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Yoga, as a philosophy and as a way of art, is tremendously adaptable. It can be easily adapted to the needs and requirements of its practitioners. Iyengar Yoga is one such style of Yoga. It is style of Yoga that ensures that anyone can pursue the practice of Yoga, no matter what their age, physical capability or health condition. It is well known for its use of Yoga props to help beginners and students with physical difficulties to get into the correct Yoga Asanas easily, without any risk of injury or pain. Iyengar Yoga lays a lot of emphasis on the correctness of the Yoga Asanas, hence ensuring that the practitioners get the maximum benefit of holding that pose.

Iyengar Yoga was developed by Shri B.K.S. Iyengar, who started the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. He was a disciple of Shri Krishnamacharya in Mysore, India, who was a great propounder of Astanga Yoga- the Eight Limbs of Yoga as laid down by Patanjali in the 2^nd century in his treatise Yoga Sutra. Consequently, Iyengar Yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga firmly based in the philosophy of Astanga Yoga.

Yoga props used in the practice of Iyengar yoga include straps, blocks, blankets, cushions, chairs, benches and even sandbags. The main purpose of these Yoga props is to provide support to the practitioner and enable him to perform the Yoga Asanas correctly. Iyengar’s emphasis on detail and correctness can easily be witnessed in any Iyengar Yoga class, where a lot of time is spent in making adjustments and correcting the poses of those in the class.

Iyengar firmly believes that every human body is different and has different needs. Similarly, it also has different strengths and weaknesses. Iyengar Yoga is designed in a way that everybody is able to practice Yoga, irrespective of the condition their body may be in. It also teaches, enables and empowers students to overcome the weaknesses in their bodies and build on their strengths. Consequently, there are many health benefits to be derived from the regular practice of Iyengar Yoga. It makes the body stronger and improves stamina. It increases the flexibility of the body and increases its range of movement. It also improves the coordination and balance of the body. It also improves blood circulation in the body, ensuring highly oxygenated blood flows to every extremity of the body, ensuring health and vitality. It helps relieve stress and anxiety as well.

Apart from Yoga Asanas, Pranayama and Yoga meditation is also firmly entrenched in the philosophy practice of Iyengar Yoga. Pranayama helps the proper functioning of internal systems like circulatory, digestive, respiratory, metabolic and nervous systems. It also cleanses and detoxifying the body and helps in controlling the mind. Yoga meditation in Iyengar is ‘meditation in motion’ which implies that the practitioner meditates on the pose that he is performing. It increases self awareness and clears the path for spiritual enlightenment. Like classical yoga, the main aim of Iyengar Yoga is also body mind spirit equilibrium.