Yoganusasanum adds more layers to the already challenging experience. An ‘all-inclusive retreat’ it is not!
The kind of external challenges that I’m thinking of were things such as completely Going to RIMYI is about so much more than attending a Yoga course. Going to the different toilets, diet, bed, pillow; general accommodation intricacies i.e. hot water is a rarity; the constant noise of traffic by day, dogs by night; the mix of pungent smells; the comms with frustratingly slow Wifi; the weather and the resulting clothing you wear…. and so it goes on. You are thrown out of your comfort zone entirely and challenged and confronted on a daily basis, especially when it comes to getting a straight “Yes” or “No”, or answer to “How much is this?…”
Even the Doctor overcharged me for a packet of Nurofen that should have cost Rs 17 (.35c). He quoted Rs 200 ($4). Note to self: haggle for everything, even when in pain. I had not been to India in 10 years and I was shocked at the prices, but soon learn to let it go. You learn quickly what is important and what isn’t, and if you think you won’t get ripped off in India, think again. India has wised up to the influx of Westerners and our thirst for yoga and all the business opportunities it presents, they are a nation of small businesses and very enterprising.
I digress…. Did I mention the queuing? You are required to ‘register’ at RIMYI for the Yoganusasanam (forget about the laborious process already undertaken while at home… or was that for the Visa?) So you queue to get your name and number which gives you two ID badges. You queue for your meal tickets, you queue for your bus tickets, you queue for your Welcome pack, to register your accommodation details, and for your props, books you may buy, to change your foreign currency…. This is all before it begins!
A typical day on the intensive was to make your way to RIMYI by 7.30am, itself a mission. Stepping out the door is an exercise in going to battle and in ‘being in the moment’. Should you be day-dreaming or distracted by that glittery sari hanging in the shop window, chances are you would have stood in a cow pat, sprained your ankle on the uneven footpath, been bitten by a mosquito, stood on a sleeping dog (or person!?) or got run over by a cart, rickshaw, moped, car, truck or holy cow.
Most of us caught a bus to the Balewadi Stadium about half an hour from RIMYI. Make sure you have completed your ablutions before you board the bus, and don’t sit at the back, otherwise when the driver takes the umpteen speed hump at speed you will be levitated off your seat as I was. At RIMYI you are required to pass through a metal detector. At the Stadium there was an officer to wave a metal detector over us and our bags. It would be interesting to know what the probability of that risk – hazard – analysis showed up, the officers looked thoroughly bored by the end of the week. Understandably India has upped their security measures in the last 10 years.
We were colour coded, which told us where to place our mats in the Stadium. They would then be rotated every day. Note to self: don’t place yourself in the line of Geeta’s vision, it’s a scary prospective to be invited onto the stage. It would be some days before I met any fellow Aussies, with participants required to find their own accommodation in either apartments or hotels. With 1400 participants from 51 countries there were all shapes, sizes and creeds and I was truly inspired by the calibre of teachers I met from all round the world and invitations to visit many countries based on our common love of Iyengar yoga.
The 8.30am – 10.30am session was Asanas. Wow do the Indians like to talk and pontificate; we were lucky if we did 8 asanas in that 2 hour session. I could see some people chomping at the bit to be ‘doing’ and not ‘observing’ and I did feel some sympathy for the many Russians and Chinese in the group who obviously struggled at maintaining their concentration with their limited language. While we may struggle with holding asanas for 1-3 minutes in the west, Geeta would insist we hold for 15 minutes. And there was constant instruction for those 15 minutes in the intricacies of the pose! Some favourite expressions were; ‘Open the four corners of your knee’, ‘Make your tailbone thin’, ‘Observe the spine, why is it thick?!’, ‘So lift it!!’, ’Raise the big toe mound’, ‘Keep the intelligence in your arms”, “Outer thigh to inner thigh, Outer calf to inner calf”, “E-l-o-n-g-a-t-e your spine!” spoken in the most perfect Queen’s English. Some lovely analogies were; “you apply butter and cheese to every corner of your bread, so spread your muscles to every corner of the bone”. “Press your hips in like there are pins holding them in their sockets”. “Yoga is witness processes so don’t use your brain”.
Geeta is incredibly precise, correcting, unfaltering, patient and kind in her teaching, going to lengths to instruct those who came onto the stage with personal questions related to their practice.
Meal breaks were also an exercise in queuing; toilets, drinks ticket, receive plate and cutlery, hand over ticket for chai or meal, dessert, filtered water…. And where to sit to eat our meal? On the floor of the Food Hall, corridor or steps, concrete outside or amongst the rubbish on the grass which looked so inviting from the distance? Another lesson in the ‘importance’ of aesthetics. The food was delicious though and it was fascinating to get a behind the scenes glimpse of how and who cooked it.
The second morning session was Pranayama from 11am-1pm. This seems to be Geeta’s forte and she is incredibly knowledgeable on the intricacies of the various methods, the strict step-by-step instruction required, and exactly how to perform; for example, during alternate nostril breathing I must not only hold my fingers in a certain mudra, but to encourage the in-breath I must slightly push up against the nasal bone on that side to encourage the airflow, and pull down with the opposite nostril against the bone when I exhale. If Geeta told you to only do 3 rounds of Udajiy Pranayama, you had better not lose count, across a room of 1400 participants she will single you out. There is a method, it is of great importance and you had better adhere to it.
Finally the 2 1/2hr afternoon sessions were made up of a lecture by Abhi on the use of props; she is so easy to listen to with her quick wit and observances such as Guruji got the idea of the back bender from a conveyer belt and wheel. Another session was watching a DVD of Guruji teaching (quite amusing for the fashion of yoga attire and facial hair and styles some 20 or so years ago, and to see his unwavering detailed instruction). There was a music concert, Q and A session and enlightening talks by Senior teachers from around the world.
The week finished off with a massive fundraising session led by evangelical Manuso for Bellur, including auctioning off of huge posters of Guruji. The top price fetched was US$2,000! This was followed by pujas, thank you speeches, recognising the families, volunteers and teacher assistants, photos, swapping of contact details, plans for next years Yoganusasanam… and finishing how it started, with a standing ovation for Geeta as she exited the Stadium accompanied by clapping and cheering. She is a force to be reckoned with!
Catherine has been practising Iyengar Yoga for 20 years. She is enrolled in Teacher Training at Yoga Jivana, with Sue and Peter Scott.
