What is Yoga?
Yoga is for everyone. No one is too old or too stiff, too fat or thin or tired. A Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher can guide students of all ages and physical conditions to an experience of yoga, which is safe, accessible and rewarding.
What Is Iyengar Yoga?
Iyengar yoga is based on the teachings of living yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar, author of the classic treatise Light on Yoga. His daughter, Geeta and son Prashant, are also accomplished teachers and authors of yoga texts. The Iyengar family’s teachings are deeply grounded in the yoga sutras of Patanjali, an ancient summation of the path of yoga considered to be at least 2500 years old. B.K.S. Iyengar’s intense practice and over 65 years of teaching have produced significant innovations in the teachings of this art.
Iyengar instructors
Certified Iyengar Yoga instructors are held to an unusually rigorous standard. Only after years of training and evaluation do they become certified. Iyengar Yoga teachers modify the classic asanas (yoga postures) for individual students with the use of props — such as blocks, blankets and belts. Props allow for a deeper penetration into the posture, as well as a longer stay. Iyengar Yoga teachers use their deep-seated knowledge of the asanas to individualize corrections for each student. Students know they are observed and, if necessary, adjusted. Clear demonstrations of the posture. A well-developed eye. Specific teaching points which awaken the body’s intelligence — these are the marks of an Iyengar Yoga teacher.
Iyengar practice
Students of Iyengar Yoga begin with elementary postures, with an emphasis on the standing asanas (postures). In time, other postures are added, including forward bends and back bends, twists, inversions and restorative poses. Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Balance) is introduced as soon as students are ready because of its many therapeutic benefits. Each class ends with Savasana, corpse pose or deep relaxation. Students learn to rest in a profound way, completely releasing the body while drawing the mind towards the peace within.
As the student progresses, Pranayama (the control of the breath) is introduced.
Teachers devise sequences of poses, which build skill and understanding, from posture to posture, and from class to class. Students are encouraged to develop their own home practice; without one, the study of yoga is incomplete.
For more interesting reading on Iyengar Yoga visit the National Iyengar Yoga Association website.
