Eva Ruchpaul
Biography: tidy
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== Biography == |
== Biography == |
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Éva 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.{{Cite book |last=Misset|first=Marie|title=La thérapie de la vieille branche|language=French|isbn=978-2-501-15825-1|last2=Raut|first2=Marine|last3=Lorriaux|first3=Aude|year=2021|publisher=Marabout|location=Vanves|trans-title=Old-school therapy}} />{{Cite news |last=Misset |first=Marie |date=3 March 2020 |title=Éva Ruchpaul, yogi |url=https://podcloud.fr/podcast/vieille-branche/episode/eva-ruchpaul-yogi |url-status=live |access-date=11 April 2026 |work=Nouvelles écoutes |language=French |type=Audio}} She spendt her mornings at the clinic undergoing rehabilitation, and her afternoons at the beach. She then lived in [[Alexandria]], where her father was a philosophy teacher at the French Lycée. She was unable to walk, but was a strong swimmer. From a very early age, she explored the potential of her body and breath. She realised that the rehabilitation technique she was made to follow was not suitable for her. The progress she made through intensive practice was undone as soon as she fell ill. However, as her immune system was weak, she often fell ill. Rather than repeating the same movement endlessly, she tried doing it once, focusing all her attention on the movement and breathing. This method proved effective, enabling her to regain some mobility. It was only much later that she realised that what she had been doing was yoga.{{Cite journal |date=July 2012 |title=Éva Ruchpaul, l'intuition du yoga |url=https://www.esprityoga.fr/produit/esprit-yoga-n05-version-numerique/ |journal=Journal Esprit duYoga |language=French |volume=5 |quote=Pourquoi, au lieu de répéter à l'infini le même geste ne pas le faire une seule fois en concentrant toute mon attention dessus et en respirant ? C'est ce que j'ai fait, et les résultats furent fabuleux. Je retrouvais de la mobilité. Ce n'est que plus tard que j'ai découvert que ce que je faisais n'était rien d'autre que du yoga ! |trans-quote=Why, instead of repeating the same movement over and over again, not just do it once, focusing all my attention on it and breathing? That’s what I did, and the results were amazing. I was regaining my mobility. It was only later that I realised what I was doing was nothing other than yoga!}}{{Cite journal |last=Swift |first=Dan |date=10 July 2021 |title=Entretien avec Éva Ruchpaul |url=https://www.infosyoga.info/produit/infos-yoga-n133/ |journal=Infos Yoga |volume=133 |pages=4-6}} |
Éva 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.{{Cite book |last=Misset |first=Marie |title=La thérapie de la vieille branche |language=French |isbn=978-2-501-15825-1 |last2=Raut |first2=Marine |last3=Lorriaux |first3=Aude |year=2021|publisher=Marabout |location=Vanves |trans-title=Old-school therapy}}{{Cite news |last=Misset |first=Marie |date=3 March 2020 |title=Éva Ruchpaul, yogi |url=https://podcloud.fr/podcast/vieille-branche/episode/eva-ruchpaul-yogi |url-status=live |access-date=11 April 2026 |work=Nouvelles écoutes |language=French |type=Audio}} She spendt her mornings at the clinic undergoing rehabilitation, and her afternoons at the beach. She then lived in [[Alexandria]], where her father was a philosophy teacher at the French Lycée. She was unable to walk, but was a strong swimmer. From a very early age, she explored the potential of her body and breath. She realised that the rehabilitation technique she was made to follow was not suitable for her. The progress she made through intensive practice was undone as soon as she fell ill. However, as her immune system was weak, she often fell ill. Rather than repeating the same movement endlessly, she tried doing it once, focusing all her attention on the movement and breathing. This method proved effective, enabling her to regain some mobility. It was only much later that she realised that what she had been doing was yoga.