Today, the most widespread yoga teaching in the world is Sri B. K. S. Iyengar’s Hatha Yoga.
This teaching is based on the method and 60 years of practice of its founder. Iyengar discovered and explained with examples all the traditional aspects of yoga, re-systematized a number of postures and breathing methods, conducted and continues to conduct research on the therapeutic effects of yoga in general, and his method in particular. An individual approach to the practice of each student makes it possible for everyone to practice Iyengar yoga, regardless of their age and level of initial training. Children, pregnant women and other special categories of practitioners will be able to find in his method the timely support and help they need.
The Iyengar method directs attention to deep, subtle work in a pose (asana), during which it is necessary to find a balance between activity and relaxation. Prolonged, static performance of the asana enhances the effect on certain muscle groups, joints and ligaments, massages the internal organs, balances the emotional state and mind. The principle of gradual development of the practice and the transition from simple postures to more complex ones favorably affects the health of all practitioners. Consciousness wakes up in their body, immunity is strengthened, excess weight is eliminated, pressure and digestion are normalized, the cells of the whole organism are activated. These facts indicate that the main impact of asanas is on the inner and physiological world of a person.
In the Iyengar method, the approach to pranayama is deliberate. Beginners are not allowed to practice it from the very first lessons. The body and mind must be prepared for it, so that later it would not have to be retrained again.
To promote your progress in practice will be the same: a healthy lifestyle, compliance with the rules of moral and ethical standards (Yama), internal discipline (Niyama). These are the main allies of longevity, which can be realized, for example, if you look at the 95-year-old Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar. Standing on his head in Sirshasana for more than 40 minutes every day and doing other incredibly difficult asanas, he looked like a superman.
An interesting fact in the life of «Guruji» happened when he was 66 years old and he was examined in San Francisco. American experts determined the level of vital activity of the cells of his body, like that of a 25-year-old athlete, an Olympic champion. Perhaps because of this, Hindus who believe in reincarnation consider Iyengar one of the incarnations of the god Shiva, who patronizes all yogis.
The Iyengar method, like all yoga, is a whole science, and in order for this science to develop and progress, a consistent transfer of knowledge from teacher to student is necessary. To do this, in countries such as India, Russia, Japan, the USA, England and many others, specialized centers for teacher training were created. Guruji’s students who teach the method make sure that the knowledge reaches each practitioner in the way that Iyengar himself expounded them.
Having made a great contribution to the popularization and worldwide development of yoga, Iyengar received a large number of awards and prizes that he received for devotion and love for his work. Having invested his soul and all his creative potential, “Guruji” developed and improved the method even today, trying to make it useful for all people who have chosen the path of self-improvement and prosperity.
Only the person who is born on earth only every 200-300 years is capable of performing all yoga poses. In India, this tradition is called Paripurna. It symbolizes the highest degree of completeness, and according to it, such a day came on December 14, 1918, when the boy Sundaram was born in the village of Bellur, Karnataka, who eventually became the most famous yogi in the world and turned out to be able to revive this ancient art today.
Bellur Krishnamachar Sundaraja Iyengar was the thirteenth child in the family of a simple school teacher. Having been born in the midst of the Spanish flu epidemic, he was able to survive and endure this disease, which weakened his immunity. The family, left without a father, when Iyengar was 9 years old, could not provide proper treatment, as a result of this, in his youth he had three more complex infectious diseases. The doctors told Iyengar’s family that the child would not live long or would be helpless. Frequent stay in bed made his body very rigid, and his will became just as rigid — «change everything in your life for the better!» This phrase became his motto.
