About Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga is the name given to a method of practising and teaching yoga based on the life-long practice and 75 years of teaching of Mr. B.K.S Iyengar born in India 18.12.1918.

Profound, intelligent and optimistic about the capacity of humans to change for the better, Iyengar Yoga is for everybody; every age, every body type, and all levels of fitness.

Grounded in the ancient Indian tradition and philosophy of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Iyengar Yoga provides practical tools to develop and maintain health and vitality, along with mental clarity, calm and a sense of equilibrium.

Commonly recognised by its detailed instructions, emphasis on alignment and use of props, Iyengar Yoga is essentially a study of consciousness through the actions of the body in various postures called asana.

Who is BKS Iyengar?

Mr. Bellur Krishnamachar Sundaraja (B.K.S.) Iyengar began his practice and his study of yoga as a young boy under Sri Krishnamacharya, and continued daily practice until his death on August 20^th, 2014. During his lifetime he travelled the world sharing his passion and devotion to the practice of yoga. The word ‘yoga’ means union: of body, mind and breath.

In his book Light on Yoga (1966) Mr. Iyengar was the first to publish photographs of asanas with accompanying text detailing how to practice them. That book is still available and has been the benchmark for thousands of aspiring students and teachers of yoga worldwide, translated into many languages.

Mr. Iyengar also published Light on Pranayama (1981) describing the subtle art of yogic breathing techniques, again with photographs emphasizing correct posture for optimal flow of breath and energy. In Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1993), he interpreted one of the key philosophical texts transcribed by Patanjali about two thousand years ago. In this he expresses the idea that yoga is a process of understanding of one’s own self, in order to become free from the suffering that the mind produces.

Mr. Iyengar lived his life according to the philosophical precepts of yoga. He introduced and continuously refined the methods of technique, timing, sequencing, and repetition so that practitioner had a way of studying themselves in the practice. He introduced the use of household items as ‘props’ to bring the asanas to the level of the student, thus enabling all people to participate and have and experience of yoga regardless of age, ability, or health.

In Pune, India, Mr. Iyengar established a school during the 1970’s, the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) where he taught and trained thousands of teachers from around the world right up until his passing at age 95. His son, Prashant, and his grand-daughter Abhijata, themselves great teachers, continue to teach from there.

Yarraville Yoga Centre bears the symbol of Iyengar Yoga indicating that all teachers here have undergone extensive training and a highly rigorous method of assessment.