Lynne Pinette
Lynne, can you please share with us your background before yoga?
Hi, I was born in 1942, Boston, Massachusetts. I was brought up as a Catholic to first generation Lebanese and Italian parents. I am the oldest of 5 children. At the age of 17, I embarked on a nursing career. I attended a 3 year nursing program at a local Catholic hospital, where I worked for 2 years post graduation, I then moved to Boston proper, and did nursing for many years. When I was 29, I met my now husband, moved from Boston to Bangor, Maine and embarked on an undergraduate degree in Sociology, I continued to work as a nurse part time. At age 32, I gave birth to my daughter, Anne. A few years later I returned to University, and received an MA in Sociology. After that I taught Nursing. My husband was in the US Navy, so we moved around, and as a family we spent 5 years in San Francisco. I continued to teach Nursing, until we moved to Sardinia for 18 months. I had a Social Work position, while we were living in Sardinia. We were then posted to London.
In my early 20s’ I read yoga philosophy books, and books about Sigmund Freud, and his theories. Yoga classes were not popular in the early 1960s but I was always physically active, as a teenager, I walked a lot. My parents did not have the money to send me to dance, and or piano, which was always my dream.
And as I moved around after marriage,and had family and career responsibilities, I took up running, and went to the occasional aerobic class. It was not until we moved to London in my 40s, that I did my first yoga class. I guess it was always in the back of my mind. I continued to work and teach in various social work positions.
Because my speciality in Nursing is Obstetrics, I was asked to teach a pregnancy yoga class in Central London, at around age 50. I continued to attend yoga classes in London with Godfrey Deveraux. One weekend he took me to an Ashtanga yoga class with Derek Ireland, I have never looked back.
I stayed on in London to teach pregnancy yoga, and attend what little Ashtanga classes there were. At this time, my daughter was a student at the College of Queen Mary and Westfield, University of London, my husband moved back to the United States to fulfill Navy commitments. There were many family upheavals, not a pretty time. I remember doing a weekend workshop with a senior ashtanga teacher, and he told me to ‘follow my heart’. A few years later, in my mid 50s’, I went to Mysore, India, with my daughter.
Did you learn the Mysore practice at KPJAYI when you visited India with your daughter? Can you please share that experience with us?
I can honestly say I learned the Mysore practice in depth. I was very green and stiff, so stiff I could not do Marychyasana D without assistance, the second day practice, I got tapped on the shoulder, and told to go upstairs, where we did finishing postures. I remember tossing and turning all night wondering if I should go home, my ego was bruised. I stayed. That was in 1999, when Guruji and Sharath were in the small shala, sometime after that Guruji would sit in front of me and take me through the rest of the postures of primary series, I was meant to stay a month, and stayed for 7 weeks, and have been back 11 times. It is something one never forgets, his consistency, compassion, love, and energy. What more can one say!
How auspicious that you learned directly from Guruji. What was that like? Did his demeanor, technique, and style influence your own teaching?
All of the above affect one’s teaching in PROFOUND ways. When I get down on the floor to adjust a student, Guruji is ALWAYS there. I was very used to standing in front of a class and teaching, [more like barking out orders], for me personally, . There is something VERY special about self-practice, as one adjusts each student, and over time, builds up a relationship, you get to understand each student’s body, mind, and spirit. Even if a student is a visitor, practicing, I feel honored to take that student to a better place. I remember one day, with my own self-practice group, feeling like I could go on forever. Another day, I did a Led Primary series in Sanskrit and English subtitles, Sanskrit not perfected yet, and I felt like the words were coming through me, I just did it. I obviously was influenced in many ways, it always amazes me, even when I am tired, that I have the energy to adjust a student . I guess that is what is meant by transmission or grace! It is important for me to recognize that I have been able to study, for lack of a better word with Ashtanga teachers, who also reinforce Guruji’s influence.
Through the years, what are a few elements or traits that you have witnessed from students that are able to squeeze out as much as possible from this practice?
I must say a loaded question. Because I taught prenatal yoga, I got to know many women, and had the opportunity to work with women after they had their children.Post Authorization from Guruji and Sharat, I commenced a selfpractice group, and many of the mothers came, as it was at a time suitable for them. As I got to know these women, and work with them year after year, the most outstanding traits were, tenacity for the practice, as they all had between 2 and 4 children, [busy lives], they worked around family schedules and commitments. Sincere gratitude that I was there day after day for them, and rendered to them the appropriate assistance. Humility, they did what they could on the day, sometimes it was sun salutations,standing, and finishing postures, for lack of a better word, there was a lack of craving for new or more advanced postures. Improvement in the quality of their daily life was incentive enough to roll out their mat, and do A PRACTICE!
Do you think it’s possible to enjoy one’s asana practice and still reap the benefits of a spiritual practice?
Absolutely, I love my asana practice, as I said before it improves the quality of my daily life, keeps me healthy, and alert, and is certainly a plus to one’s spiritual practice. I cannot imagine life without bandhas and BREATH. Meditation and pranayama are imperative, but it is what you do with your life on a daily basis, that is a spiritual practice.
