“Yoga Teaches Us to Cure
What Need Not Be Endured and Endure What Cannot Be Cured”
Yoga Guru B.K.S. Iyengar Quote
"Yoga
teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be
cured," is a quote attributed to yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar.
The popularity of this quote shows that it has great resonance with yoga students, many of whom attest to experiencing yoga's effects on their own bodies and spirits.
The popularity of this quote shows that it has great resonance with yoga students, many of whom attest to experiencing yoga's effects on their own bodies and spirits.
This
quote also captures Iyengar's approach to yoga in a nutshell. First come asana,
which has amazing ability to heal any number of physical ailments, as Iyengar
experienced in his own life. Beyond asana is the effect of yoga on the mind,
which students discover for themselves through sustained practice. In his 2005
work Light on Life, Iyengar further explore
this theme, writing,
"Body will prove to be an
obstacle unless we transcend its limitations and remove its compulsions. Hence,
we have to learn how to explore beyond our known frontiers and interpenetrate
our awareness and how to master ourselves. Asana is ideal for this."
By Ann Pizer,
About.com Guide | Created August 19,
2011 | About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board