Links to Related Resources & Longer Articles:

• Learning Support for Chanting the Long Version of Mā Aham
• Pañca Maya – The five aspects of Being Human…
• Reflections on TKV Desikachar’s Teaching and Svatantra……
• TKV Desikachar talks on Śraddhā in the light of the Yoga Sūtra……

Collated Related Short Posts & Quotes:

“In Sūtra 1.31 Patañjali suggests that the distractions
have symptomatic companions that will manifest
within different dimensions of our being. Namely,
emotionally, mentally, energetically or physically
A question is, through which aspect of our being
do the accompanying symptoms manifest for you,
emotionally, mentally, energetically or physically?
Also, how do these four symptomatic manifestations
correlate for you in terms of the cause and the effect?
Such as in an emotional symptom triggering an
emotional effect? Or, an emotional symptom
triggering an energetic effect? Or, an energetic
symptom triggering a mental effect. Or, a mental
symptom triggering a physical effect. And so on….
Furthermore, what are the ways that you can
intentionally or unintentionally support their
presence and short term and long term influence?
In other words, how do we ‘as if’ feed their presence?”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 31

“Our continued effort
with the breath in Āsana
is that which helps to enliven
our various levels of interaction
with our inner and outer worlds as
expressed through the Pañca Maya.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 47

“In observation, try to go from Annamaya to the deeper levels.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1987

“In other situations,
I may use teachings from the Upaniṣad
to define certain aspects of a human being,
like the one about the five aspects of a human being, Maya.
This proves very useful to highlight specific aspects of Yoga
like the Yama and Niyama, etc.
When I must explain the Guṇa,
I cannot avoid referring to the teachings of Sāṃkhya,
which first mentioned this subject.
I often use ideas derived from the Bhagavad Gītā,
but I am not mistaking this teaching with Patañjali‘s.
In short,
I don’t hesitate to make use of any valid source
which helps me to explain, or to clarify a Yoga teaching,
provided I know where it comes from and of which system it is part.”
– Extract from an interview with TKV Desikachar on Vedic Chanting

“Freedom of movement within the Annamaya
does not presume freedom of movement within the Prāṇamaya.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“What does reflecting on our relationship with Annamaya reveal?”
– Taittirīya Upaniṣad Chapter Three Bhṛguvallī verse 1
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“What does reflecting on our relationship with Prāṇamaya reveal?”
– Taittirīya Upaniṣad Chapter Three Bhṛguvallī verse 2
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“What does reflecting on our relationship with Manomaya reveal?
In other words what relationship do we have with our Saṃskāra or habitual patterns?”
– Taittirīya Upaniṣad Chapter Three Bhṛguvallī verse 3
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“The ancient model of the Pañca Maya from the
Taittirīya Upaniṣad can be used as a skillful
therapeutic paradigm in terms of its view of
five aspects of the human beingness as Physical,
Energetic, Mental, Personality and Emotional.
Though we can apply this paradigm within
the Western medical models for disease,
it’s associative roots are found within the
common energetic principles underpinning
Haṭha Yoga and Āyurveda and the psychological
principles inherent within the Yoga Sutra.
The Viniyoga of Yoga approach explores the
potentials of the Pañca Maya, by applying
these principles as diagnostic & prognostic
tools, in terms of recovery, lifestyle support
or developmental modalities. All of which is
framed within a wider consideration of a person’s
starting point, potential and personal goals.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

“I feel T Krishnamacharya’s unique skills lay not just in contexting ancient Yoga teachings for adult students, or utilising both traditional and contemporary postural related resources to craft multiformed Āsana synthesises for youngsters.
They were in what was collectively grouped by TKV Desikachar as Viniyoga from 1983, as a response to requests from his senior Western students on how to describe this personalised application of Yoga teaching, as taught to him by T Krishnamacharya.
This collective name, Viniyoga, was coined by TKV Desikachar to help describe a process for the personalised application of the methodology within the teaching of Yoga, through a precise developmental progression uniquely geared to an individual student according to their stories, each with its own aims. needs, abilities and interests.
Of course, this also presumed that the teacher themselves had directly experienced this as a process, firstly as a student, then if appropriate as an apprentice teacher. Otherwise, how else can we be equipped as, what might be termed, a full spectrum “Viniyoga of Yoga” Practitioner, to personally transmit this experiential process directly and cohesively across the generations.
Thus, the use of the term the Viniyoga of Yoga became an Upāya for Desikachar to collectively describe this personalised application of Yoga teachings arising from his own personal 27 year one-to-one study with his teacher Śrī T Krishnamacharya.
For me, this was his greatest strength and finest grace, with its potential to empower each individual student towards a profound experience of what is Yoga both within and beyond their own unique Pañca Maya matrix.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers