__________________________________________________ During 2011 I continue my weekly classes with Osha Hanfling and also spent four days with Roger Cole studying Anatomy. Having seen the "Body Worlds" exhibit several times and having taken Laura Allard's three day anatomy workshop in 2002, I was able to further deepen my anatomy knowledge. During 2010 I stayed local, and took weekly classes with Osha Hanfling in Los Altos and a few short workshops with Betty Eiler. Early in 2009 I was one of her students when Chris Saudek taught again at the Iyengar Institute of San Francisco. In May Geeta Iyengar lead the European Iyengar Convention in Cologne, Germany and I enjoyed being in her presence for the third time. 2008 introduced me to Chris Saudek's teachings. I spent a weekend with her at the Iyengar Institute of San Francisco and signed up right away for a whole week of teacher training with her in LaCrosse, WI at her studio. I also learned from Lois Steinberg, who I had first met in 2002. There are so many inspiring teachers! 2007 took me to Las Vegas (of all places) for the Iyengar Convention where Geeta Iyengar taught four days of classes with many certified teachers, both from the US and from abroad. Later that year yoga teachers from various different schools taught at the Yogacharya Festival in Santa Clara. While taking short workshops with various teachers I was able to confirm that "my" style is the Iyengar school. The highlight of my life as a yogini was B.K.S. Iyengar's visit to Estes Park, CO in September of 2005, where I had the opportunity to experience his teachings myself. Aadil Palkhivala, who had experienced B.K.S. Iyengar's teaching and presence from childhood and later added his own learnings had caught my attention during a few short workshops and in 2005 I spent a week in Bellevue, WA to take Aadil's "Beginning Teacher Training". Keep in mind that one stays a beginner for about 25 years and every beginner's training does bring many new insights. Inspired by Ramanand Patel's teaching the previous year I spent a week in Munich, Germany in 2004 at his workshop "Yoga and Sound". Having passed the assessment I was able to enjoy Ramanand Patel's workshop "The Paradox of Contentment in Yoga Practice" in 2003. In July 2003 I took a weeklong "Intensive Workshop" with Manouso Manos and in August I was rewarded for all the practice teaching I did with my study group by passing the level two certification. Now I get to call myself "Iyengar Certified". In September 2002 I did take the Iyengar Yoga Introductory level two certification, preparation for which was -again- a time of intense studying and practicing. I did pass part of it but will have to retake the teaching part next year. Having learned what I needed to improve and having added another class to my teaching schedule, which was at the appropriate level for what I was expected to teach, I was confident to pass the following year's exam. In the meantime I kept practicing. At the 2001 Yoga Journal Convention in Estes Park, CO I was assisting Elise Miller during the "Therapeutic Applications of Yoga" part of the convention as well as during the general part. During the times Elise was not teaching I was able to attend classes and lectures myself and had the privilege to learn from Mary Dunn, Patricia Walden and Robert Swoboda. I was also able to hear several of TKV Desikachar's speeches on "Yoga and Healing". His very down to earth way, his wonderful sense of humor and his way of explaining his thoughts made his subjects very approachable to me. I was so glad Elise invited me to assist her; therefore giving me this chance to meet so many great Yoginis and Yogis and to learn and experience new subjects. In August I did pass the Introductory level certification of the Iyengar Yoga National Association. The months prior to the exam were very intense for me - I studied and taught a lot and was glad my efforts were successful. Even though I decided to pass on the opportunity to study at the Iyengar Institute in Pune India, I was very exited to  attend the Yoga Odyssey Convention with Dr. Geeta Iyengar in May 2001 in Pasadena, CA. This gave me a chance to experience a sense of taking classes in India. The Iyengar Odyssey was a truly wonderful and very inspiring experience for me. Being so close to Geeta, experiencing and feeling her presence was the most wonderful "yogic" experience I have had. Francois Raoult visited the California Yoga Center (my "home" studio at the time) in October 2000 and I was lucky I was able to attend his workshop "Tadasana as a Blueprint" as well as his presentation about posture in different cultures. This workshop made Tadasana much more accessible to me and provided me with new "tools" on how to teach Tadasana. Not to mention the stability I experienced in Sirsasana (headstand) after I treated it as an upside down Tadasana. My Y2K "treat" was a weeklong workshop with Ramanand Patel (www.yogirama.com) at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco in August 2000, where I learned about forward bends. While the theme was "Backbends in Forward bends" I learned that most of the principles apply to other asanas as well. After having heard this from Ramanand, I experienced it myself when I took my first class after the workshop. All of a sudden I could feel actions I had never felt before and I was able to go a little deeper into asanas, even though they had not been part of the focus in the previous week. From September 28 until October 1, 1999 I attended the teacher training at the Yoga Mind & Spirit Conference in Estes Park, CO. I had the opportunity to study with six of the best yoga teachers in the United States and participate in aa workshop called "Healing with the teachings of Viniyoga", taught by Gary Kraftsow. It is hard to say what was most impressive during this week; being around 330 fellow yoga teachers and able to share our experiences or getting to know Mary Dunn, Richard Freeman, Victor van Kooten, Gary Kraftsow, Judith Lasater, Erich Schiffman and Patricia Walden, and having the privilege of listening to them and watching them. I was busy for quite a while "digesting" all those impressions and reading the books I was inspired to buy. In 1999 I went to a teacher training in Seattle with Richard Schachtel and took a workshop with John Friend. _________________________________________________ (c) 2011, Raoul & Bärbel Schuhmacher