What style of yoga do you teach?

There are numerous different approaches to yoga, some stronger, some more meditative, some focusing on flow, or alignment or particular ways of practicing. Our approach to yoga was known as "Viniyoga" and is characterised by its versatility and emphasis on matching the yoga to the individual. Thus how and what we teach is very much dependent on who and where we are teaching. The word "Viniyoga" means "intelligent application" - we are in a sense teaching the Viniyoga of yoga.

The approach comes from TKV Desikachar and his studies with his father, TK Krishnamacharya of South India. Krishnamacharya was also the teacher of BKS Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois.
In 2002 TKV Desikachar requested his students to stop using the term "Viniyoga" to describe this approach to yoga because he felt people were turning it into a "style of yoga". However, the term is still in fairly common usage to denote the teachings that have evolved out of those transmitted by TKV Desikachar and his father TK Krishnamacharya.

How does your Teacher Training Programme differ from the BWY course?

Our course is very much in a single tradition and our approach to yoga is informed by our studies with our teachers, all of whom belong to the lineage of TK Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar. Consequently we do not teach an eclectic approach, but a single unified and consistent one.

The course itself has been entirely designed by ourselves to reflect what we feel is necessary and appropriate for a yoga teacher working within this tradition.

The course is somewhat longer than the usual BWY course and focuses in considerable depth on the core teachings of Patanjali, as well as the application of traditional teachings in a modern context.

We require you to work with an individual teacher throughout the course - there is considerable emphasis on the development of your own personal practice. We also require you to be teaching some individuals in your 3rd year (as well as teaching groups by your 2nd year).

What is aYs and in what way are you linked to it?

aYs (www.ays.org.uk) is an organization which has numerous incarnations over the last 2 decades. Paul Harvey set up the Centre for Yoga Studies (cYs) in the early 1980s on his return from an extended period of study in India with TKV Desikachar. In the late eighties this became Viniyoga Britain, and Paul developed a structure that included Introductory Courses, Foundation Courses, Post Graduate Programmes as well as his 4 year Teacher Training Programme.

Following TKV Desikachar's request to stop using the term "Viniyoga", the organization changed its name to aYs (Association for Yoga Studies) in 2003. Ranju was the Director of aYs from 2002- 2006.

The community of practitioners who belong to aYs were nearly all originally trained by Paul Harvey and there is an annual meeting at Harper Adams College in Shropshire. This is a great opportunity to meet with those interested in this approach also to take workshops with senior practitioners.

aYs does not have its own training programmes, but does recognise courses if they comply with certain minimum standards. Currently the Sadhana Mala Teacher Training Programme is the only such course.

Can I do the Teacher Training Course if I have not done the Sadhana Mala Foundation Course?

The Sadhana Mala Foundation course gives a thorough grounding in this approach to yoga. If you have done a BWY Foundation course with a "Viniyoga" trained teacher, then you will probably be more familiar with much of our way of working. Alternatively, if you have studied with a "Viniyoga" teacher, either taking 1-1 lessons or attending seminars, workshop, or retreats, you will have some idea of the approach.

The Sadhana Mala Foundation course is not a necessary pre-requisite, but it will give you the tools to begin a full teacher training. It may be that you have acquired those tools in other ways. There is a day of assessment and interviewing to come on to the course (we will be clear what you need to know when you apply) so your knowledge base should be reasonable.

Will I be a specialist Yoga Therapist on completion of the course?

There is only so much that we can do in a 3 year period. You will certainly have the tools to be a very competent group yoga teacher, and also to begin teaching individuals. However, the completion of the course is the beginning of your career as a yoga teacher - and we do not expect you to be specialists at the beginning!

The whole area of yoga therapy is complex and there is much potential to develop specialities and expertise in different areas. The course gives a grounding in the basics of yoga therapy and offers many tools; but becoming a healer is a long process and we expect you to continue to refine your skills as a practitioner after you have completed the course.