About Iyengar Yoga at Bellaire Yoga Center

About Iyengar Yoga

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient text, is considered to be the basis for the philosophy behind yoga. In this text, there are defined 8 “limbs” of yoga. The Asana limb deals with the practice of yoga postures.

While there are many styles of Yoga; all styles use the same postures (also called poses) with a different emphasis.

Iyengar yoga is one of the most popular styles of yoga worldwide. It is based on the teachings of yogi B.K.S Iyengar and emphasizes physical alignment of the body in the poses. The Iyengar school teaches that there is a way to do each pose correctly and once students attain perfect poses through practice, a balance is created in the body and this, in turn, will be reflected in the mind.

Iyengar yoga emphasizes holding poses for a longer period of time in order to obtain maximum benefit. This builds strength and increases flexibility. Iyengar yoga is suitable for people of all types - from the athletic to those that are not yet physically fit. This includes those who are overweight, elderly or ill.

One unique aspect of Iyengar yoga is the use of props such as yoga blankets, blocks, straps and bolsters. These props are used to help the student attain ideal alignment and can be used according to the student's own needs.