The Continuity of Classical Yoga Pedagogy in the Teaching Methodology of T Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) and its relevance in the Study and Practice of Modern Yoga
Background and Context
In the early 1960’s a few years after Śrī T Krishnamacharya, renowned yogācārya and Vedic scholar moved to Chennai when his stint as the head of the Yogaśāla established in Mysuru under the patronage of Krishnaraja Wodeyar ended, he was asked to help world renowned philosopher, Jiddu Krishnamurti with some health issues he was facing. He in turn, assessed J Krishnamurti’s needs and assigned his son, TKV Desikachar to teach him. At that time, Desikachar, who was an engineer by profession, while having been taught yoga by his father, had no intention of studying yoga in depth or taking it up as his life’s work. When he met Krishnamurti, the first thing that J Krishnamurti told Desikachar was, “Your father is a University. Leave your job and study with him.” This has been narrated by Desikachar to his students several times during his lectures. This marked a shift in Desikachar’s life path when he committed himself to studying with and taking forward the legacy of his father and teacher, whom as he says in his own words, “took for granted and didn’t realise the value of until then.”[1]
Subsequently, through Desikachar and a number of other students who were drawn to Krishnamacharya and his approach, a whole new dimension of Krishnamacharya’s depth of scholarship unfolded with an entirely different spectrum of adult students from all walks of life, in marked contrast with T Krishnamacharya’s early methodology of teaching yoga when he was tasked with teaching yoga to the Arasu children of the Mysuru palace to develop strength, resilience and capacity to meet any challenges that came up in threat to the existence of the palace and its royalty.
Śrī Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989)
Born in Muchukundapuram, his family traces their ancestry to Srī Nāthamuni
Studied Śāstra-s and Pūrvamīmāṁsa at the Maharaja Saṁskr̥ta College, Mysore and acquired the title of Vidvān
Studied Brahmasūtra under the Śrī Ranganatha Brahmatantra Parakāla Svāmi
Trekked to Manasarovar and studied Yoga for over 7 years under Śrī Ramamohana Brahmachari
Was subsequently asked to take up position as Maṭhādhipati of Parakāla Maṭha, but declined the position
Made it his life’s work to bring the teachings of Yoga to all, as instructed to him by his Guru
Appointed to head the Yogaśāla at the Mysore Palace under the Patronage of Śrī Krishnaraja Wodeyar, IV; subsequently post independence, relocated to Chennai.
Introduction
A significant development over the last decade or so has been the increased global awareness and practice of Yoga. However, what has also simultaneously occurred is the showcasing of Yoga is posture only. While the interest in Yoga is definitely commendable, there does seem to be a discernible erosion in the sadhana of yoga in general.
Sadly, while there is great interest in practicing the āsana component of Yoga, among a large number of practitioners, there is little to no interest in understanding or studying the roots of yoga and its holistic pedagogy, that centres on the importance of self-regulation and disciplining of the mind, a process of sadhana in which bodily control plays but a small part.
With a mushrooming yoga studio culture across the world and now in India as well, Yoga is essentially conflated with “postural practice” that can also be easily integrated with modern fitness trends such as Zumba or pilates, with the onus on chiseling the body into a perfect appearance. To a lesser degree but still popular are the therapeutic applications of Yoga tools. However, what is evidently a missing aspect of the modern yoga narrative is its continuity of ancient pedagogy, rooted in the broader vision of Vedic lore.
As Ian Whicher writes, “Whatever may be the case with Samkhya, Yoga is a living tradition and gurus to this day continue to teach the Yogasūtra in the āśramas, homes and monasteries in an unbroken lineage and primarily as an experiential discipline because Yoga philosophy exists on the basis of its practices.[2]
In a larger context, there are a number of concerns with regard to how Yoga is studied and taught in modern times.
- The loss of yoga anuśāsana paddhati and its contribution to the new pedagogy of Yoga being taught in studios.
- The replacement of the original Samskrta terms for techniques and concepts with inappropriate and often limited translations, be it with regard to the nomenclature of asanas and pranayama or with regard to interpretation of technical terms in classical yoga literature. Specifically, the mistranslation of Haṭhayoga to mean “forceful” yoga (Monier Williams) and therefore, the falsely construed narrative of Haṭhayoga being only asana centric has indirectly spawned an entire array of Yoga Styles that increasingly focus on the physicality of posture and its role in fitness completely derailing the understanding of yoga as a darśana and a sadhana and the importance of the haṭha literature from the perspective of antaraṅga sadhana. This is despite the jyotsnā commentary of Brahmānanda emphasizing that Haṭhayoga is the path to the rājayoga system of Patañjali.
