 |
|
 |
|
 ABOUT THE STUDIO • OUR ETHICS • PERSONAL PRACTICE • THE TRADITION • TEACHER • |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
"Whatever we try in order to gather our energies must be done gradually." |
|
|
Sri T. Krishnamacharya The Union approach reflects the teachings of Sri T. Krishnamacharya, a dedicated scholar and widely respected yoga teacher who lived to over 100. He is known primarily in the West as the teacher of BKS Iyengar and KP Jois. Krishnamacharya was a renowned healer in India. He never founded a “style” however, and the world of the yoga marketing (i.e.: “Iyengar Yoga”;“Ashtanga Yoga”; “Viniyoga” etc..) was completely alien to him. Ultimately Krishnamacharya’s scholarship and his own personal practice transcend any simple categorization or “style”. His studies were the equivalent of several PhDs in a range of disciplines: Ayurvedic texts, the sutras of Patanjali and other seminal hatha yoga texts which he translated and recovered, meticulous research on the Upanishads and Vedas, mastery of Vedic chant, his own lifelong, continuous invention of new hatha yoga techniques, sacred poetry and music both of which he composed, and many other topics in Samkhya yoga philosophy. He frequently devised practices within the context of postural yoga therapy. But he could just as easily focus on other aspects of healing such as diet and daily habits. The teaching depended on a foundation of trust with the student, and respect for the power of the student’s mind. He taught the most active and most gentle forms of yoga -- to suit the individual. He further emphasized breath regulation, progressive and rational linkages of postures with the breath, and meditation techniques as integrated elements of posture practice. Learning to practice this way helps to create lasting positive changes in life and clearer perception. The mental, emotional and physical health benefits can be enjoyed throughout a lifetime.Krishnamacharya helped students live joyfully within the context of life’s challenges. He specialized in teaching other householders like himself, and pioneered in the teaching of yoga to women, well before most Brahmin teachers would consider doing so. His advice to teachers is often quoted: “Teach what is inside you, not as it applies to you, to yourself, but as it applies to the other.” With clarity grounded in compassion he showed us how to practice in such a way that healing and other benefits arise naturally. As a teacher following this tradition it’s a great pleasure to watch students apply the teachings in their lives. Many students of yoga, including myself, are grateful to the teachers, TKV and Kausthub Desikachar, pictured below.
TKV and Kausthub Desikachar An important gift of this tradition is the body of writing produced by Krishnamacharya’s well-known students: the late Indra Devi (and her student and author TM Stiles), P Harvey, G Kraftsow, AG & I Mohan, L Payne, S Ramaswami, M Whitwell, and others. Together with Krishnamacharya’s son TKV Desikachar (The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice), they have created a golden age of clear, illuminating prose on the Krishnamacharya yoga tradition. |
