Sarah Delfas, Yogapushpanjali co-founder:

“I chanced upon an Iyengar yoga class in 1990 and was hooked. Since then yoga has accompanied me throughout all aspects of life, including the pregnancies and births of my four children who inspired me to start classes for children.  I love teaching students of all ages and enjoy adapting my teaching to the needs and abilities of my students, from children and teenagers through to mentoring more experienced students training to become teachers, as well as to facilitating a way of accessing yoga for those who through age or stiffness might struggle. Yoga is for everyone – BKS Iyengar’s legacy has been to help us all to find a way to practise safely and beneficially.    

It was whilst I observed the children’s classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune that I was spurred on to work to make Iyengar yoga more accessible to the younger generation here in the UK. The idea for Yogapushpanjali sprang from a conversation sitting outside a tent with fellow Iyengar yoga practitioners Annie, Uday Bhosale and Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh in 2018.

As mothers Annie and I are both aware of the pull between finding space to further one’s own yoga practice and teaching, and juggling family responsibilities. Even if you manage to work that out, if you want your children to do yoga, you have to make time to do it all together and let them be inspired as you are. My youngest two children were lucky to experience Uday’s and Zubin’s encouragement early in their yoga journeys and this made for a very positive start. Yogapushpanjali aims to bring great yoga to the whole family in one lovely location. 

As someone who enjoys listening to or reading stories and bringing stories to my own teaching, I am especially excited that Maria Zourari will be enhancing Yogapushpanjali again this year with her telling of the Ramayana and that two very special teachers, Olly Room and Annabelle Davis, are leading the children’s activities and crafts. 

The two Yogapushpanjali camps that have taken place in the last two years exceeded expectations in terms of the community and warm atmosphere that was created and I am determined that we carry on making this a priority for future camps. One exciting evolution of our idea has been involving young adults and teenagers as volunteers at the camp in exchange for their yoga classes. This year we have a young adult taking on our social media marketing and another young graphic design student has designed our poster. Valuing the freshness and diversity that students of all ages bring is an important part of Yogapushpanjali. Above all I hope that the Yogapushpanjali family yoga camp continues to deepen the practice and love of yoga for all who attend.