- The claims made by some western academics about the true roots of Yoga being from the Śramana traditions with Patanjali being presented only as a usurper of earlier Buddhist ideas.
- The present scenario of Yoga certification in India under the three bodies – Indian Yoga Association, Yoga Certification Board and Health Sector Skill Council and the formulation of the syllabi for these with the focus being on Yoga being a skill that enhances employability, therefore making Yoga a career choice and a business model but with limited coherence across different syllabi and eligibility for study. As an additional challenge is the inclusion of yogāsana as a competitive sport, marking a significant shift again in the context of the core value system of Yoga.
- There are assertions from some scholars from western academia of the absence of a continuity of study, teaching and application of classical Yoga pedagogy in modern yoga. Specifically malevolent is the claim by David Gordon White that T Krishnamacharya had no understanding of the Yogasūtra and that his representation as a Yogi was the outcome of machinations by his biographers. Thirdly, are assertions that the teaching methodology of asana-s followed by noted yoga acarya-s of the modern era, specifically T Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) derived more from the influence of western calisthenics and gymnastics rather than from an understanding or integration of Hathyaoga traditions already prevailing in the country.
While in the context of pedagogy, all these points are relevant and to be taken up for study, for this paper, the writer chooses to centre this paper on the last point, demonstrating the continuity of ancient yoga pedagogy in the teaching methodology of modern ācārya-s, specifically citing as evidence the approach followed by long term students of T Krishnamacharya and as taught and practiced at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, stressing on the need for maintaining such continuity of teaching pedagogy to reclaim yoga as sadhana.
The Vedic Roots of Yoga
“In its proper historical and philosophical context, yoga refers to South Asian Indian paths of spiritual emancipation or self-transcendence, that brings about a transmutation of consciousness culminating in liberation from the confines of egoic identity or worldly existence.”[3]
Feurestein writes of yoga as, “the psychospiritual technology specific to the great civilization of India.”[4]
Ian Whicher emphasises the studies by J W Hauer and Maryla Falk that establish conclusively that yoga was not a creation of the masters of the Upanisads as had been assumed by indologists but had already existed as a collection of rudimentary concepts and practices dating back to the time of the Rgveda or even further to the origin of the Sindhu Sarasvati civilization.[5]
In detailing the origin and evolution of Yoga in India, Whicher explains, “Within the Hindu tradition, six major forms of Yoga have gained prominence – classical yoga or rājayoga…jñānayoga…hathayoga…bhaktiyoga…karmayoga…and mantrayoga. To this can be added layayoga and kundaliniyoga which are closely associated with hathayoga but are often presented as constituting independent approaches.”[6]
J Miller explains how meditative discipline can trace its roots to the Rgvedic period. She further presents Vedic mental discipline as comprising three interrelated aspects that she categorises as mantric meditation, visual meditation and absorption in heart and mind.[7]
“As Miller’s Study indicates, the proto-Yoga of theVedic rsi-s is an early form of sacrificial mysticism and contains many elements and characteristics of later Yoga that includes concentration, meditative observation, ascetic forms of practice breath control practiced in conjunction with the recitation of sacred words (prefiguring mantrayoga), mystical experience and the engagement with a reality far greater than our psychophysical identity or ego”[8].
Patanjali’s Yogasūtra
The Yogasūtra, believed to have been composed between 200 BCE and 200 CE is the first available complete treatise that brings together in a systematical structure the core philosophy, principles and praxis of Yoga, strung together in the sutra style of writing. The first four sutra-s of the text summarise the essence of the entire system.
Yogasūta 1.1 – atha Yoganusasanam
Yogasūtra 1,.2 – Yogah citta vrtti nirodhah
Yogasūtra 1.33 – tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam
Yogasūtra 1.4 – vrtti sarupyam itaratra
The very first sutra indicates that Yoga is an anusasana shastra, which as Sri Krishnamacharya explains is guru mukha adhyayanam[9]. The next sutra defines clearly the scope of yoga, indicating that yoga is the restraint (and eventually cessation) of the mental activities. The third sutra explain the yoga phalam indicating that one who is adept in thus enabling the cessation of the modifications of the mind, is firmly established in the identity of the pure consciousness (drastu), failing which the misidentification with the vrtti-s of the mind, sets in motion a deluded, material, empirical and perishable sense of self identity.
