Iyengar

B.K.S. Iyengar, the yogi for whom this method is named was born on December 14 in 1918. He was introduced to yoga as a teenager and soon he began to teach. Iyengar's life work was to translate the Yoga Sutra into a more accessible form that his students could utilize and gain useful benefit from this incredible resource. Iyengar yoga has become one of the most popular styles of Yoga in the world.

Iyengar first published his teachings in 1966 through his book, Light on Yoga. Iyengar's approach to Yoga emphasizes the precise alignment of the body while performing asanas. He popularized the use of props including blocks, cushions, and bags of sand, benches and belts. In Iyengar Yoga, poses are held for a long time and repeated. Tadasana or mountain pose is one of the most popular Iyengar yoga poses. Iyengar yoga is slow moving, precise and very intense. Teachers of the Iyengar approach to Yoga must study for two to five years before they can become a certified Iyengar yoga teacher.

Iyengar was the first yogi to teach yoga to large groups of students. On his 80th birthday in 1998 he taught 800 students at Pune, where he first studied Yoga.

Iyengar began life as a weak and sickly child who was moody and melancholy. His brother-in-law recommended that he take yoga to help him to strengthen his body. Now he is approaching 90, and he is still able to stand on his head and continue to carry on a conversation at the same time.

He is careful to remind people that while yoga can strengthen the body, maintain vigorous health and fitness, this is the external aspect of Yoga. The internal aspects of Yoga are equally important and serve to increase the well-being of the student.

It seems like everyone has opinions about Iyengar yoga. Some take issue with the absolute precision of the poses, and the fact that poses are held for long periods of time, which can be very challenging for beginners.

Iyengar yoga for you, might be the best style of Yoga to try. You could read Iyengar's book or the Aikido and Iyengar yoga essay to become more familiar with this very popular style of Yoga.

Iyengar is just one style of many Yoga styles that you can try. If you enjoy taking time to hold asanas for a long time, and being very careful and precise about how each pose is performed, then you will enjoy Iyengar Yoga.