Iyengar Yoga
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Yoga?
What is Iyengar Yoga?
What is Iyengar Yoga like?
What's the difference between yoga and stretching?
How is Iyengar Yoga different from other styles of Yoga?
Read about the amazing life of B.K.S. Iyengar
Why is alignment so important?
Can I get injured practicing yoga?
What is pranayama?
What do I need to bring to class?
What's a good book on yoga?
What is Yoga?
Yoga is the pursuit of balance, happiness, or equanimity. The word Yoga means "union" in the Sanskrit language, and comes from Indian philosophy. Different Yoga practices are described for different types of people (intellectual, physical, devotional, etc), yet all techniques ultimately seek to still the ever-active mind.
What is Iyengar Yoga?
The word "Iyengar" refers to the world's greatest living yoga master, Yogacharya BKS Iyengar, who lives in Pune, India. Mr. Iyengar was very sick as a child, not expected to live past 20 years old. At 16 he began yoga. With amazing will and perseverance he practiced for hours every day, and experienced first-hand the transformative powers of yoga. Today Mr. Iyengar is 90 years old. The amazing insight he has cultivated over more than 70 years of practice is now referred to as Iyengar Yoga.
Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar Yoga teaches classic yoga postures (asanas) and breath control (pranayama). The method is precise and methodical, following principles espoused by BKS Iyengar after his more than 70 years of intense practice.
At the heart of the Iyengar method is precise attention to the body's alignment. Iyengar has brilliantly shown how yoga poses reveal our postural imbalances. Achieving better alignment in the postures focuses the mind while balancing, strengthening, and opening the body.
Mr. Iyengar places great emphasis on The Yoga Sutras, an ancient written treatise on Yoga. The author, Patanjali, who lived two to five thousand years ago, realized the ultimate goal of Yoga. Patanjali wrote down instructions on how to practice. His method gave eight steps, and was therefore called Astanga Yoga (astanga means 8-parts). The steps begin with personal conduct and end with meditation. Yoga postures and breath control represent the third and fourth steps, and make up the majority of Mr. Iyengar's teachings.
Anyone at any age or physical condition can practice and benefit from Iyengar Yoga.
The Iyengar method is a safe and effective method for rehabilitating injuries, including organic imbalances like high blood pressure and asthma.
Patanjali's Astanga Yoga:
Astanga yoga has eight steps. The first two (yama and niyama) deal with universal ethics and morals, and personal conduct. The third and fourth are the practice of yoga postures (asana), and breath control (pranayama). The fifth, sixth, and seventh deal with controlling the senses (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), and meditation (dhyana). And the eighth culminates with the experience of super-consciousness (samadhi).
** Read - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by BKS Iyengar Back to top
What is Iyengar Yoga like?
If you've never practiced yoga and you watched a class, you might think that yoga is stretching. At least that gives you an idea of what it looks like. As soon as you try for yourself, you will quickly see that stretching is just one part of yoga. The difference is in awareness, attention, and focus. Although easy looking, yoga poses are challenging and demand concentration. Practicing different yoga postures engages the whole body in extension, strength, balance, and control. At the end of a practice you feel great; clear, strong, open, relaxed, and easy in the body.
The yoga postures can be categorized by the movement they create in the body. For example, there are forward bends (like touching the toes), backbends (looking up), twists (turning around), as well as inversions, standing, and sitting poses. Back to top
What's the difference between yoga and stretching?
The goal of stretching is to become limber. The goal of yoga is to develop greater and greater awareness. Awareness in this sense is not a lofty "new age" concept. It is a grounded experience that can be measured by the ability to do different movements in different areas of the body at the same time. At first when we practice asanas, we are captivated by the intensity of the stretch itself. But soon we become aware of more than just the stretch. We begin to sense subtle differences in the body. We see relationships in the body that have a large influence on our movement, physical ease, and even our mental state. This is the development of mindfulness that naturally comes from the physical practice of asanas and pranayama. Yoga is the development of awareness through physical practice. Back to top
How is Iyengar Yoga different from other styles of Yoga?
