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Published: February 25th 2006
Vedavani
My fellow student Masao, who is from Toronto, took this picture of me in front of the entrance to the chanting division of KYM.My friend asked me for more information about the yoga I am studying at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), so I will try and impart some of what I am learning. This is a good day to do it, too, because I am having a fantastic day and feel very calm, centred and clear. It's Saturday and I attended the weekly lecture by KYM founder TKV Desikachar, who then spent about an hour with my group, answering questions. Then I went for an amazing brunch with some group members (inlcuding Torontonians Mo and Tiffany) at Eco Cafe -- muesli, watermelon juice, toast, tea. And THEN had an ayurvedic massage, facial and shirodahara (oil is poured on your forhead for about half an hour -- it's heavenly).
Now it's early afternoon and and about 34 C. It's starting to get hot in India, so I am in the cool of the cyber cafe.
You can say that yoga is yoga -- it is all originally derived from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, a book that is about 2,500 years old -- but different gurus, people, schools interpret it differently. Krishnamacharya, Desikachar's father, is the founder of the school of yoga that is taught
TKV Desikachar
Everyone at KYM calls TKV Desikachar "Sir." Heere he is speaking to us this morning. at KYM. The focus at KYM is all about applying yoga on an individual basis to suit the needs of that person. It's one-on-one yoga. They only hold classes for children.
Futhermore, they see yoga as an art / science that can be used to cure people, so the focus is on yoga as a therapeutic healing tool. The spiritual basis for this approach is to teach yoga as a service to the community. Service is a key value at KYM.
The school and the healing centre are in the same building, so we are surrounded by yoga consultants, and we see patients / students come and go all day long. People come for many different reasons, from bad back to diabetes to depression. Yoga can help alleviate or cure almost anything!
In the west, most people associate yoga with complicated poses that require tremendous felxibility. Yoga at KYM is a very different thing. It is a vast and rich tradition that has many, many tools to help people attain health, calmness, clarity and -- if desired -- spiritual awareness. Yoga is not a religion: the Yoga Sutras say that god is a choice. But belief in
Saraswati and guests
Saraswati is a favourite teacher. Here she is with two KYM students who came to tell us about how yoga helped them deal with back problems and high blood pressure. god can be used as a "tool" to help you achieve a state of yoga. Other tools include breathing techniques, meditation, chanting, mantras and of course asana practise ( postures). Moreover, a creative and gifted yoga therapist can also suggest any number of activities or practises to a patient / student. For example, a man with a very negative attitude was asked to go around India taking pictures of things that are very symmetrical. He discovered many beautiful things this way, and was moved to become more positive, happy and grateful.
Very much like Gestalt Therapy, yoga is about helping people to change their patterns (called samskaras in sanskrit). It is also very respectful of the individual and techniques will be suggested only if they appeal to the patient / student. Ususally, an asana course will be suggested -- but it is always well within the student's capacity. The guiding principles of yoga are sthiram sukham, which means steadiness and ease. In other words, the postures should require alertness and effort, but you should not be uncomfortable. You DO NOT have to be flexible to do yoga -- but doing yoga will make you flexible.
There are eight
Kausthub
TKV Desikachar's son, Kausthub, is also a great teacher. He talked to us last night about mantras. limbs on the path of yoga (ashtanga means eight limbs) and people who are committed to the yoga path will invariably follow all eight limbs (only one of the eight is asana practise). Following the eight limbs on a regular continuous basis leads you towards being in a state of yoga -- which means being calm, clear, able to focus on one thing. In practical terms, it means seeing things clearly, as they are, without judgement, interpretation, neuroses. It means having a calm mind, which also means a relaxed body and deep, regular breathing -- which of course promotes good health. It means not being attached to the fruit of your labours -- doing things, including work, for the joy of it. If you are a dishwasher, be the best dishwasher you can be. Do not be attached to gaining a reward for whatever it is that you do.
Like Gestalt, being in a state of yoga also means being fully present and aware; having a very high state of self awareness. For the spiritually inclined, it also means feeling very connected to god or the divine or a higher power.
