Introduction to Iyengar Yoga: The Art of Inner and Outer Alignment

A 3-part series (Full series recommended, drop-ins allowed. Free and open to the public)
 

Spend long hours at a desk, in the lab, or hunched over a laptop? This series offers a reset. Learn the foundations of Iyengar yoga with a focus on posture and alignment, especially the neck, shoulders, and hips, where study and work stress tend to settle. Props like blocks, straps, and blankets make each pose accessible, so every body can practice with more confidence. Come away with practical tools for easing tension, improving focus, and moving through your day with more steadiness. No experience needed. Great for beginners. 

Instructor: Polina Mischenko

Tentative plan for the series - subject to change based on participants present:

• November 18th: Standing poses
• December 2nd: Forward Extensions, Twists, & Hips
• December 9th: Back Extensions ("back bends") 

Each class will also include restorative poses and an opportunity for meditation.

About the Instructor

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Polina Mischenko is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher. Polina's Iyengar inspired yoga journey began with a 190hr Intensive Yoga Course “Pranic Healing,” 220 hours of the Teachers Training Course “Level 1,” and two months of assistant teaching with Sharat Arora in Dharamsala, India at the Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Centre. After her return to the United States, Polina studied with Shaaron Honeycutt, Megan Bowles, and Dr. Siegfried Bleher before becoming a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher in 2020.

Since then she has maintained regular study under the direction of senior teacher Holly Walck Kostura and has had the opportunity to learn from Abhijata Iyengar through the 2026 IYNAUS Convention and the Iyengar Yoga for Kids & Teens Training. She also serves as the Assistant Director of Programs at the UVA Contemplative Sciences Center, where she develops and offers mindfulness and contemplative programs for the UVA and wider community. Her teaching is precise, welcoming, and grounded in a deep personal practice.