B.K.S. Iyengar ( 14th of dec, 1918-) was introduced to Yoga as a young man, at the age of 14.

He was sent from Bangalore to Mysore to live with his Sister and Brother in law, Krishnamacharya, known as the founder of Ashtanga Yoga. As a child, Iyengar had poor health, and Krishnamacharya suggested to him that he stay in Mysore, and, through yoga-practice works on becoming stronger and healthier.


Iyengar himself describes his encounter with yoga as a great turning point in his young life. It becomes the starting point for a life filled with plenty of dedicated practice, teaching, hard work and personal growth.

His greatest and foremost task became to introduce yoga to as many people across the world as possible. In 1954 he was invited to Gstaad, Schwitzerland, by the well-known violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, and this was the very beginning of spreading his beloved yoga, over time known as Iyengar Yoga, to the whole world.


Since then Iyengar Yoga has been widely spread out, in the Western world as well as the East. In 2004, BKS Iyengar himself was on The Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential persons in the world.
 
 



 
In 1943 Iyengar is married to Ramamani, they live in Pune and have 6 children, 5 daughters and 1 son.

After Ramamanis death, in 1970 BKS Iyengar built and opened the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, where he for many years taught students from all over the world, as well as local Indians.

Here his daughter Geeta S. Iyengar and his son Prashant S. Iyengar are still teaching the daily advanced classes, and a new generation of dedicated and well trained teachers, are teaching the beginners classes.

 
Iyengar himself, now well into his nineties, is becoming more immersed in his own practice, but he continues to teach through his granddaughter Abhijata, to great joy and delight for all students, guiding her in her teaching at RIMYI. Lately though, he has also travelled to Russia and China, again on request, to spread his love and passion for Yoga.

 
 

 
   

The entrance to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute