Spacial geometry in BKS Iyengar´s yoga poses

The following drawings shall make visible another significance of BKS Iyengar´s yoga poses – the mastered technic of spacial geometry. In the yoga poses positions you can look at this aspects: An awareness of the space in front, back, left, right, above and below in which Iyengar positions his posture. His poses express a feeling for spacial geometry.

“The practice of yoga gives a decisive sense of measure and proportion. In terms of our bodies, this means learning to play our most important instrument and drawing the greatest resonance and harmony from it.” Preface from Light on Yoga by Jehudi Menuhin (friend and student of BKS Iyengar)

This warrior pose of Iyengar is siginificant, because of his huge step, as well as the long arms. Iyengar expresses a sens for the three directions: The horizontal ground, the space infront of him as well as the space behind him.

The spacial geometry is a triangle with a high tip

The arms are very long. they seem to be striving for a point upwards. The exercise is spanned by three points in space.

The sense for a long diagonal into the space can be felt in this yoga pose .

This pose also shapes a triangle, but it´s peak is shifted to the left.

This Warrior Pose expresses a harmonical posture with three directions: Head and spine are upright integrating the space above, the arms as well as the legs are striving forwards and backwards.

The spacial geometry is a quite regular pentagon

The whole body creates one plane in the space, spanning a pentagon. The exercise is spanned by five points in space.

BKS Iyengar. Scorpion-variation. Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana

In this one legged inverted pose the leg strives up very straight – the spine and head is facing downwards. Iyengar expresses a sens for a low and high, for above and below, and creates in this two directions this demanding yoga pose.

In this advanced yoga pose, Iyengar also shapes a pentagon, but it´s tip is much higher and gives the pose a sensation for striving upwards.

The legs are in horizontal expansion, the arms exactly in vertical extension. The chest connects this two parts and strives also in the horizontal.

The geometry in space is a clean and regular triangle. Three points in space create the shape.

BKS Iyengar. Dancer´s pose. Natarajasana

This preposition of the dancer´s pose expresses a sense for threedimensionality of space and body. Iyengar stands upright between top and bottom, he strives into the space forward with his stretched arm, the other arm and leg moves backwards.

In this position, Iyengar expresses a sense of the three-dimensionality of space. He is standing and you can see that he is consciously sensing the surrounding space in it´s height, depth and width.

The cubus represents the space outside him, Iyengar stands in the middle, shaping the dancer´s pose.

What is the quality of the sense for spacial geometry ?

Without a sens for the outer space (fictive) – With a sense for the outer space

The left sketch is fictive and shows Iyengar without a sense for space, the right one is drawn from a pose of Iyengar and expresses the sens of space during shaping the yoga pose.

The drawing of the opposite of sense for space is intended to emphasize the sense for space even more.In this Warrior Pose of Iyengar, the arms seem to reach upwards like touching a point further above.

With a sense for the spacial geometry, the body can be shaped more freely and the body feels lighter and the yoga pose has a clear expression and spacial dynamic. The consciousness is not just occupied with the body, but is still open to the space around.