The father of modern yoga

Krishnamacharya is a famous yogi, stemming from an old lineage dating back to the 9th century. In the 1940s, he trained the well-known BKS Iyengar and Patabhi Joïs.

The name "viniyoga" is used in the Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali, a treaty used as a reference in the yoga world, where it is said that the object and the form of meditation has to be chosen according to the caracteristics of the person. In the 70s, the famous professor Sri Krishnamacharya widened the term of viniyoga by also appliying it to postures and breathing techniques.

At that time, Krishnamacharya wanted to insist on the importance of a correct application of the psychosomatic techniques of yoga to individuals – which required taking their caracteristics and needs into consideration. He is the author of the following quote : « It is not the person who should adapt to yoga, but rather yoga to the person ». As a matter of fact, it was of major importance to garantee an appropriate application of yoga to Western people who were so different physically, culturally (and in other ways) from Indian people. This concept of taking into careful consideration a whole range of factors before teaching is therefore of major importance for the transmission of yoga in the Western countries.

At the beginning of his long teaching experience, Sri Krishnamacharya used to teach postures solely to an elite. This situation changed over time and yoga became available to everybody. Krishnamacharya’s huge knowledge and teaching talent have largely enriched the transmission of yoga.