When I first walked into an Iyengar yoga class, the first thing I noticed besides the equipment (bricks, bolsters, ropes on the wall…) were the shorts worn by my teacher Eva. Later I realized that shorts are a constant at all Iyengar yoga practices, workshops, and conventions. They are the most comfortable and soft, you don’t sweat in them like in leggings, and with them, you can perform more “open” positions in front of a group of people without shame.
Iyengar yoga pants
In addition to comfort, the focus is on the design, which allows complete freedom of the body during various asanas, without the fear of showing too much. You can bend, stretch, squat, and twist in them without restrictions. The pants adapt perfectly to the body and do not restrict the movement necessary to perform yoga asanas. They are made of cotton so that the skin can breathe. You get used to them over time and you can no longer practice without them.
Shorts tailored just for Iyengar yoga come from Pun in India, where it’s steamy and hot all year round. Practicing yoga in long leggings is practically impossible there, as certain yoga positions raise the temperature in the body even more. Therefore, the Iyngar yoga short are very practical and we are less hot in them.
yoga shorts
History of Iyengar yoga shorts
The story goes that Ramamani Iyengar, B. K. S. Iyengar’s wife, was the first to design Iyengar yoga shorts, which are now worn by all practitioners around the world. In a short film called "Pune", she said that back then women practiced yoga in the traditional women's garment "sari", which extends from the neck to the feet. She explained that it was difficult to practice yoga in a sari, but other clothing for women was not available at the time. They wore only sarees, blouses and skirts. Ramamani was quite open to new ideas and developed shorts that made it much easier to practice asanas, says Geeta Iyengar, daughter of B. K. S. Iyengar.
And so, there was no longer any dilemma as to what women should wear for yoga practice. Over the years, shorts have been modified and improved in order to adapt to the body as much as possible. In any case, the common denominator of all of them is that they are made of cotton. You will find just such in our online store!
Now that you know at least part of the story behind the Iyengar yoga shorts from Pun, you probably won't judge them anymore. I even believe that you will want to try them as soon as possible!
Iyengar yoga shorts