Mind Body Studio

10/11/2025

🌿 Pranayama for Beginners: The Abdominal Release Gap 🌿

When setting up for pranayama, beginners are often asked to leave a small gap between the low back and the bolster. This adjustment is simple but very purposeful.

✨ Here’s why the gap matters:
- Abdominal Release: Many beginners struggle to relax the abdomen inward. By leaving the lumbar spine (waistline) unsupported, the abdomen naturally softens and recedes towards the back—rather than puffing outward.

- Comfort & Safety: If the low back presses fully into the bolster, some may feel ache or strain around the waist. The gap removes this pressure, allowing the body to stay comfortable during longer breathwork.

- Stage of Practice: More advanced alignment involves the low back resting fully on the bolster, but only when the abdomen can stay soft. For beginners, prioritizing release is more important than perfect rib alignment. If the belly lifts or puffs, it’s a signal that the gapped setup is needed.

🌬️ The gap is not a compromise—it’s a teaching tool. It helps you start pranayama safely, preventing discomfort while building awareness of the abdomen’s release.

💡 Next time you practice, observe: Does your abdomen truly soften back, or do you need the gap?



🌍 https://www.bksiyengaryogashala.com/

09/25/2025

A student reflects
In a recent class, a teacher brought awareness to how the clutter of thoughts can keep us trapped there and stop us from creating a sense of space, preventing the mind from coming to stillness. I witnessed this when doing Janu Sirsasana in which I became attached to the idea of being able to do more.

As I focussed on the fact that I couldn’t perform the pose on that day as well as I usually could, agitation and frustration arose in me. I was trapped in thoughts of ‘Why am I so stiff? Why is the pose so difficult for me today? Why can’t I easily access the twist like I normally can? I normally do better.’ Remaining in this reactive state, instead of focussing on the breath to release the resistance, I came out of the pose early as if giving up. This teaching along with performing the asana, exposed in me a tendency to always want to improve and to not accept where my body is in any given moment. Being busy in thoughts, I was unable to practice Vairagya which prevented me from creating stillness in my mind and finding ease in the pose.

https://study.yogamandir.com.au/courses/y-01/

09/24/2025

In this sutra Patanjali points us towards a practice that is both simple and immeasurably deep. The repetition of Aum is not merely a sound or a ritual act; it is a vibration that resonates with the very ground of being.
When it is repeated with feeling, with the mind turned inward it draws us gradually away from the dispersal of attention and towards the source of our own consciousness.

09/23/2025

Tuesdays with Prashant ✨ September edition

"Yoga is for the mind. It should be done by the body for the mind. Since yoga is done by the body, it is possible that one might do it by the body and just for the body"~ Prashant

Our "Tuesdays with Prashant" quote series highlights Prashant Iyengar’s wisdom, insights and teachings on classical yoga.

09/17/2025

We have been exploring the use of the belt in the Sunday pranayama class at Iyengar Yoga Lexington. If you are interested in pranayama consider joining a weekly class at The Mind Body Studio. Sign up iyengarlex.com

The belt on the lower ribs prevents them from hardening and protruding forward . This helps the diaphragm to relax which in turn is conducive to a pranayama practice.

"Pranayama is not normal breathing-nor is it just deep breathing. It is the technique of generating cosmic vital energy through the fusion of the antagonistic elements of fire and water. Fire is the quality of mind, and water is the element that corresponds to the physiological body. Water douses fire, and fire evaporates water so they are not easily brought together. Air is the interface whose flow in the lungs provides the dynamic stream that fuses water and fire and produces an energetic current of prana. This spreads through the nervous system and bloodstream and is distributed around the body, rejuvenating every cell. The earth element in the form of the body, provides the physical location for the production of energy, and the fifth and most subtle element, space or ether, offers the space required for the energy's distribution. The need for a harmonious and symmetrical space explains the importance of the spine and its supporting musculature, for the spine is the central column of the nervous system. By lifting and separating the thirty-three articulations of the vertebral column, and by opening the ribs from the spine like a tiger's claws, we deepen and lengthen the breath."

BKS Iyengar
Light On Life

09/11/2025

“Yoga is a naturopathic process of treatment. The progress is slow but certain.” – Geeta S. Iyengar

Forward bends calm the mind and help release anxiety, tension, and mental stress.

Join me for a Forward Bends Workshop

🗓 Saturday, Sept. 20 | 🕐 1–4 PM

💫 All levels welcome | 💲 $50

Reserve your spot: iyengarlex.com

09/05/2025

Still accepting enrollments for September classes - register now at iyengarlex.com

09/04/2025

08/20/2025

Standing Pose Workshop: Awakening the Karmendriyas

Saturday, August 23 | 1–4 PM

Mind Body Studio

with Kim Blitch, CIYT, C-IAYT

Open to all yoga students, this workshop explores beginner syllabus standing poses through the lens of the karmendriyas—the organs of action. We’ll focus on how the positioning of the hands, arms, shoulder girdle, feet, legs, and hips directly influences the spine and physical body—and, in turn, the state of the mental body.

With focused attention on these areas of action, we’ll explore how alignment arises from conscious movement. Through demonstration, instruction, and mindful practice, participants will deepen their understanding of how outer action becomes a gateway to inner stillness, stability, and awareness.

Register at iyengarlex.com

07/16/2025

🧘‍♀️ August Iyengar Yoga Classes – Registration Now Open!

Have you been curious about yoga but worried you’re not flexible or fit enough? Iyengar Yoga is here for Every Body — no matter your age, ability, or experience level.

✨ Try our gentle Beginner Class
📅 Tuesdays at 9:30 AM
Perfect for those new to yoga or returning after time away. This supportive class uses props and modifications to meet you where you are.

Why Iyengar Yoga?
✔️ Stimulate and strengthen your neuromuscular system
✔️ Build strength safely, with precise alignment
✔️ Improve coordination, balance, and flexibility
✔️ Maintain mobility and confidence in everyday life

Let yoga meet you where you are — and grow with you.

Reserve your spot today!
Sign up at iyengarlex.com