B.K.S. Iyengar Quotes & Sayings

When the restlessness of the mind, intellect and self is stilled through the practice of Yoga, the yogi by the grace of the Spirit within himself finds fulfillment. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Move from the known to the unknown. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When the asana is correct, there is lightness, a freedom. Freedom comes when every part of the body is active. Let us be free in whatever posture we are doing. Let us be full in whatever we do. — B.K.S. Iyengar

You must purge yourself before finding faults in others.
When you see a mistake in somebody else, try to find if you are making the same mistake.
This is the way to take judgment and to turn it into improvement.
Do not look at others' bodies with envy or with superiority.
All people are born with different constitutions.
Never compare with others.
Each one's capacities are a function of his or her internal strength.
Know your capacities and continually improve upon them. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The hardness of a diamond is part of its usefulness, but its true value is in the light that shines through it. — B.K.S. Iyengar

It took me whole decades to appreciate the depth and true value of yoga. Sacred texts supported my discoveries, but it was not they that signposted the way. What I learned through yoga, I found out through yoga. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Is it necessary to practice all these asanas, further and further? Is it necessary to develop scientific researches further and further? To a yogi, the body is a laboratory, a field of experiments and perpetual researches. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Without education, confidence does not come. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga is a means and an end. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The ultimate goal of yoga is to realize the brilliance of your soul. — B.K.S. Iyengar

How can you know God if you don't know your big toe? — B.K.S. Iyengar

Ignorance has no beginning, but it has an end. There is a beginning but no end to knowledge. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The highest point of yesterday should be the lowest point of today — B.K.S. Iyengar

The cure to combat the three Ss- stress, strain, and speed- can be found in three Ws- the work of devoted practice, the wisdom that comes of understanding the self and the world, and worship because ultimately surrendering to what we cannot control allows the ego to relax and lose the anxiety of its own infinitesimally small self in the infinitude of the divine. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Why should you practice Yoga? To kindle the divine fire within yourself. Everyone has a dormant spark of divinity in him which has to be fanned into flame. — B.K.S. Iyengar

There is no difference in our souls ... That is what yoga teaches. When you and I meet together, we forget ourselves
our cultures and classes. There are no divisions, and we talk mind to mind, soul to soul. We are no different in our deepest needs. We are all humans. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As we shave it happens that we cut ourself with the razor blade; this does not mean that we must not shave in the morning any longer. It is the same thing for yoga. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga is the method by which the restless mind is calmed And the energy directed into constructive channels. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Abhyasa (practice) is a dedicated, unswerving, constant, and vigilant search into a chosen subject pursued against all odds in the face of repeated failures, for indefinitely long periods of time. — B.K.S. Iyengar

By drawing our senses of perception inward, we are able to experience the control, silence, and quietness of the mind. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The breath must be enticed or cajoled, like catching a horse in a field, not by chasing after it, but by standing still with an apple in one's hand. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Giving does not impoverish us nor does withholding enrich us. — B.K.S. Iyengar

A stable mind is like the hub of a wheel. The world may spin around you, but the mind is steady. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Do not aim low, you will miss the mark. Aim high and you will be on a threshold of bliss. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Training of the mind and body leads to awareness of the soul — B.K.S. Iyengar

I am standing on my own altar; The poses are my prayers. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The back is like a frame, the front body, the painting that it throws into relief. — B.K.S. Iyengar

I don't stretch my body as if it is an object. I do yoga from the self towards the body, not the other way around. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Approach each asana with freshness every day. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When I practice, I am a philosopher. When I teach, I am a scientist. When I demonstrate, I am an artist. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The yogi learns to forget the past and takes no thought for the morrow. He lives in the eternal present. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When every asana is multi-petaled, why do you make it single petaled? — B.K.S. Iyengar

The conjunction of effort, concentration and balance in asana forces us to live intensely in the present moment, a rare experience in modern life. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Through surrender the aspirant's ego is effaced, and ... grace ... pours down upon him like a torrential rain. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Whenever asana is done mechanically from the front brain, the action is felt only on the peripheral body, and there is no inner sensation, there is no luminous inner light. If the asana is done with continual reference to the back of the brain, there is a reaction to each action, and there is sensitivity. Then life is not only dynamic, but it is also electrified with life force. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Purity is when there is no anxiety, no worry, no thinking. — B.K.S. Iyengar

