Debra Lauren unifies body and mind Through Iyengar Yoga

STAFF PHOTO BY DANIELLE PARHIZKARAN

Yoga Vita, located at 1150 Teaneck Road in Teaneck, offers morning, evening and weekend sessions for area residents. Photo courtesy of Yoga Vita

Debra Lauren, owner of Yoga Vita, leads the group in Iyengar Yoga, a form of yoga that emphasizes proper alignment in the spine to increase strength, flexibility, stamina, coordination and attention.

B.K.S. Iyengar, native of India and author of Light on Yoga, is one of the few who can say that he "wrote the book" on something and actually mean it. Through his book and teachings, Iyengar has introduced to the world Iyengar Yoga, which emphasizes detail, precision and alignment in the performance of asana (posture) and pranayama (breath control).

One of his loyal disciples is Debra Lauren, owner of Yoga Vita in Teaneck, who opened the business in 1999 after working both privately and for the Fort Lee Recreational Dept.

"Were not casual about yoga," she said. "We started before it was a fad."

Theres certainly nothing "casual" about the experience needed to be an Iyengar Yoga instructor, as Lauren had to study for three years prior to being accepted into a New York City training program. She also spent three months in India training at Iyengars own institute, and must travel to Florida every two years for testing.

"The teacher imparts the inner teachings of spirituality that can never be explained fully or accurately in words or printed books," she said. "We learn the philosophy and we do the practice. The teacher is important to a point, then the students have to trust themselves and enjoy the process."

The process of Iyengar Yoga, which Lauren describes as "progressive," pays attention to the alignment of the body, with an emphasis on using ones limbs to make space throughout the spine, the location of the entire nervous system. The use of props is integral to this form of yoga, ensuring that all asanas are performed correctly while minimizing the risk of injury and making them accessible to both young and old students.

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