Shri T. Krishnamacharya, of a family that can trace its origins back to the South Indian yogi: Nathamuni of 7th and 8th centuries, was born in the village of Muchukunte, Karnataka State, in 1888. His formal Education, largely in Sanskrit, included Degrees from several universities in North India.
He then studied for seven years under a distinguished yogi in western Tibet: Rama Mohana Brahmachari who instructed him the therapeutic use of asanas & pranayama. Then he returned to South India and established a school of yoga in the palace of the Maharajah of Mysore.
Nathamuni was an ancient south Indian, a great yogi who created two remarkable works: the Yoga Rahasya and the Naya Tattva. The Yoga Rahasya has never been printed, but in his youth, Shri T.Krishnamacharya had a revelation of the contents of this book in a mystic dream on a pilgrim. Many of his teaching was rooted on this book.
After Independence he moved to Madras where he was well-known for his therapeutic use of yoga. He was married and had six children, two of whom are also teaching yoga (Desikachar and Shri Bashyam).
Shri T.Krishnamacharya synthesized a vast amount of religious and yoga understanding. He passed away at the age of 101 years in 1988.