Iyengar Yoga Classes Julia Owen

“I am old, and death inevitably approaches. But both birth and death are beyond the will of a human being. They are not my domain.
I do not think about it. Yoga has taught me to think of only working to live a useful life. The complexity of the life of the mind comes to an end at death, with all its sadness and happiness. If one is already free from that complexity, death comes naturally and smoothly. If you live holistically at every moment, as yoga teaches, even though the ego is annihilated, I will not say, "Die before you die." I would rather say,
"Live before you die, so that death is also a lively celebration."”

BKS IYENGAR
LIGHT ON LIFE

Honouring Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar
Punyatithi (1918-2014)

60 Years of Light on Yoga

Published internationally in 1966, Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar has guided generations of practitioners around the world.

Often described as the “bible of yoga”, Light on Yoga brought clarity, precision and depth to the practice of asana, making yoga accessible around the world, while preserving its profound tradition.

To mark this milestone, IY(UK) is launching a special series celebrating the enduring legacy of this remarkable book.

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing conversations with senior Iyengar Yoga teachers, personal stories, historical insights, and reflections on how Light on Yoga continues to shape practice today.

Whether you’ve studied the book for decades or are opening it for the very first time, we hope this series will inspire you to return to its pages with fresh eyes.

As B.K.S. Iyengar wrote:
“Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim.”

Here’s to sixty years of Light on Yoga and to the generations of practitioners it continues to inspire.

📖 Have you got a copy of Light on Yoga? We’d love for you to share a picture of your copy of Light on Yoga and hear when you first encountered it or what it has meant to your own practice. Share your memories in the comments below.

IyengarYogaUK

Why do we often stand first?

Many students think standing poses come first because it is tradition.

But in Iyengar Yoga, sequencing is not habit.
It is teaching.

In many Iyengar Yoga classes, especially at Level 1, practice often begins with standing poses because the body can be observed more clearly.

The feet can be seen.
The legs can be activated.
The knees, hips, spine, chest, and arms become more accessible to study.

As stated in the RIMYI 2020 Syllabus:
“In a Level 1 class, one often starts with standing poses as most body parts are more accessible in this family.”

That word matters:
Often.
Not always.

A teacher may begin differently depending on the students, their condition, the time of day, the purpose of the class, or what needs to be learned.

This is why sequencing in Iyengar Yoga is never mechanical.
Standing poses help the student learn from the ground up.
The feet become attentive.
The legs become responsive.
The hip joints begin to open.
The spine learns to lengthen against gravity.

But the intelligence is not in copying a fixed order.
The intelligence is in understanding why an order is chosen.

So the next time your practice begins with standing poses, observe:
What becomes clearer?
Which parts of the body wake up first?
How does standing prepare the rest of the practice?

💬 Have you noticed how the starting point of a class changes your experience of practice?

Share your reflection below. We read every one.

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"Why are we still here?"

A new student, coming from a faster yoga style, whispered it after two minutes in Trikonasana. Half joke, half real.

We hear this often. The answer lives in one of the three pillars of Iyengar Yoga: timing.

The first few seconds in a pose, you're arranging.
The next half-minute, refining.

But after that — when the shape is found and the mind has nowhere to run
— that's where yoga actually begins.

You start to notice: where does my breath stop?
What is my mind telling me?

None of this is available in a quick flow.

As senior teacher put it: "Take your time in a pose. There is no rush. The pose is not going anywhere. But if you rush, you will miss what the pose has to teach you."

💬 What's the one pose that taught you the most — simply because you stayed in it long enough to listen? We read every one.

The same pose can teach three different lessons.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana — Supported Bridge — may look like one simple shape.

Shoulders and head rest on the floor.
Pelvis lifts.
Chest opens.
Spine arches passively.

But in Iyengar Yoga, the prop is not just “support.”
It changes what the body learns.

🌿 1. Brick under the sacrum
Small, firm, precise.

The brick gives a clear point of contact. The pelvis cannot sink. The lower back lengthens, and the lift becomes honest. This teaches pelvic awareness and the action of the backbend.

🌿2. Cross-bolster under the sacrum
Wide, soft, surrendering.

The support spreads across the pelvis. The collarbones widen, the shoulders release, and the chest opens more broadly. This variation becomes restorative — useful after long hours at a desk or for evening practice.

🌿 3. Long bolster along the spine
Full-spine support.

The spine follows the bolster from the sacrum to the back of the head. The arch becomes gentle and even, the chest lifts upward, and the front body opens from p***s to chin.

The asana does not change.
Your relationship to it does.

✨ That is the intelligence of the Iyengar prop system.

📌 Join class and learn how to use props with clarity, safety, and intelligence.
💬 Which variation have you tried — brick, cross-bolster, or long bolster? What did you notice?