Who is Dr Kausthub Desikachar

Dr Kausthub Desikachar is the current lineage holder of the classical Viniyoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher,  yoga therapist, healer and spiritual adviser.  His objectives include the sharing of the authentic teachings of Yoga to the modern era, as well as building bridges between different healing modalities to promote physical, emotional social and spiritual health. 

It all started when…

in the year 1975, on the 05th of July, a charming boy was born into the family of the legendary Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya, to TKV Desikachar and Menaka Desikachar. He was the second child of three to his parents. Based on the star under which he was born, Kṛttika, as well as his constitution, his grandfather named him Kaustubha (कौस्तुभ), after the precious Ruby that Lord Viṣṇu wears in his heart.

However, the government clerk, who filled out the official documents, entered his name by mistake as Kausthub (कौस्थुब्), which became his legal name in all administrative documents.

His initiation into mantra-Japa, through the sacred thread ceremony Upanayana, happened under the careful guidance of Yogācārya T Krishnamacharya. He was very close to his paternal grandmother Nāmagiri, who doted on him dearly until 1984 when she passed away.

In the year 2022, he completed his full initiation into the Śrī-vaiṣṇava-sampradaya of his ancestors, by completing the most sacred rites of Samāśrayaṇa and Bharanyāsa under His Holiness Śrī Abhinava Vāgīṣa Brahmatantra Svatanta Parakāla Svāmi Mahā Deśika, the current Ācārya of the Parkālamaṭha of Mysuru.

He was inspired by…

his brother Bhusan and sister Mekhala, who had already begun classes with their father TKV Desikachar, and did not want to be left behind. So he began studying yoga at the tender age of 9, under the guidance of his teacher and father TKV Desikachar. His first Yoga Teacher was Sangeetha Prabhakar, a student of TKV Desikachar, who was teaching the Childern’s Yoga classes at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM),. His journey as a Yoga student began then, and he continued to study with his father henceforth until his father passed away in the year 2016. His father, TKV Desikachar, was his only Yogācārya. He was taught Yogāsana-s and Vedic Chanting at this time, and he particularly enjoyed backbends.

He began his schooling in Vidya Mandir, Mylapore where he studied from kindergarden to the eighth grade.

He started teaching at…

the age of thirteen, when he became child-faculty at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), and taught mainly children’s Yoga classes. He along with the other child-faculty would run classes at the weekends throughout the year, as well as during the special children’s yoga camps conducted in the summer. During these years, he also taught children with intellectual disabilities (ID), also known as general learning disability.

After completing his eighth grade, he transferred to PS Senior Higher Secondary school, where he completed his high school, grade 9 to 12. After graduating from high school, from the years 1992 - 1997, he completed his dual Master’s degree from the renowned Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences, Pilani. On graduation, he worked as an economist at the Murugappa Group and was part of a team that provided economic perspectives to the top management of the Group’s Companies. He was also part of a team that evaluated strategic decisions that the Group’s Companies made each year.

From the years 1997 - 2000, he completed the Yoga Teacher Training at the KYM and obtained the Post Graduate Diploma in Yoga. Immediately after that, he started teaching at the KYM as a full-time faculty under the supervision and guidance of his mentor Sir TKV Desikachar.

From the years 2004-2011, he completed his doctoral studies and received his PhD from the Psychology Department at the acclaimed University of Madras, where his topic of research was “Effect of Individualised Yoga Training on Quality of Life.”

A product of the best of both worlds,

he is blessed to have the highest credentials to support this work. He not only gained modern education from the best of universities in India but also had the unique chance of learning Yoga in the traditional way, from his father since his childhood. He studied the practices of all the dimensions of Yoga in-depth as well as philosophical teachings of Yoga-darśana, a range of classical texts such as Yogasūtra, Bhagavadgītā, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Yogarahasya, Yogayājñavalkya-saṁhitā, Yogatārāvali and many more such traditional treatises.

