BASICSIyengar is a system of postures that focuses on alignment
and breath control. It is a form of Hatha yoga that is char-
acterized by its great attention to detail. Iyengar was one of
the first teachers to use props in order to make yoga more
accessible to everyone—beginners, advanced, seniors, those
who are ill, and all others.
What Yoga Can Bring to Your Life
According to the latest Yoga in America study conducted by
Sports Marketing Surveys USA on behalf of Yoga Journal in
2012, there are 20.4 million Americans who practice yoga,
and 44.8 percent of them consider themselves to be begin-
ners. When asked in the survey why people are doing yoga,
the top five reasons for starting were as follows:
- Flexibility (78.3 percent)
- General conditioning (62.2 percent)
- Stress relief (59.6 percent)
- To improve overall health (58.5 percent)
- Physical fitness (55.1 percent)
I can tell you from my own experience that all five of
these reasons are excellent and valid reasons to come to
yoga. However, there is far more to be gained from yoga
than strength, flexibility, good health, and less stress.
As one of the few forms of exercise that also focuses on
the mental aspect of health, yoga’s list of benefits is quite
long. The following sections offer you a small sampling of