Strangely, despite the long commentary tradition associated with the Yogasūtra even until the time of Swami Hariharānanda Aranya, Norman Sjoman writes, “The textual tradition from Patanjali from an estimated 150 BC is a dead textual tradition. Vyāsa, the first commentator on Patanjali is generally considered to have lost touch with the tradition already – if there was one. [10]
Sjoman, refers to “well-founded opinions that the sutra-s are not the teaching of a complete consistent philosophical discipline but a collection of aphorisms of the different yoga practices in vogue at that time,” adding that scholars refer to an older text called Sastitantra that was the original authentic yoga text, that scholars bring up to discuss the philosophical inadequacies of Patanjali’s text. [11]
The Pedagogy of Yoga – in the Guru Sisya Parampara
M Eliade declares, “What characterizes Yoga is not only its practical side but also its initiatory structure.”[12]
The study of Yoga, therefore presupposes the guidance of a competent spiritual preceptor who has had direct experience of the meditative experience and has the adhikāra to guide the student through navigating the challenges posed when attempting to regulate the mind. This idea is clearly indicated in T Krishnamacharya’s interpretation of the word, “Atha” being representative of the authority of the teacher to teach and “anuśāsanam” indicating eligibility of the student to receive these teachings.[13]
Hathayogapradipika, emphasises the importance of practicing pranayama only as initiated by the guru.[14]
Whicher states, “Contrary to the popular conceptions of Yoga adopted by many westerners, authentic forms of Yoga are never a self-appropriating endeavor or “do-it-yourself” undertaking. Yoga entails a profound pedagogical commitment involving periods of study during which preceptors can communicate and transmit their wisdom to worthy disciples…”[15]
Krsna emphasizes the importance of learning with humility and appropriate inquiry with an intention to learn from those who have seen the Truth. [16]
We see this in Krishnamacharya’s own quest for knowledge through the years of his study in the darsanas at Varanasi and subsequently in his seven year long stint to study with his teacher in Tibet, Ramamohana Brahmacari. In his biography, Krishnamacharya narrates how his teacher tested his sincerity by making him wait outside his door for three days in the biting cold. Subsequently, Krishnamacharya also imposed a similar rigour on his own son TKV Desikachar when the latter sought to study yoga in earnest with him, demanding that he present himself for study at 2.30 am when the rest of the family was asleep. It was after many years that this schedule was relaxed and Desikachar permitted to commence his study at 4.30 am. [17]
From the perspective of the learner, there are a number of references that speak to a hierarchy in the spiritual development and maturity of a yogin in training.
Vyasabhasyam presents four different levels of the Yogin as Prathama-kalpika, madhu-bhūmikā, prajna-jyotiś and atikrānta-bhāvanīya.[18]
Vijyanabhiksu in the Yogasara-sangraha says that there are differences between an aruruksu (the one desirous of learning and practicing yoga), a yunjana (the sincere initiated practitioner) and the yogarudha (adept).
Vyasabhasyam further classifies yogins based on their level and intensity of sraddha into nine indicating that transcendence is a process comprising many stages and transformations and involving intense, unwavering commitment and discipline.
Interestingly, his students share that Krishnamacharya often used word play to organize the structure of the four chapters of the Yogasūtra as being addressed to four levels of students – krtanjali, baddhanjali, mastakanjali and purnanjali, with Krtanjali referring to the student who is desirous of progressing in yoga, baddhanjali representing the student bound in delusion by the klesa-s, mastakanjali referring to the adept yogin who could manifest the siddhi-s and purnanjali representing the fully enlightened sādhaka at the completion of Yogasādhana[19]
Speaking of his own introduction to Yoga, Krishnamacharya says in an interview, “There are many diverse forces in our body and their variation affects our system, the mind and senses. Some provide strength and others do not. Without yoga it is not possible to understand all these complex aspects of the human being. In this context, yoga means to join, like the food that is eaten becomes part of the system through different processes and this food that is outside becoming one with ourselves is also yoga. This is how I was first initiated into Yoga by my parents in the daily ritual of taking food. They introduced this as prana-agnihotra Yogam. It was only later that I gradually learnt and developed other aspects of Yoga”.
This is the traditional pedagogical framework in which yoga, as with many other sastras, was taught, practiced, understood, integrated and transmitted, be it in the homes of the people who followed the tenets of Sanatana dharma or in the asramas of the acarya.s.
