Viniyoga
There is a lot of confusion around the term "Viniyoga". It is an ancient Sanskrit word that means "appropriate application" - and as such is not specific to yoga. In fact, you could have a viniyoga of cooking, or plumbing, or any body of knowledge.
When applied to yoga, it is not a style, but an approach to yoga that aims to appropriately apply the many tools of yoga to an individual's specific circumstances - respecting their unique condition, needs and interest. More correctly, it should be called the viniyoga of yoga.
The hallmarks of the Vini Yoga of yoga approach are:
- Careful attention to the breath
- Adaptation of posture
- Dynamic and static posture work
- Careful sequence of postures
Because of the confusion around the term "Viniyoga", in 2002 Desikachar requested that his students no longer use the term. Consequently, the national body inspired by these teachings in the UK changed its name from Viniyoga Britain (VB) to the Association of Yoga Studies (aYs).
However, the term is still in fairly common usage to denote the teachings that have evolved out of those transmitted by and T.K.V. Desikachar and his father Professor T. Krishnamacharya of Chennai, India.