“My Body Is My Temple And Asanas Are My Prayers,” Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar

The BKS Iyengar Yoga Association of Australia (IYA) is devoted to preserving and sharing the teachings of Guruji Yogacharya - Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja (B.K.S) Iyengar across Australia. Since its founding in 1985 by a small but dedicated group of 19 students and teachers, IYA has worked to promote Iyengar Yoga as a holistic and transformative practice, both nationally and internationally.

To uphold this vision, the association maintains rigorous standards for practitioners, assesses teachers through a structured certification process, enforces ethical guidelines within the community, and safeguards the IYENGAR name. As the official liaison to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India, the IYA fosters a direct connection between Australian practitioners and the Iyengar family and lineage.

IYENGAR YOGA is distinguished by its focus on precision, alignment, sequencing, timing, and the innovative use of props—an approach meticulously refined by B.K.S. Iyengar over 75 years. Rooted in the eight limbs of yoga, as described by the ancient sage Patanjali, this method offers a structured yet deeply intuitive path toward strength, resilience, and self-discovery. Today, it stands as one of the most widely practiced forms of yoga worldwide.

The BKS Iyengar Yoga Association of Australia is more than an organization - it is a guardian of tradition, carrying the profound wisdom of Iyengar Yoga forward. With a dedicated community of approximately 800 teachers and students, the association upholds the integrity of this lineage, ensuring its depth and discipline endures.

Naarm (Melbourne), Australia

Between 2023 and 2025, MILAM PROJECTS worked in partnership with the BKS Iyengar Yoga Association Australia (IYA) on a proposal to develop an online research and resource repository dedicated to preserving and advancing the teachings of Iyengar Yoga. Fundamentally guided by the ethos and constitution of Ramanani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI), this initiative aims to establish a strategic framework that protects, archives, and shares the extensive body of knowledge associated with the Iyengar lineage.

The on-going project seeks to document and make accessible the historical and archival materials of B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, Prashant Iyengar, Abhiyata Iyengar and other senior Iyengar teachers and luminaries, charting the evolution of their teachings across the generations. Beyond preservation, it aspires to strengthen international collaboration among Iyengar Yoga Associations and foster a living, interactive portal for certified teachers, trainees, practitioners, and researchers worldwide.

In Australia, the lack of a formal archival structure has highlighted the urgent need for a robust digital framework to safeguard foundational teachings that underpin numerous schools, teacher trainings, and yoga curricula. Through thoughtful design, collaborative research, and community engagement, this initiative aims to create a dynamic and enduring resource that reflects both the depth and living continuity of Iyengar Yoga practice and philosophy.

Video by Hexagon Media

“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.”

BKS Iyengar

“Love begets courage. Moderation creates abundance and humility generates power.”

BKS Iyengar

“When I practice, I am a philosopher. When I teach, I am a scientist. When I demonstrate, I am an artist.”

BKS Iyengar

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