yoga

news & views

Newsletter of SADIYI
(Sheffield and District Iyengar Yoga Association)
Issue 34 - June 2018
 Editorial, June 2018

Welcome to the latest issue of our Newsletter and the first produced in our new incarnation as SADIYI,
Sheffield and District Iyengar Yoga Institute. In March this year we wound up the Charity and
Company Limited by Guarantee that was Sheffield and District Iyengar Yoga Association, and
formally established a new unincorporated voluntary organisation which better suits what we now do,
promote and sustain the Iyengar Yoga community in and around Sheffield. There is more about this in
the SADIYA Annual Report later in this issue.

The main focus of this issue is on the wider aspects of yoga and its place in transforming not just our
bodies, but also our minds, our inner selves, and how we are in the world. The latest instalment of
Helen’s series on aspects of Yoga Philosophy explores the yama of ahimsa or non-violence. It offers
practical suggestions for cultivating this in our practice and our lives. Emma Norminton’s article offers
a specific example of this approach with a careful and mindful practice routine for maintaining healthy
hips. Carolyn’s lovely personal piece describes the rich and complex relationship between her yoga
journey and first time motherhood, as she enters a new phase of her life with the arrival of baby Zoë.

We include a review of Gitte Bechsgaard’s inspirational book, Yoga – The Gift of Consciousness –
which elucidates the first Pada or Chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. SADIYI teachers are fortunate to
have the opportunity to study Gitte’s teachings in more depth via the forthcoming Distance Learning
Programme facilitated by Frances Homewood and Helen Clay.

This issue also includes some personal reflections from students who attended Monica Bejarano-
Cortes’s recent retreat in Turkey, and two Annual Reports – one from Sheffield Yoga Centre and one
from SADIYA itself. These contributions celebrate the range of activity undertaken by our local
teachers and organisations over the last year as our Iyengar Yoga community continues to expand
and flourish. And there is lots more to come in the months ahead, as can be seen from the Dates for
Your Diary section, not least our Sheffield contribution to the international celebrations this coming
December on the 100th anniversary of the birth of our Guru, BKS Iyengar.

As ever, thanks to all our contributors, not least to Gabby for yet another beautiful cover design.

Emma and Carolyn

Emma Rattenbury Carolyn Usher

Tel: 0783 7811967 Tel: 0784 3384496
emma.rattenbury@blueyonder.co.uk cusher84@gmail.com

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 ZAGYoga Iyengar Retreat - May 2018

Between May 13th and May 20th this year, Monica Bejarano-
Cortes led her fourth Yoga Retreat in a new setting, the beautiful
Onunco Koy Otel in Turkey. 17 of her students spent the week
there, taking morning and late afternoon yoga classes in the fully
equipped Iyengar Yoga studio, and enjoying vegetarian food,
the surrounding countryside and nearby beaches, as well as
local excursions. Two of the participants on the retreat have
provided summaries of their experiences below.

I am overjoyed to have attended all four of Zagyoga's Escapes and watch both students and teacher
grow.
Incredible considering Monica contends with such a wide age range (47 year gap) with various niggles
and an ever increasing group (18 people this year!) and it still feels like a harmonious and supportive
family who both relax and progress. This year she surprised us again with her powerfully commanding
yet humorous and kind teaching, as we were able to float into handstand and hold a headstand in the
middle of the room - I remember the days of us all struggling to kick up the wall!
The location and facilities surpassed those of previous years and I can't wait to return to continue to
explore the area as well as my asana and pranayama practice in
the well equipped studio. I can't imagine how to better it but I
know Monica will find a way.
"The body is the bow, asana is the arrow and the soul is the
target."
- BKS Iyengar

Yoga Week
Yoga practice- learning always learning.
Flowers- bougainvillaea, oleanders, roses, geraniums,
pomegranate trees, lemon groves, olive trees, mint, oranges and
blue convolvulus.
Feta cheese, olives, yogurt, turkish coffee, tahini, molasses, mint tea.
Hens gently pecking at the ground. Ducklings with their mother. Noisy cries of terrapins.
Swimming into dark caves with blue- green luminescent water beneath. Jumping into cold seas.
Laughter and the colours of the sea.
Goat heards, tethered sheep- hot sand.
Humour, care, conviviality, resting, reading....
Thinking about family and friends life and death and love.
Thinking about green fresh grass to welcome the working
towards Santosah- Contentment.
Thank you Monica.
From Sue

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 Practising Ahimsa non-harming on and off the mat by Helen Clay

In recent issues we have looked at aspects of the classical yoga philosophy

of sage Patanjali. This time we consider his eight limbed path of yoga, the
place of asana, its ethical foundations and ways to cultivate ahimsa, (the
vow of non-harming) to experience more directly how:
“Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the
endless stresses and struggles of life”. B.K.S. Iyengar: Light on life

In his Yoga Sutras Patanjali (PYS) defined yoga as

1.2 “…Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations in the consciousness.”
1.3 “At that time the spiritual Self abides in its original nature.”.
1.4 “At other times, the Seer appears to take on the form of fluctuations in
the consciousness.”
Translation by Gitte Bechsgaard: Gift of Consciousness

For Patanjali the means and purpose of yoga is to still the mind, draw inwards to the eternal inner self
of purusa (soul) and liberate oneself from earthly suffering and cycles of rebirth (kaivalya). Giving
much practical advice on this he has very little to say about the body or asana. Asana is referred to as
the third limb of the eight limbed path of yoga, and to a seat that is firm and steady and therefore
supports meditation.

