"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
I would like to extend my heartfelt support to all of the people directly affected by the war in Ukraine. I am inspired by the efforts of IYNAUS and all of the yoga teachers around the world raising funds for those affected by this tragedy. My fellow board members and I will be meeting early next week to discuss a charitable contribution from our region.
As a board, we are always looking for ways to serve our members, build community, and facilitate the learning and teaching of Iyengar yoga, while also supporting IYNAUS and the Southeast Region of the United States.
Board members spent the past month reaching out to all of the CIYTs in our region via email and phone. We received valuable perspectives regarding Community Outreach, Membership Classes, and Continuing Education Workshops. During this process, we also asked for input regarding a website redesign effort sponsored by our Website Committee.
So far this year, the Communications Committee has highlighted the Mississippi and Louisiana communities and plans to continue the efforts started in 2021 to reach out to all 13 states in our region, highlighting the teachers and studios of those areas in our newsletters. In addition to this effort, we will continue to use social media and eblasts of events, pictures/videos, and thought–provoking posts to share B.K.S. Iyengar’s teachings and build our Iyengar community.
The Scholarship/Lotus Fund Committee has created and will soon announce six different scholarships/grants for IYASE members. These scholarships/grants may be used to overcome economic hardship and medical challenges, for community outreach, and to help defray assessment costs.
The IYASE Board looks forward to meeting again in May for the second board meeting of the year to discuss the changing needs of members and expand outreach efforts. Our fundamental mission remains the same: serve the Iyengar yoga community of the Southeast Region and support IYNAUS’s mission to promote the art, science, and philosophy of yoga according to the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar.
If you have anything you would like addressed within IYASE, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please reach out to me directly at iyase.president@gmail.com.
In Gratitude,
Laura Plofchan
IYASE - President
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IYASE Newsletter Tour of our states:
Louisiana
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Our newsletter spotlight is on Louisiana for this issue. There are two CIYTs in this area. |
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Geraldine Brezca (CIYT Level 1) |
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Geraldine Brezca, originally from Argentina, moved to New Orleans via Los Angeles in 2012. She worked in the film industry for two decades, which took her all over the world. She also began exploring various traditions of yoga in 1995 and became devoted to the Iyengar tradition in 2008.
While working on a film in New Orleans in 2012, Geraldine met her husband. At the same time, she began to deepen her commitment to studying and teaching Iyengar yoga while settling into the New Orleans community. She received her Introductory I/II (Level 1) certification in 2017.
Geraldine works with ceramics in partnership with her husband, creating living sculptures and functional pieces, such as planters. She finds that both the practice of yoga and working with clay help her to achieve stability, flexibility and contentment within her life.
This series of photographs was taken at the end of 2021. One of Geraldine’s teachers, Juliana Perucchi from Argentina, suggested she practice Adho Mukha Vrksasana, since she couldn’t quite achieve the pose during the Zoom classes in 2021. Inspired to end the year right, she accomplished her goal that day.
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Instagram @chreegooandpirushop
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Susan Brower (CIYT Level 1) |
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Susan Brower has been doing yoga for 45 years, so it is very much part of her life. She has been teaching since 2011, and achieved Introductory I/II (Level 1) certification in 2015. She owes much to her teachers: Becky Lloyd, Randy Just, Karin O'Bannon, and many others. She lives in New Orleans; however, she is currently spending a year in Paris. Due to the pandemic, she has not attended any classes in Paris, and the difference in time zones makes it impractical to attend workshops in the U.S. (she has used recordings). While in Paris, she has been focusing on her personal practice, which has been a great blessing. Going inward, seeing what her body and mind need each day, and exploring and playing with poses have been instructive and enlivening to her. She is passionate about sharing yoga with everybody, because no matter who or where you are in life, it always helps you feel good!
The photo above was taken on March 15, 2022. Sirsasana is Susan’s favorite pose.
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Susan in France:
WhatsApp or FaceTime: (+1) 504-616-4118
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Spotlight on Community Outreach
Mary Page Watts, M.S., OTR/L, CIYT,
Center for Discovery, Harris, New York
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Currently, Mary works as an Occupational Therapist (OT) at the Center for Discovery (TCFD), which is located in the Catskills, in western New York state (because Mary is from Virginia and teaches there as well, she is a member of IYASE). The center is a school that provides programs for children and adults with autism, medical frailties, and developmental disabilities. It also runs and sustains a full biodynamic farm, feeding and employing the children and residents who attend the school and day programs.
Mary’s path led her to go back to school to become an OT after she became a CIYT in 2017. She was inspired to bring more people to yoga and ultimately decided to enter the medical field to do so. Because occupational therapy is a holistic profession, it felt like a great fit. The appeal of taking the position at TCFD was that she would be able to teach yoga to children, staff, and residents. In her short time there, she has also become a certified horse handler. They use the horses to play games and to interact with the children at the school for animal-assisted interventions.