Can you talk about a time when an asana or series pushed you to your limits and challenged your commitment to the practice?
Yes I can! The asana that pushed me to my limits is and was Kapotasana. A little history is important here. Years ago when I went to Mysore, Sharath would always tell me, I needed to stay longer to practice second series with him, but money, and other work commitments did not allow that. For years I have been going to Hamish Hendry. He has taken me through second series, up to pincha mayurasana. Needless to say, I owe him my life. Finally, he started me, on Kapotasana, this was years ago. Every practice I would get into position and he would stand in front of me, as I held my breath, from mental, physical and emotional Fear. I was in my middle 60s. Lots of fear was there. Little by little, and with his unwavering assistance, I am able to do the pose. Hamish gets it, especially the emotional fear, this is why daily self practice is so important. I don't know what kept me motivated, My guess, it is a teacher who you know really cares about you as a human being. I am living in Belgium now, and practice with my daughter, and she is surprised as she helps me catch my feet, she is becoming a gifted teacher. PS: I now do deep breathing in kapotasana, it feels so much better!
I'm amazed that you began kapotasana in your mid 60s. That is incredibly inspiring. You spoke about emotional fear. Do you find these elements from within the practice that require us to confront uncomfortable periods a mirror of how we can approach difficult times in life?
Yes. For years I had experimented with other styles of yoga, but nothing affected me as internally, or as deeply, as the first Ashtanga practice with Derek Ireland. It is this which gives one the courage in the practice, and outside the practice, to grow and make changes.
Changes are never easy, they take time, and they can be complicated, as it is not always just about one’s self, that is when faith in something higher than yourself takes over.
New practitioners may not be able to appreciate the name, Derek Ireland. Can you please share with us who Derek was?
Derek Ireland was from Brighton, England, he was a student of Pattabhi Jois in the early days of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, and he was instrumental in introducing Ashtanga yoga to Europe. He taught many of today’s teachers and practitioners. He also started ‘The Practice place in Crete Greece. He was dynamic, warm and friendly, and an astute teacher and practitioner. He passed away in 1998.
Lynne, any final thoughts to readers on the practice?
Yes, everybody has a story. This is part of my story, my journey. It does not matter at what age one starts a yoga practice, whatever one does, is beneficial to both body and mind. Our bodies do change as we get older, and our stories are deep in the cells of our bodies, and our minds, that does not mean that it is irreversible, changes happen, it might take longer to get there, but what a journey. In the words of a very wise yoga friend of mine, ‘do as much as you can for as long as you can.’
Hi, I was born in 1942, Boston, Massachusetts. I was brought up as a Catholic to first generation Lebanese and Italian parents. I am the oldest of 5 children. At the age of 17, I embarked on a nursing career. I attended a 3 year nursing program at a local Catholic hospital, where I worked for 2 years post graduation, I then moved to Boston proper, and did nursing for many years. When I was 29, I met my now husband, moved from Boston to Bangor, Maine and embarked on an undergraduate degree in Sociology, I continued to work as a nurse part time. At age 32, I gave birth to my daughter, Anne. A few years later I returned to University, and received an MA in Sociology. After that I taught Nursing. My husband was in the US Navy, so we moved around, and as a family we spent 5 years in San Francisco. I continued to teach Nursing, until we moved to Sardinia for 18 months. I had a Social Work position, while we were living in Sardinia. We were then posted to London.
In my early 20s’ I read yoga philosophy books, and books about Sigmund Freud, and his theories. Yoga classes were not popular in the early 1960s but I was always physically active, as a teenager, I walked a lot. My parents did not have the money to send me to dance, and or piano, which was always my dream.
And as I moved around after marriage,and had family and career responsibilities, I took up running, and went to the occasional aerobic class. It was not until we moved to London in my 40s, that I did my first yoga class. I guess it was always in the back of my mind. I continued to work and teach in various social work positions.
Because my speciality in Nursing is Obstetrics, I was asked to teach a pregnancy yoga class in Central London, at around age 50. I continued to attend yoga classes in London with Godfrey Deveraux. One weekend he took me to an Ashtanga yoga class with Derek Ireland, I have never looked back.
I stayed on in London to teach pregnancy yoga, and attend what little Ashtanga classes there were. At this time, my daughter was a student at the College of Queen Mary and Westfield, University of London, my husband moved back to the United States to fulfill Navy commitments. There were many family upheavals, not a pretty time. I remember doing a weekend workshop with a senior ashtanga teacher, and he told me to ‘follow my heart’. A few years later, in my mid 50s’, I went to Mysore, India, with my daughter.
Did you learn the Mysore practice at KPJAYI when you visited India with your daughter? Can you please share that experience with us?
I can honestly say I learned the Mysore practice in depth. I was very green and stiff, so stiff I could not do Marychyasana D without assistance, the second day practice, I got tapped on the shoulder, and told to go upstairs, where we did finishing postures. I remember tossing and turning all night wondering if I should go home, my ego was bruised. I stayed. That was in 1999, when Guruji and Sharath were in the small shala, sometime after that Guruji would sit in front of me and take me through the rest of the postures of primary series, I was meant to stay a month, and stayed for 7 weeks, and have been back 11 times. It is something one never forgets, his consistency, compassion, love, and energy. What more can one say!
