Bellur
Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was born
in 1918 in the tiny village of Bellur, Karnataka. After
several years of battling childhood illnesses, he began
to improve his health by practicing yoga under his brother-in-law
and reknown master Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in
Mysore, India. He began teaching women's classes in
Pune in 1936 under the insistence of his guru, and since
then his teachings have spread to all corners of the
world. Iyengar continues to practice and teach today,
assisted by his son Prashant and daughter Geeta, at
his Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune,
India. There are also Iyengar institutes all over the
world where his methods are taught, and many yoga centers
offer Iyengar classes. In addition to developing and
popularizing his style of practice, Iyengar’s
books are highly revered and have become classic yoga
texts. Chief among them is Light on Yoga, first
published in 1966, which outlines basic yogic philosophy,
as well as describes and illustrates hundreds of yoga
asanas (poses) and many breathing techniques.
Other important books by Iyengar include Light on
Pranayama, which focuses on breath work, and Light
on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which is a translation
and interpretation of the ancient Yoga Sutras, from
which Iyengar drew the philosophical groundwork for
his method of yoga.
What
is the Iyengar Method?
Iyengar’s
method, rooted in the Ashtanga (Eight-Limbed) philosophy
of Patanjali, is a form of hatha yoga (yoga of willpower),
that strongly emphasises the physical alignment of the
body in the asanas, creating a sense of balance and
lightness that will be reflected in the mind in the
form of inner awareness and equanimity. One of Iyengar’s
major innovations is in the use of props. Today it is
quite common to see blankets, blocks, straps, pillows,
chairs, and bolsters being used in yoga studios. The
use of these props is comparatively new in the history
of yoga and comes directly from Iyengar. The purpose
of the props is to assist the student in attaining ideal
alignment, thus allowing them to have experiences that
they wouldn't be able to otherwise.
Today,
at the age of 87, B.K.S. Iyengar continues to refine
his art through daily asana and pranayama practices.
His most recent book, Light on Life chronicles
his 70+ years experience as a dedicated yoga practioner
and householder.
To
read more, visit his official website at www.bksiyengar.com |
