“Abhyāsa, when performed with reverence,
without interruption, over a long period of time, will result
in a healthy body, acute senses and extraordinary alertness.
This kind of Abhyāsa is a solid foundation that nothing can disturb.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 14

“The power of the breath,
the power of the senses and
physical strength of the body are each distinct properties.
They should not work against each other
but rather contribute to each others well being.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“Impurities in the heart cause mental agitation
– anxiety, lack of direction, anger.
This agitation, in turn, affects the body,
sometimes making it impossible to sit still even for a few minutes.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 31

Karuṇā
“Cultivating a feeling of compassion
towards our bodies and minds,
whatever state we find them in.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 33

“From this, the role of senses and sense objects
in causing a ground for disease becomes evident.
They are chiefly responsible for creating disturbance in the mind.
Hence the value of Vairāgya insisted as an aid to help the student.
Otherwise the whole system is sure to reach a state of chaos
because of the erratic movement of vital energy all over the body.
To put it another way, disease results from excess of contact
with objects not conducive to the individual system.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“Each person possesses a body.
Encased in the body, as it were,
he goes through pain and pleasure.
The pain and pleasure through the body arises
because of contact with the external world.
However such variations of pain and pleasure
do not happen to one absorbed in Īśvara.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 50

“When something is understood differently from what it truly is, it is called Avidyā.
What is changing is taken to be non-changing. For example the mind.
What is subjected to decay is assumed to be pure. For example the body.
What is leading to suffering is taken to be the source of pleasure.
What is not conscious is assumed to be conscious.
All these errors in perceptions have many possibilities.
But the ultimate stage of Avidyā is to assume that we are the Masters, not Īśvara.”
T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 5

“The ten senses or Das Indriya are the gateways
between our inner and the outer experiences,
in the twin roads of the worldly phenomena
that we call sensory knowing or bodily action.
The five senses that transport knowing from
the outer to the inner are called the Jñāna Indriya,
or the senses through which we perceive the world.
The five senses that transport action from
the inner to the outer are called the Karma Indriya,
or the senses through which we act out into the world.
The coordinator of this remarkable interface is Manas,
often referred to as the eleventh sense or internal organ.
The identifier in this remarkable process is Ahaṃkāra.
The discerner in this remarkable trinity is Buddhi.
The source of perception within this remarkable play
of knowing and action is known as Cit or Puruṣa.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 54

“The movement of life is a pilgrimage of the body
and cannot be accomplished without action.”
– TKV Desikachar on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Three verse 8

‎”Use Āsana for problems of the body and
Prāṇāyāma for problems of the mind.”
– T Krishnamacharya

“Just because a person is not practicing Dhyāna,
but only Āsana,
we cannot say he is not practicing Yoga.
In a body, each limb belongs to the body.
Similarly, practice of Āsana is indeed
practice of Yoga to that extent.”
– T Krishnamacharya 1984

“If we are doing Āsana and the mind continues to wander,
we are not doing the Āsana, only our bodies are doing them.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Seven Page 91

“Some standing postures develop the legs, such as Ardha Utkaṭāsana (half squat).
This posture is like weight lifting.
Other postures like Vīrabhadrāsana (standing,
bending backward with one knee bent) will also help.
The principle is we must bring action to the area of the body we wish to improve.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Seven Page 106-7

“While we use the breath for the body in Āsana,
in Prāṇāyāma we accept the posture and forget the body.
The only requirement is that we must be comfortable and keep our backs straight.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Nine Page 117

“What we are trying to do in the  practice of Prāṇāyāma
is to confine more and more Prāṇa within our bodies.
When Prāṇa is not able to enter our bodies,
it is because something is there that should not be.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Ten Page 136

“However, in Āsana attention is divided between the breath and the body movement.
In Āsana we use the breath as the medium of movement to affect the body.
Since our attention is divided between body and breath,
the effect upon Prāṇa will not be as much as in Prāṇāyāma.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Ten Page 138

“This is what I mean by having Prāṇa inside the body.
When this is the case,
a person is not affected by the whims and opinions of others.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Eleven Page 148

