On the Light

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light . I’m your host, Susan Johnson. Today I’m joined by Devki Desai. Devki’s journey with Iyengar Yoga began in Mumbai in the mid-1980s, when her father first brought her to class as a teenager. What began with some resistance soon became a lifelong path, shaped by early study with senior teachers and, soon after, direct exposure to B.K.S. Iyengar himself....

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light. I’m your host, Susan Johnson. Today I’m honored as always to speak with Prashant Iyengar. In this episode, Prashant offers a rich historical lens on yoga, he further discusses the origins of Sangeet,   where he speaks to sound not as performance, but as a spiritual practice deeply woven into nature, ritual, and self realization.  In this episode he al...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light. I’m your host, Susan Johnson. Today I’m honored to be joined by Lois Steinberg. Lois’s journey into Yoga began at just fourteen years old, sparked by a black-and-white television screen and a young girl’s curiosity about movement. What followed was a lifelong devotion to practice, study, and teaching that would place her heart devoted in the Iyengar t...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light . I’m your host, Susan Johnson. In today’s episode, Prashantji continues to explain the spiritual heart of Indian classical music, or sangeet , and its profound relationship to yoga and devotion.  Prashantji draws important distinctions between Indian classical music and Western music, emphasizing that sangeet was never meant to be mere performance or...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light. I am your host, Susan Johnson. In this episode, I speak with Corine Biria, who lives and teaches in Paris and around the world. Corine shares how a chance introduction to yoga led to a lifelong dedication to the Iyengar method, and how meeting B.K.S. Iyengar (Guruji) in Pune in 1983 profoundly changed her life. She reflects on Guruji’s disciplined and...

Send us Fan Mail ✨ Welcome back to On the Light with Susan Johnson.✨ In this first episode of season 4, I have an absolutely fascinating and  in-depth discussion with Prashant Iyengar on the profound spiritual connection between the traditional Indian concept of 'sangeet' (a combination of vocal music, instrumental music, and dance) and its role in yoga. Prashantji distinguishes betwee...

Send us Fan Mail This very special episode is a must listen! Prashantji opens this episode with a touching tribute to his sisters and all they did for the family after they lost their mother. Listening to Vanita and Savita speak is very heartwarming. Please listen or listen again to this episode and enjoy. 😊  In this episode of On the Light, I had the distinct honor of speaking with two of Guruji...

Send us Fan Mail I hope you are enjoying the re-release of these episodes while I work on preparing new interviews for season 4. Whether you're listening again or tuning in for the first time, I hope these conversations continue to inspire, inform, and bring a little more light to your day. ✨ Episode 3: Welcome back to "On the Light." a podcast dedicated to illuminating the profoun...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light. I’m your host, Susan Johnson. Today, I’m re-releasing a special episode with Srineet Sidharan, grandson of B.K.S. Iyengar. Srineet shares personal memories of his grandfather and offers a beautiful glimpse into Guruji’s life beyond teaching. It’s one of my favorite conversations, and I’m so happy to share it with you again... In this episode I have a...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light. I'm so happy to re-release this interview with Joan White. I had so much fun recording this interview. A few months after this interview I got to be Joan's roommate in Bellur while we were there to study with Prashant. That experience was just as much fun! I feel so fortunate to call this amazing woman my friend.  Joan began her studies with...

Send us Fan Mail Today I invite you to re-listen (or listen for the first time) my first interview with Prashantji. This is a very special episode as he recounts Guruji's early years ... Welcome to "On the Light," a podcast dedicated to illuminating the profound teachings and legacy of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar. I’m your host, Susan Johnson. In this first episode, I'm happy to...

