Eva Ruchpaul (born Felix in March 13, 1928, in Béziers) is one of the first yoga teachers in Europe, a French yoga teacher trainer, and author of books on Hatha yoga. She has developed a method of Hatha yoga adapted to Westerners.
Eva Ruchpaul was born in Béziers in the south of France in 1928. She contracted severe polio at the age of 18 months, which paralysed her left side and right arm. Eva spends her mornings at the clinic undergoing rehabilitation, and her afternoons at the beach. She then lived in Alexandria (Egypt), where her father was a philosophy teacher at the French Lycée. Although she canâÂÂt walk, she is a strong swimmer. From a very early age, she explored the potential of her body and breath. She doesnâÂÂt go to school. âÂÂI taught myself to read by cutting letters out of cardboard.â Her parents give her free access to their library on the condition that she asks for help if she doesn't understand something. In 1939, Eva and her family returned to France because her father wanted to defend his country in the event of war. In September 1939, France entered the Second World War. It was during this period that Eva underwent major surgery, finally enabling her to walk after many long months of painful rehabilitation. At the age of 12, she was able to walk. Following a brief war, the Nazis occupied northern France, while the rest of the country turned to collaboration (the Vichy regime, known as Zone Libre). Eva's family lives in the Zone Libre. For her, this period is a happy memory because she could finally go to school. Everything seemed wonderful to her. She is moving up from Year 7 to Year 10. EvaâÂÂs family was involved in the Resistance. Her father worked for the intelligence services, while her brother joined the Maquis in the Vercors region. In 1942, the Nazis invaded the Zone Libre. Eva and her parents moved in with an uncle near Nice, which was occupied by Italian fascists at the time. She passed her Bacalauréa<nowiki/>t in philosophy and mathematics at the age of 14, four years ahead of schedule. The Nazi occupation in September 1943, and lasted until the Allied landings in Provence in August 1945. These last few months of the war were the hardest for Eva. His family lives in near-clandestinity: "I was fleeing from place to place with my mum and my limp." Over 17 months, they changed their identities and places of residence 11 times, using false documents and new names. Eva suffers from a lack of food, but above all from unsanitary conditions. At the end of the war in 1945, she returned to Alexandria with her family. She has suffered from depression after these past few months of war. However, this does not stop her from pursuing further education..
She moved to Paris to study graphic design and painting at the , a college that trains art teachers. While there, she lived with the Casadesus family, a prominent family of musicians, who introduced her to the vibrant intellectual and artistic scene of the post-war period. She was given a consultation with Haymant Ruchpaul, an Indian Brahmin, for her 20th birthday. He practised physiotherapy in the West, but was originally an Ayurvedic doctor. He had studied in France under , a leading figure in orthopaedics. Haymant assured Eva that she would be able to walk normally. Two years later, they married. Due to the after-effects of polio, her two pregnancies were very difficult. She had to remain bedridden for seven months during her pregnancy. She gave birth to Ananda in 1956 and Shanti in 1957. She was exhausted by the experience. It was then that her husband introduced her to Hatha yoga; but forbade her from studying with a teacher. She had to figure out the technical aspects of Hatha yoga independently; They learned it all on their own â why would you want to copy someone else?<nowiki/>' She reads extensively and is particularly interested in the yoga taught by Sivananda in Rishikesh. She drew heavily on Louis FrédéricâÂÂs book "Yoga Asanas: A Natural Method of Physical and Mental Cultivation and Respiratory Rehabilitation" (1956). The book consists mainly of photographs of postures performed by Vishnudevananda, a hatha yoga teacher at Forest University in Rishikesh and a disciple of Sivananda.
Eva RuchpaulâÂÂs husband recognised her aptitude for yoga and her natural teaching ability. As early as 1958, he introduced her to her first pupil. She dismissed it as a joke, doubting her own abilities. However, not only did the pupil return the following week, but he also brought new pupils with him. Eva Ruchpaul developed her Hatha Yoga method through teaching. âÂÂI explore with my fellow human beings how to live in harmony with the body that carries me through life. That sums up the whole approach: I own nothing, I control nothing, I negotiate everythingâ ("j'étudie avec mon semblable comment me comporter amicalement avec mon appareil àvivre. Tout le programme est là: je ne possède rien, je ne domine rien, je négocie tout"). The success was as considerable as it was unexpected. Many famous people wanted to attend his classes. Among them were Françoise Hardy, Christian Dior, , Yves Montand, and André Malraux. Between 1958 and 1968, was the coach of the French ski team. He called on Eva Ruchpaul to help prepare the athletes. The French team had never won so many medals before. Those trained during this period included Jean-Claude Killy, Marielle Goitschel, Christine Goitschel, Guy Perillat, François Bonlieu, Isabelle Mir and Annie Famose. These numerous victories in such a short space of time have served to further strengthen Eva Ruchpaul's reputation.
In 1965, she published her first book, "So That People Could Help Themselves", especially for those who could not come to see her every week.
In order to cope with the growing number of students in her classes, Eva Ruchpaul started training teachers in her method of Hatha yoga. The Institut Eva Ruchpaul (IER) and its legendary blue carpet was founded by her in 1971 for this purpose. The training program lasts three years. For each yoga posture, the training covers anatomy, psychophysiology, pedagogy and Indian philosophy. The IER also offers yoga classes for all levels. The IER is accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education. To explore certain topics in greater depth and stay up to date with the latest discoveries, the IER invites specialists to deliver teacher training and professional development. Notable figures in the field of science include Valérie Daugé, Hubert Reeves, , Albert Jacquard, Joël de Rosnay, Karlfried Graf Durckheim and . Notable figures in the field of Indian studies include Philippe Lavastine, Pierre Sylvain Filliozat and Colette Poggi. In 1997, the IER relocated from Rue Troyon, near the Champs-ÃÂlysées, to Rue de Rome. Eva Ruchpaul lived in an attic flat in the building that housed the IER. Until she was 95 years old, she simply had to take the lift a few floors down to teach her classes at the IER.
Eva RuchpaulâÂÂs Hatha Yoga is secular and agnostic, with no ritual elements: there are no Sanskrit names for the postures, OM mantras or hand mudras. However, aspects of Indian culture are covered in the teacher training programme. The method emphasises paying attention to the body, breath and posture. For Eva Ruchpaul, "breathing [...] is the soul of yoga". Breath suspension is central to her method. "The ancient yogis dared to venture into the practice known as Kumbhaka [...] very difficult for our sapiens [...]. It seeks to halt and block the movement of breathing. So, if a yoga teacher can convey this fluid clarity in this exercise, that is the true sign of their calling" . Most postures are performed while suspending the breath, either with full lungs or empty lungs. Each posture is held for the duration of the breath suspension, which should always be comfortable. Each posture is performed only once. Three breathing cycles are interspersed between each posture. The third cycle consists of suspending the breath with full lungs, followed by suspending the breath with empty lungs. At the end of the yoga class, there is a series of breath suspensions with full lungs. Eva recommends a weekly session; "In my experience, practising once a week is enough â no unnecessary repetition, but a weekly âÂÂepistolaryâ exchange: we send out signals, we listen to the responses, the echoes, the resonances."