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| Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar (1918 - ) |
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 Belur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, also known as Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, he is the founder of Iyengar Yoga. He is considered by many to be the foremost authority on Hatha Yoga living today, having practiced and taught for over 60 years. Iyengar officially retired in 1984, but continues to be involved in the world of Iyengar Yoga. When he did teach, Iyengar was often referred to as both the lion and the lamb. In class he is a severe task master and outside class, a charming humorous personality. The Iyengar techniques are based on precision, a sense of perfection in each movement with awareness of the whole body as you do the postures. He has written many books on yogic practice and philosophy. He has also authored two of the most practial manuals on yoga available, Light on Yoga (1966) and Light on Pranayama. Today, there are Iyengar yoga centers all over the world, with millions of practitioners. He is the father of five daughters and one son. Iyengar’s daugher, Geeta Iyengar, and son, Prashant Iyengar, now carry on his work gaining international acclaim. In 1975, Iyengar opened an ashram in Poona, India. The Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute has become a major destination for students from all over the world. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991 and the Padma Bhushan in 2002. In 2005, he visited the United States to promote his latest book, Light on Life and to teach a special workshop in Colorado. |
Date of Birth: 14 Dec, 1918
Location: India
State: Maharashtra
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Views: 219
Summary
B.K.S. Iyengar was born Belur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar on December 14, 1918, in Belur, Karnataka, India. He had a difficult childhood, growing up in a poor family. He became exposed to a variety of maladies including influenza, malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and general malnutrition. At the age of nine, Iyengar’s father died. At the age of fifteen, he went to live with his brother-in-law, a well-known yogi, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, in Mysore. There, Iyengar began to study yoga, which steadily improved his health. Soon, his health started to improve leaving behind the weaknesses of his childhood years. With the help of Krishnamacharya, Iyengar moved to Pune to teach yoga in 1937. There, his practice deepened. Over time, the number of students in his class also grew as did his fame. Iyengar was introduced to Ramanani, by his brothers, who he later married in 1943. In 1952, Iyenger met the violinist Yehudi Menuhin who he befriended. Menuhin arranged for Iyengar to come to Europe and teach yoga. This was the first time many people in Europe had seen yoga, and so yoga practices started slowly to become known.“When I practice, I am a philosopher, when I teach, I am a scientist, when I demonstrate, I am an artist.”
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Related Links:
www.bksiyengar.com
users.telenet.be/ananda/bksi.htm
www.iynaus.org/iyengaryoga/bks/biography.aspx
www.iyengaryogacanada.com
www.iynaus.org/iyengaryoga/bks/biography.aspx
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