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Yoga Wisdom and Practice
"Iyengar Yoga Wisdom & Practice" is a practical and an inspiring anthology of Iyengar's insights into yoga, life and the path to peace and happiness. Yoga practice lies at the heart of the book, and it is illustrated with over 60 new step-by-step sequences of yoga postures specially shot in India and accompanied by Iyengar's illuminating observations on technique, their significance, and their benefits. This book not only presents Iyengar's practical advice on how to perform key yoga postures, but also draws on a wide range of other material taken from interviews and world lecture tours, to the many texts Iyengar has written about yoga and about his own life's journey.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2009
16 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
B.K.S. Iyengar
192 books512 followersBellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (Kannada: ಬೆಳ್ಳೂರ್ ಕೃಷ್ಣಮಾಚಾರ್ ಸುಂದರರಾಜ ಐಯಂಗಾರ್), (also known as Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar) (Born December 14, 1918 in Bellur, Kolar District, Karnataka, India) is the founder of Iyengar Yoga. He is considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world and has been practicing and teaching yoga for more than 75 years. He has written many books on yogic practice and philosophy, and is best known for his books Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. He has also written several definitive yoga texts. Iyengar yoga centers are located throughout the world, and it is believed that millions of students practice Iyengar Yoga.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002.
B.K.S. Iyengar was born into a poor Hebbar Iyengar family. He had a difficult childhood. Iyengar's home village of Belur, Karnataka, India, was in the grips of the influenza pandemic at the time of his birth, leaving him sickly and weak. Iyengar's father died when he was 9 years old, and he continued to suffer from a variety of maladies in childhood, including malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and general malnutrition.
At the age of 15 Iyengar went to live with his brother-in-law, the well-known yogi, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in Mysore. There, Iyengar began to learn asana practice, which steadily improved his health. Soon he overcame his childhood weaknesses.
With the encouragement of Krishnamacharya, Iyengar moved to Pune to teach yoga in 1937. There his practice developed as he spent many hours each day learning and experimenting in various techniques. As his methods improved, the number of students at his classes increased and his fame spread. In Pune, his brothers introduced him to Ramamani, whom he married in 1943.
In 1952, Iyengar met and befriended the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Menuhin arranged for Iyengar to teach abroad in London, Switzerland, Paris and elsewhere. This was the first time that many Westerners had been exposed to yoga, and the practice slowly became well known. The popularity of yoga in the West can in large part be attributed to Iyengar.
In 1966, "Light on Yoga," was published. It gradually became an international best-seller and was translated into 17 languages. Often called “the bible of yoga,”[citation needed] it succeeded in making yoga well known throughout the globe. This was later followed by titles on pranayama and various aspects of yoga philosophy. Mr. Iyengar has authored 14 books.
In 1975, Iyengar opened the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, in memory of his departed wife. He officially retired from teaching in 1984, but continues to be active in the world of Iyengar Yoga, teaching special classes and writing books. Iyengar's daughter Geeta and son Prashant have gained international acclaim as teachers.
Iyengar has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002.
B.K.S. Iyengar was born into a poor Hebbar Iyengar family. He had a difficult childhood. Iyengar's home village of Belur, Karnataka, India, was in the grips of the influenza pandemic at the time of his birth, leaving him sickly and weak. Iyengar's father died when he was 9 years old, and he continued to suffer from a variety of maladies in childhood, including malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and general malnutrition.
At the age of 15 Iyengar went to live with his brother-in-law, the well-known yogi, Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya in Mysore. There, Iyengar began to learn asana practice, which steadily improved his health. Soon he overcame his childhood weaknesses.
With the encouragement of Krishnamacharya, Iyengar moved to Pune to teach yoga in 1937. There his practice developed as he spent many hours each day learning and experimenting in various techniques. As his methods improved, the number of students at his classes increased and his fame spread. In Pune, his brothers introduced him to Ramamani, whom he married in 1943.
In 1952, Iyengar met and befriended the famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Menuhin arranged for Iyengar to teach abroad in London, Switzerland, Paris and elsewhere. This was the first time that many Westerners had been exposed to yoga, and the practice slowly became well known. The popularity of yoga in the West can in large part be attributed to Iyengar.
In 1966, "Light on Yoga," was published. It gradually became an international best-seller and was translated into 17 languages. Often called “the bible of yoga,”[citation needed] it succeeded in making yoga well known throughout the globe. This was later followed by titles on pranayama and various aspects of yoga philosophy. Mr. Iyengar has authored 14 books.
In 1975, Iyengar opened the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, in memory of his departed wife. He officially retired from teaching in 1984, but continues to be active in the world of Iyengar Yoga, teaching special classes and writing books. Iyengar's daughter Geeta and son Prashant have gained international acclaim as teachers.
Iyengar has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 29, 2009
This could be my favorite one yet. Why?
well...not that I don't comb through astadala yogamala and yoga rahasya volumes--heck I just got a copy of pushpanjali that I am perusing...but this text seems to have extracted some of the best nuggets from all of those and they're all in one place...the asanas are nice, explained well. the models are both great but I doubt most people will pay attention to them since the true gem of the book is the stories about Guruji
this will probably stay on my to read shelf forever.
well...not that I don't comb through astadala yogamala and yoga rahasya volumes--heck I just got a copy of pushpanjali that I am perusing...but this text seems to have extracted some of the best nuggets from all of those and they're all in one place...the asanas are nice, explained well. the models are both great but I doubt most people will pay attention to them since the true gem of the book is the stories about Guruji
this will probably stay on my to read shelf forever.
January 25, 2018
Great to update your practice
March 4, 2010
I was looking for a book that brings me even closer to Yoga. This book is like a good cookbook. Great instructions, nice photos, easy to browse and has some remarkable interesting facts and information.
I am absolutely blown away by the perfect, perfect yoga poses they show in this book. I always have been impressed by my yoga instructor form and perfect poses but this is so much closer to brilliance. If you know yoga poses and have tried some - you know how intense they can be. The photos in the book give you a great comparison and possibly improve your poses. In addition to all that, there are interviews and stories of the guru B.K.S. Iyengar.
This would be a book I would definitely recommend.
I am absolutely blown away by the perfect, perfect yoga poses they show in this book. I always have been impressed by my yoga instructor form and perfect poses but this is so much closer to brilliance. If you know yoga poses and have tried some - you know how intense they can be. The photos in the book give you a great comparison and possibly improve your poses. In addition to all that, there are interviews and stories of the guru B.K.S. Iyengar.
This would be a book I would definitely recommend.
September 1, 2013
Somehow this book seems a little inaccessible. I don't love the art direction. And the text is a little dry. But none the less, the instruction is there and the photos are clear. I'm sure I'm missing the point.
March 12, 2017
Sehr gut, um eine erste Idee der Lehre von Iyengar Yoga zu bekommen. Es gibt zwar kaum Übungsabfolgen. Aber dafür sind die Übungen sehr gut erklärt.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews