Light on Yoga, Light on Life

I’ve been doing yoga off and on since 2003. I’ve completed yoga teacher training, but was left feeling like I needed more. Doing yoga in a class, using video, or using an app can be fun, but can come off as feeling superficial, especially to me lately. While I’m sure there are benefits to vinyasas and “fast” hot yoga, I felt like I was “striking a pose” and felt the class moving faster than my breath. It would sometimes be tempting to overstretch; I would try to hold back when my heart was no longer leading.

Iyengar’s book Light on Life completely changed my life over the course of fifteen years. It was definitely not easy, and I struggled through a lot of confusion without a spiritual guide. I had yoga teachers, who seemed to know a lot more than they would share, but they were teaching yoga classes, not providing a therapy session.

I felt what Iyengar was saying deeply, and I applied it to my yoga practice and my life. For me, yoga is much more than the asanas. Recently, I’ve focused on building my at-home yoga practice. Light on Yoga is the companion book to Light on Life that describes the asanas. Iyengar suggests sequences to practice and build upon week after week. I came up with the idea to teach my own yoga class to myself by recording audio explaining how to do each pose from the explanations in the book. I have to say this worked great! I left enough time in between to hold each pose for the recommended time.

I love slowing down, yet being active in each pose. I discovered some nuggets that made me like many postures more than doing them in yoga classes I have attended in the past. Here are my favorite things from Iyengar's weeks 1 and 2 course:​

1. Cultivating a meditative practice: being still and holding the asanas for a longer period of time. I can feel warmth in active asanas and coolness in the yin asanas.
2. Prayer hands: this one is so small but makes a big difference for me. Prayer hands go straight up for tree pose and warrior I, and behind the back for pyramid pose (pyramid pose was one I used to dread, but now I really like this asana!).
3. Leg strength: using strong legs with tightened knees in standing poses. I have so much more power to go “up” with my legs, and then “down” with my trunk. I can reach farther with my arms when my legs are tightened. This concept of locking the knees goes completely against what I have been taught.
4. A mini burst of power: “jumping” into an asana.
5. SAVASANA: ​a seriously relaxing savasana that is not rushed.

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