The Yoga Tradition of Krishnamacharya

Vinyasa Krama was taught by Sri T. Krishnamacharya, one of the fathers of modern yoga. His students such as B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois and T.K.V. Desikachar are now well known around the world. Each of his students has brought a different aspect of yoga to light, yet none of them has quite the vast breadth of knowledge that Krishnamacharya carried.

Krishnamacharya was born into a family of yogis in 1888 and lived for a hundred years, passing away in 1989. He dedicated his life to the study of the Indian spiritual traditions, becoming a distinguished scholar of Sanskrit and the six major schools of philosophy, as well as a musician, cook, horticulturist, healer and yogi.

In 1919, Krishnamacharya made a pilgrimage to the Himalayas to study yoga in great depth with Ramamohan Brahmachari. In a cave at the foot of Mount Kailash, he spent seven years in intense study of asana, pranayama, yoga therapy and the yoga-sutras.

At the end of these studies, Krishnamacharya's guru requested him to return to the world, get married, have children, and teach yoga. His journey on this path has opened up yoga for millions. In his students, and their students, he leaves behind a rich tradition that continues to evolve today.