YogaJournalSingapore-February092018

78

february / march 2018

yogajournal.com.sg

Bhanu Pratap Singh

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DETAILS Some of his favorite things...

Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Pure Yoga

If you weren’t a yoga

teacher, you’d be?

I do not think about it.

Fav Yoga Pose

Thankfully, I don’t have

afavorite pose!

Fav Meal

No favorite meal. I eat

homecooked food

prepared by my wife.

Fav TV Show

I do not watch TV.

We do not have TV

connection at home.

What made you start yoga?

Yoga was not something I wanted to pursue long term, but after

secondary school, all my classmates got admitted their chosen degree

courses but I had no idea what to do or where to go. Then my uncle, a

yoga teacher in Singapore, suggested to my dad that I should be sent for

a one-month course to a yoga university in Bangalore. That is how it all

started.

What inspired you to become a yoga

teacher?

I did my first yoga teacher training at Swami Vivekananda Yoga

University, Bangalore, where I received my Bachelor’s degree in 2008.

The initial idea behind teaching yoga in Bangalore city was to earn a

living, for which I used to travel on bike from house to house to teach

1-on-1 yoga sessions. Now I teach to share my experience.

What is your main focus when you teach

yoga?

It is to be able to connect to each student present in the class, and help

protect them from injuries while practicing. I always tell students not to

have expectations and not to pre-define the outcome of the practice—

instead use the memory from their last practice to improve something

today and see if some new knowledge can come each time. If not, the

practice becomes monotonous and boring.

How has the Singapore yoga scene

changed in the last few years?

I have been teaching in Singapore since 2013 and the number of yoga

practitioners is increasing day by day. I am glad to say that my students’

perspective towards yoga has changed from just a fitness routine to

understanding their own patterns and behavior (physically, mentally and

emotionally), which has helped them to look within.

Who is your guru and what was the

biggest learning for you?

I have many gurus who have guided me through my yoga path, and still

do. I am connected to all and try to see them once or twice a year. The

continuous guidance I get now is from H.S. Arun, a senior Iyengar yoga

teacher in Bangalore, and my biggest learning from him is to experiment

well on myself before teaching others.

What is the most important thing about

Iyengar yoga that everyone should know?

Guruji B.K.S Iyengar’s method of yoga practice was to integrate all seven

limbs as taught by Patanjali. The eighth limb, Samadhi, is the ultimate

state of enlightenment in yoga which cannot be taught. In Iyengar yoga,

one has to practice with the body and use the mind to reflect on every

action, whether right or wrong. Then, intellect has to guide the body to

make necessary adjustments. This means asana cannot be done by the

body alone, but also requires the consciousness.

What do you do when you’re not teaching yoga?

I do self-practice and spend time with friends and

family. I also enjoy reading books on yoga by BKS

Iyengar.

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT

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ART DIRECTION : ANUJA BAGADE, PHOTO CREDIT : PURE YOGA