The Body of His Work

It took decades for people in the West to come around to yoga. In 1956, Iyengar made a trip to the United States. A story in The Washington Post and Times Herald from that visit recounted his demonstrations with an arched eyebrow, dubious that "such body-twisting is good for a person."

John Schumacher, a yoga teacher who hosted Iyengar at his Potomac home yesterday, started teaching in the mid-'70s.

"The only people doing yoga then were retired little old ladies and weirdos and hippies," Schumacher says. "I was one of the latter."

In a program last night dedicated to Iyengar at George Washington University's packed Lisner Auditorium, Schumacher asked the guru how busy people could make time to practice their yoga. Iyengar, a father of six, recalled waking at 3 a.m. to practice and stealing more time while waiting for rice to cook.

What could be more important than health? he asked. Certainly not going to the movies. He encouraged people to practice while waiting for their washing machines to finish.

This is Iyengar's first visit to the country in 12 years. He largely has stopped teaching classes, except he can't help correcting "when these people commit mistakes," he says, gesturing to a group of followers who have gathered at Schumacher's home before his public appearance. These days celebrities like Annette Bening and Ali MacGraw follow Iyengar, whose grandson is accompanying him on this trip. He says he feels like it is time for him to move aside and allow others to become known for their yoga teachings.

"I'm like a banyan tree in the field of yoga," he says. "Nothing grows under that tree."

He has written an upcoming book about yoga for those who play cricket, but as for whether he'll write another major book, he deflects the question. He says he doesn't have any plans to overshadow his current book.

"Even if I know, I'll say no," he says coyly, and laughs, again.

Staff writer Neely Tucker contributed to this report.