1. Arrive early, dress, place valuables in safe place. No water bottles in class. If you have a chance, speak with the teacher about physical impairments before class. Classes are at least 1 ¼ hours long, most are 1 ½ hours. The upper level classes are 2 hours. Pace yourself. The teacher may sit on a raised platform, it may seem strange at first but it’s a good idea. You can actually see them!
2. Walk into the studio and gather your props: 3 blankets, 2 blocks, 1 strap, 1 mat
3. Find a place on the floor, place props very near your space, usually at the head or feet
4. Warm-up; there is no warm up period in an Iyengar class, be warmed up when the class begins
5. Sit in comfortable position, you’ll be there a while, such as Sukasana (Cross legged pose). Remember your knees need to be lower than your hips
6. Sometimes the teacher will ask if there are any medical conditions they need to know about. If you didn’t have a chance to chat with the teacher before tell him/her now about any relevant medical conditions.
7. Class may commence with the Patanjali Chant in Sanskrit in call and response mode. Here is a phonetic version (on left), and a translation (on right), courtesy of YogaCircle.com. It is a good idea to practice this before your first Iyengar class. If you listen to the audio file at YogaCircle.com you will hear the rhythm, pace and tonal quality.
yogena cittasya padena vacam |  | Let us bow before the noblest of sages, |
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena | Patanjali, who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind, | |
yopakarottam pravaram muninam | grammar for clarity and purity of speech, | |
patanjalim pranjaliranato’smi | and medicine for perfection of health. | |
abahu purusakaram | I Salute Adisvara (the Primeval Lord Siva) | |
sankha cakrasi dharinam | who taught first the science of Hatha | |
sahasra sirasam svetam | Yoga - a science that stands out as a ladder | |
pranamami patanjalim | for those who wish to scale the heights of Raja Yoga. |
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