Community of Yoga
As an individual student of yoga, how engaged are you in the wider community of yoga that exists? Especially in Iyengar Yoga, the community connects us to voices and experiences all over the world. It is the yoga community that inspires teachers to keep teaching, to keep studios going, and to continue practicing alongside you—through challenges and breakthroughs alike.
The yoga community can be a powerful support for your practice—especially when you’ve lost touch with a local teacher, relocated, or are traveling. Iyengar Yoga is always there. We speak the common language of yoga, Sanskrit, in class and share information about different bodies and abilities, across cultures and borders. As a student myself, I have benefited greatly from my experiences and connections built throughout this amazing community!
TAP IN! As you might have noticed, Chris and Jennie have been teachers at “Yoga Day” events for the regional association, Iyengar Yoga Association of the Upper Midwest (IYAUM). There are regional associations for all regions of the United States, and your membership in the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States (IYNAUS) includes a membership to any one. I have been an active member and board member in all the regions I have lived in – from the Midwest to the Northwest to the Upper Midwest.
WHY JOIN? There are so many reasons to join your greater Iyengar Yoga community, as there are so many reasons to continue with your weekly classes.
- Do you appreciate the practice that has been taught to you by your Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers? If so, IYNAUS is the organization that oversees and supports teachers in their efforts to become certified.
- Do you like to practice even when you are not in class? IYNAUS benefits include many ways to support your practice; free classes, sequences you can download, discussion panels, videos, are just a few of the offerings to members.
- Keep the lineage ALIVE! A hallmark of Iyengar Yoga is the honoring of a lineage. With the passing of B.K.S. Iyengar and Geeta Iyengar, videos of them teaching live—hearing their voices and seeing them in action—remain a valuable resource and source of inspiration for students looking to deepen their practice. Prashant Iyengar, BKS Iyengar’s son, has been giving weekly talks on Saturday mornings live for a few years now. If you have interest in the cosmology, spirituality, philosophy, and bottomless depth of this practice of yoga, I cannot recommend it enough. He is a unique voice in the world and practice of modern yoga today.
- Special workshops and every three year convention! Regions are best known for their special membership events like “Yoga Day” that is happening on Sunday. Every three years IYNAUS hosts a convention where Abhijata Iyengar teaches. THIS CONVENTION IS FOR ANY INTERESTED STUDENT OF IYENGAR YOGA! As with any convention, you will meet and greet folks from all across the country and sometimes beyond. Share in practice with new faces and feed your practice with new life. Next convention is in Philadelphia, PA, May 2026!
- GET INVOLVED!!! Every Iyengar Yoga organization is a nonprofit organization that runs on membership dues and donations. Every organization is also run by volunteer boards. Have a special skill or just have time to help out? Connect regionally or nationally with any committee through their website.
- You don’t have to be a member to benefit from the IYNAUS store. This store holds many items ONLY found at IYNAUS and items directly from the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India. RIMYI is where students from all over the world travel regularly to study with the Iyengars in person.
SIGN UP NOW if you are curious at all about the benefits that lie within the community of Iyengar Yoga! And, if you have any interest in teaching, it is important to join IYNAUS in a timely manner before you prepare for your assessment. Know that you can speak to your teachers at any time with any interest in pursuing that path.
