Maria Vivian Lagier
Transmission: from the rigour of Lonavla to the awakening of Indra Devi
My practice and my teaching sit at the crossroads of two major 20th-century lineages: the scientific and textual rigour of the Lonavla school, and the universal, pioneering vision carried by the lineage of T. Krishnamacharya through Indra Devi.1. The Lonavla foundation: science, texts and therapy
This branch gave me anatomical precision, the study of the source texts and a deep therapeutic understanding of yoga.- Swami Kuvalayananda (1883 – 1966): the world pioneer of scientific research on yoga and founder of the Kaivalyadhama Institute in Lonavla. A disciple of the great Swami Madhavasdaji Maharaj (1798 – 1921), who passed on to him the secrets of hatha yoga and the kriyas, and the conviction that yoga must serve the health of humanity.
- Dr. Manohar L. Gharote & Dr. Mukund V. Bhole: my direct teachers. Dr. Gharote guided me in the rigorous application and codification of traditional yoga. Dr. Bhole shaped my therapeutic vision by translating ancient yogic concepts into concrete neuro-physiological sensations.
- Dr. Manmath Gharote: my current guide, with whom I continue to deepen literary research and the preservation of traditional manuscripts at the Lonavla Yoga Institute.
2. The feminine dimension and openness to the world: the lineage of Indra Devi
This branch brings to my teaching a deeply human, fluid approach and a universal spiritual sensitivity.- Sri T. Krishnamacharya (1888 – 1989): the master of masters of modern yoga in Mysore, who broke the conventions of his time by agreeing to teach women and Westerners.
- Indra Devi (1899 – 2002): my guide and spiritual teacher. The first woman and first Westerner to be a disciple of Krishnamacharya, she was known as the “First Lady of Yoga”. She passed on to me a yoga of the heart (Sai Yoga), deeply suited to the needs of modern life, combining devotion, gentleness and inner strength.
Maria Vivian Lagier
Founder · Centre de Formation et de Recherche en YogaEnter the site