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Copy of Lesson 3: The Iyengar Lens

gabrielle 22 October 2024

In his commentary on the Yoga Sutras Edwin Bryant writes:

‘At the beginning of the text (1.2), Patanjali defined yoga as citta-vrtti nirodha, the restraint of the vrttis, the changing states of the mind.

Having explained what constitutes a vrtti, he now turns his attention to nirodha, restraint. How, exactly, are the vrttis to be restrained? In this sutra he identifies two ingredients necessary for such restraint: practice and dispassion (renunciation). Vijnanabhiksu quotes the Gita here: “The mind is undoubtedly fickle and difficult to control, 0 Arjuna, but it can be controlled by abhyasa-vairagyabhyam, practice and dispassion” (V1.35). The same two ingredients are indicated by Patanjali in this sutra’.[1]


If practice and dispassion are the means the still the fluctuations in the consciousness then what is the role of practice. In his book the Tree of Yoga Iyengar places his emphasis on his practice:

‘Mahatma Gandhi did not practise all the aspects of yoga. He only followed two of its principles—non-violence and truth, yet through these two aspects of yoga, he mastered his own nature and gained independence for India. If a part of yama could make Mahatma Gandhi so great, so pure, so honest and so divine, should it not be possible to take another limb of yoga -asana- and through it reach the highest level of spiritual development? Many of you may say that performing an asana is a physical discipline, but if you speak in this way without knowing the depth of asana, you have already fallen from the grace of yoga’.[1]

Download the extract from the book and immerse yourself in the text. It is an excellent example of this subject. Return to this extract throughout the subject to completely absorb its content as recommended by BKS Iyengar:

‘I request you to rub yourself with my words and with other people’s words, and until they are digested, do not form opinions. Then you will enjoy the bliss which is unalloyed, untainted and free from stains’. [1]

Abhyasa and Vairagya describe the dual pathways of action and renunciation.  This subject examines the important role they play within practice and teaching. In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali gives the two general means of practice. In the opening chapter he indicates Abhyasa/Vairagya (action and renunciation) for those who are supremely intense in their efforts and, in

the second chapter he provides a second set of practices called Kriyayoga, (Tapas/Svadhyaya/Ishvara pranidhana), for those of more moderate means.

He then goes on to define the eight limbed Astanga Yoga made up of Yama, Niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

The different schools of Yoga define different sets of practices to achieve the Yoga practices.

Iyengar focussed himself upon asana and pranayama. These sit at the centre of this slide.


[1] Iyengar BKS. Tree of Yoga, The fruit, p 72


[1] Iyengar BKS, Tree of Yoga. Depth of Asana p.46


[1] Bryant E, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. P.47