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| picture by BarryWadsworth |
For me the asana aspect of the course gives me a greater understanding of the possibilities of asana, it puts the asana I practice in Ashtanga each morning into context ( I practice vinyasa Krama in the evenings), showing me related asana, those in the shadows around the ones we practice everyday in Ashtanga.... these are the modifications, the extensions, the alternatives, options that Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois had in their tool chest when they needed to respond to a students practice. Manju Jois says his father would give asana outside the different series to students who were struggling with a series posture. Ramaswami's approach to asana reflects that long slow inhalation and exhalation that Krishnamacharya presented way back in 1934 in Yoga Makaranda, at the time he was teaching the young Pattabhi Jois. A slow practice isn't a later development, it's 'original' practice, Pattabhi Jois would talk in interviews of long slow inhalations and exhalations of 10, 15, even 20 seconds. Manju would talk of his father's long stays in asana. All of this can be explored with Ramaswami in the long morning asana classes as well as looking closely both in the practice room and classroom at the asana in Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda as well as the approach to asana taught in his later years both are i Believe consistent with each other,
But that is just the asana, Ramaswami presents a month long Pranayama course as well as meditation practice that becomes ever more integrated with the asana practice as the course progresses. An integrated yoga practice is the goal of the whole program. And then there is Ramaswami's in depth presentation of the yoga Sutras, working through the text sutra by sutra, of the works of his teacher of over 30 years Krishnamacharya and the chanting Ramaswami's wonderful chanting, an aspect of practice I came to love despite myself.
Ramaswami is teaching his TT course again this summer at LMU in Los Angeles I HIGHLY recommend it whatever theapproach to practice your coming from
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March 2014 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami-Programs
Hello Friends.
Still in Chennai, looks like I may have to stay for about 8 more weeks. I had to request and obtain a postponement of my workshop scheduled early April at Anada Asram NY to Oct/Nov 2014. It is getting quite warm already. I met and talked to several senior student teachers of Krishnamacharya lineage here in Chennai. Nice interaction with a very knowledgeable group
PROGRAMS
Some ten years ago when I started making somewhat feeble attempts to teach Yoga in the United States, I was able to get a few weekend programs, an odd talk here a chat there. Because the Vinyasakrama asana I studied with my guru appeared to be different from the mainstream yoga, rarely anyone paid attention or took serious interest. Some even pointed out that what I taught was so different from how several of Sri Krishnamacharya's well known students were teaching and may have wondered if what I taught was my own thing.
So I started looking for opportunities to teach the vinyasakrama asana system I learnt from my Guru for almost 30 years. Fortunately my good friend David Hurwitz introduced me to Dr Chris Chapple of Loyola Marymount University. When Dr Chapple suggested I could teach a weekend program at the University, I took courage to write to him that I was interested in a longer program so that I would be able to present the vinyasakrama fully as I studied with my Guru. I suggested to him a four week long 60 hour Vinyasakrama asana course. I was surprised to find that he was agreeable to the idea and the program was set to start about 6 months later at Loyola Marymount University. At that time I had also completed writing the book “Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga” and I was awaiting the publication of the book. Since I had been teaching earlier in India and my initial experience in USA was patchy, I had decided to publish the book with those 150+ asanas and 700+ vinyasas in ten major sequences so that people would be aware of Krishnamacharya's range of asana practice the nuances of breathing in asanas which appeared to be absent in the general yoga stream including in the teaching of famous Krishnamacharya students.. I used the book for reference and did the complete program in 4 weeks. We had a full class. Then we repeated the program the next year and at that time the University made it into a Certificate program. Those who successfully completed the program would get a certificate from the University.
A year later some friends suggested that I should register with Yoga Alliance as many who studied with me would like to have some recognition from the fledgling Yoga Alliance. Fortunately for me again my friend David Hurwitz talked to some of his friends and I was able to register as 500 hour experienced teacher through grandfathering.
Soon after there was a suggestion that instead of the 60 hour program I could offer a 200 hour Teacher Training Program in Vinyasakrama, I decided to use this opportunity to offer a comprehensive program of what I consider as the core of Krishnamacharya's teaching. I thought that since only asanas are offered as yoga in most places I thought of offering a wide range of subjects taught by my Guru as part of yoga.
So the Teacher training Program I started offering had almost 10 subjects. There is the 60 hour asana program following the vinyaskrama. It has 10 major sequences Three standing ones, tadasana, trikonasana, and eka pada asanas. Each of the major sequences has many individual asanas each having its own vinyasas. For instance in Trikonasana, there is the uttita trikonasana with a number of vinyasas, then uttita parsvakonasana, parsvottanasana and then virbhadrasana. In a similar fashion each major sequence will have many logically linked asana subroutines and each asana subroutine having a number of vinyasas. The other major sequences would be seated ones, the asymmetric sequence consisting of asana subroutines like Marichyasana, ardha padmasana, triyanmukha ekapadasana, krounchasana, ekapada sirshasana, bharadvajasana matsyendrasana and others. And each asana will have its own set of vinyasas, and each subroutine linked to the next in a seamless way..All movements are to be done with accompanying synchronized breathing a hallmark of Krishnamacharya's vinyasakrama system. Two lying down sequences-- the supine and prone--contain more than 150 vinyasas which also contain asanas as Sarvangasana, dhanurasana subroutines. Then there are two seated sequences one of them is Vajrasana and contains siblings as virasana and others. Padmasana with a variety of vinyasas is the other seated sequence. There is also the viparitakarani mudra the classic headstand with a number of variations. Paschimatanasana with its vinyasas and counter poses and as mentioned the one legged tapasvin poses like bhagiratasana and durvasasana complete the major sequences.
