Having decided, approached the teacher with respect and been accepted, a student should engage in study seriously; wake up early, finish morning routines and spiritual practices; pay respect to saints, sages, preceptors, elders, the teacher and all beings. The student should then make efforts to comprehend, clearly express, and discuss the knowledge by studying the information already acquired, entering deeply in contemplation in order to completely understand the meaning and the applications..."
-Charaka Samhita, Vimanasthanam, Chapter Eight
L to R Gopalakrishnan, John, Ramaswami and his niece, sister and
brother-in-law at the Meenakshi temple.
Ramaswami with John during his 2001
intensive in Houston.
Ramaswami with John and dear friend, Gopalakrishnan.
Ramaswami and John during the November, 2000
Vinyasakrama Intensive... Houston, Texas.
Ramaswami adjusting Vasishtasana.
Ramaswami teaches a Vinyasa of Adhomukha Svanasana.
Ramaswami adjusts twisting Vinyasas from the Paschimottanasana
series.
Ramaswami making corrections in the Prasarita Padahastasanam
Vinyasas.
Ramaswami checks alignments and extensions
in the Sarvangasana Vinyasas.
Sitting together for chanting.
Utthita Parsva
Konasana
Sri Krishnamacharya was born on November 18, 1888, at
Muchukundapuram in the Chitradurga district in the State of Karnataka. His
parents, Sri Tirumalai Srinivasa Tatacharya and Smt. Ranganayakamma were of
distinguished ancestry and lived their lives according to the Shastras.
Krishnamacharya was the eldest of three brothers and three sisters.
Shri Krishnamacharya's lineage can be traced to the Yogi Nathamuni, a ninth century South Indian saint who was renowned for his great works in Sanskrit and Yoga - the Nyayatattva and Yoga Rahasya.
Krishnamacharya had his initial education under his father who taught him the Vedas and the other religious texts in the traditional gurukula manner. He would awaken at two in the morning and chant the Vedas and perform asanas. His father, who was his first guru, planted the seeds of knowledge in him, encouraged and guided him in his quest for learning. He lost this precious guidance at the age of ten when his father died.
The entire family then moved to Mysore to join his great grandfather who was the head of the Parakala Math. It is here that he studied Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), Vedanta and Tarka (logic) under the religious Guru to the Maharaja of Mysore. His thirst for knowledge increased and at the age of 16 he took the examination in Purva Mimamsa and the different Shastras at the Maharaja Sanskrit College in Mysore. His passion for knowledge was further kindled, and his next aim was to go to Banaras to study under the famed pandits. He left for Banaras at the age of 18 and in one night studied the rare and secret aspects of Sanskrit grammar. The following day his teacher lost his speech. He then studied Tarka Shastra for another three years before returning to Mysore where he pursued his studies on the Vedanta and advanced Sanskrit grammar. He also started taking lessons in music on the veena. During the five years that he was in Mysore he attained titles such as 'Veda Kesari', 'Mimamsa Vidvan' and also continued learning the Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita and Sribhasyam before his quest for knowledge made him go back to Banaras.
Salamba Sirsasana
Vinyasa
The seeds of yoga were sown in young Krishnamacharya by his father. At the age of 16, Krishnamacharya had a dream in which Nathamuni directed him to go to Alvar Tirunagari. Krishnmacharya made this trip and entered the temple of Sri Vishnu and saw an old man seated under a tamarind tree. He asked him for directions to see Nathamuni and the old man moved his head to indicate a particular direction. Krishnamacharya fell into a trance on the way to the temple and found himself in the presence of three sages, one of whom recited the entire Yoga Rahasya for him. When Krishnamacharya regained consciousness, the sages had disappeared and he realized that Nathamuni himself instructed him on the Yoga Rahasya.
Niralamba
Dandasana
Baddha Konasanam
Upavisthakonasana with Jalandhara Bandha
Once while he was practicing asanas as taught by his father in Banaras, a saint saw him and advised him to study yoga under Shri Jha who had the title of Yogacharya. Yogacharya Jha advised Krishnamacharya that if he was seriously interested in Yoga, then he must travel beyond Nepal where Rama Mohan Brahmachari lived. There was also a book called Yoga Kurunta in the Gurkha language, which gave practical information on Yoga and health. It was not easy for Krishnamacharya to travel out of the country. He needed the Viceroy's consent for travel. The Viceroy was ill with diabetes and his military doctor was unable to control it. As fate would have it, the doctor was the son of Krishnamacharya's teacher at Banaras. The Viceroy invited Krishnamacharya and asked him how much yoga he knew. Krishnamacharya replied, "I may not know as much as India needs but enough to teach foreigners." The Viceroy commenced yoga classes under him and his health improved. The Viceroy was very pleased and made the necessary arrangements for Krishnamacharya to travel to Tibet. He not only provided him with leather garments to withstand the extremes of temperature but also sent two aides with him.
Gomukhasana with Yoganrsimhasana
Jalandhara Bandha
Krishnamacharya with his two companions reached Mansarovar after a trek of 22 days. There he searched for the cave of his Guru. In a cave, a very tall hermit with a long beard wearing wooden shoes stood at the entrance. Krishnamacharya prostrated before him and requested him to accept him as his disciple. The master gave him fruits called Ankula to eat and then introduced him to his wife and three children. Krishnamacharya became a part of Rama Mohana Brahmachari's family and lived there for seven and a half years. For the first three years he memorized the entire texts including the Yoga Kurunta. The following three years he practiced yogabhyasa and the next one and a half years he studied sikshana and chikitsa krama. His Guru then asked him to return to society, lead a married life and spread the message of yoga.
