Words of Wisdom by BKS Iyengar

Yoga is like music, the rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and
the harmony of the soul, create the symphony of life.

Yoga is the golden key which unlocks the door
To peace, tranquility, and joy.

Activity and passivity
Must go together in asanas.

An intellectual mind that is unconnected to the heart
Is an uncultivated mind.

Asanas will help to transform an individual
By taking the person away from an
Awareness of just the body, toward the
Consciousness of the soul.

Health is firmness in body, stability in mind, and clarity in thinking.
It a mirror is clean, it reflects objects clearly…
…Health is the mirror of man.

The long and uninterrupted practice of asanas,
Done with awareness,
Will bring success.

For a yogi, the body is the laboratory for
Perpetual experiment and research.

The capital we are born with,
The human body,
Remains unutilized for most of us.

Yoga has to be done with the intellect of the head
As well as the intellect of the heart.

Yoga aims for complete awareness in whatever you do.

Regular practice of Yoga can help you face the turmoil of life with
Steadiness and stability.

All of us have a dormant spark of divinity in us which has to be
Fanned into flames by yoga.

When stability becomes a habit,
Maturity and clarity follow.

Our body is the bow and the asanas are the arrows to hit the target - the soul.

Yoga is a mirror to look at ourselves from within.

Do not stop trying just because perfection eludes you.

The philosophy of pain is to conquer it.

Pain comes to guide you. Pain is your guru.

Limited knowledge can only give limited experience.

Learning can be acquired but wisdom has to be earned.

Use each experience as a stepping stone.

All may be able to do Yoga, but
Only one in a million is fit to be called
A Yogi.

To bring the mind to a state of innocence
Without ignorance, is meditation.

Persistent practice alone is the key to Yoga.

Service for humanity is service to God, and the mean for that is Yoga.

Yoga is for all of us. To limit yoga to national or cultural boundaries is the denial of universal consciousness.

Freedom with true discipline
Is true freedom.

What I was is unimportant,
What I am now is important.

Yoga is a light which, once lit, will never dim.
The better you practice, the brighter the flame.

Just as a goldsmith purifies gold, so must the body constantly be purified and purged, so that the inner gold may shine through.

The body is your temple.
Keep it pure and clean,
For the soul to reside in.

The body is my temple and asanas are my prayers.

Asanas penetrate deep into each layer of the body and ultimately into consciousness itself.

Words cannot convey the value of Yoga - it has to be experienced.

A crooked body means a crooked mind.

Yoga is the union of the individual Self with the universal Self.

Without experiencing human love and happiness,
It is not possible to know divine love.

Before peace between the nations,
We have to find peace inside that small nation,
Which is our own being.

Your body is your child, look after it.

A good book is better than a bad teacher.

There is willpower beyond the intellect.

When there is strain, it is physical yoga.
When the brain is passive, it is spiritual yoga.

When the pose is correct, there is a lightness, a freedom.
When it is heavy, it is wrong.

To be dull is easy,
To be active requires tremendous work.

Singularity of purpose should be your aim.

My ending should be your beginning.