Fate gave Shas to Iyengar when he was 16 years old. In 1934, he met his elder sister’s husband Tirumalai Krishnamachar. Tirumalai stopped by his relatives to ask one of his wife’s brothers to temporarily move in with them, he had a long trip ahead and his wife needed a household helper. Iyengar’s relative was an educated man — a polyglot, a connoisseur of the Vedas, a musician and philosopher, who knew and taught yoga. His yogashala was located in the city of Mysore and was founded by the Maharaja himself. Of all the brothers, Iyengar was chosen, who agreed to help and at the same time see the new city. Sundaram liked housekeeping with his sister and Krishnamachar, having arrived from a business trip, invited him to stay and go to study at a local school. Tirumalai also promised to show some asanas that could improve Iyengar’s health, and he decided to stay. Getting started was difficult. Leaning forward, Iyengar could not reach his knees with his fingers, and seeing this, the son-in-law began to refuse to teach him further. But Sundaram was helped by the fact that Keshava Murthy, until then the best student of «Guruji», escaped from him a few days before the International Yoga Convention, which was to be held in Mysore. Then, the puzzled teacher again invited Iyengar to the lesson. Since they lived together and Iyengar was completely under his control, Krishnamachar could force his brother-in-law to perform difficult asanas. “He nearly broke my back,” Iyengar recalled. In three days, having learned and done three dozen complex, various asanas, the newly-made yoga adept injured his back muscles, which later complicated his practice of pranayama.
The demonstration performance at the convention was a success. Iyengar tried his best, for which he received 50 rupees as a reward from the Maharaja and sincere praise from his mentor. The success was well-deserved also because he had to perform and learn most of the poses himself, without much preparation and explanation. As a token of gratitude, Iyengar was allowed to attend yogashala classes run by relatives of the Maharaja. He had to leave education in a comprehensive school. Sundaram failed the exam and lost his scholarship. Then yoga took on a special meaning for Iyengar. At that time, he did not once happen to miss a meal but not a practice.
In 1936, Iyengar had a golden opportunity that rarely occurs at the age of seventeen. Traveling around the country with demonstration performances, he, along with a teacher and other students, drove to the city of Dharwar. At that time, men and women practiced yoga separately and Iyengar, as the youngest among the yogis who arrived, was more suitable than others to teach classes to local women. «Teach what you know,» said Krishnamachar and Iyengar for two weeks teaching women what he learned in such a short period. After Dhawar, the young teacher went to the city of Belgalum, where a doctor from Pune visited one of the classes, offering a contract and the opportunity to teach yoga at colleges and universities in the city. Since only Iyengar understood English, and none of the yogis knew the local language «Marathi», it was he who went to Pune to continue his teaching path.
“That’s how it all started. I began to develop. Not having mastered the postures, I was forced to turn to numerous books, all books about yoga. Little was known about yoga then. The books were full of «water», betraying the lack of practice of their authors. When I looked at the illustrations, I saw that the image did not match the description given in the text. I realized that yoga is completely different.” – this is how Iyengar recalled this period of his life. True, not all books were fresh. Reading an old treatise on yoga, he saw how in ancient times yogis used various devices to improve their practice: benches, supports, planks. Even then, Iyengar often had to see how various assanas are easier for some people than for others and vice versa.
For the next three years, Iyengar taught ancient arts in schools and universities in Pune. In 1940, the contract was not renewed because yoga was then unpopular in their homeland and there were few people who wanted to practice. Then he began to have enough money only for food and for renting a common room in which 5-6 people lived. Even in such conditions, Iyengar practiced for 10 hours every day. For six years of constant practice, yoga helped him restore the health lost in his youth. The financial situation of the guru improved by the end of the year. There was an industrial exhibition in Pune and one of the organizers asked Iyengar to speak for its participants. Among them was a wealthy publisher who liked the performance and agreed with Iyengar about private lessons for the whole family. Then there was enough money for a separate room, and for a small room for group classes, and even to pay for the education of my younger brother. With the advent of the hall, the number of students began to grow. Iyengar was approached by people, mostly wishing to improve their health, and he helped them as best he could. In the most difficult situations, he consulted with his teacher, sometimes directing people directly to him.
In 1943, when Iyengar was visiting his relatives, his mother asked him: “Why is he unmarried at 24?” The income that he had at that time did not allow him to fully support his family, but this argument was not enough and Iyengar, without his consent, actively began to woo. To discourage potential brides, he grew a beard and began to lubricate his body with oil, but one day this did not help either. One of the girls patiently waited for him all day. The groom liked her and the wedding took place. On July 9, 1943, Sundaram and Ramamani celebrated their marriage. The entire organization was taken over by brothers and close relatives of Iyengar. But he returned to Pune alone, since almost all the students during his absence refused further studies. After only three months, Rama (as Iyengar called his wife) was able to come to him. He was rarely at home, completely devoting himself to practice, and she took care of the family hearth. Over time, Iyengar taught the basics of yoga and his faithful wife. Then Ramamani became his first assistant, teaching the most orthodox women how to build poses correctly.
