Tammy,

I went to my first Iyengar yoga class.

Every pose was deliberate and held for a lengthy period of time.  Blocks and belts were frequently used to help us with alignment.  In savasana we put a padded bolster under us to be gentle to the spine.

This is much different than the vinyasa flow classes where one doesn’t have time to ponder whether the alignment is right in any position.  Do the pose and if you don’t get it, on to the next pose.  Come on!  We don’t have time to wait for you.  Bolsters, blankets, and blocks.  Are you kidding?  Help?  Help?  Only the strongest make it to the advanced levels of yoga.

Maybe Iyengar wrote his legendary book Light on Yoga to let people know that one can just do yoga and have the time to get it right.  Maybe the Big I doesn’t want you sweating.  Maybe this Guruji thought Joseph Pilates was an uptight dude and yoga should be an endeavor where your body and mind become harmoniously in sync.

Gary Kahn