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Who Was B.K.S. Iyengar? His Life and Teaching Style

Who Was B.K.S. Iyengar? His Life and Teaching Style

Sahil Thakur
6 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

B.K.S. Iyengar (1918 to 2014) was an Indian yoga teacher who became known around the world for precise alignment, long-held postures and the use of props such as blocks, belts and bolsters. He wrote Light on Yoga, one of the most widely read yoga books of the 20th century. Here is his story, what made his teaching distinctive and why you may thank him next time you pick up a block.

Key takeaways

  • Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was born on December 14, 1918, in Bellur, Karnataka, India, and died on August 20, 2014, in Pune, aged 95.

  • He studied with T. Krishnamacharya.

  • His book Light on Yoga was first published in 1966 and became an international success.

  • He is credited with popularising props that make poses more accessible, and with a method built on careful alignment.

  • Accounts of his teaching describe both great precision and a demanding style.

The story of a block

Imagine a stiff beginner, hand reaching toward the floor in a forward fold. The floor won't come. So someone slides a block under that hand. Suddenly the spine can lengthen, the breath can move, and the pose becomes something you can stay in.

That small moment has a history. Britannica credits B.K.S. Iyengar with recognising how difficult yoga can be and introducing props, including blocks, chairs and blankets, to make it less daunting, especially for Western students. Read the Britannica biography of B.K.S. Iyengar. He did not invent the idea of support in yoga, and other teachers used aids too, but he helped make props a normal part of class.

An early life shaped by illness

By his own account, Iyengar was a sickly child, and Britannica says he grew up in a large, poor family. The BBC describes a poverty-racked childhood plagued by illnesses including typhoid, malaria, influenza and tuberculosis (BBC News). We tell this part carefully: it comes largely from his own account and later reporting, and we cannot check every detail.

What most sources agree on is that yoga became central to his life. He took up yoga as a teenager and found it improved his strength, and The Guardian reports that his teacher later sent him to teach in Pune because he spoke some English (The Guardian). Pune became his home and the base of his school. His style grew very different from his teacher's. The Wellcome Collection describes him as discarding counted breaths and insisting on very precise postures, each held for longer. See Yoga adapts to time and place.

The meeting that opened the world

In the early 1950s, Iyengar taught the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Britannica says Menuhin helped introduce him to the West, and later wrote a foreword to Light on Yoga. That book, with instructions for more than 200 postures, demonstrated in photographs of Iyengar, was a great success in Europe and the United States. The BBC reports that it was published in 1966 by Allen & Unwin and has not been out of print since (BBC News).

In 1975, he founded the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, named for his late wife, with help from his daughter Geeta and son Prashant. Britannica reports that by the early 21st century the Iyengar tradition had more than 200 centres and thousands of teachers worldwide. He received three of India's highest civilian honours: the Padma Shri (1991), the Padma Bhushan (2002) and the Padma Vibhushan (2014).

What was his teaching like?

Britannica describes a personal approach, sensitive to each student's body, and says he talked almost non-stop during classes. Three ideas stand out:

  • Alignment. Each pose is built carefully, joint by joint. The goal is stability and clarity, not speed.

  • Holding. Poses are held for longer, so the student can notice what is happening.

  • Props. Blocks, belts, chairs and bolsters help you reach the shape without strain.

Some students remember a strict, demanding teacher who corrected firmly; the BBC quotes an Open University researcher saying many students found him "a bit of a drill sergeant" (BBC News). Others remember generosity and tireless devotion. People describe the same teacher differently, and that is worth saying.

How to try the "block idea" in your own practice

Props are for everyone, not only beginners. Here is a simple way to explore:

  1. Choose a pose you know, such as a standing forward fold or triangle pose.

  2. Place a block where your hand lands comfortably, not where you think it "should" land.

  3. Check the breath. Can you breathe smoothly? Is the neck relaxed?

  4. Adjust the height. Use the block on a different height if needed.

  5. Notice. What changes when you feel supported?

A note about this post

This is history, not a claim about any method taught at Yogshala. We are telling the story because anyone who uses a block benefits from his work.

Safety: who should be careful

Props help many people, but they are not a guarantee against strain. Move slowly, and stop if something feels sharp or painful. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, check with your teacher and health professional before trying new poses. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that yoga is generally considered safe when taught by a qualified instructor, and that sprains and strains are the most common injuries. See NCCIH, Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety.

FAQ

Did Iyengar invent yoga props?

No. He is credited with popularising them and building them into a method. Others used aids before him.

What is Iyengar yoga known for?

Precise alignment, longer holds and extensive use of props.

Was Iyengar a student of Krishnamacharya?

Yes. He studied with him.

Is Light on Yoga good for beginners?

It is a detailed reference book. Many people find it easier to start with a teacher and use the book later.

Keep exploring with us

If you'd like to try props in a friendly room, message us at breathe@theyogshala.org or call 514-575-0009. And if you want to study alignment, anatomy and teaching in depth, our Yogshala 200-hour Hatha Teacher Training runs January 5 to April 18, 2027, in person in Montréal-Ouest and online. Certification is issued by Yogshala. Details are here.

Message us about the January training: the Yogshala 200-hour Hatha Teacher Training starts January 5, 2027.

With warmth,

Sahil

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