Yoga, at its best, attends "to each individual and to his or her uniqueness"

 

the individual's needs

- this is one of the main defining ingredients of yoga in the tradition of Tirimulai Krishnamacharya and his son TKV Desikachar.

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- teaching in a group class or 121, the yoga is adapted to suit each individual, enabling everyone to access the function of the yoga tool they are using, whether that be a posture, breathing practice or meditative focus. 

 

For example, if practising the warrior pose, each student may access it a little differently to accommodate their needs and health requirements.  The form of each student's posture may be slightly different but all will be experiencing the function of that posture.

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the breath

- the other key ingredient to this approach of yoga is the emphasis on the breath -  TKV Desikachar describes the breath as a "wonder drug" when referring to the work of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM) in Chennai, India and their research with patients/yoga students.

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The focus on the breath is maintained throughout posture work, and is an instrumental guide to the appropriateness of a posture to the individual in any given moment.

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The breath can be further developed in breathing practices - pranayama.

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history

historically, this style of yoga in Britain was called Viniyoga.  Now, following the requests of TKV Desikachar to not brand the yoga, it is practised, taught and shared by several British organisations including The Society of Yoga Practitioners (TSYP) who have living links with the KYM; a centre of study, research and healing in the yoga tradition of TKV Desikachar and his father T Krishnamacharya