B K S Iyengar Yoga Center

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, of course, but the reality is that yoga is now a commodity rather than a subject of study. The teaching at the BKS Iyengar Yoga Center is not based on the most recent yoga trends or fads. If you come to this center expecting a touchy-​feely yoga flow that encourages you to explore your yoga practice in any creative form you like with a funky DJ laying down some killer vibes in the background then you’ve come to the wrong place. Instead, you will receive a brief exposition about yoga philosophy based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. You will then be led in an invocation to Patanjali. After establishing the correct mindset, you will begin your asana practice. Iyengar yoga is a very disciplined form of yoga not only for the body, but for the mind as well. This makes it a very different practice from almost every other yoga studio in the area.
Keep in mind that if you attend classes at this yoga center you are receiving teachings from highly skilled instructors who know far more about the practice of yoga than most of the teachers in Minneapolis. I highly recommend this studio if you are interested in thorough and undiluted instruction in the study of Yoga.

I first came here as a true beginner and took intro series with Kristen Chirhart. A friend of mine is a yoga teacher in Atlanta and told me that she is one of the best in the country and I was lucky enough to live in the same city to learn from her. I attended regularly for several years, and at first was put off by the teaching style but came to truly understand, appreciate and crave it.
I go to yoga classes a lot of places. The Iyengar center is not for everyone – it is for people that truly want instruction, and want instruction from people who truly know what they’re doing. I can «practice» yoga and be led anywhere, but when I want to learn, and be corrected so that my practice improves, I come here.
Adjustments to improve understanding of postures and brief chanting at the beginning of class is traditional in Pune India and are part of the Iyengar method.

I took the beginning class from «Sgt. Svekerson,» as we called him. If you weren’t deep enough into a pose in his opinion he would PUSH you, and it HURT. He belittled people who complained about how cold it was on the floor and refused to close the windows. But what irritated me the most was his insistence on teaching us to chant in Sanskrit. Those words mean nothing if you don’t know the language, so what is the point in that? I resented spending class time on it.

I’d never done yoga before I was welcomed here two months ago and though the learning curve has been steep the instructor Steve has provided direct and personal instruction specific to my body type (inflexible/​stiff) and novice skill level. Passion for improving during class has been evident in my fellow classmates, regardless of their skill level or time available to attend classes. Not sure why there are low Unilocal reviews, noticed when I was looking up the specific address to recommend it to a friend.