VOL. 18 NO. 2 Fall 2014 / Winter 2015

B.K.S. IYENGAR

DEC. 14, 1918–AUG. 20, 2014

“ Art is unity in diversity… Discipline, practice, and dispassion are the essentials that go hand in hand with the mastery of any art. Without discipline and freedom, art cannot develop, nor can one become a true artist. This is one of the cardinal teachings of Patanjali, which applies to all subjects. Freedom is the culmination or fruit of discipline; there is no freedom without it.” — B.K.S. Iyengar

CONTENTS

Letter From the Presidents – Janet Lilly and Michael Lucey . . . . . 2

Life Sketch by Richard Jonas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Reflections from Pune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Guruji’s Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Senior Teachers Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Dear Guruji – Lisa Walford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Regional Condolences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Like a Flash: A Conversation with B.K.S. Iyengar . . . . . . . . . 36

Samachar Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Song of the Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Fall 2014/Winter 2015 Yoga Samachar 1

YOGA SAMACHAR’S MISSION

Yoga Samachar, the magazine of the Iyengar Yoga community in the United States and beyond, is published twice a year by the Communications Committee of the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States (IYNAUS). The word samachar means “news” in Sanskrit. Along with the website, www.iynaus.org, Yoga Samachar is designed to provide interesting and useful information to IYNAUS members to:

• Promote the dissemination of the art, science, and philosophy of yoga as taught by B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Prashant Iyengar

• Communicate information regarding the standards and training of certified teachers

• Report on studies regarding the practice of Iyengar Yoga

• Provide information on products that IYNAUS imports from India

• Review and present recent articles and books written by the Iyengars

• Report on recent events regarding Iyengar Yoga in Pune and worldwide

• Be a platform for the expression of experiences and thoughts from members, both students and teachers, about how the practice of yoga affects their lives

• Present ideas to stimulate every aspect of the reader’s practice

YOGA SAMACHAR IS PRODUCED BY THE IYNAUS PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Committee Chair: Tori Milner Editor: Michelle D. Williams Copy Editor: Denise Weeks Design: Don Gura Advertising: Rachel Frazee

Members can submit an article or a practice sequence for consideration for inclusion in future issues. Articles should be well-written and submitted electronically. The Yoga Samachar staff reserves the right to edit accepted submissions to conform to the rules of spelling and grammar, as well as to the Yoga Samachar house style guidelines.

Submissions must include the author’s full name and biographical information related to Iyengar Yoga, along with email contact and phone number.

Submission deadline for the Spring/Summer issue is March 1. Submission deadline for the Fall/Winter issue is Sept. 1. Please send queries to yogasamachar@iynaus.org one month prior to these deadlines.

Cover: Light on Life book signing, Borders, NYC. Photo: Todd Semo ©2005 Inside front cover: photo illustration – Don Gura

Lynda Alfred lynda@montrose.net

Cynthia Bates cynthiabates88@gmail.com

Leslie Bradley certification@iynaus.org

David Carpenter dcarpenter@sidley.com

Alex Cleveland clevelandalex@yahoo.com

Gloria Goldberg yogagold2@gmail.com

Michael Lucey 1michael.lucey@gmail.com

Tori Milner torimilner@yahoo.com

Anne-Marie Schultz Anne_Marie_Schultz@baylor.edu

Kathy Simon kathyraesimon@gmail.com

Eric Small ericsmall@yogams.com

Nancy Watson nancyatiyanus@aol.com

Denise Weeks denise.iynaus@gmail.com

Stephen Weiss stphweiss@gmail.com

Sharon Cowdery (general manager) generalmanager@iynaus.org

Contact IYNAUS:P.O. Box 538 Seattle WA 98111

206.623.3562www.iynaus.org

Fall 2014 / Winter 2015

IYNAUS Board MemberContact List

President: Michael Lucey Vice President: Lynda Alfred Secretary: Denise Weeks Treasurer: David Carpenter

Archives Committee Eric Small, Chair Kim Kolibri, Director of Archives Lindsey Clennell, Elaine Hall, Linda Nishio, Deborah Wallach

Certification Committee Leslie Bradley, Certification Chair Dean Lerner, James Murphy, Nancy Stechert, Lois Steinberg

Elections Committee Michael Lucey, Chair Lynda Alfred, Alex Cleveland, Anne-Marie Schultz

