Celebrity guru preaches bliss, humility to faithful
They waited for the master to appear, more than a thousand of them, the anticipation mixing with hints of patchouli.
The chords of a sitar crescendoed, and a throng of men and women, some in saris, many with impossibly straight postures, simultaneously took their seats.
His name was announced.
The crowd stood up again and erupted in thunderous applause. Slowly, a small man in white emerged from the side of Emerson College's Cutler Majestic Theatre and ambled to the stage, stopping to grasp an outstretched hand, offer a solemn bow, and touch overwhelmed fans who had fallen to their knees at his feet. On stage, a woman draped a giant garland of red roses around his neck.
The old man here last Sunday was B.K.S. Iyengar, the 86-year-old yoga guru from India, who is widely credited with popularizing yoga in the West. The visit, in part to promote his latest book, ''Light on Life," was likely his last to Boston.
''I didn't think I could ever go to India. . . . I thought I would grab this chance," said Shirin Radjavi, 32, a yoga enthusiast from Montreal who traveled to Boston with her boyfriend, who owns a yoga bookstore in Canada.
Iyengar radiated, like a rock star.
''There is just so much light and joy around him -- it's contagious," said Patricia Walden, 59, a leading yoga instructor in Cambridge, who helped organize the event and became a devotee of Iyengar after meeting him in 1976.
Iyengar, called Guruji, or beloved teacher, by his students, began practicing yoga at age 16 to combat illnesses including malaria and tuberculosis. Two years later, he started teaching. His book, ''Light on Yoga," is often referred to as the bible of modern yoga.
Iyengar Yoga focuses on posture and alignment, and it incorporates props including cushions and wood blocks. But those who practice a different form of yoga say Iyengar's influence has a broad reach.
''His understanding of the alignment of the physical body . . . is an essential part of every class that I teach," said Bo Forbes, 41, a yoga instructor who teaches the Vinyasa style of yoga in the area.
When Iyengar addressed the crowd at Emerson, he warned of the perils of ignoring emotions. ''Only intellectuals live in their heads," he said. ''From the temple below, they live in darkness. The yogi says you have to live not only in the head but also in the heart."
During the half-hour he spoke, he repeated certain words -- bliss, gladness, humility, humbleness. In the end, he made a final plea to his audience: ''Practice yoga."
