Iyengar Yoga is for every body. Adaptable. Accessible. Ageless Yoga.
Iyengar Yoga is a lineage of yoga developed by the late BKS Iyengar from Bellur India.
His passion for bringing this ancient practice to every body was inspired by how he was able to fully transform his own very poor health and weakness through the healing benefits of a disciplined yoga practice.
BKS Iyengar is now acknowledged as the most influential teacher of yoga in the world.
Iyengar yoga teachers undergo a strict and in-depth training of four years before they get their first certificate.
Focus is on gaining hands-on understanding on how to adjust and support bodies in poses and create a safe, beneficial and supportive practice that helps students grow their yoga intelligently, safely and with support and guidance.
Professional development is required and ongoing according to standards set by the various Iyengar Associations.
This is a focus on accessing the sacred geometry of the yoga pose while respecting the body’s boundaries.
Iyengar yoga may use props to assist students within a pose to access the poses benefits with a sense of support, and stability.
Effective alignment can help to achieve balance between body, mind and breath and can help transform negative postural habits into positive ones.
Sequencing is the order that the postures are practiced.
Intelligent sequencing offers a safe and structured progression of the poses, including ‘opening’ poses, and groupings of poses built to balance the physical and emotional body.
Certain key actions in poses are often carried pose to pose to reinforce a student’s progression and kinaesthetic learning.
Different sequences may be curated for different effects on the body and mind: energizing, calming, etc.
Props may be used to support a restorative element of a practice.
This helps to challenge a certain aspect of a pose as a teaching tool and to help a student in maintaining a pose in best alignment.
Iyengar yoga poses are held for longer periods of time – building as we learn and develop.
When stability is achieved in a pose, it’s then possible to safely intensify the depth of the posture.
Longer holds help to help develop strength and flexibility, along with sensitivity and awareness between the body and mind.
Many students with busy minds find this approach useful and do-able.
Think of meditation as focus and being invited to focus on your alignment in your body from your feet all the way to the crown of your head.
The instructions and verbal cues offered by instructors hook a student into a stream of awareness in their poses, that brings student deeper towards the focus of meditation.
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Sheryl Bell
"Jessica’s Iyengar yoga class is truly inspirational. She is an extremely talented instructor who is always positive, compassionate and motivating. Every detail is well thought out and organized. The classes are informative, fun and great exercise.
I am so thrilled to have found this class and look forward to many more!"
Stephanie Lambeck