The animal-assisted intervention team asked Mary to hold yoga sessions with the staff and the mini-horses beginning in early March 2021. They began by holding sessions with the handlers and another OT, also a certified handler. They prepared the animals, getting them acquainted with jumpings for standing poses and upward arm movements. It was amazing to observe the animals grow calm and evolve as they became focused on the practice. The horses interact with them, gently nudging at arms and ankles. Participants must keep shoes on because practice is directly on the earth without mats, often in a muddy space. So far, Mary has been teaching basic standing pose sequences because they do not use mats. Occasionally, she uses chairs for Ardha Uttanasana and chair Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Since beginning this program, there has been heightened interest amongst staff at the center. They have opened the classes up to clinicians and hope to someday provide this to students and individuals living there. There are more than 1,500 people working at TCFD, so there is potential to reach staff who may not have been introduced to Iyengar yoga until now. Not only can people become aware of their bodies through yoga, but they also have the opportunity to interact with these healing animals in a therapeutic way. The combination of animal-assisted intervention and Iyengar yoga, interweaving the body, mind, and spirit connection, has such potential for healing and growth. Mary looks forward to seeing how this unique practice grows and evolves.
Website for the Center for Discovery
Instagram: @marypagewattsyoga
Harris, New York
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Our April newsletter will feature the Metro DC area! Attention teachers in those areas! Please send information and photos about classes, yoga and life in the nation's capital.
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Willing to become at ease with Sanskrit language? Want to learn the most common terms that would make it easy for you to recognize the ASANA names and better relate to the original language of yoga? If you read and reread this list frequently to the point of memorizing it, you will have a much better handle of this beautiful, sacred language.

We have opened up a PHILOSOPHY section in our regional IYASE website, under the RESOURCES menu. You can find the list there. We will be adding more content in the months to come. Check it out.
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Upcoming Workshops and Events |
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*NEW* Free-to-Members All-Levels Zoom Classes
As a new benefit member, IYASE is going to be offering monthly Free-to-Members All-Levels classes via Zoom, taught by some of our own Level 1 teachers. Zoom links will be sent out one week prior to each class, and recordings will remain available until the next class.
Schedule:
April 28 @ 6-7pm - Greta Kent-Stoll
May 26 @ 9-10am - Raina Fishbane
June 23 @ 5:30-6:30pm - Jill Frankel
July 28 @ 8-9am - Alison Lintal
We hope to see you there!
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Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 1:15-2:30pm
Explore the Upanishads, one of the most ancient, insightful and inspiring spiritual texts that has come out of India! All are welcome.
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Sunday, April 17th - April 24th, 2022
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John Schumacher and Barbara Benagh return to beloved Negril in April for one week for this not to be missed (now a tradition) Annual Yoga Vacation! |
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Iyengar Yoga with Brian Hogencamp
April 22nd-24th, 2022
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B.K.S. Iyengar guides, “When there is softness in the body and lightness in mind, the asana is correct.” Inspired by insights from his commentary on yoga sutra 2.46, we will explore method and means to establish steadiness and sensitivity in body, and contentment and receptivity in mind. Morning sessions will involve a range of intermediate asana and afternoon sessions philosophy / asana / pranayama.

Brian is a yoga practitioner and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher - CIYT Level 3 (Intermediate Senior I, 2016). He is devoted to sharing the art, science, and philosophy of yoga according to the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar and family. Brian has taught full-time since 2004 and travels annually to RIMYI (Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute) in Pune, India to study with the Iyengar family. Learn more at iybrian.com.
Workshop Address: 111 Grove Road, Asheville, NC 28804 US
Phone Number: (828) 484-1607
Workshop Level: All levels
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Click the button below to email the details of your workshop
if you would like to be listed in the next newsletter.
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Call For Photos and Videos of Iyengar gatherings |
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Help us build our IYASE community and share images, audio, articles and video clips that you may have of events, workshops or other Iyengar gatherings. We are building an IYASE Archive so we can continue to share and enjoy those memories with our members and for the promotion of the legacy of BKS Iyengar.
Please make sure when submitting content that you own the copyright to the content. You can submit your items by clicking the button below.
Thank You and Namaskar,
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Yoga and Equity Information |
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The Yoga and Equity Committee is restarting the Yoga and Equity (formerly DEIJ) Regional Leaders Forum, which met regularly during 2020-2021. This forum has been a valuable resource for leaders to share information about DEIJ efforts taking place within their regions; to talk about experiences associated with developing and implementing DEIJ programs; and to learn how the Yoga and Equity Committee can support those efforts. Meetings will be held quarterly beginning on April 16 from 2:30-4:30pm. We request that regional leadership attend and any other individuals from each region who are interested in advancing Yoga and Equity work. Please respond to Theresa St.John-Siegel at tmstsiegel@gmail.com with questions, comments, and/or confirmation that you will be attending.
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