If you have smoked since you were sixteen, every time you pick up a cigarette in the day you are also brainwashing yourself. "In this situation I pick up a cigarette" sends a little ripple down through consciousness that adds to the "take a cigarette" mound. That's why cigarettes are more difficult than almost anything else to give up. Aside from their physical cravings, we create mental cravings because the habit is very repetitive. The habit of smoking puts itself into every situation. The triggers to that situation are so many that many smokers still sometimes want to smoke even years after they have stopped because the mound is still there. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Live before you die, so that death is also a lively celebration. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As a well cut diamond has many facets, each reflecting a different color of light, so does the word yoga, each facet reflecting a different shade of meaning and revealing different aspects of the entire range of human endeavor to win inner peace and happiness. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When the mind is controlled and still what remains is the soul — B.K.S. Iyengar

Hard work and humility are essential for spiritual sadhana. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As a mighty river which when properly harnessed by dams and canals, creates a vast reservoir of water, prevents famine and provides abundant power for industry; so also the mind, when controlled, provides a reservoir of peace and generates abundant energy for the human uplift. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Without the accurate spine movement, one can't exist dynamically. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When stability becomes a habit, maturity and clarity follow. — B.K.S. Iyengar

I can remain thoughtfully thoughtless, It is not an empty mind. — B.K.S. Iyengar

If you open the armpits, the brain becomes light. You cannot brood or become depressed. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When you are practicing, do not just do that for the sake of doing. Learn to reflect while you are practising. Make your mind and brain observe and relearn what you are doing. Doing is mechanical; learning is dynamic. — B.K.S. Iyengar

We can rise above our limitations, only once we recognize them. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga is about the will, working with intelligence and self-reflexive consciousness, can free us from the inevitability of the wavering mind and outwardly directed senses. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As long as the body is not in perfect health, you think about it, and that prevents you from thinking of the mind. The sound mind is a sound body. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga has to be done with the intellect of the head as well as the intellect of the heart — B.K.S. Iyengar

It is Einstein's famous equation E=MC^2, in which E is energy (rajas), M is mass (tamas), and C is the speed of light (sattva). Energy, mass, and light are endlessly bound together in the universe. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Persistent practice alone is the key to yoga. As you take pains to learn, continue with devotion what you have learn. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Be inspired but not proud. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The union of nature and soul removes the veil of ignorance that covers our intelligence. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in. — B.K.S. Iyengar

One's spiritual realization lies in none other than how one walks among and interacts with one's fellow beings. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The beauty of a lake reflects the beauty around it. When the mind is still, the beauty of the Self is seen reflected in it. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world. — B.K.S. Iyengar

If the foundation is firm the building can withstand calamities. The practice of yoga is the foundation so that the self is not shaken under any circumstances. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As each individual is electrically alive and dynamic, so yoga is a living, dynamic force in life. In order to savor its essence, one needs a religiously attentive dynamic practice done with awareness and absorption. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The study of asana is not about mastering posture.
It's about using posture to understand and transform yourself. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As a fire blazes brightly when the covering of ash over it is scattered by the wind, the divine fire within the body shines in all its majesty when the ashes of desire are scattered by the practice of pranayama. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Our Parusa or Universal Soul is an abiding reality. It is logical, but remains conceptual to our minds under we experience it;s realization within ourselves. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Sirsasana the king of all asanas and the reasons are not hard to find. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Happy is the man who knows how to distinguish the real from the unreal, the eternal from the transient and the good from the pleasant by his discrimination and wisdom. — B.K.S. Iyengar

He who has learnt to control his tongue has attained self-control in a great measure. When such a person speaks he will be heard with respect and attention. His words will be remembered, for they will be good and true. When one who is established in truth prays with a pure heart, then things he really needs come to him when they are really needed: he does not have to run after them. The man firmly established in truth gets the fruit of his actions without apparently doing anything. God, the source of all truth, supplies his needs and looks after his welfare. — B.K.S. Iyengar

When an asana is done correctly the body movements are smooth, there is lightness in the body and freedom in the mind. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As animals, we walk the earth. As bearers of divine essence, we are among the stars. As human beings, we are caught in the middle, seeking to reconcile the paradox of how to make our way upon earth while striving for something more permanent and more profound. — B.K.S. Iyengar

