Iyengar yoga is a modern system of yoga created by B.K.S. Iyengar in the 20th century. It grew out of many years of hands-on work with students in India and in the West.
How the method began
Working with people of very different physical abilities, Iyengar saw that the classical poses are not accessible to everyone and often need to be adapted.
From this came his distinctive approach: precision, attention to detail, a gradual approach and the use of props — blocks, straps, blankets, chairs and ropes. Iyengar developed and systematised their use so that people of different ages, levels and abilities could work in the poses.
Iyengar’s influence
Iyengar yoga became one of the traditions that did most to spread yoga in the West. His books, above all Light on Yoga, remain among the most widely read by yoga practitioners.
In 2004, B.K.S. Iyengar was named in the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people.
Read also: What sets Iyengar yoga classes apart? and Why use props in yoga?
