True Yoga is Simple: 13 Steps to Deepen Your Home Practice by Olga Yumasheva - HTML preview

4. YOGA ⌿ PUNISHMENT

Upon completion of my TTC, I was lacking an

understanding of many asanas and principles

of alignment. To find the missing pieces of the

puzzle I started taking drop-in classes from

various teachers. I got particularly excited

about Iyengar yoga with its incredibly detailed

instructions. I believed that such classes could

help me understand the poses faster.

I have to say there is a big difference between

Iyengar classes in India and Russia. Of course,

Indian teachers provide extensive Iyengar-

style explanations on the poses, but they also

make sure that you perform various types of

asanas during the class. This gives a rounded

workout and a pleasant feeling of lightness all

over the body after the practice.

Iyengar studios in Russia take a different

approach. They split the training into four

weeks and concentrate on one type of asanas

each week: Standing poses, Forward Bends,

Backbends, and Relaxation poses.

I really loved the week of Backbends. This type

of asanas was reasonably easy for me, and I

could enjoy the practice. As to the Forward