It is a Tuesday morning in the city of Pune, India. The incessant rain has taken a short break. The first floor of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute is alive with a group of students. In a quiet corner, B.K.S. Iyengar is practicing yoga. His skin ripples as he settles into postures, pushing his body to unimaginable limits, but with beauty and grace—poetry, almost. Mr. Iyengar slips into his final posture. The Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana, or the two-legged inverted staff pose, is an advanced backbend. However, his movement does not feel exerted, just a seamless flow. The students, an eclectic mix of people from different parts of the world, sit around in a semicircle watching their Guru in complete silent admiration.
As Iyengar comes out of his posture and sits up to take a deep breath, the students break into spontaneous applause, stand up, stretch, and resume their practice. They come to Pune every year to learn from Mr. Iyengar, not only his meticulous technique but also the philosophy of holistic health through the practice of yoga.
The roots of holistic healing
Born on December 14, 1918, in Bellur, a small village in southern India, Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar faced a childhood marked by adversity. His father’s death left the family in poverty, and his frail health made him susceptible to illnesses such as tuberculosis, malaria, and typhoid. The constant battle with physical ailments left him in emotional distress. At the age of 15, Iyengar’s life took a transformative turn when he initiated himself into the practice of yoga. This practice allowed him to not only regain his physical strength but also discover what he called the seven stages to health: physical, physiological, mental, intellectual, conscious, conscientious, and divine. He believed that true completeness is only achieved when all the stages are in harmony.
Breath: the foundation of life
At the core of Iyengar’s’ philosophy is the concept of prana, meaning breath. Iyengar believed that prana is the life force that permeates the individual. Inhalation is the art of receiving energy, uniting cosmic breath with individual breath. During inhalation, the cells of the facial muscles should remain soft and receptive to draw breath in gently. Exhalation is the removal of toxins from the body. The release of breath should be gradual, giving air cells sufficient time to reabsorb the residual prana. This allows for full utilization of energy, thus building emotional stability and calming the mind. Iyengar explained that practicing prana allows one to unite the breath with the mind.
For Iyengar, prana bridges the physiological and spiritual realms, embodying the link between outer movement and inner silence. At first, prana requires effort, but with practice, mastery emerges where it flows effortlessly, leading to a state where external movements cease and internal calm prevails. In this silence, thought dissolves as the mind merges with the self.
Balance: a holistic approach
As we reflect on B.K.S. Iyengar’s legacy, his teachings remind us that true health is more than the absence of disease. The practice of yoga has the potential to transform not just the body but also the practitioner’s attitude, fostering compassion, self-awareness, and an appreciation for life’s interconnectedness. The precision and alignment he emphasized in every posture mirrored his philosophy of balanced living. The physical discipline developed through yoga can thus cultivate mental resilience, intellectual clarity, and emotional stability.
Riya Sood is a medical student.
