Iyengar
yoga fraternity has lost yet another stalwart Mrs. Freny Motivala. She passed
away in the morning of 8th April' 2016. Freny was born on 14th of June 1930. She was the third child to Mr. Meherji K. Palia and Mrs. Tehmi Meherji Palia with two elder brothers Fali Palia and Kali Palia. She was born and brought up in Mumbai.
Freny got married to Sam Motivala on 6th March' 1952. She was survived with three daughters Tina, Anita and Diana who are excellent yoga teachers.
Sam and Freny Motivala were both the senior practitioners of Iyengar yoga and one of the earliest pupils of Guruji in Mumbai. Both of them worked as trustees of the 'Light on Yoga Research Trust.' Having a steady and faithful group of students, she continued to teach yoga at her residence in Dadar till a year ago even at the age of 85.
Freny got married to Sam Motivala on 6th March' 1952. She was survived with three daughters Tina, Anita and Diana who are excellent yoga teachers.
Sam and Freny Motivala were both the senior practitioners of Iyengar yoga and one of the earliest pupils of Guruji in Mumbai. Both of them worked as trustees of the 'Light on Yoga Research Trust.' Having a steady and faithful group of students, she continued to teach yoga at her residence in Dadar till a year ago even at the age of 85.
She was the darling of Iyengar Yoga Community in Mumbai. The Iyengar
Yoga community in Mumbai groomed and blossomed under the warmth of Freny and Sam. Many Iyengar yogis from Mumbai expressed their grief and conveyed condolences and shared their experiences with Freny
Motivala on her demise; some of which are quoted below:-
"Freny
was the senior most Iyengar yoga teacher in Mumbai. She has been teaching since
40 years in Mumbai. She has always been a mother figure for the LOYRT, always
encouraging the junior teachers with positive thought and motivation. Beautiful
within and without, she has been an inspiration to all who met her." - Firooza Ali Razvi, Mumbai.
*********
"She was a very warm, friendly and dignified personality. She approached Guruji on her father's advice who was staying in Pune who impressed upon her to try yoga with B.K.S. Iyengar to recover from a back injury that occurred on a fall in 1958 which led to arthritic changes with disc degeneration and doctors have said that surgery is the only cure. Her sincere and dedicated practice of yoga under the guidance of Guruji cured her completely in a span of two years. Since then she has continued with her practice, teaching and guiding to all who approached her." - Zarna Mohan, Hyderabad.
*********
"Freny
was truly one of the most ardent students of Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar. Together
with her beloved husband, the Motivalas held the fort whenever Guruji was not
able to come to Bombay in the 1960's. They conducted the weekend classes
together with tremendous devotion to Guruji and his teaching. If one would
weigh student's fidelity to Guruji she and Sam would score the highest. So
often they would invite me to join them after class for a "high Tea"
on their terrace. We have been together even at intensives in places like
Mahabaleshwar, Panchagani and Matheran.
They together with Barjo Taraporewalla prepared
me to be oriented to Guruji in the month of August 1968. We felt like one
family and all her daughters and granddaughter have become part of my life. In
1995, Sam, Freny and Barjo brought Guruji to Vasai to inaugurate the 'Kripa
Foundation Yoga Hall'. It was a weekend program and Guruji conducted a Pranayama
class as well as he was felicitated at the Town hall in Vasai.
Her main quality was to absorb people's pain
and offer understanding. It was not easy for students to take the teaching of
Guruji which appeared very harsh and demanding. Freny would make us understand
the Man and make us feel loved as Guruji's specially elected students. The
Motivalas and specially Freny never sought any kind of limelight. They worked
hard for the institute keeping themselves behind the scenes, never taking
credit of their hard work. Sometimes I felt deeply touched by her humility and
even at times being bypassed! In the growing atmosphere of sycophancy she moved
away and perhaps has not been even known to the teaming millions who flocked
around the stage of Guruji. Her nobility shown even more by her fidelity to
teaching. All this reflected her inner spirituality. She was an angel amidst us
and now we have an angel in heaven!" from her close admirer and friend. - Fr.
