B.K.S Iyengar
B.K.S. Iyengar began teaching in Pune, India, in 1936 at the age of 18. His daughter, Geeta, and his son, Prashant, and his granddaugher, Abhijata, are also accomplished teachers and authors of yoga texts.
The Iyengar family’s teachings are deeply grounded in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient summation of the path of yoga considered to be at least 2,500 years old. B.K.S. Iyengar’s intense practice and almost seventy years of teaching have produced significant innovations in the teaching of the art and science of yoga. Achieving meditation in action, students learn to exist fully and vibrantly in the present moment.
Yogacharya (yoga master) Iyengar brought yoga to the west with his pioneering teaching in the 70s, the beginning of today’s explosive growth in yoga. His seminal manual Light on Yoga, called “the bible of yoga” and continuously in print since 1966, has been the source book for generations of yoga students. Mr. Iyengar’s most recent work is the bestselling Light on Life, which led to a world tour of standing-room-only appearances.
His invention of yoga props -- now ubiquitous in yoga studios of all styles - revolutionized the art. Blankets, belts and other devices allow students of all skill levels to work safely in the classical yoga asanas (postures). Mr. Iyengar also revolutionized the therapeutic applications of yoga, gaining recognition for yoga as treatment for serious medical conditions.
