Resources

Resources

Learn the names of the asanas

Asanas names

To learn yoga it helps if you know the names of the asanas. Download and print out this ‘cheat sheet’ from the book ‘Yoga for Children’ by Rajiv and Swati Chanchani. Try studying it and learn the asana names. Get someone to test you. You could even have it beside you during our online classes and have a sneak peak if you are not sure what we are doing. Good luck with it. Well done for making the effort learn!

Home Yoga Practice

Ready to start home practice? Download one of these sequences to get you going.

Beginnners Home Practice Sequences

Beginners Home Practice Sequences

These 5 beginners practice sheets are intended as a general guide for beginners. Each sequence takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

10 Home Practice Sequences for General and Experienced Students

10 Home Practice Sequences for General and Experienced Students

Try these 10 home practice sequences suitable for General and Experienced level students.

4 Sequences for General Level Students

4 Sequences for General Level Students

These four sequences include foundation poses as well as ome inversions such as Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand). Timings are given for some poses; students are encouraged to do others according to their capacity; repetitions are recommended over timings, to avoid strain.

Invocation to Patanjali

At the beginning of our General and Experienced level yoga classes in our school, we chant the invocation to sage Patanjali – the person credited with writing the yoga sutras and thus documenting yoga some 2000 years ago.

About Sage Patanjali

According to Indian mythology, Patanjali was the incarnation of lord Adisesa. Legend says he fell into the praying hands of Ganukia who had no children. One day she was praying to the Sun God while a little snake in the water in the palms of her hands turned into a human shape. She raised him as her child and named him Patanjali; pata = fall, anjali = the folding of the hands during prayer.

Patanjali is the author of three important commentaries; the Mahabhasya, on grammar for right speech, Ayurveda, medicine for health, and The Yoga Sutras – showing how through Yoga practice we can gain control on our mind and emotions, overcome obstacles and attain union with the divine.

About the symbols in the invocation

The conch and the disk are symbols for alarm and destruction in the case of a danger such as evil thoughts or disease. Through the practice of yoga, one learns to recognize and eliminate these evil thoughts or diseases and reach God.

The Cobra has many symbols, every religion had some sort of serpent worship. In the ‘Hathayoga Paradipika’ the Lord of Serpents, Ananta (=infinite, eternal), supports the earth and protects it. It is believed that snakes shed their skins and emerge as new, therefore they are a symbol of eternity, fertility, regeneration, evolution and wisdom. It’s venom is poisonous but medicinal, it represents the practice of Yoga in which we learn how to convert emotions like anger, greed and lust to control, contentment, love and compassion.

The Human Torso symbolises the essence of Yoga, our evolution through the yoga practice. As Patanjali transformed from a small snake into a human body, so does anyone can grow, expand their intelligence and transform.

Watch video below to learn the invocation so that you can join in the chanting in class.

Frequently Asked Questions

We highly recommended that you book into a class as some of our popular classes fill up quickly.

Beginners Classes are suitable for any student new to yoga or new to the Iyengar method of yoga. The Beginners Classes are designed to introduce students to the foundations of the Iyengar method, where the emphasis is on precision, alignment, and timing. Students are progressed each week through a carefully planned series of classes. It is important that students attend classes every week to be able to progress I their yoga practice.

Beginners Classes are designed for students who are generally well and do not present with chronic injuries or illness. Stiffness is not a problem, nor are injuries which still allow you to move freely – just be sure to advise your teacher of any problems you are facing.

If you have a chronic injury or illness, book a private class. In these sessions students will work one on one with a teacher. This is a good way to start. A yoga therapy sequence will be developed for you to help address the problem you might have.

Everybody can do yoga. All Beginners Classes are designed for people with no previous experience in yoga. Beginners Courses are designed to improve fitness, flexibility, stamina and confidence as the course proceeds. Stiffness and being unfit are not barriers to practising yoga.

As Iyengar says “if you can breathe, you can do yoga…”

Attending a yoga class at least twice or more per week is definitely better for you than only once weekly and you will see and experience benefits and changes to your body much more quickly. It is important to attend classes on a regular basis to encourage consistency in the class and for you.

If you are paying by our direct debit system, you can make up all missed classes as long as you continue your payments by direct debit. If you stop paying for classes then you forfeit your missed classes and they cannot be made up.

Yes, once you are enrolled in at least one class per week you can attend extra classes by paying casually for each extra visit.

After about 10-12 weeks of attending Beginner classes, some students may be ready to progress to General classes, which cater for students with experience from 10 weeks to three years of yoga. Some students will benefit from staying in the Beginners classes to consolidate what they have learnt.

Yes, existing students who already have some yoga knowledge and have developed a relationship with our senior teachers (who have the training and expertise to guide pregnant women in yoga) can continue to practice and come to classes.

Workshops and retreats are held to explore your yoga more deeply. These events are open to students who have completed a Beginners Course or have equivalent yoga experience. These events often fill up so please book early if you would like to attend.

Although menstruation is a normal and natural process, it involves physiological and metabolic changes, and your yoga class or practice can be altered to take account of the altered condition of the body at this time. If you inform your teacher that you are menstruating, the postures given to you will be a combination of restful ones and those that ease pain and strain. Strenuous postures such as vigorous standing poses, jumping, backbends, exertion of the abdominal muscles and inversions should be avoided during this time. Yoga practice generally helps complaints associated with menstruation such as cramps, irregularity, scanty or excessive bleeding, back-ache and pre-menstrual tension.

You don’t need to bring anything, the school is fully equipped. Although if you are keen on using your own mat, by all means, bring it along.

Comfortable clothing, such as footless tights, singlet or t-shirt are best. Yoga bloomers are always popular at BIY. Shoes are not required. Bring something warm for the end of the class as you will cool down. It is best not to wear loose pants as your teacher needs to be able to see your legs.

Easy. We can make changes to your Direct Debit payment, such as changing your pass or pausing your payments while you are away. Please note the following Terms and Conditions regarding our Direct Debit method of payment.

  • With the Direct Debit system you are welcome to suspend your pass and payment if you are going on holiday, travelling or unable to attend due to serious illness or injury.
  • Please notify the school by email 7 days prior to the commencement of the suspension.
  • Minimum suspension period for all passes is 2 week2.
  • If you miss a class you can make-up classes at a time that suits you.
  • Make up classes need to be made up while membership is active. Direct debit cannot be suspended while classes are being made up.
  • At any time, the amount debited can be either upgraded or downgraded for more or less classes per week.

Call the studio to discuss your pregnancy with a teacher. In some cases, we will accept pregnant women into Beginners Courses or a suitable level class.