Ep117: Angela Farmer - A Life In Yoga

In this interview I am joined by internationally renowned yoga teacher Angela Farmer. Angela recounts the story of her life in yoga, from her birth in 1939 pre-war England, to her studies under yoga guru BKS Iyengar, to her international teaching career spanning over fifty years. Angela reveals how after a decade of rigorous training under Iyengar, she broke away from strict asana practice to find her own path of listening to the body. Despite the resultant blacklisting by the yoga community, Angela uncovered a radically different way of practicing yoga. Angela also shares what it means to be receptive to life in the face of fear, trauma, and change, and offers her heart advice to women of all ages. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep117-angela-farmer-a-life-in-yoga/ Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - Angela’s childhood during WW2 04:37 - Differences between girls’ and boys’ education 08:02 - Major childhood injuries and surgeries 14:20 - Reading Huxley and discovering yoga 16:30 - Meeting B.K.S. Iyengar and time in India 22:01 - Challenges teaching yoga in English schools 25:37 - Teaching career in America and meeting Victor van Kooten 27:31 - Breaking from Iyengar and beginning to feel the body 31:25 - Injuries incurred practicing Iyengar yoga 35:34 - Radical change in teaching style 39:38 - Connecting to the woman inside 44:18 - How to be with the body 47:18 - Working with fear and trauma 53:17 - Do you really want to hug? 55:54 - Receptivity vs passivity 59:56 - Being a woman 01:05:34 - Being blacklisted by the Iyengar school 01:12:36 - Angela’s heart advice to women … To find our more about Angela, visit: - https://angela-victor.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James