Ethics Committee Michael Lucey, Chair Chris Beach, Lisa Jo Landsberg

Events Committee Nancy Watson, Chair Patrina Dobish, Gloria Goldberg, Colleen Gallagher, Phyllis Rollins

Finance Committee David Carpenter, Chair Lynda Alfred, Gloria Goldberg, Stephen Weiss

Governance Committee Nancy Watson, Chair David Carpenter, David Larsen

Membership Committee Lynda Alfred & Alex Cleveland, Co-Chairs IMIYA – Melody Madonna IYACSR – vacant IYAGNY – Oliver Luisi IYAMN – Elizabeth Cowan IYAMW – Becky Meline IYANC – Risa Blumlien IYANE – Kathleen Swanson IYANW – Margrit von Braun IYASC-LA – Wendy Alter IYASCUS – Jerrie Crowley IYASE – Diana Martinez IYASW – Carrie Abts

Publications Committee Tori Milner, Chair Carole Del Mul, Don Gura, Rachel Frazee, Richard Jonas, Denise Weeks, Michelle D. Williams

Public Relations and Marketing Committee Cynthia Bates, Chair

Regional Support Committee Alex Cleveland & Anne-Marie Schultz, Co-Chairs IMIYA – Melody Madonna IYACSR – Cyndy Cordle IYAGNY – Oliver Luisi IYAMN – Katy Olson IYAMW – Jennie Williford IYANC – Heather Haxo Phillips IYANE – Jarvis Chen IYANW – Janet Langley IYASC-LA – Jennifer Diener IYASCUS – Pauline Schloesser IYASE – Alex Cleveland IYASW – Lisa Henrich

Scholarship and Awards Committee Denise Weeks, Chair Leslie Freyberg, Richard Jonas, Lisa Jo Landsberg, Pat Musburger, Nina Pileggi, John Schumacher

Service Mark & Certification Mark Committee Gloria Goldberg, Attorney in Fact for B.K.S. Iyengar

Systems & Technology Committee Stephen Weiss, Chair Sharon Cowdery, Shaaron Honeycutt, Ed Horneij, William McKee, David Weiner

Yoga Research Committee Kathy Simon, Chair Jerry Chiprin, Jean Durel, Kimberly Williams

IYNAUS Senior Council Kristin Chirhart, Manouso Manos, Patricia Walden, Joan White

IYNAUS Officers and Standing Committees

2 Yoga Samachar Fall 2014/Winter 2015

FROM THE PRESIDENT

DEAR FELLOW IYNAUS MEMBERS,Aug. 20, 2014—the day we felt like everything changed. B.K.S. Iyengar, the man we honored, admired, and celebrated had passed from

this world. In the days following, I realized that despite our collective loss, there were many things that had not changed; even with

Guruji gone, his legacy and the permanence of his gift to the art of yoga remained imperturbable. Yes, the voice of Guruji is no

longer with us, but his words live on through his family and the teachers trained in his method around the world.

Guruji’s gift lives on in the IYNAUS association as well. There are many things we don’t know in this time of transition, but what we

do know is that there is a cohort of dedicated IYNAUS board members who are eager to work under the guidance of RIMYI and the

Iyengar family toward the preservation and propagation of Guruji’s work. Moreover, the board continues to promote and increase

the visibility of Iyengar Yoga across the United States.

Many of you know that in 2011, when we changed the elections process from national nominations and elections to a regional

representation model, we were acting on instructions from our Guru. He intuited the importance of engaging the regions in the

governance process. With his goal in mind, I encourage all IYNAUS members to reach out to their region to find out more about how

we collectively will honor Guruji’s legacy in the years ahead.

As I transition from my role as president of the IYNAUS Board of Directors, I have no doubt that the integrity and commitment of

the board members will remain unwavering, especially with my esteemed colleague Michael Lucey at the helm as president.

Michael and I have worked together over the past two years in preparation for the transition, and we offer our thanks to departing

board members: Ethics Chair Rebecca Lerner, Certification Chair Mary Reilly, and Membership Chair Phyllis Rollins. We also are

delighted to welcome incoming board members: Lynda Alfred from the Intermountain Region, Cynthia Bates from Northern

California, Anne-Marie Schultz from South Central, and Stephen Weiss from the Minnesota Region.

