freedom cultivated; a recap of the convention in philly

It’s been two weeks since I returned from the IYNAUS National Convention in Philadelphia but the excitement of the event continues on.

As a core member of the IC26 planning committee, this event was years in the making and we are so pleased to hear the positive experiences that students had studying with Abhijata Iyengar. As Chair of Entertainment, I put together and hosted an evening of entertainment entitled From the Heart; a Variety Show.

The show kicked off with Sawyer Ward on vocals and harmonium accompanied by Jamie Kostura on tabla to ground us into the space together with Chants. Senior teacher, Jaki Nett then shared a poem Sisters that reminder her of time spent with Geeta Iyengar. A Yoga Duel was next; Yuval Boim and David Rubeo reprised a NYC Yogathon demonstration accompanied by Dmitri Shapira. Wanjira Makena performed an original song and Kevin Allen did a clown piece. Next up was a big colorful Bharatanatyam number from Shishya School of Performing Arts. Christopher Briney performed an original song about the practice of Iyengar Yoga. A trio from Asheville performed a piece about the Koshas and a big group from California got everyone on their feet with a yoga demonstration to Elton John’s Philadelphia Freedom. While the show went on, a live painting of BKS Iyengar was being created by Avery Kalapa and we auctioned it off, raising $1,450 for the Bellur Trust in India. To close things out James Murphy and some folks from the NY Institute reprised a rap, first conceived when MTV came to India in the 90’s and performed at BKS Iyengar’s 74th Birthday Celebration in Pune. It was a joyful evening, full of love and it was my honor to create and MC this event by and for our wonderful yoga community.

No less exciting was the chance to see and spend time with so many friends in yoga, spend in-person time with my mentor; Matt Dreyfus, and meet some fellow New England CIYTs. I caught up with a couple old professors from UArts, reminding me of just how long I’ve had amazing teachers in my life. I passed through New York City on my way home, visiting the mothership; the Iyengar Yoga Institute of NY and caught a performance by Doug Varone and Dancers at the Joyce debuting their new work.