Iyengar practice

[Guest guest]

I practice yoga in the Iyengar tradition. I have

a personal practice that I try to do every day. The

studio where I practice has a course syllabus of asana

for beginners, intermediate, and

advanced.<br><br>Before I started practicing Iyengar yoga exclusively, I

did some Ashtanga in workshops, classes, and personal

practice. I noticed that my lower back was killing me after

a few months of Ashtanga and realized that I

couldn't possibly do it every day, or six days a week.

<br><br>I think that both traditions are equally

challenging, but in different ways. Iyengar is about extreme

precision in your asana. If you are not willing to take the

time to get the details down, then it may not seem

very challenging. Once you do, however, even a pose

that seems very simple for Ashtangis like Vira II can

literally make your muscles tremble if you do it the

Iyengar way.<br><br>FBL- if the props make you feel

"crooked" consider the possiblity that you are just used to

doing the pose out of alignment and to finally do it

the correct way may feel strange at first. Usually

Iyengar instructors require at least six months to a year

in the Beginning level class in the Iyengar

tradition before you can even take an Intermediate class.

This is a pretty strict, universal requirement,

regardless of prior yoga experience so I don't know if you

were truly in an Advanced class. <br><br>P.S. All of

my back problems are gone now and I think that I

have learned how to prevent them from happening again.

[Guest guest]

Props don't make me feel crooked because I don't

use them. Also, supporting a person's body in a pose

for example putting a blanket under one's feet when

doing pasasana will set you back a good ten years and

you will never be able to do the pose with your heels

on the floor. That's what I don't get. And I also

don't understand about what is recommended for a

regular practice in Iyengar. That was my original

question. And I don't mean what is written in the back of

Light On Yoga, I mean what is actually taught in

classes. For example, do you practice every day? Three

times a week? Whenever you feel like it? What is

recommended?<br>FBL

[Guest guest]

Funkymama, I share some of your dislikes for the

Iyengar approach. I went to classes, but never really

came away with a solid idea of what I was supposed to

do on my own. I tried some of the routines from

"Yoga the Iyengar Way," but they were mostly

unsatisfying (to say the least). I also tried doing some of

the stuff from the back of LOY, which was more

challenging, but in the end I just felt like I was screwing

around with asanas rather than doing a spiritual

practice. All in all, the IY style was too heady for me,

too much thinking, planning, rather than just doing

the damn asanas. (This isn't an affront to you

Iyengar folks, just my humble $.02).

[Guest guest]

Just look at B.K.S. Iyengar & K Pattabhi Jois.

Both are in their eighties now, Iyengar being

Jois'junior by only 3 years. Iyengar still does the postures.

Jois has given up his practice of hatha yoga

altogether.<br><br>(Or have you ever seen an octogenarian doing Astanga

Yoga?)

[Guest guest]

Well, Gwendoline Hunt isn't quite an octogenarian, but if I can do 3rd series

when I'm in my seventies I'll be pretty pleased.

[Guest guest]

But who is Gwendoline Hunt? I've never heard of her.

[Guest guest]

chawmaw,<br><br>I do the routines from "Yoga the

Iyengar Way" almost every day (when I am not actually

doing Astanga Yoga), and I can tell you I think they

are absolutely excellent "(to say the least)". Mira

Mehta is one of the very best Iyengar Yoga teachers you

can find on this planet, and her book could also help

the lady in Providence to get a clearer picture of

what a regular Iyengar Yoga practice involves.