From August 20 to 24, the Sati Center in Ljubljana hosted the annual Iyengar Yoga workshop with Uday Bhosale. It was the perfect way to round off the summer and step into September full of knowledge, inspiration, and renewed energy.
Who is Uday Bhosale?
Uday spent fifteen years at the world-renowned Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (R.I.M.Y.I.) in Pune, where he studied, taught, and worked closely with the Iyengar family. He taught beginners, intermediate students, and children, and assisted Geeta Iyengar in her therapeutic classes.
He first encountered yoga in 1993 as part of martial arts training, but soon yoga became his true calling. In 1998, at the age of 18, he joined R.I.M.Y.I. and four years later completed the teacher training program.
Uday has a special passion for working with children, inspired by their honesty, energy, and creativity. He was also part of the organizing committees for Yoganusasanam 2014 and 2015. Since moving to the UK, he has been teaching regular classes and international workshops. His mission is to carry forward Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar’s legacy and pass on the depth of Iyengar Yoga to new generations.
Day One – Creating Space in the Hips and Pelvis
The workshop began on Wednesday with a focus on creating space in the hips and pelvis. The practice was mindful and precise, making it accessible even to students with hip issues or wear and tear. Through preparatory movements, Uday guided us into open-hip asanas such as Supta Padangusthasana I & II.
In supine Vrksasana, we observed the action of the femur moving into the hip socket and the gluteal response. This awareness was then transferred to standing poses such as Virabhadrasana II, where props like chairs and blocks helped us clearly sense the action in the hips.
The sequence continued with seated poses including Upavistha Konasana, Baddha Konasana, and Janu Shirshasana with head supported on a bolster, before closing with a refreshing Shirshasana.
Day Two – Strength and Freedom in the Shoulders
By Thursday morning, we were all still feeling our legs from the previous day. To our relief, the second day shifted focus to shoulders and arms.
We started by exploring Tadasana with a strap around the elbows, creating space in the trapezius and upper back. This sense of openness carried into the rest of the day.
We repeated Adho Mukha Svanasana several times, each with a different focus—broadening the shoulders, expanding the chest, lengthening the ribs, and extending the spine towards the legs. The aim was not to get the forehead to the floor, but to press actively through the arms to create space in the trunk.
Partner work played an essential role, providing tactile feedback that revealed actions we might otherwise miss. The supportive atmosphere of working in pairs turned the practice into a collective exploration, strengthening not only our bodies but also our sense of community.
Day Three – Integrating Upper and Lower Body
Friday connected the focus of the previous days—the upper and lower body working together. The practice centered on the lateral body and the psoas muscle, a key link between torso and legs.
We began lying down, stretching the side body with the help of straps and partners. These assists helped us find space in the outer thighs and side torso.
The main theme of the day was creating lightness in the torso during challenging poses. We explored this in Virabhadrasana I, Ustrasana, and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, where subtle awareness of the psoas transformed the poses into more open, fluid, and effortless expressions.
Day Four – The Power of Chaturanga
Saturday was devoted entirely to Chaturanga Dandasana, the Four-Limbed Staff Pose, often seen as a transition in vinyasa but approached in Iyengar Yoga as a profound practice in itself.
We began in Virasana and gradually warmed up through Adho Mukha Svanasana. In Chaturanga, the focus was on the area between the shoulder blades—creating space and a “rounded lift” that makes the body lighter and more buoyant. Uday emphasized that this action is essential preparation for arm balances like Garudasana, Bakasana, and Lolasana.
We carried this awareness into Gomukhasana, and from there into more demanding inversions and arm balances such as Pincha Mayurasana (forearm balance) and Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand). Partner work once again offered invaluable support, helping us explore safely and courageously.
Saturday gave us a serious yet playful look into the world of arm balances—from the grounded strength of Chaturanga to the uplifting freedom of inversions.
Day Five – Breath, Awareness, and Play
Sunday began with Pranayama. Uday reminded us not to force meditation, but to let it arise naturally through observation. Following Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar’s approach, we practiced supine pranayama with the chest supported, starting simply by watching the breath.
We then explored Viloma Pranayama, with interrupted inhalations and normal exhalations, which had a deeply calming effect on the nervous system. After a short break, we moved into mindful asana practice—familiar poses performed slowly, consciously, and with attention to breath.
Starting from Tadasana, we transitioned through Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, Virabhadrasana II, into Ardha Chandrasana and Virabhadrasana III at the wall. The emphasis was on slow, deliberate transitions, balancing breath and movement.
The afternoon closed on a joyful note, true to Uday’s spirit, with playful arm balances—from Anantasana to the challenging Eka Pada Koundinyasana II.
Conclusion
This five-day workshop with Uday Bhosale was a journey through the depth and breadth of Iyengar Yoga practice—from the grounding of the hips to the expansiveness of the shoulders, the integration of the psoas, the strength of Chaturanga, and the serenity of Pranayama.
Uday’s teaching reminded us that yoga is both a serious discipline and a joyful exploration. With precision, warmth, and humor, he guided us into greater awareness of body, breath, and mind.
As we carry this experience into the months ahead, we do so with gratitude—for the teachings of Guruji Iyengar, for Uday’s generous sharing, and for the living tradition of yoga that continues to inspire and transform.
