Iyengar Yoga in Illinois comes from the wisdom of widely respected B.K.S. Iyengar, who officially shaped and shared this yoga method with the world in 1975. His goal was to make yoga safe, precise, and accessible for everyone, regardless of age, strength, or flexibility. By focusing on alignment, breath, and the careful use of props like belts, blocks, and bolsters, Iyengar Yoga opened ways for people to experience yoga not just as movement, but as a pathway to healing and inner steadiness!
Iyengar Yoga Illinois
With the Iyengar yoga practice reaching Illinois, it quickly resonated with students and teachers looking for more than a workout. Its therapeutics quality, attention to detail, healing potential, and ability to adapt to individual needs made it stand out.
Now, Iyengar Yoga thrives across Illinois in studios and classrooms where practitioners learn patience, discipline, and a deeper awareness of body and mind by continuing the very purpose Iyengar dreamed of when he first began.
So, now let’s check out the yoga studios for Illinois –
Iyengar Yoga Champaign Urbana
About –
In 1999, yoga teacher Lois Steinberg, Ph.D., received a rare honor from B.K.S. Iyengar — the permission to use his name for a center in Urbana, Illinois. With this blessing, Iyengar Yoga Champaign-Urbana was established as a place where you can practice yoga with authenticity, safety, and care.
Right from the start, the institute was designed to guide students with precision and mindfulness by staying true to the Iyengar tradition.
Under Lois’s tutelage and with the support of a dedicated teaching yoga team, Iyengar yoga Champaign Illinois center has welcomed students of all ages and levels. Here, people learn to build strength, improve alignment, and find inner steadiness. More than a yoga studio, IYCU has grown into a community where practice nurtures both body and soul!
Iyengar Yoga Offerings –
- Iyengar Ignite – This is a lively and fast-paced class designed to challenge the body and mind. Its progressive nature introduces students to the fundamentals of sequencing and building a home practice.
- Easy Pace Ignite – The practice carries the same structure as Iyengar Ignite but moves at a gentler rhythm. It’s perfect for those who want the benefits of Iyengar practice without the intensity by offering steady progress and keeping the practice accessible.
- Intermediate I – It’s created for students who already have a foundation in basic Iyengar poses and shoulderstand. This class emphasizes on refining techniques, exploring subtleties, and gently introducing pranayama (breathing practices).
- Intermediate II – The class takes students further into the Iyengar path with advanced postures like headstand, arm balances, padmasana, and deeper backbends.
- Intermediate III – It’s for dedicated students who have mastered foundational postures and are ready for more challenging work. Here, regular home practice is expected and the sessions continue to blend pranayama and yoga philosophy.
- Advanced – This is reserved for serious practitioners who are deeply committed to Iyengar Yoga. The class is intense and designed for students who wish to push their practice to its highest potential.
Website – https://www.yoga-cu.com/
Yoga Horizons of Chicago
About –
Yoga Horizons of Chicago has grown into a welcoming space where Iyengar Yoga is taught with care and depth. The heart of the institute is shaped by yoga teachers like Kathleen Wright, who began her yoga journey in 1974. Since then, she has been sharing her considerable knowledge and tremendous work, which is an invaluable resource!
The institute’s development was to give Chicago a space where yoga isn’t just exercise but a thoughtful practice — one that builds strength, awareness, and balance in daily life. With experienced teachers and a strong Iyengar foundation, Yoga Horizons continues to honor its purpose by making yoga meaningful, accessible, and supportive for everyone!
Iyengar Yoga Offerings –
- Iyengar Yoga Fundamentals – This is created for those new to Iyengar Yoga and focuses on basic asanas (poses), actions, and the foundational philosophy of Iyengar Yoga.
- Continuing Yoga Education – It’s for students who have completed the Fundamentals class or have some prior experience. Here, major challenging poses are introduced with deeper exploration of alignment and sequencing.
- Focus: Aging Gracefully – This is tailored for students aged 40–90+ by focusing on movements that support aging, balance, agility, strength, and mindful awareness. Here, the students are expected to have a basic understanding of Iyengar Yoga.
- Extended – It’s a regular immersion practice that includes detailed work on posture, pranayama (breathing techniques), yoga therapy, meditation, yoga sutras, geeta, and philosophy.
Website – https://yhchicago.com/
Garden of Yoga
About –
Garden of Yoga in La Grange, Illinois, was founded in 1983 by Kathleen M. Wright, whose journey into yoga began as a teenager after reading Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography. After being inspired by the principles of nonviolence and mindfulness, Kathleen started studying yoga formally in 1974 under Swami Veda Bharati and began teaching in 1976.