Times change and these days asana is almost synonymous with yoga. For it is asana and its powerful
well-documented health benefits that brings many of us to yoga. The list of benefits is long including
assisting stiff shoulders, strained knees, hips, shoulders and backs, arthritis, depression and anxiety,
respiratory and coronary problems. It also helps us relax, find physical and emotional stability and
manage stress. Such benefits are tangible and for many are enough.

But even with such benefits asana can be seen as the visible tip of the iceberg of yoga. The
eight-limbed path of yoga is not about the perfect headstand or backbend but about a much deeper
and wider journey through complete meditative absorption, samadhi to the eternal liberated state of
kaivalya. In this spirit B.K.S. Iyengar taught asana as the vehicle for the journey inwards to the
innermost Self. He explained how when asana is practised with reflection and awareness of all the
eight limbs of yoga it opens body, mind and heart bringing a different sense of Self; awareness
penetrates from the outermost layer of the body to the innermost Self, the luminous core of our being.

So, we may ask ourselves to what extent is our asana practice imbued with and consciously
cultivating all eight limbs? On what ethical grounds does our asana practice stand and what is the
intention behind it? Is it the case that we feel peaceful on the mat but find ourselves going home and
shouting at the kids or having a fit of road rage? – How effective then, how penetrative to our inner
being is the yoga? Does being able to hold a 6 or 10-minute headstand necessarily really help us find
lasting inner peace? Or is there something else?

BKS Iyengar explained that if even one petal of a flower is missing the flower is not complete there is
something missing. In the same way if all eight limbs are not cultivated in asana our practice has
something missing and remains peripheral, missing much of its depth and transformative power. In
short, asana can point and contribute to yoga, but is not the yoga itself, just one aspect, one of the
eight limbs.

In describing yoga’s eight limbed path, Patanjali insists that asana, the third limb, comes only after the
first two limbs are in place and the necessary ethical foundations of yoga well established. The first
two limbs yama universal ethical principles or vows and niyama personal observances/self-restraints
are the foundations for Patanjali’s yoga.

The five yamas, or vows, are non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-greed (asteya), respect
for self and others /proper use of energy including sexual energy (bramacarya); and fifth, non-
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 Practising Ahimsa non-harming on and off the mat by Helen Clay

hoarding, (aparigraha). Of these ahimsa is the foremost vow the root principle of yoga and it is
strengthened in turn by the practice of all the other yamas and niyamas.

Ahimsa means non-harming both intentionally and unintentionally in thought word and deed towards
oneself and others at all times, and in all situations. Alongside capacities for tenderness and
compassion we all have primitive tendencies to aggression, greed, selfishness, envy, passions of
aversion and desire. These stem from a sense of shortage, a fear that we are not enough, don’t have
enough.

Practising ahimsa is not easy since it goes against our more primitive tendencies, but its practice
helps cultivate our higher qualities and move us inwards to our higher inner self where we are
complete and have all we need. All the ancient yoga texts teach that in our innermost Self we have
everything we need and they teach us to turn inwards to our inner Self to find inner peace. The
innermost core of our being (purusa or soul) is seen as joy, bliss, love, sometimes termed ananda
and is fundamentally non-violent. We can often glimpse such a state in savasana after an asana
practice. The cultivation of yamas is not therefore to create something new and different but to
uncover and chip away at the conditionings and habits that obscure our innermost and non-violent
self/ purusa.

In asana we bring the wandering mind into the body, cultivate better alignment and posture,
harmonise body mind and breath to quieten the mind. Similarly, by consciously focusing on the
yamas on and off the mat we can begin to recognise injurious thoughts and patterns in body and
mind, weed these out and also cultivate our higher qualities, the better aspects of ourselves.

Here are a few practical suggestions for cultivating Ahimsa, on and off the mat

At the opening of your yoga practice set an intention related to the yamas, remind yourself of it
during practice.

BKS Iyengar has taught how to recognise ahimsa in asana for example how under-stretching and
over stretching in asana are both forms of violence to the self and the cells of the body

Consider and identify - on the mat ways you force and / or shrink from a particular asana,
tendencies on and off the mat to criticise judge and compare ourselves and others.

Vow to practice ahimsa (non-harming in thought word and deed) for a time-limited period, maybe
10 days or even one day. Observe what happens. For example, vow to treat all people and
yourself and all objects you handle with respect. At the end of the day notice how happy you
feel.

Cultivate ahimsa by writing down, three (or more) recurring negative thought patterns that get in
your way and how you might replace these with non-harming patterns.

May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature

Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Aum Peace, Peace, Peace.

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 Yoga and Motherhood - A New Perspective by Carolyn Usher

I’ve heard a lot over the years about how beneficial yoga can be during pregnancy and for mums and
when I fell pregnant in April last year I planned to continue my practice as much as I could and use
yoga to help me through labour and beyond. I was without any doubts that the physical and mental
benefits would help, not just me, but also our baby.

