Keeping to the schedule

We all know that when we arrive for class, we turn our phones and devices to silent mode so any calls or messages do not disrupt focus in the class. We all know this. But, inevitably, there is that time that you rush into class a few minutes late and forget to do this.

As part of the month-long program at the Institute in Pune, students take several classes each week with Prashant Iyengar. Prashant is known for his focus on philosophy within the field of yoga. He is also a master of the rhetorical question. He poses many questions during a class but he does not expect (or want) an answer. He uses these as a launching pad for the next part of his discussion. And, while quite serious of demeanour, Prashant actually has a keen sense of humour.

One thing I noticed during my recent visit was that Prashant didn’t seem to heed the clock particularly well. Classes would routinely end 5, 10 or even 15 minutes after the scheduled end time. Students, both visiting and local, took it in stride, and listened attentively to the very end.

A day came, though, when an unmuted phone raised its intrusive head. At precisely 9:00, a phone alarm went off, and, as phone alarms will do, it continued to chime with increasing sound and insistence for a few minutes, then went silent. Prashant didn’t miss a beat. He continued his discussion for perhaps another 15 minutes then drew the class to a close, with the following question: “Are you afraid you won’t know when the class is over? I will tell you when the class is over; you don’t need to set an alarm to remind yourself.” A little glint in his eye was testament to humour.

Carole Carpentier, the editor of our online newsletter, studies and practises in Toronto. She was recently in Pune studying at the Institute.