Addressing one of his long-time students: “What are Primary Series asanas?”. Kevin embarks on the postures that comprise the series in question, gets stuck towards the end. My brain and ego are screaming oooh, I know this one, how can he miss it, he ought to know better, I can easily- my thoughts are interrupted by a booming “YOU! What are Primary Series asanas?”.

For some reason, the sixty or so students assembled (including a large handful of high profile longtime practitioners and teachers) are quiet. I glance around. They look at me, the newbie, expectantly. I look up to see him, blazing eyes on me. Unnnh, “Surya Namaskar A, Surya Namaskar B, … ?” “…?” And I’ll be damned if the very first asana evades me. I have done it a few thousand times. Where is it? His face is stern but his eyes are twinkling. “Paaaa…?.” “…?!?”. I try again. “Paaaa… daaaa…?” He is losing patience, I see him start to glance around the room, looking for his next victim. But wait! I am the yoga geek! I breathe the practice!! “Paaadaaaa aaangusht…?” I can see he’s about to summon someone else, as he challenges me. I am mortified, but determined. “padangushtasanapadahastasanautthittatrikonasanaA,B,utthittaparshvakonasanaA,B, prasarita….” I’m off, and I don’t pause to take a breath in until “Utth plutthi, take rest”. He is smiling. I am absolved.

He demands Intermediate Series from a certified teacher, who stumbles just once, and so it went. That week, most afternoons, you’d catch the yoga students cramming, reciting the names of the poses we dance or wrestle with, every day like a mantra, in terror of being called on, next week’s conference.

He didn’t talk about asana, that next week. None of us will forget the names of the shapes, anytime soon.