About YogaDescription of Iyengar Yoga by Gabriella Giubilaro
Iyengar yoga is named after B.K.S. Iyengar, a modern day master of yoga.
Iyengar yoga is most famous for its emphasis on proper alignment. Alignment of the bones and joints leads to better balance with less work of the muscles. In this way we gain more stability in the asanas with less effort. Proper alignment improves circulation, creates inner space (literally in the joints), and brings a balanced flow of energy through the whole body, which leads to health and well being. Attention to alignment in yoga is much more than making a list of points to remember while performing asanas. It is about developing a body awareness that reaches into all aspects of life.
Body Awareness
Beginner students disturb other parts of the body when they make adjustments. For example, beginners will often turn the head when they want to twist the spine. Mature practitioners develop a body awareness that is expressed in two ways. First, through an understanding of how everything is connected, they are able to make any adjustment without disturbing the rest of the body. Second, they are able to maintain adjustments as "body memory". Body awareness provides the means to open areas of the body that are blocked. This is one of the reasons why Iyengar yoga has been so successful in promoting wellness.
What is Yoga?
Yoga can be beneficial to all of us, regardless of our various states of fitness. Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. It consists of physical and mental disciplines which make us healthy, alert, and receptive. A general program of yoga not only keeps the body supple while strengthening the muscles, it also improves all the bodily functions, including respiration, digestion, elimination, and circulation. Through its many positions & postures (or "asanas"), yoga tends to the needs of the whole body. If a certain muscle needs to be stretched or strengthened, or if an organ needs to be stimulated or sedated, there is a yoga position to serve that purpose.
Although yoga is not a religion, it can be a way of life. Our experiences in yoga transform our perception of the world and the way we live in it. The increased awareness of the body and breath attained through practicing yoga extends into every aspect of our lives - such as the way we eat, and the way we relate to others.
Body & mind
Mindful execution of yoga postures, however, involves more than physical positioning. A yoga posture is brought alive by focusing the mind not only on the position of the limbs, by also on the flow of breath and the flow of energy throughout the body, extending the awareness into every cell. Through integrating these aspects of ourselves, we allow the body to be as it was meant to be. The blood flows freely throughout the body, toxins are released and eliminated, and the proper hormonal balance is maintained. The joints become open, mobile and aligned – particularly the vertebral joints. When you start your day with yoga, your body and mind are more alive, more focused, more centered and ready for the challenges of every day life.
Expand Awareness of Your Self
Yoga techniques help you to achieve your full potential as a human being. By allowing no part of the body to escape your attention, by reaching into areas of which you are unaware, and by attempting to move in difficult or unfamiliar ways, you come to recognize the aspects of yourself which have been hidden, blocked, or previously unawakened.
In short, yoga addresses the body as the physical part of the personality and recognizes that we, as human beings, cannot separate the way we move from who we are.
What is Iyengar Yoga?
The yoga instruction at Studio Yoga is based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, author of Light on Yoga and Light on Pranayama, and other titles*. His system is unique among yoga systems due to his integration of traditional yogic concepts with modern knowledge of the body and basic principles of movement.
Mr. Iyengar follows the traditional eight-fold path of ashtanga yoga: yama & niyama (moral and ethical principles), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing awareness and energy manipulation), dharanapratyahara (sense withdrawal), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (self-realization, enlightenment). The eight-fold path is the safest path of yoga, never taking you beyond what you are ready for at any given time. (concentration),
Within the eight-fold path, Mr. Iyengar has greatly developed the art and science of asana and pranayama. His system emphasizes precise and careful body alignment, maximum spinal extension, and the balanced development of muscular flexibility, strength and stamina.
In the Iyengar system, the principles of good body mechanics are never compromised. A student of Iyengar Yoga can be recognized not only by his or her alert, focused demeanor, but also by the way their movements are centered in the pelvis.
In order for all students (no matter what level of experience) to derive the benefits of each pose without compromise, Mr. Iyengar has developed and cultivated the use of yoga "props". These are backbenders and forward benders, sandbags, ropes, and benches - in addition to common items such as walls, chairs, blankets, ties and pillows. These props are especially valuable in poses for specific concerns such as high blood pressure, heart problems, arthritis, asthma, pregnancy, premenstrual tension, and other challenges – physical, mental and emotional.
For more general information about B.K.S. Iyengar, click here for the official Iyengar web-site, www.bksiyengar.com
How Can Yoga Benefit Me?
Yoga benefits and balances the other activities in your life:
If you run; You will learn the stretches necessary to stretch out tight, injury-prone muscles.
If your job is stressful; You will learn to relax.
If you sit at a desk or computer for long periods of time accumulating tension in the neck, shoulders and back; You will learn how to release that tension and eventually eliminate it.
If you are recovering from illness or injury; You will learn exercises that will help you to recuperate and resume your normal activities.