A Tribute to Sri. T. Krishnamachayra
Article at a Glance
Krishnamacharya is widely considered the architect of vinyāsa, in the sense of combining breathing with movement. The style of yoga he created has come to be called Viniyoga or Vinyasa Krama Yoga.
- Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was an Indian yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar, often referred to as ‘The Father of Modern Yoga’.
- Krishnamacharya is widely regarded as one of the most influential yoga teachers of the 20th century and is credited with the revival of hatha yoga.
- Guru to some of the most well known and respected teachers outside of India.
- Krishnamacharya’s fundamental principle was that yoga must always be adapted to an individual’s changing needs in order to derive the maximum therapeutic benefit.
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Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989)
Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was a remarkable man. He was an acclaimed master of asana, pranayama and dhyanam techniques, a seeker of knowledge, a prolific writer and orator, one of the pioneers of adapting yoga techniques for therapy and an adept in Vedic chanting.
If there is one name that can be considered synonymous with contemporary yoga, it is T Krishnamacharya.
He was convinced that Yoga was India’s greatest gift to the world and is widely regarded as one of the most influential Yoga teachers of the modern era.
Former, dedicated, students of Krishnamacharya are among modern yoga’s most well-known and influential teachers who have significantly helped to propogate and popularise yoga outside of India:
The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram was established in 1976, by Krishnamacharya’s son and long-time student T.K.V. Desikachar to carry forth the invaluable teachings. KYM Website
T.K.V Desikachar oversaw KYM’s work in therapy as well as training and guiding the faculty of KYM.
To Learn More about this Lineage
Healer, Author, Teacher, Scholar
Born in Southern India in 1888, Sri T. Krishnamacharya belonged to an orthodox Brahmin family of philosophers and spiritual masters. He was the eldest of five children.
While he is revered in other parts of the world as a yogi, in India Krishnamacharya is mainly known as a healer (Yogacharya – one who lived and practiced what he teaches) who drew from both ayurvedic and yogic traditions to restore health and well-being to those he treated.
He authored four books on yoga – Yoga Makaranda (1934), Yogaasangalu (c. 1941), Yoga Rahasya, and Yogavalli (Chapter 1 – 1988) – as well as several essays and poetic compositions.
Krishnamacharya is widely considered the architect of vinyāsa, in the sense of combining breathing with movement; the style of yoga he created has come to be called Viniyoga or Vinyasa Krama Yoga.
Live long in perfect health of body and mind, enjoy bliss, by the practice of our ancient and simple, yoga system, handed down to us by the Rishis.This well regulated system requires no appliances and can be adapted to all, old and young, men and women. Nothing to excel it in efficiency for building a sound body, a sound mind and a spiritual life.Sri T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989)
To Learn More about Viniyoga
An Emblematic Figure of Indian Cultural Tradition
Krishnamacharya completed most of his studies in Varanasi (Benares) and Calcutta, the two strongholds of the philosophical tradition of India, where he quickly obtained the highest honors in all six Vedic darśanas, or Indian philosophies.
He deepened his knowledge of Hindu Yoga in the Himalayas and Buddhist Yoga in Burma, which was part of India at that time. He then went to Kashmir to study Sufism. He worked for some time as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Benares and at the University of Calcutta before accepting the invitation of the King of Mysore to teach Indian Philosophy at Mysore Sanskrit College.
Like his ancestors before him, he was the King’s teacher and was appointed to the Royal Court as Philosopher.
While applying himself to this task, he was the guest of honor of several Royal Courts, throughout India, as well as of Spiritual Monasteries to participate in ‘contests’, according to a centuries old Indian custom. not only did he emerge victorious, but he managed to explain in a simple and convincing manner to the public who attended these debates, the practical aspects of the philosophical and religious disciplines.
Krishnamacharya used to say that pranayama is the most important of the eight limbs of yoga (as listed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali), because the last limb – samadhi, the pinnacle of sustained mental focus and the goal of classical yoga – can be reached through pranayama itself.A. G. Mohan, ‘Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings’
To Learn More about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
What are the Yoga Sutras and Why Should you Read them?
To Learn More about Pranayama
Pranayama – An Integral Part of Yoga Practice
In the 1920’s, Sri T. Krishnamacharya began to teach Yoga to the Royal Family, as well as to the people of Mysore. Over the years, he gave increasing importance to teaching Yoga. His practice and teaching of Yoga have never separated from the Philosophy of Yoga.
By 1935, his first non-Indian students were Europeans. As more and more Europeans came to study under his direction, he learned English alone to be able to teach in that language. He remained in Mysore until 1954 and settled in Madras where he lived until his death in 1989.
Sri T. Krishnamacharya had six children, three boys and three girls. His wife, Srimathi Namagiriammal and his six children received his teaching. His eldest son Sri T.K. Srinivasan, though fully trained in Yoga teaching, preferred to specialize in Indian Philosophy; Nyaya and Mimamsa, two of the most important philosophical currents in the Indian tradition.
