Bend it like Mysuru

The Mysore Palace has always been the main landmark in Mysuru, the Karnataka town singled out for its rich historical and cultural tapestry. And emerging from this amalgamation of traditions, the city is in the process of sculpting for itself a new image as a global yoga hub that has its origins in the past.

For many years it was the base of the legendary yoga master T Krishnamacharya, often referred to as the father of modern yoga. It was he who initiated the popular styles of yoga practised worldwide today in the form of Iyengar and Ashtanga.

The 19th-century text Sritattavanidhi, a significant section of which is based on yoga and has been translated in English by Norman Sjoman, gives an insight into the traditions of the Mysore Palace. It brings to light the fact that the royal family were patrons of the yoga masters. In the 1930s the maharaja sponsored a yoga school run by Krishnamacharya in the palace. Iyengar and Jois were among his students.

The Mysore of that time grew immensely in its yoga reputation thanks to these masters, and to this date one cannot escape the yoga life-force that sets in when you enter the town.

But then, with innumerable yoga centres beckoning visitors, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. Often yoga enthusiasts look up websites of the shalas (yoga schools) or online feedback and reviews for leads. Some feel it is even better to converse with key people at some of the shalas to get a glimpse of their core values and decide whether these connect with their needs.

Indea Yoga Dhama is one such centre that serves as a one-stop yoga shala. It offers accommodation, food and yoga under one roof. Although tradition is a word used quite superficially in the yoga circle these days, this shala offers yoga in its classical form.

Its founder, Yogacharya Bharath Shetty, trained under well-known guru BKS Iyengar, and has integrated a yogic system that combines Hatha, Ashtanga and Iyengar styles without the use of props. For him yoga is not a business proposition and follows the “no force and no pressure” philosophy, giving little or no chance for injury.

Apart from his centre there are many others, including the Prana Vashya Yoga and the Atma Vikasa Centre of Yogic Sciences. In fact, in the last few years Mysuru is being recognised as a yoga hub. As a town it is increasingly trying to cater to visitors from all parts of the world in terms of food, accommodation and yoga styles.

The writer is a yoga teacher and practitioner

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