B.K.S. Iyengar’s visits to Ann Arbor, Michigan

Filmmakers Donald Harrison and Jeanne Hodesh from 7 Cylinders Studio were commissioned by Ann Arbour District Library to produce a short film about the relationship between B.K.S. Iyengar and the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan. It tells the story of how B.K.S. Iyengar came to develop a special relationship with the city and the defining impact of his visits.

B.K.S. Iyengar’s influence on American yoga was to develop more than a decade after he taught the first public Iyengar yoga class in London.  It was in 1973 when B.K.S. Iyengar visited Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first public classes in North America. Although yoga was relatively unknown in the United States at the time, Iyengar’s visit sparked a movement that would shape yoga practice across the country. His classes, sponsored by the Ann Arbor Y and held at the Power Center at the University of Michigan, drew participants from across the nation who were eager to learn from the esteemed teacher. This pivotal event not only introduced his distinctive style but also forged a lasting relationship between Iyengar and the Ann Arbor community.

We thank Ann Arbour District Library and 7 Cylinders Studio for distributing this video and allowing us to share it here.