Under the Guru’s Moon!

A Journey of Gratitude and Grace 🙏

Dear Friends,

Namaste!

This full moon is particularly special to me—it is the first one I witness in my fifties, and it coincides with Guru Pūrṇimā, a sacred occasion to honor our teachers. My heart overflows with gratitude as I reflect upon the countless blessings bestowed upon me by my revered gurus.

I offer my most profound respects to my primary teacher, my father, Śrī TKV Desikachar, who illuminated my path with profound wisdom and compassion. To my grandfather, the legendary Yogācārya Śrī T Krishnamacharya, whose timeless teachings continue to shape my journey, I bow with reverence. I am also profoundly grateful to my current Ācārya, His Holiness Śrī Abhinava Vāgīṣa Brahmatantra Svatantra Parakāla Svāmi Mahā Deśika, the esteemed head of the Parkālamaṭha of Mysuru, for his guidance that transcends words. Equally, I acknowledge with gratitude Śrī Padmanābhācārya, whose subtle yet powerful teachings have deeply enriched my understanding.

On this auspicious day, I am reminded that when the student is truly ready, the teacher appears in myriad forms, perfectly orchestrated by God’s infinite wisdom. Indeed, life itself becomes the guru, revealing lessons in unexpected ways.

In this spirit, I wish to express my profound gratitude to my beloved daughter, Śraddhā. Over the past four years, she has been one of my greatest teachers, leading me through intense introspection and helping me shed many layers of pride. Her gentle yet powerful lessons have shown me that love is far greater than ego, and that to love deeply is to be transformed each day into a better version of oneself. Thank you, Śraddhā.

My journey is far from over! But the joy is in the journey, and the best it seems is yet to come!

I invite all of you to pause under this luminous full moon and reflect upon the teachers—seen and unseen—who have shaped your lives. May we walk this path with humility, trust, and gratitude for the perfect plan that unfolds before us.

As always, enjoy our newsletter fully! Scroll all the way down for exciting new announcements about our upcoming events!

Namaste and God bless you all!

Guru Pūrṇimā, 10 July 2025

The Fundamentals of Viniyoga

At the end of June, the international Viniyoga community gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to celebrate this beautiful tradition and dive into deep learning together. The highlight of the event was a series of six insightful presentations by Dr. Kausthub Desikachar, which we will be summarising for you in the next few bi-monthly newsletters.

That said, Dr. Kausthub wasn’t the only one to share the stage! We were also fortunate to hear from other remarkable speakers who offered valuable teachings and heartfelt experiences that were truly worth attending. While we won’t be summarising their talks here, we do want to acknowledge the richness they brought to the gathering.

So for those who couldn’t make the trip, don’t worry! Through these newsletters, you’ll still get a taste of the depth and wisdom shared… without the mosquitoes or the jetlag (though, let’s be honest, the journey was absolutely worth it).

Yoga has ancient roots beginning in pre-Vedic India, evolving through Vedic texts, and taking philosophical shape in Patañjali’s Yogasūtra, which remains a cornerstone of the tradition today.

Over time, other important texts like those of Haṭhayoga, the Upaniṣads, and the Yoga Rahasya expanded Yoga’s scope, highlighting its potential for healing, transformation, and devotion.

According to Dr. Kausthub Desikachar, Yoga has four main purposes:

  • To build strength and vitality (Śikṣaṇa)

  • To maintain health (Rakṣaṇa)

  • To support healing (Cikitsā)

  • To guide spiritual transformation (Ādhyātmika)

In the Viniyoga tradition, Yoga is deeply personal, holistic, and non-invasive. It doesn’t offer instant fixes but encourages respectful growth over time. Each person is viewed through five dimensions: body, energy, mind, emotion, and spirit, all influenced by the qualities of nature: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas.

Viniyoga uses a full range of tools not just postures as you may now know but also breathwork, mantra, meditation, and visualization carefully adapted to suit the individual’s context, health, age, and beliefs.

This personalised approach has always been part of tradition: Yoga was historically taught one-on-one, and Viniyoga stays true to this model.

This lineage is living, passed down from Patañjali to Nāthamuni, then to Krishnamacharya, TKV Desikachar, and now carried forward by Dr. Kausthub Desikachar and dedicated teachers worldwide.

At its heart, viniyoga is not just something we practice: it’s something that meets us where we are and walks with us as we grow.

❝

yasya-yāvāṁsca viśvāsaḥ tasya tāvat-phalaṁ bhavet!

Yogī Nāthamuni in his Yogarahasya

Contributions of Srī TKV Desikachar | 07

Śrī TKV Desikachar is regarded worldwide as one of the most important Yoga Masters of the modern era. His extraordinary contributions to the Yoga field have touched the hearts of millions of people worldwide. In this video series, we explore some of his most profound contributions.

This seventh video highlights his role in founding the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram as a centre of his father's teachings within India.

Watch and learn!

