Heart of Yoga, by TKV Desikachar
[N.B. The information about Heart of Yoga is based on the edition published in 1995.
A new edition has been published since then, with various changes.]
In a prefatory "Blessing" to Heart of Yoga, Indra Devi describes the book as "an
invaluable source of information regarding the theory and practice of yoga. It is
a must for students and teachers alike" and refers to Desikachar as "a teacher par
excellence" who "follows the yoga lineage of his father Sri Krishnamacharya, one
of the best yoga teachers of his time."
In the Foreword, Vanda Scaravelli writes, "What a nice person Desikachar is!. . .
His simplicity is one of the exceptional characteristics of his personality. . .
. Desikachar helps us realise that what is essential in the practice of yoga is the
breath because each pose, each movement, originates from there. This balanced union
brings harmony and order to our bodies and minds."
The prime influence on Desikachar and his teaching of yoga was his father Krishnamacharya,
who emphasised the importance of adapting yoga according to the needs, capacities
and aspirations of each student. In his introduction to Heart of Yoga, Mark Whitwell
makes this point quite clearly. [N.B. This is one of the things that do not appear
in the most recent edition.] The student-teacher relationship has always been very
important in yoga, and one of the attractive features of this fascinating book is
the series of question-and-answer sections at the end of certain chapters. This
feature, along with the many photographs of Desikachar and his father, gives the
book an endearingly personal quality.
The book is divided into four parts.
Part I is called "The Practice of Yoga", and the following listing of its chapter
headings shows how comprehensive its coverage is:
Desikachar points out in his introduction to this section that everyone's approach
to yoga is different. Someone may start with an interest in meditation, another
with an interest in asana; but gradually the interest in one path will lead to another.
As he says, (p. 7), "We begin where we are and how we are, and whatever happens,
happens. . . . The more we progress, the more we become aware of the holistic nature
of our being, realising that we are made of body, breath, mind, and more. . . . So
let us not forget, we can begin practising yoga from any starting point, but if we
are to be complete human beings we must incorporate all aspects of ourselves, and
do so step by step." This common-sense, essentially humane approach to yoga is typical
of the techniques of Viniyoga, and it's this that drew me towards the teachings of
Desikachar in the first place.
Part II is called "The Understanding of Yoga". It is really a series of annotations
on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and as such it is tremendously helpful to anyone trying
to read and understand the Yoga Sutras, especially the perplexed first-time reader.
It can be read and re-read on its own, but constant reference to the Yoga Sutras
is inevitable. So it's very handy that Heart of Yoga incorporates Desikachar's own
free translation of the Yoga Sutras is included (see Part III below). The chapter
headings show that this section is deeply concerned with the way we live in the world,
our understanding of our selves, and our purpose in life. This is obviously far removed
from the "standing-on-your-head-with your-legs-wrapped-round-your neck" concept of
yoga, but it is ultimately the most crucial aspect of what yoga is really all about.
The chapter headings are as follows:
Part III contains Desikachar's annotated translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. Of
the various translations that I have read, this is by far the easiest one for a beginner
(or even a more advanced student!) to understand. It is comparatively free, because
Desikachar's purpose is to make the text accessible to people who do not know Sanskrit
(the language in which the original is written). This is no easy matter, because
the text is aphoristic, that is, it is highly condensed, with every word carrying
two or more layers of meaning. Desikachar has succeeded in presenting the essence
of Patanjali's philosophy; he also adds explanatory material, and often helps the
reader to see how each verse leads on to the verse that follows. For more on the
Yoga Sutras, click here.
Part IV is entitled "A Life of Yoga", and contains an interview with Desikachar in
which he describes the life and work of his father, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, whose
lifetime devotion to studying and teaching yoga has had a major influence on the
dissemination of yoga world-wide, particularly through his students BKS Iyengar,
Patabhi Jois and of course Desikachar himself. I do not have plans to include material
from Part IV, but it has much of great interest, and yet another thing that makes
this book a "must buy, must read". For more on Krishnamacharya, click here.)
Finally, there are two appendices:
Appendix 1: The Texts mentioned in this book. Appendix 1 contains information about
the Yoga Sutra and several commentaries on this text , Yoga Yajnavalkya, Yoga Rahasya,
Bhagavd Gita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika. A list, in fact, of the texts the serious
yoga student will want to read.
Appendix 2: Four General Practice Sequences. These give a flavour of the approach
to asana practice using viniyoga techniques, and each would take about 30-40 minutes
to complete. There is an introductory page giving advice on how to use the sequences.