It would therefore be a fallacy to claim as some do that a person of the stature of Krishnamacharya with undeniable roots in Vedic and sastraic education had no awareness of the Yogasūtra and did not reflect it in his teaching.
David Gordon White questions, “How can it be that in spite of his brilliance and extensive training, Krishnamacharya comes across as barely cognizant of the Yogasūtra that had been the presumed object of his Samkhya-Yoga instruction at Patna University as well as of his seven years of discipleship in Tibet with Ramamohana Brahmachari?”[20]
He further adds, “India’s north Indian pandits remained largely unschooled in Yoga philosophy and unaware of the distinctions between the Raja, Hatha and Tantric Yoga traditions.”[21]
White continues, “While his biographers repeatedly stress the depth of Krishnamacharya’s personal teachings on Yogasūtra philosophy during his Chennai years from 1961 to the end of his life – teachings that featured exhaustive referencing of the classical commentaries and rigorous glossing of Patanjali’s Sanskrit – none of his later writings show any evidence of progress beyond the superficial and inaccurate treatment of the subject found in his 1935 and 1941 works.”[22]
Even when speaking of the primacy of chanting the Yogasūtra in the Krishnamacharya tradition, White argues that there is no evidence anywhere in literature to indicate that chanting was a component of apprenticeship in Yoga, adding that since the Yogasūtra belongs to the Smrti corpus, there was no justification for the text being chanted by students of Krishnamacharya. [23]
Speaking of Desikachar’s explanation of chanting the Yogasūtra being a connection to his father and the entire guru Parampara, White states, “Desikachar is an ingenuous position which posthumously absolves his teacher of any need to clearly explain the meaning of the Yogasūtra – something he appears to have never done, in writing at least. It also fits well with the ongoing fetishization of the Yogasūtra by the current Yoga subculture, since it allows the Yogasūtra to be venerated without being understood.”[24]
There is a discernible malevolent intent in these statements made with a view to invalidate the authenticity of T Krishnamacharya’s teaching pedagogy, without attempting to speak to or understand the context of his work from his long term students.
In conclusion, White writes on Krishnamacharya’s Yogavalli commentary on Yogasūtra, “It is my belief that Krishnamacharya did eventually train his massive intellect upon the Yogasūtra and that the highly sophisticated “Vine” did originate with him, but that he did not come to Patanjali’s work until relatively later in life, during his Chennai years, that is, at about the same time as his former pupil (and prime contender in terms of legacy) BKS Iyengar. I seriously doubt, however, that he was ever the Frodo Baggins of modern yoga that his biographers have made him out to be. [25]
As a counterpoint, it is significant that Sri BKS Iyengar in his foreword to the biography of Krishnamacharya, published posthumously in 1997 writes, “It is impossible for a humble student like myself to measure his calibre and stature; a man of firm discipline, perseverance and persistence in his precept and practice; a living yogi of the century, a versatile personality, a fountain of knowledge, an encyclopaedia on all facets of the Sruti-s, Smrti-s, Upanisads, Darsana-s, Itihasa-s and Purānas. All subject matters were at his fingertips. His powerful memory never let him down, not even once.”
Further, he adds, “In his biography, it is said that he taught the Veda-s and revealed the secrets of our sacred knowledge to one and all. Maybe his pupils in Madras (Chennai) were extremely fortunate and clever enough to change his heart, and to milk his knowledge to the best of their abilities or age must have mellowed him to impart his knowledge and experience to one and all.”[26]
In direct contradiction to White’s claims, Desikachar writes of his many iterations of studying the Yogasūtra with his father starting in 1963, soon after Desikachar commenced studying yoga with him. Reproduced here is an image of Desikachar’s article sourced from KYM archives and published in the KYM’s e-journal. In just this one passage, the depth of Krishnamacharya’s insights on the Yogasūtra is evident.
The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, in 1988, published T Krishnamacharya’s commentary to the Samādhi Pādah of Yogasūtra, a highly nuanced and elaborate unravelling of Yoga philosophy through the Visistadvaita perspective of Ramanujacarya with detailed coverage Krishnamacharya’s detailed analysis of the term, “Yoga” indicating both dhyana and Samādhi with the former presented as the kārana and the latter as its karya, thus firmly anchoring his understanding of the purpose of Yoga in Patanjali’s larger schema. His commentary on the other chapters of the yogasūtra are also available, but yet to be translated and published, while Krishnamacharya’s perspectives fully filter through in the teaching of the entire text of yogasūtra in the teaching methodology followed by students of the Krishnamacharya-Deiskachar tradition. Krishnamacharya himself was highly regarded by very well-known scholars of the time including the Sankaracarya of Kanci, Professor Krishnamurthi Sastri and Dr V Varadachari, each of whom attested to Krishnamacharya’s scholarship and depth of teachings.