Finally, I would like to suggest that all members keep in mind Guruji’s enduring wish to maintain a vibrant level of support for the

Bellur Trust to continue his humanitarian mission to better the lives of the people of his birthplace in Karnataka, India. What better

way to celebrate his memory than to visit the IYNAUS homepage and click on the Donate Now link to make a donation in his

honor? IYNAUS and the regions are also promoting Bellur Trust Donation classes at studios and institutes across the country on

Guruji’s birthday, Dec. 14. More information about this annual event is available on our Facebook page. Thank you in advance for

your consideration and participation in IYNAUS.

With gratitude,

Janet Lilly, Outgoing President IYANUS Board of Directors

BEING IN PUNE AT THE RAMAMANI IYENGAR MEMORIAL YOGA INSTITUTE this September 2014 was a complex emotional

experience. Guruji’s presence had been so vibrant and so compelling there that on certain mornings it seemed nearly impossible to

believe that he wouldn’t be appearing for morning practice at any moment. And yet while the reality of his passing is difficult to

absorb, the reality of all he achieved during his life, all he offered to us and to the world, is there all around us in the structure and

fabric of the Institute he built, in the community of students who gather there, and in the practice and teaching that happens at

RIMYI and around the world, thanks to him. The classes I took on this visit with Prashant, Abhijata, and long-term senior students

such as Navaz Kamdin (who taught us pranayama with remarkable grace and clarity) were endlessly inspiring. Fierce loyalty to

Guruji’s teaching and his mission came through in every class. His brilliance shines on.

One Saturday in class, Abhijata reminded everyone of the high standard set for us by the intensity of Guruji’s sadahana. She recalled

for us the sutras where Patanjali speaks of different levels of intensity in practice (1.21 and 1.22). Guruji rendered Sutra 1.21 as “The

goal is near for those who are supremely vigorous and intense in practice.” Guruji’s supreme intensity is an aspiration for all of us,

an aspiration that takes material form in the Institute he founded in Pune and also in the associations around the world dedicated

to his method. I look forward to working with all of you over the next two years as we keep our attention focused on his example

and the aspiration and the inspiration he leaves us with.

Michael Lucey, President IYNAUS Board of Directors

Letter

Fall 2014/Winter 2015 Yoga Samachar 3

“I HAVE SHOWN YOU ALL THESE THINGS…” B.K.S. IYENGAR, 1918–2014 By Richard Jonas

Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar led a larger-than-life life.

His legacy is perhaps even more epic.

Sri Iyengar is credited with bringing the ancient art of

yoga into the modern world. His demonstrations and

teachings planted the seed for the phenomenal flowering of

yoga in the West over the past half-century, winning

innumerable followers around the world—including in India,

where yoga began.

Universally acknowledged as the world’s greatest yoga teacher

and most knowledgeable and respected practitioner, he was

called the “Michelangelo of yoga,” the “king of yogis,” and the

“lion of Pune.” He was included in Time magazine’s global list of

the world’s 100 most influential people and—only the most

recent of his scores of honors—received the Padma Vibhushan,

India’s second highest civilian award.

The yoga method he refined for eight decades became one of

the world’s most widely practiced, with Iyengar Yoga institutes

and associations, teachers, and students in more than 75

countries. Mr. Iyengar trained generations of teachers, including

his children, Dr. Geeta S. Iyengar and Prashant S. Iyengar, and

his granddaughter, Abhijata Sridhar-Iyengar—now the primary

teachers of the method. Four other daughters survive him:

Sunita Iyengar Parthasarathy, also a teacher, and Vanita

Sridharan, Suchita Sridhar, and Savita Raghu, as well as five

grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

In time, Mr. Iyengar stood at the apex of a rigorous system of

teacher training, assessment, and certification that promises

Iyengar Yoga students around the world a yoga experience that

is safe, progressive, and transformative.

His seminal work Light on Yoga, first published in 1966 and

continually in print since, remains the classic guide to yoga, the

“bible” for teachers and students of all methods. Hailed by

critics as “the best book in English on hatha yoga” and “a superb

volume, unlikely to be superseded,” it has been translated into

17 languages and more than 3 million copies have been sold.

His 2005 international bestseller Light on Life summed up a

lifetime of teaching and practice, guiding readers on the

journey to wholeness, inner peace, and ultimate freedom. The

Light on Life book tour brought Mr. Iyengar—fondly called

“Guruji” by his students—to the United States for the first time

in 12 years, for appearances in New York, Boston, Washington,

D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He also led the Yoga Journal

International Yoga Conference in Estes Park, Colorado.

