Rediscover Balance - Iyengar Yoga Retreat Journey with AdiYogum

Yoga is often seen as a compatible fusion of body movements, breath control, and serene meditation. Iyengar yoga distinguishes itself in postures and its particular emphasis on correct body alignment while performing the asanas. This form of yoga is unique and has gained widespread popularity not only in India but across the globe, attracting people from various walks of life to help them find both physical and mental relief. But what exactly is it that makes Iyengar yoga therapeutic, and why is it given such importance in the Indian yogic tradition?

Who was B.K.S Iyengar?

B.K.S. or Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was born in 1918 in Bellur, Karnataka. His early life was affected by his ill health, which included typhoid, malaria, and tuberculosis. When he was 15 years old, he was invited by his brother-in-law and Guru T Krishnamacharya, who was one of the most eminent yoga teachers of modern India, to learn about yoga in Mysore.

Under his guidance, Iyengar found his own path through meticulous self-practice. His guru advised him to practice an asana for a long period of time, like 6 months, even when he seemingly appeared to be correctly doing it. The main idea behind Iyengar Yoga is combining Hatha Yoga with support tools and props like chairs, straps, yoga blocks, benches, trestles etc. to get into a certain asana and then practice it for longer periods to not just perfect it absolutely, but also derive the therapeutical benefits out of the asanas when done correctly for longer periods.

With his experience, BKS Iyengar has developed a methodology that caters to the needs of each body type, age, and health condition. His book Light on Yoga (1966) became popular worldwide and was recognized as an international bestseller because of its comprehensive yoga guide that makes yoga accessible and therapeutic for people of all ages and health conditions.

He played an important role in popularizing Indian yoga on a global stage. In the 1950s and 60s, he travelled extensively across Europe and America, establishing yoga centres and undertaking workshops. His students included prominent celebrities like Yehudi Menuhin, who once said that Iyengar had given him back his life.

Today the Iyengar yoga is known in more than 85 countries and is taught by hundreds of certified teachers and many Iyengar Yoga Retreat India. People are adopting this form of yoga for its scientifically derived approach, healing benefits, and focus on accessibility. This is the kind of yoga that accepts you the way you are and gets the best out of you with the help of props and tools.

Alignment – The core of Iyengar Yoga

What sets apart Iyengar yoga from other forms of yoga is its focus on alignment. Yoga practitioners, whether beginners or advanced who practice yoga on a daily basis, if they do not pay attention to how the asana will impact their various parts of the body, then the misaligned postures can not only reduce the benefits of the asana, but it can also result in injury. In Iyengar Yoga, attention is paid to teaching the students about how to correctly place their body parts – spine, feet, hips, and arms to make sure that they are doing it accurately and are able to derive maximum benefit and minimal strain.

For example, in the Trikonasana, which is the Triangle pose, it is not only enough to stretch your arms and legs; it is important to make sure that the back is straight, with the hips open and the torso aligned evenly. When practiced for a certain period of time, this level of detail makes sure that the spine is not put under strain. With the right breathing in the right posture, the heart opens up to receive the healing that the posture has to offer.

How can the Iyengar Yoga Retreat Journey with AdiYogum Yoga School be beneficial?

Set in the tropical beauty of North Goa, Arambol, the AdiYogum Yoga School offers an unforgettable experience of learning Iyengar Yoga the right way. If you are just a curious beginner in yoga or an advanced practitioner who wants to further deepen their practice, this retreat journey is perfect for you, as :

• Best Yoga Teacher – Bharat Ram, the founder of AdiYogum, is a seasoned yoga instructor with expertise in Hatha Yoga and Iyengar Yoga. For the last five years, he has undertaken over 100 specialised yoga and teacher training courses. With his  wisdom and years of experience in the traditional wisdom of therapeutic Iyengar Yoga, we offer a safe space for our yogis to learn correct alignment of the yogic postures while also playfully exploring their true potential in their journey. All members of our team at AdiYogum are practitioners of Iyengar yoga. This makes AdiYogum not only the perfect place to come for learning Iyengar yoga but also to become a part of a community that you take with you when you return.

• Equipped with well-suited props – At AdiYogum, we make sure that Iyengar’s most innovative contributions, which are the introduction of props in yoga, are suitably used to enhance the flexibility, strength, and alignment of our yogis to help them experience the full benefits of the asanas. For example, a person who cannot do Chakrasana or the wheel pose can take the help of round wooden blocks to help them stretch their spine and get in the right back bend to feel the benefits of the asana, which otherwise one might not be able to do due to spine inflexibility, or health issues.

• Accessible to all – Our Iyengar Yoga Retreat Program is suitable for people from all phases and walks of life. Whether you are just a beginner who is looking to explore various forms of yoga or an exhaustive practitioner who looks at yoga as the way of life or even if you are someone who is not physically the most flexible person but wants to experience yoga, our program welcomes you all and we promise to offer you an amazing experience that you will cherish for life.

• Therapeutic use – The idea of Iyengar yoga is to deliver healing and therapeutic benefits from any yogic asana. The props in this form of yoga make it possible for people with constrained flexibility, body strength, or balance to experience the asana in its complete form. For example, a person who cannot reach their toes in the Pashimottanasana or the seated forward bend can benefit by using a strap to maintain their body alignment while being held in that stretch. Someone who is dealing with lower back issues can lie over bolsters to do a guided, gentle back bend without unnecessary strain on the spine.

• Enjoy the ambience – Apart from the daily schedule at the Retreat Program, where you will be learning to align your body and mind, you can also enjoy the ambience of Arambol’s beautiful coastline and serene ocean waves, with excursions like the Keri Beach (Querim), Terekhol Fort, Visits to Traditional Goan Temples like the Kamaleshwara (Shiva) or Laxmi Temple to experience the ambience and spiritual ethos of traditional India.

• Comfortable accommodation - We have affordable and comfortable accommodation options ranging from shared rooms to private rooms, equipped with amenities to elevate your Iyengar Yoga experience.

• Satvic food - At AdiYogum, we have an in-house kitchen with experienced chefs who prepare healthy Indian meals like Multi-grain roti, Khichdi, stews, dals, salads, sambhars with a lot of green veggies, and gluten-free alternatives. Our chefs make well balanced, healthy meals that feed not only your body but also nourish your soul, and keep you active to participate energetically in the retreat.

• Free Bicycles – At AdiYogum Yoga Retreat in Goa, we provide free bicycles which the participants can use as per their time and comfort to reconnect with nature and explore Arambol’s beautiful surroundings at their own pace.

Conclusion

Iyengar yoga is so much more than just a physical practice, it’s a transformative way to self-awareness, therapeutic healing, and discipline. In a world ruled by fast-paced lifestyles and artificial fitness trends, this form of yoga takes us back to our basics and makes us more aware of ourselves and our bodies.

Join AdiYogum’s Iyengar Yoga retreat programme to improve your body posture and flexibility, and find mental clarity and emotional resilience, which are deep-rooted and long-lasting. Whether you have chronic health conditions, you are just recovering from an injury, or simply looking to find a deeper connection with your own body, our retreat offers you a safe and guided space where you can immerse yourself in this yogic tradition under the expert guidance of our specialised instructor Bharat Ram Ji.