One other study area that I was privileged to be able to experience alongside my many visits to study Yoga Practice Techniques and Associated texts in Chennai with my teacher TKV Desikachar, within the intimacy and vitality of private lessons, was that of Āyurveda and its application within Yoga.

Thus during my many visits to India, between 1979 and 2002, my work in Yoga was complemented by the study of Āyurveda constitutional diagnosis and prognosis, along with Nādī Parīkṣa or pulse diagnosis and the application skills or the viniyoga of Āyurveda, into Yoga practice and lifestyle, according to the teachings of T Krishnmacharya within Yoga Rakṣaṇa (lifestyle support) or Yoga Cikitsa (therapeutic recovery) situations.

This was with my teacher TKV Desikachar during those personal lessons focused on exploring actual and theoretical case studies, as well as the privilege of many hours of clinical observation, sitting alongside him during his evening private consultations with prospective students or clients with health or personal issues at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram.

“In Āyurveda, it gives certain behaviour by which we can stay well.
If a person follows the following he will freer of sickness.
Regularly, systematically he eats, rests and exercises adequately.
Both in amount and quality. Food or Ahāra,
along with Vihāra – recreation, rest, exercise, other activities.”
– TKV Desikachar

This study and clinical observation was also supported by personal lessons on Āyurveda philosophy and application with Dr KS Viswanatha Sarma, the Principal at the Venkataramana Āyurveda College during 1980 to 1981 when living and studying full time in Madras. This involved early morning lessons from 6am studying the textual theory before joining him in the public dispensary at 7.30am for the free consultations he offered to the local community.

This study within traditional teaching paradigms in India was complemented by study within Western group contexts attending seminars in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s with some of the leading Āyurveda physicians and teachers visiting England at the time, such as Dr Vasant Lad and Dr Robert Svoboda.

This study in Āyurveda was also supported by a Diploma Course in Western Herbal Medicine through a training in the UK during 1984-1985 with teachers from Dr Christopher’s School of Natural Medicine.

These extra-curricular studies extended the uniqueness of the ability to integrate Āyurveda into the viniyoga of Yoga practice and lifestyle systems paradigm, developed by Krishnamacharya and Desikachar, when looking at the design and application of personalised Yoga practices and lifestyle advice for students. This is one of the particular strengths of the viniyoga of Yoga methodology.

The accumulative outcome of this work is to feel enabled to offer options that will help empower individual students in the arts of Āyurveda Lifestyle skills through learning to self apply the principles that can support sustaining a personalised Yoga practice within Yoga Rakṣaṇa (support) or Yoga Cikitsa (recovery) situations.

The study and practice of Yoga has, for many centuries, been linked to the study of complementary arts from Indian culture such as Mantra, textual Chanting, Karnāṭaka music or Āyurveda lifestyle skills. For example, traditionally Āyurveda and Yoga went hand in hand and the importance of understanding the principles of Āyurveda is obvious when exploring Yoga texts such as the Haṭha Pradīpikā.

kapālaśodhanaṃ vātadoṣaghnaṃ kṛmidoṣahṛt |
“The benefits of the prāṇāyāma technique Sūrya Bedhana,
include helping to reduce imbalances of vāta doṣa.”
Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā Chapter Two verse 50

gulmaphlīhādikān rogān jvaraṃ pittaṃ kṣudhāṃ tṛṣām |
“The benefits of the prāṇāyāma technique Śītalī include helping to reduce imbalances of pitta doṣa.”
Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā Chapter Two verse 58

T Krishnamacharya understood the relevance and role of these complementary arts. His study and teaching work was characterised by the application of arts such as Āyurveda to support the development of the student’s potential within their life and journey. So for students of Yoga, an understanding of Āyurveda will complement and help their Yoga study and practice.

The online Art of Āyurveda Lifestyle Module One reflects the teachings of TKV Desikachar and his father and teacher T Krishnamacharya as taught to Paul Harvey over 25 years through:

• Appreciating the role of Prakṛti Parīkṣa or the study of the constitution in Yoga
• Linking Doṣa or constitutional elements to Yoga practice and daily lifestyle
• Learning about Āhāra (food) and its relevance to daily lifestyle
• Assessing appropriate and inappropriate Vihāra (lifestyle) practices
• Choosing expansive or contractive Therapeutic Dietary Tools
• Refining the ability of Āyurveda to link directly to Yoga practices

• When working with the application of Yoga in sustaining a high energy potential (Śikṣaṇa) for study and practice
• When working with the application of Yoga as a support (Rakṣaṇa) in helping to maintain an active lifestyle
• When working with the application of Yoga therapeutically (Cikitsā) with imbalances that cause or aggravate the disease process

Unpacking Key Āyurveda concepts such as:

• Pañca Prāṇa
  – Understanding the flow of Movement
• Agni
  – Understanding the Digestive Fire
• Tridoṣa
  – Understanding the 3 principle Energetic Processes
• Prakṛti Parīkṣa
  – Beginning Diagnosing the Constitution
• Bṛṃhaṇa Kriyā and Laṅghana Kriyā
  – As Therapeutic Lifestyle Tools
• Dravya Guṇa
  – Appreciating the value Herbs and Spices in the diet
• Ahāra
  – Appreciating food as medicine
• Vihāra
  – Appreciating Lifestyle as a tool for change

• Which concepts are most important?
• How the key concepts are linked.
• Learning to look through Āyurveda at our relationship with others.
• Linking the concepts of Āyurveda to the ebb and flow of daily life.