B. K. S. Iyengar
B. K. S. Iyengar (1918–2014) was an Indian yoga teacher who founded Iyengar Yoga, known for precise alignment, structured sequencing, and props.
Iyengar Yoga: A style of yoga developed by B. K. S. Iyengar, emphasizing alignment, sequenced practice, and props. The method he founded and the clearest expression of his teaching.
Yoga asana: A physical posture practiced in yoga, often coordinated with attention to breathing and bodily control. Asanas are the basic units Iyengar taught students to refine and sequence.
Bellur: A village in Karnataka, India, associated with B. K. S. Iyengar’s birthplace. Iyengar was born there in 1918.
Ramamani Iyengar: The wife of B. K. S. Iyengar, who supported his work and is commemorated in the Pune yoga institute bearing her name. Her name and legacy are closely tied to the institute he established.
Iyengar Yoga associations: Organizations that train teachers, set standards, and support Iyengar Yoga communities in different countries. They maintain teacher education and practice after Iyengar’s lifetime.
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A classical collection of aphorisms on yoga traditionally attributed to the sage Patanjali. Iyengar interpreted this foundational text and made it central to his teaching.
Alignment (yoga): The deliberate arrangement of body parts in a yoga posture to shape stability, balance, and bodily awareness. Precise alignment is a defining instruction in Iyengar’s method.
Mysore: A city in Karnataka, India, with a prominent history of modern yoga teaching. Iyengar moved there as a young man to study with Krishnamacharya.
Geeta Iyengar: An Indian yoga teacher and author who developed and taught Iyengar Yoga, especially for women. His daughter became a leading interpreter and teacher of his method.
Yoga in the West: The development and adaptation of yoga traditions in Europe, North America, and other Western societies. Iyengar helped make postural yoga familiar to Western practitioners.