My Day at the Iyengar Yoga Institute Maida Vale

Sally B describes how she discovered the Iyengar Yoga Institute Maida Vale (IYIMV), what differences the Institute presented to her compared to her previous yoga experiences, and what benefits she believes she has gained.

I have been practising yoga for over 15 years now, initially taking it up to improve my flexibility. I was regularly feeling stiff and sore and experiencing lower back pain, (probably from unsupervised workouts at the gym) and someone advised that yoga might help. 

Over the years I have regularly practised Ashtanga and most recently Bikram yoga, but when a friend recently recommended Iyengar yoga and referred me to the IYIMV website, I was keen to find out more. I really liked the site and based on what I saw, decided to try my hand at Iyengar yoga and attend a class at the Institute.

When I arrived at IYIMV, I found the environment was very calm and the people I met were very welcoming and friendly. The teacher, Elisabeth, paid great attention to the detail of the postures and I felt that I was in very safe and experienced hands. Also, I’d been doing a new routine at the gym and was feeling quite stiff when I arrived but by the end of the class all the stiffness and soreness had gone and I had a real sense of well-being.

I had tried Iyengar yoga before, or what was supposed to be Iyengar yoga, but on reflection the class was nothing like the IYIMV class and I’m not sure that the teacher was properly qualified. Having also previously done Ashtanga and Bikram yoga at other places, I found the skill of the teacher much more evident at the Institute - I understand from conversations with people I met, that teachers have to train for several years before they are allowed to teach classes. 

There were quite a few other differences at the Institute compared to my previous yoga experiences; for instance, at the Institute the content of the classes vary according to factors like age and experience. There’s a much greater use of props, and teachers are really ‘hands on’ in terms of adjustments and corrections to individuals in the class. Also, postures are held for much longer and I could feel the effect of this deep into my muscles. However, the main difference is that Iyengar yoga is a holistic and spiritual experience, engaging the mind and the body. Indeed the founder of this form of yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar, stated that "Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit”, and this value is certainly reflected in the Iyengar form of yoga. 

If you live in London and are serious about yoga, the Institute is the ideal place. The venue is easy to reach, the studios are dedicated to yoga and the teachers are unrivalled in their experience. On top of that, there are lots of classes throughout the whole week for people of different ages, abilities and circumstances. The pricing structure is also very reasonable.

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