Historical Figure
B. K. S. Iyengar
1918–2014
Indian yoga teacher and author (1918–2014)
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Biography
Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was an Indian teacher of yoga and author. He is the founder of the style of yoga as exercise called "Iyengar Yoga", and was considered one of the foremost yoga gurus in the world. He was the author of many books on yoga practice and philosophy including Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life. Iyengar was one of the earliest students of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who is often called "the father of modern yoga". He has been credited with popularizing yoga, first in India and then around the world.
Timeline
The story of B. K. S. Iyengar, told in moments.
Began teaching yoga at 18 in Pune on the invitation of the Deccan Gymkhana. He was a student of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, often called the father of modern yoga. Iyengar couldn't touch his toes when he started.
Published Light on Yoga, with over 200 asanas photographed and described. It sold millions and was translated into 17 languages. Yehudi Menuhin, the violinist, wrote the foreword.
In Their Own Words (20)
I can remain thoughtfully thoughtless. It is not an empty mind.
As quoted in "Iyengar, Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West, Dies at 95" by Ellen Barry, in The New York Times (20 August 2014), 2014
Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union — the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions.
As quoted in The Energetic Anatomy of a Yogi: Healing the Emotional and Mental Body Through Yoga (2013) by Paul G. Balch and Jaylee Balch, p. 23, 2013
When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.
AS quoted in Healthiest You Ever : 365 Ways to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Boost Your BMI, Lower Your Blood Pressure, Increase Your Stamina, Improve Your Cholesterol Levels, and Energize from Head to Toe! (18 November 2011), p. 291, 2011
You do not need to seek freedom in some distant land, for it exists within your own body, heart, mind, and soul. Illuminated emancipation, freedom, unalloyed and untainted bliss await you, but you must choose to embark on the Inward Journey to discover it.
Healthiest You Ever : 365 Ways to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Boost Your BMI, Lower Your Blood Pressure, Increase Your Stamina, Improve Your Cholesterol Levels, and Energize from Head to Toe! (2011), p. 291, 2011
Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.
As quoted in The Depression Trap : Ten Ways to Set Yourself Free (2008) by Nancy Hine, p. 61, 2008
Artifacts (15)
The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 3
R Venkata Ratnam
Hindu manners, customs and ceremonies (IA b24764425 0002)
Dubois, J. A. (Jean Antoine), 1765-1848 Beauchamp, Henry K. (Henry King), 1866-1907 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Hindu manners, customs and ceremonies (IA cu31924024113866)
Dubois, J. A. (Jean Antoine), 1765-1848 Beauchamp, Henry K. (Henry King), 1866-1907
Reactor radiation, technical activities 1995 (IA reactorradiation5751rowe)
Rowe, J. M. Raby, T. M.
Fifty years of "The Indian antiquary" (IA fiftyyearsofthei00temprich)
Temple, Richard Carnac, Sir, 1850-1931
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