1918-2014
“I will never stop learning, and I have tried to share some of these lessons with you. I do pray that my ending will be your beginning. The great rewards and the countless blessings of a life spent following the Inward Journey await you.” – Light on Life
B.K.S. Iyengar was born in 1918 in Bellur, India. He was a sickly child, suffering from typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis, and influenza. Doctors predicted he would not live into adulthood. Given his poor health, his family encouraged him to practice yoga. When B.K.S. Iyengar was fourteen, he went to live with his sister. While there, his brother-in-law, Shriman T. Krishnamacharya, taught him how to practice yoga to improve his health.
At age eighteen, he traveled to Pune to spread the teachings of yoga. He remained there until he passed away in 2014. During his years in Pune, he continued to explore yoga asanas and founded what is now known as Iyengar Yoga. He also established the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute, which is still operational today.
With the goal of helping the body stretch and align better, he introduced the use of over forty props, such as ropes, bricks, chairs, and cushions. His objective was to adapt yoga to each student’s needs and limitations. Throughout his life, he traveled the world, teaching yoga and spreading his teachings. He remains one of the world’s most famous yogis.
B.K.S. Iyengar published fourteen books on yoga, which have been translated into seventeen languages. His first book, Light on Yoga, is world-famous and widely read by today’s yogis. Other well-known books include Light on Life, Light on Pranayama, and The Tree of Yoga. His legacy lives on through his books, the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute, and the work of his son, Prashant Iyengar, his daughter, Sunita Iyengar, and his granddaughter, Abhijata Iyengar.
If you want to learn more check out the BKS Iyengar Official Website: http://bksiyengar.com