“Many people have this problem of maintaining attention during the practice.
You can place your attention on a particular part of the body
but there must be something happening, a movement.
Thats why the best movement is the breath.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘Various Approaches to Yoga’ Chapter Seventeen Page 237

“For Yoga Teachers it is
important to understand
the movement of the mind
as well as of the body.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“There are categories of Sādhana relating to Body, Breath, Senses and mind.”
– TKV Desikachar France August 1983

“Continuing the idea of Śikṣaṇa,
it is possible to put further categories into Sādhana.
It is important,
as often people have little distinction between exercise and Yoga.
According to texts and great masters Sādhana is not just at the body level,
but at the Indriya level, the mind level and possibly even further.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“As teachers we can only confine ourselves
to diseases where we have a role to play.
These are diseases where the mind is involved.
We work with diseases where a relationship
exists between body and mind.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“The body can be underused,
overused and abused, we need to be
aware of what is happening with the body,
but we also need to do something for the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“It is possible to be aware of the state of the mind
by observing the body during an Āsana practice.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“Yoga  is often attributed to Āsana practice alone,
which is only the part of Yoga focusing on the physical body or servicing the body.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The body can be underused, overused and abused,
we need to be aware of what is happening with the body,
but we also need to do something for the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“There are many postures to suit a variety of different body types.
Āsana practice is to prepare the body, to sit for Prāṇāyāma.
Āsana also helps to get rid of impurities
so that it is possible to do something deeper, inside the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“There are simple postures for Prāṇāyāma and Dhyāna,
so that we can relax in the body and not be distracted by it.
There are challenging postures,
to enable us to master our bodies and for young people who
will be engaged by the performance aspect of the posture.
There are also corrective postures.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“It is possible to be aware of the state of the mind
by observing the body during an Āsana practice.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The action of a posture may be delayed
because the student has tried to force the body into a posture.
Never measure something by its immediate effects.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The position of a particular posture in an Āsana practice will change its effect
and will influence a particular part of the body.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The breath involves the spine,
and it brings out changes in
the most vital part of the body.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The practices dealing with the body and the
breath are known as Āsana and Prāṇāyāma.
They are interlinked, in Āsana the body is
the focus and the breath serves this focus.
In Prāṇāyāma the regulation of the breath is the focus,
the body is prepared adequately via Āsana for this
regulation to materialise without any resistance.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1996

“We can really see the weaknesses of a body when a person is becoming tired. Sometimes we have to bring the body to its limits for physical or psychological weaknesses to appear. This need not take a long time; we just have to put the person in an unusual position.
Someone who can easily sit in Daṇḍāsana, for example, could be asked to lean backward. Someone who can do Utkāṭāsana could be asked to squat with one foot slightly in front of the other, comparing the two sides.
Breathing can also be used. It is possible to save time by asking someone to add special breathing requirements to their Āsana. They will be concerned about these and problems in the body may appear faster. For example repeating Uttānāsana twelve times with a 15″ inhale.”
– TKV Desikachar

“Preventive health is a self-discipline and only a minority
seeks Yoga as a preventive measure to prevent illness.
Most people seem to seek Yoga only for therapy.
But it must be remembered that the essence of Yoga is discipline.
Essentially it is the discipline of the body,
it is the discipline of the mind and
it is also the discipline of the spirit.
But prevention does not interest people
even though it is of obvious importance.
People get interested only when they are in trouble.
So we now need to develop strategies
using the salient principles of Yoga practice,
so that it can be adapted to people with specific problems.”
YOGA: SURGERY SANS INSTRUMENTS
– Interview with TKV Desikachar from ‘The Hindu’ 1998

“It is clear that no examination of the body will reveal Cakra. The ancients knew this well and my father often repeated it. The system of Cakra is a subtle vision of the Yogi, in accordance with his own personal experience. For this reason there are different descriptions.
If we want to concern ourselves with the Cakra, we must accept them and recognise them in this way. This is why it is a waste of time to argue about it, as people tend to do these days. Why does it matter if this or that Cakra is one or two centimetres higher or lower, if it is vertical or horizontal, blue or green.
On the contrary, it is a question of showing that we are concerned with particular inner images and to avoid this ridiculous situation of having useless arguments.”
– ‘Concerning the Cakra’ by TKV Desikachar

