Clear Yoga offers Iyengar Yoga. Our instructors are certified Iyengar Yoga teachers.
Regular practice of Iyengar Yoga integrates the body, mind, and emotions. Iyengar Yoga is a powerful and sophisticated discipline that can be practiced in all stages of life. The benefits are far-reaching and will assist the practitioner in every aspect of daily living.
Every class is different. The poses are taught in simple terms to helps you pay attention to what’s going on in your body so you have tools to fix, help, or become stronger mentally and physically.
Iyengar Yoga is accessible for all ages, abilities, and all body types. It is known for its focus on precision and timing and the use of props, which were designed by Mr. Iyengar and help the practitioner to achieve any asana.
Iyengar Yoga has many therapeutic applications. Back issues, hip and knee issues, shoulder and neck, and also stress, depression, anxiety, and trauma can be helped, and in some cases cured through regular practice. BKS Iyengar said “Yoga will cure what can be cured and help us endure what cannot”.
This system of Iyengar Yoga was created and developed over 75 years ago by Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar. Mr. Iyengar devoted his life to the evolution of his approach to yoga, which is based on the traditional eight limbs of yoga taught over 2500 years ago by the sage, Patanjali. Mr. Iyengar believed that yoga goes beyond being a physical discipline- it is also an art, a science, and a philosophy.
Iyengar Yoga is differentiated from other methods by a worldwide, standardized system of instruction. Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYTs) undergo rigorous training and evaluation to earn their certifications. Only CIYTs are permitted to describe their method of instruction as Iyengar Yoga. CIYTs are trained to provide clear demonstrations of each posture and are skilled in using simple props to maximize the opening and awareness of the body, providing support to the less flexible and extra extension to the more advanced student.
Teaching is oriented toward gradual but steady progress rather than quick and fleeting results. Each Iyengar Yoga class is a unique sequence developed by the CIYT to guide students through a safe and systematic progression. Through skilled instruction and practice, students learn to penetrate beyond the physical body to the inner kosas (layers) of mind, energy, and spirit, gaining vitality, clarity, and calm.
The New York Times points out that because Iyengar yoga “focuses meticulously on proper alignment” and its teachers undergo “rigorous training,” it allows instructors to cater to students’ individual needs and to minimize the risk of injury.
WebMD states, “Analytical in its approach with a constant attention to detail, Iyengar yoga is great for learning the subtleties of correct alignment in each pose. The use of props — belts, blocks, and pillow-like bolsters — help beginners get into poses with correct alignment, even when they’re new to the poses, injured, or simply stiff.”
If you are interested in teaching Iyengar Yoga consider our mentor program.
Jessica Becker is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher at the Senior Intermediate 1/level 3. She is a member of IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) and has taught Iyengar Yoga for 23 years in the Hudson Valley. Jessica works with methodical detail. BKS Iyengar said that a yoga practice should be experimental, and every day is a new experiment. Her classes are playful, challenging. She is well practiced in Iyengar Yoga therapy as an effective tool to help injuries and other conditions. She is currently studying with Corine Biria.
Sheila Bunnell started studying yoga in 1998 and soon began training with Joan White, one of Iyengar Yoga’s senior teachers. She became certified as an Iyengar Yoga Instructor in 2007 (Junior 1/level 1). Sheila has continued to pursue her education, studying with senior Iyengar instructors at classes, workshops and training events. She has also attended several classes with BKS Iyengar as well as Prashant and Geeta Iyengar in the US and/or in India where she studied for a month in 2010. She also attended several lectures with Edwin Bryant on the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and studied Anatomy/Physiology and Kinesiology at the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy. Sheila is currently enrolled in the next level of the Iyengar teacher training program with Joan White. www.sheilabunnell.com
Susan Tveekrem is a Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher (Introductory/level 1). She was introduced to yoga for relief from chronic lower back pain and has studied exclusively in the Iyengar method for 20 years. She has studied under Jessica Becker since 2013 and regularly attends workshops with many advanced Iyengar teachers. Susan has taught at Clear Yoga since 2011. She also holds a teaching certificate from the Yoga Institute of Houston.