The ten-year practice of asanas strengthened Iyengar’s body and he decided to start mastering pranayama. Krishnamachar refused to teach him and Iyengar began to extract knowledge by hiding. Coming to visit a teacher in Mysore, he spied on his practice of pranayama when he was engaged in the garden. But pranayama still did not work because there was not enough knowledge and the back muscles were weakened. After thinking, Iyengar decided to change the sequence of performing asanas, focusing on those that were the most difficult to give. After two years of such studies, progress in the practice of pranayama appeared: they began to get a deep breath, a correct exhalation, and the cycle of breaths lengthened each time.
Gradually, along with the number of students, the popularity of Iyengar himself also increased. With the accumulated experience, he began to understand that dynamic yoga is not suitable for all ages, and that for the correct performance of asanas, many need stands and props, which were known in antiquity. And Iyengar began to work in this direction. In 1952, the guru met the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who turned to him for help. Constant stress from concerts and frequent body pains from long violin playing did not allow him to live in peace. Starting to practice yoga, Yehudi felt relieved and, to celebrate, invited Iyengar to Europe. So in 1954, Sri B. K. S. Iyengar went on a tour of the «Old World», and after that around the world, revealing the features of his method and reviving the popularity of yoga in the 20th century. The accumulated knowledge of Iyegar was already enough to write his first, detailed book on yoga. Published in 1966, the book «Yoga Deepika» gained worldwide fame,
and the city of Pune turned out to be a place of pilgrimage for all the yogis of the «West» and «East». The main event for Iyengar was the recognition of Krishnamachar. Once, when Iyengar was studying with students, he came to his class. After watching everything that was happening for a long time, Krishnamachar approached him and said: «Go on.» This restrained praise inspired Iyengar very much and he began to make every effort to spread his method. Over the next few years, Sri B. K. S. Iyengar wrote and published several more books: The Tree of Yoga, The Art of Yoga, Clarification of Pranayama, and also published his commentaries on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. All of them have become bestsellers and are considered classics in the field of yoga studies. At the moment, Iyengar is the author of 14 fundamental books that fully reveal and describe this ancient art.
The year 1973 for Guruji turned out to be full of grief and sadness. His wife Ramamani, his closest friend and comrade-in-arms, died. She was always by his side in moments of joy and sadness. In memory of her, Iyengar named the «Institute of Yoga», which he opened in 1975 and began to teach thousands of students from all over the world there. The children of Gita and Prashant help him in teaching students and organizing the institute.
The following years were very revealing for «Guruji» and his method. Having an accident in 1979 and damaging several vital organs, he returned to the very beginning of his practice 40 years ago. Thanks to sincere love for his work for 10 years, Iyengar was able to fully restore the lost potential and at the same time come in clarity of mind and harmony with the whole world.
“During 60 years of continuous practice, my fingers touched about 200 thousand people. «Now, just by touching a person, I can tell what is happening to him. My skin and eyes have become so sensitive that just a touch is enough to understand what’s going on. You can call it yogic intuition.” This is how the teacher of teachers describes his many years of practice, the worldwide benefits of which have been awarded orders and awards. In 1991, Shri B.K.S. Iyengar was awarded the Padma Shri Order. In 2002 — the Padma Bhushan Order, and in 2004 — the American magazine «Time» included Iyengar in the list of 100 most influential people in the world.
Sri B. K. S. Iyengar constantly emphasized that, first of all, he is a practitioner, and that only direct practice gives direct knowledge. Even the best books on yoga and an excellent teacher will never replace the personal experience that comes in the process of self-study.
Bellur Krishnamachar Sundaraja Iyengar passed away on August 20, 2014…
The news of our Guruji’s death shocked us to the core. B.K.S. Iyengar was a kind of unique person, able to make the impossible possible. Like reflections of the sun in every drop of morning dew, he lit a fire in our hearts. The fire of practice, the desire to be better, to know ourselves and the world around us through the prism of yoga.