So, I followed the fantastic Yoga for Motherhood book throughout my pregnancy, tried to remember
all I know about using the exhalation during my labour and practised Savasana and ujjayi breathing
during those first, fraught few weeks of sleepless nights, feeds and nappy changes. Certainly, I found
that a few long, slow breaths, just as we would practise in class, would not only calm me down but,
with baby lying on my chest, would calm her down too! Nap times were an opportunity to practise
Savasana and I would often feel more energised from 5 minutes on my yoga mat than from a broken
night’s sleep. I felt (and still do of course!) deeply grateful to yoga for supporting me through a
healthy pregnancy and fairly straightforward birth and for now giving me tools to help in my early
days of motherhood.

However, what I hadn’t anticipated was how much my pregnancy and first-time motherhood would, in
fact, help my yoga practice!

Perhaps not unsurprisingly, the physical effects of pregnancy and

labour have helped me develop my asana practice and my teaching.
For a start I am more aware than ever before of where my perineum is
and how to lift my pelvic floor! But also, having to adapt poses which
have always come easily to me has helped me be more sympathetic
and understanding of the needs of stiffer or bigger students who might
need more support. Marion Kilburn’s brilliant PD day at Zag Yoga last
October, when I was around 7 months pregnant, was great as I was
used as a guinea pig to show how to support students with, let’s say, a
“more rounded” figure. Not only will I feel much more confident about
teaching pregnant students in future but having a deeper understanding
of working with different shaped bodies will certainly be helpful.

Having such a strong motivation to stay healthy and active during pregnancy also supported my
personal practice and I found that I started to enjoy my time on the mat in a new way. Home practice
has often felt difficult for me, trying to squeeze in sessions between work and dinner never felt easy
and would often be sacrificed and, in more recent years, I would often spend the time focusing on
what I could teach my students or what I should be practising for assessments. However, once I was
pregnant, my practice became about me, and my baby and I felt much more connected to what I was
doing on the mat and why I was doing it. My new resolution is to make the time to do practice, just
for me. Even if I don’t manage it every day!

The biggest impact being a mam has had on my life though is the need to be more ‘present’ – this
basic principle of yogic living is one I have been striving to be better at for a good few years now but,
like many of us, have often struggled with. I often find myself worrying unnecessarily about future
events which may or may not happen or thinking back to happy holidays and wishing for a time
machine! And, as a project manager my life usually revolves around plans and timetables with
activities plotted out sometimes years in advance. However, with the arrival of Zoë living more ‘in the
moment’ suddenly became much more necessary and I have found myself letting go of my own day
to day plans and being much more connected to what is happening now.

This started pretty much as soon as I realised I was in labour! I had spent months thinking about
what it would be like, had written a ‘birth plan’ and had even stocked up on DVD’s to watch during

6
 Yoga and Motherhood - A New Perspective by Carolyn Usher

early labour as we were told it could last hours and you should have something to do as a distraction.
I had thought about what labour positions I would use and even what I would wear! However, once it
was happening I completely forgot about all of it. I remember feeling completely focussed on my body
and being barely aware of anything else. At some point instinct took over and my body told me
exactly what it needed…and it wasn’t what I had planned! Labour also did strange things to time with
the hours passing like minutes. I find it interesting to reflect on this now – I think this is the state we
are aiming for when we ‘do’ (is that the right word for it?!) yoga – to be so completely in the present
and focused on our body and breath that time passes without our knowledge. Although, sadly I am no
further forward in gaining this in normal daily live!

What I have found though is that, as a mam, I am made to live much more minute by minute,
focusing on my little one and responding to her needs rather than planning my day in advance.
Indeed, at least for the first few weeks any attempt at planning what we’d do seemed to quickly go out
the window with one badly timed nap or dirty nappy! A few weeks down the line we did start to plan
outings and activities but I’m now much more relaxed about getting to places on time. Instead of
worrying about tomorrow, I try to focus on watching Zoë, engaging with her and understanding
(although not always successfully!) and responding to what she needs.

It’s amazing when you really observe babies and young children to see just how ‘present’ they are –
they can be completely absorbed in watching or playing with something and anything else around
them just simply doesn’t exist. I’ve found this can be quite contagious – At the moment Zoë is
obsessed by her own feet, playing with them for ages and I find myself quite content to just sit and
watch her. Equally, when something is wrong it is clearly all consuming and I learned pretty quickly
that, despite my plans to wash the dishes, if Zoë needs feeding, she needs feeding NOW and 5
minutes time is not good enough. So, I must let go of those future plans and respond to the here and
now instead – it’s certainly not easy but it’s a nice way to live. I wonder at what age we lose this
ability to be completely present and if it’s ever possible to get it back again?

When you tell people you’re pregnant for the first time there’s one thing they’re guaranteed to say –
“Oh, lovely! Make the most of every moment, they grow up so fast!”. I used to smile and nod and
think it was the most obvious thing in the world to say. But, it is easy to forget that we should all be
making the most of every moment, whether we have kids or not, as time is going by quickly and each
one is precious… Even the one’s with dirty nappies in them.