How auspicious that you learned directly from Guruji. What was that like? Did his demeanor, technique, and style influence your own teaching?
All of the above affect one’s teaching in PROFOUND ways. When I get down on the floor to adjust a student, Guruji is ALWAYS there. I was very used to standing in front of a class and teaching, [more like barking out orders], for me personally, . There is something VERY special about self-practice, as one adjusts each student, and over time, builds up a relationship, you get to understand each student’s body, mind, and spirit. Even if a student is a visitor, practicing, I feel honored to take that student to a better place. I remember one day, with my own self-practice group, feeling like I could go on forever. Another day, I did a Led Primary series in Sanskrit and English subtitles, Sanskrit not perfected yet, and I felt like the words were coming through me, I just did it. I obviously was influenced in many ways, it always amazes me, even when I am tired, that I have the energy to adjust a student . I guess that is what is meant by transmission or grace! It is important for me to recognize that I have been able to study, for lack of a better word with Ashtanga teachers, who also reinforce Guruji’s influence.
Through the years, what are a few elements or traits that you have witnessed from students that are able to squeeze out as much as possible from this practice?
I must say a loaded question. Because I taught prenatal yoga, I got to know many women, and had the opportunity to work with women after they had their children.Post Authorization from Guruji and Sharat, I commenced a selfpractice group, and many of the mothers came, as it was at a time suitable for them. As I got to know these women, and work with them year after year, the most outstanding traits were, tenacity for the practice, as they all had between 2 and 4 children, [busy lives], they worked around family schedules and commitments. Sincere gratitude that I was there day after day for them, and rendered to them the appropriate assistance. Humility, they did what they could on the day, sometimes it was sun salutations,standing, and finishing postures, for lack of a better word, there was a lack of craving for new or more advanced postures. Improvement in the quality of their daily life was incentive enough to roll out their mat, and do A PRACTICE!
Do you think it’s possible to enjoy one’s asana practice and still reap the benefits of a spiritual practice?
Absolutely, I love my asana practice, as I said before it improves the quality of my daily life, keeps me healthy, and alert, and is certainly a plus to one’s spiritual practice. I cannot imagine life without bandhas and BREATH. Meditation and pranayama are imperative, but it is what you do with your life on a daily basis, that is a spiritual practice.
Can you talk about a time when an asana or series pushed you to your limits and challenged your commitment to the practice?
Yes I can! The asana that pushed me to my limits is and was Kapotasana. A little history is important here. Years ago when I went to Mysore, Sharath would always tell me, I needed to stay longer to practice second series with him, but money, and other work commitments did not allow that. For years I have been going to Hamish Hendry. He has taken me through second series, up to pincha mayurasana. Needless to say, I owe him my life. Finally, he started me, on Kapotasana, this was years ago. Every practice I would get into position and he would stand in front of me, as I held my breath, from mental, physical and emotional Fear. I was in my middle 60s. Lots of fear was there. Little by little, and with his unwavering assistance, I am able to do the pose. Hamish gets it, especially the emotional fear, this is why daily self practice is so important. I don't know what kept me motivated, My guess, it is a teacher who you know really cares about you as a human being. I am living in Belgium now, and practice with my daughter, and she is surprised as she helps me catch my feet, she is becoming a gifted teacher. PS: I now do deep breathing in kapotasana, it feels so much better!
I'm amazed that you began kapotasana in your mid 60s. That is incredibly inspiring. You spoke about emotional fear. Do you find these elements from within the practice that require us to confront uncomfortable periods a mirror of how we can approach difficult times in life?
Yes. For years I had experimented with other styles of yoga, but nothing affected me as internally, or as deeply, as the first Ashtanga practice with Derek Ireland. It is this which gives one the courage in the practice, and outside the practice, to grow and make changes.
Changes are never easy, they take time, and they can be complicated, as it is not always just about one’s self, that is when faith in something higher than yourself takes over.
New practitioners may not be able to appreciate the name, Derek Ireland. Can you please share with us who Derek was?
Derek Ireland was from Brighton, England, he was a student of Pattabhi Jois in the early days of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, and he was instrumental in introducing Ashtanga yoga to Europe. He taught many of today’s teachers and practitioners. He also started ‘The Practice place in Crete Greece. He was dynamic, warm and friendly, and an astute teacher and practitioner. He passed away in 1998.
Lynne, any final thoughts to readers on the practice?
Yes, everybody has a story. This is part of my story, my journey. It does not matter at what age one starts a yoga practice, whatever one does, is beneficial to both body and mind. Our bodies do change as we get older, and our stories are deep in the cells of our bodies, and our minds, that does not mean that it is irreversible, changes happen, it might take longer to get there, but what a journey. In the words of a very wise yoga friend of mine, ‘do as much as you can for as long as you can.’
Lynne with Teachers, R. Sharath Jois and Hamish Hendry
photo provided by Lynne
photo provided by Lynne
