Srivatsa Ramaswami

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Srivatsa Ramaswami (born 1939) is a teacher of Vinyasa Krama yoga. He studied for 33 years under the "grandfather of

Himalayan Institute and many other centres.[1]
He is the author of four books on yoga.

Life

Srivatsa Ramaswami was born in Palayamcottai, Tirunelveli Dt in 1939 into a religious family that practised ritual and chanting, following the

Surya Namaskar (salute to the sun); and on Hindu scriptures including the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and the Bhagavad Gita.[6]
He is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance.[7]

He is married to the

gynaecologist Dr. Uma Ramaswami.[1]

Opinion of Krishnamacharya's methods

The yoga scholar

Yoga Kurunta. Krishnamacharya reportedly told Ramaswami "with a chuckle" to go and look in the Tanjore library, which stated that the text did not exist. Ramaswami concluded from this, and from the continual changes in the supposed text, that it was Krishnamacharya's invention.[8]

Singleton notes also that Krishnamacharya told Ramaswami that the "dynamic sequencing" (vriddhi or shrushtimkri) of yoga postures (

Pattabhi Jois.[9]

Reception

Reviewing Yoga for the Three Stages of Life (2001), Yoga Chicago comment that few of Krishnamacharya's thousands of students were as "diligent" as Ramaswami, staying for 33 years. The first chapter gives a "fascinating" account of Krishnamacharya's teaching style. The rest of the first part of the book summarizes yoga theory, while the remainder of the book looks at the practice of yoga, including asanas, pranayama, bandhas, detachment, renunciation, and mental transformation. The review concludes that while the book could help a beginner with a bad back, it was mainly for "the serious student" wanting an account of "the whole yoga story".[2]

Reviewing The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga (2005), Publishers Weekly notes that Ramaswami calls much Western yoga "blatantly aggressive" and lacking coverage of key aspects including pranayama, chanting, meditation, and yoga philosophy. The review notes that many of the 900 asanas and variations are highly advanced, though the sequences include some for beginners and intermediates. The review finds Ramaswami's approach "somewhat didactic", and the format like a reference manual, requiring the context provided by his earlier Yoga for the Three Stages of Life.[10]

Sarah Mata-Gabor, reviewing Yoga Beneath the Surface (2006) for International Journal of Yoga Therapy, writes that it "illuminates the virtue of inquiry in the pursuit of a comprehensive understanding of yoga." In her view, Ramaswami "answers Hurwitz's questions with knowledge, experience, and generosity, providing a sturdy foundation for a modern Western student of Yoga." She finds his answers "non-dogmatic but authoritative", providing insights into Krishnamacharya's teaching with "an exceptional balance of objectivity and subjectivity".[11] Sharon Steffensen, reviewing the book for Yoga Chicago, comments that it reads "like a private conversation between a

Yoga Sutras.[13]

Works

  • (1982) Basic Tenets of Patanjala Yoga, Cambridge Yoga Publications.
  • (2001) Yoga for the Three Stages of Life: Developing Your Practice As an Art Form, a Physical Therapy, and a Guiding Philosophy, Inner Traditions.
    ISBN 978-0892818204
  • (2005) The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga: The Authoritative Presentation - Based on 30 Years of Direct Study Under the Legendary Yoga Teacher Krishnamacha, Da Capo.
    ISBN 978-1569244029
  • (2006) Yoga Beneath the Surface: An American Student and His Indian Teacher Discuss Yoga Philosophy and Practice (with David Hurwitz), Da Capo.
    ISBN 978-1569242940[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Srivatsa Ramaswami". Yoga Society of New York. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Book Review | Yoga for the Three Stages of Life; Developing Your Practice as an Art Form, a Physical Therapy and a Guiding Philosophy". Yoga Chicago. July 2001. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b Sharonin, Yuri (2012). "Huge variety of Krishnamacharya's teachings - Interview with Srivatsa Ramaswami". Wild Yogi. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  4. ^ Ramaswami, Srivatsa (October 1997). "My Studies with Sri Krishnamacharya" (PDF). Namarupa (6).
  5. ^ "Srivatsa Ramaswami". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. ^ Brandon, Stephen. "My Studies with Srivatsa Ramaswami". Harmony Yoga. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  7. ^ "About Srivatsa Ramaswami". Yoga Alliance. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  8. OCLC 318191988
    .
  9. OCLC 318191988
    .
  10. ^ Silverstein, Bob. "THE COMPLETE BOOK OF VINYASA YOGA: An Authoritative Presentation Based on 30 Years of Direct Study Under the Legendary Yoga Teacher Krishnamacharya". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  11. ^ Mata-Gabor, Sarah (2006). "Reviews | Srivatsa Ramaswami and David Hurwitz. Yoga Beneath the Surface...". International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 16 (1): 101–107.
  12. ^ Steffensen, Sharon (September 2005). "Book Review | Yoga Beneath the Surface". Yoga Chicago. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  13. ^ Hann, Joelle (10 August 2006). "For Total Posers: Four Book Reviews". Time Out Magazine. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  14. doi:10.1111/j.1748-0922.2008.00256.x
    .
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