Alan's Visit to Pune Blog 2

Studying Yoga in Pune: Monsoon rain to authentic Indian food

The monsoon has reasserted  itself for most of the past week, sudden prolonged heavy showers soaking everyone and everything.  The magnificent ferns in the little park through which we walk to classes every morning appreciate it, standing bolt upright and turning a very deep shade of green.  In the evening there is an extraordinary chorus from the thousands of birds that live there too, a deafening crescendo as dusk falls.

The classes tend to have a thematic approach, emphasising the depth of studiousness that is required to explore the wholeness of yoga, through the postures. Mindless repetitions, or long holds without observation and exploration are shown to be superficial or 'pop yoga' as it is sometimes described here.

The teaching is delivered by members of the Iyengar family. Most of the classes are given by Prasant, son of BKS Iyengar, whose pre-eminence in the subject has just been acknowledged by a prestigious award from the Indian government.

By observing and experimenting with different patterns of breath, stiffness's can be unlocked and the process of internal observation sharpened.

In another class, pratyahara - the process of drawing in the senses to allow a deeper understanding of what is actually going on in a posture, was illustrated through making a sharp point about the inattentive nature even of people who are keen to learn.  In this explanation, the need for the eyes to become fully absorbed in the pose was pointed out and graphically demonstrated.

Plenty of time is also given to personal practice, as well, allowing the opportunity to put new learning into practice. This is not a place to come to be pampered and praised by your teacher, rather the onus is on you to channel the

great energy that is generated here into a more refined and profound understanding of the subject.

Incidentally, we are also learning a great deal about the reviving qualities of chai, how to cross busy Indian roads, and the culinary delights, and perils, of adapting to authentic Indian food.