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Welcome to the Yoga Selection Blog! Your place online to expand your understanding of Iyengar yoga theory and practice techniques. Share your thoughts and ideas and be part of our community.
Salamba Purvottanasana – Restorative Yoga
Salamba Purvottanasana is a great example of an Iyengar yoga restorative pose that can help to rejuvenate energy levels. Much of what is today known as "restorative yoga" has evolved from the teachings of the contemporary Indian yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar....
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Pranayama – What is it? And how to start.
Pranayama is the aspect of yoga related to breathing and breath control. This ancient practice is often treasured by long-term yogis, but can be notoriously difficult for newer students to grasp. Even seasoned practitioners might experience multiple false starts when...
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Yoga Poses For Lower Back Pain – Pavana Muktasana
Pavana Muktasana Iyengar yoga contains many poses that can help to relieve lower back pain. This post takes an in-depth look at a supported version of the yoga pose pavana muktasana. For many practitioners it is a trusted "go to" pose that can help soothe aching and...
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Iyengar Yoga Home Practice Sequence
This simple sequence of standing poses will be ideal for kickstarting your yoga home practice. It concentrates mainly on standing poses, and includes a couple of inverted poses that are central to a classical Iyengar Yoga sequence. The inverted poses are intended for...
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Iyengar Yoga Chair Backbends
This post demonstrates how to use a chair to learn dwi pada viparita dandasana and eka pada vipartita dandasana. These two poses illustrate common techniques and approaches used in the Iyengar method. Chair backbends are supported poses that allow you to practice both...
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Surya Namaskar
This article explores Surya Namaskar (sun salutes) from an Iyengar Yoga perspective. Surya Namaskar is a warming sequence of movements that can help to stimulate your heart rate and boost your energy levels. It can strengthen your wrists, arms and chest, and bring...
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How To Do Sirsasana (Headstand) Step By Step
Salamba Sirsasana (headstand) is one of the main asanas that form the nucleus of an Iyengar Yoga practice. B.K.S. Iyengar describes it in his book "Light On Yoga" as being "the king of all yoga poses". Headstand, or one of its variations is included in virtually every...
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Vrschikasana (Scorpion Pose) – Iyengar Yoga
This post explores methods for learning the yoga pose vrschikasana (scorpion pose). Vrschikasana is an advanced asana that combines aspects of both inversions and backbends. Eventually this demanding pose is practiced by placing the soles of your feet on the top of...
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Learning Iyengar Yoga Online As A Complete Beginner
The Iyengar style of yoga provides a comprehensive framework for beginners learning yoga for the first time. This very structured introduction ensures that a solid foundation is established. As a result, more meaningful and consistent progress can be made, allowing...
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Yoga Poses For a Healthy Spine
Yoga Poses For a Healthy Spine This post explores some of the ways in which Iyengar yoga can help to improve the health of your spine. It also highlights how yoga can be used as a preventative measure against common problems associated with the spine. Regular yoga...
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Iyengar Yoga For Runners
This post explores Iyengar yoga poses for runners. The article follows a sequence of poses that systematically focus on the main muscles that are involved in jogging. You may already include stretches in your jogging routine. This is an important way to improve muscle...
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Bakasana – How To Do Bakasana (Crow Pose) From An Iyengar Perspective
This post looks at Bakasana (crow pose) from an Iyengar yoga perspective. It breaks the pose down into preparatory stages that can be beneficial when practiced in isolation, or as part of a step-by-step progression towards the full pose. There are many benefits that...
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Iyengar Yoga For Lower Back Pain
There are numerous ways in which Iyengar Yoga can help to reduce lower back pain. Although there are many causes for lower back pain, it is very common for people to arrive at yoga classes with this pain originating at least in part from tight hamstrings. Stiffness in...
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Overcoming 5 Common Obstacles To A Home Yoga Practice
You might have every intention to practice yoga at home. However it can be hard to follow through on this sometimes. A home practice has many advantages. It gives you the freedom to access the benefits of yoga whenever and wherever you want to. This convenience can...
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Understanding The Mind Via The Body
The major focus of yoga is the modification of one's awareness of self in relation to others and the world. Through the practice of asanas (yoga postures), the individual develops an evolving capacity to control the body and, via this route, the mind. The sage...
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Iyengar Yoga Poses For Shoulders
This post explores a range of Iyengar yoga poses that can help to improve the health of your shoulders. The term "shoulder" is a general term that we use to denote a complex region of our bodies where bones, joints, tendons and muscles interact in way that allows...
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Iyengar Yoga Preparation for Headstand (Sirsasana)
Iyengar yoga has an array of preparatory poses that will help you to build a strong foundation when learning how to do sirsasana (headstand). Before progressing to the stage of actually standing on your head, it is important that you have acquired the strength...
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Relaxation In Every Asana
Progressing with Asana requires not only strengthening the body, but focussing the mind. Yoga provides a framework of techniques that help to foster and enhance self awareness. This greater degree of self awareness only becomes possible via fostering relaxation in...
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10 Poses In 15 Minutes To Kickstart Your Practice
Now is the perfect time to finally get around to trying yoga. You don't need to attend a yoga studio. Here are 10 poses to kickstart your practice at home. It should take you around 15 minutes. These simple poses are perfectly suited to beginners. You don't need any...
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Yoga Poses For Abdominal Strength
This post explores the abdominal strengthening poses urdhva prasarita padasana and paripurna navasana (boat pose). It is intended as a companion piece to the Weekly Advanced Class 19. This class can be found in the Weekly Classes section of YogaSelection. Improving...
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Four Stages To Learning Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
Although ustrasana (camel pose) is commonly practiced by students who are newer to backbends, it shares common techniques with more advanced asanas, and is an ideal pose with which to start deepening your understanding of backbends. It is also a pose where individuals...
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