Our Masters
Meet our experienced yoga masters and teachers
Maharaja
Senior Yoga Master / Trust Secretary
20 years with our schoolMaster Maharaja is a distinguished Yoga Master whose journey began at the tender age of five. As the cousin of the legendary Guruji Dr. Asana Andiappan, he was mentored directly by the master himself, cultivating a deep-rooted understanding of yoga that few can claim. This lifelong immersion culminated in his Master’s Degree in Yogic Science from the Asana Andiappan College, solidifying his status as an expert in the field. With decades of experience, Master Raja has personally trained and mentored hundreds of students under the watchful supervision of Guruji Andiappan. For over eight years, he served as Guruji’s right hand in the classroom and played a pivotal role in organizing massive yoga awareness camps throughout Chennai. Today, his leadership has evolved into a vital administrative role; he currently serves as the Secretary of the Andiappan Yoga and Education and Research Trust, where he ensures the integrity and growth of the Andiappan lineage. Master Maharaja is renowned for his creative exploration of asanas, specializing in intricate modifications and variations that make the practice accessible yet challenging. However, it is his personality that truly sets him apart. He is celebrated by the student body as a gentle, caring, and deeply approachable soul. His down-to-earth nature creates a nurturing environment where students of all levels feel supported in their personal growth.
Aruna
Senior Yoga Master
20 years with our schoolMaster Aruna is a distinguished Yoga Master and the Course Coordinator at the Asana Andiappan College of Yoga and Research Centre. As the niece of Guruma Sugatha Kumari Andiappan and a dedicated disciple of the Andiappan lineage, she began her journey in the discipline at the age of four, embodying a lifetime of yogic wisdom. A scholar in her field, Master Aruna holds a comprehensive academic background from Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, including a Diploma, Post-Graduate Diploma, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in Yogic Science and Naturopathy. Her expertise is further validated by numerous victories in state and national-level yoga championships, showcasing her technical mastery. Having taught alongside Guruma Andiappan for many years, she has become a vital mentor at the college. She is also a prolific contributor to the Asana International Yoga Journal, where she shares her insights on yoga and its therapeutic benefits for women’s health. Beyond her professional commitments, Master Aruna is deeply connected to the devotional and artistic side of the practice. In her spare time, she enjoys expressing her spiritual devotion by playing the keyboard and singing yoga songs, many of which were personally composed by Guruji.
Dr. T A Krishnan
Senior Yoga Master, Trust Member
60 years with our schoolDr. T. A. Krishnan is widely regarded as the principal and most senior disciple of Guruji Dr. Asana Andiappan. From a very young age, he travelled across India with Guruji, actively spreading the message and practice of traditional yoga. With more than six decades of dedicated practice, he has developed specialised therapeutic series rooted in classical yogic texts and has taught in respected academic and institutional settings. He has played a pivotal role in strengthening the Andiappan Yoga lineage, designing targeted asana sequences that address modern health concerns while remaining faithful to his guru’s original research and methodology. In a time when commercial fitness trends often dilute traditional yoga, Dr. Krishnan serves as a vital guardian of Guruji’s legacy. He ensures that new generations of teachers are trained within the clear structural, therapeutic, and spiritual framework laid down by the Asana Andiappan College of Yoga. Honoured as both “Master Mentor” and “Acharya,” Dr. Krishnan is recognised as an authoritative transmitter of the authentic therapeutic system established by Dr. Asana Andiappan. Over the years, he has trained thousands of yoga masters who now share this tradition with students around the world.
Dr. V Krishnamoorthy
Senior Yoga Master
50 years with our schoolDr. V. Krishnamoorthy is a highly respected yoga master, therapist, and author based in South India. He has practiced and taught yoga for over 30 years. He is notably the son-in-law of Dr. Asana Andiappan, a legendary figure in Tamil Nadu's yoga history who pioneered scientific research into curative yoga. Dr. Krishnamoorthy emphasizes customized, holistic yoga therapy rather than generalized, fast-paced exercises. He modifies practices based on the student's age, physical complaints, and natural flexibility. He has served as the Head of the Yoga Department at Chettinad Vidyashram, a prominent school in Chennai. He also routinely presides over public health events, such as Ministry-aligned International Yoga Day functions. He wrote the book Simple Yoga For Health, a dedicated handbook designed with simplified asanas and clear instructions for beginners, corporate professionals, and travelers.
