Geeta Iyengar Quotes, Explained: Geeta S Iyengar In Her Own Words

Geeta Iyengar quotes, in short

Who taught the teachers? Geeta S Iyengar, Mr Iyengar’s eldest daughter, taught students all over the world, including in Sydney. These Geeta Iyengar quotes are short lines from her books, classes and talks, gathered by topic. Each one links to its plain-English explanation.

What is on this page of Geeta Iyengar quotes

• Who she was: a short life story, facts only.
• Her sources: the books and talks quoted here.
• Every quote, by topic: each links to its explanation.
• Questions: her books and her teaching in Australia.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. His daughter Geeta (1944 to 2018) and his son Prashant, who still teaches in Pune, became teachers too.

Who was Geeta S Iyengar?

Geeta S Iyengar was Mr BKS Iyengar’s eldest daughter. She was born on 7 December 1944 and came to Pune as a baby, growing up in a family of six children. She studied philosophy and Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) as well as yoga.

When her mother died suddenly in 1973, Geeta was grieving and running the household just as the new institute in Pune was starting. She later said that practice kept her balance, even when family duties meant she could not always practise. She taught at the institute alongside her father and her brother Prashant, and she taught abroad too, including courses in Sydney in 1996 and 2003 that are quoted here.

She wrote Yoga: A Gem for Women. When she wrote it, many people thought women should not do yoga, especially upside-down poses. She said that fear has gone. Geeta died on 16 December 2018.

Books and talks quoted here

• Yoga: A Gem for Women: her book on practice for women, with a foreword by her father.
• Yoga in Action for Beginners: her guide for new students.
• Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga: written with her father for teachers.
• Yoga Rahasya: the magazine of the Pune institute.
• Classes and talks in Sydney, 1996 and 2003: records of her teaching on her visits to Australia.
• Interview, 1995: an interview reprinted in a 2009 Australian retreat booklet.

Every quote by Geeta on this site, by topic

Each quote links to its home page, where you will find the plain-English explanation. Quotes marked “with her father” come from Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, which they wrote together.

The Breath And Pranayama (5)

• In deep inhalation the chest moves up like a hill and the abdomen remains like a valley. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Pranayama: Techniques and Effects
• The chest should deflate slowly and gradually, from the sides to the centre with centripetal force, like a lotus closing its petals after sunset. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Pranayama: Techniques and Effects
• If one is thirsty and drinks water slowly and gradually, the coolness is felt deep inside. Inhalation should bring a similar sensation – the touch of air should be felt in the lungs. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Pranayama: Techniques and Effects
• Most of the time people breathe incorrectly. In Pranayama when you are sitting quietly you make so many mistakes. So how many mistakes might you make when you are doing the movement? Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• It is more important and beneficial to do a few cycles correctly than to be strict with duration. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Hints and Suggestions for the Practice of Pranayama

The Mind And Meditation (4)

• This state of mind is not an emptiness, but a fullness. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Dhyana (Meditation)
• The deeper the waters of a river, the more quietly it flows. Similarly, the deeper the focusing of the citta, the more tranquil is the state. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, The Path of Yoga
• In fact there is a pause of a few moments or a moment between each thought just as there is a full stop after every sentence. But these pauses go unnoticed by us. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Theoretical Background
• If there was equilibrium of the mind then we would not have to do yoga. There is un-equilibrium. We have to do yoga to bring equilibrium of the mind. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996

Attention And Awareness (5)

• The moment you do penetrate, you are in the moment. The moment you don’t penetrate, you are out. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• The body should be the performer and the brain the observer. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yoga Sadhana: Method of Practice and Prerequisites
• You have to travel within and if you don’t, how will you penetrate? Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• When experiencing comes, thoughts come later. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• People just want to do. They just want to finish. They don’t know what is collapsing, what is getting raised upwards, what is ascending, what is expanding. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996

Practice (5)

• The amount of time you practice is irrelevant but if you have more time, you penetrate more. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• I don’t accept the opinion that asanas are mild so they are good for women and men need something stronger. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• You are ready for the motion but you are not ready for the action. Be ready for the action. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• Little things make a difference. Geeta S Iyengar, props demonstration in Sydney, 1996
• In the sense of “performance” my yoga is a failure. But still I am practicing and I continue with it because it is taking me somewhere inside. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995

