Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar yoga is named for B.K.S. Iyengar, the world-reknowed yogi, who brought his methodology for yoga to the west in the 1960's. Iyengar, now in his 80's, has influenced hundreds of thousands of students world-wide through his Institute in Pune, India and his written works. Iyengar's classic “Light On Yoga,” first published in English in 1966, has served as the foundation for yoga instruction for over 40 years.

Iyengar yoga is characterized by precise postural alignment of each yoga posture. Props, such as blankets, blocks, and straps are used to assist the student to achieve and maintain proper alignment in a pose.

Other aspects of yoga such as breathing practice (pranayama), and spiritual inquiry are introduced after the fundamental physical postures are mastered.

Patanjali And The Eight Limbs Of Yoga
Yoga is not simply a system of exercises. The yoga postures, (asanas in Sanskrit) are one of eight equally important aspects of yoga. They are all related as parts of a whole system designed for optimum health for the individual and greater good for humanity. Patanjali, the semi-mythical sage credited with writing the Yoga Sutras (the first written verses organizing and summarizing the oral tradition of yoga) identified eight stages (limbs) of yoga as:
• rules of social behavior for creating a better world such as non--harming action, truthfulness and not stealing (yamas)
• personal disciplines including cleanliness, contentedness, self-discipline and self-study (niyamas)
• practice of postures (asanas) to build and maintain health of the body
• practice of breath control (pranayama)
• letting go of distractions from sensory perceptions through intense focus (pratyahara)
• concentration of the mind in an effortless manner (dharana)
• meditation; the sense of heightened awareness and oneness with the universe (dhyana)
• achieving a state of bliss or pure contemplation (samadhi)

The first five steps are preliminaries building and strengthening the body and mind; the next three steps, enable attainment of spiritual realization and oneness with the universe.

How My Classes Are Designed
My yoga classes are designed to encourage personal development in all aspects of yoga. I integrate as many of Pantagali‘s "Eight Limbs of Yoga" as possible into each session. Concepts covered include:
• allowing time for oneself
• creating a sacred space
• acceptance of self as you are today, and at this moment
• non-competitiveness
• instruction and study of new aspects of yoga
• practice in movement and breathing
• concentration and focus to still the mind
• relaxation and meditation.

For more information on class structure and content, please read What To Expect During Your Class.