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Why Practice Iyengar Yoga?

What Is Iyengar Yoga?​

Based on the teachings of BKS Iyengar, Iyengar Yoga takes a pose-by-pose approach to classical yoga so you can build on your individual progress as you gain strength and increase flexibility. Iyengar Yoga seeks to align the body, mind and breath while using props to make yoga accessible to all.

B.K.S Iyengar is credited with bringing yoga to the West and is considered a pioneer of yoga. After practicing for nearly 80 years starting as a young teen recovering from illness, he developed a method that brings acute attention to both the postures and the breath work and ultimately to one’s own body.

The Iyengar Yoga method teaches classical poses with a deliberate emphasis on alignment and awareness of the student to their own body. A hallmark is the ability to make each pose accessible to each student through the use of props.

Iyengar Certified Teachers must complete a rigorous tiered certification and assessment program to earn the credential.  We are fortunate at Artemis to have six Certified Iyengar Teachers: Jarvis Chen, Sue Gormley, Victoria Kuenerz, Susan Mulski, Rahel Wasserfall, and Mary Wixted.

From the moment I walked in and my first contact with Liz Padula, Artemis has been a welcoming, safe, and highly professional environment, and inclusive of all genders and body types. I take Iyengar classes weekly with three different instructors, and they are each well certified and excellent. The Iyengar approach allows you to practice where you are, given your structural issues, and the instruction takes who you are into consideration, with personalized attention to your particular needs.

How does Iyengar Yoga differ from Vinyasa Flow and Ashtanga Yoga?

In general, you will find the poses in Iyengar classes to be familiar but the structure and sequencing to be different.  While other yoga methods instruct with an attention to alignment, Iyengar teachers introduce postures in a sequence of teaching that emphasizes optimal body alignment and individualized adjustment to build strength and flexibility in each student.

You may find that poses are held longer and explored with a variety of props more than in other classes.  In Flow or Ashtanga Yoga, you will generally move fluidly from pose to pose with sun salutations as a regular component. 

Iyengar classes are also known for teaching inversions in an accessible and safe manner, for example the use of blankets to support the neck in a shoulderstand. 

And yet these distinctions are not always so black and white and many of our flow-trained teachers at Artemis Yoga have studied the Iyengar method or trained with Iyengar instructors for many years and thus their own teaching is influenced by the method as well.

Should I Take Iyengar Along With Other Types Of Yoga?

Yes! Students find that Iyengar classes inform their flow-based and restorative practices. You may find that you want to focus on one type of class but for others the variety is helpful.

It is just like any other activity, some days you might want to read non-fiction and focus on a topic and other days you may find you like to immerse yourself in a good juicy novel. Both are good for the soul.  Or for those who enjoy different forms of exercise, you could think of your Iyengar class as a day that you work with a trainer on body mechanics and strength building and the flow class as a day you work on cardio circuits and/or run or cycle with a meditative type of pace.

Iyengar Yoga Offerings At Artemis

Artemis Yoga offers Iyengar Yoga for all abilities: Fundamentals, General, and Experienced, as well as a specialty Rope Wall class.

Iyengar Fundamentals

Iyengar Fundamentals introduces you to classic yoga poses focusing on alignment and pose-by-pose instruction. This all-level, beginner-friendly class provides a full experience of yoga, concentration, and quieting of the mind. With a demonstration style of instruction, the pace is deliberate and methodical, ideal for those new to yoga or seeking to explore the fundamentals of yoga. Props such as blocks, straps, blankets and chairs make a pose more accessible.

Iyengar General Level

Iyengar General Level is our hallmark Iyengar Yoga class that incorporates a progressive method of teaching designed to open and strengthen the body while drawing the mind inward. Ideally, you are familiar with the Iyengar teaching method or alignment-based yoga instruction. The pace is engaging and steady. Classes are taught in a well-thought-out sequence based on a family of poses with a physical or intellectual theme to protect the body and engage the mind. You will work with a safe range of motion, body alignment and breath awareness. The class will expand upon standing poses, preparations for shoulder stand and other fundamental poses, so you build strength, stamina and flexibility. Props such as blocks, straps, blankets, and chairs are used to enhance a pose or to make a pose more accessible.

Iyengar (Experienced)

Iyengar (Experienced) is for experienced students who have a solid understanding of Iyengar Yoga and seek more advanced postures. Students should have a regular yoga practice. The pace is engaging and active. This class will refine the alignment of poses with a workshop-style approach focused on detail and precision. Students in this class will regularly practice inversions such as shoulder stands and headstands, and the weekly themes will introduce the full family of poses and pranayama. Props such as blocks, straps, blankets, and chairs may enhance a pose or make a posture more accessible.