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 Book Review by Emma Rattenbury

The Gift of Consciousness: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (Book One: Smadhi Pada)
By: Gitte Bechsgaard

A few years ago some flyers appeared at Sheffield Yoga Centre,

advertising a course over four long weekends of yoga asana practice and
philosophy. The courses were running in High Wycombe and Manchester.
I knew the asana teacher’s name well, Sheila Haswell a senior Iyengar
yoga teacher, but I had never heard of the philosophy teacher, Gitte
Bechsgaard. I was interested, but it felt too big a commitment while I was
still running my own consultancy business and looking after my baby
grandson, and I couldn’t make all the dates for either course. Wind on a
few years to Frances Homewood’s Summer School last year, and I was
exposed for the first time to quotes from Gitte’s wonderful and inspiring
book, ‘Yoga the Gift of Consciousness’. Here is just one to whet your
appetite, which Frances read to us and I have since shared with my
students,

To understand this movement from fragmentation to wholeness, we can consider the image of
the citta as a lake. The waves on the lake can be equated to the different fluctuations of
consciousness (vrttis). Sometimes, the waters may be rough and turbulent, filled with these
waves, while at other times the surface may be smooth and placid so that one can easily see
to the bottom of the lake. The Self can be compared to a golden coin which lies at the bottom
of this lake. It is ever-present, yet the discovery of this depends upon a quieting of the surface
waters (the vrttis). By the practice of Yoga, such a stilling occurs, and we gain access to that
treasure which was always there, simply waiting to be found again within.

I have always valued Frances’s focus on yoga being so much more than Asana practice and the way
she has sought to integrate the wider aspects of Ashtanga (i.e. 8 limbed) Yoga into her teaching. At
last year’s Summer School, I felt that this had reached a new level, informed in part by her
attendance at Gitte’s courses. We did not just discuss aspects of yoga philosophy in the middle of
each day, those concepts were completely integrated throughout the whole course in a new way and
we chanted the lovely Student to Teacher Mantra (Saha Navavatu) at the start of each day, after the
invocation to Patanjali.

Along with others at the Summer School, I looked through Gitte’s beautiful book at the end of the
course and went straight home and ordered it – from Waterstones, not Amazon! It sat on my shelf for
3 months while I continued to slowly work my way through Edwin Bryant’s scholarly and detailed
commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, as well as attending an informative course with him in
Manchester last August. However, last October when I was on a yoga retreat in Crete, I finally
realised I was forcing myself to read a few pages of Edwin Bryant’s book every day, whilst feeling
more and more drawn to Gitte’s. So on my return, I put down the former and picked up the latter.

And what a joy it was to read Gitte’s beautiful poetic prose, accompanied by wonderful pictures and
to finally feel a deep connection to Patanjali’s wise and ancient teachings. I read the whole book from
cover to cover in just over a month, and have returned to it many times since, using quotes from it to
inform my monthly discussions with students on aspects of philosophy.

The book focuses on the first Pada, or Chapter of the Yoga Sutras, entitled Samadhi Pada, which the
author translates as meditative absorption. The second half of the book discusses each of the 51
sutras in the first Pada in turn, providing translations and offering simple models to help to
understand them. The first half of the book provides an overview of the key concepts which run

8
 Book Review by Emma Rattenbury

through the sutras, taking the reader on a spiritual journey and quest for our inner self. It
integrates Patanjali’s teachings with aspects of Western psychology, presumably influenced by the
author’s own professional background in psychotherapy. She covers the principles of yoga philosophy,
starting with the essential distinction between prakriti (nature) and purusa (the soul), and including the
subtle play of the gunas, or qualities, of tamas (darkness/ dullness), rajas (action/energy) and sattva
(light/balance). We are introduced to the importance of abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (detachment)
– Sutra 1:12, the nine obstacles (Sutra 1:30) and to the four attitudes (Sutra 1:33) which are explored
in a really compassionate way, not expecting students to overcome all the obstacles, practice
religiously or achieve all the four attitudes consistently – there is genuine allowance for our humanity,
combined with gentle and consistent encouragement to strive for these, in order to reap the rewards in
terms of inner serenity.

We can learn to consider and take seriously the challenges that we encounter, while
simultaneously recognizing that these are a natural part of the Yogic journey. If approached
with awareness, the obstacles can ultimately help us to grow stronger, more courageous, more
compassionate, more whole in both our inner and outer lives.

The chapter headings are illustrative of Gitte’s approach and chime with the challenges presented by
everyday life:
Yoga as Consciousness: Gathering the Restless Mind
Yoga as Purification: From Darkness to Light, and finally
Contemplative Practice: Finding Solace and Perspective

In the course of her exposition, the author introduces us to illuminating

ideas, including:
Yoga as relationship:
Our path must encompass our interactions with others, with the
world, and also with many aspects of ourselves.
Witness consciousness:
This consciousness represents a way of being with the present
moment without pushing it away or clinging on to it.
Creating sacred space:
By creating a physical clearing, we are better able to access a
sense of spaciousness within ourselves – a place that we can step
into at any moment for contemplation and rejuvenation.

The latter encouraged me to tidy up my somewhat cluttered practice space and find better ways to
store my equipment, so as to keep it clear.

The book as a whole renewed my commitment to a regular practice, creating some routine in my far
from routine life as a part time yoga teacher, grandmother and political activist. And it renewed my
focus on svadhyaya (self study and study of the scriptures). Since I finished this book, I have returned
to read the remainder of Edwin Bryant’s book with refreshed understanding.

