Shri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) was born on November 18 in the Chitradurga area of Karnataka, India. His parents were Shri Tirumalai Srinvasa Tattacharya, a well-known Vedic teacher, and Shrimati Ranganayakamma and was the eldest of six brothers and sisters.

Krishnamacharya spent much of his youth traveling to India, studying the six Indian philosophies or darshanas: Vaisheshika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta. His students are many of the most important teachers and continue to be influential today: Shri BKS Iyengar, Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, the late Indra Devi and TKV Desikachar, Krishnamacharya's son. Although his knowledge and teaching has influenced yoga all over the world, he never left his homeland, India, during his lifetime.

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It is important to note that KP Jois and BKS Iyengar taught based on their own experiences with Krishnamacharya in the 1930s in Mysore, when they were both young men. Their styles reflect yoga which is suitable for younger practitioners and therefore, they place a lot of emphasis on the practice of asana. However, teachers like TKV Desikachar taught a wider part of Krishnamacharya's teachings called Vini Yoga, but later teachers like Srivatsa Ramaswami, AG Mohan teach a wider part of Krishnamacharya's teachings, emphasizing that y and should be coordinated with the trainee, taking into account health, energy, physique, gender, place and age.