What is Iyengar Yoga?

April 23, 2019/Jennie Williford CIYT
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It is funny that we keep asking this question – even among our own community of Iyengar Yoga teachers and practitioners. Abhijata Iyengar even decided to pose this questions to us during our last meeting. And, for students of yoga and/or new students who have never done yoga, we would love to have a succinct answer.

But, it remains that when asked “What is Iyengar Yoga?”, we continue to have to pause, reflect, and consider the person in front of us – what might they be looking for from yoga?

Because that is just it! Iyengar Yoga is everything you might want AND many things you never would have expected. It is YOGA as given to us by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it is a physical practice good for any person with any issue at any ability level, it is an art, science, and philosophy, it is physical and emotional and spiritual, it is stability and mobility, and it is change and transformation and experimentation.

So, what are you looking for?

I will say, the thing that will stand out when you enter an Iyengar Yoga class is the amount you will learn and the amount you are challenged to actually pay attention to your self. I think we can all admit that no matter what we are looking for in yoga, it has to do with taking care of our self in some way. So, like your own body and the experience of life itself, yoga is not a practice to just “drop-in” on and leave behind. For full effect and best benefit, you might want to stick around a while.

The Yoga Place offers Intro classes to Iyengar Yoga for you to “come and try” – an 8-week course is starting next week !! NOW is a great time to come on in and develop your own answer to the question “What is Iyengar Yoga?” !

SEE YOU IN CLASS !!

Jennie Williford CIYT

Jennie Williford (CIYT Level 3) is a transplant to LaCrosse via Montana, Illinois, and originally Texas. Throughout her life moves and 5 trips to India, Jennie has acquired a well-rounded and multi-faceted approach to Iyengar Yoga since her start in 1998. Jennie loves the experimental and explorative nature of yoga in accessing deeper knowledge of the Self on every level. The practice of yoga can be intense and introspective, however as practitioners we can be light-hearted and open-minded in our discipline. Jennie is intrigued by the philosophy of yoga and hopes to share this depth of subject while teaching the physical and mental benefits that come from the practice of posture.