Iyengar was born on December 14 1918 in the village of Bellur in Karnataka. The newborn and his mother sick with the flu, because at this time the area was covered by the epidemic. Mother and baby survived, but the disease made the boy weak, severely affected his physical and mental development. However, that his health problems did not end there: at the age of thirteen he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and then fever and malaria.
In 15 years, BKS Iyengar was sent to Mysore to help in the house of the sister who was married to a well-known yoga teacher Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Once Krishnamacharya invited the boy to him and showed him a few poses. However, his body was so weak and tough thing, leaning forward, he could not even reach to the knee middle fingers. Guruji – so Sundaram started calling her husband’s sister since he began teaching his yoga – was equally exceptional man and complicated. Seeing a young Iyengar doing asanas, he said to him: “In this life, you do not do yoga. You – anadhikarin (not elected) “- and lost all interest in him. Yoga classes stopped, not having time to really begin.
It so happened that shortly before the International Convention on yoga, which was to be held in Mysore, Krishnamacharya ran away from his pupil, who was supposed to demonstrate the poses. The very next day after the disappearance of the best student of Guruji again invited to Sundaradzhi Iyengar yoga lesson. This time he showed him thirty or forty asanas once, one after the other, said curtly: “You must do it.” It was a situation in which both had no outlet. Krishnamacharya taught Iyengar all complex deflections for three days, he was then still young and strong enough to force to force the young man to do troughs on their legs raised, which serves as a support. Too intensive practice slopes back at such a young age and in a very short period of time in consequence led to serious problems in the development of pranayama.
During the demonstration Sundaradzhi Iyengar tried my best and even more pain on the eyes dimmed with tears. The demonstration was a success and made a huge impression on everyone, including the Maharaja and of Krishnamacharya. The teacher then changed its attitude to it, and Iyengar began attending his classes in yogashala. So young Sundaradzhi Iyengar embarked on the path of yoga practice.
Sri BKS Iyengar yoga teaches about seventy years old and during this time developed and deepened his method. The practice of yoga from the beginning demanded of him tremendous effort and attention, since his health was poor. Years of practice have not only made his body strong and sturdy, but also gave a unique insight into the key – because of their effects were tested on their own experience. He explained and reinforced by examples of all the traditional aspects of yoga, I rediscovered and codified a series of postures and breathing techniques, extensive investigations of the therapeutic effects of yoga.
Over time, Iyengar realized that this dynamic power practice is effective only for the young and healthy people. Age or health problems become an obstacle to yoga. Iyengar begins to devote more attention to the profound and subtle work in the pose. The practice becomes more static, long stay in the pose strengthens its impact not only on muscles, joints and ligaments, but also to internal organs, systems and even cells, the emotional state of the mind.
In 1975 he founded Iyengar in Pune “Memorial Institute Iyengar Yoga Ramamani”, dedicating it to the memory of his dead wife. To engage in this institute it is necessary that the total length of Iyengar yoga practice was at least 8 years, to be able to perform inversions Sarvangasanu and Shirshasana for 8-10 minutes, a woman must know the program on which should be dealt with during menstruation.
