Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga'

Home : Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga:
Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga'

e_anil
New User

Aug 15, 2005, 2:30 PM

Post #1 of 10 (4119 views)
Shortcut

Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga'	Can't Post

Hi,
What is the significance of the order of asanas illustrated in the 'Light on Yoga'? It is different from the order in the Asana Courses in Appendix A.

Can one also do the asanas in the former order?

rita
Enthusiast

Sep 6, 2005, 5:40 AM

Post #2 of 10 (4015 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

The asanas in Light on Yoga are almost all ordered in different groups: standing poses, sitting poses, forward bends, inversions, twists, arm balances and back bends. In the different groups they are ordered regarding their difficulty. So if you practice from asana 1 to asana 200 you will end up with practicing asanas from difficulty one* to sixty* (according to Mr. Iyengar's Light on Yoga) which I guess is too much.

In the asana courses at the end of the book they are ordered in the way you should practice them. So start with these practice sequences.

If you are interested you can also see a very good sequencing article at

http://www.bradpriddy.com/yoga/sequen.htm.

e_anil
New User

Sep 6, 2005, 9:05 AM

Post #3 of 10 (4010 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks. That was a good answer (worth the wait!). The article on sequencing was very informative.

The reason I got thinking was that in Course One, after 14 weeks of Trikonanasana, Virabhadrasana, Parsvottanasana, Sarvangasana, Halasana and the like, suddenly there was Sirshasana. I didn't feel my body was ready to do a head-stand and, since I can do standing asanas much better, I thought I could just follow those through, possibly to around a forty*.

DamienL
Enthusiast

Sep 9, 2005, 4:03 AM

Post #4 of 10 (3991 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

While 'Light on Yoga' is the classical textbook on Iyengar yoga keep in mind there have been many changes in the Iyengar approach. I suppose most markedly is the use of props. Types of poses covered in courses currently would be different to how they have been introduced in 'light on yoga'. For a more recent approach I reccomend Silva,Mira & Shyam Mehtas book "Yoga: The iyengar way". Also I can't stress enough the importance of seeing a teacher, there are many points that you may be missing, and I wouldn't attempt headstand without such guidance.
Best Wishes.

sharad
New User

Jul 30, 2006, 8:50 PM

Post #5 of 10 (3205 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

elyisus
New User

Sep 22, 2010, 10:50 AM

Post #6 of 10 (2038 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello, I am now in a remote location in southamerica and I just cannot find the Yoga the Iyengar way by Silva,Mira & Shyam Mehta, which I used to have. I study yoga in a Iyengar Yoga center many years ago. I am now trying to get more organized in my daily practice and then I really need to consult the last pages of that book where there are a number of progresive routines for the practicioner. I just hope someone out here can help me either telling me those routines, a really time consuming task or just taking some pictures of that couple of pages and send me a message where we can arrange the sending of them to me. Thanks a lot. Where I live there is no way to buy the book on amazon or otherwise.

chengiber
New User

Nov 3, 2010, 2:19 PM

Post #7 of 10 (1954 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

if the class is in the evening finished at 21:45
is it good to do backbends, or should i stick to the forwardbends?

יוגה

sndyxan
New User

Dec 1, 2010, 7:47 AM

Post #8 of 10 (1827 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello, Guruji once said the order in the back of the book, the many years plan is very
well designed. If you use those lesson plans you'll find success in opening, strenghthening
and stretching your body, therefore you mind set will also change. You will notice
every so often an asana or two is dropped from the sequence because the new ones added
will cover the same actions but deeper from previous ones.

Good luck in your practice. I have used Light on Yoga for many, many years and those
lessons work.

Snow Leopard
Jyoti/Snow Leopard/Sndyxan are ONE

jbottjer
Novice

Feb 13, 2011, 10:25 AM

Post #9 of 10 (1588 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

backbends tend to be invigorating, forward bends less so.
you may have trouble falling asleep for a couple of hours after class if you're doing backbends.
halasana can relax the brain and help you to sleep.

MarinaJ1
Regular

May 26, 2011, 4:51 AM

Post #10 of 10 (1272 views)
Shortcut

Re: Order of asanas in 'Light on Yoga' [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi rita,
I agree with your opinion. The asanas is good for your body. The different type of asanas is work different. It will help us to stay away from stress. The standing and forward bends asanas is build body strength.

Search for (options)