“Yoga exists in our world because everything is linked”. –TKV Desikachar.

Legendary yoga therapy master and son of T. Krishnamacharya, TKV Desikachar, passed on at age 78 on August 8th, 2016, leaving behind a legacy of inspiration.

Desikarchar studied structural engineering before he learned yoga from his father. He was impressed by how therapeutic yoga could be, and developed a custom made programme called Viniyoga.

Deemed ‘the father of modern yoga’, T. Krishnamacharya has many famous students including BKS Iyengar and Pattahbi Jois. TKV Desikachar built on his father’s teaching by focusing on the pliability and individuality of practices to meet his students’ conditions.

He has written many great books, including The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, which is an invaluable resource about yoga practice and theory for teachers and students alike.

Some of Desikachar’s famous students included J. Krishnamurti, a famous French philosopher, and his follower Gerald Blitz. Later in life, Desikarchar founded Krishnamachary Yoga Mandiram, which sees almost 1000 students visit monthly to practice and attend one of the many yoga teacher trainings.

Our hearts go out to Desikachar’s family and loved ones.

In his memory, here are his most popular 10 quotes:

1. Yoga is 99% waste removal.
2. The breath is a wonder drug.
3. Your life is your message to the world, make sure it’s inspiring.
4. Everybody can breathe, therefore everyone can practice yoga.
5. We do not have such a clear mirror for our minds as we do for our bodies.
6. Whenever you are in doubt, it is best to pause. Few things are so pressing that they cannot wait for a moment of breath.
7. Taking an intelligent approach means working toward your goal step by step.
8. However powerful or disturbing something may appear to be, it is our reaction to it that determines its effects.
9. We must discover why we practice.
10. The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.

Namaste.