B.K.S. Iyengar
B.K.S. (Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja) Iyengar (also known as Yogacharya B. K. S. Iyengar or Guruji) was the founder of Iyengar Yoga (Dec 1918 – Aug 2014). He was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world and practiced and taught yoga for more than 75 years. He has authored 14 books on yoga. His most famous book is «Light on Yoga» which was first published in 1966 and has been translated into 18 languages. He has received numerous awards and titles. In 2004, he was named in Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential figures in the world.
He was born on December 14, 1918 in Karnataka, South India in the midst of a world flu epidemic, and grew up as a sickly child plagued by ills such as malaria, typhoid, and tuberculosis.
When his sister married the renowned yoga teacher Krishnamacharya in 1934, Mr. Iyengar went to Mysore to live with his brother-in-law and was put on a strict yoga practice to improve his health.
In 1937, he was sent to Pune to teach. There his practice developed as he spent many hours each day learning and experimenting in various techniques.
He married his wife Ramamani in 1943 and together they raised 5 daugthers and 1 son.
In 1952, B.K.S. Iyengar met and befriended the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Menuhin arranged for Iyengar to teach abroad in London, Switzerland, Paris and elsewhere. The popularity of yoga in the West can in large part be attributed to Mr. Iyengar.
Leerzeile
Ramamani passed away in 1973 and in 1975 he established the Iyengar Institute which was named after his wife – the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI).
On 20. August 2014 B.K.S Iyengar died at the age of 95 in Pune.
The RIMYI is the heart and soul of Iyengar Yoga in Pune. Its directors are Geeta S. Iyengar (BKS Iyengar’s eldest daughter) and Prashant S. Iyengar (BKS Iyengar’s son).
Book recommendations – written by B.K.S. Iyengar:
Light on Yoga
Light on Pranayama
Light on Life
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The Tree of Yoga
Yoga the Path to Holistic Health
Book recommendation – written by Geeta S. Iyengar:
Yoga: A Gem for Women