{{Cite journal |date=July 2012 |title=Éva Ruchpaul, l'intuition du yoga |url=https://www.esprityoga.fr/produit/esprit-yoga-n05-version-numerique/ |journal=Journal Esprit duYoga |language=French |volume=5 |quote=Pourquoi, au lieu de répéter à l'infini le même geste ne pas le faire une seule fois en concentrant toute mon attention dessus et en respirant ? C'est ce que j'ai fait, et les résultats furent fabuleux. Je retrouvais de la mobilité. Ce n'est que plus tard que j'ai découvert que ce que je faisais n'était rien d'autre que du yoga ! |trans-quote=Why, instead of repeating the same movement over and over again, not just do it once, focusing all my attention on it and breathing? That’s what I did, and the results were amazing. I was regaining my mobility. It was only later that I realised what I was doing was nothing other than yoga!}}{{Cite journal |last=Swift |first=Dan |date=10 July 2021 |title=Entretien avec Éva Ruchpaul |url=https://www.infosyoga.info/produit/infos-yoga-n133/ |journal=Infos Yoga |volume=133 |pages=4-6}} |
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She did not go to school: "I taught myself to read by cutting letters out of cardboard."{{Efn|Original version: "J'ai appris à lire toute seule en découpant des lettres dans un carton". (Timecode 12:27)}} Her parents gave her free access to their library on condition that she asked for help if she didn't understand something. In 1939, Éva 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 [[World War II|Second World War]]. Éva underwent major surgery, enabling her to walk at the age of 12 after many long months of painful rehabilitation. The [[Nazism|Nazis]] occupied northern France, while the rest of the country turned to [[Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France|collaboration]] (the [[Vichy France|Vichy regime]], known as the [[Zone libre]]). Éva's family lived in the Zone libre. For her, this period was a happy memory because she could go to school. She moved up from Year 7 to Year 10. Her family was involved in the [[French Resistance|Resistance]]. Her father worked for the [[Intelligence agency|intelligence services]], while her brother joined the [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]] in the [[Battle of Vercors|Vercors]] region. In 1942, the Nazis invaded the Zone libre. Éva and her parents moved in with an uncle near [[Nice]], which was [[Italian occupation of France|occupied by the Italians]] at the time. She passed her [[Baccalauréat]] in philosophy and mathematics at the age of 14, four years ahead of schedule. The Nazi occupation [[:fr:Zone_d'occupation_italienne_en_France#Fin_de_l'occupation_italienne_en_France|replaced the Italian fascist occupation]] in September 1943, and lasted until the [[Operation Dragoon|Allied landings in Provence]] in August 1945. These last few months of the war were the hardest for Éva. Her family lives in near-clandestinity: "I was fleeing from place to place with my mum and my limp."{{Efn|Original version: "moi, je fuyais d'endroit en endroit avec ma maman et puis ma boiterie."}} Over 17 months, they changed their identities and places of residence 11 times, using false documents and new names. Éva suffered from a lack of food, but above all from unsanitary conditions. At the [[End of World War II in Europe|end of the war in 1945]], she returned to Alexandria with her family. She suffered from [[Depression (mood)|depression]], but continued in further education.{{Cite book |last=Poggi|first=Colette |title=Dans la confidence du souffle : rencontre avec Éva Ruchpaul, une yogini impertinente|publisher=Almora |year= |
She did not go to school: "I taught myself to read by cutting letters out of cardboard."{{Efn|Original version: "J'ai appris à lire toute seule en découpant des lettres dans un carton". (Timecode 12:27)}} Her parents gave her free access to their library on condition that she asked for help if she didn't understand something. In 1939, Éva 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 [[World War II|Second World War]]. Éva underwent major surgery, enabling her to walk at the age of 12 after many long months of painful rehabilitation. The [[Nazism|Nazis]] occupied northern France, while the rest of the country turned to [[Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France|collaboration]] (the [[Vichy France|Vichy regime]], known as the [[Zone libre]]). Éva's family lived in