Joe H. Pereira, Mumbai.
Everlasting memories of Freny Aunty - Rajvi
Mehta, Mumbai
Freny Aunty holds a very special place in the hearts of the
Iyengar Yoga fraternity, especially the students of Mumbai. There are
innumerable adjectives that can be used to describe this soul - Charming,
beautiful, warm, kind, loving, positive, smart and chic.
Freny aunty was indeed a beautiful and charming lady. Even at the
age of 85, if you saw her at any function – she was immaculately dressed and
looked smart and chic in today’s parlance. Many women would often question her
on how she had ‘maintained’ herself’! This visual splendor was also accompanied
by a very warm and kind interior. She treated all her guests as ‘incarnation of
God - attithi devo bhava’. We will never forget the tasty sev puris and
refreshing coffees among the many dishes that she has served us. Even if we
landed up at her place at very short notice – we were ‘fed’ and the food being
so tasty - we overfed ourselves. Even a few days before she passed away, when
she was literally on her death-bed with not much energy, she insisted that we
have the cold-drinks.
They have
been hosts to Guruji’ family, the world famed Yehudi Menuhin and many
international students of Iyengar Yoga have been hosted at their house,
especially during various events. She brimmed of positivity, always game to
do anything. A few days before the diagnosis of the ‘dreaded disease’, the news
agency CNN-IBN wanted to do a show on yoga for the international day of yoga..
A few of us were to drive down to Pune and that included Freny aunty.. She had
some knee and back pain.. signs of impending disease which was not known to
anybody then. There was a concern about her make a day trip to Pune. ..
but not once did she complain. In fact, the camera men and the anchor were so
‘fascinated’ by her that she became the main ‘model’ at the age of 85. She was
enthusiastically demonstrating so many asanas on the platform in the main hall
of RIMYI. The back pain, the knee pain were all a thing of the past…Her energy
levels were daunting.. It is here that she showed her devotion to Guruji and
yoga.
There was another unique feature of both Sam and Freny and that
was their humility. Despite all the closeness to THE yoga family, their decades
of experience, their practice – they were very very humble. Both had no qualms
about attending a class by the younger teachers and sometimes by the very
junior ones. They were excellent mentors who silently would guide the budding
teachers. Their concern was not only for the teacher at the current moment but
also their future. I cannot but remember the tens of times that Sam uncle would
tell us how to help optimally rather than burn ourselves out.
I feel that she had conquered the fear of death. She knew the end
was not too far. A few days before she left us when she was invited to a
program scheduled in June - she mentioned “I will come if I am still
here.” There was no melancholy but just a factual statement. She left so
gracefully…
Although we will miss her eternally; her smile, her memories, her
voice, her photographs, her book will eternally remain with us.
*********
Recollecting
his memories Birjoo Mehta, Mumbai said,
"Freny Motiwala became a student of Guruji when he was in his
forties. This was the period when he was demanding the most from his students.
The classes at that time were intensely intense and it required a strong
character, dedication and hard work just to cope. Being just about a decade
younger, they had traveled with Guruji around India, spend their evenings
together with him whenever he came to Mumbai and also hosted Lord Menuhin when
he came to Mumbai at the invitation of Guruji. Being so close to him, they
imbibed many impeccable qualities of Guruji.
Freny was a warm and affectionate person always ready to take on
something new, travel to new places, generous in everything including praise
and with extremely positive outlook. She took the news of her illness with
unbelievable composure. She was certainly not in denial when she she said that
she had lived her life in full and in abundance and such an eventuality was
certain.
A few weeks before her passing, I was with her when some of her
students dropped by to wish her. The affection that they had was evident. Then
she remarked that Guruji has given us so much and what I have given to them is
a fraction of what I have received from him and yet I am being given such
respect and adoration for the little I have done for them. She felt saddened
that she was not able to give back all that she had received. Such was her
generosity and humility.
