So what is Viniyoga?
Krishnamacharya taught that yoga should always be adapted to the needs, circumstances and goals of each student, never making the student adapt to fit the yoga.
The Sanskrit vi- niyoga literally means 'special application', so strictly speaking we should talk about the viniyoga of yoga: the special application of yoga techniques to the benefit of the individual, according to his or her particular circumstances.
This approach is based on the tradition of working one-to-one, where the teacher offers a practice designed for the particular student, rather than teaching the same practice to everybody. This makes it particularly useful for working with particular conditions, for example, chronic back pain, and also for individuals who want help developing their own personal practice at home, or who are not able to get to a regular class.