By his example, Guruji showed that regardless of age, gender, religion and wealth, one can find happiness by maintaining a calm and sound mind, a strong body and a desire to live.
Of course, physically B.K.S. Iyengar has left us, but his teaching will live in us and develop.
Yogena cittasya padena vacam
Malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
Yo’pakarottam pravaram muninam
Patajalim pranjaliranato’smi
Abahu purusakaram
Sankha cakrasi dharinam
Sahasra sirasam svetam
Pranamami Patanjalim
I bow to the sage Patanjali, the greatest of sages, whose work in yoga gives clarity to the mind, work in grammar — purity of speech, and work in medicine — health of the body. I bow to Patanjali, the incarnation of the serpent Adishesh, whose body is half human, half snake, who holds a conch, disk and sword in his hands, and whose head is crowned with a thousand-headed cobra.
The two slokas (stanzas) we sing to Patanjali begin Bhoja Vritti, the Indian philosopher Bhoja (Paramara)’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras. First of all, they say that Patanjali is considered the incarnation of the cobra (serpent) Adishesh, on which God Vishnu, the creator of this world, sits. It is said that he (Patanjali) was born three times and gave people three sciences so that they could improve themselves.
Yogena cittasya padena vacam
To purify the mind (citta), purify the consciousness.
Patanjali gave us the science of yoga (yogena). To purify our words (pada) and our speech (vaca), he gave us an explanation of grammar. There is now clarity, clarity, and purity in our words and conversation.
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
In order to rid our bodies of impurity (malam), he gave us medicine (vaidyakena).
yopakarottam pravaram muninam
Let me approach the one who brought us these gifts.
patanjalim pranajaliranato’smi
Let me join my palms and bow my head to Patanjali.
Then, after describing the merits of Patanjali, the second stanza reveals his appearance. To start any meditation, you need to have an image in front of your eyes.
abahu purusakaram
From the palms to the head, he has a human (purusa) appearance (karam).
sankha cakrasi dharinam
In his hands he holds a sea shell (sankha) and a disk (cakra).
sahasra sirasam svetam
Above his head (sirasam) he has a thousand-headed (sahasra — one thousand) cobra, because he is the incarnation of the serpent Adishesh. Svetam means «white».
pranamami patanjalim
I bow to Patanjali
We sing so that from the very beginning feelings of satisfaction and humility arise inside, because it is impossible to learn anything without these feelings. Therefore, when we remember Patanjali before starting practice, we realize how small we are in front of his greatest soul. And when this becomes clear, then all other difficulties can be overcome, which are often associated with our ego and always arise during practice. It’s no secret that you always have to «go down» a little to learn something. Learning without self-deprecation is impossible: if it seems to you that you have already reached the top and know everything, then you are no longer a student. In this regard, singing helps.
We decided to sing these two stanzas from the very beginning. When Guruji asked us to do yoga, we started with singing. But we didn’t do it in class because it seemed to the beginners that it was a religious mantra that had meaning only for Hindus. It took people a while to understand. When we had social events, celebrations such as Diwali or Guruji’s birthday, we recited these mantras. People began to show interest and ask what these mantras meant. And when they understood, they accepted them. And now for several years we have been singing mantras before classes.
GURUR — VISHNU
GURUR — DEVO MAHESHVARA
GURU SAKSHAT PARABRAHMA
THASMAI SRI GURAWE NAMAHA
Gu means gunatita (one who is above the three gunas), also means darkness or ignorance.
Ru means rupavarjita (one who has no form), also means light or goodness.
Guru is the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance.
Guru is Brahma.
He is the Creator. He Himself is Creation, and He is the One who exists in Creation.
The entire universe is filled with Brahman. He Who Himself has become the universe is the Guru.
Guru is Vishnu.
Vishnu is the one who has omnipresence. He is the Doer and He is the action. The Universe is action, Brahman is the Doer. Brahman is the consciousness behind cause and effect. The whole universe is a form of Vishnu.
This Vishnu is the Guru.
Guru is Maheshvara (Almighty Lord). Maheshvara rules over everything in the Universe. Guru is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent — this is Parabrahman himself.