Being a trustee of the Light on Yoga Research Trust for many
years, she was always supportive. She rarely missed any meeting of the trustees
and at times when the meeting was held in her house, we never left without
being fed her exquisite preparations.
She was friendly in
happy times, compassionate when times were not so happy, joyful in our
virtues and overlooked our defects. A personification of Yoga Sutra 1.33."
*********
I do not remember every leaving empty handed or on an empty stomach from the Motivala residence, Palia Mansion! Such was the hospitality we experienced even for a short visit. No one was sent without a cup or two of filter coffee if one resisted a meal!
Both Freny and Sam were
fond of their rooftop garden. It was impossible not to notice how beautifully
it bloomed. The piéce de resistance was the Brahma kamal which bloomed once
every few years and lasted a few hours. This was always photographed and the
picture handed over to newspapers to publish.
The main connection was
Iyengar Yoga. Here was one of the premier families of Iyengar Yoga where all
the children along with the parents trooped into class unfailingly every
weekend.
Though I was a newcomer to
the group, (my family had already joined earlier while I was finishing boarding
school) I felt welcome as though I always belonged. As youngsters, (at 18 I
being the oldest of the children) we were given the vigorous treatment of
balancing and back bending asana. One realizes now how they maintained the
pulse of the young entrants as opposed to the "adults"! So there was
never a dull moment. We eagerly looked forward to the Saturday/Sunday sessions during
Guruji's absence. Here I must confess that my introduction to the subject was
not through Guruji, but through his stalwart students during his absence. When
Guruji returned from his visits abroad, I was formally admitted to the class
and have never looked back since. I must also acknowledge the contribution of
Burzo Taraporewala, Dhun Palkhiwala and Rati Unwala. They formed the backbone
of the Mumbai students in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
I will forever miss the
familiar goodbyes with the sentence that was their hallmark....'kai hoi to mane
kayje' (If I can be of any help do let me know!). That was the byline with
which they lived and they meant every word of it.
One must also acknowledge
their stellar roles in building up/encouraging teachers and the LOYRT from its
inception to very recently when Freny resigned from Trusteeship. They will
always live in our hearts!
Long live Sam and Freny!
Recalls, Jawahar Bangera, Mumbai.
In Remembrance - By Zubin Zarthostimanesh, Mumbai
Today, it is
difficult to imagine, but there was a time in India, when Iyengar Yoga had only
one fixed address (even our Pune institute was born in 1973):
Palia Mansion, Near
Five Gardens, Dadar. That place belonged to Freny And Sam Motiwala, started in
the 60s.
With Freny’s
passing on April 8, 2016, an era comes to an end. The era of relatively small
but intense classes, where learning yoga was like a personal experience; where
Yehudi Menuhin came for dinner; where one of their daughters, Anita, did a
one-hour shirsasana in her Guru’s presence; where generations
of yoga students and teachers came to be inducted into the wider Iyengar Yoga
community.
Yoga classes
at their old-world-charm terrace-residence will never be the same again.
Because Freny Motiwala was that last direct link with her Guru’s ethos. It was
Guruji who made her do hanumanasana amongst other things after
an accident incapacitated her and doctors told her she would never walk again.
Her life thereafter became a walking example of the efficacy of her Guru’s
touch and subject. She practiced and taught Iyengar Yoga until she slipped away
quietly into the night in an effortless shavasana.
*********
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I would like to thank one and all who contributed in
shaping up this blog. It all started with Firooza ma'am asking to write up something
on facebook group of Iyengar yoga Hyderabad as a tribute to Freny. Thank you
Firooza ji.
Special thanks to Rajvi ma'am who did rest of the job by communicating with all these people to get their comments. I was constantly engaged with Rajvi Ji over emails asking various information about Freny and she did reply me patiently without any hesitation in spite of her busy schedule. Thank you for bearing me.
Final thanks to Father Joe Pariera, Jawahar sir, Birjoo sir and Zarna Ma'am for sharing their thoughts. Without your support this blog wouldn't have become possible.
- Ram Godar
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