You can always reach me at iyase.president@gmail.com

Alabama is home to one of the smallest Iyengar communities in our region - and we are thrilled to highlight this dedicated, growing community and the teachers who nurture it. Alabama is a fascinating place, characterized by beauty and contradiction.

Of interest to yoga lovers, Alabama is the only state that has banned yoga from being taught in public schools because of its association with Hinduism. When those students graduate, however, they have the opportunity to take "Bhagavad-Gita and Yoga," a course offered at the University of Alabama Huntsville by CIYT Susan Friedman, profiled below. The course includes yoga philosophy as well as asana (physical postures).

Susan Friedman at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Originally from Miami, Susan Friedman was Alabama's only CIYT for years, until 2020 when her student, Beth Pugh, became certified.

Susan moved to Huntsville, Alabama to teach English at the University of Alabama Huntsville.

In Huntsville, she tends a devoted Iyengar community, teaching in a local gym and at a rented studio.

She loves that her neighbors in Alabama love gardening, hiking and appreciating the beautiful foliage. Of something she didn't expect: "I was surprised that there is such a vibrant community (it is quite small) that fights against all odds to represent marginalized people. We are also the headquarters for the National Children's Advocacy Center, which helps at risk children and their families. It is an organization that was founded here in Huntsville and now trains counselors worldwide."

Alabama, a state whose flag, bird, flower and other symbols evoke the old South and the confederacy in particular, has also been the site of some of the most important events of the civil rights movement, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Rosa Parks (pictured), the Selma march, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., and the writing of "A Letter from Birmingham Jail," by Martin Luther King, Jr. Now, Montgomery, Alabama is home to the Equal Justice Initiative, made famous by Just Mercy, a film about lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his work. The Equal Justice Initiative has opened two sites in Montgomery, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice.

In addition, Alabama is home to the US Space and Rocket Center, in a place formerly known as the US Watercress capital of the world.

By Susan Friedman, PhD, CIYT

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali begin with 1.1: Atha Yoganuasasanam, which BKS Iyengar translates as: “With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga.” Besides the word “yoga,” I believe the most important word in this sutra is “atha,” now. Each time we come to the mat or return to a posture, or simply move on an exhalation, the challenge is to be present—to let go of the past and allow ourselves to experience the moment. To be ready for discovery. How is this Tadasana different from the posture I embodied two minutes ago? Or two seconds ago? [More]

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