Padma Vibhushan Yogacharya B. K. S Iyengar, one of the world’s foremost yoga teachers and authors, was the epitome of skills. With his intellectual and spiritual practices, he had masterminded the techniques of yoga sutras, penned down by Sage Patanjali thousands of years ago.
He has been instrumental in proliferating the yoga sutras and designed a unique style known as “Iyengar Yoga” among the masses, helping millions of lives to attain physical and emotional equilibrium.
His comprehensive writings address hundreds of poses, the more profound meditative practices of yoga, and the practical correlation between yoga and the prevention and treatment of illnesses.
As a child, Guruji had to endure a lot of health issues, malnutrition, and low immunity. To restore his health and immunity system, Guruji learned the art of yoga from his uncle Sri. Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, which became a turning point in his life.
Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar invented yoga props to overcome his physical limitations and to correct his yoga postures, which was extremely beneficial to him in building back his physical stamina, flexibility, and mental strength.
His persistent self-experiments in his yogic practices helped him to extend his focus on understanding the control of breath, which he found was an integral aspect of healing various ailments. Through his relentless practice of yogic asanas, he could correlate the experiences of his own body and mind to the texts and yogic scriptures.
His demonstrations of yoga asanas were talked of with awe and wonder. When yoga was unknown, he traveled far and wide, and inspired people with his demonstrations, motivating them to start practicing yoga.
Large auditoriums and halls would be packed with people waiting in excitement to see the magic he worked with his body. Thus began the hordes of fans coming to India from the Western world to learn yoga under the auspices of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar.
Through the practices of yoga asana and pranayama, Guruji taught how one could experience a sense of integrity within the different aspects of oneself. That, he says, gives you a glimpse of the divine and sets you off on the path to higher consciousness. Guruji continued to live happily and healthily until the age of 95.
His bestselling books on yoga practice and philosophy include Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life.
His unique style thrives to date worldwide and continues to inspire and touch lives through the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, which he founded in 1975.
Touched and Inspired by Guruji, Yog.org is an effort to work on his vision and teachings to benefit humanity.