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Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living...

Teaching

At the Yoga Institute we teach an approach to yoga that comes from the teachings of Professor T. Krishnamacharya, who is considered to be one of the greatest yogis of the past century, and whose teachings have greatly influenced the practice of Yoga throughout the modern world. During the one hundred years of his life, he inspired thousands of practitioners worldwide. Prominent teachers such as B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi, and A.G. Mohan were all taught by this great master, and the lineage of his teachings continues to be passed on through one of his closest students for many years, his own son, T.K.V. Desikachar, and now also his grandson, Kausthub Desikachar.

As a teacher his principle was "Teach what is inside you, not as it applies to you, to yourself, but as it applies to the other". He taught that yoga should always be adapted to the needs, circumstances and goals of each individual, never the individual to fit the yoga. In refusing to standardise the practice and teaching methodology, he developed an understanding of yoga relevant for all students.

TKV Desikachar was a student of his father for three decades, during which time he was immersed in the practice and application of all the tools of Yoga. His study also included Vedanta philosophy and Ayurveda. He is the tradition bearer of these teachings, traveling internationally to present the many benefits of yoga and he has authored many books including the very popular The Heart of Yoga and Health, Healing and Beyond. In 1976 he founded a non-profit Yoga Centre in Madras (Chennai), India, The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM) to share and propagate the teachings of his father and teacher.

Kausthub Desikachar receives these teachings from his father and is now an internationally recognized yoga teacher, therapist and author of several books. His most recent book is The Yoga of the Yogi – The Legacy of T. Krishnamacharya. Kausthub is known as a teacher steeped in tradition, yet able to present the teachings in a contemporary manner. He is a senior teacher/consultant at the KYM and founded the KYM-Mitra, a philanthropic organization, where he is actively involved in taking yoga to the socially and economically underprivileged.

Read more about these great teachers on www.worldofyoga.org, and Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in India.

“Teach what is inside you, not as it applies to you, but as it applies to the other.”

T Krishnamacharya