Krishnamacharya returned to India and pursued several degrees in Calcutta, Allahabad, Patna and Baroda.
His reputation as a scholar and an authority on the Shastras was spreading and he was invited by several kings and princes to give lectures and participate in debates. His knowledge and his mastery over the texts earned him several accolades and titles. The Maharaja of Mysore was highly impressed with the knowledge of Krishnamacharya and invited him to be a teacher for the Royal family.
Urdhva
Konasana in Sirsasana
Suptapadangusthasana
Jatharaparivrtti
Tataga
Mudra
Chaturanga Dandasanam
Krishnamacharya accepted the offer and moved to Mysore. He then decided to devote his life to the spread and teaching of yoga as he felt that of all the scriptures and the knowledge that he gained yoga would best help him in practically serving mankind. In accordance with his Guru's wishes that he should live a life of a householder - he married Namagiriammal in 1925.
Yoga at the Royal Palace
Krishnamacharya conducts class at
the Yogashala
Pinchamyurasana
inside the walls of Jaganmohan Palace.
Padma Pinchamayurasana
He started teaching yoga in the Jaganmohan Palace of the Maharaja of Mysore. He was a very demanding teacher. There was a large hall where the teachers would instruct their respective students. Krishnamacharya would be examining patients in an adjacent room while the students including his children would be taught by his assistants. All the asanas were taught in the Vinyasa Krama - where one posture followed another in a logical sequence. Once a year the students appeared for the examinations where they were asked to demonstrate specific asanas.
Trikonasana Vinyasas
He divided the practice of yoga into three stages: one to develop muscular power, power to concentrate and to perform difficult postures. This was called 'Shakti Krama’ ; the second was 'Adhyatmik Krama' - the type of practice where one goes beyond the physical to understand God or oneself. The third type of practice is 'Chikitsa Krama' - yoga for therapy. Breathing was given paramount importance. Every body movement was accompanied by an appropriate breath, in such a way that every asana practice included the union of the body, breath and mind. In his teaching, he would rely on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and he never advocated the practice of kriyas as it was not mentioned in the Yoga Sutras. The practice of pranayama could bring about the same effect without much difficulty.
Tadasana
Virabhadrasana
Uttanasana
He was also a master of Ayurveda. He combined Ayurveda,
Nathamuni's teachings and Nadi Pariksa to diagnose any diseased condition. His
advice would take into account the physical, mental and spiritual levels. His
healing powers led to a large number of people visiting him at the palace in
Mysore. His students included members of the Royal households, Indians and
foreigners who would often be guests of the Maharaja. He also continued
spreading yoga by visiting several parts of India where he would often send his
students as emissaries of yoga. Yoga teaching continued in Mysore and spread
with the support of the Maharaja till India attained independence in 1947. The
local government was trying to curtail expenses and felt that the Yogashala
wasn't very important which ultimately led to its closure in 1950.
Krishnamacharya then visited Madras to treat a few persons. Although he initially planned to stay there only for a few days - he along with his family ultimately relocated to Madras. Krishnamacharya continued teaching yoga to all those who were interested in learning. At the age of 96, he slipped on a damp stone while checking the mail, and fractured his hip. Refusing surgery, he treated himself and designed a course of practice that he could do in bed.
However, following this incidence he withdrew further into himself and moved into an outhouse of the main house. From this Spartan dwelling, he continued to instruct his students in chanting and asana from his bed.
Using his knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, he was able to correct the printing mistakes in some of the texts that are in print today like the Yoga Yagnavalkya, Yoga Rahasya, Yoga Taravalli and Gheranda Samhita. The Yogavalli dictated after the age of 90 has been meticulously corrected by him.
His centenary was celebrated in Madras in 1988. He was not too keen on these celebrations but his students convinced him and he blessed his sishyas on this auspicious occasion. He was moved when the chief official of the Kanchi Pitham carried the blessings of the Paramacharya and presented him two shawls and a medallion with the insignia of the three acharyas of the Math.
He died in 1989 but the Guru Parampara (tradition) that had its auspicious beginnings in the 9th century still continues through the labors of our beloved Ramaswami and the sincere efforts of each of us.
| Krishnamacharya
performing the Dingnamaskaram prayers. |
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"It is most important to teach what is appropriate. You must learn all
of the possible Vinyasas. Remember, to a pharmacist who only has aspirin to
dispense, everything appears to be a headache."
-Srivatsa
Ramaswami
For thirty-three years Srivatsa Ramaswami studied with the legendary Pandit and Yogi, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya.
Sri Krishnamacharya used to say that His senior students should spread Sastriyayoga (traditional Yoga), as many unsavory practices were creeping in. Sri Ramaswami, alone, elected to preserve the techniques precisely as his Mentor had introduced them and continues to teach the same unaltered method today. One need not look very closely to see the differences in approach among Sri Krishnamacharya’s better known disciples, who became teachers. Similarly, one need only observe photos of Sri Krishnamacharya during His own practice to see that Ramaswami’s teaching provides absolutely no deviation from that of his renowned Mentor.
Ramaswami is somewhat of a celebrity, recognized all over India for the numerous Sanskrit Chanting audiotapes and CDs he has recorded. His chanting is recognized as uniquely clear and pleasing. Among his releases are many rarely heard passages from Vedic texts. These chants are available from Sangeeta.
Ramaswami’s text "Yoga for the Three Stages of Life" (Inner Traditions, Publishers) is inarguably the authoritative work on the Vinyasakrama method. It is available through all finer booksellers. Look for another photo-filled instructional text in the near future.
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