Doyen of yoga had the gentlest heart

My recollection of Guruji was always that of a tough disciplinarian, but one with the most gentle heart. My interaction with Guruji was a life changing experience and his teachings of pranayama has left me with a priceless gift of health and wellbeing.

Guru Iyengar inaugurated the Iyengar Yoga Centre in the Piramal Hospital in the early Eighties. And for over a decade, patients suffering from a wide variety of medical ailments experienced his innovative ways of healing. The miraculous healing of Guruji’s patients was often validated by our medical team and scientifically documented. When Guruji took his classes, he engaged every person in the room and left them with serenity and a deep sense of wellbeing. Guruji often related his story of being a sickly child who honed his body into one of extraordinary strength and courage.

“The body is a temple,” he used to say, and “one must look after it with devotion, discipline and care.” A veritable encyclopaedia of yogic wisdom, he travelled around the world and his books have positively impacted the wellness of people globally.

What he has left behind with his children and senior teachers is a treasure trove of yogic knowledge. It is upon them to carry forth the light of his learning to reduce the burden of people’s ailments. Guru Iyengar’s yoga centre in Pune and his centres around the world give practitioners a beacon of light and hope.

Guru Iyengar’s senior disciple is Father Joe Pereira, who is a master of the discipline of meditation. He melds the disciplines of yoga to improve the daily lives of people suffering from drug addiction.

This effort was also supported by the Piramal Foundation. A number of different NGOs benefited from Guru Iyengar’s teachings and use them in the treatment of chronic ailments such as heart disease, diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders.

The writer is Vice Chairperson, Piramal Enterprises Ltd.

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