The Fourth Niyama

Christian Pisano reflects on his own evolving process of the exploration of consciousness through the practice of Yoga. He also shares insights into Kashmiri Shaivism, and how studying this philosophy has influenced his approach to teaching Yoga. Christian teaches at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Nice, France, and leads Yoga workshops across Europe. ___ https://christianpisano.com/ https://www.ins...

Christian Pisano has been practicing Yoga for over 40 years and is one of only three people to have received an Advanced Senior Diploma from Guruji BKS Iyengar. He lived in Pune for several years and studied directly under Guruji, Geetaji and Prashantji at RIMYI. Christian shares that, over the years, his learning process has involved a lot of unlearning and deconstruction of previous understandin...

Birjoo Mehta is a senior student of Yogacharya BKS Iyengar and a world-renowned Iyengar Yoga teacher from Mumbai, India. He grew up in a family where the practice of Yoga was an essential part of life; his parents and sisters all studied under Guruji. Birjoo Mehta has built a successful professional career with Tata Communications, a leading telecom company in India, and has held leadership roles...

Nivedita Joshi's journey in Yoga is an example of how the scientific Iyengar's method, coupled with earnest and sincere practice, could bring about remarkable results. In her teens, Nivedita was stricken by slipped disc and cervical spondylosis. No doctor in India could cure her or diagnose her correctly. She lost the ability to move her hands and legs, and by the time she was 26, after 12 years o...

This is the second part of a conversation with Arti Mehta, a senior student and teacher of Iyengar Yoga from Mumbai. For over 20 years, Arti has been working with kids with special needs, helping them to cope with their conditions through the practice of Yoga and improve their quality of life. In this episode, Arti reflects on her challenges and learnings from guiding children with special needs....

Arti Mehta was 10 when she was introduced to Iyengar Yoga and joined Guruji’s classes in Mumbai. She comes from a family where Yoga is an essential part of life; both her parents and all her siblings were studying Yoga from Guruji for many decades. Today, Arti Mehta and all her siblings - Neeta Datta, Birjoo Mehta and Rajvi Mehta are among the most senior Iyengar Yoga teachers globally. For over 2...

Gabriella Giubilaro is a long-time practitioner and a highly regarded teacher of Iyengar Yoga from Florence, Italy. She joined her first Iyengar Yoga class in 1973, and with curiosity and focus committed to a serious practice. Gabriella quickly developed a deep passion for the subject, since 1983 she has been studying at RIMYI with the Iyengar family. Gabriella holds a Ph. D. in Physics. She was t...

In the second part of the interview Lois Steinberg reflects on how her Yoga practice has evolved over the years, and what young and senior practitioners should be mindful of for their practice. Lois speaks about the effects that Yoga has on health. In what ways could Iyengar Yoga make an effective impact for women in coping with various women’s health issues? How could Yoga make a difference when...

Lois Steinberg is a highly regarded teacher and devoted practitioner of Iyengar Yoga from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA. Her first encounter with Iyengar Yoga was in the 1970s when a friend gifted her the book Light on Yoga . She was mesmerized with the man in the photos and the postures he was able to do, as if he had no spine. Soon after, she met her first Iyengar Yoga teacher and committed to...

Episode 20. Join me for the third part of an insightful conversation with Neeta Datta, a highly regarded Iyengar Yoga teacher, as she reflects on her nearly 50 years in Yoga. In this episode, Neeta speaks about the meaning of svādhyāya, self-study; why it is essential to give ourselves time to observe and examine our reactions and mind. Neeta offers some crucial advice on how to approach our Yoga...

Episode 19. In the second part of the interview Neeta Datta speaks about the importance of developing the ability to observe, reflect and connect for a Yoga practitioner. “If we just pick the words of Guruji and repeat them, they will have no value because we are not connected with ourselves, and we are not true to our nature. We have to learn to develop our own understanding. Be true to our natur...

Episode 18. Neeta Datta started attending Yoga classes with Guruji in Mumbai in 1975. Her father, Hasmukh Mehta, who had also been studying under BKS Iyengar, guided all of his children to join Guruji’s classes. Neeta started assisting Guruji after a few years and continued to do so until she moved to the US in 1987. Neeta now lives and teaches Yoga in Cupertino, California. She is the elder siste...

Episode 17. Father Joe Pereira is a Roman Catholic priest from Mumbai. He is a devoted disciple of both Guruji BKS Iyengar and Mother Teresa. He is also the founder of the Kripa Foundation, now the largest non-profit organization in India that helps people affected by substance abuse, addictions, and HIV/AIDS in their rehabilitation process. After meeting Guruji BKS Iyengar in 1968 at a concert of...

