Thousands of years of wisdom

Viniyoga

Viniyoga is a comprehensive transmission of authentic Indian teachings from T. Krishnamacharya through his son Mr. TKV Desikachar. In Viniyoga, Yogic tools including movement, breathing, chanting, and meditation, are adapted to serve the individual student on their unique path. This lineage, passed through centuries from teachers to students, remains centered on one-on-one exploration in a therapeutic setting.

Viniyoga draws its teachings from vast and ancient sources: The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, The Bhagavad Gita, the Āyurvedic system of health and wellness, and the Pañcamaya Model from the Taittirīya Upaniṣad.

Over two decades of practice

What’s in a name

FIVE WINGS

The name of my practice, Five Wings Yoga Therapy, is a bow to the Pañcamaya Model. This holistic, traditional Indian understanding of the human system consists of five connected material dimensions: body, breath, mind, behavior, and emotions.

Each dimension is described as a bird with a head, two wings, a trunk, and a tail. When all parts of the bird are functioning properly, then its purpose of flight can be expressed. When there is improper functioning of one or more parts, then the full expanse of the bird’s purpose is stifled.

This is one of the many models I will use in our work together. By understanding that what happens in the body affects the breath, which affects the mind, behavior, and emotions, we can begin to see that it’s all interconnected. And then, we can learn to make new choices that arise not out of patterned suffering, but out of our deepest knowing.