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Published 15:03 IST, February 16th 2024

Iyengar Yoga for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide to Mindful Practice

Typical Iyengar yoga poses are held slightly longer than traditional yoga poses for an enhanced experience.

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Iyengar Yoga for Beginners – A Comprehensive Guide to Mindful Practice | Image: Freepik
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Incorporating yoga into your fitness routine can be the best thing you can do to improve your health, enhance the mind-body connection, increase your body’s flexibility and agility, tone muscles, and improve mental clarity and focus. Yoga is an ancient art that consists of poses or asanas performed in sequence. Each asana is unique, having specific movements, difficulty levels, and benefits.

Over the years many modifications to basic yoga have been devised. In the 1970s, a renowned yogi called B.K.S. Iyengar developed a form of yoga based on principles like alignment, precision, and the use of props to improve accuracy. In this blog, let us take a deeper look at Iyengar yoga, its history, the key principles guiding it, and the asanas one can practice in this yoga style.

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What is Iyengar Yoga?

Iyengar yoga is a style of yoga developed by BKS Iyengar in the 1970s. It differs from traditional yoga with its meticulous attention to alignment, accuracy, and precision of movements. The innovative use of props like blocks, bolsters, belts, blankets, and wall ropes to achieve precise alignment is one of the key tenets of Iyengar yoga.

Iyengar yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga that requires careful attention and is usually not suitable for those seeking a fast, cardiovascular workout. Over the years Iyengar yoga has found many takers, with millions across the globe practicing the art of this yoga style to improve their flexibility, muscle tone, and mental clarity.

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History of Iyengar Yoga

The inventor of Iyengar Yoga BKS Iyengar was born in 1918 in India. From the tender age of just 15, he began practicing yoga and mastered the art under renowned yogis. He moved to Pune in the 1940s and quickly gained a reputation for his innovative use of props and in-depth knowledge of precise yoga movements.

Iyengar yoga didn’t gain worldwide traction until 1966 when Iyengar released a yoga book called “Light on Yoga”. The book became a bible on yoga and turned out to be a classic. It is still considered one of the best books on yoga. The book provides the first teachings of Iyengar yoga and his focus on alignment, precision, and the use of props to achieve both.

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Today, Iyengar’s style of yoga has reached every corner of the world, with dedicated yoga studios conducting specialized classes propagating his teachings.  

Key Principles of Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar yoga is governed by a few key principles that assist in achieving the most effective and safest body alignment. Here are some of the key principles of Iyengar yoga.

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Alignment

Iyengar yoga is best known for its emphasis on accurate alignment when practicing yoga asanas. This not only leads to a more effective routine but also prevents injuries. Proper alignment also contributes to the freely flowing energy throughout the body.

Props

The next vital component of Iyengar yoga is the use of props like belts, blocks, ropes, blankets, bolsters, etc. Props are mainly used to help beginners attain the most accurate alignment that they sometimes cannot achieve without additional help. Props are useful for advanced practitioners to challenge themselves with more complex positions.

Pose Timing

Typical Iyengar yoga poses are held slightly longer than traditional yoga poses for an enhanced experience. This helps develop better endurance, strength, and flexibility.

Sequencing

The sequence of poses in Iyengar yoga is a carefully thought out process so that one pose leads organically to the next without disturbing body alignment.

Mindfulness

Finally, the final principle of Iyengar yoga is mindfulness, which can strengthen the mind-body connection. Practitioners are advised to clear their minds and be one with themselves to better understand their bodies and mind.  

Benefits of Iyengar Yoga

Now that we understand the key principles of Iyengar yoga, let us have a look at the various health benefits it offers.

Improved Flexibility

Regularly practicing Iyengar yoga greatly enhances the flexibility and reach of your body. The joints and muscles get a good stretch with this type of yoga, which results in an overall more supple body.

Increased Body Strength

Iyengar yoga asanas work on the upper body, legs, and core muscles and increase their strength. Over the long term, regular Iyengar yoga routines can help you develop improved body strength and muscle endurance to better carry out physical tasks.