“Making the Breath longer than the Stillness
means the body needs to be completely still
before the Recaka or Exhale is started
and especially before it is stopped.
Equally the body needs to be completely
still before the Pūraka or inhale is started
and especially before it is stopped.
This is harder than it sounds given the
propensity to want to tweak or adjust
the body at the beginning and especially
when at the end of a movement.
Thus making the Breath longer than
the Movement also means making
the breath longer than the Stillness.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“The Length of the Breath
sets the Speed for the
Movement of the Body.
Rather than the Movement
of  the Body setting
the Speed for the
Length for the Breath.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“Just because you can perform a posture,
doesn’t automatically mean you can
experience the posture as an Āsana.
To experience a posture as an Āsana
implies some other factors are involved.
Such as how to facilitate a decreasing
resistance within the confines of the body,
and integrating a transcendent involvement
with the mystery of what is beyond the body.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“To experience the intention behind
the Bandha, the body must be prepared.
For example if the pulse remains increased
after their use, it is an indicator that we are not ready.
If excessive tension is felt in the areas where they are used,
then an indicator that we are not ready for Bandha in Mahāmudrā.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“When using Mṛgi Mudrā to control the nostril flow in Prāṇāyāma,
the ring finger and thumb remain as if glued onto the nostrils,
with one nostril being fully closed and one nostril partially closed,
with adjustments to the pressure according to technique and ratio.
Even when using Ujjāyī within techniques such as Anuloma Ujjāyī,
the finger and thumb remain as if sealed on the sides of the nostrils.
Externally it’s as if there is nothing to observe in terms of the body.
Internally there is a vibrant flow within the dynamics of the breath.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“In the beginning, Ujjāyī is experienced more as a sound.
As we refine its relationship with the breath, through
increasing the Length and deepening the Subtlety,
Ujjāyī is felt more as a sensation within the body
and less as a sound and vibration in the throat.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“Nyāsa –
The Art of drawing the Mantra into the Heart through the Body.”
– 108 Chanting Practice Pointers

“Āsana is an interface between the body
and the systemic energy processes.
Prāṇāyāma is an interface between the
systemic energy processes and the psyche.
Dhyāna is an interface between the psyche
and the awareness that pervades our sense of being.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Yoga is more about exploring
the movement of the mind, whilst
Āsana is more about exploring
the movement of the body.
The vehicle common to exploring both
is the movement of the breath.
The yoking of all three is towards the goal of
experiencing the source of all movement.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Is it a misdirection within Āsana from talking
about effects on the body as if on the spine?
Thus too much focus on talking about effects on the body
and not enough on looking at the actual effects on the spine?”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Constancy of the body
reveals the inconstancy of the breath.
Constancy of the body and breath
reveals the inconstancy of the mind.
Constancy of the body, breath and mind
reveals the constancy of awareness.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“According to the teachings of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar,
Āsana involves extending the length of the breath beyond the body,
rather than the extending of the body beyond the length of the breath.
The purpose is to facilitate the field of Prāṇa accumulating in its intensity.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“In Āsana the emphasis is
more on Body, Breath, Mind.
In Prāṇāyāma the emphasis is
more on Breath, Mind, Body.
In Dhyānam the emphasis is
more on Mind, Breath, Body.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Energetically, in terms of Prāna
and Cakra, we seek to expand
and lengthen the upper part of
the body above the diaphragm.
Energetically, in terms of Apāna
and Cakra, we seek to reduce
and shorten the lower part of
the body below the diaphragm.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“In Āsana the breath is
a mirror for the body.
In Prāṇāyāma the breath
is a mirror for the mind.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

General Guidelines for Choosing Āsana:
“Most of the Āsana are not close
to the postures of the body we use
in our daily life and its activities.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

General Guidelines for Choosing Āsana:
“The body undergoes many changes
and then there are many influences on it
through oneʼs work, interests and otherwise.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