The studio was started humbly at the Western Springs Recreation Center, where original students still attend the classes even today. With years, it has grown into a full-featured center and a yoga graduate school with a spacious studio, lecture space, and a healing consultation room.
The Garden of Yoga offers regular classes, workshops, advanced courses, and teacher training, all created to nurture body, mind, and spirit. Kathleen and her team continue to share yoga with warmth, care, and dedication!
Iyengar Yoga Offerings –
- Level 1 Iyengar Yoga – The class is designed for students who have completed the Introduction to Iyengar Yoga series or have previous asana experience. It prepares students for more advanced asanas, including inversions and backbends.
- Iyengar Yoga – This class is suitable for students with some yoga experience, focusing on the principles of Iyengar Yoga. Its focus is placed on alignment and sequencing to deepen the practice.
- Iyengar Yoga All Levels – This is an all-levels class that accommodates students of varying experience levels together. The class focuses on the fundamentals of Iyengar Yoga, with modifications provided as needed.
Website – https://gardenofyoga.net/
Wild Onion Yoga
About –
Wild Onion Yoga, located in Evanston, Illinois, was founded in October 1990 by Cheryl Henley to create a welcoming space for practicing Iyengar Yoga. Cheryl, who has been studying Iyengar Yoga since 1976 and certified in 1987, brings decades of experience from her rigorous training in India and with senior teachers around the world.
The studio’s unique name comes from the Potawatomi word Che-cau-gou, which means “place of the smelly onion,” showcasing the wild onions that once grew in the area. With years, Wild Onion Yoga has grown into a supportive community where students of all levels can build strength, flexibility, and mindfulness while exploring the art of Iyengar Yoga.
Iyengar Yoga Offerings –
- Mixed-Level Iyengar Yoga – This is a versatile class suitable for students of all levels and focuses on standing poses, inversions, seated postures for neck, backbends, and twists. Here, the props are used to support proper alignment and better safety for each student.
- Prenatal/Postpartum Iyengar Yoga – The class schedule is customized for expectant and new mothers where the focus is on gentle postures, support for the changing body, and mindful breathing techniques.
- Private Iyengar Yoga Lessons – It includes one-on-one instruction customized as per individual needs. This is perfect for addressing specific challenges, injuries, physical pain, or personal goals.
- Drop-in and Package Classes – These are flexible options for students who want to practice occasionally or commit to a short series.
Website – https://www.wildonionyoga.com/
Yoga with Todd
About –
Yoga with Todd is an Iyengar Yoga studio in Chicago, founded by Todd Howell, a dedicated practitioner and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher. Todd’s yoga journey started in the mid-1990s after transitioning from martial arts. Since then, he has trained with senior Iyengar teachers worldwide and at the famous Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India.
The studio was created to share yoga in a thoughtful and accessible way. He combines alignment, precision, and mindful sequencing with gently humorous and practical philosophy. Their classes are available both in-person at the University Club of Chicago and online by welcoming students of all levels.
With 30 years of experience, Todd continues to guide and assist practitioners toward strength, balance, and realize a better connection with themselves through the Iyengar Yoga tradition.
Iyengar Yoga Offerings –
- Iyengar All Levels (Live Streaming) – It’s an online class that is suitable for all levels, focused on strength, flexibility, and alignment using props like walls, mats, blocks, blankets, belts, bolsters, and chairs.
- Aging Gracefully with Iyengar Yoga – This is designed for enhancing mobility, balance, and vitality, where the gentle class accommodates all ages and experience levels focusing on safe alignment and mindful practice.
- In-Person Classes – The morning and weekend sessions are offered on-site with provided props, focusing on core Iyengar sequences, full-body alignment that exemplifies whole body transformation.
- Private Instruction (Online or In-Person) – These are one-on-one personalized sessions addressing specific challenges, goals, or injuries, as per each student’s needs.
- Workshops with Todd & Bob (In-Person) – These are special collaborative sessions offering combined expertise in Iyengar Yoga, including detailed alignment work, sequencing, and prop guidance.
Website – https://www.yogawithtodd.com/
Bottom Line –
Illinois Iyengar yoga offers more than just exercise—it’s a path to balance, strength, and calm. With careful guidance, props, and focus on alignment, every student can practice safely and grow at their own pace. The classes help improve posture, reduce stress, and build flexibility, while also teaching patience and mindfulness.
From Chicago studios to suburban centers, experienced teachers make every class welcoming and meaningful. So, if you’re a beginner or experienced, stepping onto the mat allows you to connect with your body, calm your mind, and return to feeling joy, stronger, centered, and ready for life’s challenges!
