Iyengar Yoga Poses

Iyengar Yoga poses, derived from Hatha Yoga, is based predominantly on to the structural alignment of the body in the asanas.



In Iyengar institutes across the world students are taught the right way of doing each and every asana. Moreover all students are encouraged to believe they all will one day be able to attain perfect poses through regular practice.

The key to all forms of Yoga is to master the fundamentals and form.



According to Iyengar Yoga this is where the props come in handy. This is one of Iyengar’s major innovations. These days props have become commonplace: blankets, blocks, straps, pillows, chairs, and bolsters are all being used in yoga studios.



The use of these props owe their direct origins to B.K.S. Iyengar and are relatively new to Yoga and. The aim and intent of these props is to help practitioners attain proper structural alignment, even though the body may not yet open enough.

Once the body has created this alignment, the balance is automatically reflected in the mind. This is why so much emphasis is laid on symmetry and alignment as well as on proper breathing and meditation. All poses are retained for a longer than in most other forms of Yoga. This helps the student develop a state of focused calm.
Benefits of Iyengar Yoga include toning up of the muscles, getting rid of stress and tension and alleviating chronic aches and pains. When the weak areas of the body – and mind – are opened and strengthened and the tight ones stretch, our bodies automatically attain to correct alignment.
Iyengar Yoga is meditation in action. Hence, practicing Iyengar yoga gives the practitioner excellent knowledge of classic yoga poses. As a result, whichever other form he or she practices, the practitioner is bound to have the basic fundamentals right. Since all Iyengar teachers and instructors focus on alignment and inner awareness - starting with the body and expanding to other parts of the self – as one continues with the regularity of practice, the benefits of awareness and stretching only continue to grow and grow

Categories of Asanas in Iyengar Yoga include:
 

1. Standing
2. Sitting
3. Supine
4. Forward Bends
5. Back Bends
6. Twists
7. Inversions