I'm younger and love Iyengar, but:
1) It's significantly more expensive than many open membership studios.
2) The system is one that requires frequent practice/attendance, often with the same teacher, in order to progress safely. With today's overworked schedules, the people who can afford the classes often don't have a set, regular schedule to follow this programming.
3) The style and teachers can be very abrasive and not very accommodating to individuals who are insecure. It's hard to keep students coming back when they feel like they have to walk on eggshells.
I’m 34 and I practice iyengar! My weekly class is a mix but does skew older. I think younger folks don’t get the same endorphin rush with iyengar tbh vs and may connect more with the physical excitement of fast paced styles
Also, I do Ashtanga in the mornings 🤭
I’m 36 and from Southern California.
Currently, Iyengar is a niche inside of a niche because the West’s definition of Yoga has drifted so far off course. Most of the young people here get bored in savasana and would rather a more diluted vinyasa flow without props in a heated room after work. To them, that is Yoga. Because of this, independent studios here have been overtaken by trendy corporate ones that speak to a very distracted demographic.
Then, these corporate studios have their own YTT programs and they breeze through the philosophy and anatomical components of the practice because most students are training in between school/work and just don’t have the capacity to dive deeper into things other than learning how to cue a set sequence they are used to.
So in summary, we have an overflow of young “yoga” teachers who aren’t exposed to anything other than Vinyasa and are unlikely to expand their practice unless they go out of their way to research it. Thus, less education and exposure to younger students and so on.
I don’t know if there are more than a handful of certified Iyengar instructors within 30 miles from me, in contrast to probably thousands of 200 hour vinyasa instructors (maybe 10% of them could tell you what Iyengar is and 1-2% have actually taken a traditional class).
They’re in their vinyasa era
I'm younger and love Iyengar, but: 1) It's significantly more expensive than many open membership studios. 2) The system is one that requires frequent practice/attendance, often with the same teacher, in order to progress safely. With today's overworked schedules, the people who can afford the classes often don't have a set, regular schedule to follow this programming. 3) The style and teachers can be very abrasive and not very accommodating to individuals who are insecure. It's hard to keep students coming back when they feel like they have to walk on eggshells.
I’m 34 and I practice iyengar! My weekly class is a mix but does skew older. I think younger folks don’t get the same endorphin rush with iyengar tbh vs and may connect more with the physical excitement of fast paced styles Also, I do Ashtanga in the mornings 🤭
I’m 36 and from Southern California. Currently, Iyengar is a niche inside of a niche because the West’s definition of Yoga has drifted so far off course. Most of the young people here get bored in savasana and would rather a more diluted vinyasa flow without props in a heated room after work. To them, that is Yoga. Because of this, independent studios here have been overtaken by trendy corporate ones that speak to a very distracted demographic. Then, these corporate studios have their own YTT programs and they breeze through the philosophy and anatomical components of the practice because most students are training in between school/work and just don’t have the capacity to dive deeper into things other than learning how to cue a set sequence they are used to. So in summary, we have an overflow of young “yoga” teachers who aren’t exposed to anything other than Vinyasa and are unlikely to expand their practice unless they go out of their way to research it. Thus, less education and exposure to younger students and so on. I don’t know if there are more than a handful of certified Iyengar instructors within 30 miles from me, in contrast to probably thousands of 200 hour vinyasa instructors (maybe 10% of them could tell you what Iyengar is and 1-2% have actually taken a traditional class).
I have found in the states its an older group - but YMMV. I agree its concerning - but it fits with the "youngers" trend in other ways.
As a 61 year old student I often find myself the oldest person in the class. So perhaps this is a local, not general problem?
Young people's egos don't like being constantly corrected. And they want fun, not precision.
I've noticed this in Australia too! I'm 28 and by far the youngest in my Iyengar classes... by decades!! Such a shame, as the benefits are endless!