Geeta Iyengar, renowned yoga exponent, passes away at 74
Manjula Nair | TNN | Dec 17, 2018, 12:19 IST
PUNE: Geeta Iyengar, daughter of renowned yoga guru BKS Iyengar, passed away on Sunday morning in Pune. She was 74 and had suffered a heart attack. The last rites were performed at 3pm at Vaikunth crematorium.
She was one of the directors of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune and an acclaimed yoga teacher with disciples all over the world.
Family sources said Geetaji was active until Sunday early morning and had conducted her classes and delivered talks at the BKS Iyengar birth centenary celebrations held at the Balewadi stadium in Pune from December 3-14.
Her niece, Abhijata Iyengar, said her aunt had been up since 4.45am and was going about her usual routine on Sunday. “She complained of breathlessness and passed away between 5.15am and 6am,” she added. Abhijata said Geetaji had been suffering from connective tissue disorder for a long time.
Geetaji’s sister Sucheta said the death was peaceful. “ On Sunday, she had a bit of breathlessness in the morning. Whenever she felt breathless she would put head on a table and sit for a while until it passed. She did the same on Sunday. By the time we took her to a hospital, she had already passed away. She was up talking to her students till 8.30pm on Saturday,” she added.
Having lost their mother in 1973, the Iyengar siblings had always looked at Geetaji as a mother figure. She had started learning yoga and imparting training since she was 11 years of age.
After earning her doctorate degree in ayurveda she had also improvised upon various techniques in medical yoga, taking classes every week. She had also authored the seminal book, “Yoga — A Gem For Women” that contributed immensely in yoga techniques for women.
Many wept openly
Disciples, well-wishers, relatives and students who had gathered at RIMYI wept openly and consoled each other, saying they had lost their mother.
“She’s in my heart, she’s my mother, sister, teacher, guru. Since Guruji (BKS Iyengar) passed, she’s been my mentor,” Gloria who is from the US said.
Raya (40), a senior teacher at the institute, said, “She was the living example of what a shishya is to a guru. Her devotion to her father as a guru was unparalleled.”
He recalled her reply when she was asked about living in her father’s shadow. “She said it was not his shadow, it was his light. She was an extraordinarily beautiful person. Every moment of her life was filled with her guru’s teachings and her urge to pass it on,” he said.
A charitable person
V S Mahadevan (89), who has been associated with the institute for over 40 years, said she was a great teacher and a greater human being, known for being charitable and kind to all.
Senior yoga teacher Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh from Mumbai said, “We were there for the centenary celebrations. Her hard work and dedication to yoga is the reason the institute was honoured with the Prime Minister’s award for outstanding contribution. Just last week, she took classes for five days at Balewadi, where 1,200 people from 56 countries participated. Today, a teacher who was part of the fabric of our country is no more.”
A devoted daughter
Pandurang Rao, RIMYI’s secretary and a personal friend of the family, said he had known Geetaji for over 50 years.
Geetaji would teach before the institute came about, he said. “She would go to a few people’s houses and took private tuitions around 1967. She taught along with her father. She was extremely devoted and loyal to him. After the death of Guruji, she was in great shock, but she said the show must go on and life must continue. She came out strong,” he added.
“I was around 20 when Guruji taught me at home and I learned along with Geeta, her brother Prashant, and a few more people,” he said.
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