Iyengar classes in Tenerife
Precise alignment, often with props.
Iyengar yoga is a precise, alignment-focused style developed by B.K.S. Iyengar. Poses are held for a while and explained in detail, and props such as blocks, belts, blankets, chairs and wall ropes help every body find the shape.
No classes scheduled in the next two weeks.
What Iyengar does for you
You get a clear sense of how each pose works in your own body: where your weight sits, how your feet press down, what your shoulders are doing. That attention builds strength and stability that carry over into everything else, including other styles. Many people find the concentration absorbing, the kind of focus that leaves no space for the to-do list. Props mean you can work in a meaningful way even if you are stiff, older or coming back after a break.
It suits you if
- you want to understand alignment in detail
- you like clear instruction and individual attention
- you feel stiff and appreciate props
- you prefer precision over pace
Read the full guide to IyengarWhat a class is like, your first time, history and the words you will hear
What a class is like
Classes usually last 75 to 90 minutes, sometimes two hours. Expect no music, few flowing transitions and plenty of instruction: the facilitator demonstrates, explains, watches closely and corrects individuals, sometimes hands-on. Beginners spend a lot of time on standing poses, and later classes may include supported inversions, backbends over chairs or work with ropes at the wall. Poses are held longer than in vinyasa, and you warm up from the effort rather than the pace. Many facilitators work through a cycle, such as standing poses one week and inversions or backbends another.
Your first time
- Wear shorts or fitted leggings so your knees and legs are visible; the facilitator will watch your alignment.
- Arrive early and mention any injuries, pregnancy or medical conditions.
- Avoid eating in the two hours before class, especially if inversions are planned.
Good to know
- Instruction is precise and corrections are direct; some people find it strict at first.
- Classes may include headstand and shoulderstand; if you have neck, eye or blood pressure concerns or are pregnant, tell the facilitator first.
- Only facilitators certified in the method use the Iyengar name, so classes tend to be consistent from one studio to the next.
Where it comes from
B.K.S. Iyengar (1918 to 2014) learned yoga as a frail teenager from his brother-in-law, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, in Mysore in the 1930s. In 1937 he was sent to Pune to teach, and he stayed there for the rest of his life, refining a method built on precise alignment, long holds and careful sequencing.
His reach grew after he met the violinist Yehudi Menuhin in 1952, who brought him to Europe. Light on Yoga (1966), with detailed instructions and photographs for more than 200 poses, became one of the most influential yoga books ever published. From 1968, London's adult education authority ran Iyengar classes, and the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, named after his late wife, opened in Pune in 1975.
Iyengar is known for bringing props into practice, from blocks and belts to chairs, benches and ropes on the wall, so that students of any age or ability could work toward a pose. His approach fed directly into restorative yoga and shaped alignment cues used in almost every style. Certification is long and demanding, and the method continues through his son Prashant, his granddaughter Abhijata, the late Geeta Iyengar's legacy and national associations worldwide.
Germany has its own Iyengar association and a long-standing community of certified facilitators, and in Berlin you will usually find Iyengar in quieter, well-equipped studios with a rope wall.
Words you will hear
- Trikonasana
- Triangle pose, a standing pose often taught early in Iyengar classes.
- Yoga kurunta
- Ropes fixed to the wall that support you in poses and inversions; kurunta means puppet.
- Belt
- A strap used to extend your reach or hold a shape.
- Chair
- A metal folding chair adapted for supported backbends, twists and inversions.
- Lift the kneecaps
- A common cue to firm the front thigh muscles in standing poses.