1. Stay Connected
Every Iyengar yoga asana trains the practitioner to became aware of the body-mind connection and the way all the parts of the body relate to one another. To perfect any pose in Iyengar yoga, you should understand how it affects every organ and limb in the body. The spine not only gives energy to the back but also carries it to the legs and internal organs. While certain asanas are good for a particular area, to master Iyengar poses you must realize they benefit the body as a whole. That's why slow and concentrated movements are the basis of Iyengar. Unlike athletics and calisthenics, it's not about speed and repetition, but about training the body.
2. Get in Alignment
Iyengar yoga exercises also place importance on bone and joint alignment. Unlike many other types of yoga, Iyengar yoga focuses not on the number of exercises, but on the quality and final purpose of each one. Proper body alignment and awareness are the ultimate goal of Iyengar, and some of the poses have variations using different objects, like straps, blocks or balls to increase difficulty and enhance different body parts like the back, legs and arms. By concentrating on a series of exercises geared toward a specific body part, like the back or the legs, you'll improve it and corresponding areas as well.
3. Work It With Props
If, for example, you wish to make your back stronger, you can use a series of Iyengar poses solo or with the use of props. Improve a weak back with poses like the downward dog (get on all fours and lift the body up, face pointing downward, butt up in the air with weight resting on your arms). You can do a variation on this pose by supporting your body with your arms against a wall. While this exercise obviously strengthens the back, it also works on arm and leg muscles.
4. Make It Personal
After learning the various poses and modifications, you can add the final touches to Iyengar practice by utilizing them in a sequence designed to give you maximum personal benefit. If you suffer from depression, exercises like the upward facing bow will open circulatory function to the chest cavity. Coupled with opening asanas like the Sun Salutation, a predetermined set of exercises can help allay any physical or emotional problems you may have. Use Iyengar poses to improve your entire being--physically, mentally and spiritually.
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