Gitte’s book is not cheap, at £50, but the value it provides far outweighs its financial cost and will, I
know, continue to do so for me. And now I have my name down to finally do the course with her and
Sheila Haswell from April 2019! What a pleasure and privilege that will be when it comes.

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 4 Module Distance Yoga Philosophy Study and Practice Course

We are delighted to announce that later this year Frances Homewood and Helen Clay are to
deliver this course in Sheffield. The course is designed by Gitte Bechsgaard with whom
Frances and Helen have both studied over recent years. Gitte is an experienced Iyengar
teacher, holds a PhD in yoga philosophy and is the author of the Gift of Consciousness. This
inspiring book is discussed elsewhere in this newsletter by Emma.

We hope that this study and practice course will aid integration and dialogue between the
method of Iyengar yoga and the ancient wisdom teachings of the Yoga Sutras, The
Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and other relevant Yogic teachings. The course is designed so
that the practice of Iyengar Yoga, with its profound methodology and core principles, is at
the heart of the philosophy that will be studied.

The course is planned initially for Iyengar teachers in Sheffield and region and will require:

• Purchasing and downloading a rich mix of recorded lectures, readings from yogic
scriptures, reflections, practices and traditional Indian chants. These should be
available from September 2018 from Gitte’s website.
• Home study of all the above
• Reading selected chapters in Gift of Consciousness prior to the group study and
practice days
• Four group study and practice days led by Frances and Helen involving discussion,
asana and pranayama.

The programme is not yet finalised but is arranged around four modules:

Module 1: Yoga as Timeless Truth. Alignment with the Sacred.

Module 2: Yoga as Concentration: Mind Control. Gathering the restless mind and
precision in practice.
Module 3: Yoga as Purification: From Darkness to Light. Guna theory. Sattvification, the
steps and stages of purification in practice.
Module 4: Yoga and the Eightfold Path. Yogic discipline, sequencing and integration in
practice.

The four group study and practice days are currently planned for

Saturday October 27th- 10- 4pm

Sunday December 2nd- 10- 4pm
Saturday January 19th- 10- 4pm
Saturday March 30th- 10- 4pm

If you would like a place on the course please let Frances or Helen know

Further information will be released later but if you have questions please initially
contact: Helen at helen@helenclayyoga.co.uk

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 Home Practice Sequence by Emma Norminton

This is a practice sequence focused on hip opening, using the wall to open the hips in a gentle,
mindful way. It could be done as a restorative sequence and would also be suitable for students
seeking a slower, less active pace to their practice. For those with stiffness in the hips, hip injuries or
replacement, go gently and carefully and take plenty of support. Make sure not to over-rotate the hip
joints if there are restrictions.

Place your mat with its short edge to a wall. Stand with your back to the wall in
Tadasana, with your feet slightly away from the wall. Take the front thighs and
shoulders back towards the wall, making sure that the waist and lower back don’t
push forwards. Raise the arms above your head in Urdhva Hastasana. Take
the thumb sides of each hand towards the wall, going gently if there is stiffness or
resistance in the shoulders.

Staying with your back to the wall, raise one leg onto the opposite inner thigh to come into Vrksasana.
Use a belt if necessary to secure the foot to the thigh. Rotate in the hip joint of the lifted leg and gently
ease the knee towards the wall, being careful not to force it back. Keep the hips and pelvis level and
both buttock bones in contact with the wall. Raise the arms above the head as above. Repeat on the
other side.

Now lie down on your back with both feet pressing into the wall. Place a block on the mat alongside
one inner thigh. Bend the other knee, rotate in the hip joint and place the foot on the block with the
sole against the inner thigh to come into a reclining Vrksasana. Repeat on the other side. If
necessary, place a block underneath the outer top thigh of the bent leg so that it supports the hip joint.

Stay lying down at the wall and have a belt to hand. Press one foot into the wall and raise the other
leg into Supta Padangustasana 1, looping the belt over the raised foot. Keep the frontal hip bones
level - the hip bone of the raised leg will want to move towards your head, so resist it in the opposite
direction towards the heel. Repeat on the other side. Then return to the first side, raise the leg and
bring it out to the side into Supta Padangustasana 2. Make sure that the buttock bone remains on
the floor on the other side: press the frontal hip bone on that side towards the floor and only bring the
other leg down as far as you can maintain levelness across the front of the pelvis. As above, place a
block into the hip joint of the moving leg to support it if necessary.

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 Home Practice Sequence by Emma Norminton

Stand up and place the outer edge of the left foot against the wall. Step the right foot three to four feet
into the room and turn the foot for Trikonasana. Turn the top of the right thigh well so the ball of the
hip joint moves deeply into its socket and come into the pose. You can bring the hand to the leg or
place it on a brick behind the right ankle. Repeat with the outer edge of the right foot against the wall.

Come into Virabhadrasana 2 in the same way, with the outer edge of the back foot against the wall.
Press the knee of the bent leg back so that, again, the ball of the hip joint moves deeply into its socket.

Take a bolster, a belt and a blanket for Supta Baddha Konasana. Come first into Baddha Konasana
sitting on the edge of the bolster, pressing the heels together and letting the knees descend towards
the floor. Put the belt on over your head and underneath your feet; make sure the belt is taut so it can
help to extend your lumbar spine towards your heels, then lower yourself down to the floor. Recline
backwards, keeping the chest lifted, and rest your head on the blanket placed on top of the bolster.
Take blocks into the outer hips if necessary to relieve any hip pain or over-stretching in the inner
thighs, and support the outer knees if they don’t come down very far. Remain in the pose for 5 minutes
if possible.

