Who was B. K. S. Iyengar? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Indian Celebrities Born In December

Also Known As: Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, Iyengar Yoga

Died At Age: 95

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Ramamani Iyengar

father: Sri Krishnamachar

mother: Sheshamma

children: Geeta Iyengar, Prashant Iyengar, Savita Iyengar, Suchita Iyengar, Sunita Iyengar, Vanita Iyengar

Born Country: India

Indian Men

Died on: August 20, 2014

place of death: Pune, Maharashtra, India

Cause of Death: Kidney Failure

More Facts

awards: Padma Shri
Padma Vibhushan
Padma Bhushan

Recommended For You

1

What is B. K. S. Iyengar known for?

B. K. S. Iyengar is known for being a renowned yoga teacher and the founder of the style of yoga known as Iyengar Yoga.
2

What are the key principles of Iyengar Yoga?

Iyengar Yoga emphasizes alignment, precision, and sequencing in the practice of asanas (yoga postures), along with the use of props to support and enhance the practice.
3

How has B. K. S. Iyengar influenced the practice of yoga worldwide?

B. K. S. Iyengar's teachings have had a significant impact on the global yoga community by emphasizing the importance of alignment, breath awareness, and the therapeutic benefits of yoga practice.
4

What is the significance of using props in Iyengar Yoga?

Props are used in Iyengar Yoga to help students of all levels access and benefit from the poses safely, deepen their practice, and improve their alignment and understanding of the yoga postures.
5

How has B. K. S. Iyengar's approach to yoga influenced other styles of yoga?

B. K. S. Iyengar's emphasis on alignment, precision, and the use of props has influenced and inspired many other styles of yoga, contributing to a more holistic and therapeutic approach to the practice.

Childhood & Early Life

B.K.S. Iyengar was born Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, on December 14, 1918, in Bellur, Kolar District, Kingdom of Mysore (present-day Karnataka), India. His parents, Sri Krishnamachar and Sheshamma, went on to have 13 children, of whom 10 survived.

Iyengar was raised amidst poverty. His father was a school teacher who never made enough money to take care of his family. His parents decided to move to Bangalore, a bigger city, when Iyengar was 5 years old. Following this, the family’s financial situation gradually improved.

His father passed away from appendicitis when Iyengar was 9 years old. The family went through a terrible financial state following his death. Iyengar was a weak child who fell sick very often. He was mostly found skipping school due to his health issues.

When Iyengar was born, his hometown of Bellur was struck by an influenza outbreak, which affected the young boy badly. He thus grew up as a sick and thin child and later contracted illnesses such as tuberculosis, malaria, and typhoid.

By the time he was 15 years old, his life expectancy was considered to be limited. His health deteriorated, and that was when his brother-in-law, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, came to his rescue and invited him to Mysore, another big city in Karnataka. At the age of 15, Iyengar moved to Mysore. Soon, his life turned around.

Continue Reading Below

Education & Yoga Training

Tirumalai was a yoga teacher and also known as the founder of modern yoga. He pushed Iyengar to start practicing yoga “asanas” to improve his health. Tirumalai and some of his yoga students would give demonstrations at the court of the Maharaja of Mysore, which impacted Iyengar strongly.

Initially, it was difficult for Tirumalai to teach the complex yoga positions to a stiff-bodied Iyengar. He once said that Iyengar would never be able to do yoga. He then made Iyengar do household chores. During his tutelage, which lasted for about 2 years, Iyengar only learned yoga ardently for about 15 days.

Although Iyengar always respected his teacher, the two never quite shared a good rapport. However, he later gave all the credit for his success to Tirumalai.

Tirumalai was also quite strict with his students. If his pupils were not able to perform a particular “asana,” he would not let them eat until they mastered it. Later, when Iyengar became a yoga teacher himself, he used the same methods of teaching.

Over time, he became the favorite pupil of Tirumalai. Miraculously, he became extremely good at yoga by practicing it regularly. At the age of 18, he was sent to Pune, Maharashtra, to teach yoga.

