My Iyengar Yoga Journey

My journey through dance and Iyengar Yoga has guided my teaching to focus on progressive, inclusive, and therapeutic practices that build physical fitness, body awareness, and mental focus, benefiting students of all levels.

“We should be able to do every movement imaginable”

Rudolf Laban

I read this quote for the first time when I was in graduate school working towards my MFA in Dance.  In my first dance kinesiology class I became interested in improving my ability to move, not just in dance, but became interested in how we can positively transform our physical body no matter what shape, age or condition we are in. 

This has guided my teaching as well as my choice of method in Yoga practice.  Iyengar Yoga seemed to be the answer to fulfilling the Laban quote and has proven to be so after 30 years of practice.

It could be my background in dance that appreciates a logical, sequential, orderly progression of learning physical skill.  That was my early training in dance, ballet, and in modern dance as well. 

Different from ballet and modern dance, Guruji Iyengar believed that Yoga was for all. 

The teaching methodology he developed over the course of his life clearly fulfills this belief.  In Iyengar Yoga there are poses that students just starting out learn with various details (called actions) that allow students to develop strength, flexibility, body awareness, coordination and confidence. 

The learning does not stop there as what students learn as a beginner is applied as practice continues with more challenging asanas.  Students are prepared for these more challenging asanas when they take their first class. 

Iyengar Yoga is a great method for beginners but, if it is your cup of tea, can develop into advanced level practice.

In my teaching, I follow the beginning template initially to build students physical fitness in a safe, progressive way.  Once that is learned students are introduced to more challenging poses.  New people coming into class are guided within their current level of ability so as to develop a base to move forward.  All classes I teach are progressive.

Another aspect of Iyengar Yoga that also led me to this practice was the evolved application of therapeutic modifications of asana so once again anyone can receive the benefits of Yoga.  I have studied Iyengar Yoga Therapy and apply the principles for students in every class that will benefit from that direction.

Iyengar Yoga also supports growth in the other limbs of Yoga practice. 

The actions learned in the asana begin to train the mind to focus as the first step towards moving inward.  It appears, at first glance, to be only physical yoga but is actually a very sophisticated way of moving into meditation and transformation.

I have a daily practice of Iyengar Yoga so can speak truth to power so to speak.  What I share with my students comes from this practice.  In addition to my individual practice I continue my studies with senior Iyengar Yoga teachers as one lifetime isn’t enough to learn all there is to know about this wonderful system of transformation.

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