Dear friends,

Namaste! As we arrive at this new moon day—the final one of 2025—I find myself reflecting on endings that quietly invite beginnings. New moons ask us to turn inward, and this one feels especially poignant for those of us who walk the path of the wounded healer.

So many healers, teachers, and carers learn early on to measure their worth by how much they give. We overextend, over-offer, and over-function, believing that being needed is the same as being valued. Yet beneath that generosity often lives an unspoken hope for validation, a longing to feel enough through service rather than through simple being. Somewhere along the way, many of us quietly accept the lie that we are meant to be the sacrifice—when in truth, the work was never meant to consume us.

I know this pattern intimately. In my early years of working as a healer, I consistently ignored my own needs. I skipped rest, dismissed my body’s signals, and told myself that tending to others mattered more than tending to myself. Over time, that choice betrayed my health and my well-being. Fatigue became my baseline, and quiet resentment crept in where joy once lived. I was giving, yes—but I was also slowly disappearing.

The turning point came when I realised that self-neglect was not noble, and exhaustion was not proof of devotion. Learning to care for myself—truly care—has been one of the most profound shifts of my life. It has allowed me not only to heal, but to show up more clearly, more honestly, and more sustainably for others.

As I often remind myself, and now you: “Your value isn’t just based on how much you can offer, but also on how gracefully you can receive.” Self-care is not selfishness. It is an essential ingredient for every one of us.

May this final new moon of the year invite you to rest, to receive, and to remember that you, too, are worthy of care.

I wish you a very merry Christmas, and a New Year that opens like a blessing—soft, spacious, and full of light you no longer have to earn.

Namaste!

Dr Kausthub Desikachar, M.Sc, M.M.S, Ph.D

The Viniyoga Tradition

20 Dec 2025, New Moon Day

SAVE THE DATE! VINIYOGA CONFERENCE 2027!

Following the phenomenal success of the Celebration of Viniyoga Conference earlier in 2025, we are delighted to announce that our next Viniyoga Conference will take place in January 2027 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This gathering will be hosted at a serene, one-of-a-kind resort, with our meeting spaces nestled within a lush botanical garden—an ideal setting for reflection, connection, and inspiration.

This conference will be a heartfelt opportunity to immerse ourselves in the rich and living tradition of Viniyoga, rooted in the teachings of Yogācārya T. Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar. It will also be a very special occasion as we come together to celebrate the 80th birthday of our seniormost teacher, Menaka Desikachar.

The tentative conference dates are 21–24 January 2027, with a special pre-conference program planned for 18–20 January 2027.

We invite you to mark your calendars and hold these dates. More details will be shared very soon—we look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a truly meaningful and joyful gathering.

Luminary | Śrī Āndāl

Śrī Āṇḍāl is the only woman among the twelve Āḻvārs, the Tamil poet-saints of the Śrīvaiṣṇava bhakti tradition, and her voice stands out for its intimacy, emotional intensity, and spiritual audacity. According to tradition, she was found as an infant in a temple garden by Periyāḻvār, who raised her with deep devotion to Viṣṇu, nurturing both her poetic gifts and her unwavering sense of divine belonging.

From an early age, Āṇḍāl, also known as Godā, imagined herself not merely as a devotee but as the bride of Viṣṇu, collapsing the boundary between human love and divine union. Her poetry gives voice to longing, joy, defiance, and total surrender, transforming personal desire into a legitimate and powerful path toward the sacred. Rather than rejecting emotion, she sanctifies it, presenting love itself as a form of theology.

Her most celebrated work, the Tiruppāvai, recited daily during the month of Mārgazhi (which just started a few days ago), situates spiritual discipline within the rhythms of ordinary life—early mornings, communal ritual, seasonal change—while simultaneously gesturing toward cosmic order and liberation. The poems invite listeners into a shared practice, blending social awakening with inner transformation.

Āṇḍāl is traditionally revered as an incarnation of Bhūdevī, the Earth Goddess, and thus occupies a unique position as both poet-saint and divine presence. Worshipped in temples and remembered through living ritual, she embodies a form of devotion that is embodied, feminine, and fearless, continuing to shape South Indian religious life and devotional imagination to this day. She is usually depicted holding a green parrot, a symbol of love-poetry, fertility, and auspicious speech in South Indian culture, representing both her role as a lyrical messenger of divine love and her intimate, playful relationship with Viṣṇu, to whom the parrot traditionally conveys words of longing and devotion.

Here is a chant titled Śrī Godāstuti, composed by Śrī Vedānta Deśika in honour of Srī Āṇḍāl. Listen to it and receive both of their grace in your heart.

