The three pillars of yoga are Asana, Pranayama, and Dhyana.

In this workshop, the participants are guided through a course of asana, pranayama, and dhyana, which is faithful to the tradition of T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar.

Participants will experience teachings enriched by the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras and woven with the philosophical depth of the Bhagavad Gita. The experience is further grounded and integrated through the transformative practice of mantra, allowing the teachings to move from concept into embodied understanding.

Asana: the breath-centric asana practice of T.K.V. Desikachar places the breath at the center of the practice. The observance of the natural relationship between the breath and the body very tangibly puts into practice the aim of Yoga which is union. This natural union of the body and the breath is deeply relaxing and returns the physiological functioning back to its organic harmony. This breath-body harmony is the core of the therapeutic yoga that Desikachar was well known for.

Pranayama: With the body addressed through asana, the practice progresses to the undivided focus on the conscious regulation of the breath. The pranayama techniques would focus on the different components of prana as it flows and operates in the different regions of the head, the throat, the chest, and the abdomen. The breath directly influences the mind. Through the pranayama done, the mind is quietened and made ready for Dhyana. 

Dhyana: One-pointed meditation is the crowning aspect of every practice. All the preceding work has prepared the person to be ready to enter this state. While any object or idea could be the focus in meditation, Krishnamacharya and Desikachar used the chanting of the Vedas as the preferred method of dhyana. The sound of the chants fill the mind driving out every other thought. When the chanting stops, the mind dwells in silence.