Tirumalai Krishnamacharya Biography 
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was a famous yoga guru and instructor from Karnataka, south India who lived in the 20th century. He was a religious scholar, yogi and ayurvedic healer also. He was one of the influential yoga figures during the period, who is referred to as "the father of modern yoga". He is credited with the revival of hatha yoga, and also the architect of vinyasa (combining breathing with movement). The legendary yoga teacher B. K. S. Iyengar was his brother-in-law. In fact Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was the first person who introduced B. K. S. Iyengar to the world of yoga at the age of 15, as a treatment to cure his illness. His niece (daughter of Iyengar) Geeta Iyengar is currently following the legacy of her father and uncle.
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was born on November 18, 1888 in Chitradurga district, Mysore Kingdom. The place now belongs to Karnataka. He belonged to an orthodox Iyengar family. His father was a well-known teacher of the Vedas. He had 5 younger siblings. He started learning Sanskrit at a very young age. He lost his father at the age of 10. The family then moved to Mysore. He took formal schooling at the Chamaraj Sanskrit College, and used to participate in debates.
At the age of 16, he had a strange dream in which his ancestor, Saint Nathamuni instructed him to go to town of Alvar Tirunagari. After reaching there, he found three sages of whom one was Nathamuni,who recited him Yoga Rahasya. When he woke up from dream, he could recall all the verses of this legendary treatise. During his younger days, he travelled extensively and also practised yoga. An accomplished scholar and writer, he authored several books.
Krishnamacharya held degrees in all the six Vedic darsanas, or Indian philosophies. He travelled cross India giving lessons on Yoga, as well as promoting it. Apart from B. K. S. Iyengar, some of the renowned yoga teachers - Indra Devi, K. Pattabhi Jois, T.K.V. Desikachar, Srivatsa Ramaswami and A. G. Mohan were his disciples. He lived a long life of 100 years and died in 1989.
Published: July 29, 2018
Updated: July 29, 2018
