IYAC Conference with Abhijata Iyengar

At the recent IYAC conference with Abhijata Iyengar in Montreal (April 24-27, 2025), I gave a speech highlighting the history, current landscape, and spirit of Iyengar Yoga in British Columbia—one of several presentations from across the country. I was asked to share it on the blog—enjoy.

Good evening, my name is Patricia Fernandes. I live in Richmond, BC. I have had many roles within IYAC. I began my involvement in the last century, in 1998, producing one of the first member directories, which was then typed on a computer, printed into a paper booklet, and mailed to all our members!

I bring greetings and a warm welcome to Abhijata from the most westerly province, British Columbia. We have had the honour and privilege of hosting Guruji in Victoria, and Geetaji twice— once in Vancouver, and then again when she was accompanied by Abhijata at the Yasodhara Ashram near Nelson, followed by the IYAC conference in Penticton. So Abhijata, we hope to one day host you in our beautiful province.

The province of British Columbia sits on the western edge of Canada, approximately 5,000 km west of here. We are bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Rocky Mountains. Our geography is made up of islands, rugged coastline filled with inlets, mountains, forest, desert, and fertile agricultural land. We have a wild coast line where the energy of the Pacific Ocean meets the land. The winds travel over the coastal mountains, bringing rain which nourishes the land to grow huge trees and abundant vegetation. Further inland, the soil supports ranching and farming.

The sea, land, and climate sustained and nourished the original Indigenous peoples. This same environment has sustained and nourished the growth of Iyengar yoga over the past 50 years.

Before speaking to the current situation, I want to acknowledge our BC pioneers, beginning with Shirley Daventry French, who still lives on the property where Guruji and Geetaji visited. She and others went to Pune in 1978. Many of our passionate, sincere, and energetic pioneers have passed from this life—Maureen Carruthers, Hilda Pezzaro, Ingelise Nherlan, and Margaret Lumen—but the seeds of yoga which they planted and nurtured continue to be rooted and expressed through several generations of active teachers and growing numbers of students.

To prepare for this review, I contacted the 105 certified teachers in BC, which represents approximately 36% of all certified teachers in Canada, so I have lots to share but am limited to my time slot.

Iyengar yoga is taught in communities of all sizes. There is one teacher in Killiney Beach (population 400), to 44 teachers teaching in 44 different locations in Greater Vancouver (population 2.5 million). The Vancouver association is looking to establish a physical centre in time for their 50th anniversary next year.

Our BC teachers range in age from their late 30s to 70s—the younger ones embracing the chaos of family life while teaching, just like you, Abhijata! We have teachers from all generations: those who were in the first batch certified by Guruji over 30 years ago, to one who was certified just last year in 2024.

Students range in age from someone’s granddaughter aged 7 to a student in their 90s.

Several communities have hosted IYAC assessments, and the first Level 3 assessment in Canada will be this summer in Victoria.

There are 9 registered apprentices working towards Level 1 and 5 teachers working towards Level 2 certification.

An observation from Meghan, a mentor in the new assessment process: “The process of integrating the apprentice into classes in the role of teacher, observer, and assistant brings a different energy and learning into the room.”

We also see an international component, with people who began their studies in China and now have moved to Canada and are continuing with their apprenticeship.

As much as I’d like to share all the activities and messages which were sent to me by the teachers, I have time for only a few:

From Jessica in Ladysmith:
In my work with schools, I have developed yoga programs designed to emphasize maintaining and enhancing personal well-being through consistent and joyful practice of yoga. Looking ahead, I am applying for a grant to collaborate with our local high school, where yoga is already integrated into the curriculum. Our aim is to co-create a specialized program addressing the growing issue of addiction to cell phones and social media, utilizing yoga as a tool to foster mindfulness, discernment, and healthy boundaries with technology.

What consistently amazes me about Iyengar Yoga is its inclusive nature and profound accessibility, welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds and offering a structured, supportive pathway to meaningful, impactful yoga practice.

From Linda in Smithers:
One of the many wonderful gifts of Iyengar yoga is connecting me with travelling students that are able to find us … due to the Iyengar directory. This is always uplifting for both my students and myself and keeps us connected to the greater Iyengar community.

From Suzanne from Metchosin:
Many of the students are over 60 years of age. Watching their practice—when they do full arm balance or Ustrasana, you wouldn’t believe they are this old. We have seen students returning to practice after surgery or accident with new limitations that have progressively diminished over the years with the help of a steady practice, proving the therapeutic value of Iyengar Yoga. I do not do any publicity, and yet, new students appear all the time, as word of mouth spreads the word of the value of Iyengar Yoga. My students are aged from their 20s to nearly 80s. It’s an honour to carry the flame of Iyengar yoga in this community.

From Annie from Galiano Island, where she took over the classes Maureen Carruthers started:
I am very happy that as a group we have managed to uphold Iyengar yoga classes, providing us all with the gift of yoga and economically supporting our local hall. My oldest student is 90 and my youngest—my granddaughter—is 7. It was a great gift to follow Abhijata’s online classes through covid, where recordings were available. I could revisit the teachings and was not dependent on instant internet access, which sometimes is problematic here. I hope that our key teachers will continuously be accessible for us all, for the consistency and quality of Iyengar yoga across the world. I am deeply grateful for the Iyengar yoga teachings.

From Corrie in North Vancouver:
Our studio overlooks the Vancouver North Shore mountains—the best place to do Vrksasana with the trees on the mountainside for inspiration. We feel blessed to have this refuge in our lives.

In closing, research shows that trees communicate through their root systems. In the same way, our connection to the heart of our yoga tradition has been strong from the beginning—with visits to Pune, those teachers returning to share what they learned, and Guruji and Geetaji coming to teach. The seeds of yoga have grown into deeply rooted trees, nurtured with love, compassion, and dedicated practice. That’s why Iyengar yoga continues to thrive and blossom fully— today and into the future—in BC.