(Please note: this was originally conceived as a blog)

I was given a mission by the organizers of the Sundararājāsana Project. To speak to the Iyengar Family and get their opinion about it. The purpose of this project is to honor the man who revolutionized yoga around the globe. Brainchild of Bruna Naitana, the idea was born in her practice. The king of asana must have an asana in his name!

Part of the idea is that Guruji is not only beloved and respected by Iyengar Yoga practitioners. Practitioners of every style have made his book, Light on Yoga, the best selling yoga book of all time. It is required reading for most yoga teacher trainings, regardless of lineage.

The idea is to name a pose after this great Yoga Master, BKS Iyengar. BKS stands for Bellur Krishnamacharya Sundararāja. December 14, 2018 marks the 100th year of his legacy. Although he is no longer with us physically, his legacy continues to shine, and this would be a beautiful way to honor him. The poses that have been suggested are the following: Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana, (his invention), Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (he loved backbends), and Tadasana (he taught us that every pose contains this pose.) 

Back to my mission. Being in Pune, I was to speak with Geetaji or Prashantji about their thoughts about this project. Can Sundararājāsana become a real pose? Being an avid observer, I had to find the appropriate time to speak to them, and they are never really just hanging around. They work hard, are running a world wide life changing organization, and are still blessing us with their teachings, and writing books clarifying missing links.

The timing had to be right for this discussion. So I approached Abhijata about this project to see if it would be possible to speak with Geetaji about it. She asked me to talk to Prashantji. So I did. A morning after an awesome pranayama class. As I was putting on my socks and shoes, he happened to be picking up the newspaper. I asked him if I could set up a time convenient to him to speak with him about the Sundararājāsana project. He asked me what I wanted to know about it, and I told him about the petition to name a pose after Guruji. He said yes it’s fine. So I asked him, which one? Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana? Or Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana? He told me that they (the petitioners, students, community) needed to choose which one. I asked him, so it doesn’t matter which one? It’s not disrespectful to yoga to do this? And he said no, it’s not disrespectful. The group can decide on the pose. Yes, do it.

Plot change:
Manouso Manos apparently had spoken with him one day, and Guruji had told him if there was ever a pose named after him it should be Uttāna Padma Mayūrāsana. I was asked to ask the Iyengars about the idea.

Back to the drawing board to ask Prashantji, the day after a theatrical presentation about Guruji’s life the previous evening. In the presentation, the young Iyengar was referred to as Iyengar. I asked Prashant if Guruji was referred to as Iyengar in his young days, and if so, I was confused about a story I had read about Guruji taking on the Iyengar name later in life when he needed a passport. He said no, that he was always known as Iyengar. So I asked him if it would be better to name the pose Iyengarasana, and he said yes because it was more relatable. So I asked him if the pose should be Uttana Padma Mayurasana, and he said yes that would be a good one. I asked him if he has invented that pose and he said yes.

So now, we must do it. Come together as a global yoga community, and vote on the pose that will epitomize and honor the legacy of a man who brought a little bit of world peace into our own hearts.