Ropes Yoga

A Rope Wall class will introduce this fun prop into your practice! Ropes Yoga can help to strengthen and open up new areas of your body and help you explore familiar poses in new ways. All levels are welcome in this class but you should have a basic understanding of yoga, of any lineage for this class. The pace is active and fun. In sanskrit, the language of yoga, ropes are called yoga kurunta; kurunta is translated as “puppet”, like a marionette puppet. You literally use the ropes as if you were a puppet on a string bringing playfulness into your practice. The ropes can help you by supporting postures so you gain greater mobility and flexibility, releasing tension and stiffness. Many students find that the wall ropes can help guide body alignment more clearly.

Who Should Take Iyengar Classes?​

Everyone!

Often people with injury enjoy the personal attention and adjustments of Iyengar trained instruction but really anyone can join an Iyengar class to learn and practice. We welcome you to come on in and see for yourself!

Joining Artemis Yoga is the best thing I've done for myself in years! A health problem had cost me my muscle mass and made most forms of exercise impossible. I tried many things to recover my strength, including joining a gym, swimming and physical therapy all without benefit. Running out of ideas, I decided to try Iyengar Yoga at Artemis and am so glad I did! The studio is extremely welcoming and the instructors expertly trained in Iyengar Yoga and philosophy. I took fundamental and general level classes with Rahel Wasserfall weekly and always felt challenged but without fear of injury. My strength, endurance and confidence gradually returned and now, a year and a half later, I'm able to do all I need to do physically and with a much improved attitude!

Privacy Policy

Protecting your private information is our priority. This Statement of Privacy applies to www.artemisyoga.com, and Artemis Yoga, LLC and governs data collection and usage. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise noted, all references to Artemis Yoga, LLC include www.artemisyoga.com and Artemis Yoga. The Artemis Yoga website is a business site. By using the Artemis Yoga website, you consent to the data practices described in this statement.
 
Collection of your Personal Information In order to better provide you with products and services offered, Artemis Yoga may collect personally identifiable information, such as your:
 
  First and Last Name
  Mailing Address
  E-mail Address
  Phone Number
 
If you purchase Artemis Yoga’s products and services, we collect billing and credit card information. This information is used to complete the purchase transaction.
 
We do not collect any personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us.

However, you may be required to provide certain personal information to us when you elect to use certain products or services. These may include: (a) registering for an account; (b) entering a sweepstakes or contest sponsored by us or one of our partners; (c) signing up for special offers from selected third parties; (d) sending us an email message; (e) submitting your credit card or other payment information when ordering and purchasing products and services. To wit, we will use your information for, but not limited to, communicating with you in relation to services and/or products you have requested from us. We also may gather additional personal or non-personal information in the future.
 
Use of your Personal Information
Artemis Yoga collects and uses your personal information to operate and deliver the services you have requested.
 
Artemis Yoga may also use your personally identifiable information to inform you of other products or services available from Artemis Yoga and its affiliates.
 
Sharing Information with Third Parties
Artemis Yoga does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties.
 
Artemis Yoga may share data with trusted partners to help perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to Artemis Yoga, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.
 
Artemis Yoga may disclose your personal information, without notice, if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Artemis Yoga or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Artemis Yoga; and/or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of Artemis Yoga, or the public.
 
Tracking User Behavior
Artemis Yoga may keep track of the websites and pages our users visit within Artemis Yoga, in order to determine what Artemis Yoga services are the most popular. This data is used to deliver customized content and advertising within Artemis Yoga to customers whose behavior indicates that they are interested in a particular subject area.
 
Automatically Collected Information
Information about your computer hardware and software may be automatically collected by Artemis Yoga. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the Artemis Yoga website.
 
Use of Cookies
The Artemis Yoga website may use “cookies” to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.
 
One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the Web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize Artemis Yoga pages, or register with Artemis Yoga site or services, a cookie helps Artemis Yoga to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of recording your personal information, such as billing addresses, shipping addresses, and so on. When you return to the same Artemis Yoga website, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the Artemis Yoga features that you customized.
 
You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the Artemis Yoga services or websites you visit.
 
Links
This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable information.
 
Security of your Personal Information
Artemis Yoga secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Artemis Yoga uses the following methods for this purpose:
  SSL Protocol
 
When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other websites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.
 
We strive to take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or alteration of your personal information. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, you acknowledge that: (a) there are security and privacy limitations inherent to the Internet which are beyond our control; and (b) security, integrity, and privacy of any and all information and data exchanged between you and us through this Site cannot be guaranteed.
 
Right to Deletion
Subject to certain exceptions set out below, on receipt of a verifiable request from you, we will:
Delete your personal information from our records; and
Direct any service providers to delete your personal information from their records.
 
Please note that we may not be able to comply with requests to delete your personal information if it is necessary to:
Complete the transaction for which the personal information was collected, fulfill the
terms of a written warranty or product recall conducted in accordance with federal law,
provide a good or service requested by you, or reasonably anticipated within the context
of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform a contract between
you and us;
Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal
activity; or prosecute those responsible for that activity;
Debug to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise his or her right of
free speech, or exercise another right provided for by law;
Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act;
Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when our deletion of the information is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of such research, provided we have obtained your informed consent;
Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with your expectations based on your relationship with us;
Comply with an existing legal obligation; or
Otherwise use your personal information, internally, in a lawful manner that is compatible with the context in which you provided the information.
 
Children Under Thirteen
Artemis Yoga does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of thirteen. If you are under the age of thirteen, you must ask your parent or guardian for permission to use this website.
 
E-mail Communications
From time to time, Artemis Yoga may contact you via email for the purpose of providing announcements, promotional offers, alerts, confirmations, surveys, and/or other general communication. In order to improve our Services, we may receive a notification when you open an email from Artemis Yoga or click on a link therein.
 
If you would like to stop receiving marketing or promotional communications via email from Artemis Yoga, you may opt-out of such communications by clicking on the UNSUBSCRIBE button.
 
Changes to this Statement
Artemis Yoga reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account, by placing a prominent notice on our website, and/or by updating any privacy information. Your continued use of the website and/or Services available after such modifications will constitute your: (a) acknowledgement of the modified Privacy Policy; and (b) agreement to abide and be bound by that Policy.
 
Contact Information
Artemis Yoga welcomes your questions or comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that Artemis Yoga has not adhered to this Statement, please contact Artemis Yoga at: 
Artemis Yoga, LLC
639 Mt. Auburn Street
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472
 
Email Address:
info@artemisyoga.com
 
Telephone number:
(617) 393-3590
 
Effective as of September 10, 2021

Accommodation Policy

Artemis Yoga is committed to enable individuals with disabilities to participate as fully as possible in classes at our yoga studio. On the first level there is a wheelchair accessible entrance, yoga class studio and bathroom.
All classes on the first floor are wheelchair accessible in our flagship, primary studio. The lower level studio is reached by two stairways. In the event that a class in the lower level is not accessible to a participant, the studio owner or manager on-premise will adjust that class location to the first floor, grade level studio. With reasonable notice, this change will readily be made as an accommodation.


The request can be made in person, via email or telephone and advance notice of the request to the studio is appreciated. Artemis Yoga will make an earnest effort and attempt to provide reasonable accommodation pending timely notice by participants needing such accommodations.

Artemis Yoga will also work with the individual to ensure that participation in class is achievable. This may include providing additional props, chairs or hands-on assistance that the teacher is able to deliver while continuing to teach the class to all participants.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, please reach out directly to the studio owner, Liz Padula.

Newcomer 2 week Pass

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Newcomer 2 week Pass

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“HOW TO” GUIDE FOR ONLINE CLASSES

Artemis Yoga offers “live” online yoga classes through Zoom. To join, find an inviting space to practice and follow the steps below:

Step 1: Use your MINDBODY account with Artemis Yoga to register for the class. 

  • Meeting ID in the class description.
  • Please register in advance to streamline attendance and to allow us to send you a recording if you miss the class or join late.
  • Please register even if the class is listed as “free community class.”

Step 2: Log into https://zoom.us/join and enter the Class-Specific Meeting ID then click “Join”.  

  • Meeting ID in the class description. 
  • Start the login process 10-15 minutes before class so that you are ready.
  • We recommend downloading the Zoom client on your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone. You can enter the Meeting ID number from there.

Step 3: Once you click on the Meeting ID, register with your name and email in Zoom. Please use your real name so we can match with Mindbody. You will then be entered in the “Waiting Room.” 

  • The Waiting Room is where Artemis Staff checks attendance. If we can’t identify you from your Zoom user name, you will not be let into class. 
  • You will be asked if you registered in Mindbody, if you had trouble doing so, please click “No” and stay in the Waiting Room, we will assist you after class. 
  • We start letting people in from the Waiting Room 15 minutes prior to class. Large classes take a bit for us to check everyone in, please be patient.

Step 4: When let in from the waiting room, click “Join with Computer Audio.” 

  • We mute participants during class but you may unmute yourself at any time to ask questions or to say hello! We like to see you and greet you, though you may choose to turn your camera off. 
  • Use “Chat” to communicate if you do not want to speak out loud. 
  • Zoom prompts for consent to be in a recorded class, please accept so you may continue to be in class. Note that the recording is set to record only the teacher who is in the spotlight. Recordings are sent to registrants who are absent.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ONLINE FOR CLASS!