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 Home Practice Sequence by Emma Norminton

Rearrange your bolster and blanket for Setu Banda Sarvangasana so that you are lying lengthways
over the bolster with the shoulders, neck and head on the unfolded blanket. If you experience any
discomfort in the lower back, place two or three blocks under your feet and tie a belt around your
calves. Remain in the pose for 5 minutes if possible.

Set up your equipment for Sarvangasana over a chair, with a bolster under your shoulders and a
blanket under the neck and head. If you don’t have a suitable chair at home, do Sarvangasana without
one or rest with the legs up the wall and hips on a bolster in Viparita Karani. Come into the pose and
remain there for two or three minutes, or longer if you feel comfortable.

Finish with Savasana, resting your calves on the seat of a chair if you used one for Sarvangasana, or
lying flat.

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 Sheffield Yoga Centre Annual Report by Frances Homewood

May 2017- May 2018

Lots to Celebrate
As ever, it has been a very busy year and I thought it would be good to start summarising what has
been happening each year. This is the first report!

Classes
We now run 19/20 classes per week, over 6 days, offering a range of times and days to suit all our
levels of students. The winter months have seen record numbers in some classes, particularly daytime
and early evening classes, whilst others remain quieter, which also suits some. We are always
pleased that we offer the specialist restorative, slower paced and therapeutic classes, since very few
of these exist in the city. Our New Starter courses have been well attended, up to the spring/ summer
months, when we find people prefer to go with outdoor rather than indoor activities.

Events
We were delighted to welcome this year two highly respected International teachers; Stephanie Quirk
from Australia who ran the first of her six part course for teachers in Therapeutic Yoga. Then in
January, Elise Browning Miller from the US, author of several books and DVD’s, gave a weekend of
Yoga for Scoliosis. Both trained under the watchful eye of our Guruji BKS Iyengar and were
inspirational. Uday Bhosale, also trained in India, taught a wonderful day of yoga Pune style and all
three events were fully booked. Edgar Stringer from Bristol brought us skilfully into the New Year and
our own Helen Clay’s International Women’s Day Restorative Workshop sold out and will become an
annual event.

Improving the Building

Cherishing our lovely space is always a priority. This year, we had the front hall redecorated and the
Reading/ Relaxation room refurbished with new shelving and better changing space. Paul Barkworth’s
antique bench completes and improves the seating capacity in there, much needed for our big events.
In the back hall we have now a set of wall bars.

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 Sheffield Yoga Centre Annual Report by Frances Homewood

Supporting the admin team

I was delighted to welcome Katie Owens back to the admin team this year. Her expertise in
marketing, IT and publicity has added a great strength. Katie worked as one of our first
administrators, before we even had an office in the Centre. She has guided the design and operation
of the new website, which, once embedded, will ease bookings for all students whilst streamlining the
process for the admin team. I am pleased that we have upgraded our computer, IT security and
database and to have been able to offer Catherine and Katie more job security through employment
contracts to replace their self employed status. They are invaluable to our Centre.

Changes and looking ahead

Sadly Joan Abrams will retire from our teaching team this summer. For many years she ran the
“Older and Stiffer” class (now slower paced class) and remained on the rota to teach the Restorative
class, often battling the elements to get over the Pennines to do it. She will remain well loved by
many students. It has been good to welcome Pascale Vacher to teach at Intermediate 2 level,
sharing the Monday night slot with me and my new Philosophy and Pranayama sessions, which I
enjoy immensely. Our newest teacher Allie has settled into her role well. And as we come to the end
of the formal Teacher Training course I have run for the last two years, we send all our best wishes to
the five trainees, three of whom are students in the Centre, and one day hopefully can teach there.
There are, of course, plans for new events, classes and renovations in the coming year. On
December 14th, we will celebrate 100 years since the birth of our inspirational teacher BKS Iyengar. I
continue to feel blessed to have met him and to have such a wonderful team of teachers, support
staff and students to make all this work possible.

Namaste
Frances

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 SADIYA AGM 2018—Chairs Report by Emma Rattenbury

Reorganisation of SADIYA – Creation of SADIYI

On July 7th 2017, we held a special Review session of SADIYA, which was followed by the AGM. It
was good to see teachers who are not on our committee, along with several students, at this event.
Altogether 16 members attended, and we used the session to look back at what we have achieved
since SADIYA was created, what has changed since then, and what the priorities are for the future.
We agreed that it was important to continue to have a local association to develop the Iyengar Yoga
community in and around Sheffield, but that we no longer needed to be a Registered Charity and
Company Limited by Guarantee. Accordingly, we passed a motion at the subsequent AGM to wind
up the Charity which is SADIYA and establish a new unincorporated association (i.e. simpler
organisation) with similar aims which we would commission to undertake tasks using any remaining
monies which SADIYA holds.

So a lot of work associated with this decision has been undertaken over the last year, including:
• Writing and agreeing a constitution and a name for the new Unincorporated Association which is
Sheffield and District Iyengar Yoga Institute (SADIYI)
• Updating our logo, the website and IY(UK) with our new name and initials
• Agreeing what SADIYA is commissioning SADIYI to undertake.