Effort And Discipline (5)

• People’s psychology is to “do less” and for this to “expect more”. Remember that if the effort is less then the effect too is less. If the efforts are right then the effects are right. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga in Action for Beginners, Introduction
• Aim at the quality of the asanas and not the quantity. Quality means doing the postures accurately, steadily and whole-heartedly. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yoga Sadhana: Method of Practice and Prerequisites
• To release is also an effort. If you don’t know, you will just hold on there. It takes effort to release. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003
• It doesn’t take a long time to break discipline but to build discipline takes a very long time. To break discipline takes just a fraction of a second. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• Laziness and lethargy are arch-enemies of Yoga while cheerfulness and enthusiasm are the friends that elevate the practitioner. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yoga Sadhana: Method of Practice and Prerequisites

The Body And Alignment (4)

• Our body is our vahana – our vehicle. Without this vehicle we cannot experience anything. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Dhyana (Meditation)
• Asanas, though appearing static externally, are full of dynamic action within. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Is Yoga Ideal for Women?
• Bring life to every cell. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• Suppleness does not count. The organic strength counts. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996

Standing Poses (9)

• Without the firm foundation of strong legs and feet, the brain, which is the seat of intelligence, cannot be held in correct alignment with the spine. Hence the standing poses are introduced first. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yogasanas: Technique and Effects, Standing
• Before attempting to balance on the head, it is essential to stand erect on one’s feet. Most people do not know how to stand. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yogasanas: Technique and Effects, Standing
• The standing asanas break the tamasic, inert, lazy nature of the body and bring activeness in the practitioner. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Sequence
• Throughout most of our waking hours we stand on our legs, but we do not pay attention to the correct method of standing. These asanas bring our attention to how we stand and correct the posture of the body. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga in Action for Beginners, Standing Asanas
• Do not consider this asana unimportant since it is very simple. The more you attend to it, the more you begin to realise the defect in your own body’s posture. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga in Action for Beginners, Standing Asanas
• We think of opening the chest, opening the lungs, but even the bottom of the feet has to get aerated. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• Tadasana is a simple pose because you are just standing there. From this simple standing pose you get more knowledge because with less movement there is more knowledge. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• In the correct positioning of Samasthiti, the mind is engaged in watching the limbs and trunk, resulting in a turning of the mind inward towards the core. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga in Action for Beginners, Standing Asanas
• Attention is sharpened with the demand to balance. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga in Action for Beginners, Standing Asanas

Backbends, Inversions, Forward Bends And Twists (12)

• That is basic knowledge. You cannot straight away do backbends. Learn proper standing poses then switch over to the backbends. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996
• It is like soil, you have to make the soil loose. You have to dig the soil. You can’t just plant or sow the seed if the ground is hard. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• You put in the efforts to go down, because you want to reach. You want to go down but after putting in the effort you have to know how to change the direction of your efforts. Efforts do not go in a straight line. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003
• You should know that in backbend we never touch the spine straightaway. The lengthening of the trunk has to come. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• The chest expansion gives a feeling of happiness and joy. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yogasanas: Technique and Effects, Backbends
• Sarvangasana is one of the most beneficial of all the asanas. If Sirsasana is King, Sarvangasana is the Queen of all the asanas. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yogasanas: Technique and Effects, Inverted Poses
• You say you are practicing Sirsasana, but you are just doing it. You are on your head but the practice required is to see that your upper arms are lifted. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003
• While attempting the inversions, the fear of reversing the body position eclipses the freedom of the mind. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Sequence
• If you are able to reach and hold the wrist is not an important thing. The important thing is the back body, if the dorsal thoracic area is dome-shaped and you are reaching, holding the wrists beyond the feet, you are wrong. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003
• The heart faces the floor in all the forward extensions and this gives rest and helps one recover from fatigue. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Sequence
• If standing asanas stimulate, the forward extension asanas pacify the brain. The former leads towards activity and latter towards passivity. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Sequence
• In the beginning the spine is stiff, but with practice it becomes flexible. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yogasanas: Technique and Effects, Twists

Props (9)