Career

In the early 1950s, famed international violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who was in Mumbai, was going through an artist’s block. He then started practicing yoga under the tutelage of Iyengar. When they first met, Yehudi was busy and told Iyengar that he had only 5 minutes to spare. Iyengar then made him lie down in the “shavasana” position. The “asana” was meant to last for 5 minutes, but Yehudi slept for an hour.

He benefitted greatly from yoga and inspired Iyengar to take up teaching yoga internationally. Later, Yehudi credited Iyengar as his “greatest violin teacher.” In 1954, Yehudi invited Iyengar to Switzerland. Over the next few years, Iyengar taught yoga to many celebrities, such as Jiddu Krishnamurti and Jayaprakash Narayan.

Elisabeth, the queen of Belgium, learned the headstand from Iyengar when she was 80 years old. Other prominent pupils of Iyengar are filmmaker Mira Nair, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, and actors Annette Bening and Kareena Kapoor.

In 1956, he moved to the U.S.A. for the first time and taught yoga at Ann Arbor, in Michigan, for a while. He had somehow made a permanent base in London, but he also kept visiting Ann Arbor from time to time.

Continue Reading Below

In 1966, Iyengar published his first book, ‘Light on Yoga.’ The book was an international bestseller and widely known as the book that popularized the art of modern yoga nationally and internationally. The book has sold more than 3 million copies and has been translated in more than 23 languages.

In 1975, he moved to Pune and established the ‘Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute,’ to honor his late wife. In 1984, he finally retired from teaching yoga professionally. However, continued conducting special classes and wrote many more books on yoga and pranayama. Throughout his life, he wrote 14 books.

However, he also attracted some negativity due to his strict methods of teaching. He yelled and shouted at his students quite often. Hence, he earned the nickname “Bang, Kick, Slap,” which, when shortened, would form his initials, “B.K.S.”.

Many of his ardent supporters said his strict ways were due to his constant pursuit of high standard in his pupils. He was also said to have had an emotional and compassionate side to himself, which his teacher, Tirumalai, somehow lacked.

Family, Personal Life & Death

In 1943, B.K.S. Iyengar, then 25, married a 16-year-old Ramamani. It was an arranged marriage set up by his parents. He later stated that he had a great married life, as they both lived as two bodies and one soul. The couple had five daughters and a son.

The marriage ended with Ramamani’s death in 1973. She was 46 at the time of her death.

Their eldest daughter, Geeta, and their only son, Prashant, went on to become world-renowned yoga teachers.

Iyengar had been honored by the Indian government on numerous occasions. He had been a recipient of the ‘Padma Shri’ in 1991, the ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2002, and the ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 2014. In 2004, he was named by ‘Time’ magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Even at the age of 90, Iyengar practiced yoga for a minimum of 3 hours a day.

Iyengar lived a long life, overcoming his poor health that he suffered from in the early few years of his life. He passed away on August 20, 2014, at the age of 95.

Facts About B. K. S. Iyengar

Iyengar, the renowned yoga teacher, was known for his incredible discipline and dedication to his practice. He would often practice yoga for several hours each day, well into his old age.

Despite his strict and intense teaching style, Iyengar was also known to have a great sense of humor and would often lighten the mood in his classes with jokes and anecdotes.

Iyengar was a prolific author, having written several books on yoga philosophy and practice that have been widely acclaimed and translated into multiple languages.

He was a pioneer in the field of therapeutic yoga, developing specific sequences and poses to help individuals with various health conditions and injuries.

Iyengar's legacy lives on through the Iyengar Yoga tradition, which emphasizes precision, alignment, and the use of props to support practitioners of all levels.

B. K. S. Iyengar Biography

You wanted to know

What is B. K. S. Iyengar known for?

What are the key principles of Iyengar Yoga?

How has B. K. S. Iyengar influenced the practice of yoga worldwide?

What is the significance of using props in Iyengar Yoga?

How has B. K. S. Iyengar's approach to yoga influenced other styles of yoga?