Named after the man who developed it, Iyengar will lengthen and strengthen muscles. The practice of holding poses, known as asanas, for a certain amount of time builds strengths in the arms and legs. The asanas consist of standing poses, seated poses, inverted poses, backbends, balancings and twists.
A typical class will see you working through a selection of planned poses and finish with fifteen minutes of relaxation exercises. Under the instruction of tutor Carol Johnson, you’ll learn how to correctly align your body in each pose and make use of props such as sponge and wood blocks, chairs, belts and blankets. Carol often starts students sitting on the blocks, legs crossed, with some basic instructions. The names of the poses are mainly read in sanskrit, so Carol often demonstrates them first to the students. Students within Carol’s class also often work in groups of two or three in order to gain a better understanding of the poses and what that pose is doing to their bodies.
With practice and with the use of the props you will get deeper into the stretches and reap the benefit as you learn to hold them. These benefits include a stronger healthier body and a feeling of achievement. Carol hopes students will gain more awareness in their own bodies and an understanding of how they can continue to work the yoga poses at home.
Monday 7.30-9pm Carol Johnson £38 (£28)
To reserve or to book a place on a course, telephone Box office on 01325 486555 or call in to Darlington Arts Centre Reception.