Further Krishnamacharya, in his response to questions on dhyānam explains, “Our ancient people, conversant with Vedanta, Yoga and other vijñana Sāstra-s, while examining the relationship between the body, senses and the ātma discovered certain means such as meditation for reducing illness and unhappiness. However, the relationship between the ātma and the śarīra remained unexplained and they wondered why the ātma suffered. Through their research, they discovered that astanga-yoga is the best method that would lead to total health, longevity and manas śanti. All sastra-s maintain that dhyānam alone, which is a significant part of yoganga, reduces sarira duhkha and manasika duhkha, thus ensuring sukham.”[27]
This stance of Krishnamacharya is seen extensively in his Yogavalli commentary and is also tangibly present in his teaching methodology.
Given this, naturally the question arises as to why did Krishnamacharya teach very differently to the children of the palace guards as head of the Yogasala in Mysore under the patronage of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. To some extent, Mark Singleton who undertakes an elaborate research of the reasons for this, explains with deep analysis, the combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors that led to the Maharaja of Mysore emphasizing physical strength and resilience, through yoga and other physical training modalities. [28]
Singleton writes, “The practice of asana-s within transnational anglophone yogas is not the outcome of a direct and unbroken lineage of hathayoga. While it is going too far to say that modern postural yoga has no relationship to asana practice within the Indian tradition, this relationship is one of radical innovation and experimentation. It is the result of adaptation to new discourses of the body that resulted from India’s encounter with modernity. “[29]
Singleton writes, “During the decades around Vivekananda’s reformulation of yoga, it is common to find European scholarship characterizing yogins as dangerous, mendicant tricksters often in contradistinction to the contemplative, devotional practitioners of “true” yoga. In this sense, scholarship contributed to keeping the hathayogin and his practices beyond the pale of acceptable religious observance.” [30]
He also documents J H Gray’s statement when building his vision for YMCA in India, “ There was simply no “system” or “brand” of physicalized yoga that could satisfactorily meet India’s need. This had to be created out of what was available, including a large number of exercises that had hitherto not been considered part of yoga ( most significantly, nature cure, therapeutic gymnastics, calisthenics and bodybuilding). When India “built” her own programme of physical culture, one of the names she gave it was “yoga.”[31]
However, there tends to be an exaggerated attempt in Singleton’s work to attribute Krishnamacharya’s prowess in asana and his dexterity of weaving movement sequences together to the combined influence of the Colonial imposition of the YMCA where a number of strength training and bodybuilding methods were taught and the Swedish Ling system which had also started to gain prominence across gymkhana-s in India.
This discounts Krishnamacharya’s own autobiographical reminiscences of studying over 700 asanas from his teacher in Tibet, while his teacher himself, he stated, knew of several thousands. In this narrative, āptavākyam, the veracity of the words of a guru recounting his experiences are quickly and easily dismissed as deliberate exaggeration and diversion.
The question arises naturally, where is the documentary evidence to prove this? Desikachar writes when reminiscing about his father, “He took no notes, nor brought any back from Tibet.” The absence of notes taken by Krishnamacharya of his study cannot be used as proof of absence of knowledge, given what his students know of his impeccable memory and scholarship. It is also important to underline here the oral nature of transmission of knowledge prevalent in premodern India. While it may have been true that Krishnamacharya in his capacity as Yogācārya in the Jaganamohana palace without doubt came into contact with both traditional and foreign systems of physical culture that may have also influenced his approach, one cannot entirely deny his own recorded narration of his seven years spent in the upper reaches of the Himalayas near Tibet. In support of Krishnamacharya’s statement of the depth of his learning with Rama Mohana Brahmachari, there are available with his family, archival records of a book of hand drawn yoga postures drawn by the daughter of his guru and given to him before he returned to India. Further there are references to a number of asanas including the sequence in which they are to be performed in the Sritattva nidhi, a mid 19th century text authored by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, a source that Krishnamacharya cite in his 1934 work Yoga Makaranda commissioned by the Maharaja. Further study also reveals significant correlations between yogasana-s enumerated in Sritattva nidhi and the Hathabhyasapaddhati, an 18th century text on hatha practices. While direct correlations may not be possible between the proliferation of asana-s that we see in yoga practice post the15th century vis a vis the asana practice traditions documented in the Hathayogapradipika or the earlier Yoga Yajnavalkya Samhita, one cannot entirely discount threads of continuity over the medieval period in the way yoga was taught and practiced. It is also important to keep in mind the significant transitions and losses that occurred in India post the 10th century leading to the disappearance or suppression of many paramparas. This was a tragedy further accentuated by many centuries of colonial rule when practices of the Yogins were viewed with deep mistrust and even aversion.