the Zone libre. For her, this period was a happy memory because she could go to school. She moved up from Year 7 to Year 10. Her family was involved in the [[French Resistance|Resistance]]. Her father worked for the [[Intelligence agency|intelligence services]], while her brother joined the [[Maquis (World War II)|Maquis]] in the [[Battle of Vercors|Vercors]] region. In 1942, the Nazis invaded the Zone libre. Éva and her parents moved in with an uncle near [[Nice]], which was [[Italian occupation of France|occupied by the Italians]] at the time. She passed her [[Baccalauréat]] in philosophy and mathematics at the age of 14, four years ahead of schedule. The Nazi occupation [[:fr:Zone_d'occupation_italienne_en_France#Fin_de_l'occupation_italienne_en_France|replaced the Italian fascist occupation]] in September 1943, and lasted until the [[Operation Dragoon|Allied landings in Provence]] in August 1945. These last few months of the war were the hardest for Éva. Her family lives in near-clandestinity: "I was fleeing from place to place with my mum and my limp."{{Efn|Original version: "moi, je fuyais d'endroit en endroit avec ma maman et puis ma boiterie."}} Over 17 months, they changed their identities and places of residence 11 times, using false documents and new names. Éva suffered from a lack of food, but above all from unsanitary conditions. At the [[End of World War II in Europe|end of the war in 1945]], she returned to Alexandria with her family. She suffered from [[Depression (mood)|depression]], but continued in further education.{{Cite book |last=Poggi|first=Colette |title=Dans la confidence du souffle : rencontre avec Éva Ruchpaul, une yogini impertinente|publisher=Almora |year=2019 |isbn=978-2-35118-407-3 |location=Paris |trans-title=In the Whisper of the Breath: A Conversation with Éva Ruchpaul, a Playful Yogini}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.liberation.fr/france/2018/04/18/eva-ruchpaul-mamie-yoga_1644319|title=Éva Ruchpaul, mamie yoga|last=Piquemal |first=Marie |date=18 April 2018 |website=Libération.fr |language=fr |access-date=25 March 2022}}{{Cite web |date=18 February 2021 |title=Episode 12 - Éva Ruchpaul, prof de yoga à 93 ans |url=https://www.tf1info.fr/podcast/expertes-a-la-une/episode-12-eva-ruchpaul-2178631.html |access-date=16 March 2026 |website=www.tf1info.fr |language=fr}}. |
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She moved to Paris to study graphic design and painting at the [[:fr:Lycée_Claude-Bernard|École Claude Bernard]]. She lived with the [[Casadesus family]] of musicians for two years while she was there. They 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 [[Physical therapy|physiotherapy]] in the West, but was originally an [[Ayurveda|Ayurvedic]] doctor. He had studied in France under [[:fr:Boris_Dolto|Boris Dolto]], a leading figure in [[Orthopedic cast|orthopaedics]]. Haymant assuref her that she could walk just like everyone else.{{Efn|To walk like everyone else, that is, without any aids. And indeed, she would walk without any aids. But her polio had left one leg shorter than the other, which caused her to limp.}} Two years later, they married. Due to the after-effects of polio, her two pregnancies were difficult. During her second pregnancy, she had to stay in bed for seven months to avoid the risk of miscarriage. To keep her occupied, the Casadesus family sent her a suitcase full of books. These were the writings of doctors who had practised at the Russian court and travelled to India. These works introduced her to Eastern and Far Eastern thought. She gave birth to Shanti in 1956 and Ananda in early 1957. She was exhausted by the experience. It was around then{{Efn|There are conflicting accounts regarding the year in which she discovered Indian culture, and Hatha yoga in particular.}} 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 — why would you want to copy someone else?"{{Efn|Original version: "Ils l'ont appris tous seuls. Pourquoi est-ce que tu veux copier quelqu'un ?" (Timecode 10:35)}}. She read extensively and was interested in the yoga taught by [[Sivananda Saraswati|Sivananda]] in [[Rishikesh]]: "I «recognised», so to speak, the principles of the discipline of yoga as taught in Rishikesh by Shivananda. This technique seemed strangely familiar to me!"