So this year’s AGM will be the last SADIYA one. Next year we will meet as SADIYI. I would like to
take the opportunity to extend our warmest thanks to Liz Gamlen who has acted as Company
Secretary for SADIYA for over 10 years and has ably steered us through the form filling required by
the Charity Commission.

Yoga Days and events

Since my last Chair’s report, we have organised one Yoga Day in November 2017 with Richard Agar
Ward. This was relatively well attended. However, at our last AGM in July 2017 we decided to stop
organising these days, as there are so many Yoga events in our region now that it is difficult to get
good attendance, so this day with Richard was our last.

Professional Development Days

SADIYA continues to lead on organising our Professional Development Days in conjunction with
Bradford Iyengar Yoga Institute (BDIYI). In 2017 we held two days, one on 13th May at Room for
Yoga in Brighouse and one on October 14th at Zag Iyengar Yoga Studio in Sheffield. Both days were
fully booked with 20 teachers at each. We held two and limited the numbers to a maximum of 20
each, as the afternoon focused on using ropes. Both these studios are fully equipped with plenty of
ropes. In the morning some local students volunteered to be adjusted by teachers focusing on
helping older and stiffer students. Both days were very successful and enjoyed by all, although some
of the ‘volunteers’ were pretty tired by the end of the long morning! Thanks to Julie Brown and Marion
Kilburn for running the days and to Monica and Manuela for hosting them. This coming year the focus
is on the practice and teaching of supported back bends and we are holding one day in Keighley on
October 20th.

Library
Caroline has continued to administer the library which is being well used. Over the last year we have
expanded the library in two ways, but purchasing more books and extra copies of the classic books
for loan, and by setting up a ‘branch’ library at Zag Yoga Iyengar Yoga Studio. The books and
resources at Zag Yoga and a selection of those at Sheffield Yoga Centre are designated as not for
loan, to ensure that teachers can access them at all times. This year we have also put a lockable
section of the library in to Sheffield Yoga Centre, where more valuable items such as dvds of special
conventions are stored.

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 SADIYA AGM 2018—Chairs Report by Emma Rattenbury

Equipment
This year we also updated our store of equipment which is available for loan to teachers who want to
set up new classes in venues where there is none available. Many thanks to Monica for taking on this
task. This will no doubt be in demand from the autumn when we very much hope we will have some
more qualified Iyengar Yoga teachers in our area, due to the hard work and dedication of their trainer,
Frances Homewood, and to their own efforts over the last two years.

Newsletter
E-Newsletters were compiled by Emma and Carolyn in June and November 2017. They continue to
be well received by all and it is great to see more articles in there from students as well as teachers.

Website and social media

The website continues to be a source of valuable and up to date information for teachers, students
and newcomers to yoga alike. Many thanks to Pascale for her continued excellent work on the
website. Monica continues to keep the SADIYA Facebook page alive and well with frequent posts.
IY(UK) Representative
We have not had a representative on the Iyengar Yoga (UK) Executive Committee for the past year,
which is a shame. If anyone is interested in finding out more about this role, please let the Chair
know.

Emma Rattenbury, Chair SADIYA

Committee members

Chair and trustee – Emma Rattenbury

Company Secretary and trustee– Liz Gamlen (stepping down from July 2018)
Minutes Secretary – Helen Clay
Treasurer and trustee – David Cooper
Trustee – Dominic Batten
Membership Secretary – Lorraine Bonete
Website – Pascale Vacher
Library – Caroline Anschutz
Equipment – Monica Bejarano-Cortes
Carolyn Usher
Frances Homewood

SADIYI AGM

All members are invited to join us for our annual AGM which will take place on:

Friday 22nd June

7.30pm

18 Broad Elms Lane

Ecclesall,
Sheffield,
S11 9RQ

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 Dates for your diary

As the Sheffield yoga community expands, it is great to see the growth in the number of weekend
yoga workshops in and around the city. In order not to take up too much space in the newsletter, from
now on we are just giving dates and teachers below. Further information on all local Iyengar yoga
events can be found on our website: www.yogasheffield.org.

SADIYI events

From 2018 SADIYI are no longer running Yoga Days. However, we will be putting on events for
members, so watch this space.

SADIYA membership is £15 per year – see website for details or contact Lorraine Bonete:
lorraine.bonete@gmail.com

Sheffield Yoga Centre Workshops

For prices, more details and to book all the events below contact Sheffield Yoga Centre on
0114 234 6475 or 07944 169238, pick up a leaflet from the centre or download it from the website
events page on: www.sheffieldyogacentre.org.uk

Teachers Class with Uday Bhosale

6.30 – 8.30pm Friday July 6th

General Day of Yoga with Uday Bhosale

10.00am – 3.30pm Saturday July 7th

Summer School with Frances Homewood

10.00am – 3.30pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday August 10 th – 12th

Refresher Class with Emma Norminton

10.00 – 11.30am Saturday September 8th

Second Therapy Teacher Training Workshop with Stephanie Quirk

10.00am – 5.30pm Friday October 5th – Sunday October 8th

Beginners Workshop with Emma Rattenbury

2.00 – 4.00pm Saturday October 13th

Yoga to Ease and Strengthen the Lower Back with Frances Homewood
2.00 – 4.00pm Saturday November 3rd

