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In the more than 50 years since he first began teaching, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar has become a world-renowned yoga practitioner and teacher, honored in many countries on all continents for his work making yoga accessible to everyone. He has published numerous books on the subject, notably Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and The Tree of Yoga. All of these books are widely available, and are presently on bookstore shelves. Now more than 80 years old, Mr. Iyengar continues to practice and teach at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India.
At Clear Spring Studio, several instructors teach Iyengar Yoga. Asana and pranayama form the main practice-ground, the starting place for the realization of the other limbs of yoga. In working with posture, the method is characterized by the simultaneous development of strength, flexibility, physical and mental stamina and balance. Attention to alignment though, is perhaps what most distinguishes B.K.S. Iyengar's work from other styles of yoga. Pranayama, or the breath work of yoga, is generally practiced separately from the physical postures in Iyengar yoga, largely because of its subtle nature and profound effect on the nervous system and mental state.
In physical terms, the Iyengar method makes possible recovery from many of the aches and pains that come from incorrect musculoskeletal habits, certain medical conditions, stress and injury. Mr. Iyengar has pioneered the use of support in postures, to assist the student to find the benefits of the classical posture when strength, flexibility, coordination or health is lacking. His work is widely known for its therapeutic benefits on all levels.
In terms of the larger discipline of yoga, the clear attention needed to work with alignment in asana requires and enables the practice of the other limbs of yoga. The Iyengar method teaches internalization of the senses, steadiness of concentration, subtlety of understanding, and the discipline of an ethical practice.
The state of meditation arises when the mind and body can be made still and clear, and their fluctuations cease.
Others among Mr. Iyengar's senior teachers have also written widely popular books on the subject of yoga. Among these are his daughter Geeta Iyengar (Yoga, a Gem for Women), Mary Schatz, M.D. (Back Care Basics), Judith Lasater (Relax and Renew), Sylva, Mira, and Shyam Mehta (Yoga the Iyengar Way), and Jean Couch (The Runner's Yoga Book).
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