A week into my studies at RIMYI, the whole of me arrived yesterday when my teacher Gulnaaz stepped on my thigh rooting my right side down so deeply my whole spine shot upwards. I not only found my right sits bone I had a “realization,” as Gulnaaz said. I discovered a sense of stability and freedom I never knew. Each time I return to Pune is life changing, often in ways I can never find words for. Each day I am filled with immense gratitude for the opportunity to be here immersed in my practice which is full of realizations both external and internal.

In class the other day, Abhijata asked what is the quality of your work in Trikonasana? She spoke about cellular memory and how we have the power to change the nature of our body and our muscles through asana practice. She asked us to understand the external manifestations in the body. She also warned that while these may change, we must take care to work on the internal because if the tendencies do not change there cannot be a complete transformation. She concluded this wonderful class by referring us to the siddhis where Patanjali states that when the yamas and niyamas are practiced we can impact the world we live in. Her example was ahimsa – when we practice ahimsa as a yama whoever is around us loses their ability to hold on to animosity.

The institute was built in 1960. The design is quite unique and the three-tiered building is symbolic of the threefold quest of the soul. The first is the outward quest – Bahiranga Sadhana to keep the seeker in harmony with nature and his fellow man. The second is the inward quest – Antaranga Sadhana whereby the seeker’s mind is brought under control and the senses are freed from the objects of desire. The last is the innermost quest of the soul– Antaratma sadhana by means of concentration and meditation so profound the seeker becomes one with the seen.

The re-occurring theme this week is that of communication and education. Prashant has implored us to educate Iyengar Yoga Center in Western MAourselves. How do the mind, body and breath communicate with one another? Ask yourself what is the condition of your mind and body? Don’t follow or wait for someone else to tell you. In his sutra talk on I.46 – I.47, he said yogis have equal vision because they are mounted on the tower of adhyatma – the supreme self. The yogi has equal vision and sees essential absolute realities. Meaning they see there is one reality and we are all one in the same. The chaos in the world comes from multiplicity. In our core there is no difference, we are equals in our core aspect where there are no distinctions. We are the same as all beings. What a beautiful message to contemplate and manifest as I venture into another week of explorations.