Workshop with Marion Kilburn

2.00 - 4.30pm Saturday 1st December

Celebrating the Life of BKS Iyengar – Centenary of his birth

6.30 – 9.30pm Friday December 14th – details to follow

Workshops at ZagYoga Iyengar Studio

Monthly Sunday Workshops with Monica Bejarano-Cortes

Next one : 10.00 – 12.30pm June 17th
at Zagyoga Iyengar Studio. www.zagyoga.net

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 Dates for your diary (continued)

Sunday am Beginners and all Workshops with Pascale Vacher

Next two: 10.00am – 12.30pm June 24th and July 14th
at Zagyoga Iyengar Studio S2 4QU See: www.yogasheffield.org

Summer Event with Monica Bejarano-Cortes

10.00am – 3.30pm Saturday and Sunday August 4th and 5th
at Zagyoga Iyengar Studio. www.zagyoga.net

Other events in Sheffield and beyond

Sunday am Intermediate Workshops with Pascale Vacher

Next two 10.00 – 12.30am June 17th and July 15th
at A Yoga Room, Sheffield 11 See: www.yogasheffield.org

Yoga events in Buxton and beyond

For information about various events and tickets please contact Sue Lovell on 01298 79576 or email
sueyoga40@aol.com or check details on the Peak Yoga website (http://www.peakyoga.org.uk/)

Pasta Alla Genovese by Carolyn Usher

This is a really simple and quick recipe. It’s not technically

vegetarian as it uses parmesan cheese but you can buy vegetarian
versions labelled as “Italian style hard cheese”. I haven’t listed
quantities under the ingredients as it’s really easy to adapt for any
number of people. Left over pesto can be kept in a jar in the fridge or
frozen.

Ingredients:
Pesto - Shop bought works fine (though fresh is better than the stuff in jars) or whizz together olive
oil, fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic and grated parmesan cheese to make your own.
Linguine or spaghetti
Potatoes cut into chucks
Fine green beans trimmed and halved

Method:
1/ Boil the potatoes in a pan large enough to allow you to add the pasta and beans later, for about
20 minutes or until tender

2/ Add the pasta to the same pan then, a few minutes before the recommended cooking time, add
the green beans

3/ If you’re making your own pesto, whizz together all the ingredients while the pasta etc cooks

4/ Holding back about half a cupful of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta etc and return to the dry
pan

5/ Add the pesto and enough of the cooking water to give you a sauce that coats the pasta well,
then serve immediately.

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 Yoga Classes in Sheffield

There are now too many classes in Sheffield to list them all in the newsletter, so we provide a summary
of what is available below, together with websites where you can get more detail and teachers’ phone
numbers.

Sheffield Yoga Centre

270 Burgoyne Road, Sheffield, S6 3QF. www.sheffieldyogacentre.co.uk.

Sheffield Yoga Centre has regular classes at all levels (introductory, beginners, general and
intermediate) and on every day apart from Sunday at a variety of times (mornings, lunch times,
afternoons and evenings). NB. There will be a limited programme of drop in classes running over
the Summer holidays. To find out more and to book a place in a class, go on the website or call
0114 234 6475 or 07944 169238, or email info@sheffieldyogacentre.co.uk

Zagyoga Iyengar Yoga Studio

Harland Works, 70, John Street, Sheffield S2 4QU. www.zagyoga.net

Monica Bejarano-Cortes and an expanded team of teachers provide a programme of regular classes at
different levels and at a variety or times and days throughout the week, as well as regular workshops
on Sundays.
NB. Drop-in classes will be running in August 2018. To find out more and book a place in a class,
visit the website or call Monica on 075891 129471, or e-mail her on zagyogainfo@gmail.com

Classes in other venues in Sheffield

For more details, visit www.yogasheffield.org

Dominic Batten at The Institute, Hartley Street, Heeley, S2 3AE

General class on Tuesday evenings. Call Dominic on 0114 2649418 for more information

Pascale Vacher at Silverdale School, Bents Green, S11 9QH

Foundation, Beginners and General classes on Wednesday and Friday evenings and Intermediate
class on Thursday evenings. Also regular weekend workshops for beginners and intermediate students.
To enquire or book contact Pascale on 07941 646418 or e-mail Pascale_Vacher@yahoo.co.uk

Lorraine Bonete at Silverdale School, Bents Green, S11 9QH

Beginners class on Tuesday evenings in school term times.
To enquire or book, contact Lorraine on 0780 7567532/ 236 2115 or lorraine.bonete@gmail.com

Liz Whelan at The Old School, Dore, S17 3 GW

Beginners class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in term time.
To enquire or book contact Liz Whelan 07811281213 or Lizwhelan@talktalk.net

Helen Clay at ZagYoga – (see address above)

Beginners on Thursday mornings.
Also one-to-one classes and small groups catered for.
For further info contact Helen on 07881 385208/ 0114 2680458 or www.helenclayyoga.co.uk

Further afield:

Cath Morgan in Hathersage, Hope Valley

Classes on Monday and Tuesday evenings and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings
For more information call Cath on 07565 945440 or visit www.hopevalleyyoga.co.uk

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