WHY IYENGAR YOGA?
Iyengar Yoga…
… taught in the tradition of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar. Named by Time magazine as “one of the 100 most influential people in the world, " Mr. Iyengar is widely regarded as the foremost living yoga teacher, and the most influential teacher in terms of shaping the way yoga is taught in the West today. He has made yoga relevant to modern life and accessible to a broad base of individuals, no matter their physical and/or mental abilities. Mr Iyengar is the author of the classic Light on Yoga, called the “bible of yoga,” which has been the source book for generations of yoga enthusiasts.
Iyengar Yoga classes are based on the teachings of this living yoga master. The system of teaching is methodical and progressive, emphasizing safety, alignment, and the development of exquisite self-awareness through precision in movement and attention to the subtleties of body, breath, mind, and spirit.
BKS Iyengar revolutionized the art of yoga by introducing and incorporating the use of supports called “props” to facilitate learning and accommodate safe appropriate progress.
New students who have studied other forms of yoga often remark after their first Iyengar Yoga class that this is the first time they’ve been instructed in how to do the poses.
One of the strengths of Iyengar Yoga is that it is truly a system, a method, not just an amalgam of bits and pieces gathered from here and there and patched together. Over his 78 years of practice and 75 years of teaching, B.K.S. Iyengar has studied, developed, and refined his method in such a way that there is an inherent consistency that enables serious students to learn and grow if they are willing to put in the time and effort.
...requires the most rigorous degree of testing and training in the country. Beginning 2013, all teachers at PYS are either Iyengar Certified or on track for certification! The system of certification ensures students of a knowledgeable and dedicated teacher who can observe their practice with a long range view for safety, health, and overall wellbeing.
Certification also ensures that the teacher is connected to the broader community of Iyengar Yoga teachers regionally, nationally, and internationally which offers an unparrallelled wealth of experience, knowledge, expertise, and support to it's teachers and thereby the students participating with them. Iyengar Yoga is as much a community as a method for teaching and study.
To be certified means that our teachers must have:
Studied for three or more years with a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher while maintaining a continuous regular practice
Completed a two to three year teacher training program or 150 hours of apprenticeship
Passed a rigorous initial assessment by three senior teachers
That assessment includes:
A written exam on aspects of anatomy, philosophy and teaching
A demonstration of mastery of various asanas and pranayama techniques
A teaching demonstration to evaluate teaching technique
If the teacher in training passes that first assessment, they must continue to study with a mentor for at least another year, and then take a second assessment with more difficult asanas and a more challenging written exam. Only after that is he or she awarded an Introductory teaching certificate.
The process of teacher training and evaluation is repeated with higher standards and different material at six additional levels of certification, from Introductory to Intermediate Senior 1, preparing teachers to teach at increasing levels of competency. Still higher levels of certification are granted directly by B.K.S. Iyengar.
Look for the mark. Only the world’s most knowledgeable, rigorously-trained teachers earn Iyengar Yoga Certification.
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