My Journey to RIMYI
I had been thinking about doing one final visit to the institute for a while when my friend Lydie Driviere (France), contacted me early last year and asked me to accompany her to Pune in March 2024, to stay for the month.
The idea was to have a quiet time without other western student distractions and really study what was going on in the Indian Iyengar Yoga Community as far as the new system and syllabus was concerned.
Well, to our great surprise, our plans were promptly derailed as on our arrival we learnt that a 70-student (mainly teachers) strong Polish group had just arrived for a two-week Intensive at the Institute. 
When Lydie and I arrived to say hello to Abhijata and Raya, they were well aware of our shock finding the yoga hall full of Europeans. We all laughed at the fact that there was going to be no quiet time apart from bedtime in our apartment!
Lydie and I had booked in for General Classes which consisted of one or two classes a day with Abhijata, Prashant, Raya, Rajlaxmir and once a week, Sunita. But now, on top of that we were invited to participate in all the extra intensive classes with the Polish group run by Abhijata and Raya. This meant we would have three even four classes a day plus practice at times!
The theme for the Polish intensive was ‘how to teach beginners,’ and we attended special classes where a mixture of adjustments in Standing poses, Inversions, Backbends and some remedials were taught. It was fantastic to be able to be part of all that, guided by such good teachers.
That was the Yoga learning part of our visit.
My personal journey is that I am loving every minute of this visit. It is my 26th visit since 1993 and being back here I could not believe I had decided that this would be my last. It really has been like coming home. All the local teachers and friends have greeted us with such warmth. Everything seems so familiar that I wonder ‘how could it be 4 years since my last visit?’
Yes, there are a few new developments and real estate is booming. There are a lot of flash cars and it is a little less polluted but generally it is the same old….
The Indian culture is still colourful and rich in all aspects. Most people are generous and honest and respectful. It is a real joy being amongst it all.
Lastly, I have observed the teacher training that is going on here with both Abhijata and Rajlaxmir. Their trainees are doing really well. In every class that their particular mentor teaches, they quietly move around the room adjusting us all with such firm but sensitive hands. Many of the trainees are young with other jobs as well, but they are always there when their mentor conducts a class and they also often spend practice times together.
I have great hopes for the future of Iyengar Yoga because of this trip and for that I am very grateful and wish that you all, who might be reading this, feel inspired to take the leap if you have never done it before, or if you thought it might be too late.
I now think that I might be back one day, of course taking in consideration the state of my body and economy.
Namaste,
Moni x
I had been thinking about doing one final visit to the institute for a while when my friend Lydie Driviere (France), contacted me early last year and asked me to accompany her to Pune in March 2024, to stay for the month.
The idea was to have a quiet time without other western student distractions and really study what was going on in the Indian Iyengar Yoga Community as far as the new system and syllabus was concerned.
Well, to our great surprise, our plans were promptly derailed as on our arrival we learnt that a 70-student (mainly teachers) strong Polish group had just arrived for a two-week Intensive at the Institute.
When Lydie and I arrived to say hello to Abhijata and Raya, they were well aware of our shock finding the yoga hall full of Europeans. We all laughed at the fact that there was going to be no quiet time apart from bedtime in our apartment!
Lydie and I had booked in for General Classes which consisted of one or two classes a day with Abhijata, Prashant, Raya, Rajlaxmir and once a week, Sunita. But now, on top of that we were invited to participate in all the extra intensive classes with the Polish group run by Abhijata and Raya. This meant we would have three even four classes a day plus practice at times!
The theme for the Polish intensive was ‘how to teach beginners,’ and we attended special classes where a mixture of adjustments in Standing poses, Inversions, Backbends and some remedials were taught. It was fantastic to be able to be part of all that, guided by such good teachers.
That was the Yoga learning part of our visit.
My personal journey is that I am loving every minute of this visit. It is my 26th visit since 1993 and being back here I could not believe I had decided that this would be my last. It really has been like coming home. All the local teachers and friends have greeted us with such warmth. Everything seems so familiar that I wonder ‘how could it be 4 years since my last visit?’
Yes, there are a few new developments and real estate is booming. There are a lot of flash cars and it is a little less polluted but generally it is the same old….
The Indian culture is still colourful and rich in all aspects. Most people are generous and honest and respectful. It is a real joy being amongst it all.
Lastly, I have observed the teacher training that is going on here with both Abhijata and Rajlaxmir. Their trainees are doing really well. In every class that their particular mentor teaches, they quietly move around the room adjusting us all with such firm but sensitive hands. Many of the trainees are young with other jobs as well, but they are always there when their mentor conducts a class and they also often spend practice times together.
I have great hopes for the future of Iyengar Yoga because of this trip and for that I am very grateful and wish that you all, who might be reading this, feel inspired to take the leap if you have never done it before, or if you thought it might be too late.
I now think that I might be back one day, of course taking in consideration the state of my body and economy.
Namaste,
Moni x
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