BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre
South Africa, Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn,
Western Cape
© 2024 BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, Oudtshoorn. All rights reserved.
Relaxed Body - Relaxed Mind©
A guide to Iyengar Yoga Restorative Practice
(Visranta Karaka Sthiti)
Asanas and Sequences
A transformative, intelligent, rewarding and profound guide
dedicated to Yogacharya Shri B.K.S. Iyengar in honour and appreciation
of his life and work.
If you wish to purchase this guide ....
Relaxed Body - Relaxed Mind
go to the PayPal "Buy Now" link below
to purchase the e-guide
send us mail if you have any questions
info@iyengaryogawithdavid.com
About this guide
Yoga can help to improve and heal parts of the body that are injured, traumatized or neglected. Movement of the body in the asanas stimulates injured joints, muscles and organs
by increasing the flow of blood to these parts.
The asanas in this guide are based on the sequencing of selected restorative asanas.
Restorative asanas are restful and tone the body with minimum effort. They should not be underestimated as they have a deep and powerful physiological effect. They nourish the nervous system and increase the efficiency of the glandular system, which is essential for physical and mental health. The inner organs stay for some time in positions where they are extended or massaged - hidden parts of the body and cells are therefore activated.
Students cannot afford to neglect these tremendously beneficial postures.
This guide is a result of our 28 years of yoga sadhana. It has evolved from a continuous journey of practice and study in our home practice at the RIMYI and under BKS Iyengar, Geeta and Prashant Iyengar, in countless workshops that we attended or offered in South Africa, around the world and from working with teachers and students in our own Iyengar Yoga Centre in South Africa.
The practice guide contains general information about the healing potential of yoga and is for informational purposes only. As each individual situation is unique, it is advised that proper discretion in consultation with a certified Iyengar yoga teacher is observed before undertaking any of these asanas in the practice guide.
How to use this practice guide
Keep the following in mind when using this guide.
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This guide is not a substitute for learning with a certified Iyengar yoga teacher.
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The various subtleties of the instructions in the Iyengar method cannot adequately be captured in a book.
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While this guide may help you study and explore the asanas, no guide can observe you and correct the mistakes you may make while performing the asanas.
What you can expect from this guide:
Table of Contents
Foreword 5
History of Restorative Yoga 6
Props 7
Blanket folds 8
Guidelines for Practice 9
Benefits of restorative practice 10
How to use this guide 11
Essential Sequences 12 to 58
General Sequences 59 to 253
About the authors 253
Acknowledgements 253
This guide contains 6 essential restorative sequences and 60 general sequences with
over 1400 photographs on 250 pages.
The pdf.file is 520MB (or as WORD doc. 54.8MB) and will be sent to you via Dropbox
Adho Mukha Swastikasana
with prop setup (essential sequences)
Supta Baddha Konasana
Viparita Karani
Adho Mukha Swastikasana
with inverted chair
Chair Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana
with prop setup
Props setup for
Niralamba Halasana and Chair Sarvangasana
Relaxed Body - Relaxed Mind©
40-hour
Restorative yoga
teachers training program
About this program
Geeta Iyengar says that Yoga is meant for everyone and no one should be excluded rom it, however we have to practice according to our mental, spiritual and physical capacity. Yoga is meant to give us a way to discover or rediscover ourselves.
Modern day life tends to dictate the way we live our lives. Hard work and little or no time for sleep. We hardly ever rest or take time to consciously recover to regain our spent energy.
Unlike sleep during restorative yoga, the body is consciously and actively relaxed, the organs and overall body is rejuvenated. Regular blood pressure is restored, our immune systems improved, digestion, elimination and metabolism regulated. Restoring the body during restful and conscious relaxation, our energy levels are replenished; we overcome muscle tension, fatigue and decrease stress. With the use of various props we can both stimulate and relax the whole body and return balance.
A well constructed restorative yoga sequence should contain amongst others gentle backbends, supported forward bends and modified inversions to calm the nerves and recharge the body’s energy. The rewards go beyond the physical. Practice a soothing and balanced restorative practice at the end of a long day, in the middle of a stressful week or whenever you want to restore balance in your life. It uses conscious breathing – the direct link between our body and our mind – to move us into deeper levels of concentration and relaxation. The is not to become perfect but to become whole again. As the body lets go of stress and the mind quiets its constant dialogue, you come closer to understanding who you truly are and connecting with your true Self.
This 5-day training program will provide you with some of the practical , essential tools, as well as hands-on training to enable you to effectively adjust students in the asanas.
You will also learn construct restorative sequences, as well as being able to adapt the asanas for specific needs such as pregnancy, menstruation and menopause. Emotional and physical benefits of restorative yoga will become evident in their specially designed sequences.
A perquisite to be accepted into the program is the basic study of our guide "Relaxed Body - Relaxed Mind" is available on our website. Confirmation of attendance will be given after the completion of all training days.
Date: t.b.c.
Cost: R 10,000* per student *(includes the rental of all props)
Bookings essential
Venue: BKS Iyengar Yoga Centre, South Africa
Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn
Bookings: Email info@iyengaryogawithdavid.com
Training Times (all 5-days)
07h00 – 12h00 Practical
12h00 – 14h00 Break
14h00 – 17h00 Practical (continued)
Comments
Below are some of the commenst sent to us from students or teachers who have purchased our guide.
"I just had a look in your file “Relaxed Body and Blocks for Yoga Practice” which I got yesterday. I would like to thank you and Jürgen for this wonderful guide. Both of you have done a great work by taking all the pictures and the explanations. I can hardly imagine how many hours it has taken to finish this guide.
I would like to thank you for the idea and appreciate your persistent."
Thanks for sharing your experience with other yogis.
Namaste
Franziska
Hello Jurgen and David:
"Thank you for the excellent manual.
The double presentation of the setup and the pose is very helpful and the vibrancy and distinct combination of the colors adds a nice visual component."
Thank you and all the best.
Natalya
Dear Sri Jurgen and David,
"Very humbled and inspired from your work and contribution to yoga.
Browsing some pose and I came across your website, As a yoga lover was delighted, immediately without any thought i went to purchase your books and subscription.
Saw your book it is a wonderful master piece. This already reflects your love and passion in documenting this books.
Which is a take way for all the students of yoga."
All my best wishes to you both.
Namaste,
Varun
"Thank you, your work is amazing! Guruji s light is in it!" Namaste
Cecilia