Improved Balance and Posture

The focus on structural alignment strengthens the base of your body and significantly improves balance and posture. Skeletal imbalances, if any, may be reduced leading to an improved gait. Better balance and posture can help you avoid slouching and back pain.

Reduced Stress and Relaxation

Iyengar yoga has a great emphasis on the mind and clearing it of unwanted thoughts. Taking in your surroundings, looking inwards, and developing a positive mindset all contribute towards reduced stress and improved mental health.

May Reduce Pain

The gentle stretching of Iyengar yoga may help manage certain strains and aches like back pain, arthritis pain, and headaches. Iyengar yoga has been known to alleviate some pain symptoms.  

Improved Cardiovascular Health

Although Iyengar yoga does not claim to be very effective as a cardio workout due to its slow nature, the resultant stress relief and relaxation contribute in a way towards better heart health.

Improved Breathing

Those with mild breathing issues or asthma may find some solace in Iyengar yoga. The breathing techniques employed in this yoga improve respiratory function.

Injury Rehabilitation

Props are a key element in Iyengar yoga, and these can help in injury rehabilitation and recovery in certain chronic cases. By using props, the body can be back in shape in proper alignment.

Mental Clarity and Focus

A major part of Iyengar yoga deals with practicing mindfulness and focusing on the present moment. This can greatly improve mental clarity and focus. You will be able to perform your daily tasks with more contraction and fewer distractions.  

Iyengar Yoga Poses

Now that we fully understand Iyengar yoga, let’s have a look at the poses one can do in this yoga style.

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

This is a basic asana which is the beginning pose for many different yoga sequences. It is a great pose to perform first thing in the morning, It improves posture and balance.

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

This is a great pose for the hamstrings and the hips. The forward bend also improves body alignment and flexibility.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

This pose flexes the whole body, including the legs, back, arms, back, and shoulders. Getting the inverted triangle shape may be a bit challenging at first. But once you get onto proper alignment, the pose offers many benefits.

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

This is a popular standing pose that works on the hips, back, and legs. It is an excellent pose to improve alignment and greatly suits the Iyengar yoga style. Your arms, legs, and head will be in precise alignment once you master this pose.

Sirsasana (Headstand)

The Sirsasana may be an advanced-level pose but it has plenty of benefits. The balance required to sustain your body on your head and arms can contribute towards overall postural improvement. It also develops the upper body and the spine.

Who Shouldn’t Do Iyengar Yoga?

Iyengar is one of the most suitable forms of yoga that can be practiced by people of all ages and fitness levels. Even if your body doesn’t exhibit much flexibility, you can still perform Iynager yoga. However, Iyengar may not be suitable in certain cases, for example:

- If you have recent injuries or fractures: If you’re recovering from an injury or fracture, only perform Iyengar yoga on approval from a medical professional.

- High Blood Pressure: If you’re suffering from high blood pressure, avoid Iyengar yoga poses like the Sirsasana

- Pregnancy: Pregnant women must exercise caution when practicing yoga and should avoid intense or inverted yoga asanas.

Conclusion

Iyengar yoga is an excellent choice of yoga to include in your daily yoga routine. Because it is not intense, the best way to practice Iyengar yoga is to place it either as a warm-up or as an active recovery before or after an intense workout. Having said that, you can also keep your Iyengar yoga workout as a standalone workout to reap its benefits. If you’re looking to start your Iyengar yoga journey, get the FITPASS app and instantly find the best yoga classes near you.  

FAQs

What is the difference between Iyengar yoga and normal yoga?

Iyengar yoga differs from traditional yoga in its emphasis on three key factors: precision alignment, props, and sequence. It is a controlled and careful yoga style as opposed to traditional vinyasa yoga which contains more dynamic and intense movements.  

What is the primary focus of Iyengar yoga?

The primary focus of Iyengar yoga is to achieve the most precise and accurate body alignment when performing the asanas. This is attained by the use of props and also through careful and small movements.

Can I learn Iyengar yoga online?

Absolutely. You can find hundreds of videos online that explain and teach the precise art of Iyengar yoga.

15:03 IST, February 16th 2024