Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation

Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation (KHYF) was founded by TKV Desikachar and his son & student, Dr.Kausthub Desikachar. It was founded in 2006 specifically to spread the teachings of Viniyoga® globally as the tradition was growing rapidly all over the world. TKV Desikachar also established the KHYF as the international anchor of the tradition. The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), an Indian charitable Institution, founded by TKV Desikachar earlier, was primarily set up with legal and statutory provisions to operate only in India, barring it from any activity outside of India. This meant that the KYM was able to continue with its very different work as an Indian yoga therapy clinic. Thus Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation (KHYF) is the worldwide headquarters and official umbrella organisation representing the complete and authentic Viniyoga® tradition of Professor T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar globally. We teach Yoga in the authentic teaching tradition of T.Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar. KHYF is the only organization from India that represents the family of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar and is therefore strongly rooted in the classical teachings of Yoga represented by these two Yoga masters. We teach Yoga as it was understood by the Yogis of the past, as a spiritual, energetic and holistic practice that is connected to the sacred texts of the Vedas and the Rishis of the past, yet we ‘translate’ the knowledge so that modern day practitioners can understand and apply it. One of the biggest obstacles on our spiritual path is any form of disease, be it in our body, mind or spirit. A process of engaging with Yoga as a healing device is nowadays known as Yoga Cikitsaka or Yoga Therapy. In Yoga Therapy the focus of the Yoga practices lies in the alleviation of pain or sickness. Therefore all the tools of Yoga are applied adequately to facilitate healing in an individual. The Yogis of the past understood that the different layers of our existence like mind, psyche and body are intrinsicly interconnected. Therefore to enable healing, one has to work with a holistic healing modality such as Yoga, which can render subtle and profound changes in different dimensions. Apart from Yoga’s tools, Yoga Therapy is also closely associated with a refined knowledge of Ayurveda, including the three different consititutions (doshas), pulse reading and dietary recommendations. T. Krishnamacharya was known as an exceptional healer who even knew how to mix Ayurvedic medicines by himself. T.K.V. Desikachar is known as the most famous Yoga Therapist of modern times and founded the world’s first Yoga Therapy Clinic in Chennai in 1976. With their great dedication to healing, Yoga Therapy forms an integral part of our teaching tradition. Careseekers from around the world seek Yoga Therapy sessions in our center or over SKYPE to find relief from a multitude of different diseases ranging from asthma over depression up to insomnia. In order to spread the knowledge on Yoga Therapy around the world, we also train Yoga Teachers in an in-depth training over three years to become highly qualified Yoga Therapists.