| Iyengar yoga is lauded for using yoga as a medicinal | | | | seeking of the exact posture. Positions are chosen |
| practice, bringing the body into total balance through | | | | with the intent to strengthen weak areas of the body |
| the use of asana, pranayama and meditation. Founded | | | | and to open up the mind to relaxation and increase |
| by Belur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyenga, this form | | | | receptiveness to the divine. |
| of yoga is uniquely focused on the precise alignment | | | | B.K.S. Iyengar began teaching classes around the |
| of the body during specific asana with the intent of | | | | world in the late 1930s. His form of yoga quickly |
| bringing medical, emotional and spiritual health to the | | | | became popular in Western countries. He is the author |
| practitioner. | | | | of the book "Light on Yoga", which many people |
| B.K.S. Iyengar was born in India in the early 1900s and | | | | consider the best instructional manual on yoga |
| was taught Hatha yoga as a child. Iyengar suffered | | | | available in the Western world. Today you can find |
| from many childhood illnesses including malaria, | | | | Iyengar yoga classes all over the United States; it is |
| tuberculosis and typhoid fever, but through the practice | | | | considered a highly respected form of yoga. |
| of yoga discovered ways to use the body, mind and | | | | Iyengar yoga props of all sorts are used so the yogi |
| spirit to bring himself into excellent health. This was | | | | can focus on achieving the correct posture. The |
| impressive to many people, and soon Iyengar began | | | | instructor will walk around the class, manually helping |
| teaching others his variation of Hatha yoga with the | | | | yogi achieve proper alignment. You will be encouraged |
| intent of instructing people how to use yoga to | | | | to use straps, blocks, bolsters, chairs, and even sand |
| improve their health. | | | | bags to assist you so you can reach positions |
| Based on the essential asana taught by Hatha yogis, | | | | correctly. Sometimes Iyengar yoga is referred to as |
| Iyengar emphasizes perfect body alignment and the | | | | "furniture" yoga because of this. |