The grand old man of yoga (1918-2014)
Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, better known as B.K.S. Iyengar, who died in Pune at the age of 95, was the founder of the style of yoga known as “Iyengar Yoga” and was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world. A form of Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga gives primacy to the physical alignment of the body in the poses. It teaches that “there is a correct way to do each pose, and that every student will one day be able to attain perfect poses through consistent practice. Once this balance is created in the body, it will be reflected in the mind”.
Born into a poor Sri Vaishnava Iyengar Brahmin family at Bellur, Kolar district in Karnataka, Iyengar was afflicted with various ailments and general malnutrition throughout childhood. He would recall, “My arms were thin, my legs were spindly, and my stomach protruded in an ungainly manner. My head used to hang down, and I had to lift it with great effort.”
In 1934, his brotherin- law, yogi Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, often referred to as “the father of modern yoga”, called him to Mysore, to improve his health and be trained in yoga. Thus started his journey in yoga.
In 1975, in memory of his late wife, Iyengar opened the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (Rimyi) at Pune, and its spiral structure was inspired by the eight-limbed theory of Patanjali’s yoga system. The guru, who spent many hours each day learning and experimenting with various techniques, had travelled all over the world, propagating yoga as an art form as well as a science. He authored 14 books on yoga practice and philosophy including ‘Light on Yoga’ in 1966, an international best-seller which was translated into 17 languages and sold three million copies!
His commentary on Patanjali’s text says: “When you cannot hold the body still, you cannot hold the brain still. If you do not know the silence of the body, you cannot understand the silence of the mind. Action and silence have to go together. If there is action, there must also be silence. If there is silence, there can be conscious action and not
just motion.”He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2014 by the Indian government. In 2004, Iyengar was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.
Among the several noted personalities he taught were Jiddu Krishnamurti, Jayaprakash Narayan, Yehudi Menuhin, Elisabeth, the Queen of Belgium, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and actor Kareena Kapoor.
Iyengar enticed his students by conducting demonstrations on just what they sought – physical stamina and flexibility. Due to a scooter accident dislocating his spine, he began exploring the use of around 50 props, including ropes and mats, to align and stretch the body to help disabled people practice yoga. In chaste Marathi, he used to admonish teachers who did not place the correctly-measured prop under a student’s back, and smacked the backs of those who appeared sluggish. No wonder disciples played on his initials and called him the ‘Beat, Kick and Slap guru!’ He was however a good-humoured man outside of class. “Practice is my feast”, he once said and in his old age, he could still do the sirsasana or the headstand for half an hour. He easily used to walk up a flight of stairs in small, brisk steps, not for a moment breaking his stride.
The latest version of the Oxford English Dictionary has even added ‘Iyengar’ to its lexicon: “A type of Hatha yoga focusing on the correct alignment of the body.”Iyengar supported nature conservation, donating Rs. 2 million to Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysore. He also adopted a tiger and a cub and helped promote awareness of multiple sclerosis with the Pune unit of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India. Guruji may be not around anymore, but the warmth of his smile and his healing quality which touched so many lives in unique ways, will remain with us forever. His was a serene, light hearted approach and his positive spirit and guidance helped all.
Truly, he was the last of the great exponents.