Who is BKS Iyengar?

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar is the founder of Iyengar Yoga. He was born in December 1918 in Bellur, Kolar District, Karnataka, India. Iyengar is the son of Sri Krishnamachar, who was a very poor school teacher. Iyengar is often referred to as Guruji by his followers.

B.K.S. Iyengar led a very tough and sick early childhood. He was affected by influenza when he was born, leaving him weak and undernourished. This later directed him to be seized by other serious illnesses including malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis. Even as a child he strong spirited, and recovered from all ailments.

Mr. Iyengar started basic yoga practice at the age of 15, under the tutelage of Guru Sri T. Krishnamacharya to improve his health. Krishnamacharya was a very hard teacher and pushed his students towards excellence. Initially Guruji Iyengar had a lot of trouble learning the asana, but eventually with a lot of persistence and determination, he mastered a number of postures, which made him healthier.

As he had some English speaking skills, in 1937, his Guru sent him to teach yoga in Pune, Maharashtra when he was 18 years old. Upon arrival he soon learned that his limited skills, both in language and yoga, were not enough to earn him a respectable living. Guruji Iyengar did not give up though; instead he practiced and polished his own yoga skills with a deep commitment. Eventually he mastered the art of yoga and students started attending his classes. After a number of years of hard work and self training, he developed new techniques which later led to his fame.

Guruji Iyengar married Ramamani in 1943, and had a happy married life for 32 years. The early years proved to be challenging for them, but over time his reputation surpassed him and he gained a lot of respect. In 1952 he met the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who introduced B.K.S. Iyengar to the international world. He arranged for Iyengar to teach yoga in London, Paris, Switzerland and other places around the world, where he was internationally acclaimed.

In 1966, Guruji had his first book titled, "Light on Yoga" published. This book was a huge success and became an international best seller, which is even now being reprinted every year in a number of languages. This book also familiarized the western world with yoga. He has written a total of 14 books, which are being published in 18 different languages about different yoga philosophies and techniques, including the Iyengar method.

The next milestone in Mr. Iyengar's life came in the form of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune. He laid the foundation for this institute in 1973 in loving memory of his wife Ramamani Iyengar. This institute opened doors to the world in 1975, and is being run by Mr. Iyengar's son Prashant and oldest daughter Geeta.

He taught at the institute on a regular basis until 1985, when he officially retired from his position. Today he is over 85 years old and still resides at the institute. He still practices yoga, and proves to be a master of his art. He is a sincere and committed practitioner of yoga. His hard work and diligence helped him in attaining perfection in yoga. He is one of the greatest yoga guru's in history.

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