Iyengar Yoga is the method developed and taught for over 60 years by world-renowned yoga teacher B. K. S. Iyengar, in Pune, India. B. K. S. Iyengar is the author of the classic Light on Yoga, and his method, with its profound understanding of the unity of body, mind and soul, is now taught on six continents and throughout the United States.

Instructors are certified to teach Iyengar Yoga only after years of practice and study, and must pass a rigorous certification exam.

Iyengar Yoga is a vigorous practice which builds strength, flexibility, and balance. Poses performed correctly benefit the body as a whole, including the cardiovascular, digestive, nervous and immune systems. Iyengar Yoga poses relieve stress by stretching muscles contracted by stress, and by building stability of both body and mind, helping the practitioner feel grounded and confident. Passive poses release stress through surrender. All the work in an Iyengar Yoga practice steadies and focuses the mind; students leave feeling rejuvenated, and carry with them a sense of calm, clarity, and well-being.

Iyengar Yoga is progressive. In the beginning students lay the foundation by learning the fundamentals of basic poses. As study continues, practitioners refine their basic poses, and as the body is strengthened and stabilized, more advanced postures are introduced.

The Houston Iyengar Yoga Studio offers study at four levels. To get an idea of what is taught at each level, go to the LEVELS section.

Alignment

Iyengar Yoga is known for its emphasis on precise skeletal alignment and muscle action: instruction and correction are given in abundance so that each pose is safe, grounded, and integrated. An integrated pose benefits the whole body and develops muscles in a balanced way. Work on correct alignment deepens the mind-body connection, increases awareness and focus.

Props teach correct action, enable stiffer students to benefit from a pose, and/or support the body for long holdings--some poses are more beneficial the longer they are held.

Correctly performed yoga postures improve breathing. They free the diaphragm, expand the chest, create mobility in the intercostal muscles that control breathing, and stretch lung tissue. After postures have been practiced for some time, after the nervous system has been stabilized and the student is able to relax deeply, pranayama--the practice of breath control--is introduced.

Students of Iyengar Yoga are encouraged to practice at home what they've learned in class. Regular home practice greatly increases the benefits and accelerates learning and the transformation of body and mind.