From Darkness to Light

An interview with senior Iyengar teacher Patricia Walden on October 9th, 2005.

The first question Patricia asks B.K.S Iyengar is:

Q: Many people practice yoga but do not seem to be able to take their practice beyond the physical level.  When did you realize the deeper meaning of your own practice or were you always aware of the deeper aspects of yoga?

Below is a very condensed version of the answer. For the full interview see Astadala Yogamala,, vol. 8, p.77.

B.K.S. Iyengar, also known as Guruji to some, replies that when he began yoga he did not know what yoga was and that his Guruji was not willing to explain it when questioned.  All he would say was, “Good for your health, go ahead.”

Mr. Iyengar said he took this as him mantra and proceeded. Mr. Iyengar had been sickly as a child and it took him 6 years to begin to experience a sense of heath and well-being. He writes that he had students coming to him to learn, and that it opened his eyes to understand that minimum practice and insufficient presentation was not enough to teach others as he wanted those coming to him to appreciate the subject.  This interest in wanting to share correct knowledge led him to reflect on his thoughts as well as practices by studying his mind and body movements.  Finding out where co-operation occurred and how to bring the union between body and mind.  He began to observe his actions, re-actions and non-actions. Mr. Iyengar began to develop a friendship with his body and mind in his practices.  He said he was cajoling his body when it was not willing to perform, but also needed to cajole the mind, which took a long time.

The inquisitiveness of his students helped to open Mr. Iyengar to open his eyes and mind to look and feel each and every part of the body in practice.  Over time his mind began to flow concurrently with the movements of the various parts of the body in different asana.  

B.K.S. Iyengar shares his wisdom in that sometimes his mind was rebelling and at other times the body.  He used friendliness and compassion when mind and body were not cooperating.  He writes, " When they were cooperating the practice was conducive and I was experiencing gladness.  I was indifferent to both the mind and body when needed.  I often overlooked them and used the needle of intelligence in practice which changed my attitude.  That's how I learned to integrate the physical body, the mental body, the intellectual body and my conscious body and vice versa throughout the asana sadhana. 

Om Shanti, shanti, shanti,

Pam