Iyengar
IYENGAR YOGA
“Yoga is the union of the individual Self with the universal Self.” – B.K.S. Iyengar
Yoga is union. The practice of yoga uncovers the connection between body and mind, while profoundly transforming both. Practice of the yoga postures (known as asanas) tones and regulates the body and teaches clarity and stability of mind. Iyengar Yoga is a powerful tool to relieve the stresses of modern living and promote total physical and emotional well being.
An innovative and inspired practice of yoga, the Iyengar method was developed by the yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar throughout a long career. Firmly based in the ancient Indian tradition of classical Ashtanga yoga as defined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Iyengar Yoga teaches strength and stamina, flexibility and balance, concentration and meditation.
In Iyengar Yoga, the search for a developed consciousness begins with physical awareness. In each posture, every part of the body is acted upon with intent and precision. Hence Iyengar Yoga is often referred to as meditation in action. It is a dynamic, structured and experiential approach to learning yoga.
Yet Iyengar Yoga goes beyond the physical being to embrace emotional and spiritual growth. As students learn to extend awareness to each part of their body, they begin to explore the limitless potential of the mind and the soul. The two quests of the physical and the spiritual are not separate but parts of a complementary approach to self-realization and enlightenment.
Iyengar Yoga is the most widely practiced form of Hatha Yoga. BKS Iyengar (1918 – 2014) influenced thousands of teachers from his base in the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India. His children, Geeta and Prashant Iyengar, are now leading teachers in their own right at RIMYI. Iyengar teachers from all over the planet travel to Pune each year to hone their skills under the watchful eyes of these great yoga masters.
Iyengar yoga focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the development of asanas that aim to unite the body, mind and spirit for health and well being.