B.K.S. Iyengar
Bellur Krishnamachar Sundaraja Iyengar was born into a poor family on december 14, 1918. His father dead when he was 9 years old. He was victim of diseases as malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and malnutrition.
At the age of sixteen, the young Iyengar went to live to Mysore with his older sister and her husband, the well-known yogui Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. There, he began to learn the practice of asanas of his brother-in-law, which he greatly improve his heatlh. Soon he overcame his weaknesses of his childhood.
With sixteen years old, his guru sent him to teach yoga in Pune. There, he endured difficult times. His relationship with Krishnamacharya has been very limited and he had not much oportunity of learn from him. So, he decided to practice with interest and attention to gain knowlegde from his own experience. He continues alone, adjusting and defining the asanas to achieve the perfection and precision. He might lack food, but he never neglected practice. He practiced for long hours until understood the asana techniques and theirs efects.
This perfection and precision of his practice was reflect in his teaching, and the number of students increased. B.K.S. Iyengar lived on the edge of poverty, often not knowing where their next meal would come from.
In 1943, he married with a young woman named Ramamani, who soon absorbed the esence of yoga and he became a true force behind her housband´s progress.
B.K.S. Iyengar began to be recognized as yoga teacher. He taught some personalities such J. Krisnhamurti, the writer Aldous Huxley, and the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin. This, was commissioned to teach in 1952, to teach in London, Switzerland, Paris and others places. He became kown as Mr. Iyengar. The popularity of yoga in the West can largely attributed to B.K.S. Iyengar who also gave countless demonstrations.
In 1975 he founded the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (R.I.M.Y.I) in Pune, in memory of his deceased wife, where yoga classes are taught and attended by students from all over the world. His children, Geeta and Prashant, have gained international recognition as yoga teachers.
He officially retired of teaching in 1984, but he still active teaching special classes and writing bookc on yogic practice and philosophy.
Among his numerous and precious books is ´”Light on Yoga” (1966) translated into 17 languages, considered as the“Bible of Yoga” and reference manual for teachers and students whatever the method they follow.
His work is admired by various institutions and authorities around the world from which he has received dozens of titles and prestigious awards, in addition to being a candidate to the Nobel Peace Prize.
In his native village, Bellur, he created a foundation that works actively to improve the lives of its inhabitants.
In 2004 he was chosen one of the hundred most influyencial people in the world by Time magazine.
On August 20, 2014, at the age of 95, B.K.S. Iyengar passed away in Pune considered the most important teacher in the world having practice and taught for more than 75 years.
Today, his son Prashant, as well as his granddaugther Abhijata Sridhar, continue their work at the head of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute.
He practiced every day, and had a clear sense of humor, which he combined with his wisdom, his discipline, his severity, his charisma and his passion by yoga. A passion that he knew how to spread, because nobody has done more then him to popularizate it.
