Do you think you have to be flexible to practice yoga? Not at all!<\/p>\n
Only a few people are flexible before beginning Yoga anyway. Yoga brings a range of motion to those who are active and tight and brings stability and strength to those who are overly flexible and weak.<\/p>\n
But if you’re new to yoga and you’re worried about your lack of flexibility, the Iyengar style can be a great start. Iyengar yoga is especially great for those of a certain age as it is not as dynamic or strenuous, and it puts a lot of emphasis on the use of supports to achieve correct alignment.<\/p>\n
Some characteristics of this style of yoga are:<\/p>\n
1) Intensity, time of permanence in the postures. This method demands a total commitment in every aspect of the practice. It is not the movement, but the time in the position what matters.<\/p>\n
2) Accuracy and alignment. If the body is aligned, the organs and glands are also aligned and will cause them to function correctly. This physical, organic, and energetic balance will allow body, mind, and spirit to act in a balanced way.<\/p>\n
3) The sequence of practice.<\/p>\n
4) Use of supports for alignment. Whether people are healthy or have some impairments, the use of supports, such as belts, blankets, blocks, chairs, etc. will help them to align and balance the body. These supports allow practitioners with some physical limitation or rigidity to perform the postures correctly and obtain the benefits of them that otherwise would not have been possible.<\/p>\n
As a direct student of BKS Iyengar, I know the many benefits of this method as a very effective healing mechanism for countless physical, emotional, and psychic diseases.<\/p>\n