MY PRACTICE
About Deb Robertson
Two decades of study and experience in Vedic chanting, yoga therapy & philosophy, and breathing & meditation practice
MY STORY
Two decades of study, practice and dedication
As a lifelong asthmatic, I know what it is to struggle for breath. This is why I was immediately drawn to T Krishnamacharya’s approach to yoga.
Its focus on individualised practice, breath-centred movement and the integration of yoga philosophy into daily life challenged my preconceptions that yoga was only for the young, healthy and fit.
Through my two decades of study and practices, I learned that yoga is deeply inclusive and holistic. It meets you exactly where you are, regardless of experience, age, or ability. It’s not about achieving the perfect pose but about creating space for self-awareness, balance, and healing that nurtures both body and soul.
MY QUALIFICATIONS
About My Approach
Unlike many yoga teachers and practitioners, I have invested in years of training so that I can pass on the philosophy of T Krishnamacharya with wisdom, authenticity, and a deep understanding of its transformative power
My Education at the Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation (KHYF)
I have studied extensively at KHYF, deepening my knowledge in both yoga therapy and Vedic chanting under the guidance of renowned teachers:
Advanced Vedic Chant Teacher Training with Menaka Desikachar
Vedic Chant Teacher Training with Menaka Desikachar
Yoga Therapy Training, including:
Two 130-hour internships at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandarim in Chennai
An extensive research project on the individual practice of yoga for asthma sufferers
Further Studies & Certifications
Beyond my foundational training, I have pursued further studies to expand my expertise:
Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training with Joy Spencer (2001)
Certificate IV in Training & Assessment (TAE) at Victoria University (2014)
Undergraduate Studies at La Trobe University: Comparative Religion, Indian Studies, Art History, and Philosophy
Training with esteemed teachers Judith Lasater, Donna Farhi, and Leslie Kaminoff (2014–15)
With this deep and diverse foundation, my teaching integrates tradition with modern understanding, offering a holistic and personalised approach to yoga.
This is what I bring to every session and class
MY VALUES
Yoga is for everyone and anyone
Yoga doesn’t not take a one-size-fits all approach.
It is an inclusive and accessible practice that can be tailored to anyone, regardless of age, ability, or experience.
I am committed to creating a welcoming space where every individual can explore yoga in a way that feels right for them.
You can’t nourish the body without nourishing the mind
True wellbeing comes from nurturing both the physical body and the inner self. Yoga philosophy integrates breath, movement, and mindfulness to support balance and resilience.
My teaching approach encourages deep self-awareness, helping students cultivate strength, flexibility, and clarity in both body and mind.
Yoga is not just about physical movement
While yoga can enhance physical flexibility and strength, its essence goes far beyond movement.
Yoga Cikitsa is a practice of self-discovery and healing, that is rooted in breathwork, and meditation. It is a powerful tool for managing stress, deepening self-connection, and fostering a more mindful way of living.
I teach with the understanding that yoga is not just something we do on the mat, it is a way of being in the world.
Learn more about my teachers, study and how I got here
MY JOURNEY
Mrs Menaka Desikachar is now the senior-most teacher in the Viniyoga lineage. She was a direct student of Yogāchārya Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and graduated as a Yoga teacher under him. She studied for 40 years with her husband Śri TKV Desikachar. She embodies this lineage through Vedic Chanting, and is a renowned authority.
Menaka Mam is also an experienced, skilled and perceptive Yoga Therapist and I have been blessed to witness this with her care seekers firsthand in Chennai, during my internships; I learnt so much from her presence, her questions and her sensitive guidance in developing trust, faith, guiding the direction step by step for the student, and selecting the most appropriate teacher.
Each practice was designed for the individual before her, adapted and paced according to their needs in body, breath, mind, and emotions, as well as nurturing their deeper spiritual path.
All consultants and teachers at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram approaches care seekers and students as individuals, as taught by Krishnamacharya and continued by his son TKV Desikachar :
“Teach what is in you, not as it applies to you, but as it applies to the one in front of you”
Menaka Mam was the principal teacher in both my Vedic Chant Teaching Training and Advanced VCTT courses and she continuous to offer Vedic Chant Teacher Training, now on line. I continue as her student on WhatsApp.
Gathering around Menaka Mam at the first International Viniyoga Conference in Chiang Mai in June 2025
Happy to receive Viniyoga Teaching Certification with Janet Stevens
In Chennai reminding myself of the guiding principle of a Yoga Therapist in the Viniyoga tradition
Beginning each day of study at the Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation honouring Śri Krishnamacharya who opened the practice of Vedic Chanting to women, saying ‘in times of trouble, all should chant’
With Menaka Mam, my fellow Vedic Chant students and amazing Devi who looks after accounts and us
Embracing my inner heart-lead warrior at the Viniyoga Conference, Chiang Mai 2025
TKV Desikachar
MY JOURNEY
About my teacher, Dr. Kausthub Desikachar
Dr. Kausthub Desikachar is the current lineage holder of the classical Yoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is also the CEO of the Krishnamacharya Healing & Yoga Foundation. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher, yoga therapist, healer and writer. Kausthub has been studying Yoga since he was 9 years old under the continued guidance of his father and teacher T.K.V. Desikachar.
For more than 15 years, Kausthub has taught a multitude of students and teachers around the globe and has conducted numerous teacher and therapist training programs. He has a dual Master’s degree from the renowned Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences, Pilani, and a PhD from the Psychology Department at the University of Madras, where his topic of research was “Effect of Individualised Yoga Training on Quality of Life.”
Kausthub is an outstanding Yoga Therapist with keen observation skills and offers clients astute and effective solutions for all sorts of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual ailments. He combines his classical training in Yoga and Ayurveda, his modern education in psychology, and his interactions with traditional healers worldwide to offer optimum and effective synergetic solutions to alleviate a wide range of problems. As a Yoga educator, he is known for his vast knowledge and his ability to present the ancient teachings in a profound, yet applicable, modern and often humorous way and he has trained many Yoga Teachers and Therapists in Europe, Asia and NZ.
