pictured above: (center) B.K.S. Iyengar (14. December 1918 – 10. August 2014) founder of the style of yoga known as „Iyengar Yoga,“ also known as author of many books on yoga practice and philosophy including, Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life.
(left) Geeta Iyengar (7. December 1944 – 16. December 2018) eldest daughter of B.K.S Iyengar, yoga teacher and author of Yoga A Gem For Woman, was described as the leading female yoga teacher.
(right) Prashant Iyengar son of B.K.S Iyengar is presently the director of Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute (R.I.Y.M.I) in Pune India, and he is an authority on Yoga.
WHAT IS YOGA?
Yoga is one of the six systems of Indian philosophy.
The word yoga originates from the sanskrit root yuj which means union.
„Yoga is a highly evolved science. It is composed of a series of steps that begins with mastering the senses and culminates in the final reunion of the mind with supreme Consciousness. Yoga is meeting and merging. Yoga is a concise term that expresses the vastness of the practices a seeker must perform. Yoga is the seed, the beginning; it is also the fruit, the culmination. Yoga, when properly understood, invokes the experience that lies far beyond the borders of your familiar world. Yoga is discipline, not in the sense of being crushed under a boulder that is rolling down a mountain, but of being in the presence of the Seer within. Yoga is to know the Knower, to know the Witness, to know the One who watches your waking state, your dream state, and your state of meditation.To know this Knower is yoga.“
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
WHAT IS IYENGAR YOGA?
Iyengar Yoga is based on the teachings of Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar (December, 14th 1918 - August, 20th 2014), author of many books including the classic yoga treatise Light on Yoga. His daughter, Geeta, and son, Prashant, are also accomplished teachers and authors of several yoga texts. The Iyengar family’s teachings are deeply grounded in the yoga sutras of Patanjali, an ancient summation of the path and philosophy of yoga considered to be at least 2,500 years old. B.K.S. Iyengar’s intense practice of over seventy years of teaching have produced significant innovations in the teaching of the art and science of yoga. B.K.S. Iyengar refined the use of props in the practice of yoga to allow all practitioners access to the benefits of the postures regardless of physical condition, age, or length of study.
WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE FEATURE OF IYENGAR YOGA?
Emphasizes correct alignment of all parts of the body in each asana (posture).
Asana practice is about learning about yourself and not to be attached to the outcome.
The use of props such as belts, blocks, ropes helps you to achieve healthy precision.
This precision builds strenght and stamina, balance, flexibility and a new sense of WELLbeing.
Achieving meditation in action, you learn to exist fully and vibrantly in the present moment.
Through the practice of yoga, health and wellness of the body and mind are acquired.
Read more about B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga at his official website