Posts archive: T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar’s Media & Seminar Posts
Is desire the problem or…….
“Is desire the problem or,
not fulfilling the desire the problem?”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998
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The Saṅga must be springing from a common source if we want it to live……
“The Saṅga must be springing from a common source if we want it to live.
It’s not a question of legal status nor physical meetings.
It is not the doing that will make the Saṅga.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998
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You do your group of Āsana linked like words in a sentence………
“Another important thing that he has understood is
that these Āsana should not be taken one by one,
they have to be taken as a group and as a composition.
This means you don’t do headstand on Monday,
shoulder stand on Tuesday,
you do your group of Āsana linked like words in a sentence.”
– TKV Desikachar from lectures on ‘The Yoga of T Krishnamacharya’,
given at Zinal, Switzerland 1981.
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My understanding of Prāṇāyāma is that the Kumbhaka should be an aid……
“My understanding of Prāṇāyāma is that the Kumbhaka should be an aid.
The aim is to get a feeling difficult to put into words, but different from normal states.
The question is how much does Kumbhaka play a part in this?
So Investigate the use of Kumbhaka and only use it when it helps you be with the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978
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Often Dhyāna fails because one is not able to reach the first stage……
“Often Dhyāna fails because one is not able to reach the first stage,
the Pūrva Aṅga.
Often one wants to go to the second stage
without going through the first one,
and that is not possible.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 19th 1988
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What is the most important aspect of Pūrva Aṅga?
Question:
What is the most important aspect of Pūrva Aṅga?
Response:
“Pūrva Aṅga is essentially a process of elimination
in which we eliminate those thoughts that are not relevant.
In fact Yoga is the process of eliminating the undesirable
so we can be linked with the desirable.
It is the movement from Saṃyoga to Viyoga,
from Saguṇa to Nirguṇa.
But we must be careful how we define desirable or undesirable.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 19th 1988
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Yoga regards the mind principally, this is absolutely universal…….
“I unintentionally mixed the Vedic tradition,
teaching about God’s pre-eminence,
with Yoga, whose goal and intention are different.
Yoga regards the mind principally, this is absolutely universal.
In the Yoga system, Īśvara, the principle of perfection,
is nothing but a means to attain mental clarity,
and still, it is a means among others!
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This is what Patañjali says in that everything must be given step by step…..
“This is what Patañjali says in that everything must be given step by step.
Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 6 reflects this idea.”
– TKV Desikachar France August 1983
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Do not make a style or fashion out of Kumbhaka……
“Do not make a style or fashion out of Kumbhaka.
Only use it if it helps you feel the breath and
what is happening inside the body.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978
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Questions on T Krishnamacharya – Answered by TKV Desikachar
This day, August the 8th marks TKV Desikachar’s passing one year ago.
Two posts from this time are shown below.
As I sit within this time of passing and remembrance……
We have lost a fine teacher and a Yoga master……
To honour his memory one year later, this article from the Darśanam Journal is offered.
Questions on T Krishnamacharya – Answered by TKV Desikachar
“Though familiar with some well known details of his early life, the students of the Mandiram were keen to know more about their teacher, T. Krishnamacharya. T.K.V. Desikachar answers a wide range of questions giving us details that were not known before. It covers his views on subjects as diverse as his early orthodoxy, Mahatma Gandhi, the qualities he respected, his diet and entertainment.”
– Originally published by the KYM Darśanam November 1993
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If I had a student I would give more respect to the exhalation……
“If I had a student I would give more respect to the exhalation.
The course would be based on the observation of the exhalation in Prāṇāyāma and Āsana.
This would give the type of Prāṇāyāma and for which Āsana.
One should see what is the response of the exhalation in the posture or when sitting.
When fixing Prāṇāyāma, even if you are reducing the length of the exhalation,
if any problem then the cycle should be completely changed.
One must give respect to the exhalation.
One can get an idea by the position of the stomach.
One should keep 2/3″ in hand on inhalation and exhalation.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978
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We are welcome to use Kumbhaka…..
“We are welcome to use Kumbhaka,
but if it in any way affects the quality of the inhale or exhale
and our own relation with this flow, then there is no meaning.
The tragedy of Kumbhaka is that we can use force,
as in Āsana, to achieve our aim.
But why and at what price?”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1978
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One should inquire onto one’s habits……
The process of Cikitsā has two parts…..
“The process of Cikitsā has two parts:
1. Rakṣaṇa Krama
I am healthy and don’t want to be sick.
By not doing anything there will be no Rakṣaṇam.
For example:
Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 16
heyaṃ duḥkham anāgatam
I’m alright now,
but I must be careful so I don’t get sick tomorrow.
This is Rakṣaṇa Krama.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983
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Śīrṣāsana as a Viparīta Karaṇī Mudrā……
Śīrṣāsana as a Viparīta Karaṇī Mudrā
This day, for so long TKV Desikachar‘s birthday, is the first since his death last August.
In memorium is the article below:
“In the scheme of Haṭha Yoga where the harnessing and channelising of one’s life energy is the goal, the Viparīta Karaṇī Mudrā occupies a special place.
A person’s full potential is realised when this energy moves to the top of the head.
There are various techniques that the ancient seers had formalised to remove the obstacles in the path of this energy and to aid its movement.
All these techniques culminated the Viparīta Karaṇī Mudrā, the principle of inversion,
one form of which is Śīrṣāsana.
TKV Desikachar explains this concept starting with the most basic requirements of the practice and moving step by step through the various techniques, all of which are used in Śīrṣāsana.”
– Originally published by the KYM Darśanam February 1994
Download or view this article as a PDF
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Some people say they practice Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Meditation….
“Some people say they practice Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Meditation.
Among these things which is close to Sādhana and which is not close to Sādhana?”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983
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One must be clear when one speaks about Yoga…..
“Therefore one must be clear when one speaks about Yoga:
as far as we are concerned, we refer mainly to Patañjali’s Yoga.
Otherwise, quoting various texts,
one can justify almost anything in the name of Yoga.
Patañjali’s Yoga is obviously the most open, universal
and the most clearly distinct from Vedānta, which is a school in itself.”
– Extract from an interview with TKV Desikachar on Vedic Chanting
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There are certain things we do in Yoga which seem to aid Dhyāna
“There are certain things we do in Yoga which seem to aid Dhyāna
because they remove something which is blocking it.”
– TKV Desikachar ‘The Antaraṅga Sādhana, Saṃyama and Kaivalya’
Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Thirteen Page 186
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Question to TKV Desikachar on Yama and Niyama:
Question to TKV Desikachar on Yama and Niyama:
“The idea behind Yama and Niyama is the attitude we have to the inside and outside.
If I don’t know what is true there is no question of telling the truth.
However there is the intention, because one day it may become a reality.
Even though some of these things are not there in the beginning,
if the intention is sincere then one day it will become an action
if conditions and our psychological state change.
Yama as telling the truth also means discretion.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983
