Ramaswami with with his teacher of over thirty years T. Krishnamacharya

yogaḥ karmasu kouśalam

Texts for Yoga Students

Sri Krishnamacharya, apart from Hatayoga (asanas, pranayama, mudras and health applications of Hatayoga) also taught chanting several chapters of the Yajur Veda. In addition he taught several original texts for Yoga students. During the course of three decades of study with him I had the opportunity to study several of the texts which he considered useful for Yoga students. . I have of late been offering some of these texts for yoga teachers and students who would like to broaden their base with more textual studies

1. 　Perhaps the most important text would be the Bhagavatgita. A couple of years back I taught the whole text verse by verse at Steve Brandon's Harmony Yoga in Wells, UK. It was a 13 day,70 hr program. Subsequently I taught several chapters of it at Sarah Mata's Studio in Los Angeles. Bhagavatgita even as it is known as a Brahma Vidya is considered a Yoga Sastra, My Guru would draw many parallels between Yoga Sutra and the Gita. This program can be done in about 50 hrs in ten days for interested yoga students

2.　The Yoga Sutras is a unique text of Maharshi Patanjali and is a masterpiece. Yoga students interested in the philosophy of yoga should study this text. I have had the privilege to teach this subject several times as part of my 100 and 200 hr Teacher Training programs. This can be taught sutra by sutra in 20 hrs.

3.　After we completed the study of YS, my Guru taught us at length the Samkhya Karika, an important text teaching the Samkhya philosophy, a sibling philosophy of Yoga. Several ideas of yoga become clear by studying this wonderful text written by a great scholar/philosopher Iswarakrishna. Some consider him to be an avatara of the great Sanskrit writer Mahakavi Kalidasa. This can be taught verse by verse in about 20 hrs

3.　Hatyogapradipika is a standard text studied by Hatayogis. Written by Svatmarama, it is one of the most studied books by Hatayogis. This (the first three of the four chapters) may be taught sloka by sloka in about 20 hrs,

4.　Sri Krishnamacharya in the course of my long study taught several other texts. He taught Yoga Yagnyavalkya. Though not so well known as Hatayogapradipika, discerning yogis pay attention to the teachings of this text. This can be taught sloka by sloka in about 20 hrs

5.　Upanishad studies were an important part of Sri Krishnamacharya's teachings. Katopanishad was one of the important ones. In fact I learnt the chanting of the entire 3 chapters of Taittiriya Kataka (It takes about 2 hrs to merely chant the whole text), which is said to be the inspiration for the Katopanishad. All the 6 chapters of this upanishad can be taught in a 15 to 20 hr program.

6.Sri Krishnamacharya taught two major upanishads, Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya upanishds. Readings of some of the important Vidyas from these upanished can be material for a short 20 hr progra

7.　Other smaller upanishads that Sri TK taught also may be of interest for serious yoga students--- like Mundaka, Mandukya, Prasna, Taittiriya, Svetasvatara etc.
Adi Sankara's Yoga Taravali is a masterpiece. This can be taught in about 20 hrs.

Sri Krishnamacharya even as he taught Yoga as it is popular in modern times, felt that the yoga students should also have a solid philosophical base and he was always willing to impart such knowledge to his students.

I am now in Madrid, Spain teaching a 100 Hr Certificate TT program in Vinyasakrama Yoga at Dhara Yoga. Yoga students and teachers from different parts of Europe are attending the program, a very talented and dedicated group. It will be over on Oct 8th, 2016



During September 2016 I taught an extended weekend workshop at Chicago Yoga Center in Chicago. There was a 6 hour program on KaTopanishad, in which we could cover the first three of the 6 chapters. I also taught the three chapters of HaTayogapradeepika during the weekend (12Hrs).


Earlier in September I completed the 25 hr Certificate program in Core Vinyasakrama Yoga at Hatha Vinyasa Yoga Schule Institute in Mainz, Germany.




Srivatsa Ramaswami
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http://groups.google.com/group/vinyasa-krama

A Krishnamacharya Reading list (inc. Pdf Links).