Dear Students,

As we continue our journey together, I want to share a reflection that feels especially important right now—one about where real growth happens and why discernment is essential on the spiritual path.

There is an old, quiet lesson hidden in ordinary life. A man who marries a beautiful woman and a farmer who plants corn by the roadside face the same reality: anything visible attracts attention, and not all attention is benevolent. What is admired can be envied. What is accessible can be interfered with. This is not pessimism—it is awareness.

Spiritual potential works the same way. The most powerful transformations do not announce themselves. They take root in silence, in darkness, in spaces protected from constant observation. Seeds do not sprout because they are seen; they sprout because they are sheltered long enough to grow strong. The world does not destroy what is hidden—it destroys what is unguarded.

This brings me to a necessary caution for our times. Those who loudly advertise their so-called enlightenment, flaunting insights, experiences, and “awakening” online should be approached with caution. True wisdom does not crave applause. It does not need constant validation. When spirituality becomes a performance, it is often the ego—subtle, polished, and well-dressed—asking to be admired. Depth seeks responsibility, not followers.

I share this not only as guidance, but from lived experience. There was a time when I openly shared my path with both students and the public. Instead of understanding, it attracted envy, distortion, and deliberate attempts to ruin my life. That period was painful, humbling, and transformative. Yet through it all, God’s steady hand guided me, and suffering became my teacher. From that fire came clarity, restraint, and a profound respect for what must be protected.

This is why Yoga has always preserved its most precious teachings for those willing to make sacrifices to receive them. Sacrifice strengthens the vessel. If the smallest sacrifices feel unbearable, it is worth asking whether one is ready to hold real wisdom.

Honour what is growing within you. Protect it. Tend it quietly. Let it mature in darkness, so that when it emerges, it does so with strength, humility, and truth.

Namaste!

Dr Kaustubha Desikachar, M.Sc, M.M.S & Ph.D

The Viniyoga Tradition

Full Moon Day, 01 Feb 2026

What’s New in the Viniyoga Community

January 2026

January has been an exceptionally rich and heart-opening month for the Viniyoga community. Two major events brought practitioners together in ways that felt profound, serene, and deeply insightful.

First, the International Viniyoga Mahāmudrā Retreat took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 12–18 January 2026. Led by Dr Kausthub Desikachar, this retreat explored Mahāmudrā not merely as a posture or gesture but as a philosophical and spiritual practice rooted in the classical Viniyoga tradition. A practice that holds a sacred place in yogic wisdom and invites practitioners to engage the transformative power of breath, bandha, and subtle awareness. Participants had the rare opportunity to study the meticulous technique and nuanced applications of Mahāmudrā in an immersive retreat format, alongside fellow yogins from around the world, in the beautiful and peaceful setting of Horizon Village in Chiang Mai.

Shortly after, the Yoga Psychology Training — Module 2 also gathered in Chiang Mai as part of the broader hybrid training running 2025–2027. This segment of the training focused on deepening students’ understanding of the mind through the lens of yogic psychology. A perspective that weaves ancient teachings with modern insights into how we experience and transform inner patterns. Offline in Thailand, participants engaged in practices and reflections that bring yoga’s subtle understanding of mind, breath, and self into daily life and professional experience.

The Yoga Psychology Training, conceived and led by Dr Kausthub Desikchar, is a unique exploration of the human mind through the lens of Yoga. This immersive, practical program provides an in-depth understanding of the mind, revealing Yoga as the world's first system of psychology.

More than an academic study, this training is a spiritual apprenticeship. Participants not only learn philosophical principles of the mind, but are also guided on a deep journey of personal and spiritual transformation through the holistic approach of Viniyoga.

Discover the detailed program here: www.viniyoga.com.sg/yoga-psychology-training

If you’d like to join the next batch, DM us or email [email protected] to be placed on the waiting list.

Though we can only share glimpses through the beautiful pictures Dr Kausthub Desikachar captured during these two events—quiet moments of practice, thoughtful engagement, and collective immersion —it’s clear these gatherings offered a powerful combination of depth and serenity. Whether rooted in philosophical inquiry, embodied practice, or openhearted community, these courses invited everyone present to go deeper into themselves, the teachings, and into one another.

You can view many of the fantastic pictorial souvenirs on our Instagram page here>

Looking ahead, modules and courses continue through the year, so keep an eye out for more opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together in the Viniyoga tradition.

MARK THE DATES!

PILGRIMAGE OF SOUND!
18 - 24 January 2027

THE VINIYOGA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE!
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

We are delighted (and, truth be told, a little thrilled) to announce our next biannual international conference in January 2027—this time in the enchanting city of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Titled “Pilgrimage of Sound,” this conference will unfold within a serene resort whose practice spaces sit gently inside a lush botanical garden. It’s the kind of place that seems designed for reflection, conversation, chanting, learning, and the occasional quiet moment of awe.

This gathering is an invitation to step deeply into the living tradition of Viniyoga as transmitted through Yogācārya T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar. And it will be especially meaningful for one beautiful reason: we will come together to celebrate the 80th birthday of Śrī Menaka Desikachar.

Menaka Desikachar is the seniormost living teacher in the Viniyoga lineage today. For decades, she has carried the tradition forward with grace, clarity, and quiet strength—most profoundly through her teaching of Vedic chanting, which has touched students across continents. Her presence is not simply symbolic of the lineage; it is the lineage, alive and breathing. This conference offers a rare opportunity for our global community to gather in gratitude, to honour her life, her work, and her extraordinary 80 years.

