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Welcome back to On the Light. I’m your host, Susan Johnson.

In today’s episode, I’m grateful, as always, to sit down with Prashant Iyengar for another conversation that takes us deeper into the subject of Sangeet.

Prashant begins by explaining that Sangeet arises from the Natya Shastra — the ancient Indian treatise on dramaturgy and the performing arts, a text that explores music, dance, theatre, rasa, and the inner mechanics of expression itself.

From there, he leads us into a profound reflection: that life itself is a kind of drama.

We are not the roles we play.
Father, mother, friend, student — these are enactments.
Costumes. Movements within a larger unfolding.

And the Self, he reminds us, is beyond all of it.

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Please enjoy this episode of On the Light.

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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. Over the years, Devki’s life became deeply interwoven with the Institute in Pune—through practice, teaching, family, and seva.

In this conversation, Devki shares intimate stories of being guided and trained by Guruji, Geetaji, and Prashantji —three influences she never separates, but experiences as a woven whole. She reflects on learning to teach through direct instruction, observation, and responsibility; on being “thrown into” classes as a form of training; and on the grace that carried her through those formative years.

She also speaks movingly about pranayama, motherhood, devotion, and the subtle ways yoga shapes a life over time.

This is a conversation rich with memory, lineage, and lived experience, and I’m so grateful to share it with you.

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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 also shares some family history, including a very special story of the time he went to visit the Krishna temple with Guruji and his mother.

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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 tradition.

Lois spent extended, immersive periods at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, studying closely with B.K.S. Iyengar, Geetaji, and Prashant Iyengar over decades. Her path was rigorous, demanding, and transformative—shaped by discipline, deep inquiry, and profound personal experience.

Known worldwide for her work in yoga therapeutics and women’s health, Lois has played a pivotal role in transmitting these teachings with clarity, integrity, and compassion. She brings not only extraordinary technical knowledge, but a living memory of the teachings as they were embodied, tested, and refined at their source.

In this conversation, Lois shares candid stories from her early years of practice, her time in Pune, and the lessons—sometimes fierce, sometimes tender—that continue to inform her teaching today. This is a rare and deeply human glimpse into the lineage, the learning, and the lived experience of Iyengar Yoga.

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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 entertainment, but a sacred practice rooted in eternal culture and devotion to the divine.

Please enjoy this rich and contemplative episode of On the Light.

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Thank you for listening.
Namaskar.

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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 inspiring teaching, his ability to challenge students to move beyond their limits, and the importance of honesty and depth in practice. Corine also speaks about studying with Geetaji and Prashantji, and about the balance between effort, discipline, and maintaining an innocent, open mind.

This episode is a heartfelt reflection on Guruji’s legacy and the power of lived experience in the practice of yoga.

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✨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 between 'sangeet' and Western music, emphasizing that 'sangeet' has its roots in devotion to divinity and is an integral aspect of the Vedas. The discussion touches upon the historical and spiritual significance of 'sangeet', its transformation into a performing art, and how it contrasts with contemporary Western music. The session also highlights the role of vocal expression in spiritual practices and the importance of singing for mental well-being. The discussion concludes with a reflection on Prashant’s personal experiences with music, its impact on his yoga practice, and the overarching importance of maintaining the spiritual essence of 'sangeet'.

Please enjoy this opening episode of Season Four of On the Light.

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Namaskar. 🙏🏼

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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’s daughters: Vanita, the second eldest, and Savita, the youngest. It was a truly special conversation, and I was deeply moved by their warmth and generosity in sharing their time and stories. With grace and joy, they reflected on their parents’ lives, the profound role Geetaji played in their family, Savita’s journey in dance, their connection to music, and much more. I’m grateful to share this meaningful episode with you. Please enjoy this episode of On the Light.

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