Divya-deśa | Chimayo, NW, USA

Chimayó is a small village in northern New Mexico, home to El Santuario de Chimayó, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the United States. Built in 1816, this modest adobe church is often called the “Lourdes of America.”

Pilgrims come from across the country, especially during Holy Week, drawn by a small room containing tierra bendita: holy earth believed by many to have healing properties. Some walk for miles as an act of devotion and reflection.

Beyond its religious importance, Chimayó reflects a deep blend of Indigenous, Spanish, and local traditions. It’s a place where faith, history,simplicity and traditions come together, reminding visitors that sacred spaces don’t need grandeur, only meaning.

Deva | Śrī Bhūdevī

In yoga, we talk a lot about grounding: feeling stable, supported, and connected to something deeper than ourselves. That’s exactly the energy of Śrī Bhūdevī, the goddess who is the Earth itself. She reminds us that before we reach upward or outward, we first need a solid foundation—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

In Hindu tradition, she is closely linked to Vishnu and appears in the story of Varāha, where she is lifted from the depths of the cosmic ocean and restored to balance. This myth speaks not only of divine rescue but of renewal and responsibility. It’s a powerful reminder that the Earth is sacred, not separate from the spiritual life, and that caring for what supports us is itself an act of devotion.

In yoga practice, Bhūdevī shows up every time we consciously root down through our feet, legs, and seat. She is present in steady standing poses, in long holds, and in moments of quiet stillness where nothing seems to be happening—but everything is settling. Through her, we learn patience, resilience, and trust in what holds us.

Her message is simple but essential: stability is strength, and presence begins from the ground up. For the last days of 2025, take a moment to honour Bhūdevī by reconnecting with nature and feeling the support beneath you—on the mat and beyond. Let yourself be held, and notice what becomes possible when you truly arrive where you are.

Here is a chant titled Śrī Bhūstuti, composed by Śrī Vedānta Deśika in honour of Srī Bhūdevī. Listen to it and receive both of their grace in your heart.

Mantra | Śrī Sūrya-śloka

The Sun is an important natural element in Vedic tradition. Sūrya's iconography is often depicted riding a chariot harnessed by horses, often seven in number which represents the seven colours of visible light, and seven days in a week. He is also the most important house in the Hindu Astrology. Sūrya is often reverentially addressed as the "eye of the universe, soul of all existence, origin of all life, goal of the Yogis, and symbolism for freedom and spiritual emancipation

This is one of the Śloka-s (verses) honouring the sun, who is full of peace, and who has the capacity to remove all illnesses. Through this verse, we also request him to offer us a long and healthy life, and sovereignty over our self.

Listen to this mantra 3 times each day, at sunrise, midday and sunset time.

Don’t miss our 2026 Online Studies

1. The Yogayājñavalkya-saṁhitā – “The Yoga Treatise of Śrī Yājñavalkya”

The Yogayājñavalkya-saṁhitā is one of the most important and revered texts of Yoga. This programme explores a profound dialogue between the sage Śrī Yājñavalkya and his wise wife Śrī Gārgī, guiding you through a twelve-chapter classical text that spans the full breadth of Aṣṭāṅga-Yoga and more. Held online yet rooted in tradition, it offers two 50-minute sessions each month, all recorded for later viewing. Verses are chanted, meanings unpacked, and practical application discussed so the teachings become lived, not merely studied. Whether you teach, study, or simply want a practice with depth, begin in January 2026 and engage with one of yoga’s great classical voices.

2. The Taittirīya Upaniṣad Ongoing Studies

The Taittirīya Upaniṣad offers Yoga students a doorway into the deeper foundations of practice, revealing the human being from the physical to the subtle and blissful. This programme blends traditional Vedic chanting with study of the text’s meanings and spiritual insights into dharma, nourishment, gratitude, and the Self. Under the guidance of Dr. Kausthub Desikachar, teaching within a respected lineage, students receive both instruction and transmission. Beginning January 2026, classes meet twice monthly for 45–50 minutes, with recordings provided. Entry is limited to those prepared to uphold the Niyamas, ensuring the sanctity and integrity of this sacred study.

3. The Āsana-Prāṇa-Jayam Year-long Immersion

Yoga views the body as a sacred home for divine consciousness, making its holistic care a primary dharma. Classical Yogin-s created Āsana-s to vitalise and purify the body, but true mastery goes beyond technique: it requires breath-centred, integrated practice. This 52-week immersion guides sincere practitioners through a progressive evolution of classical Āsana, combining postures with specific Prāṇāyāma ratios that intensify and internalise the work. Students move from simple to advanced ratios, discovering new depth even in familiar postures. Designed for dedicated students and teachers alike, the course strengthens the body, refines energy, and supports personal and spiritual growth.