Information for GPs
Could Iyengar Yoga benefit your patients?
Iyengar Yoga can be a valuable addition to a person’s wellbeing and physical activity, particularly for people who may find conventional forms of exercise difficult or intimidating.
At Warwickshire Iyengar Yoga CIC, we aim to make yoga accessible to people of different ages, abilities and levels of mobility. Our teachers are trained to observe each student carefully and use props, modifications and appropriate sequencing to help people practise safely and progressively.
Yoga can support strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, posture, concentration and relaxation. It can also provide an opportunity for people to build confidence, establish a regular routine and connect with others in a friendly community setting.
For some patients, particularly those experiencing social isolation, reduced mobility or difficulty finding an enjoyable form of physical activity, a local yoga class may be a useful part of a broader wellbeing plan.
A considered approach to individual needs
One of the strengths of the Iyengar method is its emphasis on precision, observation and adaptation. Poses can be modified using props such as blocks, belts, blankets, bolsters and chairs, allowing students to work at an appropriate level.
Our teachers are trained to recognise when poses may need to be adapted for individual circumstances. We encourage students to communicate openly with their teacher about injuries, health conditions or other relevant considerations so that their practice can be approached appropriately.
Iyengar Yoga is not intended to replace medical treatment or physiotherapy. Rather, where appropriate, it can complement other forms of healthcare and physical activity.
What makes Iyengar Yoga different?
Iyengar Yoga teachers undergo a rigorous training process and are required to follow the professional standards and ethical guidelines of Iyengar Yoga (UK).
The teaching method places particular emphasis on:
- Careful observation and individual attention
- Precision and alignment in the poses
- The intelligent use of yoga props
- Progressive and carefully sequenced classes
- Adapting poses to meet individual needs
- Developing strength, mobility, balance and awareness
- Continuing professional development and ongoing personal practice
This detailed approach makes Iyengar Yoga particularly suitable for people who appreciate clear instruction and a structured, progressive form of exercise.
Supporting healty ageing
Maintaining strength, mobility and balance becomes increasingly important as we age. Yoga can provide a gentle but challenging way to keep moving and to develop greater awareness of the body.
Our classes can be adapted for different levels of ability, and we also offer classes specifically designed to support older adults.
Evidence and research
There is a growing body of research examining the potential benefits of yoga for physical and mental wellbeing, including areas such as balance, mobility, flexibility and musculoskeletal health.
For example, a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Age and Ageing found that yoga-based exercise can improve balance and mobility in people aged 60 and over.
We recognise that research into yoga varies in quality and that yoga should not be presented as a treatment or cure for medical conditions. We therefore encourage healthcare professionals and patients to consider yoga as one possible component of a wider approach to health and wellbeing.
Social prescribing
We are particularly interested in working with social prescribing teams, GP practices, community organisations and charities to make Iyengar Yoga available to people who could benefit from a supportive, accessible form of physical activity.
As a Community Interest Company, our aim is not simply to run classes but to contribute to the health and wellbeing of our wider community.
If you are a GP, social prescribing link worker or healthcare professional and would like to discuss whether Iyengar Yoga could be appropriate for a particular group or community programme, we would be very happy to talk to you.
Contact: iyengar.yoga@yahoo.co.uk
Yoga Based exercise improves balance and mobility in people aged 60 and over
Yoga Based exercise improves balance and mobility in people aged 60 and over: a systematic review and meta-analysis(2015)
Sabrina Youkhana, Moa Wolff, Catherine Sherrington, Anne Tiedemann
Age and Ageing, Volume 45, Issue 1, January 2016, Pages 21–29
Yoga for menopausal symptoms – A systematic review and meta-analysis
The effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms have been investigated in 13 randomized trials with a total of 1306 participants.
Yoga can reduce psychological, somatic, vasomotor, and urogenital menopausal symptoms.
Yoga does not seem to be associated with serious adverse events and as fully qualified and insured Iyengar teachers we believe that this method of yoga can only enhance life.
