Beyond the Personality of Pain!

Dear Sanga,

As we arrive at this sacred Śani Amāvāsya, I find myself reflecting deeply on healing, awakening, and the difficult responsibility of becoming truly honest with ourselves.

This new moon carries a powerful symbolism. In the Vedic tradition, Śani — Saturn — is not merely a force of hardship, but a teacher of truth, responsibility, humility, and inner maturity. Amāvāsya, the dark moon, invites us inward, into the quieter and often uncomfortable spaces within ourselves. Together, they create a moment that asks us not simply to suffer, but to awaken through what we suffer.

Many of us carry wounds from the past. Some were created through rejection, betrayal, abandonment, misunderstanding, or pain we never deserved. And it is important to acknowledge this compassionately: we are not always responsible for the hurts we have received.

But healing from them — that is our responsibility.

One of the hardest truths I have had to learn in my own life is that suffering can quietly become part of our identity. We build a personality around our pain. We begin to construct an ego around our wounds. We defend them. Protect them. Justify them. Eventually, we no longer simply carry pain — we become organised around it.

And this hardened ego slowly blocks the very light that is trying to enter us.

I say this not as someone standing above the struggle, but as someone who has wrestled with it personally. There were periods in my own life where I remained trapped inside my own hurt, believing that clarity would come only if others changed, apologised, or understood me differently. But healing truly began only when something within me softened. I slowly realised that regardless of who caused the wound, it was still my responsibility to heal it.

That softening changed everything.

Śani Amāvāsya reminds us that transformation often begins precisely there — when the ego softens enough for truth and light to shine through. Saturn slows us down so we can finally see clearly. What initially feels like restriction may actually be grace asking us to become conscious.

Perhaps this new moon is not asking us to become perfect.
Perhaps it is simply asking us to stop hiding behind our pain.

May this sacred night become a turning point toward healing, responsibility, humility, and awakening. May we have the courage to loosen the grip of old identities and allow light to enter the places that have remained closed for too long. And I conclude with a gentle reminder again that our wounds may not be our fault. But their healing is our responsibility!

Namaste!

Dr Kausthub Desikachar, PhD
The Viniyoga Tradition

16 May 2026 (Śani Amāvāsya)

Scroll below to see our special new moon offer on the upcoming Viniyoga Therapy Training - EU Batch 2026.

Peace in Times of Conflict

A Yoga & Buddhism peace event

This past week in Hayama, Dr Desikachar and Reverend Issho Fujita, senior Buddhist monk of the Sōtō Zen tradition, led a deeply meaningful workshop centred around the theme “Peace in Times of Conflict – How Yoga and Buddhism remind us to anchor in the heart.”

Bringing together practitioners from both traditions, the gathering created a beautiful space for reflection, connection, and open dialogue. In times increasingly marked by division and uncertainty, the workshop served as a powerful reminder of the importance of presence, compassion, and coming back to the heart.

Hosted at Reverend Issho Fujita's beautiful venue in Hayama, the event embodied the spirit of unity, mindfulness, and shared humanity.

Mantra | Śrī Navagraha Śani Gāyatrī Mantra

Śrī Śani (Saturn) is the servant in astrology. He represents hard work, sorrow, old men, servants and the lower-level workers, people in the iron and steel industry, municipality and drainage work. He is a turbulent and troublesome god who makes and breaks fortunes by his influence and position in the planetary system, for which he is invariably feared and especially worshipped by those who believe in Hindu astrology. He is generally shown with four hands riding upon a crow.

Śani is the personification of hard work and labour within us, without which nothing can be achieved in this world. He gives us the capacity to devote all our efforts to pursuing our goals. It gives us the capacity to digest or tolerate a lot of physical pain and mental suffering. In adverse conditions, Saturn helps a native face life with less difficulty.

Listen to this chant six times, once in the morning and once in the afternoon and benefit from the power of Venus. You can listen to the chant twelve times, twice a day on Saturdays.

Viniyoga Therapy Training: A Global path of healing and learning

Viniyoga Therapy is a deeply personalised and holistic approach to healing that adapts yoga practices to the unique needs, abilities, and life circumstances of each individual. Rooted in the teachings of Yogācārya T. Krishnamacharya, it combines breath, movement, mindful observation, and therapeutic application to support physical, emotional, and mental well-being in an integrated way.

The Viniyoga Therapy Training is designed for those who wish to deepen their understanding of yoga as a therapeutic discipline and develop the skills to guide others with clarity, compassion, and care. More than simply a professional training, it is a transformative journey that invites students into a profound process of learning, self-inquiry, and service.

SPECIAL NEW MOON OFFER: All Participants who register and confirm their place before 20 May 2026 will receive an author-signed copy of one of the training’s core textbooks. To benefit from this special offer, you can SIGN UP HERE»

Throughout this intensive programme, trainees explore the therapeutic dimensions of Yoga and learn how to support others in processes of healing, self-discovery, and empowerment. The training also encourages each participant to cultivate their own strengths, sensitivity, and authenticity as future practitioners and healers.

What continues to make this training especially meaningful is the growing international community surrounding it. Across the world, students from diverse backgrounds are coming together to study and practice Viniyoga Therapy. Recent and ongoing trainings have taken place in Hungary, Brussels, Italy, and England, while programmes in South Korea, Japan, and New Zealand reflect the truly global reach of this living tradition.

This expanding network of practitioners highlights the universal relevance of Viniyoga Therapy and its ability to meet people across cultures, experiences, and stages of life with depth and accessibility.

Applications are already open for the upcoming EU Batch in Brussels beginning in summer 2026 — an opportunity to join a dedicated international sangha committed to learning, healing, and meaningful transformation. There are a limited number of spots remaining, so don’t wait too long to be part of this magical training.

We warmly invite you to take the next step on this path.

Brussels Batch 2026-2029 INFOS and registration »>

Pilgrimage of Sound January 2027

International Viniyoga Conference · January 2027

In January 2027, the International Viniyoga Conference returns with Pilgrimage of Sound, a gathering dedicated to practice, connection, and the living transmission of tradition through sound and shared experience.

Taking place over one week, this special event invites practitioners from around the world to come together in an atmosphere of reflection, study, and community. Whether arriving from the winter stillness of the northern hemisphere or the expansive energy of summer in the south, participants are offered a rare opportunity to pause, reconnect, and immerse themselves in meaningful practice.

This edition of the conference holds particular significance as it honours the 80th birthday of Mrs Menaka Desikachar, the seniormost Viniyoga teacher today. A direct student of Yogācārya T. Krishnamacharya and longtime student of T.K.V. Desikachar, her life and teaching continue to embody the depth and continuity of this tradition.

Centered around the transformative role of chanting and mantra, Pilgrimage of Sound explores how vibration, rhythm, and attentive listening can support healing, meditation, and inner inquiry. Through lectures, chanting sessions, group practices, and meditative exploration, participants will experience sound as a profound bridge between body, breath, mind, and heart.

The conference will begin with a three-day pre-conference immersion from 18–20 January 2027, led by Mrs Menaka Desikachar and Dr Kausthub Desikachar for advanced and long-term practitioners, followed by the main conference from 21–24 January 2027. Senior teachers from across the global Viniyoga community will join the faculty, offering diverse perspectives rooted in a shared lineage and tradition.

Beyond the teachings themselves, the gathering offers a chance to connect with an international sangha, cultivate meaningful relationships, and retreat into a peaceful environment that supports both inner healing and deep restoration.

Click here for more information>