B.K.S. Iyengar, widely recognized as responsible for bringing the practice of Yoga to Western culture, died on August 20th in Pune, India at the age of 95.
Iyengar was born into extreme poverty and early in life suffered from tuberculosis, malaria, malnutrition, and other diseases. In the hopes of improving his health, Iyengar began studying Yoga under the tutelage of a relative. In 1952 while working as a Yoga teacher he happened to meet the famous violin maestro Yehudi Menuhin. Menuhin found his techniques so beneficial that he invited Iyengar to travel with him. Iyengar began to work with many of Menuhin’s students, among which were royalty, artists, and other luminaries. His reputation spread and during the 1960s he began to establish a large following in the United States and throughout the world.
Today there are hundreds of Iyengar Yoga schools located in 72 countries around the world. He authored 14 books, the most popular, Light on Yoga, has been translated into 17 languages. In 2004 Iyengar was named to Time Magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People in the World.
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