The first Iyengar Yoga classes in Scotland were taught at the Edinburgh University Yoga Society in 1974 by Bob and Kathy Welham, who studied directly under BKS Iyengar in the UK and in India.
BKS Iyengar’s seminal work “Light on Yoga” was first published in the UK in 1966. Since that time what is now called Iyengar Yoga has spread wider and wider throughout the world.
Guruji, as we came to call him, developed a system of teaching and practice that was accessible to all levels of practitioners.
His practice and teaching was thoroughly grounded on the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali which were first written down around 200 BCE.
Guruji developed the defining characteristic of Iyengar Yoga - precision in asana and with it the subtlety to understand the processes by which we gain physical and mental wellbeing.
In Light on Pranayama (published 1981) he used the same precision to teach how to quieten the mind by restraint of the breath. His creative mind also taught all of us how to use simple every-day objects as props to help us understand our bodies, minds and breath.
We are the longest serving yoga centre in Edinburgh and have been teaching Iyengar Yoga here in the heart of Edinburgh since 1980, when Bob and Kathy Welham bought the building.
Our Centre was the first Iyengar Yoga Centre in Scotland. In 1986, Elaine Pidgeon took over the running of the Centre and owned and managed it until it became what it is today, a Community Benefit Society (CBS) in 2014.
Our CBS is managed by a Board of Directors and includes a member designated as our Student Representative. Currently this is Honi Loudon. Honi is here to be the voice of you, our students.
We love to hear from you and if you would like to raise, propose, share, complain, enthuse or otherwise feed into discussions at the regular board meetings then please contact Honi at eiyc.studentrep@gmail.com.