General Guidelines for Choosing Āsana:
“It can be said no human body is perfect.
As such there are definitely certain
vulnerable parts and some strong aspects.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

General Guidelines for Choosing Āsana:
“When the body gets used to certain things,
less awareness about them seems to happen.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

General Guidelines for Choosing Āsana:
“There is also a restrictive
fight-flight-freeze response
which, in no time, can change
the physiology of the body.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

General Guidelines for Choosing Āsana:
“Consider, the Physiological, Energetic
and Psychological aspects of practice.
Perhaps exploring intended learning
outcomes across five areas that practice
can enable us to interact with, namely the
Body, Spine, Breath, Mind and Emotions.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Relating these two types of activity,
dynamic movement in Āsana is the initial way
of assessing what is what in the body,
in the breath and in the mind.
Furthermore, you can’t just press a button and
get into and out of an Āsana, you have to move.
So there is a starting point in learning the practice of Āsana.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Linking Dynamic and Static Āsana within a Vinyāsa Krama.
In this respect the application of the principles of
both dynamic and static work, when planning for
Āsana practice, allows for a more efficient use of
the body and respect for the variables such as
time of day, time of year, time of life, preceding
or following activities, the length of practice,
the role of practice, our practice needs, etc.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Consequently in looking at the principles
of working with dynamic and static,
we must consider the following:
– The Lakṣaṇa of the chosen Āsana
– The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s body
– The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s breath
– The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s mind
– The Vinyāsa Krama to link the Āsana
with the practitioner’s individual
body, breath and mind.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Furthermore, the consideration of movement
or stasis sits within a relationship to the
deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
through the body and the breath, to the mind
and beyond, through considerations such as:
In relation to the dual concepts of Sthira and Sukham.
Dynamic can be too much effort, as in overly Sthira,
and Static can be too relaxing, as in overly Sukham.
Thus, the use of movement and stasis in Āsana needs
to consider how to correlate these two qualities, namely
that of steady attentiveness with that of spacious clarity.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Furthermore, the consideration of movement
or stasis sits within a relationship to the
deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
through the body and the breath, to the mind
and beyond, through considerations such as:
In relation to the fluctuations of the Guṇa.
Ideally, dynamic work is a state of still movement,
rather than a state of active movement, as in Rajas.
Equally, static work is a state of bright stasis,
rather than a state of dull stasis, as in Tamas.
Thus, in relation to the Guṇa, the application
of both movement and stasis in Āsana need to be
appropriately supported by a quality of Sattva.
As in a quality of stillness within dynamic work
and a quality of brightness within static work.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Furthermore, the consideration of movement
or stasis sits within a relationship to the
deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
through the body and the breath, to the mind
and beyond, through considerations such as:
In relation to the concepts of Dhāraṇā and Dhyānam.
Dynamic is the effort to move the activities of the mind,
as well as of the body, in one direction as in Dhāraṇā.
The observations from dynamic work also allow us to see
the role or appropriateness or subtlety of static work.
Here static can be considered as the holding of the mind,
as well as of the body, in one direction as in Dhyānam.
As Dhāraṇā precedes Dhyānam in terms of directing the
activities of the mind, so dynamic work precedes static
work in terms of directing the activities of the body.
So, the quality of the attention within the mind, as well
as the body, is important in helping us to experience the
progressive interrelationship between movement and stasis.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Finally, the consideration of movement
or stasis sits within a relationship to the
deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
through the body and the breath, to the mind
and beyond, through considerations such as:
In relation to the psychological ideal of remaining there.
According to the definition in  Chapter Three verse 2 of
the Yoga Sūtra, a continuity of psychic activity is the ideal.
This is seen as the ability to stay, as if in the same moment, as
one moment melds into the next moment and the next moment.
In other words, the ability to internally maintain a continuity of
experience as if maintaining an apparent stillness of movement.
Access to such subtle states requires a containment of movement
that ultimately extends from the body to the breath to the mind.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Voluntary Efforts and Involuntary Effects in an Āsana Practice
“Thus, this means these effects can also apply to our
attitudes whilst working habitually in a particular Āsana.
For example, an involuntary response as a result of memory.
So we can have a blindness, in that we are unaware of the
position of the arms, legs, or body, as well as in our attitude.
Thus, we need to at least apply movements voluntarily
in our efforts to influence the qualities of the Āsana.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

