Our approach is inspired by the teachings of TKV Desikachar of Chennai, India and his students Paul Harvey and more recently, Peter Hersnack.
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Welcome to Yoga MalaYoga Mala was founded by Ranju and Lindy Roy. They trained with Paul Harvey (yogastudies.org), following the approach to yoga developed by Krishnamacharya and his son TKV Desikachar. They are qualified yoga teachers with the Association for Yoga Studies (aYs) (formerly known as Viniyoga Britain) and also Accredited British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) teachers.
Mala means "garland", so Yoga Mala means "garland of yoga" - emphasising the many different facets of the practice and teaching of this ancient art.
Our approach is inspired by the teachings of TKV Desikachar of Chennai, India and his students Paul Harvey and more recently, Peter Hersnack.
Our aim is to help in the process of developing an authentic western yoga that respects both the traditional aspects of yoga and its contemporary application in the West.
About Ranju
Although I grew up in England, I was born in Udaipur, Rajasthan; my father is Bengali and my mother is English. The interweaving of 2 cultures has been a constant theme in my life, not just intellectually but personally. We kept in close touch with the Indian side of the family and it was my Indian grandfather who gave me my first book on yoga when I was 15. He was a very keen practitioner of yoga and encouraged me to take it up.
After graduating (in English Literature and Fine Art) from Exeter University in 1984, I moved to Bristol and began to attend yoga classes - something my mother suggested (she also teaches yoga). These early classes were Iyengar based and introduced me to a wide range of postures. The classes ignited my passion for yoga - they taught me a lot about precision and rigour in asana. However, I also felt that something profound was missing - there was minimal teaching on the philosophy of yoga, the purpose of yoga or the role of the breath in yoga.
I met Paul Harvey (www.yogastudies.org) in 1987 and a new world opened as he introduced me to the teachings of TK Krishnamacharya and his son TKV Desikachar. I had heard of Krishnamacharya because he was BKS Iyengar's teacher; I had heard of Desikachar because he had taught yoga to J Krishnamurti. Paul deepened my understanding; yoga was put into a context. I studied chanting, the Yoga Sutras, the role of the breath, concepts of modification in asana and much more.
In 1990, Lindy and I first visited Chennai and studied at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM) (www.kym.org) Again, our understandings and practice were deepened as we studied with a number of senior teachers at the KYM. When we returned to the UK, I started Paul's four-year teacher training programme in 1991.
We also both started work as art therapists in the psychiatric services in 1991. Juggling work, family and yoga training had its own challenges, but gave us a good understanding of how to integrate yoga into modern daily life, with all its pressures and constraints. Used skillfully, yoga is a support - not a retreat from life but a way of embracing it.
Since that time, I went on to do Paul's post-graduate yoga training and have returned twice to Chennai for further courses. I have also attended many workshops in the UK. In 2004 I met and began to work with Peter Hersnack, another inspirational teacher and student of Desikachar's. My teaching career has slowly developed too and over the last fifteen years I have taught many workshops, retreats and courses as well individuals and group classes. I love teaching - not only is it a way to help others, it also helps me to clarify my own understanding.
From 2002-2006 I was the Executive Director of the Association for Yoga Studies (aYs) and worked closely with Paul Harvey and others to develop the organization and the courses that aYs offered.
aYs Teacher Training in conjunction with Sadhana Mala.
Sadhana Mala is an organisation set up by Ranju and Dave Charlton in 2004.
The original aim of Sadhana Mala was to develop a series of retreats and workshops focused on personal development as students of yoga. After a number of very successful retreats through 2004 and 2005, we started our first full Teacher Training Programme in London in Jan 2006. This is a 3 year commitment focused on developing the skills to work with students both in groups and individually. This course will be accredited with the British Wheel of Yoga. (BWY)
Our second course runs from April 2007 - April 2010 and is based in Dublin.
From Jan 2010, we have rearranged the structure of our training so that instead of making one long course, we have subdivided it into two shorter courses (each running between 18 months and 2 years). The first course is aimed at giving a thorough grounding in the principles underlying this approach to yoga and preparing the student to teach group classes. The second course (Art of Individual Teaching - AIT) is much more focused on the therapeutic application of yoga and also one to one teaching. For further details of the AIT see below.
These courses are now aYs courses, and successful completion of both courses allows the student to become an aYs Registered Practitioner.
London, Yoga Junction 2010 - 2012 (main tutors: Dave Charlton, Ranju Roy and Tara Fraser). This course is now full.
Taunton, Easter 2011 - Easter 2013 (main tutors: Ranju Roy and Dave Charlton).
We have yet to produce a brochure for this course, but if you are interested in details please do contact us)
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