You will be delighted to practice Iyengar yoga if you do not like other yoga types that instruct you to get the postures right just by imitating the teacher. Iyengar yoga, which was introduced by B. K. S. Iyengar, mainly focuses on proper alignment of the body during the postures and you can expect an Iyengar yoga class to be highly verbal and precise about it. Comprising of 200 classical yoga asanas and 14 types of pranayamas, this yoga form is taught in such a way that students slowly work their way up the ladder of difficulty. What separates Iyengar yoga from all other types of yoga is the use of props in it. It is so important to get the postures right in Iyengar yoga that objects like wooden blocks, straps and blankets are used to enable the practitioners to execute them correctly. This prevents the practitioners from getting hurt and increases the effect of the poses at the same time. Another reason that sets Iyengar yoga apart is the sequence in which the postures are performed. Every movement is performed in a definite sequence and the main objective of arranging the movements in such a sequence is to achieve the powerful effect that is brought about by these sequenced movements. The timing is also paid a lot of attention. The postures are held for a certain amount of time so as to let the effects of the postures permeate deeper into the individual. Besides Asana, the other important aspect of Iyengar yoga is pranayama, also called breath control, which is synchronized with the postures. Once an individual has settled in a posture completely, pranayama takes some share of the work, like improving the function of different systems of the body and activating internal organs. It also instills a feeling of energy and calmness into the practitioner’s mind making him ready for meditation, another important part of Iyengar yoga.

Iyengar yoga goes beyond just asanas and pranayama. It gives much importance to meditation, a state of mind in which it becomes still and razor sharp. Sadly, even years of practice cannot help most people master meditation. When one begins practicing Iyengar yoga, he learns to distribute his attention to all the parts of the body evenly which can be almost impossible in the beginning. This helps the person control his mind in some way and thus makes the state of meditation somewhat achievable. Practicing Iyengar yoga has benefited many people in a number of ways. In addition to curing ailments, it has also been successful in helping people moderate their eating and drinking habits. Consider learning Iyengar yoga and watch the way it heals your body, mind and spirit.