Kevin Gardiner | Pune, Presence, and the Art of Teaching | RunToYoga Podcast with Claudia Lamas #5

If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about Iyengar Yoga, subscribe to the RunToYoga Podcast with Claudia Lamas Cornejo and turn on notifications so you do not miss new episodes. We sincerely apologise for the poor audio during the first two minutes of this episode. Please stay with it, the conversation is absolutely worth continuing, and the sound improves after the opening minutes. In this episode of the RunToYoga Podcast with Claudia Lamas Cornejo, Claudia speaks with Kevin Gardiner about Iyengar Yoga, long term practice, study in Pune, and the art of teaching. Kevin shares reflections from decades of practice, mentorship, and repeated visits to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, where he learned directly from B. K. S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and the living atmosphere of the method in action. The conversation explores what made those years in Pune unforgettable, from the early gatherings of the American Iyengar Yoga community to the experience of watching Guruji teach, correct, improvise, and guide therapeutic work with extraordinary clarity. Kevin speaks about the corrections that stayed in his body, the spirit of abhyasa, the meaning of effortless effort, and why yoga must be taught not only with technical accuracy, but with truth, sensitivity, and inner experience. Claudia and Kevin also discuss teacher training, mentorship, the new certification levels, online teaching, physical presence, touch, observation, and what is essential to preserve in the transmission of Iyengar Yoga today. This episode will be especially meaningful for Iyengar Yoga teachers, students, mentors, and anyone interested in the deeper relationship between yoga practice, teaching, art, and authenticity. Thank you for listening to the RunToYoga Podcast with Claudia Lamas Cornejo. To stay connected, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend. More information about our work can be found at runtoyoga.com and claudiyengar.com. ============================== Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:29 Early trips to Pune and the first American gatherings 03:15 Assisting in therapy and learning through observation 03:37 Guruji’s touch and corrections that stayed for life 05:36 Bringing the spirit of practice back home 07:35 Yoga as art, not only technique 09:05 Mentorship, communication, and truthful teaching 12:03 The new certification levels and what teaching requires 15:21 Online learning, presence, and what may be lost 17:46 Witnessing Guruji in later years and Abhijata’s role 19:40 Practice in later life, adaptation, and therapeutic work 22:32 What may remain after Guruji 25:55 The work of the next generation 28:14 Science, art, and teaching from the heart ============================== Key takeaways • Kevin Gardiner reflects on decades of Iyengar Yoga practice and study in Pune. • The deepest teaching comes through presence, perception, and lived experience. • Iyengar Yoga is both precise and deeply human, both science and art. • Mentorship requires time, sensitivity, and the ability to truly see the student. • Abhyasa and vairagya remain central to the future of the practice. ============================== Mentioned in this episode Kevin Gardiner and Amrita Yoga https://amritajoga.hu/ RunToYoga store and community guides https://runtoyoga.com Claudia Lamas Cornejo teaching and retreats https://www.claudiyengar.com ============================== About RunToYoga Podcast with Claudia Lamas Cornejo RunToYoga Podcast with Claudia Lamas Cornejo is a space for thoughtful conversations about Iyengar Yoga. Claudia meets teachers and practitioners from Europe and around the world to explore practice, teaching, and the living tradition of parampara, where knowledge is transmitted through experience, attention, and steady work on the mat. ============================== #iyengaryoga #kevingardiner #runtoyoga #yogapodcast #claudialamascornejo #pune #bksiyengar #geetaiyengar #yogateaching #yogapractice