Iyengar Yoga - An Overview

Iyengar Yoga From Home

There are many benefits to be gained by practicing Iyengar Yoga from home. If you are a novice yoga practitioner looking for a deeper understanding of this Indian discipline, this type of yoga could be right for you. Iyengar Yoga is a refined version of the classic Hatha Yoga that has been simplified. The more focused and sophisticated aspects of this type of yoga will help you become a better practitioner and a happier person as well.

Iyengar Yoga Benefits

Iyengar Yoga is a very gentle, precise form of yoga that will help you get started in a journey of self-discovery. If you're an advanced practitioner, Iyengar will help you further refine your practice as well. The intense focus on correct alignment and the application of specific props will certainly make your yoga more accessible no matter what your current level of training. Beginners will also have a lot to gain from this type of yoga class because it will help them develop the foundation skills that are necessary to become a strong Iyengar practitioner.

Iyengar Yoga Benefits for Peak Performance

The focus on correct alignment and the controlled flow of breath while performing this form of yoga will allow you to focus more intensely on your physical activities without becoming distracted by your mind. This is essential if you intend to pursue a career in sports and other physical endeavors that require peak performance capabilities. Performing this form of yoga with a partner or in a group will also help you harness the true potential of your mind-body system. As you move closer to realizing your goals, you will likely find yourself feeling better than ever before. This alone can sometimes motivate people into trying out different activities which may otherwise seem out of reach.

Iyengar Yoga Benefits for Stress Relief

This form of yoga is practiced asanas that align the body's physical, mental, and spiritual selves. This may sound counterintuitive to some, but many studies have shown that Iyengar yoga leads to lower levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, following a series of rigorous practice sessions. Some yogis even report that their lives improve so significantly that they decide to quit their jobs and go into the yoga lifestyle full time!

Iyengar Yoga Benefits for the Head, Body, and Mind

One aspect of iyengar yoga that may appeal to most is its emphasis on proper posture. The emphasis on being in alignment with both the torso and the mind-body system results in a state of deep relaxation. It also makes you less susceptible to the many aches and pains that plague our bodies during most of the day. This may be why some practitioners claim that they are able to sleep better throughout the night. Proper iyengar yoga posture can also relieve back pain, and increase the strength of your muscles-all of which are well-known treatment options for those suffering from chronic back pain.

Iyengar Yoga Benefits for the Body. Apart from being in good physical shape, practicing this form of yoga has many other health benefits for those who choose to partake in it. Those who practice it regularly report higher energy levels and greater mental clarity-two of the major ingredients toward which modern science lays much stress. Of course, the body can only show these changes so often, but when they do occur, they are impressive. In addition to improved energy levels and mental clarity, those who regularly practice the asana find that their skin becomes more youthful-perfect for those who are approaching middle age! Proper body awareness through the use of proper props also results in fewer back or knee injuries, a fact that every instructor knows is important to his students.

Beginners in Yoga generally begin by using a set of comfortable Yoga props like chairs or mats, and this is an important thing to remember when you first begin. While most instructors will tell new beginners to start on the floor and work their way up, this may not always be the best recommendation. It has been reported that the knees and feet of beginners who were put in a standing position while holding onto the Yoga props soon began to buck, which could cause some serious injury to the spine. If you wish to learn Iyengar yoga in this fashion, make sure that the Yoga props are comfortable to the body and that your knees and feet are comfortably supported.

In order to prepare the body for the more difficult poses, it is recommended that beginners practice Iyengar yoga poses with a yoga ball, a pillow, blocks, straps, or another object that provides stability and helps to increase body awareness. The use of a Yoga ball immediately puts the focus on the internal organs and allows many of the poses to be done without straining the lower back or hips. If the spine has been injured in an earlier trauma, or is otherwise in poor condition, it may be better to wait to begin Iyengar yoga until the situation has improved.