Well into his 95th year, Mr. Iyengar continued to teach around

the world. Groundbreaking journeys to Russia, where he taught

in Moscow in 2009, and to China, in Guangzhou in 2011,

sparked the burgeoning interest in yoga in those countries. He

continued to publish: His most recent work, Core of the Yoga

Sutras, came out in 2012. And until shortly before his final

illness, each morning he reaffirmed his lifelong commitment to

yoga with his awe-inspiring personal practice, observed by

admiring students. As recently as February, that practice

included long, freestanding Salamba Sirsasanas.

Mr. Iyengar died on Aug. 20, 2014, at the age of 95 in Pune, after

a brief illness. A wake and a memorial service were held there,

with commemorative ceremonies following around the world.

Mr. Iyengar pioneered countless innovative ideas during his 80

years of teaching; perhaps the most revolutionary is that yoga

1918 — B.K.S. Iyengar is born on Dec. 14 in Bellur, India

1935 — Begins teaching in Hubli and Dharwar

1943 — Marries Shrimati Ramamani

1952 — Meets celebrated violinist Yehudi Menuhin and becomes his teacher

1923 — Iyengar family migrates to Bangalore

1927 — Iyengar’s father dies

1933 — Moves to Mysore to help care for his sister’s children; brother-in-law T. Krishnamacharya, the noted yoga scholar, initiates Iyengar into the practice

1937 — Joins the Deccan Gymkhana in Pune as a yoga instructor

1956 — First visit to the United States, where he teaches Mrs. William Harkness and her family

1954 — Travels to Europe for the first time to spread the art and science of yoga

Begins teaching in Bombay

4 Yoga Samachar Fall 2014/Winter 2015

is for everyone. With this in mind, he developed and refined the

use of a complete array of yoga props including ropes, belts,

and blocks. These allow practitioners of all ages and fitness

levels to achieve correct alignment, a deeper penetration into

the posture, and a longer stay. Students are enabled to

experience “meditation in action,” one of Iyengar Yoga’s most

important concepts.

Guruji’s unique perspective was that the yoga asanas and

pranayama could be a template to explore and experience

each of the other limbs of Astanga Yoga, even those of the

innermost journey.

Refuting the notion that Iyengar Yoga’s emphasis on strict

alignment of each part of the body in each pose made it a more

physical and less spiritual form of yoga, Mr. Iyengar famously

said, “How can you know God if you don’t know your big toe?”

Another often-repeated statement attested to his deep piety:

“My asanas and my pranayamas are my prayers.”

In his early days of practice, working 10 hours a day and more,

Mr. Iyengar mastered each of the yoga asanas; then he went

further, exploring how each pose could be performed by people

with different body types and with various limitations. His fiery

teaching, strong verbal commands, and dynamic adjustments

propelled students to new levels of physical effort and deep

inner penetration. In the medical class in Pune, Mr. Iyengar and

his family devised sequences of yoga to treat alcoholism and

drug addiction, anorexia, depression and anxiety, high and low

blood pressure, cardiac problems, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, arthritis,

and many more of life’s afflictions.

“Iyengar” is acknowledged in the Oxford English Dictionary as

“Noun: A type of Hatha yoga focusing on the correct

alignment of the body, making use of straps, wooden blocks,

and other objects as aids in achieving the correct postures.

Origin: Named after B.K.S. Iyengar, the Indian yoga teacher

who devised this method.”

For residents of Bellur, the definition following the name B.K.S.

Iyengar might well be “benefactor.”

He led a transformation of his ancestral village, building a free

hospital; water-treatment facilities; India’s first temple

dedicated to Sage Patanjali; a free school that supplies

uniforms, books, and a hot lunch to the children of Bellur and

surrounding villages; a secondary school; and a college.

It was in Bellur, in the Kolar District of Karnataka, that the

glorious life story of Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar

had its humble beginning.

There he was born, into a large family and a poor one, on Dec.

14, 1918. The 11th of 13 children, he suffered typhoid and

tuberculosis among other childhood illnesses. The family

migrated to Bangalore in 1923, and his father died in 1927.

At 15, Sri Iyengar went to Mysore to help care for his sister’s

children. His brother-in-law T. Krishnamacharya (1888–1989),

the noted yoga scholar, initiated him into the practice. Though

weak and sickly, the young Iyengar immersed himself in yoga.

Called upon to demonstrate difficult asanas, he suffered

tortured nerves and bruised muscles but gained strength,

health, and mastery of yoga. Though he had to discontinue

school at graduation level, he received a diploma in yoga from

Sri Krishnamacharya.

