Iyengar Yoga in Leeds

Many thanks to Ilkley Tennis club, we raised £2120 for charity.

Iyengar Yoga Home Practice Videos with Raya Uma Datta Practice at home with Iyengar yoga teacher Raya Uma Datta. These six videos are great inspiration for your self practice!

Here's Iyengar Yoga Elena Grigorenko heatwave pose of the week. Calming the nervous system. Resting the back. Providing stability for the pelvis. Providing relief with traction in the lower back. Feeling air and space around you. Lovely.

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Most of us were taught that health means not being sick.

No fever.
No pain.
No diagnosis.

But B.K.S. Iyengar saw health differently:
“Health is not only the absence of disease; it is a state of vibrant well-being.”

This is a very different way to understand yoga practice.

Health is not only the body being free from illness.
It is also the feeling of being steady in the body.
Clear in the breath.
Present in the mind.
Alive in our own being.

In Iyengar Yoga, this well-being is not forced.
It is uncovered slowly through practice.

When the feet learn to stand with awareness, the body becomes more stable.
When the spine learns to lift, the breath has more space.
When the breath becomes steady, the mind begins to quieten.

This is why practice is not only about doing poses.
It is about learning how to live more fully inside the body.

Not a dramatic before-and-after.
Not a quick transformation.

A slow return to yourself.

💬 What does “vibrant well-being” mean to you today?

Share one word in the comments.

Link to eventbrite Iyengar yoga 🧘 fundraiser in July

Improvers Iyengar Yoga Fundraiser for Marie Curie with Michelle Mangeolles Join Michelle for an in-person Improvers Iyengar Yoga class fundraiser supporting Marie Curie!

Power Starts at Feet

In yoga, every pose begins from the ground up — and nowhere is this more evident than in Tāḍāsana (Mountain Pose), the “foundation āsana.”

🔸 Feet as Your Foundation:
Your feet are your roots. In Tāḍāsana, the part of the body that connects to the floor is the foundation.
When you stand, aim for maximum contact of your soles with the mat.

🔸 How to Establish a Steady Base:
1️⃣ Balance the Weight: Evenly distribute weight between right & left foot, inner & outer edges, front & back.

2️⃣ Press Down Firmly: Press the feet down to awaken your legs—watch your kneecaps lift as the thighs engage.
3️⃣ Specific Foot Actions: Lift all 10 toes, spread them wide, then place them back down creating visible space between them.
4️⃣ Leg Engagement: As you press the feet down, move the upper leg (knee to hip) back to activate support and stability.

🔸 Why the Foot’s Structure Matters:
Think of your foot like a dome—the arch distributes weight from heel to toe mounds. Standing correctly allows this arch to function; when it collapses, weight and alignment are thrown off.
What you learn in Tāḍāsana translates directly into other standing poses, like Vīrabhadrāsana II, making your entire practice stronger and safer.
When you master your foundation, you build steadiness, confidence, and alignment for every pose to come.

🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/