Who is B.K.S. Iyengar?

Guruji as he was fondly called by his students was born in Southern India in 1918 and died in 2014. He has Devoted his life to the practice, teaching and writing of yoga, his influence on yoga practitioners around the world has been immense. In 2012 he was voted  voted as one of the most 100 influential people of the last century by Time Magazine and placed in the top 50 most important Indians of all time. B.K.S Iyengar is the author of the classic text Light on Yoga which is still regarded as one of the most comprehensive books on the subject.

“Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit the broken pieces together. Yoga allows you to find an inner peace that is not ruffled and riled by the endless stresses and struggles of life. Yoga allows you to find a new kind of freedom that you may not have known even existed. To a yogi, freedom implies not being battered by the dualities of life, it’s up and downs, it’s pleasures and its sufferings. It implies equanimity and ultimately that there is an inner serene core of one’s being that is never out of touch with the unchanging, eternal infinite.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

 

What is Iyengar yoga?

The most widely practiced form of yoga with centers worldwide dedicated to conveying the teachings of B.K.S Iyengar. Teachers of the Iyengar method must be experienced practitioners who are fully qualified and have successfully completing the rigorous training and assessments.

Iyengar Yoga refers to the method by which his students practice, which stems deep in the tradition of Patanjali’s yoga sutras. Guruji’s interpretation of the sutras has given us a very practical approach where all the 8 limbs of yoga are interconnected and practiced primarily through asana and pranayama. Embarking on an inward journey through the body and breath to become aware of and develop all the levels of our being – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

The unique characteristics you will find in an Iyengar Yoga class is a very clear methodology. There is an emphasis on structural alignment of the body, sequencing of asanas, timing and the creative use of props.

Iyengar Yoga Haarlem is fully equipped with props such as a chairs, wooden blocks, bolsters, blankets, belts, shoulder stand blocks, etc. These props can be used to make poses more accessible to those with stiffness or injuries. These same props can also be used to work in an intelligent way, to bring more depth and understanding.