And I am probably forgetting some key
Shobana
Shobana -- who is very tall and regal -- teaches us meditation at the end of each day. It is one of my favourite classes. things. But the result is a person who has faith, humility and compassion. Desikachar is certainly such a person. He is very down to earth, and if you passed him on the street you would not think anyhting remarkable about him. Except perhaps that he has very good posture and a calm demeanor. But as I was listening to him talk this morning I felt very moved by his focus, attentiveness and presence. He was completely with us, and answered very simply, very compassionately, very humanly, relating funny stories and moving easily from the light to the serious. He does not insist that anyone follow his beliefs. Everyone is free to take from yoga what they want or need. It is refreshing to be with him.
In fact, it is refreshing to be at KYM, period. The individual is given such freedom to be who they are and follow the path they choose. As a person who does not like rules (my close friends and family members are laughing at this understatement), KYM is a very good place for me to be. I can be me! The Gestalt Institue is also such a place. Yoga has a couple of
Sangeetha
Sangeetha teaches us Theory of yoga, especially asana. She is very unique and engaging -- I feel she could be a teacher at Hogwarts, for some reason ... things for me that Gestalt lacks, though -- namely, spiritual and pysical practises.
So I hope this will give you an idea of KYM and the yoga I am studying. Our classes inlcude yoga theory, philosophy and the application of yoga (we have real students come in to our class to talk to us about their problem and how yoga has helped them); chanting, meditation and asana. ANd special lectures. Lats night. Kausthub Desikachar talked to us about mantras.
You can also take private classes. I have taken several private chanting classes with Nithria, and one or two private yoga classes with Akhila. I have been given an asana practise specifically designed for me -- to help me loosen my tight shoulders and hips, and increase the depth of my breathing.
The school also has a publications division, so I have bought some books and CDs (they can be ordered over the Internet); and a charitable foundation, called KYM-Mitra. Through KYM-Mitra, yoga consultants go into the community, to teach the underpriveleged. It is a vibrant, busy place filled with warm, wonderful people.
The building itself is quite old, though, and does not have A/C (in fact,
Kala
Kala teaches us Philosophy of yoga, and amuses us with long, involved stories that give us a glimpse into Indian culture. sometimes the power is intermittent). It has a thatch roof and we sit on rugs that are rather the worse for wear. Towards the end of the day, we begin to battle an onslaught of mosquitos, though the fans help keep them at bay (at about 5 p.m. you begin to smell the various insect repellants my fellow students use). I believe KYM has a building fund, so presumably a new building is in the works.
It is also in a very modest neighbourhood, and to get there you pass impoverished people, living their lives on the street -- cooking, working washing, celebrating. There is a school across the street so we are regularly swarmed by school kids yelling "school pen" or "hello madam" or "where are you from" or "what is your name." They are very cute and exuberant (and sometimes a bit pesky).
Sometimes, a cart will come by filled with coconuts, and for ten rupees the coconut-wallah will hack one open for you. First, you drink the milk, and then he will open it so you eat the fruit. I like to have one on the way to chanting, which is in a different building,
Jayanthi
Jayanthi is our chanting teacher. She is full of energy and very disciplined, but also fun. One of my favourite classes. about three blocks away. On the way, we pass a very interesting little roadside temple dedicated to the snake god.
Our group has about 30 students from 14 countries, with people between probably 25-65 years of age. Everyone gets along quite well. The group has formed very nicely -- we are at the end of three weeks, with one more to go. There are always people going for lunch, or shopping, or to a temple, etc., so there are always people to do things with. And the groups change and re-form -- in other words, it is not overly clique-y -- which I like. Tonight, about 10 of us are going to hear an Indian classical music concert.
So I have settled into the course, and into exploring Chennai, which I still don't like -- but I am making the most of my time here, and i have discovered some wonderful things (such as Amethyst restaurant, The Park Hotel and Prakriti Auyrvedic Spa). And I love the course, and my group, and the teachers and, of course, the subject. I am noticing very positive changes in myself, and perhaps moving closer to making a stronger commitment to yoga.
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chrissy
non-member comment
yoga is love
hi, Oh....... thanks for going into details about your course. It gives me a lot of hope as I know Yoga to be the entity that you have described here and these are the reasons i live, love, create and breathe!!!!!!!! I will have to start saving up to visit mysels soon and can't wait to hear more and practice with you when you return. Love you!