After 5 days of speakers, savasana, and sun, today the National Iyengar Convention Conference in San Diego comes to a close today. IYISF Board Member Patti Martin attended the student’s portion of the event and shares her top 5 highlights from this year’s event:

The grand and overreaching value of attending the Sarvabhauma Yog National Iyengar Conference in San Diego was the enlightened teaching of so many gifted senior Iyengar teachers that resulted in many, many gifts of learning to bring home, practice and absorb.

In addition, here are my Top 5 Highlights of the Sarvabhauma Yog National Iyengar Conference in San Diego

5. The Tropical Fruit Salad with Papayas, Mangoes, Coconut, Almonds and Dates served in the Terrace Café. (The Conference organizers arranged for a vegan chef to train the hotel cooks on special meals we would enjoy.)

4. Strong legs. It felt like engines were installed in my legs with an awesome increase in power and vitality in my legs in all poses.

3. After the Banquet having so many vivid images of Guruji teaching that as my roommate and I fell asleep that night we shared our imagined Guruji corrections of our handstands. His corrections rang realistically from our lips to each other, and we giggled like schoolgirls.

2. Walking about 5 feet behind Patricia Walden and Manouso Manos as they strolled and chatted with one another. I felt like a groupie awash in awe!

1. Washing my hands before dinner in the women’s restroom where there was a full-length mirror. Did I look at my face? No. Did I look at how my banquet clothes looked? No. I lifted the hem of my skirt up and looked at my knees in Tadasana. Was my upper knee centered over my lower knee? Were the backs of knees fully extended? Had I completely engaged the quadriceps to fully lift the kneecap up? Were my thighs fully drawn back? Hmmm . . . that seemed like a truly Iyengar yoga moment.

Also: here are some of Patti’s photos from the Convention!