Said to be the most commonly practised form of yoga on the planet, Iyengar yoga focuses on perfection.
Perfecting the union of body, breath and mind, the practitioner uses blocks, belts and bolster cushions to aid structural alignment and movement.
Mr BKS Iyengar began practising yoga when he was sixteen, then went on to develop a systematic method of yoga, which has taken him into his eighties.
Students of Iyengar yoga first practise precise asanas, postures, before moving on to learn pranayama, breathing techniques.
Patience is essential when signing up for Iyengar as all the small, technical details matter!
Learning the Iyengar method is a slow, methodical process. There are no shortcuts, and, if it's the middle of winter and you're in a drafty Church hall, all that standing around checking your toes are in alignment with your hips can create more tension that the stuff you went there to lose.
Warning - if you're after a warming aerobic-yogic workout - this is not for you.
But, if you wish to get under the skin of the yogic principles as laid out by Patanjali, approx 1700 years ago, and discover what it means to unite and balance your body and mind, then Iyengar yoga is for you.
The class I attended was taught by a rounded, jolly lady, bright in oranges and pinks. She was a full of quirky knowledge about Hindu goddesses and began each class with a chant.
Chanting an invocation to Patanjali, father of Yoga, was a powerful way of entering the yogic space. However I felt upon arrival, the chanting brought me into my body, leaving the chitta chatter of my mind outside. Chitta is consciousness - mind & ego - and is always switched on, unless we silence it.
The main thing about Iyengar yoga, as my bouncy and bubbly teacher demonstrated, is that you don't have to be tiny, toned and bendy. It is not about leotards and posing: it is about understanding the core principles of how your body is. How the breath is connected to every cell. And how we can harness the power of the mind, by silencing it.
To learn more about Iyengar yoga, visit BKS Iyengar or Iyengar Yoga where you can track down a teacher near you.