Abhijata Iyengar visited Iyengar Yoga London for the first time on 3rd May 2024, forty years after her grandfather, BKS Iyengar, opened the first building of the Iyengar Yoga Institute in London, Maida Vale. The current studio was built on the same site as the original institute building funded by donations from teachers and students along with the money raised by a demonstration given by Guruji at the Barbican. The fact that Abhijata’s visit to teach the UK convention in London coincided with the 40^th anniversary of Iyengar Yoga London felt particularly auspicious. As Guruji explained in his opening speech for the old building at Maida Vale in 1984, the UK capital held some significance for him:

“You know, it is a great joy for me to see a place outside India, a centre in London, because when I first visited the West, I planted this seed of yoga originally in London… It is here that the seed has sprouted and reached all corners of the world.”

Abhijata’s arrival at Maida Vale tube station was heralded with that most London of welcomes, grey skies and rain. This contrasted with the reception she met as she walked into the large studio at Iyengar Yoga London which could not have been warmer. There was joy and excitement in the room as over one hundred teachers and students showed their appreciation at a moment charged with historical resonance. Abhijata performed a short puja at the stone statue of Patanjali in the corner of the studio. Forty years before, when Guruji marked the opening of the old building, he described the challenges of his early visits to London before asking those gathered to carry the message of yoga to all people, including those who can afford to pay and those who cannot. In an echo of her grandfather’s request, Abhijata acknowledged the work of people around the world who have worked hard to establish the seeds that Guruji sewed decades before.

The treasurer of Iyengar Yoga London, Siddarth Punshi, took on the role of interviewer and asked some pre-submitted questions from teachers and students before opening up questions from the floor. Abhijata spoke on a broad range of topics, touching on pragmatic subjects like the relevance of Iyengar yoga in a technological age, the mentor/mentee relationship, the value of accreditation and how to communicate the benefits of the Iyengar system, to more philosophical themes of the quality of maitri (friendliness), aparigraha (non-grasping) and the quest for perfection in yoga asana. Guests commented on the feeling of intimacy of the event despite the size of the space, the large number of people and the presence of video cameras. After the Q&A and some group photos, guests gathered for samosas, bhajjis and catching up. After the disruption of the pandemic, it was wonderful to see the community regroup at Iyengar Yoga London around a shared love of teaching and practice.