I stepped into the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Maida Vale, knowing something about Iyengar yoga, but not ever having taken an Iyengar yoga class before. I am not alone in that. Iyengar yoga has a reputation in the yoga world. Steeped in tradition, Iyengar yoga is often perceived as exclusive, dogmatic, dry and set apart from the rest. Serious yoga.
And in part, that perception is correct. Alan Reynolds, who’s been Manager of the Iyengar Yoga Institute for nearly ten years unashamedly describes Iyengar yoga as precisely that: serious yoga. As a registered charity (largely self-funded), the Institute offers serious teaching for serious students. Students are encouraged to be committed to their practice, to attend two to three classes at the Institute a week and develop a home practice. Many of the members of the Institute have been practising there for over ten years: 30% of the current membership joined before 2008. 30% of members are men (that’s a high percentage in the yoga world).
In conversation with Alan Reynolds, he makes it clear that the Institute is not prepared to jump on the marketing bandwagon and employ mere commercialism to attract clients. They will not resort to trivialising what they offer. There is no need. 70% of the students live or work in the local community and come to the Institute via word of mouth and recommendation. The Institute stands on its worth and the quality and dedication of its teachers. The Institute does reach out via its informative website and via email, also offering one off workshops by visiting teachers (often from India or the United States) that are attended by students from across Europe. The Institute maintains a strong connection to Pune and is affiliated to Iyengar Yoga UK, the accrediting body for Iyengar yoga in the UK, which represents Pune in this country.
The Iyengar Yoga Institute Maida Vale is London’s original Iyengar yoga centre. We’ve been welcoming new students and experienced practitioners for more than thirty years, since B.K.S. Iyengar first taught classes here. Iyengar Yoga Institute
From 1968, senior UK students of Iyengar yoga had been delivering evening classes through the Inner London Education Authority, assessed annually by Mr Iyengar himself during visits to the UK. With no permanent space to work in, classes were held in school gyms and draughty, noisy rooms with dirty floors. The original building for the Institute was formerly an artist’s studio and its members did a lot of the conversion work themselves. The building became a home away from home for B.K.S. Iyengar on visits to Britain. In 1994, the old studio was replaced by the new premises, which were officially inaugurated by Mr Iyengar in 1997.
I feel I am part and parcel of this building from my heart, my head and my soul! BKS Iyengar
There is a strong sense of honouring this tradition as I step through the door and remove my shoes. Photos of BKS Iyengar and other respected Iyengar teachers adorn the walls. The seated area by the water cooler surrounds a coffee table piled high with books about Iyengar yoga. And yet in many respects, this centre has the bustling feel of any other yoga studio. There’s a warm welcome, a community feel, a relaxed atmosphere in the changing room. The studio itself is light and airy, stocked with mats and props on one wall. The sun is streaming in through the large window behind the low, wooden stage for the teacher and squirrels are chasing each other backwards and forwards along the fence.
It’s a Beginners Class with Marco Cannavo. And it is packed. I’ve never attended a class like it. As more people enter, we shuffle the mats closer and closer together. Marco is firm in his request that all props and water bottles and other items are removed from the floor and placed at the back of the room. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips, he makes it very clear that he is the teacher and we are the students. In fact, as the class unfolds, he is heard to state ‘I am the teacher and you are here to do exactly what I say’. This is very much a class, more so than any other yoga session I have been to. Marco instructs and demonstrates from the front. He expects everyone to listen and learn. He walks around commenting and correcting. He makes us repeat the same pose several times in perfect unison until we have all grasped what he is saying. None of this is done from a position of power however: it’s entirely motivated from a desire to help everyone achieve the most they can from a posture. He responds sensitively to different abilities in the space by quietly offering props and advice as required.
As I speak to Marco by the water cooler after the class, his commitment and dedication to Iyengar yoga and to his students shines through. Born in Italy, Marco Cannavo pursued a career as a professional dancer before coming to London where he learned yoga. He’s been teaching Iyengar yoga since 1998, has visited Pune several times and now holds a Senior Intermediate level 2 teaching certificate. And yet when I ask ‘Why Iyengar yoga?’, he struggles to put it into words. He describes it as ‘love at first sight’. As soon as he was introduced to Iyengar yoga, he knew. He didn’t need to keep exploring and trying other forms of yoga. The effects on the organic body and the nervous system…the alignment…the discipline…the awareness…the stripped back nature of the practice…this was all enough for him. This would always be enough for him. He’s not in a position to speak for anyone else and state that Iyengar yoga has it all for each individual out there, but he does believe that to be an Iyengar yoga teacher, you have to be entirely committed to Iyengar yoga. To even start teacher training, you have to have been practising Iyengar yoga regularly for at least three years. That makes complete sense to Marco. It’s not a fad or a trend. It’s not a quick and easy path. It takes time and patience and dedication. But there is no doubt in his mind that it is entirely worth it.
For me, my first Iyengar class was a positive experience. Iyengar yoga is accessible to anyone, I’ve learnt that much. The practice is progressive, building a stable foundation before attempting more demanding work. I can see the sense in that too. Only certified teachers teach genuine Iyengar yoga and that certification is a guaranteed sign of excellence.
BKS Iyengar demonstrating at a conference held at the Barbican in 1984
In 2004, BKS Iyengar was named by Time Magazine as one of the hundred most influential people in the world. And yet he never stopped learning. BKS Iyengar was often heard repeating ‘I am a student of yoga’ throughout his long years of yoga practice and teaching. Iyengar yoga is rooted in the tradition and legacy of this incredible individual. In practising Iyengar yoga, we revisit the roots of the yoga tradition and learn from the breadth and depth of insight and experience of BKS Iyengar himself. Iyengar yoga will always remain true to this man’s teaching. If you ever need to be reminded of what yoga is all about, and has always been about, then you know where to go.
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