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{{Infobox person
| name = Geeta Iyengar
| image = Geeta_Iyengar.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1944|12|07}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{d-da|16 December 2018|7 December 1944}}
| death_place =
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| known_for = [[Yoga for women]]
| occupation = Yoga author and teacher
| father = [[B. K. S. Iyengar]]
}}
'''Geeta S. Iyengar''' (7 December 1944 – 16 December 2018<ref name="times-16dec2018">{{cite news |last1=Nair |first1=Manjula |title=Geeta Iyengar, renowned yoga exponent, passes away at 74 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/geeta-iyengar-renowned-yoga-exponent-passes-away-at-74/articleshow/67119933.cms |access-date=December 16, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=December 16, 2018}}</ref>), the eldest daughter of Yogacharya [[B. K. S. Iyengar]], was a [[yoga as exercise|yoga]] teacher credited with advancing [[yoga for women]].

==Life and work==

Geeta Iyengar, eldest daughter of the founder of the worldwide [[Iyengar yoga]] method, Yogacharya [[B. K. S. Iyengar]], was described as "the world's leading female yoga teacher".<ref name=Mungen>{{cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/print/2001/jun/08/news/cl-8045 |title=Mastering the Meeting of Mind and Body |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Donna |last=Mungen |date=8 June 2001}}</ref>

Iyengar studied [[yoga as exercise|yoga]] with her father from an early age. After graduating high school in 1961, she began substituting for her father when he was away on international teaching tours.<ref name=Mungen /> When he retired in 1984,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/2004/11/Iyengar-Yoga-Food-For-The-Spirit.aspx?p=1 |title=Iyengar Yoga: 'Food for the Spirit'| work=[[Beliefnet]] | first=Mark Bruce |last=Rosin |date=2004}}</ref> she became co-director, with her brother [[Prashant S. Iyengar]], of the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI)<ref>{{cite web |title=Short Biography |url=http://www.bksiyengar.com/modules/guruji/geeta.htm |access-date=6 May 2013}}</ref> as well as undertaking her own international teaching tours.

== Teaching ==
{{further|Yoga for women}}

Iyengar adapted her father's method of yoga to the specific requirements of women.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.yoga-international.org/article/In+Loving+Gratitude/1213713/131242/article.html|title=In Loving Gratitude|work=[[Yoga International]]|first=Anna|last=Dubrovsky|date=Winter 2012|access-date=2013-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222082555/http://www.yoga-international.org/article/In+Loving+Gratitude/1213713/131242/article.html|archive-date=2015-12-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> Specific [[asana]]s, [[pranayama]] and sequences are given for different stages in a woman's life including [[menstruation]], [[pregnancy]], postpartum, and [[menopause]]. Like her father, Iyengar explained how yoga is used as a method to unify body and mind, and strengthen the respiratory system, circulatory system, nervous system, muscles, epidermis, and the mind.<ref>Iyengar, 2002.</ref>

In addition to teaching at RIMYI, Iyengar periodically toured worldwide to carry on the [[Iyengar Yoga]] lineage. She was a well-known figure in yoga around the world, in North America,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ascentmagazine.com/articles.aspx?articleID=293&issueID=39 |title=We Are All Karma Yogis |work=[[Ascent magazine]] |first=Geeta |last=Iyengar |date=2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107130817/http://www.ascentmagazine.com/articles.aspx?articleID=293&issueID=39 |archive-date=2011-11-07 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/576?print=1 |title=In Her Father's Light |work=[[Yoga Journal]] |first=Colleen |last=Morton |date=September–October 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.yogachicago.com/jul01/gita.shtml|title=An Odyssey with Geeta Iyengar |work= Yoga Chicago |first=Patrina |last=Dobish |date= July–August 2001}}</ref> Australia,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ayl.com.au/pdf_docs/Geeta_Iyengar_25.pdf |title=Geeta Iyengar in Australia |work=Australia Yoga Life |first=Michael |last=Hollingworth |date=February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222082948/http://www.ayl.com.au/pdf_docs/Geeta_Iyengar_25.pdf |archive-date=2015-12-22 }}</ref> South Africa,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://yoganewsletters.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/srimati-geeta-s-iyengar%E2%80%99s-second-visit-to-south-africa |title=Srimati Geeta S Iyengar’s second visit to South Africa |work=Yoga Awakening Africa |first=Gillian |last=Bacon |date= August 2011}}</ref> and Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iyengaryoga.org.uk/mi-client/media/documents/practice_of_women.pdf |title=The Practice of Women During the Whole Month |publisher=First published in Poland 2002 |website=Iyengar Yoga.org.uk |date=2009 |author=Iyengar, Geeta |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416155034/https://www.iyengaryoga.org.uk/mi-client/media/documents/practice_of_women.pdf |archive-date=2015-04-16 }}</ref>

She trained yoga teachers around the world, for example in Italy.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.istitutoiyengaryogafirenze.it/insegnanti/?lang=eng | title=Teachers | publisher=Instituto Iyengar Yoga Firenze.it | date=2013 | access-date=8 May 2013}}</ref> She died on 16 December 2018, two days after her father's birth centenary, aged 74. She was unwell and used a wheelchair for more than a year. She used to say that she won't depart until she completed her father's 100th birth anniversary celebration.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://yogdand.com/2019/02/13/gitajis-icchamrityu/?lang=eng | title=Geetaji's Icchamrityu | publisher=yogdand.com | date=2019 | access-date=13 Feb 2019}}</ref>

== Publications ==
* Iyengar, Geeta. ''Yoga: A Gem for Women'', 2002. {{ISBN|978-0-931454-98-1}}
* Iyengar, Geeta. ''Yoga in Action – Preliminary Course'', 2000. {{ISBN|978-81-87603-01-6}}
* Iyengar, Geeta. ''Yoga in Action - Intermediate Course-I'', 2013. {{ISBN|978-81-87603-22-1}}
* Clennell, Bobby; Iyengar, Geeta. ''The Women's Yoga Book: Asana and Pranayama for All Phases of the Menstrual Cycle'', 2007. {{ISBN|978-1-930485-18-1}}
* Iyengar, Geeta. ''Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood: Safe Practice for Expectant & New Mothers'', 2010. {{ISBN|978-1-402726-89-7}}

== References ==
{{reflist|26em}}

==External links==

{{Yoga as exercise}}
{{Modern Yoginis}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iyengar, Geeta}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian yoga gurus]]

Geeta Iyengar - Revision history

UpdateBot at 07:04, 28 May 2022