Episode 16. In this episode with Dr. Rajvi H Mehta we explore the essence of Guru-shishya tradition and the principle of non-duality, and why it is critical for a Yoga teacher to fully incorporate it into their life. Can we have ambitions and goals when it comes to our Yoga practice? What makes a good teacher, and what makes a good student? How does a teacher know that he or she is good at what th...

Episode 15. Dr. Rajvi H Mehta is among the most senior teachers of Iyengar Yoga from Mumbai and has been studying directly under BKS Iyengar since 1979. Rajvi grew up in Yoga, and ever since her childhood it has been a natural part of her life. Her parents and siblings all studied Yoga directly under Guruji. All of Rajvi’s siblings - Neeta Datta, Arti Mehta, and Birjoo Mehta - are also among the m...

Episode 14. Join me as I continue my conversation with Italy-based Iyengar Yoga practitioner and teacher David Meloni. In this episode, we discuss how and when to introduce "advanced asanas" into your asana practice, why strong commitment and the practice of tapas are essential for your progress and transformation in Yoga. Evolution or illusion: how to understand whether what you practic...

Episode 13. David Meloni is a devoted practitioner and highly regarded teacher of Iyengar Yoga from Italy. David began his Yoga journey in 1996, initially learning from BKS Iyengar's book, "Light on Yoga."  When the light of Yoga sparked within him, David committed to this path, seeking not just any guidance but direct guidance from BKS Iyengar himself. Since 2003, he has been visiti...

Episode 12. Welcome to the second episode of an insightful conversation with Corine Biria, a devoted student and a highly regarded teacher of Iyengar Yoga from Paris. In this episode Corine reflects on why it is important to work on the yogic path within regular life and why Guruji never wanted his students to renounce the world but face the reality and learn to deal with the daily struggles as a...

Episode 11. Corine Biria is among the most senior direct disciples of BKS Iyengar and a highly regarded Yoga teacher from Paris. Corine embarked on her Yoga journey in 1981 at the age of 20, and from the very beginning, it was clear for her that this was her path. Shortly after starting her Yoga practice, she met her husband Faeq Biria, one of the most devout students of BKS Iyengar and an interna...

Episode 10. Join me in the second part of my conversation with Uday Bhosale, a highly regarded Iyengar Yoga teacher from Pune, India, currently residing in the UK. In this conversation we’ll explore the meaning of compassion and why it is the core part of Iyengar Yoga. Uday will share his guidance for junior Yoga teachers on how to navigate through the challenges and uncertainties in the beginning...

Episode 9. Uday Bhosale is a highly regarded Iyengar Yoga teacher originating from Pune and currently based in the UK. Uday embarked on the path of Yoga in his late teens, when in 1998 he enrolled in classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) as part of his martial arts training. Gradually, his passion for yoga overtook his interest in martial arts. For fifteen years, Uday has...

Episode 8. A bonus episode with Sri H.S. Arun. After the release of the first interview with Arunji, we both realized that the recording quality wasn't great. Listeners had to put in a lot of effort to hear what was being said in many parts of the conversation. Therefore, we've decided to make a new interview—a bonus episode—with far better audio quality. In this chat, we address the chall...

Episode 7. Join the second part of my conversation with Eyal Shifroni, a senior Iyengar Yoga teacher from Israel. Here we explore how a practitioner of Yoga should look and approach global crises; what a Yoga teacher should be mindful of when promoting their work on social media, in order to remain authentic and avoid becoming commercial; and how Yoga could transform not only an individual but the...

Episode 6. Eyal Shifroni is among the most senior Iyengar Yoga teachers in Israel. His journey in Iyengar Yoga began in 1982, and since then, he has been studying, teaching, and writing about the Iyengar method. In 1988, he went to Pune for the first time, where he studied directly from Yogacharya BKS Iyengar. Eyal is active in the Iyengar Yoga Association of Israel. He conducts teacher training c...

Episode 5. In this episode, I continue my conversation with Sri H.S. Arun, a senior Iyengar Yoga teacher from Bangalore. Join us as Arunji shares a touching story of Guruji's visit to the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Bangalore, Prashant Yogashraya. You'll also discover why the practice of Maitrī (friendliness, loving kindness) is so crucial for a Yoga teacher, and what is Arunji's favorit...