Yoga Guru : B.K.S.Iyengar

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja (BKS) Iyengar is a known legendary Yoga Guru of India, known for popularizing Yoga worldwide by the founding the unique Yoga style famous as the "Iyengar Yoga".

BKS was born on December 14, 1918 in an Iyengar Brahmin family in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. He was a victim of malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis during in his childhood. He learned Yogasans under the guidance of the legendary Yoga Guru T. Krishnamacharya. He was a sincere and committed practitioner. His own practice helped him to explore and achieve perfection in Yoga asanas.

Iyengar has taught several eminent personalities of his lifetime such as J. Krishnamurti ,Jayaprakash Narayan, Achyut Patwardhan. His practice and teachings were well appreciated by the first President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad), ex-Vice President of Indonesia Dr. Mohammad Hatta, Pope Paul VI and also by various other eminent personalities from around the world. A fortuitous meeting with the violin maestro Yehudi Menuhin in 1952 was instrumental in introducing the Western World to Iyengar. Menuhin was responsible in introducing several luminaries to BKS Iyengar; one of them was the Queen Mother of Belgium, Elisabeth of Bavaria.

Iyengar laid great emphasis on precision and alignment which is followed by his students. He got the students to perform and break barriers and bring about an automatic transformation in the mind and habits of people. He was amongst the few personalities to teach the highest aspects of Yoga “Atma Darshan” through the Yogasanas. Through practical search and regular practice of yoga, he used to define the actual meaning of the Yoga Sutras. Even at the age of 90, he continued to practice Yogasanas for 3 hours and Pranayamas for an hour daily. 

He took his final breadth on 20 August 2014 in Pune at the age of 95. His style of teaching Yoga is now famous all over the world as "Iyengar Yoga" and is now followed by certified teachers across the world.  With his intellectual and spiritual practices, Iyengar masterminded the techniques which can be used by all practitioners of Yoga. "Research based experience" and "experience based research” helped him in evolving the technique. He made it possible for ordinary human beings also to experience the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras.

Iyengar yoga is meant for all and is a way of life. The use of props, designed by him like wooden gadgets, belts, ropes helps the practitioner to achieve perfection in any asana.