Iyengar Yoga & the Heart
9th February 2026
February’s Theme: Connection and the heart health
February often invites us to reflect on the heart, not only in a romantic sense, but in a deeper, more expansive way. The heart beats steadily through stress and ease, effort and rest. It is at once physical, emotional, and symbolic: an organ, a centre, and in yogic philosophy, a seat of consciousness.
This month, we explore how Iyengar Yoga supports the heart in its many dimensions strengthening the physical body, stabilising emotions, and nurturing compassion for ourselves and others.
The Physical Heart: Strength, Circulation & Breath
Iyengar Yoga offers structured, accessible practices that support circulation, respiratory efficiency, and overall cardiovascular health. Different categories of asana influence the heart in distinct ways:
- Standing poses build strength, stamina, and circulation
- Back extensions open the chest and lungs, supporting fuller breathing
- Forward extensions calm the nervous system and quieten the mind
- Restorative postures allow for recovery, balance, and replenishment
In Yoga The Path to Holistic Health written by B.K.S. Iyengar there is one dedicated chapter to the heart and circulatory system, offering sequences for conditions such as high and low blood pressure, angina, blocked arteries, and post-heart attack recovery. We have included two of these therapeutic sequences illustrated by Svenjar Karsens, whose work makes these teachings more accessible for contemporary practitioners.
Please note that the sequences below are recommended to be done only under the supervision of a suitably qualified Iyengar yoga teacher after consultation with your medical practitioner.
As general Iyengar Yoga teachers, we are able to assist with general aches and pains in class, but we also have more senior teachers who have therapy training and are able to deal with more complex injuries. If you would like to find a local Iyengar yoga teacher you can search here.
Backbends & the Heart
Backbends are often described as “heart-opening” postures, and their effects are both physical and emotional. Physically, they stretch the hips, open the shoulders and chest, strengthen the legs, arms, and back, and can help alleviate stiffness in the upper back and neck.
On a subtler level, backbends invite courage, vitality, and vulnerability. They ask us to move towards fear rather than away from it, to remain open, steady, and receptive even when challenged. This balance of strength and sensitivity is one reason backbends can feel so transformative.
Read more about backbends with Poppy’s blog post here.
B.K.S. Iyengar frequently recommended backbends as support for low mood and depression. By lifting and expanding the chest, these poses can help release emotional tension that becomes held or “armoured” in the body. In Light on Life, he writes:
“When you are emotionally disturbed, insecurity and anxiety from the conscious mind is converted into the unconscious mind, which is actually hidden in the heart, not the brain.”
Iyengar often reminded students that how we practise matters as much as what we practise. He observed:
“Asana done from the brain makes one heavy; asana done from the heart makes one light.”
Seen in this way, backbends become more than physical actions, they become a means of awakening energy, building resilience, and creating emotional clarity.
Supporting the Heart with Props: The Simhāsana Box
In Iyengar Yoga, props are not simply supports; they are tools for deepening awareness and refining alignment. One such prop is the Simhāsana box, which is often used in backbends to support intelligent extension through the spine.
When used skillfully, the Simhāsana box lifts and stabilises the pelvis, allowing the chest to open without compressing the lower back or shoulders. By creating a firm base beneath the sacrum, the spine can lengthen naturally and the ribcage can expand with ease. This physical opening supports calmer, fuller breathing and helps regulate the nervous system.
The heart is also where we feel. Iyengar Yoga supports emotional regulation by calming the nervous system and creating conditions for steadiness and clarity. Supported postures, restorative sequences, and practices designed for emotional stability can be deeply soothing.
Geeta Iyengar often emphasised that yoga cultivates sensitivity without fragility. In supported work, the chest softens, the breath deepens, and the mind settles, making space for emotional resilience rather than emotional reactivity.
Iyengar Yoga’s rich restorative tradition is particularly supportive for heart health, both physical and emotional. With the use of props, the chest and diaphragm can open without strain, encouraging:
- smoother, quieter breathing
- reduced anxiety
- lower fatigue
- improved sleep
- greater nervous system balance
The Philosophical Heart: Compassion & Ahimsa
Yoga teaches that the heart is more than muscle and circulation. It is linked to hṛdaya, the spiritual heart, understood as a seat of awareness, courage, and compassion.
Within the eight limbs of yoga, Ahimsa (non-harming) can be seen as a heart-based practice: learning to act with care towards ourselves and others. In Iyengar Yoga, ahimsa shows up in how we work with patience, precision, and respect for our limits, rather than striving or forcing.
Anāhata: The Heart Centre in Yoga
In classical yogic philosophy, the heart is also an energetic centre known as Anāhata, the fourth chakra. Anāhata is associated with love, balance, openness, and connection. Its bija (seed) mantra is “Yam”, a sound traditionally used to cultivate harmony and emotional equilibrium.
For Iyengar Yoga practitioners, Anāhata resonates strongly with the method’s integration of physical precision and inner awareness. Whether through standing poses, backbends, or supported restorative work, opening the chest is mirrored by the cultivation of calm, receptive attention. In this way, the practice gently opens both the literal and symbolic heart.
A Practice for Connection
Whether we understand the heart as an organ, an energetic centre, or a seat of consciousness, Iyengar Yoga offers tools to connect more deeply:
- with our physical health
- with our emotional wellbeing
- with our inner awareness
- and with one another
In this sense, yoga becomes a practice of relationship with our bodies, our breath, our minds, and our wider community.
The work of yoga is rarely dramatic. It is steady, intelligent, and patient and over time, that steadiness works its way into the heart. As B.K.S. Iyengar reminded us:
“Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”
BKS Iyengar
What the Research Tells Us:
Yoga, the Heart & Research published in Iyengar Yoga News Autumn 2025 issue 48 offers valuable insight into how long-term Iyengar Yoga practice supports heart and lung health. In an MSc study led by cardiologist Dr Deoraj Zamvar, the effects of sustained yoga practice were examined using comprehensive clinical measures, including ECGs, echocardiograms, lung function tests, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and 24-hour heart monitoring.
The study found that while experienced yoga practitioners did not show the same cardiac adaptations as elite endurance athletes, they demonstrated excellent overall heart health, healthy heart rhythms, and efficient cardiovascular function. Notably, all participants showed lung function results suggesting their “lung age” was younger than their chronological age. In one case, nearly half, pointing to exceptional respiratory efficiency. The findings suggest that Iyengar Yoga supports cardiovascular and respiratory health in a steady, non-straining way, enhancing efficiency and resilience without placing excessive stress on the heart.
If you are a member of IYUK you can find this article in the members area under Resource Hub and Iyengar Yoga News (IYN magazine)
If you’re curious about how Iyengar Yoga can support you, find a qualified teacher near you here:
Teachers: Get Involved
If you are a teacher and would like to take part, we’d love to hear from you. Throughout February, you can:
- Share photos or videos of your own practice on social media, tagging @iyengaryoga_uk
- Contribute your reflections, teaching notes, or short articles on the knees by emailing us at content@iyengaryoga.uk.org
Together, we can build a rich collection of knowledge, inspiration, and practical resources for supporting students and teachers alike.
