Iyengar Yoga is the most practiced school of yoga in the world, known for its technical knowledge of how yoga postures or asanas are done so students can achieve the greatest possible benefit with the least risk of injury. Developed over 80 years of study by B.K.S. Iyengar of Pune, India -- this is an intelligent, active, personally-adaptable method that builds strength and flexibility, creates sharp mental focus, invites deep relaxation and inner awareness, and boosts health and well-being. You will have a sense of more fully occupying your mind, body and spirit.
There are many characteristics that distinguish Iyengar Yoga:
- Teachers are intensely trained and rigorously tested. Certification is achieved through many years of study and apprenticeship, and formal performance, teaching and written exams
- Yoga postures and breathing exercises are taught with skilled attention to correct alignment of the bones and joints so the muscles can work most effectively. Most schools of yoga build on the Iyengar knowledge of alignment as the foundational standard
- Iyengar classes use props such as blocks, straps and bolsters to make postures achievable until the body is ready for more expression. This way, you achieve healthy, aligned postures without hurting yourself; you feel challenged but not threatened
- Classes are progressive, so you build flexibility and strength gradually as you're ready
- Each class is different, focusing on different actions or awareness points; there is no set routine that becomes boring or too predictable
The creator of Iyengar Yoga, credited with bringing yoga to the West, was once named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.