His Master’s Voice | Patañjali's Yogasūtra

Audio blog by Dr. Kausthub Desikachar

Yogasūtra II.12 - kleśa-mūlaḥ karma-āśayaḥ dṛṣṭa-adṛṣṭa-janma-vedanīyaḥ

Why should we be so concerned about the Kleśa-s?

Actions rooted in afflictions have consequences, which manifest in seen or unseen ways, and ripen immediately or later [in this] birth [or the next one].

Patañjali presents here the “law of Karma,” by saying that we cannot escape the consequences of our actions, especially when they are based on the Kleśa-s - which is the case most of the time. The challenge is that we won’t always see the consequences immediately and that is why we must be so careful. By warning that they will be seen either in this birth or the next, Patañjali issues a stern warning that our actions may have consequences for our descendants.

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

The Empowered Alchemist! 

Reclaiming Health in a Self-Help World

An article by Dr Kausthub Desikachar, Ph D

Reclaiming the Healer Within

In a world increasingly reliant on external solutions for health and well-being, the ancient traditions of Āyurveda and Yoga—especially the Viniyoga tradition—invite us to turn inward. They remind us that true healing is not merely the absence of disease but the harmonious balance of body, mind, and spirit—a state achieved through personal responsibility and consistent practice. These traditions remind us of a crucial truth: our health is our own responsibility. Only through an empowered, engaged approach can we cultivate holistic well-being.

Let us explore how these time-honoured disciplines guide us to become active participants in our health journeys, emphasising the importance of individualised practice, mindful living, and the integration of sustainable lifestyle choices.

Understanding Personal Responsibility in Healing

At the core of Yoga and Āyurveda lies the principle that each individual is ultimately responsible for their own health. This is not about self-blame; it is about empowerment, recognising that our daily choices, habits, thoughts, and awareness play a vital role in determining our overall well-being.

In the Yogasūtra-s of Patañjali, the concept of Svādhyāya (self-study) is emphasised as a means to cultivate self-knowledge, which in turn nurtures conscious and intelligent living. Similarly, Āyurveda teaches that health is a dynamic equilibrium between our internal constitution (Prakṛti) and our external environment. That equilibrium is not something gifted from above or manufactured in a lab; it is sustained through mindful choices and self-care….

To read the full article, you may click below to download the PDF File>

The_Empowered_Alchemist_UK_Jul_2025.pdf4.06 MB • PDF File

VINIYOGA® THERAPY TRAINING

NEW BATCHES IN EUROPE IN 2025! ITALY & HUNGARY!

REGISTRATIONS OPEN!!!!!

Our Viniyoga Therapy Trainings in Italy and Hungary are filling up fast! If you’ve been feeling the call to dive into this transformative journey, now’s the time, not to think but to act. Spots are limited, and once they’re gone… they’re gone!

Please also note—before you start debating with your calendar and your cat—participation will be limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please don’t wait too long, or you may regret that there aren’t spots left! Sign up soon (your future self will thank you).

Unlike modern psychology, which often focuses mainly on the mind, Yoga—regarded as the world’s most ancient form of psychology—offers a profoundly holistic approach. It sees the mind as deeply interconnected with the body, breath, emotions, and spiritual essence. Through this lens, Yoga provides rich tools to explore how thoughts and feelings influence physiological processes and overall well-being, while also addressing more profound questions of purpose and inner fulfilment.

Students in Training with Dr Kausthub Desikachar

This hybrid training program, with both online and offline training, is designed to help you learn more information in this field and assimilate better wisdom and engage in transformative practices that bring out your own healing and enhance your skills as a better teacher and therapist.

By participating in Dr. Kausthub Desikachar’s Yoga Psychology Training, you will gain invaluable insights and practical methods for understanding and transforming yourself at every level—mental, physical, and spiritual—leading to a truly integrated and meaningful life.

Among all of the Mudrās, the Mahāmudrā held the highest place in the hearts of the Yogin-s. For them, Mahāmudrā was not just a practice but also a profound philosophy that held much wisdom. Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya strongly believed in the practice of this great Mudrā each day, and even termed it as the essential tool to master daily death. This Mudrā isn’t just an energetic practice of the Haṭhayoga system but also a great spiritual practice in the Viniyoga Sampradāya.

Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya demonstrating Mahāmudrā while in his 80s.

The Mahāmudrā holds many secrets, waiting for its practitioner to unlock them appropriately, to offer its hidden gems. When appropriately practised with a sophisticated system of breath and visualisation, Mahāmudrā influences different layers of the human system and aids in a deep and positive transformation. 

This enriching retreat will explore this most important Mudrā, the Mahāmudrā, in detail, presenting the core principles and frameworks within which it must be understood and practised. You will learn the technical nuances of its practice, benefits and contraindications and its various applications in the fields of health, Yoga Therapy and Spiritual Transformation.

The retreat will present previously unshared material and will be most useful to serious practitioners of Yoga, as well as Yoga Teachers and Trainers who want to allow their practice to ignite their inner fires of inspiration and transformation.

This is the time to deepen your path. We’d love to walk it with you.