The origin of the article dates back to a visit I made to study with BKS Iyengar at his Institute in Pune in the late 1980s. One week prior to my arrival, Prashant was involved in a terrible car accident in which he suffered life-threatening injuries. He was in hospital in a coma when I arrived, there had been frantic discussions in Australia about what support we could offer, and as President of the Yoga Association of Australia at that time, I was offering what support we could give.
On my arrival there was much upheaval and uncertainty and we visited the hospital but it was clear that only time would reveal whether Prashant’s situation would improve or deteriorate. What unfolded from this point was unexpected and revealing.
I expected that classes at the institute would stop for the month given the seriousness of the situation. But on the first evening of classes Guruji entered the room. So began a month of classes with extraordinary intensity.
The classes were demanding, and in the often-heavy monsoon rain, we were asked to give our all to each asana and to each class. In one such session, guruji stopped us and said ‘my son is in the hospital and may not survive but you come here and you give only the minimum required to survive the class. When your efforts are partial, how will you ever learn?’
I found it shocking to be confronted with this harsh statement. But it was also true. I could see that i measured myself and managed effort in a way that was self-focused and aimed to regulate the demands made upon me. From this day onwards, I changed my approach, making each practice and each class count.
What I discovered was the basis for the writing that follows
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