'In your devotion to Yoga I will always be with you'

BKS Iyengar

We believe that naming a pose after Yogāchārya BKS Iyengar would be a wonderful way to honor his legacy. A recognition of his immeasurable contribution to the world of yoga and an offering of our gratitude and devotion to him.

Please show your love and support of this important project by signing and sharing this petition.

WHY A POSE IN HIS NAME?

● BKS Iyengar brought āsanas to an unprecedented level of perfection by creating a symphony of alignment, symmetry, harmony and proportions. 'Alignment is Enlightenment!' and 'My body is my temple, āsanas are my prayers' are some of his most famous quotes. He revered the body as a temple of the soul and he dedicated all his life to the teaching of āsanas as powerful tools for inner transformation and purification. He taught how all the other 7 limbs of Yoga may be perfected through the practice of āsanas.  His mission was to prove that anyone, regardless of age, creed, gender, status, race can climb the heights of spirituality and realise through their own body that they are sparks of divinity. An āsana dedicated to him would embody his message to the world and would allow anyone whose life has been transformed by his revolutionary teachings to honour him in a way he would have certainly liked.

● BKS Iyengar revived the dying art of yoga and spread its message on a worldwide scale. He changed the course of Yoga history forever by attracting millions of people to the practice of Yoga and by making this noble art accessible to all through the unique use of PROPS.  These are now widely used in all Yoga studios worldwide. The old, the sick, the weak can all practise yoga with the use of supports. A pose in his name would be a tribute to BKS Iyengar's all embracing compassion and to the universality of his teachings.

● BKS Iyengar is recognised as one of the greatest Yoga masters of our times by Yoga practitioners worldwide. His demonstrations, books, quotes and talks have inspired generations of seekers on the path of yoga. A pose in his name would carry BKS Iyengar's message to everyone's heart. It would encourage all travellers on the path of yoga to become united in the pursuit of inner freedom.

● All the great sages of the past Bharadvāja, Marīchi, Vasishtha, Vishvāmitra have an asana in their name. Century after century they stand as an example to follow and they inspire us to deepen our practice. A pose in his name would remind us of BKS Iyengar's journey in this world (and what a journey that was!) and his power to uplift and transform us. It would stand as an encouragement to follow in his footsteps and seek what he sought.

ĀSANAS TO BE NAMED:

Dvi Pāda Viparīta Dandāsana as SUNDARARĀJĀSANA 

The most iconic posture that BKS Iyengar  used to practise right before his passing with the support that he himself had created. It is the yogi's prostration to God, as described in Light on Yoga, p.309. This would fulfill Guruji's wish as expressed in his famous quote:

"I would like to practise Yoga till my last breath, as a humble service to Yoga. MY ONLY WISH IS TO PROSTATE BEFORE GOD, surrendering my last breath in a yogic posture".

Uttāna Padma Mayūrāsana as IYENGARĀSANA

For advanced practitioners naming this pose after BKS IYENGAR would be, not only an offering of gratitude, but an acknowledgement that their practice may have reached BKS Iyengar's level of practice, an achievement that very few can claim.

BKS Iyengar once said he would have liked to die in an āsana so may his memory rest in an āsana. It would be a wonderful dwelling for him for eternity. 

We strongly believe that if we start introducing Sundararājāsana and Iyengarāsana these will be incorporated into the Classical Yoga Tradition over time and will carry BKS Iyengar's legacy to eternity. Every time Sundararājāsana and Iyengarāsana are performed it would be a living tribute to one of the greatest Yoga Masters of the XX century.

Once we have a satisfactory number of signatures we shall send a suggestion to the Mayor of Pune and the Governor of Maharashtra for a Memorial of Guruji in his own āsana (one of their choice) to adorn a public space of the city of Pune. 

After signing please leave your personal tribute to Guruji BKS IYENGAR and share the petition on social media!