Thoughts on Iyenga and Ashtanga yoga

An enthusiastic friend encouraged me to go to an Iyenga yoga class last night. As we parked a number of people converged on the hall with trolleys or large bags, like fisherman on their way down to the lake. The hall was closely packed, warm and friendly. The teacher Sue, had just returned from India and was suffering from jet lag. She had a precise air, having been classical ballet trained. I liked her manner, very serious however, when it came to the teaching. I sweat a lot in yoga so as usual, stripped off the outer clothing for action. After 20 minutes I was cold. After an hour and a half I was glad of a woollen blanket to snuggle under for the final Shivasna or corpse pose, at the end.

Sue made some great points about warrior pose. Set up your back leg stiff and straight. Lift the toes of your front foot with your front leg straight. Then bend the front leg and place the toes down, keeping the same angle of bending. It activates the muscles in the pelvis.

At one point the teacher asked us to get ready for halasana or plough pose, then headstand. Looking around the room I felt distinctly out of place. People were tying straps around their arms and rolling up their mats in lots of foam blocks. I used to have them but most of them have gone to people with dodgy knees. Feeling like Mr Bean I folded up a tiny piece of fleece blanket as thick as it would go. Sue was obviously not happy at my intentions. She asked where my support was. I replied that we do not use them in our class. She said that it was obviously not an Iyenga class. Somehow we managed to cobble some blankets together. Doing shoulder stand with soft supports under the neck and shoulders was very uncomfortable. Newton's second law of motion says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If you use soft supports you cannot achieve a strong lift. If you use a firm resistance you can achieve a stronger lift.

I can see the purpose of using blocks, straps and blankets to help people who are stiff, or give beginners a start. However, pulling yourself into position with a strap for instance, takes away from the inner banda that engages your core muscles to bring you into the asana. I cannot imagine coach loads of Indian yogis still carting their trolleys to classes after years of practice.

I came home feeling like I needed some exercise before going to bed. Iyenga yoga is fantastic if you want to set up your asanas precisely, thinking through how you go into and come out of the pose. What puzzles me is that Iyenga teachers look down on movement based flow vinyasas as less precise and therefore less pure forms of yoga. I am so grateful for starting with Iyenga, but much prefer the challenge and strength involved in Ashtanga. The teachers are more accepting that we are trying hard to improve our own inner standards, not trying to meet someone else's definition of perfection. Surely yoga is an inner journey to gaining control and harmony both inside and out?