Nice fb update from Ramaswami (Krishnamacharya's student of over 30 years) this morning who is currently teaching his TT at LMU in LA
![]()
"Sri Krishnamacharya's yoga was (is) breath based. According to some upanishads, we breathe about 21.600 times every 24 hour day, which works out to about 15 per minute, which can easily be confirmed. It is common belief among traditionalists that one's life is predetermined in number of breaths, Hence breathing longer is in everyone's interest. In Sri Krishnamacharya's yoga the vinyasas are done at the rate of about 5 to 6 per minute as against the normal 15 per minute. The static poses like Sirsasana, Mahamudra, Paschimatanasana, Sarvangasana and others are done at about 3 to 2 breath rate. Pranayama, especially mantra-pranayama is done at the rate of 2 to 1 breath per minute. His chanting of vedic passages would be at the breath rate of 3 or less per minute. His phenomenal OM chant would be between 2 to 1 per minute. An hour or 90 minutes of Yoga as taught by Krishnamachatya should give health and longevity. I am unable to associate Krishnamacharya yoga without breath control". Srivatsa Ramaswami
Lets put that into bullet points.
In Sri Krishnamacharya's yoga .....
"Sri Krishnamacharya's yoga was (is) breath based. According to some upanishads, we breathe about 21.600 times every 24 hour day, which works out to about 15 per minute, which can easily be confirmed. It is common belief among traditionalists that one's life is predetermined in number of breaths, Hence breathing longer is in everyone's interest. In Sri Krishnamacharya's yoga the vinyasas are done at the rate of about 5 to 6 per minute as against the normal 15 per minute. The static poses like Sirsasana, Mahamudra, Paschimatanasana, Sarvangasana and others are done at about 3 to 2 breath rate. Pranayama, especially mantra-pranayama is done at the rate of 2 to 1 breath per minute. His chanting of vedic passages would be at the breath rate of 3 or less per minute. His phenomenal OM chant would be between 2 to 1 per minute. An hour or 90 minutes of Yoga as taught by Krishnamachatya should give health and longevity. I am unable to associate Krishnamacharya yoga without breath control". Srivatsa Ramaswami
Lets put that into bullet points.
In Sri Krishnamacharya's yoga .....
- The vinyasas are done at the rate of about 5 to 6 per minute as against the normal 15 per minute.
- The static poses like Sirsasana, Mahamudra, Paschimatanasana, Sarvangasana and others are done at about 3 to 2 breath rate.
- Pranayama, especially mantra-pranayama is done at the rate of 2 to 1 breath per minute.
- His chanting of vedic passages would be at the breath rate of 3 or less per minute.
- His phenomenal OM chant would be between 2 to 1 per minute.
- An hour or 90 minutes of Yoga as taught by Krishnamachatya should give health and longevity.