• The supports are not meant just to rest and relax or to do in a lazy way. They are meant to obtain the feeling of the correct asana from inside so we can improve ourselves. Geeta S Iyengar, props demonstration in Sydney, 1996
• The brick itself opens the chest. Be passive. The brick does the rest of the job. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• Now that props have become so popular there are many who want to do yoga. Those who were unwilling to do yoga have started taking an interest in it since the props make it easier. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• Don’t just use a blanket underneath the buttock like a ritual. But first make them work and then give them blanket. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• So when you think of these props you should see that you have done it 100 times to find out what exactly is being conveyed to you. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• Learn with the props and that will guide you to further understand where there was no freedom, how to bring freedom. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003
• You don’t know how to use your own body properly. When something doesn’t turn you can use your hand as a prop and move it. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003
• Sometime back, while teaching in England, he said “Wall, my Guru”. “The wall is my Guru”. He said this for the simple reason that the wall taught him to a great extent, for example the alignment of the body. Geeta S Iyengar, props demonstration in Sydney, 1996
• Holding the trestler gives support and then the inner support of courage comes, giving them confidence. Geeta S Iyengar, props demonstration in Sydney, 1996

Beginners And Stiffness (7)

• The path of Yoga is open to all, irrespective of race, caste, creed, and sex. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Are Women Eligible for Yoga?
• Initially, repetition is more important than duration. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Guiding the Teachers
• One’s progress in this field depends entirely on one’s inner strength and endurance. One need not feel disheartened if progress is slow. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yoga Sadhana: Method of Practice and Prerequisites
• Do not despair if a posture eludes you: continue the practice and elasticity will be achieved in due course. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yoga Sadhana: Method of Practice and Prerequisites
• The preparation for a literary pursuit, too, has its beginning with the alphabet. Meditation also must have its humble beginning which finally leads to supreme joy. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Dhyana (Meditation)
• The beginner should avoid the use of a mirror because it is necessary to be inwardly aware of what one is doing. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Hints and Suggestions for the Practice of Asanas
• Do not shut your eyes while practising asanas as all the movements have to be observed carefully. A beginner will lose all awareness if the eyes are shut. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Hints and Suggestions for the Practice of Asanas

Ageing Well (5)

• Yoga is a gift for old age. One who takes to Yoga when old gains not only health and happiness but also freshness of mind. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Three Milestones in a Woman’s Life
• You may not disclose your age but the muscles tell you what your age is. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996
• Suppose I want to look younger so I go on using makeup and polishing my nails. How long can I hide? You have to face the truth. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• One has to accept the fact that the body has become a little old and then take efforts to make it young. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga Rahasya, Vol 7 No 1, 2000, Interview with Geeta Iyengar
• You may be able to do, the young may be able to do, but can you guide people who are ageing? Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003

Health, Illness And Injury (4)

• No amount of wealth can equal health. Between the two, the choice is always with health, since wealth cannot be enjoyed without health, whereas wealth can be commanded if one has health. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, The Nature of Health
• Good health can neither be bought nor bartered. It cannot be robbed or acquired by force. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, The Nature of Health
• Stretch is required whenever your body is lazy. With problems, go down, stretch, but don’t strain. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996
• When you are all right you don’t pay attention to the particular things that have to be done, but only when the problem comes. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996

Teaching (8)

• The person who knows his own mind will better know the other’s mind. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• Compassion is always needed. But we think that compassion means to be soft. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• Your words should shoot like arrows to the part of the body you are teaching. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Guiding the Teachers
• Ask them to look at you. You can’t give instructions to the air. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• You don’t say “Open your heart” you say “Open your chest”. If you say “Open your heart”, they may do anything with the heart. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• If I say “Go on the outer edge”, you let loose the inner edge. If I say “Be on the inner edge”, you let loose the outer edge. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996
• Thigh is a simple word, why don’t you use it? Why make something unnecessarily complicated unless you are very sure about some particular action. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• If you have lost something in your room don’t you look for it in every nook and corner? If your diamond wedding ring is lost how anxious you are and how you search. Is it not your duty to search from inside if the movement is not coming. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996

Learning (3)

• No knowledge is gained instantly. In fact, knowledge has a beginning but no end. This is all the more true of Yoga. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Yoga Sadhana: Method of Practice and Prerequisites
• As maturity comes, I think practice changes. I didn’t change it but it changed as understanding started coming. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• You go to university to learn but you go to classes to find out. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996