Then the program contains a 20 hour section on visesha inyassas in which unique sequences like suryanamaskara, ding namaskara the variations of Vasishtasana are taught. In this section the parameters for developing an individual home practice is usually gone into. Thus 80 hours or 40% of the total time is spent on learning various asanas and vinyasas.
The program has a 20 hour slot on pranayama. Pranayama was included as a must practice by Sri Krishnamacharya. A variety of pranayama methods so also the mantra pranayama are taught in this program. What is important is that participants are encouraged to practice pranyama daily. Usually everyone settles down to do a maximum 80 rounds of pranayama during one sitting taking about 40 to 45 minutes. Pranayama is seldom taught in contemporary yoga. Though it appears to be a boring practice when compared to the exciting asana practice, the benefit one gets by doing pranayama is substantial. The mind slowly settles down and it is interesting to find how the mind likes pranayama. Many participants are able to regularly do even 80 rounds of pranayama in one sitting consistently day after day. Usually the comprehensive viloma ujjayi pranayama is practiced due to its greater reach
There is a 20 hour slot for mantras and meditation. Participants learn to chant some important mantras and also are taught meditation as per the yoga sutras. One highlight is the combining the one hour vedic chant of suryanamaskara interspersed with suryanamaskara following the 12 step vinyasakrama. Participants learn to chant a few mantras like the pranayama mantra atma suddhi mantra and others.
There is a 20 hour study of the yogasutras where the text is gone through sutra by sutra. Yoga philosophy or Raja yoga is an important text for yogis. Additionally there is a five hour slot to chant the yoga sutras. Participants can continue to practice with the tutorials for chanting available on my YouTube channel
There is also a twenty hour program titled “Sri Krishnamacharya's works” in which two of his texts “Nathamuni's Yoga Rahasya” and “Yoga makaranda” are gone through in detail. I felt at the time I designed the program that it is better to study directly Krishnamacharya's teachings. We go through both the texts line by line with explanations and discussions. Even though I was nervous in the beginning this is one of the most popular course in the program
There is a 10 hour program on Yoga for Internal Organs. It is based on Sri Krishnamacharya's teaching on the internal kosas, the vital internal organs. Yoga contains a few unique but powerful procedures, asansas and vinyasas, pranayama, meditation, the kriyas, the mudras and of course a unique yoga philosophy. This course is an attempt to look at Yoga from the health benefits it confers through these astonishing procedures.
There is a five hour slot on teaching methodology. Two programs for 15 hours are conducted by guest faculty, viz., Yoga Business and Anatomy& Physiology. I teach the other 185 hours.
I offer this program every summer at Loyola Maryount University in Los Angeles, California. So far 111 people have completed the program to teach yoga.
Here is the list of graduate teachers
Since the program is registered with Yoga Alliance these graduates have the option to register with Yoga Alliance as Yoga teachers.
Here is the link for the program, if you are your friends may be interested to register for this program offered this summer
Here is the schedule for the upcoming program in July/august 2014
For details of these and other upcoming workshops please refer to
I have also been teaching an abridged version of vinyaskrama, a 25 hour program called core vinyasakrama program in which the focus is to teach about 300 important vinyasas from the ten sequences. I have been teaching this at Suddha Weixler's Chicago Yoga Center for close to 10years, once a year. This year I plan to teach this program at Ryan Leier's One Yoga at Saskatoon, Canada in May, then Steve Brandon's Harmony Yoga in London and then of course at Suddha's Chicago Yoga Center in May/June
I have also been teaching individual subjects like Yoga Sutras, Samkhya Karika, Hatayogapradipika, Upanishads like Mandukya, Taittiriya and several upanishad vidyas. I also offer yoga for health/therapy program titled Yoga for and physiology of Internal Organs
For details of these and other workshops please refer to
I have had the wonderful opportunity to study for a very long time with a great compassionate and knowledgeable soul, Sri Krishnamacharya. I consider that I was fortunate to study and practice this wonderful subject. I am also thankful for all those people who helped me to teach Yoga to such wonderful participants. Yoga has something to offer to each and every human being. It is nourishing, enriching. It is trnasformative at many levels, physical, physiological,emotional, intellectual and with an attainable spiritual goal.
With best wishes
Sincerely
Srivatsa Ramaswami