Iyengar Yoga emphasizes 1) sequencing, 2) timings, and 3) alignment, and utilizes 4) props.
Sequencing
Many styles of yoga practice the same sequence of yoga poses every time. The Iyengar method is unique in that it treats sequencing as an art and science that develops and deepens with longevity in the practice. For example forward bends are calming to the nervous system while backbends are exciting. Understanding the nature of the different poses, gives us the ability to utilize different sequences for desired affects. In this way, the Iyengar yogi looks at sequencing in much the same way an herbalist would look at herbal combinations. The synergy of the parts has everything to do with the end result. Mr. Iyengar has given specific guidelines regarding sequencing, for safety and effectiveness in practice.
Timing
How long you hold a yoga pose is another conscious aspect of the Iyengar method. Doing a yoga pose quickly with many repetitions will have a different effect than holding the same pose for 3 minutes, for example. In many cases we stay in poses to allow the circulatory system and/or endocrine system to benefit. In other poses we may practice repetitions to free muscular tension or spinal imbalances.
Alignment
The difference between yoga styles is not which poses are practiced, but how the poses are practiced. The Iyengar method emphasizes alignment, noting that the body usually goes out of proper alignment due to postural imbalances. Maintaining alignment demands mental focus which brings us into the present, and ultimately makes us straighter and healthier.
Props
The use of blocks, belts, benches, chairs, walls, mats, blankets, and other props has become a signiture of Iyengar Yoga. Mr. Iyengar actually innovated the use of all props seen today in his more than 70 years of practice. Props have different functions depending on usage. They are generally used to maintain proper alignment, provide support, help educate the body, and/or intensify the practice. Back to top
Read about the amazing life of B.K.S. Iyengar.
B.K.S. Iyengar was born in India on December 14, 1918. He was born during the influenza epidemic and had suffered from tuberculosis, malaria, and typhoid by the time he was 13. Doctors said he would not live to see 20. At the age of 16 his brother in law, a yoga teacher and scholar, took him under his wing to try to help his health. Over the next 4 years Mr. Iyengar transformed himself into the model of health through dedicated and constant yoga practice. He began teaching, and soon became well known for his impressive abilities. India has had a rich history involving Yoga for thousands of years, and those who excel at the art are well respected. After years of practicing and teaching, Mr. Iyengar began to develop a style that was clearly his own. It involved a precise focus on physical alignment during the practice. His results were, have been, and continue to be fantastic. Therapeutically speaking, there is no style of yoga that even comes close to successfully treating structural and internal (organic) problems as does his. Mr. Iyengar is obviously one of the few who are gifted with a special understanding of the body, it's imbalances, and how to treat them. One read of a few of the many testimonials, or a look into his medical classes is enough to make the most skeptical wonder how he knows so much. But even more importantly, his information is grounded and clear, teachable and learnable. At the age of 87 years old, Mr. Iyengar is a living Yoga master who continues to practice every day. He currently runs a yoga institute in India (that has a 2-year waiting list) and directs the dissemination of information from himself to his many dedicated teachers and students around the world. B.K.S. Iyengar's approach to yoga has been coined "Iyengar Yoga". Back to top
Why is alignment so important?
Alignment, in the big picture, refers to your body's relationship with gravity. Gravity is pushing down on us all of the time. Think about it for a moment. Gravity is literally pushing down on you right now. We don't notice it because it is happening all of the time. But your body is dealing with gravity right now. If you lean your body to one side, just about 2 or 3 inches, and hold that position, you will start to get tired. If you consciously sit up straight you will feel a bit lighter. It's no mystery. When the body is in good alignment, you feel lighter. When it is out of alignment you feel heavier. If you stand a pole on it's end and align it perfectly, gravity's pressure will hold it up; if the alignment is poor, it will fall. The same is true in the body.