We are also delighted that many senior Viniyoga faculty from around the world have already confirmed their participation. Their presence promises an event rich in learning, shared wisdom, and heartfelt exchange.

This event is open to all, and we warmly encourage our students and teachers to invite their students, friends, and the wider community to join us for this special gathering.

Beyond the teachings, this will be a rare opportunity to meet fellow practitioners and teachers from around the world, build friendships within the tradition, and explore how Viniyoga is understood and practised across cultures. A true international meeting of minds, voices, and hearts.

The conference will be held 21–24 January 2027, with a special pre-conference program from 18–20 January 2027.

Do mark your calendars and keep these dates close. More details will be shared soon (most likely in the next newsletter), so you can begin planning your travel. We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a deeply meaningful, joyful, and unforgettable gathering.

More information will be available soon at www.viniyoga.com.sg.

His Master’s Voice | Patañjali's Yogasūtra

Yogasūtra II.19 - viśeṣa-aviśeṣa-liiṅga-mātra-aliṅgāni guṇa-parvāṇi

Does the seen exist only in one form?

The [seen takes various forms owing to the] different levels of the Guṇa-s - specific, non-specific, potent and non-potent.

Patañjali continues to show how Sāṁkhya philosophy is so essential to understand Yoga philosophy. In Sāṁkhya, Prakṛti is described as taking the form of twenty-four Tattva-s (realities), based on the state of mutation, which is in turn dependent on the Guṇa-s. These twenty-four Tattva-s are categorised under four levels of mutation. They are presented below:

1. Aliṅga (non-potent): The most subtle state of matter is its impotent state. This is when it exists as Mūla-prakṛti, original nature. Matter has not yet mutated and this is why sometimes it is called Avyakta (unmanifest). In this state, it does not yet have a relationship with Puruṣa, the Seer.

2. Liṅga (potent): The second state is called the potent state, when it has mutated, because of its connection to the Seer, into Mahat (the great one) or Buddhi (the intelligent one). Because it has mutated, this state is called Vyakta (manifest).

3. Aviśeṣa (non-specific): Based on the awareness gained from Puruña, matter mutates further and forms the Ahaṁkāra (ego) and Tanmātra-s (fundamental matter), which are together called Aviśeṣa (non-specific). They are called this because they have not yet completed their evolution.

4. Viśeṣa (specific): Finally, when the mutations have completed and they are in their final form and function, they are called Viśeṣa, the specific.

The Seer has a relationship with the seen, not just in the final stage of evolution, but also before that. However, we don’t remember those earlier stages of mutation. This often causes suffering, as many patterns and identities are established in these earlier stages and so often remain in our subconscious for a long time.

Excerpt from Truth Unclouded by TKV Desikachar & Dr Kausthub Desikachar

Listen to an audio explaining this aphorism:» Click the Play button below

Thank You, New Zealand!

When Grace Interrupts Our Plans

Article by Dr Kausthub Desikachar, PhD

A Life Continues to Unfold

In the first part of this series, we explored the foundations of TKV Desikachar’s life—his lineage, the world into which he was born, and the powerful presence of his father, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. This second article turns to a quieter, yet decisive, turning point. Not a moment marked by dramatic proclamation or deliberate ambition, but a simple encounter that gently, and irrevocably, redirected the course of his life.

Often, life does not speak to us through grand events. It speaks through interruptions—through moments that arrive unannounced, disturb our carefully laid plans, and ask something uncomfortable of us. These moments rarely appear important when they occur. Their significance reveals itself only when we are willing to pause, notice, and respond. This is the story of one such moment—an encounter that carried within it the unmistakable weight of grace.

A Childhood Like Any Other, and One That Was Not

Desikachar’s childhood was, in many respects, entirely ordinary. Growing up in India in the 1940s and 50s, he went to school, played endlessly with friends, climbed coconut trees, and stole jackfruit from a neighbour’s garden. He loved hiking up Chamundi Hill and, like many boys his age, delighted in mischief. One of his favourite pranks involved placing a freshly fried vada on a teacher’s chair and waiting for the inevitable reaction.

His father had little tolerance for such behaviour. Discipline and seriousness were central to Krishnamacharya’s nature. Order, precision, and responsibility shaped his worldview, and frivolity rarely escaped correction. Yet Desikachar was often spared the harshest consequences through the quiet interventions of his mother, Namagiriammal, whose presence softened the sharp edges of household discipline. She understood intuitively that growth requires both firmness and compassion.

What truly set Desikachar apart from other children was….

You may read the full article here>

NEW TRAININGS STARTING IN 2026!

As January continues, a month of intentions, beginnings, and wholehearted resolutions, it is a perfect time to consider how you want to learn, grow, and transform this year. If you are looking for deeper study and sustained development in yoga, the Viniyoga long-term trainings offer structured and supportive pathways that unfold over time and across inspiring locations.

This includes the immersive Viniyoga Therapy Training in Brussels, Belgium (https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/therapy-training-eu-2026) and in South Korea (https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/therapy-training-korea-2026), multi-year programs designed to explore yoga as a holistic healing and self-empowering discipline through body, breath, mind, and spirit.

These are ideal for a sincere seeker with an intelligent mind and a strong heart! So be bold and step into this journey of wisdom!

Whether your interest is in therapeutic work, mind-body psychology, or traditional Viniyoga practice, these trainings, offered through in-person modules and ongoing learning, provide meaningful opportunities to deepen your understanding and bring lasting transformation into your life and practice.

Discover the full range of offerings and find the path that calls to you at https://www.viniyoga.com.sg