Sachin Tendulkar pays tribute to late yoga guru BKS Iyengar

Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has paid rich tributes to late yoga guru BKS Iyengar, saying that practising his asanas helped him a lot in his glorious career. Iyengar, who was credited for taking the ancient practice to the West, died in a hospital in Pune on Wednesday morning at the age of 95 following kidney failure. In his condolence message, Tendulkar recollected his first meeting with Iyengar and said the yoga guru had a big role to play in his illustrious international career.

'My first detailed interaction with Guruji was way back in the year 1999, when Kiran More introduced me to him for a backache which was giving me much trouble. His serene, light hearted approach struck me and I spent a week under Guruji's care,' the batting legend said in a statement. 'I will always be thankful for the wonderful asanas he taught me. Practising those asanas helped me a lot throughout my career.

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'Over a decade later, I was faced with a peculiar problem in my foot causing immense pain and discomfort. I was advised surgery for the same which I was not too sure of. At that time, Zak (Zaheer Khan) suggested that I seek Guruji's advice. His positive spirit and guidance helped me to recover to an extent that the surgery was not needed,' Tendulkar said. Terming Iyengar's demise as a big loss, Tendulkar said 'the smile and healing touch' of the noted yoga guru will remain with the world forever.

'Guruji (BKS Iyengar) left for his heavenly abode and left us with fond memories of how he touched our lives with his unique ways,' Tendulkar said in his condolence message. 'Guruji maybe not around anymore, but the warmth of his smile and his healing touch will remain with us forever. May God give us all the strength to overcome this loss and May His Soul rest in peace!' he said

Why BKS Iyengar was revered all over the world

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, better known as BKS Iyengar recently passed away at the ripe old age of 95 and even he couldn't have dreamt of the impact his yoga teachings have had all over the world. His teachings transformed yoga from an esoteric spiritual practice, practised in the East, to a worldwide phenomenon and one of the most popular forms of exercise in the West. His journey began when his brother-in-law Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, invited him to come to live in Mysore to practise yoga to improve his failing health after he had been afflicted with malaria, typhoid, flu and TB as a kid.

He would then go on to set up his own practice, befriend violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who became his student and invited Iyengar to Europe to teach others. His students would go on to include luminaries from around the world including Aldous Huxley, J Krishnamurthy and sportsmen like Martin Crowe, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Javgal Srinath, Rahul Dravid and Virendra Sehwag. His classes are even taught to military academies and police forces around the world and even in prisons in Israel!

Such is his legacy that his birthday is celebrated as BKS Iyengar day in San Fransisco and his book Light on Yoga has been translated into 17 languages and he has 72 schools teaching his style of yoga across the US, Europe, India, Africa and even in China! Despite his celebrity status, Iyengar lived a frugal life. When asked about yoga's popularity in the West, he told the NY Times: 'I think many of my students have followed the advice I gave years ago, to give more than you take. The commercialism may wash off sometime later.' Read more about Yoga legend BKS Iyengar passes away: Why was he so revered all over the world?

With inputs from PTI

Photo source: Getty images

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