Alignment, in the smaller picture, refers to your body in relation to itself. If you lean your body to one side, just about 2 or 3 inches, and hold that position again, you can feel the muscles on the side you lean away from begin to tense. Those muscles are keeping you balanced in the field of gravity. If they didn't activate at the same time you lean, gravity would push you to the floor. Nobody has perfect alignment. We all lean a bit to one side more than the other, we all have one waist that is a bit shorter than the other, we each have one shoulder that sits more comfortably. Some imbalances come from overuse (use of one side or area in a specific movement that we repeatedly perform at work or sports, or even sleep), some from injuries, while others arise from simple mis-use of the body. For each imbalance, we also have a balancing mechanism, something that responds to the imbalance to keep us from falling over. These are called compensations. The smaller picture of alignment involves the whole interplay of imbalances, compensations, further imbalances, etc. all within the single body. If one shoulder is pulled in to the neck more than the other, the ribs will have to compensate. When the ribs shift, the pelvis twists, and then the foot turns. Each movement is brilliance; without any one of them the body would succumb to gravity's pressure and fall. Although the body is balanced, it is a compromised balance, a state where many of the muscles and joints are constantly working against a subtle (or not so subtle) lean, or twist.
When we practice the asanas with the intention to bring the body into greater alignment, we address the imbalances and compensations in the body. We address the compromised balance that the body is used to dealing with, and change it to an intelligent balance; one that works with gravity rather than against it. Back to top
Can I get injured practicing yoga?
In any type of exercise you can get injured, that's just the nature of the body. Yoga is no exception to this rule, and therefore considerable emphasis should be placed on practicing safely. Safety in this sense is a matter of 1) learning and applying technique and 2) being intelligent. Again here, we go back to alignment. Alignment is not only the key to unlocking many injuries and imbalances, it is also the key to practicing safely. Most injuries from practicing yoga come from either a reckless, overeager student who wants to "get really deep into a pose", or a student who is simply unaware of how the body works, and therefore how it should be treated. Practicing asanas with no attention on the structural position of the joints is sketchy. Every yoga posture, done correctly, is therapeutic. Iyengar-style hatha yoga is based on sound bio-mechanical principles that not only protect from injury, but seek to heal existing injuries. Not only should you not get hurt, you should get better. Back to top
What is pranayama?
Pranayama is the study and practice of breath control. Mr. Iyengar is perhaps the first modern teacher to emphasize the importance of developing a strong foundation in the ygoa postures before moving on to breath control. There are at least two reasons for this. First of all, a good strong asana practice mobilizes the rib cage, creating greater movement and control over the lungs, and grounds the lower body, creating a strong base for working with the breath. Second, the awareness work developed by asana is crucial for a safe pranayama practice. The breath is very closely related to the central nervous system, and of course to the heart. You must have a mature awareness to sense subtle tensions that can disrupt the practice and ultimately lead to ill effects. Pranayama has profound effects on the practitioner. Concentration must be acute, and body control precise. Physically the lungs are developed, the heart rate is stabilized, and the blood more fully oxygenated. Mentally, there is an intese calm that goes along with the high concentration. Ultimately, pranayama teaches about prana. Back to top
What do I need to bring to class?
All you need for class is clothes you feel comfortable working out in and an empty stomach. Shorts are usually better if it's not a cold season. It's good to be able to see your legs, specifically at the knee and upper thigh to monitor for leg alignment. It's best not to eat 11/2 hours before class, mainly because it is uncomfortable to have food in the stomach when you're bending, twisting, and exerting yourself. If you need to eat before a class, give as much time as you can and eat lightly; yogurt and fruit for example. Back to top
What's a good book on Yoga?
Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by BKS Iyengar
Yoga, a Gem for Women by Geeta Iyengar
How to Practice Yoga by Mira Mehta
**recommended for beginners and people who want to start a home practice