Adhikārī – Rethinking Readiness in Modern Yoga

In contemporary culture, we often hear the phrase: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” But what does it really mean to be ready? In the classical traditions of Yoga and Vedānta, this readiness was not left to chance. It was framed by the concept of adhikārī – the qualified student. A person’s readiness determined what teaching they could receive, how it should be transmitted, and the pace at which they could progress.

Without such discernment, yoga can easily lose its depth, reduced to a one-size-fits-all model of physical practice, often unsafe and sometimes even misleading.

What is Adhikārī?

The Sanskrit term adhikārī refers to the ‘qualified recipient’ of a teaching. In classical texts, including Śaṅkarācārya’s Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, it is made clear that not all students are at the same stage of readiness. Just as in education we distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, the tradition recognises that students progress step by step.

Śaṅkarācārya describes three broad levels of adhikārī in Vivekacūḍāmaṇi:

• Manda (dull or immature) – beginner, curious but without stability or discipline.
• Madhyama (intermediate) – sincere, capable of sustained practice, but still wavering.
• Uttama (supreme or ripe) – intensely committed, with discernment, dispassion, and burning longing for liberation (mumukṣutva). These students are considered ready for the highest teachings of Self-knowledge.

This framework reminds us that readiness is not about exclusion, but about ensuring the right teaching meets the right student at the right time.

A First-Hand Experience

Not long ago, I attended a popular Melbourne studio for a vinyasa flow class. A young woman walked in off the street – it was her very first yoga class. By any traditional standard, this was not a suitable entry point. The class was fast-paced, with little space to introduce foundational techniques, alignment, or breath awareness. She was not alone. Even many regulars around me lacked clear understanding of fundamentals, such as the correct placement of feet.

This is not the fault of students – they come sincerely, seeking yoga – but of a system that does not adequately discern levels of readiness. In any other field of education, we would never ask a beginner to jump straight into advanced work. Yet in modern yoga studios, this is all too common.

When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Appears

Traditionally, readiness was safeguarded through the guru–śiṣya relationship, where teachings were transmitted orally and personally. The teacher discerned what was appropriate for the student, protecting them from harm while gradually opening the path to deeper knowledge.

In modern times, this relationship has been eroded. Scandals involving gurus, cultural mistrust, and the rise of technology – from books to online courses to AI – have made teachings more accessible but less contextual. While democratisation has its benefits, the careful discernment of adhikārī has been lost.

Consequences of Ignoring Adhikārī

When readiness is overlooked, several issues arise:

• Asana – Beginners are often thrown into fast-paced flows without foundational technique, risking injury.
• Prāṇāyāma and Kriya – Advanced breath practices and exercises without preparation can destabilise the nervous system.
• Meditation – Premature exposure to formless meditation can overwhelm rather than liberate.
• Philosophy – Vedānta given without maturity risks being dismissed as abstract or misunderstood.

Bypassing adhikārī undermines both safety and depth, reducing yoga to performance rather than transformation.

Beyond safety and technique, another consequence of ignoring adhikārī is the growing sense of disillusionment many students and teachers feel with yoga today. For years, modern studios emphasised āsana as exercise, often detached from the deeper teachings. Now, in reaction, some students are turning away from āsana altogether, focusing only on breathwork or meditation.

While both āsana and prāṇāyāma are valuable, when practiced in isolation they lose their meaning. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali remind us that yoga is a system – an integrated methodology where each limb supports the others. Asana stabilises the body, prāṇāyāma steadies the breath, meditation refines awareness – and together, practiced consistently under guidance, they form a holistic and scientific path of transformation.

Without this framework of sampradāya and methodology, students can become lost in the noise and contradictions of the yoga marketplace. Yet when yoga is approached as a cohesive system, it becomes what it has always been: a path to mokṣa, to Self-realisation.

The Safeguard of Sampradāya

Traditional lineages (sampradāya) understood the importance of readiness. In Mysore-style Ashtanga, for instance, students are given one posture at a time, progressing only when the teacher recognises they are ready. This honours both the individuality of the student and the integrity of the practice.

Sampradāya is not tradition for tradition’s sake. It is the living methodology that ensures yoga is taught responsibly, protecting both students and teachings. Without it, yoga risks being diluted into mere physical exercise, stripped of its depth and transformative potential.

Suggestions for Change

How then can we reintroduce adhikārī into modern yoga?

Some practical steps include:

• Offer clear beginner and foundation classes before flow or advanced practices.
• Establish mentorship and apprenticeship for new teachers beyond 200-hour trainings.
• Train teachers in discernment, not only in techniques.
• Rebuild respect for the teacher–student relationship, grounded in trust, integrity, and compassion.

Returning to Adhikārī

Adhikārī is not about elitism or exclusion. It is about safety, progression, and integrity. By reviving the principles of guru–śiṣya, respecting sampradāya, and restoring staged progression, we can preserve yoga as a living path to Self- knowledge. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear – but let us also ensure that when the teacher appears, the teaching offered is one the student is truly ready to receive.