Iyengar Yoga for Emotional & Mental Wellness

Emotion and mind play a major role in your chakras, and your body reflects that. Years of emotional turmoil will boil your gut out. The tool we have is opening different areas through practice. This is why backbends bring so much relief. If you are ready for a profound change without medicine, join us.

To work on your chakras, you must prepare the body for pranayama. If your structure is not straight, the flow of *pran shakti* is uneven. Using a simple rod, as shown here, is Guruji's genius. It passively forces the chest to open, creating the optimum lift for balanced breathing and awareness.

The most important thing for a teacher is to make the student feel. We are often dull in the armpit area, which leads to a drooping posture. By using the breath to lift the side ribs, as we do in pranayama preparation, we awaken this area and create space.

This is a pranayama preparation using Jalandhar Bandha (chin lock). Dropping the chin to the chest is essential for the sublimation of the mind. I teach my students to do this with mindful inhalation and exhalation, lifting the armpit chest to bring awareness without creating tension.

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is moving with it. The body remembers trauma and doubt. Here, a student uses the rope wall to work on a split, a pose that requires both flexibility and mental fortitude. We move through the fear with breath and intention.

Yoga does not make you fearless. It shows you your courage. These students are practicing standing poses using blocks for stability. This support allows them to find their inner strength and stand tall, both physically and mentally.

That spot in your solar plexus holds your fear, but it also holds your fire. That is your Manipura chakra, the center of power. Here, a student works on a deep backbend with assistance, a powerful way to stimulate this chakra and transform fear into courage.

This image captures the essence of our practice. Students are engaged in various poses, some looking inward, some receiving adjustments. It shows that the journey to emotional wellness is personal but supported by the group's collective energy.

Yoga does not just stretch the body. It softens the armor we build around our hearts. As women, we carry so much. This practice of opening the chest in poses like Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) allows us to breathe into that space and heal.