Belur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, (aka Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar) (Born December 14, 1918 in Belur, Karnataka, India) is the founder of Iyengar Yoga. He is considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world & has been practicing & teaching yoga for more than 60 years. He has written many books on yogic practice & philosophy, & is best known for his books Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, & Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. He has also written several definitive yoga texts. Iyengar yoga centers are located throughout the world, & it is believed that millions of students practice Iyengar Yoga.
B.K.S. Iyengar was born into a poor Iyengar family. He had a difficult childhood. Iyengar's home village of Belur, Karnataka, India, was in the grips of the influenza pandemic at the time of his birth, leaving him sickly & weak. Iyengar's father died when he was 9 years old, & he continued to suffer from a variety of maladies in childhood, including malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, & general malnutrition.
At the age of 15 Iyengar went to live with his brother-in-law, the well-known yogi , Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in Mysore. There, Iyengar began to learn asana practice, which steadily improved his health. Soon he overcame his childhood weaknesses.
With the encouragement of Krishnamacharya, Iyengar moved to Pune to teach yoga in 1937. There his practice developed as he spent many hours each day learning & experimenting in various techniques. As his methods improved, the number of students at his classes increased & his fame spread. In Pune, his brothers introduced him to Ramamani, & they were wed in an arranged marriage in 1943.
In 1952, Iyengar met & befriended the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Menuhin arranged for Iyengar to teach abroad in London, Switzerland, Paris & elsewhere. This was the first time that many Westerners had been exposed to yoga, & the practice slowly became well known. The popularity of yoga in the West can in large part be attributed to Iyengar.
In 1966, "Light on Yoga," was published. It gradually became an international best-seller & was translated into 17 languages. Often called ?the bible of yoga,? it succeeded in making yoga well known throughout the globe. This was later followed by titles on pranayama & various aspects of yoga philosophy. Mr. Iyengar has authored 14 books.
In 1975, Iyengar opened the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, in memory of his departed wife. He officially retired from teaching in 1984, but continues to be active in the world of Iyengar Yoga, teaching special classes & writing books. Iyengar's daughter Geeta & son Prashant have gained international acclaim as teachers. Iyengar has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. For more detailed information, visit the official Iyengar website at www.bksiyengar.com
What is Yoga?
Simply put, yoga is an eight-fold system of mental, physical & spiritual development which has been in existence for over 2000 years & was brought to the West by, among others, the great yoga master, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya & his two students, Pattabhi Jois & BKS Iyengar. Although now in their eighties & nineties, these two expert masters of yoga both continue to teach & develop the most popular & prolific styles of yoga known throughout the world today, namely Astanga Vinyasa & Iyengar Yoga.
"Spirituality is not some external goal..... but part of the divine core of each of us, which we must reveal. For the yogi, spirit is not separate from body." BKS Iyengar
What is the difference between Iyengar & Hatha Yoga or other types of yoga?
Here in the West we are mainly familiar only with the "physical" yoga of postures, or asanas, otherwise known as Hatha Yoga. The word "hatha" actually combines two Sanskrit words: ha, which means "the breath of the sun" (prana), & tha, "the breath of the moon" (apana). Yoga is about “union” & Hatha means the union of both the sun & moon energy of the body & mind. Within Hatha Yoga there are several schools of yoga, such as Iyengar, Astanga Vinyasa, Sivananda & many more. Therefore, when you attend any “type” of yoga class you are actually practising Hatha Yoga.
What happens in a typical Iyengar yoga class?
Iyengar Yoga concentrates on postural alignment & body awareness. In general the class will start with a few moments of quiet to prepare for the yoga. This is followed by some stretches to mobilise the body. Standing postures are then practiced in which one learns the fundamentals of how to adjust & align the body correctly, which has to be learnt before more advanced postures can be successfully mastered. The practice could then focus on specific postures for that day such as backbends, more standing postures, forward bends, inverted postures, recuperative postures or breathing exercises called pranayama. The class will end with recuperative & re-energising postures. Students will often say they walk away from an Iyengar Yoga class taller, straighter & full of energy in spite of having worked quite hard.
What are the main benefits of practising yoga?
Regular practice develops all round physical, mental & spiritual wellbeing. It is extremely beneficial for the prevention of injury & ill health as well as improving existing conditions. The practice of yoga will help to:
Increase performance in sports & improve recovery time
Assist in mental health problems such as stress, depression & anxiety & all the related health problems
"Postures diluted by misalignment & sloppiness lose their strength, shape, form & benefits." BKS Iyengar
How can you train to be an Iyengar teacher? To become an Iyengar Yoga Teacher takes many years of training under the Iyengar Yoga Association system. The high standard of training of teachers results in an excellent record of safety, knowledge & skill for the students & enjoyment of classes. Iyengar Yoga teachers are governed in this country by the Iyengar Yoga Association (UK), which has direct links with the main Iyengar Yoga Association in Pune, India. Only teachers who qualify under this system can use the Iyengar trademark name & certification mark, a mark of excellence & understanding in yoga teaching. For further details on this system & on Iyengar Teacher Training, please visit www.iyengaryoga.org.uk.
What are Yoga Asanas (Postures)?
The work in asanas brings balance & harmony to body, mind & spirit so that not only are effects felt on the physical level, but also on a deeper & more spiritual level too, therefore yoga asanas (postures) should not be confused with mere exercise, callisthenics, which help strengthen & develop muscles. Asanas are special positions of the body that strengthen, purify & balance the endocrine, nervous & circulatory systems as well as strengthening bones, flexing joints & extending & toning muscles. If you practice asanas regularly, your body will gradually achieve greater endurance, your spine will become more flexible, your body will rid itself of toxins, you will breathe more easily, you will gain energy, your circulation will improve, your blood pressure will normalize, you will have an easier time coping with stress, & you will have more pleasant thoughts & fewer negative emotions. And considering all this, your overall mood will improve—in other words, you will gain vibrant physical & emotional health.
"The body is our initial means of awareness. Mobility & action. The practice of Yoga changes the prevailing state of body, mind & spirit." BKS Iyengar
Who is Yoga For (i.e. Am I too old/young/stiff/unfit)?
Iyengar Yoga is for anyone irrespective of age, gender, health, religion & circumstances in life. Iyengar Yoga is not competitive. You will not be judged against other people. A distinctive feature of Iyengar Yoga is the use of equipment, called "props", to enable a student to develop strength, flexibility & control in a posture to achieve their full potential. In this way a student works to his or her maximum ability at whatever level of practice they have attained. The teacher is trained to select the correct prop & supervise students individually with correction, encouragement & support.
Classes are taught according to the needs & level of practice of the student. No-one should be forced into performing a posture they are not ready for & it is the teacher's skill & experience that will guide the student towards the best level of practice for them.
"Anyone can practice yoga, & it's validity today is for everyone" Sir Yehudi Menuhin
