In the wide field of yoga the teachings codified by Patanjali and other scholars have come down to us through various lineages of teachers. The term Viniyoga has become associated with one such approach now known around the world , deriving from the teachings of TKV Desikachar, author of The Heart of Yoga. Nevertheless, it is essential to know the background and the true sense of the word. Viniyoga is not a brand name but rather a sanskrit term meaning "right application," not only of yoga techniques but also mantra, ritual, diet and communication.

Desikachar is the son of the great T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), who was a master of not only yoga but also all the main schools of Indian philosophy, Ayurveda, astrology, music and more. Born in the south near Mysore where he first learned yoga in his family, Krishnamacharya travelled throughout India during the first half of his life, studying at the major northern universities and ultimately spending 7 years in Tibet with his yoga master Sri Ramamohan Brahmachari. Rather than retreat into the spiritual life, Krishnamacharya was instructed to marry, to raise a family and to teach yoga.

Krishnamacharya became established as yoga acharya in the Mysore Palace, where his students included BKS Iyengar and Patabhi Jois (founder of Ashtanga yoga). In the 1930s also opened the doors of yoga to a European woman, Indra Devi. She became a pioneer, writing about and teaching yoga internationally, until her death this year in Brazil at the age of 103. After Indian independence in 1947, Krishnamacharya, known as "the Professor", moved to Madras (now Chennai) and continued evolving his teaching to meet the needs of those who came to him, until he passed his 100th year.

His second son, Desikachar, learned asana from his father as a boy but set out on a career as a structural engineer. It was in the early 1960s that his interest in yoga took root, and he settled down to study with his father for the next 27 years.

Desikachar returned to the traditional situation of living with his teacher, studying formally with him and being regularly able to seek advice for his own teaching. A close and sustained relationship -- which allows the passing on of teachings in lineage -- is central to Desikachar's approach. During the years he was able to turn to his father for guidance he was also stimulated by his students, ranging from the renowned spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurthi to the fortunate western students who came to study with him individually (I was privileged to meet and begin studying with him in 1974). Now Desikachar continues his support for his own students -- through email and extensive travel -- and carries on teaching his son Kausthub, in the spirit that his father taught him.

How did these teachings become so widespread? In keeping with his father's philosophy, Desikachar for the most part met students individually and so for a long time his teaching was not widely known outside the immediate circles of his students.

Several important initiatives have contributed to its spread. First, in 1976, Desikachar founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, a non-profit organization in Madras, to impart the teachings of his father. Over the years many excellent Indian teachers have been trained, and who in turn see a larger number of students generally on a one-to-one basis. Now there are also regular opportunities for foreigners to study in Chennai. The word "Viniyoga" emerged around 1980, when some European teachers founded a journal dedicated to these teachings, and Desikachar suggested that they name it Viniyoga (an excellent French language publication, originating in Belgium). From that time Viniyoga gradually became linked with this approach to yoga. Then, through the efforts of the first generation of Desikachar's western students, his teachings have become firmly established in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America, with some individuals teaching in the mainstream world of yoga and others working more quietly in their own communities.

As a term meaning "right application," Viniyoga suggests adaptability and respect for context. The essential idea is that any action can have a no effect, a desired effect, a harmful effect or some other possibility, depending on varying factors in a given situation. For example, in my dance teaching on occasion I experienced giving essentially the same lesson to three different groups of students in a week. Though the material was carefully prepared and generally consistent, I often noticed how different each class was depending upon the time of day, the place in the week, the particular individuals and group dynamics in a class, a change in studio or musician, and also my own state of mind and energy. The only thing that was certain was the importance of being "present" and ready to adapt to the needs of the immediate situation. In another vein, Desikachar has suggested that mothers are particularly good in "viniyoga"; I imagine any parent would agree that living with offspring is an ongoing lesson in adaptability.

The word Viniyoga does take on more specific meanings in the context of yoga and in Desikachar's teachings in particular. Patanjali, in his yogasutra, suggests that different techniques of yoga are relevant to different people. One person might come to yoga to address some physical problems whereas another might be interested in philosophy or meditation. Desikachar, following in his father's footsteps, is a master at meeting the needs of the person before him.

The way Krishnamacharya evolved his teaching as the decades passed is a good illustration of this principle of adaptation. The strongly dynamic practices which are regularly practised in Ashtanga yoga reflect his teaching to young men and boys in the 1930s and 40s; such sequences or vinyasa are still given to children at the KYM in Chennai. In the 1960s and 70s, after moving to Madras, Krishnamacharya developed a way of perfecting postures using specific breathing techniques. Later he began adapting postures and breathing in more therapeutic applications of yoga and then he developed ways of practising more efficiently for those with only limited time to practice. Finally he opened up the teaching of Vedic chanting and chose culturally relevant texts for a student's spiritual development.

There are several key ingredients that do distinguish most Viniyoga teaching:

The first is relationship between teacher and student, and respect for the individual. In this regard, the type of practice might change according to age or physical condition. For instance in my community classes, the pace is slower and breathing becomes a priority, an emphasis which is appropriate for people around middle age. Gradually students are encouraged to adapt postures to suit their needs at a given time. In contrast, for younger university students I offer a more dynamic class, though I also find there is such a range of physical condition, mental focus and emotional state, that it is important to get students to recognize and accept where they are at a given moment, and then to begin from there. Because of this focus on the individual, one-to-one work is ideal.

Secondly, there is very specific use of breath, both staying in poses and in the way inhale or exhale are coordinated with moving into and out of asana, depending on the nature of the pose. The sequence of focussing on breath relates directly to the movement of the spine.

Thirdly, though Desikachar's teaching refers to classical poses, adaptations such as in positions of arms or legs can be suggested to shift the focus from the external pose to the internal experience: the process becomes more central than an external goal -- the function more significant than the form.

Fourthly, there are certain ways of sequencing practices that can have different effects, and ways of using breathing techniques and ratios that can produce certain results. Here asana are context-sensitive and a posture might have a different purpose or effect depending on where it is placed in a practice, or on what kind of breathing is suggested.

Finally, in this teaching, yoga encompasses much more than just asana, the physical aspect. Of course postures are important tools, but they are complemented with breathing, use of sound or chanting, study and meditative practices in order to go deeper and to address the needs of the whole person.

The field of possibility is wide. What makes any teaching live is finding an appropriate teacher who is able to guide one in developing practices and attitudes to life that which will be both helpful and sustainable. Yoga then becomes a means to lessen everyday sufferings and to move towards a place of inner peace where we can approach our own true nature. This flexibility of means to match an individual's quest is what is suggested by the word Viniyoga.

Written for the newsletters of the Yoga Association of Alberta and the Federation of Ontario Yoga Teachers.