B.K.S. Iyengar, also known as Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, was a renowned yoga teacher and the founder of Iyengar Yoga. He was born on December 14, 1918, in Bellur, a small village in Karnataka, India. Iyengar's childhood was marked by poverty, illness, and tragedy. He was the ninth of 13 children and suffered from various health issues, including malaria, tuberculosis, and typhoid. At the age of 16, he was sent to live with his brother-in-law, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who was a well-known yoga teacher in Mysore.

Under Krishnamacharya's guidance, Iyengar began his journey into the world of yoga. He initially struggled with the practice, as he was weak and inflexible. However, with dedication and perseverance, he gradually improved and became one of Krishnamacharya's most skilled students. In 1937, Iyengar was sent to Pune, Maharashtra, to teach yoga. It was here that he met his future wife, Ramamani, who was also a student of Krishnamacharya.

In the 1950s, Iyengar's reputation as a yoga teacher began to grow as he started to teach prominent figures such as J. Krishnamurti and Yehudi Menuhin. In 1954, he published his first book, "Light on Yoga," which became a bestseller and introduced Iyengar Yoga to the Western world. This was followed by several other books, including "Light on Pranayama" and "Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali," which further established Iyengar as a leading authority on yoga.

In 1975, Iyengar established the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, named after his late wife. The institute became the center for Iyengar Yoga and attracted students from all over the world. Iyengar's teaching style was characterized by his attention to detail and his use of props such as blocks, straps, and blankets to help students achieve correct alignment and deepen their practice. This approach made yoga accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

Over the years, Iyengar Yoga gained popularity and recognition worldwide. Iyengar himself traveled extensively, conducting workshops and teacher training programs in different countries. He also received numerous awards and honors, including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, two of India's highest civilian awards.

Iyengar continued to practice and teach yoga until his passing on August 20, 2014, at the age of 95. He left behind a legacy that has influenced and inspired countless people to embrace the practice of yoga. Today, Iyengar Yoga is practiced in over 70 countries, and his teachings