अयंगार
Iyengar
Alignment is the method, and props are how a body of any shape reaches it.
- Intensity
- 3 of 5
- Level
- All levels
- Length
- 75 min
- Props
- Mat, blocks, belt, bolster, chair
What Iyengar actually is
Poses are held while the teacher works on detail: which way the knee tracks, where the weight sits in the foot, whether the ribs are lifting or collapsing. Belts, blocks, bolsters and chairs are not aids for the inflexible — they are how everyone finds the shape correctly.
It is the tradition of choice for anyone recovering from injury or living with chronic pain, because it is the most exacting about what the body is actually doing.
75 min, minute by minute
0—10 min
Standing alignment at the wall
10—35 min
Standing poses with belt and blocks
35—60 min
Supported inversions and backbends
60—75 min
Restorative close and śavāsana
Shapes you will meet
Mountain at the wall
Tāḍāsana
Extended triangle
Utthita Trikoṇāsana
Tree
Vṛkṣāsana
Supported bridge
Setu Bandha
Legs up the wall
Viparīta Karaṇī
Online or in studio
Practise Iyengar with Dr. Sharma
Classes are arranged around when you are free — live online from anywhere, or in the studio. Your first one is free.
Questions
- Do I need to buy all those props?
- Not at once. A mat, two blocks and a belt cover most classes; a folded blanket stands in for a bolster and a dining chair works as a chair.
- Can Iyengar help my back pain?
- Many students come for exactly that and find it useful. It is not medical treatment — tell us about your condition in the assessment and see your doctor first.
- Is it slow?
- Yes, deliberately. You will still find some holds physically hard.
Still not sure Iyengar is yours?
Nine questions, ninety seconds, an honest answer.