A third factor, that of Respect for Responses
“Āsana are not automatic but can become so.
The inevitability of voluntary actions is that we
get used to them and they become involuntary.
With this, the risk factor is increased as well.
So what is voluntary and what is involuntary is
completely different when there is a ‘new’ response.
However, such a response needs to be linked to
something deeper than just merely a ‘tweaking’,
or ‘inventive’ variation within the form of the body.
Given, that in Yoga the breath is that which gives life.
By cultivating a role for, and the purpose of the breath,
we are creating and re-creating a situation for, not just new,
but also more subtle responses to occur and reoccur.
Within this field for enhancing awareness,
through our relationship with the breath,
the risk factor is reduced as well.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

We must also consider the safety factors
“Along with creating a situation for ‘new’ responses to occur,
any guidelines must also consider the safety factor.
This is helped by being able to distinguish characteristics
between say Bhujaṅgāsana and Paścimatānāsana.
Thus an elementary knowledge of what happens
in the body is required, along with consideration
of prerequisites and appropriate Pratikriyāsana.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

The element of compromise in the body
“Working with safety factors brings
in another factor to consider.
This is the element of compromise in the body.
This is often something you don’t see.
For example, an involuntary movement
of the head in Sarvāṅgāsana.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

The element of compromise in the body
“Thus, the body tells us something but,
we are not always aware of what it is.
This can be the result of factors in one’s life.
For example, age, profession, activities.
And, as said, it can often show in ways we cannot see.
For example, position of feet, tension in face,
position of hands, angle of shoulders, angle of arms.
So we must respect our limitations as well as our assets.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

The element of compromise in the body
“This also applies that, as a teacher,
we should be aware of the student’s limitations.
These are variables according to the person,
as well as the climate, the environment, etc.
They are not constant and neither are the effects.
This compromise can react in many ways.
For example:
You put your mind in one place during
an Āsana, the body compensates
and places the escape elsewhere.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

The element of compromise in the body
“It is usually the teacher that initially
observes the escape, rather than the
area of the body where the mind is.
This is another example of an
involuntary, as in unconscious, response
to a voluntary, as in conscious, movement.
Thus, for example, in Āsana what we try
to do can have different responses:
Such as what we want to happen,
and  what we don’t want to happen.
If voluntary intentions produce
involuntary responses, then you can
lose touch with what is happening.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

“Containing the Body,
or Kāya Nirodha
doesn’t always imply that…
you can contain the Breath.
Containing the Breath,
or Prāṇa Nirodha
doesn’t always imply that…
you can contain the Mind.
Containing the Mind
or Mano Vṛtti Nirodha.
doesn’t always imply that…
you can contain the Psyche.
Containing the Psyche,
or Citta Vṛtti Nirodha
doesn’t always imply that…”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“The principles of Cikitsā, Rakṣaṇa and Śikṣaṇa Krama
are more applicable to the ‘mindset’ of a person,
rather than looking through the ‘fitness’ of their body.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

Links to Related Posts:

• Āsana is not just another form of exercise……
• Can we find some similar characteristics between various individuals around Āsana practice…
• Finding your starting point within Āsana to set a direction and route towards a goal…
• Know your breath and its unique characteristics in Āsana and you will……
• Physiological and psychological considerations around the practitioner’s starting point…
• Question to Krishnamacharya – “Can you explain the concept of Vinyāsa and Pratikriyā Āsana?”
• Sound – A Means Beyond Āsana and Prāṇāyāma……
• The breath can be a key to unlocking the mystery of the relationship……
• The presence and actions of Prāṇa Śakti……..
• The Viniyoga of Āsana – Planning an Appropriate Āsana Practice
• The Viniyoga of Inversion as an Āsana or as a Mudrā……
• Yoga Practice is about a re-turning towards our inner life……