BKS Iyengar / BNS Iyengar

[Guest guest]

BKS Iyengar and BNS Iyengar, along with PK Jois

and TKV Desikachar, were students of Krishnamacharya.

Each of the four of them has kind of developed their

own styles of asana practice. Desikachar is

Krishnamacharya's son and teaches Viniyoga, which stresses that

asana practice must be tailored to the individual. PKJ

teaches Ashtanga yoga. BNS Iyengar (no relation to BKS -

it is a common name) also lives in Mysore and

teaches I think pretty much the same style as PKJ. BKS

Iyengar is probably the most famous yogi in the world. He

is the author of the classic Light on Yoga. When

someone says "Iyengar Yoga" they are referring to the

teaching of BKS Iyengar. (BNS is largely unknown outside

of Ashtanga students who sometimes study with him in

Mysore). Iyengar is not really "lightened Ashtanga" but a

different approach, perhaps more therapeutically oriented.

Each class may be different, there is no particular

sequence, breath is not coordinated with movement, postures

are held longer, props are often used. Iyengar and

Ashtanga are probably the two most significant styles of

serious yoga asana practice. Many top teachers, such as

Godfrey Devereux and Sarah Powers, have trained

extensively in both styles.