The Krishnamacharya tradition and its connections to the Yogasūtra pedagogy
Yoga is an anuśāsana śāstra.[32] Krishnamacharya repeatedly emphasized guru mukha adhyayanam stating firmly that only a competent teacher could suitably assess and guide the student.[33]
While at the Mysore Yogashala, Krishnamacharya was tasked by Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV with training the children of the palace guards to build up strength and resilience through yoga, he was also asked by the Maharaja to work one on one with his visors from India and abroad. It is in such a context that Indra Devi also studied with Krishnamacharya in a context very different from how Pattabhi Jopis and BKS Iyengar studied. Subsequently, with the closing of the Yogashala post independence. Krishnamacharya moved to Chennai where he slowly began to teach more and more people individually. While some sought his advice for yoga cikitsa, others including Desikachar, studied Yoga Sastra extensively with him, going through readings of the classical Yoga literature multiple times, with progressively deepening nuance. What a student learnt with Krishnamacharya was what he thought was appropriate for them to learn at that point of time. While his teaching methodology varied depending on whom he taught, his corevision of yoga philosophy and praxis did not.
In fact to a question asked by a student of the acarya’s many public talks on the necessity of yoga in modern times. He replied,
“For the strengthening of the anga-s, yogasana-s practiced with long inhalation and exhalation is important.
To reduce disturbances of the mind, to gain mental strength and to increase longevity, pranayama is necessary.
To derive siddhi through samyama (savikalpa samadhi), dharana, dhyana and samadhi have to be practiced.
To attain mukti, nirvikalpa samadhi should be practiced. These practices should be according to one’s capacity”[34].
In Krishnamacharya’s method, the philosophy of yoga was never divorced from the praxis and application.
This is clearly evidenced in Krishnamacharya’s response to a student’s query as narrated by TKV Desikachar.
“My father was always talking about bhāvana. He insisted that we must ‘feel’ things and mentally form images. In the case of prānāyāma, for example, what we are supposed to do is not just breathe in and breathe out. We have to visualize that some great force is giving us vital life during inhalation. Then, when we hold the breath, we visualize the vital force that has entered the body is staying with us and that we want it to stay forever. When we exhale, we have to say, “whatever we have is yours, nothing is mine. Na-mama…nothing is mine.”[35]
When asked about the meaning of Yoga he said, “Though many different definitions of yoga have been given, there is no yoga without a disciplined mind. Therefore, the most comprehensive definition of yoga is citta vrrti nirodhah. This bhavana of Patanjali’s is the most important of all definitions of Yoga.”[36]
A formalized teacher training programme was planned and implemented only at the very end of Krishnamacharya’s life with the first batch of teachers graduating in 1988. However, the syllabus for the teacher training programme was designed by TKV Desikachar with the approval of his father and teacher. After over 35 years since the first structured teacher training programme commenced, the syllabus of the KYM Yoga programme continues to offer a holistic understanding of the philosophy, principles of practice, practice and applications of yoga, with the inclusion of a foundation in basic anatomy, physiology and pathology, psychology and ayurveda. Study of the Yogasūtra is spread over 60 hours with additional study of Bhagavadgita, Hathayoga Pradipika and Yoga Yajnavalkya Samhita. Following the importance of the teacher-student connection, while group practices are led with the intention of helping students practice diverse types of asana-s, individual classes with a mentor who would design personal practices and offer academic guidance is a mandated part of the process. While the study and practice of asana-s is a significant component of the syllabus, equally as much importance is placed on studying the theory and practice of pranayama and dhyanam, along with comprehensive study of the role of mantra, japa, nyasam, mudra, yajna, teerthayatra and other such processes of inner transformation. Chanting of the entire text of the Yogasutra is emphasized to facilitate an easier understanding of the text itself apart from a foundational exposure to sanatana dharma and ancient Indian Knowledge systems and their connection to the history and evolution of Yoga in India.
