About Iyengar Yoga

John Schumacher, Director of the Unity Woods Yoga Center describes Iyengar Yoga this way:


Iyengar Yoga is named after B.K.S. Iyengar, the world's foremost living yoga teacher and author of the classic text, Light on Yoga. The Iyengar method involves performing asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises) with an emphasis on alignment and development of self-awareness through precision in movement and attention to the more subtle aspects of posture and breath. The practice is vigorous, balances flexability and strength, and builds endurance. Props such as blocks, straps, chairs, bolsters, and blankets are used to enable the student to obtain the benefits of otherwise inaccessible postures and/or internal actions and states. Iyengar teachers give detailed, anatomical instructions, and hands-on adjustments. These help to guide the student toward safe, effective practice and an increasingly focused state of mind, and in this way, Iyengar Yoga becomes meditation in motion.


To further differentiate Iyengar Yoga from other styles or methods, I sometimes mention that we [referring to teachers at Unity Woods] don't play music; we keep the lights on; we practice with our eyes open; we are interested in fostering in-the-body, not out-of-body experiences; and teachers are required to study for at least 3 years and pass a difficult, comprehensive assessment to become certified.


About B.K.S. Iyengar

Bellur Krishnamachar Sunduraraja (B.K.S.) Iyengar is the world's foremost living teacher and authority on the practice and philosophy of yoga, having devoted a lifetime to its study. Now at 88, he lives with his family in Pune, Maharastra, India. Although officially retired from teaching, he continues to participate in the activities of the yoga Institute he founded 30 years ago, now led by his daughter Geeta and son Prashant. He is the author of classic texts on yoga, including Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali. His latest book is Light on Life, which distills his wisdom and integrates his knowledge of yoga from 70 years of practice.