He was also very privileged to learn Yogatherapy in depth through both theoretical learning and also internship of over two decades by observing thousands of Yogatherapy classes taught by his father in close proximity. Through these sessions, he was taught the secrets of traditional Yogatherapy including the most challenging pulse diagnosis, which is a core principle in healing.

Thus he has been able to learn Yoga in all its dimensions, to a very great depth, and as well as having the good fortune to be highly educated in both the modern scientific manner and the timeless traditional systems. He is thus able to bring professionalism into the spiritual path and spirituality into his professional work.

Rising through the ranks,

he was given the responsibility of Editor of the Publications department at the KYM in the year 2000. His responsibilities included content creation, editing, and production of books, CDs and other products relating to yoga in the tradition of T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar.

Having a compassionate heart, in the year 2001, he founded the KYM-Mitra, a department of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, and created projects to take yoga to the socially and economically underprivileged, taking yoga to those who “need” it most, enhancing their quality of living.

He also served as a Senior Yoga Therapy Consultant at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, from 2000 to 2012 where his responsibilities included providing yoga therapy consultation for students visiting the Institute, supervision (in groups and also individually) of yoga therapy trainees learning to become yoga therapists, and also being a lead faculty of the Yoga Teacher Training Programs conducted at the school.

From the years 2010- 2012, he was elevated to the post of Executive Trustee and Chief Strategic Consultant of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. His responsibilities at this time included consulting on the overall vision and strategy of this non-profit Yoga Therapy and Education centre, creating and implementing projects in the fields of Yoga Studies, Yoga Therapy, Vedic Chanting and Yoga Research. At this time, the centre consisted of 30 administrative staff and 48 yoga teachers, of whom 11 were yoga therapy consultants.

Raising an umbrella to the world…

and bringing together practitioners of Viniyoga became a central reason why Dr Kausthub Desikachar and his father TKV Desikachar created the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation (KHYF). Through this institute, founded in 2006, the father-son duo connected students and teachers of the tradition from around the world, and the KHYF hence became the official umbrella organization for all practising in the Viniyoga tradition.

As it was clear to him that the KYM could not operate outside of India’s borders owing to its legal constitution, as well as his vision for his son’s role to best serve the tradition, Sir TKV Desikachar directed his son to create this school.

Dr Kausthub Desikachar has been the CEO of the KHYF since its inception. His responsibilities include creating and sustaining a network of high-quality yoga and yoga therapy professionals, with access to related resources that continually supports and enhances the quality of their work. Also, he oversees and supervises various yoga teacher training programs that are offered under the umbrella of the KHYF. He is also the Chief Yoga Therapist and offers Yoga Therapy and Healing to clients who visit the centre as well as when he travels abroad.

Under his astute stewardship and dedication to transmitting authentic teachings, the Viniyoga tradition has spread to all parts of the world, including to countries where it wasn’t previously known.

He departed away from the KYM in 2012, for personal reasons, as well to avoid conflict of interest, and solely focus on his dharma of taking the Viniyoga tradition worldwide through the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation and its affiliate centres.

When East and West called…

he responded with dynamism and gusto and travelled to all corners of the world to take the authentic and sacred teachings of the tradition without dilution. This included countries that had previous not experienced Viniyoga teachings like Norway, Chile, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia and many more!

On his father’s passing in 2016, he founded the KHYF International, in honour of his teacher, as a non-profit organization to become the official organization that maintains the registry of Viniyoga certified teachers and trainers. He founded this together with his students Philip Rigo and Evelyn Einhäuser and serves this organization as President.

To meet the growing demand of Viniyoga in Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia, in the year 2019, he founded Viniyoga Singapore as an official affiliate centre of the KHYF based in Singapore.

