Better known as T.K.V. Desikachar – Was one of the world’s foremost teachers of yoga and a renowned authority on the therapeutic uses of yoga.

T.K.V. Desikachar had the privilege of living and studying with his Father (Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya),  from 1960 until Krishnamacharya’s death in 1989.

In addition to the three decades of yoga training he received from his father, T.K.V Desikachar held a degree in structural engineering.

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

T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

His teaching method was based on Krishnamacharya’s fundamental principle that yoga must always be adapted to an individual’s changing needs in order to derive the maximum therapeutic benefit.

 To Learn More about this Lineage

 A Tribute to Sri T. Krishnamacharya

TKV Desikachar was known for his inimitable ability of demystifying yoga philosophy and for his pioneering work in the area of wellness and yoga therapy.

As a diagnostician and yoga therapist, TKV Desikachar’s skills were legendary and all his students will stand testimony to his mastery as healer and spiritual guide.

It is when obstacles do not seem to be present that it is most important to be on our guard.

Nothing is more fraught with danger than to mistake a temporary state for a permanent one.

We must expect cycles of clarity and confusion, recognizing that falls from clarity may be more disturbing than a state of no clarity at all.

When obstacles appear, it is necessary to advance toward a state of reflection to reduce their impact and prevent them from taking over.

T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

The guru is not one who says, ‘I am the guru.’.

There are great stories in the Upaniṣads of the guru who rejected the very idea of teaching.

One of the qualities of a person who is clear, who is wise, is not to need to say ‘I am clear, I am wise.’

There is no need to say this.

T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

This higly practical book was a key text during my own teacher training that I continue to reference today.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone wishing to develop a personal yoga practice and gain a better understanding of Yoga.

  To Purchase your copy of The Heart of Yoga, Visit the Yoga with Len Shop.

Established by TKV Desikachar in 1976 as a non-profit Public Charitable Trust, KYM is among the premier centres of yoga and yoga therapy in India.  KYM Website

T.K.V Desikachar oversaw KYM’s work in therapy as well as training and guiding the faculty of KYM.

KYM is recognised by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) as one of the lead yoga institutes in India. KYM also has the SIRO (Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) recognition awarded by the Department for Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India, Further, KYM is recognised by the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. KYM is also one of the few yoga centres to possess the ISO 9001:2015 certification.

In education the first requirement is the teacher, the second is the student.

What should happen between them is learning.

How it should happen is through the constant teaching of that which will be relevant to the student.

That is education

T.K.V. Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

For more than 50 years, T.K.V Desikachar devoted himself to teaching yoga and making it relevant to people from all walks of life and with all kinds of abilities.