-min.png){kind=small}
What Is Iyengar Yoga?
Iyengar Yoga is based on the teachings of the yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar whose trainings and practice of over 70 years resulted in great innovations in the teaching of yoga. Iyengar Yoga is one of the most widely practiced forms of yoga in the world and is accessible to anyone, independent of their limitations or capabilities.
Props may be used to reach a deeper penetration into the poses, and combined with longer holdings of poses assist students in executing an asana without putting them at risk. There is a lot of diversity of practice and in the safe sequencing and structured progression of the poses, which prevents overuse and injury. The Iyengar approach to yoga is also therapeutic in nature.
What further distinguishes Iyengar Yoga is the emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture (asana) and breath control (pranayama). The very high degree of attention paid to correct anatomical alignment and detail in all poses makes each pose healthy for joints, ligaments and muscles. This combined with the cultivation of self-awareness, intelligent evaluation and deep inward reflection results in also developing the mental benefits of a full meditation in action. Effective alignment helps to achieve balance between body, mind and breath.
In addition to acquiring optimal body alignment, the Iyengar method develops strength, stamina, stability, suppleness, mobility, flexibility, and relaxation through the asanas. Regular practice improves overall health, posture and concentration, and quiets the mind to promote well-being. Students learn to be fully and vibrantly present in the moment.
Certified Iyengar Yoga teachers complete international standards of comprehensive and rigorous certification which take years of study. Certified teachers are able to tailor poses to individual’s needs.
Why Choose Iyengar Yoga?
There is nothing else that comes close to the depth of Iyengar yoga. The clarity, understanding, safety, and fullness of the practise is unique to this methodology. From your first Iyengar Yoga class taught by a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher, you will recognize the incredible wealth of information available for the evolution of one’s practise and developing consciousness.
Some Of The Benefits Of Iyengar Yoga:
- Improve physical, mental and psychological health
- Improve posture and breathing
- Increase energy, vitality, focus and concentration
- Improve balance, muscle tone and structural issues
- Increase strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and mobility
- Release emotional tension and stress and experience peace of mind
- Learn mindfulness and how to be exist fully in the present moment
- Bring intelligence, awareness, self-knowledge and clarity to all aspects of oneself, mind and body
Where Is The Best Place For Iyengar Yoga In Toronto?
YogaBuds is the best place for studying Iyengar Yoga in midtown Toronto. It is a warm and welcoming home-based studio with limited space so class numbers are small. Small classes create a safe space for each student to learn, as he or she receives a lot of individualized attention. There is a lovely sense of community as well.
YogaBuds director, Temmi Ungerman Sears who has over 36 years of personal practise teaches all the classes. She conveys her passion, insights and understanding of Iyengar Yoga with authenticy, humor and precision.
The studio is unique it that it provides Iyengar Yoga classes for all ages including young children, teens and adults. There are yoga classes for families, as well as for mother and daughter. All classes are taught in the traditional Iyengar methodology regardless of age.
Accompanying traditional Iyengar yoga is a strong dose of creativity. Stories, philosophy and metaphor are also infused in all classes. In addition to the asanas, pranayama and yoga sutra readings and discussions, mindfulness meditation is taught in each class as well. Experiencing meditation in action is a component of the Iyengar methodology.
Students are encouraged and expected to sign up for a full session in order to make the commitment to the practise and thus reap the many benefits from it. All classes are taught by YogaBuds director and founder, Temmi Ungerman Sears, Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist.
“The practice of yogasana for the sake of health, to keep fit, or to maintain flexibility is the external practice of yoga. While this is a legitimate place to begin, it is not the end,” says B.K.S. Iyengar. “Even in simple asanas, one is experiencing the three levels of quest: the external quest, which brings firmness of the body; the internal quest, which brings steadiness of intelligence; and the innermost quest, which brings benevolence of spirit.”
To learn more about YogaBuds, CLICK HERE