Discover the Ancient Wisdom of Cyclic Meditation at BWY Summer Solstice Festival

BWY caught up with Dr Vinayachandra Banavathy, Director of the Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems at Chanakya University and Co-founder of Indica Yoga. A scholar, teacher and yoga practitioner, Dr Banavathy has spent decades sharing the authentic roots of yoga and Indic knowledge systems through his teaching and travels worldwide.

As he prepares to join our Summer Solstice Festival on friday 20 June, he shares his thoughts on what to expect from his session and why he’s happy to support BWY as we celebrate our 60th anniversary.

Q: What can participants expect from your session at the BWY Summer Solstice Festival?

I’ll guide you through cyclic meditation (mandala dhyana), a beautiful practice inspired by the ancient Mandukya Upanishad. It weaves together gentle yoga postures with deep relaxation in a rhythmic flow.

You’ll move through postures such as standing forward bend (padahastasana), hare pose (shashankasana), and half wheel (ardha chakrasana), all woven together with simple breathing and meditation. The practice helps your body release tension while your mind finds clarity. People often tell me it transforms their relationship with stress, improves their sleep and even sparks creativity.

My hope is that you leave the session with a deep sense of calm that stays with you long after the practice ends. I want to share something you can return to whenever life feels overwhelming – a quiet, steady space within that’s always there.

Q: Can you tell us about your background and journey into yoga?

I was incredibly fortunate to study in the traditional Veda Vijnana Gurukula system, which focuses on Vedanta and yoga. I spent six years completely immersed in ancient texts, guided by inspiring teachers who truly embodied what they taught.

Later, I pursued a Master’s degree in Yoga Studies at S-VYASA University in Bengaluru, one of India’s first yoga universities. I also completed degrees in Sanskrit and Applied Psychology, which helped me appreciate yoga’s profound depth and inspired me to pursue a life guided by self-inquiry and conscious living.

Q: What inspires your teaching and practice of yoga today?

I’m constantly inspired by my teachers, the transformative texts I’ve studied, and witnessing their power to change people’s lives – including my own. There’s something magical about seeing someone discover their inner stillness for the first time, or watching chronic stress simply melt away through practice.

Q: How does your academic work influence your yoga practice and vice versa?

Working in academia for over 20 years taught me the value of rigorous study, but I also discovered something was missing – the profound insights that come from actually living the practice. That’s why I’ve championed what I call the ‘scholar-practitioner’ approach, marrying intellectual understanding with embodied wisdom.

This realisation led me to co-found Indica Yoga, a platform dedicated to creating authentic, immersive experiences through retreats, courses, workshops and festivals like our annual Mysuru Yoga Utsava (MYU) each December. At Chanakya University, I continue this work in an academic setting – bringing India’s timeless wisdom into meaningful dialogue with today’s world.

Q: Why are breathwork and meditation so important in your practice?

In our fast-paced world full of stress, distraction and anxiety, we desperately need effective inner anchors to weather the ‘storms’ within. The ancient yogis discovered something remarkable: the hidden power of the breath and how it could steady both mind and body.

What’s fascinating is that modern research now confirms exactly what they knew thousands of years ago – these practices don’t just help us cope, they actively build genuine resilience and guide us toward lasting health, harmony and happiness.

Q: BWY is marking 60 years of yoga in the UK. What are your thoughts on yoga’s global growth, and how can we stay true to its roots?

Yoga’s global popularity is extraordinary. But this growth has brought real challenges: over-commercialisation, diluted teachings, and sometimes complete disconnection from yoga’s cultural origins.

This is exactly why organisations like BWY matter. You’ve spent 60 years learning from authentic teachers and staying true to yoga’s deeper purpose. That gives you a vital role in preserving the tradition’s authenticity.

The secret lies in nurturing ‘practitioner-scholars’ – people who don’t just perform yoga poses but truly understand where this wisdom comes from. They can then share yoga’s full richness whilst genuinely honouring its cultural roots.

Join Dr Vinayachandra Banavathy at the BWY Summer Solstice Festival and discover the power of cyclic meditation for yourself. Find out more and book here

Vinayachandra leads yoga workshops, courses and events as part of his work with Indica Yoga. Find out more here