Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga signifies the balance of the energies of the Sun and Moon; ‘Ha’ represents the sun, while ‘tha’ represents the moon. It means ‘force’ and is traditionally defined as ‘the yoga of force,’ encompassing asana, pranayama, mantra, and mudras.

T. Krishnamacharya - The Modern Father of Yoga

No matter what kind of yoga you practice, you have been influenced by T. Krishnamacharya, often called the “Father of Modern Yoga, " who developed and taught Hatha Yoga.

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was a yoga teacher, Vedic-Sanskrit scholar, and Ayurvedic doctor who lived from 1888 to 1989. He is considered the father of Hatha Yoga and was the mentor of Pattabhi Jois, who developed Ashtanga Yoga; T.K.V. Desikachar, who developed Vinyasa Yoga; Indra Devi, who taught classical yoga; and B.K.S. Iyengar, who created Iyengar Yoga focused on alignment, precision, and therapeutics. All styles of yoga throughout history have stemmed from his teachings.

He grew up under British rule when the English opposed Yogic and Ayurvedic beliefs, and he played a crucial role in preserving and advancing these traditions.  He immersed himself in studying and teaching yoga, Sanskrit, and Ayurveda, integrating all his studies into the development of Hatha Yoga.

At age five, his father introduced him to Raja Yoga (Patanjali Yoga), which is based on the eight limbs of yoga documented by Patanjali around 450 BC. He initially studied yoga with Sringeri Math, the founder of Sivananda Yoga. When he was 16, he met the legendary philosopher, yogi, and medicinal practitioner R. Brahmachar, with whom he apprenticed for seven years.

In 1920, he returned home and worked on a coffee plantation to make a living while teaching yoga part-time.  In 1931, he was invited to teach at the Sanskrit College in Mysore, which was supported by the ruling family that championed all forms of Indian culture and hatha yoga. During this period, he developed and streamlined what is known as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, incorporating Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), which transitions asana sequences with breath coordination. Eventually, he standardized the sequences into three series of primary, intermediate, and advanced asanas, which are known today as Ashtanga and were introduced to the West by his long-time student K. Pattabhi Jois.

Krishnamacharya primarily taught young men and boys but attracted a diverse audience, emphasizing that yoga was for all classes and religions.  He met Indra Devi, a friend of the Mysore royal family, who became his first female student and ultimately the first female yoga instructor.  Devi eventually wrote the first book on hatha yoga, “Forever Young. “ In 1947, she moved to the United States and was known as the first lady of yoga.  She taught a less rigorous method than the Ashtanga series, accommodating individual physical limitations and creating Sai Yoga, which integrated more meditative practices.  She passed away in 2002 at 102, and her six yoga schools are still open worldwide.

During the time when Krishnamacharya was teaching Jois, his wife Devi encouraged him to assist her brother, B.K.S. Iyengar, who had come to live with them seeking help for his health. B.K.S. Iyengar spent only a year studying with Krishnamacharya before being sent to Pune to teach. Without his guru, he explored poses with his body, analyzing their therapeutic effects. This led to the development of the Iyengar yoga system, which incorporated precision and a systematic articulation of each asana, focusing on the therapeutic benefits of yoga.

Enrollment at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Shala decreased in 1947, and Krishnamacharya found it challenging to keep the school open before closing it in 1950.  He took a teaching position at Vivekananda College in Chennai, where he taught therapeutic yoga for special needs and ran an Ayurvedic clinic for the remainder of his life.

His son, Desikachar, initially grew up without any desire to pursue a yogic path and earned a degree in engineering. One day, during a visit with his father, he witnessed a woman whom his father treated for sleep medication addiction and insomnia that had been cured with Ayurveda and Yoga. Astonished by this and uncertain whether it was providence or karma, he had an epiphany about his path and resolved to learn what his father knew, refocusing his life on his father’s path.  Desikachar went on to oversee the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India, where Krishnamacharya’s approaches to yoga are taught, and his writings are translated and published. While Desikachar was better known in India as an Ayurvedic doctor, herbalist, horticulturist, and gourmet chef, he integrated his father's teachings. He continued to teach the vinyasa (flow) yoga practice, instructing in his father’s style.