24/06/2026
How hard is too hard?
A student asked this after class.
Not a beginner.
Someone with two years of practice
who still could not clearly tell the difference
between effort and strain.
We hear this often.
In Iyengar Yoga, the body is not treated as a battlefield.
It is treated as a laboratory.
You observe.
You adjust.
You feel again.
Prashant Iyengar reminds us that āsana is not merely work done for the body. Through the body, the practitioner studies the breath, the mind, and the state of consciousness.
So how do you know the difference?
Effort asks:
Am I present?
Strain asks:
When will this end?
Effort has breath.
Strain holds breath.
Effort opens.
Strain closes.
Your teacher can point to these lines.
But only you can feel them from inside.
Learn the line between effort and strain in class.
Join us at BKS Iyengar Yogashala and practise with guidance, clarity, and awareness.
💬 What is one thing a teacher said to you in any class, at any point that changed how you practice?
We read every one.