&.- .* 0*123.24 0#&1.-7 AfLer revlewlng our
book, he wanLed us Lo change our book's LlLle Lo !"#$%&' )*%&+ ,-# !$.#%'&.#/ &$/ 0*123.24 5&.- .*
0#&1.-7 ,-# !$.#%'&.#/ &$/ 842#$.2924&11" !$:#3.2%&.#/ 8"3.#; *9 )*%&< =&12/&.#/ >" ?;@2'24&1
?:2/#$4#7 We were forLunaLe LhaL Curu[l dld wrlLe a brlef loreword for our book.
We feel humbled and honored Lo be a conLrlbuLlng small parL of Lhe expandlng exposure of
Curu[l's Leachlngs and lnsplraLlons for us all Lo llve Lhls Llfe wlLh quallLy, knowledge, lnslghL, and
well-belng. CollecLlvely, we, Lhe lyengar ?oga Leachers wlLhln l?ASW, are maklng a poslLlve lmpacL Lo
Lhe SouLhwesL populaLlon ln a slncere, responslble, dedlcaLed manner.
Thank you,
Yours in service. Namaste,
Ben and Tommijean Thomas