In order to demonstrate this continuity of teaching methodology with evident alignment to the core teachings of the Yogasūtra, specifically the emphasis on dhyanam as the heart of Yoga sadhana, I reproduce here select excerpts from some of Krishnamacharya’s public talks in which he answers questions from Students. These were recorded by students of Krishnamacharya in Chennai during his lectures and subsequently translated and filed for archival use.[37]
What is yogasana?
For those who have faith, yogasana is a particular posture which is both comfortable and firm (sthiram and sukham). The asana is done to realise the link between the jivatma and the paramatma.
For those who do not have faith in God, but accept jiva, Yogasana is a particular position of the body which aids in the samyogam of jiva and the mind.
For those who do not accept the jiva, yogāsana is a particular posture that aids in the discipline of the senses and prāna.
Whether a person is interested in bhakti or in ahangraha uopasana or in manas śanti, he/she has to develop the ability to remain in a state of dhyana. Dhyana must be done in a seated posture.
What is Yoga?
One should work towards the knowledge and proper functioning of the Sarira, the indriya-s, the prāna and the manas. Only while maintaining good health, alertness, longevity, comprehension and dharana śakti can one experience the jivatma, paramatma and the universe. The practices leading to this experience is called Yoga. The śāstra that teaches this is Yogaśāstra and has been in existence since unknown times.
What is yogābhyāsa krama?
There has to be a krama (order of practice) for yogābhyāsa. In the Yogasūtra niyama-s are prescribed according to an individual’s capacity. These niyama-s form the yoganga-s that are mentioned in the Sastra-s. The yogangas are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. These disciplines must be developed step by step without deluding oneself. These niyamas make yogābhyāsa krama.
What is the procedure one follows for Yoga?
Asana-s are the means for reducing illness and promoting health. The practice of asana-s makes a person agile. The asana-s should be taught according to the individual’s requirements and must be taught in vinyāsa. There should be a niyama in the breathing while practicing asana-s. Inhalation and exhalation should be decided according to the movement of the body. The length of recaka and puraka depends on the asana and this is what helps the healing of illness. If the correct breathing is not done, the practice is a waste of time. It is important to learn from a guru.
On what basis do we follow the practice of yogāsana?
The ādhāram for yogāsana-s are the four veda-s, the eighteen purana-s, the sutra-s and the smrti-s. They have been handed down to us through the upadeśa and anuṣthana of the respective acaryas.
What is adharmika yoga?
Adharmika yoga is the yoga that has not been mentioned in the Yogasūtra.
These are only some out of a voluminous collection of questions and answers, but clearly indicative of Krishnamacharya’s position when it came to the pedagogy of studying Yoga and his emphasis on understanding and aligning to classical texts and teachings. In fact, as part of the same above mentioned discussion, Krishnamacharya says that Yama, niyama , asana and pranayama are integrated aspects of sādhana which would not be possible without a sound understanding of varnāśrama dharma, one of the fundamental tenets of Sanatana dharma.
And yet, when it came to whom he taught Krishnamacharya was never rigid or bound by any notion of superiority or inferiority, emphasizing that anyone who aspired to experience the joy of śarira, indriya, manasa and adhyatmika yoga was eligible to study and practice yoga. [38]
The Relevance of Traditional Pedagogy in Modern Yoga Studies
One might question the relevance of the need for following the pedagogy of a text that is over two millennia old, but the fact remains that the vision and scope of yoga sadhana has remained unchanged over millennia in the way it is learnt and taught in traditional jnana paramparas. However the institutionalisation of yoga education within a university framework and the growing prevalence of yoga studios offering yoga enthusiasts the chance to practice with celebrity diva-s and modern rsi-s, have significantly undermined the classical pedagogy of yoga studies.
The studios offer a supermarket-like array of yoga styles with pay per month packages for any number of sessions and drop in as you wish models. No mention is even made of Yoga’s origins or the purpose of yoga in the larger framework of sadhana. Increasingly in an environment of forced secularism, the farther away that yoga is located from its Vedic roots, the better for business, as far as such modern studios are concerned, it seems.
