Nathamuni’s Yoga Rahasya

Nathamuni, a ninth century yogi and Vaishnavite saint, was an extraordinary person who revolutionized many customs prevailing at his time. Among his most important contributions was a text on yoga called the Yoga Rahasya. The title itself means “Secrets of yoga • and true to its name, this wonderful masterpiece offers many deep insights into the use, and applications of yoga.

Unfortunately, this text was lost a few decades after he died and for many years, it was merely a historical fact that the text had % once existed. There was no trace of this book until a very strange experience that happened to one of his direct descendants T Krishnamacharya, brought back to life, this great classic.

Regarded as one of the most influential yogi-s of modern times, T Krishnamacharya received the teachings of Yoga Rahasya as a young boy, in a strange situation in a town called Alvar Tirunagari on the banks of the river Tamraparani. This town hosts one of the most holy Visnu temples and a very old tamarind tree, under which Nathamuni himself is supposed to have had the vision of his teacher Nammalvar, who taught him the secrets of yoga.

The revival of this great text brings to life the great yoga teachings of Nathamuni and provides us valuable *information on how to utilize the different tools that yoga offers to deal with different situations. This work formed an important source of reference for T Krishnamacharya’s teaching and has touched many people directly or indirectly.

Important concepts discussed in this classical text include:

*  Importance of yoga for women

*  Yoga for pregnancy

*  Yoga for different stages of life

*  Yoga as a therapeutic tool