Send us Fan Mail For today’s episode I am honoring the request of listener, Ramani, from Northern Virginia. She wrote to me and asked  if I could have Prashant tell the story of when Guruji and his wife had an identical dream which then changed their fortune. Prashantji recalls this remarkable incident and brings it to life for us today. I want to thank you all for listening and supporting the pod...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I talk with Marla Apt about her journey into Iyengar Yoga. Inspired by her mother and shaped by her college studies in Buddhist philosophy, Marla found her way to the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles and, eventually, to Pune to study directly with Guruji, Geeta, and Prashant. She shares vivid stories of those experiences—Guruji’s precise adjustments, Geeta’s...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light. In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten Agar, who shares how she first came to Iyengar Yoga in her early twenties after years of intense academic study. What began with a simple weekly class soon became a central part of her life. Kirsten talks about her unforgettable encounter with Guruji at the 1993 Euro Yoga Convention and how his teachings shaped...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light. In today’s episode Prashantji continues the discussion on practice where he tells us that practice is not something that should be belittled. It is necessary in our formative periods of our education. He says that any effort to be steady the citta is abhyasa . Then he goes on to explain Sadhana and the importance of Satsangha. Please enjoy this very e...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, I ask Prashantji to help us understand the difference between practice and sadhana . He not only defines practice, but also shares why it’s so essential—and what it truly asks of us as yoga students. I think you’ll find his perspective both clarifying and inspiring. Please enjoy this episode of On the Light . Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light.  In this episode, I have a lively conversation with Tori Milner from the Iyengar Institute of New York. Tori shares about her introduction to  Iyengar Yoga, from her early influences at home to discovering Unity Woods Yoga Center and learning from John Schumacher and Mary Dunn. She also shares some significant experiences while studying in Pune with t...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light.  Today I’m honored to speak with Dr. Rajvi Mehta, a senior Iyengar Yoga teacher who began studying with Guruji in 1979. She’s been teaching at the Light on Yoga Research Trust in Mumbai since 1987 and is the creator and editor of Yoga Rahasya. In our conversation, Rajvi shares how her family came into the practice of yoga and shares lessons and insigh...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I’m honored to share an illuminating conversation with Prashantji. In this episode, he reflects on how teaching in Mumbai exposed Guruji to Western students and how, had he remained in the South—where he could have taught in his mother tongue—the evolution of Iyengar Yoga might have taken a very different path. He also offers insightful guidance on how we might approach a q...

Send us Fan Mail Dear listeners of On the Light , This week, I’m taking a short pause to catch up on interviews and prepare new episodes, so there won’t be a new release today. Still, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to share my heartfelt gratitude—for listening, for supporting the podcast, and for joining me on this journey. On the Light launched in February 2024, after more than a year of r...

Send us Fan Mail Today I have a delightful conversation with John Schumacher. John began practicing yoga in 1970 and teaching in 1973. A former professional musician, he was drawn to yoga through a deep interest in consciousness and transformation. In 1975, he encountered Light on Yoga , which eventually led him to study with B.K.S. Iyengar in India in 1981. That relationship profoundly shaped his...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light . In this episode with Prashant Iyengar, he gives us a lot to consider about the proper approach to practice, and he gives us some insight into the difference between practice and Sadhana. He discusses the importance of pranayama and the pranayamic aspect in asana.  For the listeners, I have an advantage with all of these interviews on the podcast, esp...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light . In today’s episode, I have the pleasure to be speaking with James Murphy.  James began practicing Iyengar Yoga in 1988 and was a founding member of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York in 1992. He studied extensively in India with B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta, and Prashant, making over 25 trips. A former professional dancer, James trained under Mary Dunn...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light . In today’s episode, I have a meaningful conversation with George Dovas. Originally from Australia, George moved to Hong Kong in 2001 where he is now the director of the Iyengar Yoga Centre. I had the good fortune of meeting George this past January during my trip to Bellur for Prashantji’s teaching. One afternoon in the dining hall, my friend Sara Ru...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to On the Light . In today’s episode, I ask Prashantji about the history of Iyengar Yoga. As always, he is able to take a mundane question and offers a response filled with depth and insight. In this conversation, he reflects on his father’s teaching and practice, offering a unique perspective that only he can provide. I’ve listened to this recording multiple times, a...