With yoga entering mainstream collegiate education, we see another challenge. Most syllabi do touch upon at least broadly on classical yoga literature, the history of yoga and the practice of asana, pranayama and dhyanam. Nevertheless, the institutional approach does not provide the close mentoring relationship of the guru-sishya pedagogy. While the syllabus of study is definitely broader and deeper than the yoga studio model, there is nevertheless a more piecemeal approach in the formulation of course content where select verses or sutra-s from classical yoga literature alone are studied and the focus of study is essentially on the practice component. In this context, especially with the added entry of yoga certification in India with multiple levels of certification, the syllabus and course content or each level, is not formulated independently for that level, but rather a larger pool of content for the highest level is created by multiple independent contributors with smaller subsets forming the syllabi for lower certification levels. Having been a part of such an endeavour to present a guidebook for students of one such certification, this writer was greatly shocked to find out in the publication that a coherently structured chapter of over 50 pages that had been submitted by her, appeared broken into segments across the final publication and put together in a piecemeal fashion with other such segments from other authors, in a manner unrecognizeable from what had been submitted. Sadly, the editors of such handbooks, are for the most part not trained in Yoga, and much less so in pedagogy, philosophy or any other allied discipline. This leads to many gaps in learning, thereby significantly eroding the foundational understanding of yoga. The knowledge and competency of graduates from such courses is yet to be seen as these are recent trends in India.
In such a scenario, it is imperative that traditional yoga teaching methodologies that are fully anchored in classical Yoga literature, with competent and intelligent adaptation of asana, pranayama, japa and dhyanam to the bhumi of the modern learner, with a view to supporting an inner transformation, even while offering certification and employability are recognized and encouraged. Such Parampara-s are the keepers of ancient knowledge traditions and can ensure the safeguarding and authentic transmission of not just poses for performers of yoga but holistic practices for wellness and the spiritual transformation of true seekers and sādhaka-s.
[1] Krishnamacharya- the Yogi and the Teacher, KYM-Darśanam, August 1992
[2] Ian Whicher, The Integrity of the Yoga Darśana – A Reconsideration of Classical Yoga, D K Printworld, 1954; First Indian Edition – ISBN – 81-246-0154-2, pp49
[3] Ibid, pp 6
[4] G. Feurestein (1978), Yoga: The Technology of Ecstacy; p 15
[5]Ian Whicher, The Integrity of the Yoga Darśana – A Reconsideration of Classical Yoga, D K Printworld, 1954; First Indian Edition – ISBN – 81-246-0154-2, pp 7
[6] Ibid, pp 6
[7] J Miller (1974), The Vedas: Harmony, Meditation and Fulfilment, p 45
[8] Ian Whicher, The Integrity of the Yoga Darśana – A Reconsideration of Classical Yoga, D K Printworld, 1954; First Indian Edition – ISBN – 81-246-0154-2, p 12
[9] Lecture notes from class with TKV Desikachar, June 2005
[10]Sjoman, The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore PAlace Pp 37
[11] ibid
[12] M Eliade (1969) – Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, p 5
[13] Class notes from lectures by TKV Desikachar, June 2005
[14] Hathayogapradīpikā, 2.1, www.kymyogavaisaradi.com
[15] The Integrity of the Yoga Darśana…
[16] Bhagavadgita –
[17]Class notes from lecture by TKV Desikachar, Agust 2005
[18] www.kymyogavaisharadi.com
[19] Health, healing and beyond, TKV Desikachar and Richard Cravens
[20]The History of the Yogasūtra – Abiography, David Gordon White, pp 210
[21] ibid
[22] Ibid pp 209
[23] Ibid 212
[24] The Yogasūtra of Patanjali – A biography, David Gordon White, p 215
[25]Ibid Pp 223
[26] The Purnacarya, Krishnamacharya Yoga MAndiram, 1997
[27] Dhyānamālika, ppxii; published by Krishbnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, 1998
[28] Mark singleton –
[29] Mark singleton
[30] singleton
[31] ibid
[32]Reflections on Yogasūtra of Patanjali, TKV Desikachar, Krishnamacharya Yoga MAndiram, pp 1
[33] Class noted from lecture by desikachar, Jul 2005
[34] Krishnamacharya Answers his Students, KYM-DArsanam, vol 3,No 1, May 1994
[35] Krishnamacharya, the Yogi and Teacher, TKV Desikachar; KYM-Darsanam, vol 1, no 2, April 1992
[36] Krishnamacharya Answers his Students, KYM-DArsanam, vol 3,No 1, May 1994
[37] The Purnacarya, 1997, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram
[38] The purnacharya, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, 1997, p 105
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