About B.K.S. Iyengar

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was born on 14 December 1918 in the village of Bellur in Karnataka, India. He was the 11th of 13 children born to Sri Krishnamachar and Seshamma. His family was poor, and as a child, B.K.S. Iyengar was sickly, suffering from malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid, and general malnutrition.

At the age of 16, he was invited by his brother-in-law, the renowned yoga teacher Sri T. Krishnamacharya, to come to Mysore to improve his health through yoga practice. Under Krishnamacharya's guidance, Iyengar began what would become a lifelong dedication to yoga.

Initially, Iyengar found the practice extremely challenging due to his poor health and lack of natural flexibility. However, his determination and systematic approach to understanding each posture led to remarkable progress. He began teaching yoga at the age of 18, initially to support himself financially.

In 1952, Iyengar met the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who became his student and helped introduce Iyengar's teachings to the Western world. This meeting marked the beginning of yoga's global spread and Iyengar's international recognition.

Iyengar developed a unique method of yoga that emphasised precision, alignment, and the use of props such as blocks, straps, and bolsters to help students achieve proper postures safely. His systematic approach made yoga accessible to people of all ages and physical conditions.

He authored several influential books, including "Light on Yoga" (1966), which became known as the "bible of yoga" and has been translated into numerous languages. His other notable works include "Light on Pranayama," "Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali," and "Light on Life."

In 1975, he established the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India, named after his late wife. This institute became the world centre for Iyengar Yoga, attracting students from around the globe.

B.K.S. Iyengar practised yoga for more than 75 years and taught for over 60 years. He continued teaching and practising until shortly before his death on 20 August 2014, at the age of 95. His dedication to yoga was unwavering, and he practised daily until the end of his life.

His method, known as Iyengar Yoga, is now practised worldwide by millions of students. The Iyengar method is characterised by its emphasis on precision, alignment, sequencing, and timing. It is also known for its therapeutic applications and the use of props to make poses accessible to all students.

Iyengar received numerous honours during his lifetime, including the Padma Shri (1991), Padma Bhushan (2002), and Padma Vibhushan (2014) from the Government of India. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004.

Today, his children Geeta and Prashant Iyengar, along with his granddaughter Abhijata Sridhar-Iyengar, continue to teach at RIMYI and carry forward his legacy. Certified Iyengar teachers around the world maintain the high standards and precise methodology that he established.