You must fill every inch of your body with the asana from your chest and arms and legs to the tips of your fingers and toes so that the asana radiates from the core of your body and fills the entire diameter and circumference of your limbs. You must feel your intelligence, your awareness, and your consciousness in every inch of your body. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Balance in the body is the foundation for balance in life. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Any action done with beauty and purity, and in complete harmony of body, mind and soul, is Art. — B.K.S. Iyengar

We have two physical eyes, but every pore of the body is also an eye. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As long as you do not live totally in the body, you do not live totally in the Self. — B.K.S. Iyengar

You know the known, so go a little into the unknown. The mind that is caught up in the known - extended a little beyond reason. The moment you go beyond , you move in the soul. Releasing the bondage of your mind to extend further, reach the unknown a little more. The further you go, you realize that the known is limited and the unknown is vast. — B.K.S. Iyengar

You do not need to seek freedom in a different land, for it exists with your own body, heart, mind, and soul. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Extension brings space, space brings freedom, freedom brings precision. Precision is truth. — B.K.S. Iyengar

From Freedom of the Body comes Freedom of the Mind and then Ultimate Freedom! — B.K.S. Iyengar

The whole thrust of yogic philosophical and scientific inquiry has therefore been to examine the nature of being, with a view to learning to respond to the stresses of life without so many tremors and troubles. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Practice doing yoga with an innocent mind. Then, you will be able to cognize the things happening in your body — B.K.S. Iyengar

The needs of the body are the needs of the divine spirit which lives through the body. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As we explore the soul, it is important to remember that this exploration will take place within nature (the body), for that is where and what we are. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The pose begins when you want to leave it. — B.K.S. Iyengar

This practice of yoga is to remove the weeds from the body so that the garden can grow. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The mind is the king of the senses, and the breath is the king of the mind — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga is nothing if it is not perfect
harmonyof the body, senses, mind
and intellect, reason, consciousness
and self. When all these are integrated
that is true yoga. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The commercialism may wash off sometime later. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga takes us to an unconditioned freedom, because yoga sees even good habits as a form of conditioning or limitation. — B.K.S. Iyengar

I am old, and death inevitably approaches. But both birth and death are beyond the will of a human being. They are not my domain. I do not think about it. Yoga has taught me to think of only working to live a useful life ... I will never stop learning, and it have tried to share some lessons with you. I do pray that my ending will be your beginning. The great rewards and the countless blessings of a life spent following the Inward Journey await you. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame. — B.K.S. Iyengar

In your discipline, if doubt comes let it come. Do your work - let doubt carry on with its work and see which gives up first! — B.K.S. Iyengar

Lack of knowledge is the
source of all pains and sorrows whether dormant, attenuated, interrupted
or fully active. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Your body exists in the past and your mind exists in the future. In yoga, they come together in the present. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Death is unimportant to a yogi; he does not mind when he is going to die. What happens after death is immaterial to him. He is only concerned with life-with how he can use his life for the betterment of humanity. Having undergone various types of pain in his life and having acquired a certain mastery over pain, he develops compassion to help society and maintains himself in purity and holiness. The yogi has no interest beyond that. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The practice of yogasana for the sake of health, to keep fit, or to maintain flexibility is the external practice of yoga. While this is a legitimate place to begin, it is not the end Even in simple asanas, one is experiencing the three levels of quest: the external quest, which brings firmness of the body; the internal quest, which brings steadiness of intelligence; and the innermost quest, which brings benevolence of spirit. — B.K.S. Iyengar

Willpower is nothing but willingness to do. — B.K.S. Iyengar

The sleeping tortoise takes all its limbs into its carapace. So does the yogi: going back into himself he does not see anything worldly any longer, he makes peace in himself. — B.K.S. Iyengar

To master fear is the most important battle to win. — B.K.S. Iyengar

As long as you do not feel the serenity in the body, in each and every joint, there is no chance for emancipation. You are in bondage. So while you are sweating and aching, let your heart be light and let it fill your body with gladness. You are not only becoming free, but you are also being free. What is not to be glad about? The pain is temporary. The freedom is permanent. — B.K.S. Iyengar