{{Efn|Original version: "J'ai « reconnu », pour ainsi dire, les principes de la discipline du yoga telle qu'elle était enseignée à Rishikesh par Shivananda. Cette technique m'apparaissait sous des airs familiers !"}} She drew on [[Louis Frédéric]]’s book "''Yoga Asanas, méthode naturelle de culture physique et mentale et de rééducation respiratoire''".{{Efn|Translation: Yoga Asanas: A Natural Method of Physical and Mental Cultivation and Respiratory Rehabilitation}} (1956){{Cite book |last=Frédéric|first=Louis|title=Yoga Asanas, méthode naturelle de culture physique et mentale et de rééducation respiratoire|publisher=J. Oliven - Paris|year=1956}} The book consisted mainly of photographs of postures performed by [[Vishnudevananda Saraswati|Vishnudevananda]], a hatha yoga teacher at Forest University in Rishikesh and a disciple of Sivananda. Inspired by the calmness that Vishnudevananda exuded in the photos in this book, Éva Ruchpaul attempted the poses for the first time, using the book as a guide.{{Efn|Infos Yoga: And you, when did you realise that yoga was ‘your thing’? |
She moved to Paris to study graphic design and painting at the [[:fr:Lycée_Claude-Bernard|École Claude Bernard]]. She lived with the [[Casadesus family]] of musicians for two years while she was there. They 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 [[Physical therapy|physiotherapy]] in the West, but was originally an [[Ayurveda|Ayurvedic]] doctor. He had studied in France under [[:fr:Boris_Dolto|Boris Dolto]], a leading figure in [[Orthopedic cast|orthopaedics]]. Haymant assuref her that she could walk just like everyone else.{{Efn|To walk like everyone else, that is, without any aids. And indeed, she would walk without any aids. But her polio had left one leg shorter than the other, which caused her to limp.}} Two years later, they married. Due to the after-effects of polio, her two pregnancies were difficult. During her second pregnancy, she had to stay in bed for seven months to avoid the risk of miscarriage. To keep her occupied, the Casadesus family sent her a suitcase full of books. These were the writings of doctors who had practised at the Russian court and travelled to India. These works introduced her to Eastern and Far Eastern thought. She gave birth to Shanti in 1956 and Ananda in early 1957. She was exhausted by the experience. It was around then{{Efn|There are conflicting accounts regarding the year in which she discovered Indian culture, and Hatha yoga in particular.}} 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 — why would you want to copy someone else?"{{Efn|Original version: "Ils l'ont appris tous seuls. Pourquoi est-ce que tu veux copier quelqu'un ?" (Timecode 10:35)}}. She read extensively and was interested in the yoga taught by [[Sivananda Saraswati|Sivananda]] in [[Rishikesh]]: "I «recognised», so to speak, the principles of the discipline of yoga as taught in Rishikesh by Shivananda. This technique seemed strangely familiar to me!"{{Efn|Original version: "J'ai « reconnu », pour ainsi dire, les principes de la discipline du yoga telle qu'elle était enseignée à Rishikesh par Shivananda. Cette technique m'apparaissait sous des airs familiers !"}} She drew on [[Louis Frédéric]]’s book "''Yoga Asanas, méthode naturelle de culture physique et mentale et de rééducation respiratoire''".{{Efn|Translation: Yoga Asanas: A Natural Method of Physical and Mental Cultivation and Respiratory Rehabilitation}} (1956){{Cite book |last=Frédéric|first=Louis|title=Yoga Asanas, méthode naturelle de culture physique et mentale et de rééducation respiratoire|publisher=J. Oliven - Paris|year=1956}} The book consisted mainly of photographs of postures performed by [[Vishnudevananda Saraswati|Vishnudevananda]], a hatha yoga teacher at Forest University in Rishikesh and a disciple of Sivananda. Inspired by the calmness that Vishnudevananda exuded in the photos in this book, Éva Ruchpaul attempted the poses for the first time, using the book as a guide.{{Efn|Infos Yoga: And you, when did you realise that yoga was ‘your thing’? |
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