03.19.08
Work It In, Girl
“Now, see if you can move your nose hairs.” Honest to shakti, that’s what my Iyengar teacher said to a Sunday morning class while we were two minutes into triangle pose - after we’d already used our hands to rotate our ribs another half-inch, carefully pulled our shoulders back to a certain spot, and labored our gazes a bit closer to the ceiling. (Note to self: Remember to breathe!)
Iyengar yoga, developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, has a reputation of being rigorous (just what I need first thing on a Sunday morning, right?). My yogini friend, Jenn, told me it’s all about attention to detail: Body alignment is subtle and precise, and it’s often aided by props like foam blocks, pillow-like bolsters, blankets, even straps. Our practice started with some long-lasting downward-facing dogs, a lot of forward bends, and even a pose that involved standing straight up, putting one hand on the wall, and rotating the elbow a certain way.
At one point, the instructor moved my index finger a millimeter. At another, as we sat on the floor in a side-bend, and she described the compression as “kidney chutney.” Not sure that’s an authorized B.K.S. term, but I did feel my insides squish. Admittedly, halfway through class, I found myself thinking, “Is this actually doing anything?”
But by the end of the hour, as we lay on our backs on bolsters for close to ten minutes, with our legs strapped together against the wall, I was relaxed, and honest-to-god rooted into the earth, feeling strangely aligned. Maybe that’s what the teacher meant when she said, “Today, you’re not getting a workout. You’re getting a work-in.”
- Tested by our very own Lab Lass
Feel like getting a good work in? Ask a friend to try Iyengar yoga with you this weekend by forwarding her this story! Just click on "Share This" below and get ready to feel the shakti.
Iyengar yoga, developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, has a reputation of being rigorous (just what I need first thing on a Sunday morning, right?). My yogini friend, Jenn, told me it’s all about attention to detail: Body alignment is subtle and precise, and it’s often aided by props like foam blocks, pillow-like bolsters, blankets, even straps. Our practice started with some long-lasting downward-facing dogs, a lot of forward bends, and even a pose that involved standing straight up, putting one hand on the wall, and rotating the elbow a certain way.
At one point, the instructor moved my index finger a millimeter. At another, as we sat on the floor in a side-bend, and she described the compression as “kidney chutney.” Not sure that’s an authorized B.K.S. term, but I did feel my insides squish. Admittedly, halfway through class, I found myself thinking, “Is this actually doing anything?”
But by the end of the hour, as we lay on our backs on bolsters for close to ten minutes, with our legs strapped together against the wall, I was relaxed, and honest-to-god rooted into the earth, feeling strangely aligned. Maybe that’s what the teacher meant when she said, “Today, you’re not getting a workout. You’re getting a work-in.”
- Tested by our very own Lab Lass
Feel like getting a good work in? Ask a friend to try Iyengar yoga with you this weekend by forwarding her this story! Just click on "Share This" below and get ready to feel the shakti.
