What is Iyengar Yoga? What Are The Benefits?

Iyengar Yoga; It is a type of yoga that focuses on the fact that people do yoga in a healthy and continuous way, giving importance to full accuracy, detail and alignment. We can summarize some of the methods applied in this yoga school as follows:

• Yoga poses; It is the main focus to do it correctly, fully and in line with the body.

• In order for the yoga pose to affect the mind and body, it should be well known how the pose should be modified or supported in accordance with the body structure.

• It is extremely important that the work is carried out in a safe, risk-free manner.

• While practicing Iyengar Yoga, we work with a sequence of yoga poses that are meaningful in itself, and preparatory for the practitioner.

• Progress is provided by providing guidance for beginner and experienced yoga practitioners to discover the essence in yoga pose.

Because of all these approaches, auxiliary materials such as rubber and wood blocks, belts, large pillows, stools, chairs can be used during Iyengar yoga in order to make the poses right and aligned with the body, to make it easier for the student if necessary, or to highlight or investigate the different effects of the pose on the body. However, Iyengar Yoga does not involve wrapping the student with auxiliary materials.

What are the reasons for choosing Iyengar Yoga?

One of the main reasons why Iyengar Yoga is preferred by people is its high teaching standards. Because Iyengar Yoga instructors are subjected to many challenging homework and exams during their instructor period, which lasts an average of 2.5-3 years, and they appear before students thanks to important experiences, causing high teaching standards. In addition, iyengar yoga is a school of yoga that can provide endurance, strength and calmness in the mind over time, thanks to accessible and applicable methods for all people. In other words, it makes an important contribution to strengthen the body and calm the mind. It also offers experiences such as strength, elongation, stretching, holding and resting. Thus, physical and mental practice is unified and integrated. At the same time, iyengar Yoga, which offers an extremely safe experience, focuses on advancing respectfully to the limits of the practitioner’s body at that time. He carefully investigates the boundaries and pays utmost attention to student health.

What is the Difference of Iyengar Yoga from Other Types of Yoga?

Iyengar Yoga form has some features that differ from other forms of yoga. These features of Iyengar Yoga can be listed as follows:

• First of all, Iyengar Yoga is a form of yoga that appeals to people of all ages and there are yoga poses that can be applied easily.

• Iyengar yoga poses are very safe, as they are suitable for the natural anatomy of the body. The variations make performing these yoga poses much simpler.

• Yoga poses should be done in an appropriate order.

• Any pose that needs to be performed requires a deep concentration. In order to do this, one should be in a meditative state as much as possible while doing yoga.

• The last important feature of Iyengar Yoga is the various physical tools and equipment used to find the appropriate form. For example, chairs, blocks and blankets are the most important materials of Iyengar Yoga. These materials are included to help you align your body in the exact position of the yoga pose. Because strap style accessories restrict the body and prevent your legs from falling sideways. Blocks, supports, and blankets also help elevate specific areas of the body, ensuring correct alignment.

Benefits of Iyengar Yoga

Various studies show that Iyengar Yoga can provide many benefits in the field of health.

In a study published in the International Journal of Yoga in 2014, it was stated that Iyengar Yoga can improve the quality of life in adults with chronic low back pain. The results of the research have shown that Iyengar Yoga performed for four weeks significantly reduces back pain. Compared with exercises targeting the abdominal and back muscles, iyengar Yoga has improved the quality of life associated with mental and physical health. The yoga program in research; By targeting the hips, waist and abdominal muscles, and diaphragm, quadriceps, hamstrings and hips, he progressed gradually with challenging poses, lengthening and strengthening these muscles. Apart from these, other benefits provided by Iyengar Yoga are as follows:

• It significantly helps improve memory, focus, balance and concentration.

• It can delay the aging process in regular applications.

• It can also help reduce heart diseases.

• People with moods such as anorexia and insomnia can get rid of such problems thanks to Iyengar Yoga.

• In addition, Iyengar Yoga can make a great contribution to reducing respiratory problems as it focuses on pranayama.