| Introduction
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What is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient, self-empowering practice that utilizes a wide range of tools to enhance well-being
and to maintain and restore health. It can be a powerful tool on the journey of personal and
spiritual growth, as well.
Who can do Yoga?
No pre-requisites are required to begin practicing yoga. Yoga is for everyone, irrespective of age,
gender, belief system, cultural background or ability. Yoga offers a broad range of tools that can be tailored by
a skilled teacher to suit the unique needs of each individual student.
What can you gain from Yoga?
Yoga has gained global acceptance by helping people meet the challenges of our modern daily
life with greater equanimity, and improved health and well-being.
Yoga serves as a means to :
* relax and refresh after daily activities
* enhance quality of life and improvement of relationships
* increase attention and focus in children and adults
* improve in personal and professional productivity
* reduce stress and stress-related problems
* stabilize mental and emotional challenges - depression, anxiety, etc.
* alleviate a wide range of physical ailments - back pain, arthritis, etc.
* help in the recovery from illness - post surgery, injuries etc.
* maintain vitality from youth through old age
* support women through many life changes, including PMS, pregnancy, and menopause
* address the special needs of the differently-abled
* guide in the process of self discovery and personal transformation
* provide an avenue for spiritual growth
About us
Yoga in the tradition of T Krishnamacharya
Professor T Krishnamacharya was a pioneer in the revival of the ancient teachings of yoga and in preserving their
relevance for the modern world. He strongly advocated an intelligent approach to yoga, whereby yoga’s tools and
techniques are adapted to respect the needs, abilities and requirements of each individual. The popularity and appeal
of his students, including Indra Devi, Pattabhi Jois, BKS Iyengar and particularly, TKV Desikachar, testify to the
significance of his life’s work and teachings and to his position as one of the most influential yoga master of
the modern era.
TKV Desikachar, son and longest standing student of Krishnamacharya, continues to carry this tradition into the
21st century. He has been instrumental in building bridges between yoga and other healing modalities, inspiring
thousands of yoga practitioners worldwide.
The following practices and principles are unique to yoga as taught in the tradition of Krishnamacharya:
* The entire range of yoga’s tools is utilized in a practical and experiential manner.
* In individual settings, personalized yoga programs are evolved for therapy or general needs.
* Group classes are taught with a specific focus that provide individual attention and care.
* Yoga Therapy utilizes an integrative approach that is complementary to other healing modalities.
* The teachers/therapists are constantly growing and learning through mentoring, personal practice and continuing education programs.
Some of the tools used in this tradition include (but are not limited to) postures (asana), breath regulation (pranayama),
meditation (dhyana), dietary recommendations (ahara niyama), lifestyle suggestions (vihara niyama), chanting (mantra),
visualization / affirmation (bhavana), gestures (mudra), and guided self-inquiry (svadhyaya).
The KHYF
The Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation (KHYF) was founded by TKV Desikachar and Kausthub Desikachar,
son and student of TKV Desikachar. The KHYF is the official umbrella organization representing the
complete yoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya.
The KHYF’s objectives include:
* Increasing awareness of yoga and its many applications.
* Promoting and sharing yoga as an alternate healing methodology.
* Providing the highest standards of education in yoga and yoga therapy.
* Collaboration with professionals from other modalities to create new paradigms in healing.
* Creating and sharing educational resources that support the understanding and study of yoga.
* Support for a network of professional teachers and therapist through mentoring and continuing education.
* Maintaining the authenticity of yoga, while making it relevant for contemporary society.
* Developing research studies that scientifically evaluate the role of yoga in addressing different needs.
The KHYF Network
The network of KHYF members consists of certified yoga teachers, yoga teacher trainers, yoga therapists and yoga
therapist trainers who have undergone or are currently engaged in comprehensive training with the KHYF.
Every member is matched with a mentor who provides him/her with guidance and support in achieving educational
objectives.
A KHYF Yoga Teacher is certified to teach group classes and general (non-therapy) individual classes. They can
also teach personalized yoga therapy practices under the guidance and supervision of a Yoga Therapist.
You can expect a KHYF Yoga Teacher to have completed 500-750 hours of training.
A KHYF Yoga Teacher Trainer is a Yoga Teacher, who is also certified to train others to become Yoga Teachers.
You can expect a KHYF Yoga Teacher Trainer to have completed a cumulative minimum of 1500 hours of training and at
least five years of teaching experience.
A KHYF Yoga Therapist is a Yoga Teacher, who is also trained to teach and develop personalized yoga therapy programs.
You can expect a KHYF Yoga Therapist to have at least 7 years of yoga teaching experience and a cumulative minimum of
2000 hours of training, including a minimum 100 hours of internship practice at our primary affiliate center,
the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram.
A KHYF Yoga Therapist Trainer is a Yoga Therapist, who is also certified to train others to become Yoga Therapists.
You can expect a KHYF Yoga Therapist Trainer to have at least 5 years of yoga therapy practice and a cumulative minimum
of 3000 hours of training, including internship practice.
A KHYF Affiliate Center is an institution that is directly linked to and supervised by the KHYF and functions as a
Yoga Therapy and education center. The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), located in India, serves as the primary
affiliate center of the KHYF. Other affiliated centers can be expected to open worldwide in the future.
KHYF in your life
You can begin to benefit from this tradition of yoga by:
* Beginning yoga/yoga therapy classes with any of our qualified members.
* Participating in any of our worldwide training programs that are suitable for you.
* Visiting our affiliate centers in India or other areas of the world.
* Reading the publications and resource materials offered through our website.
* Attending seminars and conferences offered by the KHYF and its members.
* Collaborating with the KHYF and our members to develop a customized program that suits your needs or the needs of your organization.
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