He began teaching in Hubli and Dharwar in 1935. He joined the

Deccan Gymkhana in Pune as a yoga instructor in 1937, then

began teaching privately. In 1943, he married Shrimati Ramamani.

As his reputation grew, more students sought his help,

including Sri J. Krishnamurti, who described him as the best

teacher; their association lasted two decades. Swami

Shivananda of Rishikesh granted him the title Yogi Raja.

Distinguished pupils included Indian national leaders and, in

1952, celebrated violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who described Sri

Iyengar as “my guru in yoga” and “my best violin teacher.”

1973 — Foundation stone of the yoga institute in Pune is laid; three days later Mr. Iyengar’s wife dies suddenly and the new institute, the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI), is named in her honor

1984 — Demonstration at the first International Iyengar Yoga Convention in San Francisco

1981 — Light on Pranayama is published

1985 — The Art of Yoga is published

1988 — The Tree of Yoga is published

1966 — Light on Yoga is first published

1971 — Introduces yoga to the U.K. at the London Educational Auditorium

Fall 2014/Winter 2015 Yoga Samachar 5

Menuhin, who wrote the introduction to Light on Yoga, was

eager to introduce to the West the teacher who had helped him

overcome his health problems. Two years later, Mr. Iyengar

traveled to Europe, the first of scores of journeys that spread

the art and science of yoga to all corners of the world. In 1954,

he began teaching in Bombay.

During his first visit to the United States in 1956, he taught Mrs.

William Harkness and her family and gave several lecture-

demonstrations. Photos appeared in Life magazine. During a

thrilling demonstration in 1973 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he

began with Tadasana, then moved through every pose in Light on

Yoga. His 1976 demonstration at Haverford College inspired the

creation of the monumental sculpture, “After Iyengar.” “It was

absolutely the most incredible physical and mental expression

I’ve ever witnessed,” said the sculptor, Robert Engman. Other

notable demonstrations highlighted the International Iyengar

Yoga Convention in San Francisco in 1984—the first devoted to

yoga of any method—and the North American Yoga Convention

at Harvard University in 1987. Regular yoga conventions, and

now regional conferences, have met in the U.S. every few years

since; Guruji taught personally in San Diego in 1990, in Ann

Arbor in 1993, and in Estes Park in 2005.

Mr. Iyengar introduced yoga to the U.K. at the London

Educational Auditorium in 1971. He returned to inaugurate

London’s Iyengar Yoga Institute. Iyengar Yoga continues to

flourish throughout England and Europe.

Just three days after the foundation stone of the yoga institute

in Pune was laid in 1973, Mr. Iyengar’s wife died suddenly. The

Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) was named

in her honor. For four decades, it has been the foremost seat of

yogic learning and a pilgrimage center for students and

teachers from around the world.

Light on Pranayama, Mr. Iyengar’s second book, was published in

1981, and a third, The Art of Yoga, in 1985. The Tree of Yoga

appeared in 1988 and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in 1993.

The “Light on…” series also includes Light on Astanga Yoga,

published in 1999.

Additional publications by Mr. Iyengar include Body the Shrine,

Yoga Thy Light, published in 1978 by the Yoga Research Trust;

70 Glorious Years of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, 1990; Iyengar: His

Life and Work, 1991, and The Art of Yoga, 1993. On his 82nd

birthday, the first of the eight-volume Astadala Yogamala was

released; other volumes followed every few years. Yoga: The Path

to Holistic Health was published in 2001, Yoga Wisdom and

Practice in 2009, and Yaugika Manas in 2010. Yog Sarvansathi was

published in 2001 in the Marathi language.

Mr. Iyengar’s birthday celebrations highlighted his ongoing

mastery of yoga and the dedication of his students. In 1993,

during his 75th birthday year, he conducted mega-classes at the

U.S. convention in Ann Arbor as well as in Canada, Bombay,

Bangalore, and London, with a special intensive for teachers in

Panchgani. The Light on Yoga Research Trust celebrated Guruji’s

80th birthday with a 10-day festival near Pune. During the

celebrations, the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, headquartered in

Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, honored him as Arsa-Kula-Sresthah

for introducing yoga to the world, using innovative teaching

methods without compromising its classical form. Similar

celebrations marked his 85th, 90th, and 95th birthdays.