Holger Cramer, Wenbo Peng, Romy Lauche
Maturitas Volume 109, March 2018, Pages 13-25
Testimonials
I went to my first iyengar yoga class on a whim, to keep a friend company. I was in my mid-40s, fairly fit and assumed it would be a doddle. I spent most of the class falling over, and discovered that yoga is harder than it looks! But makes your body satisfyingly stronger. My friend gave up. I carried on and found it hugely helpful for my mental health while caring for elderly relatives and working full-time. It was my 90 minutes a week of calm. I had lower back surgery about 20 years ago and yoga is great for keeping me mobile. I used 'yoga breathing' when having an MRI. We are all different and everyone has a pose that they find easy, as well as some that are a challenge. It's part of my routine now. The minute I retire I am booking in for more classes.
SM
I originally started coming to yoga because I thought it would improve my running. And while it certainly did improve my running speed and reduced the aches and pains I was getting in my legs; what I wasn’t expecting was the positive effect it would have on my mental health. I have a busy life with primary school aged children to care for and a demanding job, and I often find it difficult to switch off my brain. Small worries and anxieties play on my mind. However I found that while I was practicing yoga all those worries melted away. It takes me out of myself and once the sessions are over I feel rejuvenated and ready to face the world again.
MB
I started going to yoga classes many years ago to strengthen my dodgy back in pregnancy. Ever since, I have found Iyengar yoga to be the most accessible form of exercise that can be practiced around children, households, partners, jobs: all one needs is floorspace for a mat and a few props. Its physical benefits are particularly obvious now I’m in my late 60’s: sustained mobility, flexibility and energy. But I equally value its neurological effect: it keeps me calmer, more patient, less highly strung than my natural tendencies would allow.
Over the years I have attended classes with many of the Warwickshire Iyengar Yoga teachers. While their individual styles of teaching vary, their thorough understanding of human physiology, shared commitment to consistency and precision, and their sheer enthusiasm for the practice has been a constant inspiration.
SL
Encouraged by my wife, and coming towards the end of my rugby and athletic life, I decided to try Iyengar yoga. After a few weeks, I realised how beneficial it would have been for my rugby if I had started much earlier. Yoga has helped me to focus on posture and attitude outside of the classroom but to me, the key issue is the quality of Iyengar teachers and the structured way in which they teach. Now, at the age of 84, I still enjoy my classes and daily practice.
MW
I developed backache, as well as the usual morning aches and pains, in my mid-40s. I'd been doing various yoga classes but they weren't enjoyable and didn't help. Thank goodness I discovered Iyengar Yoga at the age of 48. My aches and pains disappeared almost overnight and ten years on I am still free of pain and have more flexibility, stamina and strength than I had in my 30s. Regular practice has also helped me maintain a sense of objectivity and mental resilience to the fluctuations of life and has been especially helpful in helping me to cope with a recent bereavement.
LM
I have been going to Iyengar classes now for 7 years and they are great. We work hard … but we also laugh and laugh. The teacher is brilliant if you have an injury and is intuitive and inventive in getting the stiffest body into asanas. It is always uplifting to have completed her class.
KT
When recovering from an operation, returning to yoga. I felt very safe in the teacher’s knowledgeable and kind hands. I was anxious but the teacher listened, reassured, and responded to my body and mind's needs. It has been a healing and restorative experience which has been invaluable. I have renewed confidence in myself
Sophia H
Yoga with Sarah is a joy! She is patient and kind, always willing to answer my questions and gently challenging my fears, helping me to know and understand my body and find my balance within.
JD
I started yoga to try and keep some flexibility. It has given me so much more than that. The best thing about yoga is how you feel after doing it when you didn’t feel like doing it!
EH
I encountered Iyengar yoga by chance during a time when I was lacking direction following the completion of a degree and trying to pursue a career in a competitive and taxing industry. Initially a sanctuary and source of relief from the everyday pressures of struggling to thrive in a busy metropolis, it soon evolved into a physical and philosophical foundation for all areas of life. Providing me with mental clarity, emotional stability and suppleness and strength that I could never have imagined.
LC