Embracing the holistic approach of Viniyoga,

he works as a Yoga Therapist and offers clients astute and effective solutions for all sorts of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual illnesses. He combines his classical training in Yoga and Āyurveda, his modern education in psychology, and his interactions with traditional healers worldwide, to offer optimum and effective synergetic solutions to alleviate a wide range of problems. His approach to healing includes a wide range of Yoga Therapy tools including postures (Āsana), breath regulation (Prāṇāyāma), meditation (Dhyāna), dietary recommendations (Āhāra-niyama), lifestyle suggestions (Vihāra-niyama), chanting (Mantra), visualisations/affirmations (Bhāvanā), special energetic seals (Mudrā), symbolic gestures (Nyāsa) and guided self-inquiry (Svādhyāya). 

As a Yoga educator, he is known for his remarkable, deep and well-versed knowledge and his ability to present the ancient teachings in a way that is profound as well as applicable for modern-day practitioners. He treats each student with respect, compassion and dignity,  and honours their capacity for growth and spiritual transformation. His teachings are especially beneficial for yoga teachers and yoga therapists as he helps them grasp the fullness and deep insights of the ancient teachings so that they are able to apply them in a competent and sincere way.

Dr Kausthub Desikachar's success has not always come easy. He has seen his fair share of adversities and challenges and has endured them with faith, patience and belief in his heart. He has braved all hardships, transformed them into strength, and used this to renew his commitment to his chosen dharmic path.

Being a pal of Fountain Pens,

he has authored and co-authored numerous publications over the past two decades. Some of his most popular books are

1) Vedic Chant Companion, co-author. Published February 2000
2) Viniyoga of Yoga: Applying Yoga for Healthy Living, co-author. Published May 2001
3) Adi Sankara’s Yoga Taravali, co-author. Published September 2003
4)The Yoga of The Yogi, author. Published February 2005
5) Masters in Focus, author. Published August 2008
6) Footsteps in the Heart, author. Published March 2010
7) The Heart of Asana : A comprehensive manual for Classical Yoga Postures. Published February 2012
8)The Hathayogapradipika | Jyotsnayuta. Published February 2016
9)The Yogarahasya of Nathamuni. Published February 2018
10) Truth Unclouded, co-author. Published June 2020

You can purchase most of these books here>

ADVISORY POSITIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

Adjunct Faculty of CYTER, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, India
Research Board Member, Patanjali Research Foundation, India
International Advisor to Mitra ASBL, Belgium
International Advisor to Pranamanas Yoga, Spain
International Advisor to Be Yoga, Norway
Yoga Therapy Advisor to Platinum Hospitals, Mumbai, India

Editorial Board Member - SPPPRC, Indian Yoga Association, INDIA
Editorial Board Member of Annals of Yoga and Physical Therapy, USA

Life Member of Indian Yoga Association, INDIA
Member of American Psychological Association, USA
Member of International Positive Psychological Association, USA
Life Member of Indian School of Psychology Association, India

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Dr Kausthub Desikachar is a champion of women’s empowerment and guides many of his female students to embody their strength. To view his interviews with Viniyoga Women, visit this page here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/viniyoga-women

A remakrable Yoga Therapist and spiritual guide, Dr Kausthub Desikachar also offers insightful mentoring through private consultations, which can be taken either face-to-face or online. To book a session with him, kindly visit his private consultations page by clicking here>

Dr Kausthub Desikachar also assists many clients whose healing journey includes mental health issues. He regularly writes articles on mental health issues and these can be found here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/mental-health

He also offers a Mantra blog, where students can listen to different Mantras from the Vedic Tradition. To benefit from this, visit here - https://www.viniyoga.com.sg/mantra

Apart from Yoga Teaching, Kausthub is also an avid photographer, inspirational writer and poet. To view some of his inspirations, visit the website www.kausthubdesikachar.com

Many wonderful articles have been written by or about Dr Kausthub Desikachar, the current lineage holder of the Viniyoga tradition! Click here to see the full list of articles and read them>

To connect with him through one of his social media pages, please click one of the icons below.