I am grateful to be able to practice and teach on the deeply spiritual country of Mparntwe. I acknowledge the Arrernte people, Traditional Custodians of this land and pay my respects to their Elders, past and present and future.

I also acknowledge the Iyengar family who have profoundly shaped modern yoga and continue to inspire me on this transformative path.

“My subject is yoga-the path which cultures the body and senses, refines the mind, civilises the intelligence and takes rest in the soul which is the core of our being…Yoga is more than physical. It is cellular, mental, intellectual and spiritual - it involves a person in their entire being.” BKS Iyengar (Tree of Yoga)

BKS Iyengar, his family & iyengar yoga

BKS Iyengar began his life in a small village in southern India. He was a sickly child and through his brother-in-law (Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya), was introduced to yoga to improve his health. At 18 he was sent to Pune to spread the teaching of yoga and as he states in the introduction in “Light On Life”, “[I]embarked on a practice of asana as a man might set off to sail the world in a craft he could barely handle, clinging to it for dear life and finding only solace from the stars…it was a voyage of discovery.” This voyage of discovery lasted his whole life till his death at 95.

Iyengar often described himself as a common man with household duties. He had 6 children. After his much beloved wife died, Iyengar named his institute, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in her honour. From the 1960’s Iyengar began travelling the world teaching and western students starting coming to the institute. Students like Yehudi Menuhin brought his name into the lime light and his reputation as a fierce, demanding, yet compassionate guru grew.

Geeta, his eldest daughter began practicing and teaching at an early age. She remained deeply devoted to her father and stated that “rarely does a pupil find a Guru and a Father in one person. I consider myself doubly fortunate in this respect.” (Gem For Women) She also travelled the world teaching. Her legacy is the empowerment she gave to women. She brought a deeper understanding of asana specifically for women, so they could practice appropriately in all the stages and milestones of their lives. In her book, “Gem For Women”, she states, “[A] woman has to pay a high price physically and psychologically in her role of mother, wife, sister and friend. Stabilisation of physical and mental states is achieved by asanas and pranayama. Her salvation lies in practicing them.”

Prashant, Iyengar’s only son, has also played a major role in the institute. He is known for his maverick, deeply philosophical approach to teaching. In the introduction to “Alpha & Omega of Trikonasana”, he is described as “[having] a way of expressing and conveying the intriguing, subtle, deep, profound, mysterious, mystic concepts by coining his own terminology of certain words in English…This coinage became necessary, as the English language is not adequately equiped to describe the beauty and marvel of this vast microcosm which the subject of Yoga reveals.”

Abhijata Sridhar Iyengar, Iyengar’s grand daughter is now the primary teacher at the institute and is instrumental in guiding the future direction of Iyengar Yoga.

Although BKS Iyengar never claimed to be teaching “Iyengar Yoga” but simply “yoga”, Iyengar Yoga has become known as a style with a strong emphasis on precise instructions and alignment. This precision brings the mind to be in the body completely and thence focused, present and aware. The asana sequences use timings to cultivate a steadiness in both the mind and body. An Iyengar Yoga studio will have a variety of props that BKS Iyengar developed from ordinary household items. Using props allow students to stay, settle and relax in asanas for longer timings and are very beneficial for students working with injuries and medical conditions.

PRACTICE

“Yoga is effort. Only practice is important. The rest of knowledge is only theory.” BKS Iyengar

“We are missing the gold if we do asanas as a physical practice only.” Geeta Iyengar

The Iyengar Yoga community is grounded in the discipline of practice. This is the essence of what sustains us over many years. The ‘on the ground’ community in Alice is held together by the Led Practice Group and supported by the wider community of Iyengar teachers.

IYENGAR YOGA TEACHERS

Iyengar Yoga teachers undertake a rigorous training process to become certified. It usually takes several years and many, many hours ‘on the mat’. It is often the motivation to fully commit to a practice and become deeply involved in it that leads one to become a teacher. “Iyengar Yoga Australia” is the governing body for Australian Iyengar teachers.

https://iyengaryoga.asn.au/