Bharath M Iyengar

For me, The above sloka came true.

I was born in a village near Mandya. My parents sent me with my Doddamma to Bangalore for my education. I was put to UKG.

I had no interest in yoga but my (Doddamma) aunt taught me to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. Being away from my mother, I would not go to sleep out of fear and my aunt taught me chanting until I went to sleep and it became a habit.

Later when I was in 2nd std, we moved close to basvanagudi and my Doddamma (aunt) put me to Bala sangha at Ramakrishna mission where they thought us sloka chanting early in the morning and they used to show us ramayana and mahabharata movies in the theatre. They used to take us to the library and I used to read lots of stories related to Ramayana and Mahabharata.

I used to watch people come sit for meditation in the mandir and on the rocks behind.  Maybe I picked from the puranas of Ramayana and Mahabharata that by practicing meditation, one gets to see God and all the wishes will be fulfilled. And I began my journey to see God, used to sit on the rocks behind the mandir at the ramakrishna mission and chant om namah shivayaa. Then used to go to most of the temples around hanumanth nagar and basavanagudi praying to God to come. Sometimes I wanted to see lord shiva, to ask for the 3rd eye. Sometimes lord hanuman to make me stronger. The list went on Rama, Krishna, Balaji etc.

Then in 5th my maths teacher thought us meditation and told us if we practice, our memory will improve, we do well in exams, our brain will become super brains, our 3rd eye will open and one can see lord shiva. And I started doing much strict practice alone when no one was at home and also sometimes in my classes. Lord shiva never appeared to me but I still used to like to sit in meditation. I used to practice pooja, practice meditation before and after I study, before writing exams, attending any quiz or even sports competition. I saw myself doing better in studies and all of the other activities by practicing meditation.Every year I used to win the memory competition and I used to sit and practice more when we had this event. It worked, what my teacher wanted.

For me Shiva never appeared and gave no boon or power. But what my teacher taught me, it has helped me all my life to face the challenges life threw at me. I am holding on to the practice even now.

Today I practice meditation to be at peace and I feel it brings out the joy within us.

I’m so thankful for my teacher for teaching me the practice.

Born in a village, I came to an unknown place away from my parents  to become an engineer  but yoga happened to me.

I’m practicing and teaching little I know and made my passion as my occupation to spread the knowledge, happiness and health.

My experience with Meditation.

In Meditation there is a zone of complete silence. That’s a zone where one is in a complete state of happiness. That state of happiness has no reason. It’s a blissful state and once you find it, one doesn’t want to come out of it forever. The happiness multiplies. It’s a state of pure joy.

_ Bharath M Iyengar

My physical practice during school  was more of karate practice, working out in the gym and practicing running.  Our physical education teacher and karate teacher used to teach us asana practice and I always loved the stretch I felt, to bend and do impossible poses. To touch the hand to the ground, trying to stand on the head, splitting legs apart.

Yes my physical fitness practice was serious from childhood, I wanted to win in all sports, in karate fights.

Practice has continued even now and practice is not for a few months or years, it’s forever. Until we breathe.

What I wish to tell to students who are feeling the pull towards yoga?

I now strongly feel that, A yogi will be reborn to take the path of yoga and in this birth or in the coming birth, a yogi will achieve his destination.

We are all in the river flood, filled with many whirlpools (struggles,  challenges, pain, sorrow) on the journey. Yoga is a lifesaver boat, which will make the journey safe, easier and makes one reach a destination soon. Whether we want it or not, whether one gets the boat or not. We all will finally reach the destination but you have a choice whether to suffer in the journey or find happiness in the journey.

If you have decided, get on the boat. Practice, learn and apply it in your life.

Let’s be joyful and bring joy to others.

Asana is not yoga but asana is the first step of a yogi in the journey. For a sadhaka, physical health is very important.

Yoga asana practice, pranayama and pratyahara practice which leads to dhyana is important in the Spiritual journey and also for the people who are looking for physical health benefits.

Due to a sedentary lifestyle, we need to add body movement (asana practice) and due to a lot of stress and to improve health, we must add pranayama (breathing practice) and meditation in our daily schedule.

To be healthy and happy, we all need to take up the practice of yoga.

I wish to spread the knowledge that I have gained through my Guru’s, through the study of books and the experience I gained in the effort of my practice from childhood and in teaching students from 9 years.

I wish yoga would happen to everyone and Lead them to happiness.