Although Krishnamacharya came from a strict Indian tradition……

Series

1. Extract of Principles of Yoga Practice from Lecture Notes - TKV Desikachar April 1992
2. It is not possible for everyone to reach the same level of meditation......
3. There are two categories of practice......
4. Yoga  is often attributed to Āsana practice alone......
5. The body can be underused, overused and abused......
6. It is possible to be aware of the state of the mind by observing......
7. Āsana practice should take into account......
8. So much happens in the spine with the breath......
9. The trunk is the most important part of the body......
10. The lower abdomen is the dullest part of the spine......
11. The breath makes it possible to find ways to achieve access to......
12. Some people felt that it was dangerous to interfere with the breath......
13. The traditional model, Śikṣaṇa, for Yoga was to stay in a posture......
14. He (Krishnamacharya) decided that you could be in one posture......
15. Students need to be aware of which parts of the body to......
16. The breath becomes very short using Bandha......
17. Any posture far removed from the normal posture is a problem and......
18. The position of a particular posture in an Āsana practice will change......
19. The traditional model, Śikṣaṇa, for Yoga was to stay in a posture......
20. Moving into the posture after the exhale (Bahya Kumbhaka) is an adaptation.
21. Inhale from top to bottom makes sure that the spine is erect.
22. Breathing should be done to have maximum effect on the spine......
23. Some people felt that it was dangerous to interfere with the breath......
24. Duḥkha (suffering) is the expression of a problem......
25. We can recognise which of our Guṇa is dominant by observation in Āsana practice.
26. The practice of Yoga is like a mirror......
27. It is usual to start a lesson be it, Chanting, Sūtra, Āsana with a prayer......
28. Krishnamacharya would introduce the Sūtra philosophy when......
29. We need to hold knowledge back to see something fresh.
30. What we observe today might not be the same tomorrow.
31. In the student-teacher relationship, is the ball in the teachers court?......
32. The Doṣa and the Guṇa are related, we need to be able to......
33. In Āsana practice there is an expression of the state of the mind......
34. How do we know that the Āsana has served its purpose?......
35. Although Krishnamacharya came from a strict Indian tradition...... (This post)
36. It is necessary to have a competent and accessible teacher.

“Although Krishnamacharya came from a strict Indian tradition, he liberated the restrictions.
He segregated his personal beliefs (Hinduism) from his teaching and his interest in the different texts on Yoga and Vedānta.
It isn’t necessary to be a Hindu to practice Yoga, the Hindu text, the Brahma Sūtra refute Yoga. In the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali God is not emphasised.
Hindus have taken advantage of Yoga, Brahmin rituals use Yoga breathing, even if it is only symbolic and they use Mantra (Hinduism is the colloquial word for Vedānta).
Krishnamacharya didn’t mix the different teachings, he didn’t start a class with prayers when he worked with foreigners.”
- TKV Desikachar April 1992

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