Over the years, Mr. Iyengar’s honors multiplied. They include

honorary doctorates from the Medicina Alternativa Institute,

affiliated with the Open International University for

Complementary Medicine; the University of Mysore; the Tilak

Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune; the Rajiv Gandhi University of

Health Sciences, Karnataka; the Swami Vivekananda Yoga

Anusadhana Samsthanam, Deemed University; and the

University of Pennsylvania. The Mattel Children’s Hospital

recognized him for his work in relieving pain.

He received the Padma Shri award in 1991 from the government

of India. The Padma Bhushan followed in 2002. The prestigious

Padma Vibhushan was presented in March 2014 in New Delhi at

one of Mr. Iyengar’s last public appearances.

1991 — Receives the Padma Shri award from the government of India

1993 — Teaches megaclasses at the U.S. convention in Ann Arbor

2004 — Included in Time magazine’s global list of the world’s 100 most influential people

2009 — Teaches in Moscow at the age of 91

1993 — Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is published

2002 — Receives the Padma Bhushan award

2005 — Light on Life is published; Guruji teaches in Estes Park, CO

2011 — Meets His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a discussion moderated by Sri Rajiv Mehrotra

6 Yoga Samachar Fall 2014/Winter 2015

When Indian Prime Minister Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited

RIMYI in its silver jubilee year, in 1999, he was shown a

demonstration of yoga asanas and Mr. Iyengar explained the

development of yoga therapy and the use of props. Also that

year Mr. Iyengar was named Man of the Year by the American

Biographical Institute.

A 2008 story named him one of India’s “Influentials” and an

“ageless wonder,” adding: “If the world does pranayama today,

the credit goes to him… His long life is proof of the restorative

effects of yoga.” The Times of India included Mr. Iyengar in its

2012 list of the greatest men of India after Mahatma Gandhi.

In 2013, he received the Mother Teresa Sadbhavana Award

for outstanding achievements in yoga from the Indian

Solidarity Council.

Guruji met His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a 2011 discussion

moderated by Sri Rajiv Mehrotra; the DVD Path to Happiness

records the historic occasion.

Sri Iyengar was included in many national and international

lists of achievers, including the International Directory of

Distinguished Leadership, 500 Leaders of Influence of the

Twentieth Century, the Dictionary of International Biography,

2000 Outstanding People of the Twentieth Century, and the

Who’s Who of International Authors.

Many films have chronicled Mr. Iyengar’s life in yoga, from the

widely seen silent demonstration of 1938 to the Film and

Television Institute of India’s Samadhi: Ultimate Freedom, a

59-minute demonstration filmed in Ann Arbor in 1976. Other

films include Guruji, from 1985, which depicted his heroic

struggle to success; Leap of Faith, released on his 90th birthday;

Sculpting Human Kind; and Atma Darshana, produced for the

2004 U.S. convention. Filmed demonstrations and lectures,

master classes, and interviews help preserve his legacy. A new

film, Sadhaka: The Yoga of B.K.S. Iyengar, directed by Jake

Clennell with Senior Teacher Lindsey Clennell as executive

producer, draws on unprecedented access to the Iyengars; it is

now in post-production.

Obituaries recounting Mr. Iyengar’s lifetime achievements and

worldwide impact appeared on the front pages of major

newspapers including The Times of India and The New York

Times, and media and social media brought new attention to

Mr. Iyengar and the method that bears his name.

Throughout the world, Iyengar Yoga continues to grow and

prosper. Transcending nationality, race, religion, gender, and

caste, it brings the benefits of yoga to people of all ages and

physical capabilities. Hundreds of Iyengar Yoga institutes and

studios train students and teachers in India (with centers in

cities including Bangalore, Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Dehra Dun,

and Rishikesh), the United States, and Argentina, Australia,

Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic,

Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, lsrael, Italy, Japan,

Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico,

Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, and Slovenia,

Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, the United Kingdom,

Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe.

Speaking to his granddaughter Abhijata on the day before he

died, Mr. Iyengar said: “I have shown you all these things, now

realize them for yourself.” Our Guruji is gone. His light remains,

to guide us on the path forward.

Richard Jonas (Introductory II) is on the faculty of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York and is a former IYNAUS vice president. He was a film reviewer and wrote TV commercials before becoming a full-time Iyengar Yoga teacher in 2001.

2011 — Teaches in Guangzhou, China, at the age of 93

2014 — Receives the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in March in New Delhi—one of his last public appearances

2012 — Core of the Yoga Sutras is published

2014 — B.K.S. Iyengar dies on Aug. 20 at the age of 95