Mahesh Iyappan
Senior Yoga Master
20 years with our schoolMaster Mahesh is the grandson of Guruji Andiappan, He was born into a family of yoga masters and started his yoga journey at the very young age of 4. He has trained under the tutelage of Guruji Dr. Asana Andiappan and Guruma Sugatha Kumari Andiappan. He has completed his Diploma and Bachelors in Yoga and Naturopathy and currently studying Masters in Yogic Science at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Chennai. He has won numerous awards in state and national level Yoga competitions. Mahesh has travelled extensively all throughout various parts of India, Hong Kong and trained yoga students of various backgrounds such as law enforcement personals, judicial academy, staff training college of various banks staff . He has also conducted yoga theory and practical classes for the teacher training students at Asana Andiappan College of Yoga and Research Centre, Chennai., Mahesh specializes in Hatha Yoga, Thirumoolar's Ashtanga Yoga and Yoga Therapy for special needs and ailments.
Rajadurai
Senior Yoga Master
15 years with our schoolMaster Rajadurai has studied yoga for over 10 years under the direct supervision of Guruji Dr. Asana Andiappan. He is a professionally qualified and experienced instructor and has acquired his Diploma, Post Graduate and Master Degree in Yogic Science at Tamil Nadu physical education and sports university in India. Master Rajadurai has years of teaching experience in the yoga field starting with working as a Yoga master at Asana Andiappan College of Yoga and Research Centre. His classes are unique with individual attention on each persons specific needs. These include stress management, weight control as well as specific goals such as inversions, arm balance, and backbends. He encourages his students to work with their physical and mental limitations through his customized sequences, alignments, and hands-on direction. This enables his students to gain a deeper understanding of yogic techniques in their own practice and an ability to explore and rediscover one's natural strength, endurance, and range of motion. Master Rajadurai is a versatile teacher in various styles and levels of yoga such as Hatha Yoga, Andiappan Yoga, Core Yoga, Yoga Balance, Slimming Yoga, Yoga Therapy and Pranayama Meditation.
Dr. Vishnu Kumar
Senior Yoga Therapist
25 years with our schoolDr. Vishnu is a Yoga Therapist, Natural Therapy Specialist, Assistant Yoga Research Associate, Ayurveda Consultant and has lived in Hong Kong for nearly ten years. He comes from a traditional Hindu family of Ayurvedic Astrologers near Tirupati, India. For over 10 years, he served as a chief Yoga Therapist and Research Associate Lecturer at Asana Andiappan Yoga College in Chennai, South India, and has done research work on Hatha Yoga and Naturopathy. He studied Siddha, Naturopathy and Yoga Therapy under the direct guidance of Dr. Asana Andiappan for over 15 years. Master Vishnu completed ND (Naturopathy Diploma) from United Kingdom CPD(UK) Accredited course. He is Registered Naturopath from mANP(UK) and mGNC(UK), which are Naturopathy Regulatory bodies in the UK. Graduated from University of Madras Chennai with a B.SC Physics, Applied Science and a Diploma in Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences (DNYS). Also studied (Post Graduate Diploma Yoga and Naturopathy) at Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai. He has graduated in Science (Yoga and Naturopathy) from MS University, MPhil (Yoga) from Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, and completed PhD (Yoga) from Vedic Wellness University, Florida University, USA. Yoga and Naturopathy Therapist for over 20 years and has assisted a variety of research projects in Yoga therapy, Nutraceuticals, Siddha Medicine, Naturopathy diet, and Ayurvedic science teaching students from various medical backgrounds in India. In addition to his Yoga and Naturopathy degrees, he has completed an MBA (Hospital Management) at Annamalai University. In 2010 he received the Yogacharya Award from the Chief Justice of Madras High Court for his contribution to Yoga Theoretical Excellence and Ayurveda. He also presided World Ayurveda Day 2021, Hong Kong. In addition to his Diploma in Ayurveda, (Ayurveda Lifestyle Consultant), he has also completed the DAMS program, a government-accredited diploma in Ayurveda Medical Science, and the Advanced Diploma in Ayurveda. Currently, he is a Member of CMA(UK) as an Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy Health Coach. He studied and practiced Hatha Yoga and Yoga Therapy for over fifteen years, under the guidance of the legendary Guru, Dr Asana Andiappan. He has studied Babaji's Kriya Hatha Yoga and published numerous articles on the subject of Ayurveda Marma Sastra. Ayurvedic Tridoshas Imbalances in the body and Red Flag Analysis in Naturopathic Analysis comprise some of his teaching styles.
Priyanka
Yoga Master
10 years with our schoolPriyanka has completed Intensive Hatha yoga teacher training certificate course at Asana Andiappan College of Yoga and Research Centre under the guidance of Guruji Asana Andiappan and completed 500 Hrs and Grand Master in Transformational Hatha Yoga certification (YAI) at SRI MA International School Of Transformational Integral Hatha Yoga Centre located in Auroville Puducherry. Over 6 years of teaching experience in Hatha and therapeutic yoga which is a transformational experience for the students helping them channelizing their inner sense of calm and peace. Priyanka's teaching focuses a lot on alignment and she encourages students to always go back to the basics so they can build a strong foundation for a life long yoga journey.