Life And Happiness (3)

• Life without happiness is mere existence. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, The Nature of Health
• I have kept my life very simple. There is no hankering, no ambition, no demand. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga Rahasya, Vol 7 No 1, 2000, Interview with Geeta Iyengar
• Living is an art. Yoga enhances the quality of one’s life. Hence it is an art. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, The Path of Yoga

Fear And Courage (9)

• If my mind is heavy then I cannot raise my body up. Body becomes heavy if the mind is negative with fear. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga Rahasya, Vol 7 No 1, 2000, Interview with Geeta Iyengar
• Show courage at the time of doubt; do not take risks if you are in doubt. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Guiding the Teachers
• Instead of restricting the movement, one should be courageous to get more movement there. You need courage to do. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996
• If one does not face the pain in the present, the pain is stored for the future. It will be worse by that time. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• I will prepare the person who is afraid of doing Sirsasana physically and mentally to build up the courage. I won’t inform them that I am preparing them. Geeta S Iyengar, interview, 1995
• If the students are afraid to do the asana, then you may just ask them to do the first step of it. Build up courage in the student. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Guiding the Teachers
• Bring in refinement later. Your presentation gives them courage to break their limitations. (with her father) BKS Iyengar and Geeta S Iyengar, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga, Guiding the Teachers
• To tell a beginner that it is going to be a backbending class is not going to prepare them. They are unprepared mentally. Geeta S Iyengar, teachers course in Sydney, 1996
• Violence is the outcome of fear, selfishness, anger, and lack of confidence. Non-violence is respect for others; it is a state of mind. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, The Path of Yoga

Relaxation, Rest And Sleep (7)

• In the beginning one may fall asleep when silence is experienced, but later one will learn to be silent without falling asleep. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, On the Threshold of Peace
• Although this asana appears simple, it is most difficult to master. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, On the Threshold of Peace
• Relax the eyes, the ears, and the tongue. Keep the jaws loose and do not clench the teeth. If you are tense, the benefit of the asana is lost. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Hints and Suggestions for the Practice of Asanas
• If the feet are tense the whole body will be tense. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 2003
• There is a feeling as if the body has been elongated by several inches. This is freedom of the mind and freedom of the body. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, On the Threshold of Peace
• Sound, undisturbed sleep is a life-giver. The conscious mind ceases to function for some hours, recharging batteries for the next day. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Four Paths to Liberation
• You are not completely tired but the brain has taken in too many things at one time so relax your brain. You have studied, so after studying you have to rest your head. Geeta S Iyengar, class in Sydney, 1996

Stress (2)

• We have to learn how to face all problems calmly and quietly. You change your mental attitude in spite of having problems. Geeta S Iyengar, women’s class questions in Sydney, 1996
• Natural sleep occurs in a tranquil body and mind and makes one well equipped to face the problems of the day. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, Four Paths to Liberation

Philosophy, The Sutras And The Ego (1)

• Yoga is a philosophy, a way of life, wherein art and science meet. Geeta S Iyengar, Yoga: A Gem for Women, The Path of Yoga

Related pages

• All the Iyengar quotes, by topic
• Mr BKS Iyengar quotes
• Prashant S Iyengar quotes
• Who was Mr BKS Iyengar? Our longer note
• Yoga philosophy and Iyengar yoga: our notes

Frequently asked questions

Who was Geeta Iyengar?

Geeta S Iyengar (1944 to 2018) was Mr BKS Iyengar’s eldest daughter and a senior teacher at the Pune institute. She studied philosophy and Ayurveda, wrote Yoga: A Gem for Women and taught all over the world.

What did Geeta Iyengar write?

Her best known book is Yoga: A Gem for Women. She also wrote Yoga in Action for Beginners and, with her father, Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga.

What did Geeta Iyengar say about women and yoga?

She wrote that the idea that yoga is not meant for women is wrong. In her book she set out how women can practise, and she said the old fear of women doing upside-down poses has gone.

Did Geeta Iyengar teach in Australia?

Yes. Several quotes on this page come from her classes and teachers’ courses in Sydney in 1996 and 2003.

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin and LIVE online. This page is general information, not medical advice. The quotes are short credited extracts; each credit names the source. Further reading: Geeta Iyengar on Wikipedia.