Krishnamacharya
Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) of South India is considered to be one of the greatest yoga masters of the 20th century. His studies covered all six philosophical systems of Indian Philosophy, including the system of Classical Yoga, and he gained advanced degrees in all of them. Additionally he learned the ancient Indian healing modality of Ayurveda, possessing a wide knowledge of using herbs, oils and nutrition for healing purposes. Combining elements of Ayurvedic healing with yogic practice techniques, Krishnamacharya became a renowned healer in his time, treating various dignitaries of the ruling classes and making a name for himself as a yoga master. Among other singular yogic feats he managed to achieve was his ability to stop his heart beat for over two minutes, a curiosity that was documented by a French and an American attending doctor in 1936 and demonstrated to his son TKV Desikachar in 1965. His main students include his brother in law BKS Iyengar, his son TKV Desikachar, K. Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi, Srivatsa Ramaswami and AG Mohan.
An important aspect of Krishnamacharya’s approach is that a relationship of trust needs to be established between the teacher and the student. Without this personal connection, the learning of yoga can not take place effectively. There needs to be a strong commitment from student to teacher and vice versa for transformation to occur.
One of Krishnamacharya’s greatest innovations in yoga was his emphasis on combining conscious breathing with the practice of yogic physical postures. The execution of certain postures and sequences of postures is carefully coordinated with different phases of the breath. This is accompanied by a breathing technique called ‘ujjayi,’ which requires a certain amount of focus, thus involving the mind in the effort. In this way what could be a purely physical exercise regimen becomes a ‘holistic’ one, engaging body, breath and mind. In addition to conscious breathing, elements of chanting, visualization and meditation are incorporated into the practice to address the practitioner's needs on all levels, physical, energetically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.