What is Iyengar Yoga?
The Iyengar Yoga Community is world-wide. Connect with others at The Commons to learn more about this tradition and build community as we travel this path of yoga together.
Who is BKS Iyengar?
BKS Iyengar (Dec. 14, 1918 - Aug. 20, 2014) was the founder of the style of yoga known as "Iyengar Yoga" and is considered to be one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world.
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Often referred to as “the practice of precision”, Iyengar yoga is a great choice for students looking to build a strong foundation and further their practice. BKS Iyengar, whom this tradition of teaching is named after, brought yoga to the west in the early 1960's with his book "Light on Yoga". His relentless pursuit of demonstrating that yoga is for everyone led him to invent many of the props we use today. Mr. Iyengar knew that without addressing the inequalities and pains in the body the mind would not be able to fully concentrate. The use of props helps the student concentrate on correct body alignment and as the mind is trained to focus on these aspects, it becomes quiet and calm. This is the brilliance of "the practice of precision", or the teaching style of Iyengar Yoga.
The Commons @ Pettaway CIYT's
(Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers)
Rest assured when you take a class with a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, you are under the guidance of someone who has spent years practicing and acquiring knowledge prior to certification, approaches learning yoga as a lifelong pursuit, and is grounded in the traditional philosophy of the 8 limbs of yoga, weaving these concepts into each class.
All weekly yoga classes offered at The Commons are with Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers. Read below and here to learn more about what it means to be certified and teach in the Iyengar Yoga method. See the full teachers bio's here.
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The phrase “Iyengar Yoga” describes the method of practicing and teaching yoga that B.K.S Iyengar and his family developed. Teacher certification maintains, promotes, and protects this method's excellence for yoga practice and teaching. To be granted certification, teachers must pass an assessment of standards in three categories: a demonstrated practice of asanas/pranayamas, a written exam, and demonstrated teaching skills. Iyengar certified teachers are required to maintain 30 hours annually of continuing education, practice, adhere to ethical guidelines, and maintain a commitment to the Iyengar method (no mixing methods).
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There are five distinct levels of certification in Iyengar Yoga, recognized in the U.S. and globally. Each level has its own syllabus of poses, required knowledge, set of skills, and responsibilities. Levels 1, 2, and 3 are currently assessed in the U.S. by the IYNAUS (Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S.) and Levels 4 and Level 5 are assessed directly by the Iyengars at RIMYI in Pune, India.
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The Iyengar Family lineage: Geeta & Prashant Iyengar
In 1943, Guruji married his wife Ramamani who supported Guruji along with her family of five daughters namely Geeta, Vinita, Suchita, Sunita and Savitha and one son Prashant.
In 1973, Guruji laid the foundation of Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, named after his late wife Smt. Ramamani Iyengar. His daughter Geeta and son Prashant began teaching along side Guruji from the beginning of the institute's establishment and became Co-Directors of the Institute after his passing.
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Geeta S. Iyengar (December 7, 1944 - December 16, 2018) was the eldest daughter of Yogacharya BKS Iyengar. She mastered the art of yoga at a very young age by observing her father in practice. She was also a graduate in philosophy. She started teaching in 1962 and has taught thousands of students from all over the world. She is credited with advancing yoga for women and is the author of following books: Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yoga in Action - Preliminary & Intermediate Course, and Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood: Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers.
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Prashant Iyengar is the son of BKS Iyengar and current Director of the (RIMYI) Institute in Pune. He was exposed to yoga from early childhood and took to Yoga in his teens in the late 1960s. He is a scholar of yoga texts and is a prolific author with many titles to his name. He is also a virtuoso violinist.
The Iyengar Lineage:
Abhijata Iyengar
Abhijata Iyengar began her yoga study at 16 under her maternal grandfather's direct guidance, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar (Guruji), her aunt, Dr. Geeta S. Iyengar, and her uncle Sri Prashant Iyengar. Abhijata holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a Masters in Bioinformatics, is a mother of two, and is now one of the world's leaders in continuing Guruji's legacy.
Following in the footsteps of her grandfather, her aunt, and her uncle, Abhijata is a senior teacher at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune and teaching internationally at Iyengar Yoga conventions around the world. She is in charge of the therapeutic classes at the institute. While her family's influence is evident in her instruction, she has developed her own teaching style that evinces poise, maturity, and humor.
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“What is lacking is knowledge. What is rare is wisdom. Someone can be informative. To be knowledgeable is another thing. To be wise is another thing all together.”
—Abhijata Iyengar
