Silvia Prescott on B. K. S. Iyengar

“I first met Mr Iyengar in London in the summer of 1971. That’s what we all called him then, before the name "Guruji" became fashionable. I had been learning Iyengar yoga for nearly a year, and practising every day, but when I met him that was it. I realised he was a spiritual teacher as well as a physical one.”

“I didn’t find him intimidating. Some people did, but I found him inspiring. There’s a clip in a forthcoming film about him in which he says, "See how many students I have in spite of my wild nature?" He did have a wild nature; he was quick, and could be sharp, but I never felt it was a personal thing — it was always so you could understand better what you were doing.”

“He was extraordinary, a genius; there’s no doubt about it. But his teaching was not for everyone. Different students need different teachers and different teachers find different students. It’s very strange and fascinating.”