BKS Iyengar, an amazing person and yogi left his body on Aug. 20, 2014 at the age of 95. He will be missed worldwide for his teachings, wisdom, and the joy he shared.
According to information on the B.K.S. Iyengar page, he was born in India in 1918 and taught yoga since of the age of 17. He has been one of the world’s leading teachers of yoga for over 70 years. His own style of teaching is called “Iyengar Yoga” and it places great emphasis on precision and alignment. We can thank Mr. Iyengar for introducing yoga props. Through his work, Iyengar has established the relevance of yoga to the treatment and cure of many illnesses, and has received a Doctorate from the United Nations Charter for Peace.
Lucky for us, his legacy will live on through the many teachers he trained and through his many books. Here are a few yoga quotes and sayings from some of his books including, Light on Yoga, Light on Life, and others.
“I always tell people to life happily and die majestically.”
“Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one’s being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union — the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.”
“Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they’re meant to be.”
“Change leads to disappointment if it is not sustained. Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice.”
“Be inspired but not proud.”
“In order to find out how to reveal our innermost Being, the sages explored the various sheaths of existence, starting from body and progressing through mind and intelligence, and ultimately to the soul. The yogic journey guides us from our periphery, the body, to the center of our being, the soul. The aim is to integrate the various layers so that the inner divinity shines out as through clear glass.”
“Illuminated emancipation, freedom, unalloyed and untainted bliss await you, but you have to choose to embark on the Inward Journey to discover it.”
“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.”
“It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.”
“Do not stop trying just because perfection eludes you.”
“The material body has a practical reality that is accessible. It is here and now, and we can do something with it. However, we must not forget that the innermost part of our being is also trying to help us. It wants to come out to the surface and express itself.”
“Action is movement with intelligence. The world is filled with movement. What the world needs is more conscious movement, more action.”
“Yoga is like music: the rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.”
“Spirituality is not some external goal that one must seek, but a part of the divine core of each of us, which we must reveal.”
“One’s spiritual realization lies in none other than how one walks among and interacts with one’s fellow beings.”
“It took me whole decades to appreciate the depth and true value of yoga. Sacred texts supported my discoveries, but it was not they that signposted the way. What I learned through yoga, I found out through yoga.”
“You do not need to seek freedom in a different land, for it exists with your own body, heart, mind, and soul.
Thank you Mr. Iyengar for all your years of inspiration and the giving of yourself!