Traditions
SoundYoga is a school inspired by and dedicated to the teachings of Krishnamacharya as taught to his son TKV Desikachar. Rooted in the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, the teachings have been passed down from teacher to student for generations. This lineage structure is a reflection of the heart of Yoga: relationship.
Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, 1889-1999, was a well spring of yogic wisdom. More than any other single person, with his firm belief that anyone can do yoga, he revitalized yoga as a holistic healing system for the modern age. “Krishnamacharya’s mission was to bring the promise of Yoga, particularly the healing potential, to anyone who wished to receive it … It was to be available to any sincere individual of any age, caste, station in life, cultural background and religious belief or non-belief.”
Sri Krishnamacharya’s teaching remains one of the greatest influences shaping yoga as we know it, inspiring many of the popular methods of yoga taught today. Many yoga masters of great renown including BKS Iyangar, Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi and his own son TKV Desikachar studied with this legendary yogi, scholar and healer. His longest standing student, his son Desikachar, continues to pass on the lineage of Sri Krishnamacharya’s teachings.
TKV Desikachar 1938-2016, was one of the most respected Yoga healers and teachers of our time. He studied with his father, Sri T Krishnamacharya, for three decades. In 1976, he founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), a non-profit healing center in Chennai, India, to honor his father and share his teachings. Desikachar is the author of many books and publications, including Health, Healing and Beyond and The Heart of Yoga.
Sonia Nelson, Certified Teacher Trainer in the tradition of Krishnamacharya, and a longtime student of TKV Desikachar, from 1975 to his passing. A master teacher of Vedic Chanting, Sonia has developed a unique approach for teaching Vedic Chant to western students. She is director of the Vedic Chant Center, gives seminars and workshops nationwide, and has released a number of CDs including tutorials for learning Vedic Chant and the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.