Clockwise from far top left: Stretching my leg while in Setubandha asana (the bridge pose); Ashwa Sanchalanasana (part of the Surya Namaskar); Singing a song during Shavasana at the Sivananda Ashram, Kerala; Bhujanaga Asana (cobra pose); Prananmasana (prayer pose); Shirshasana (one of my favourites); Adho Mudha Savana asana (part of Surya Namaskar, here I am demonstrating it in a Sivananda Yoga class); Variation of Shirshasana (Goa beach); That’s just me doing a bit of acrobatics at the Sivananda dorm; stretching exercise while exhaling.
As Yoga mats with different colours are ready to be rolled out around the world, on the International Day of Yoga, KALYANI MAJUMDAR, explores the incredible journey of Yoga through the ages.
Whether it is Delhi, Mumbai, New York or any other city in the world, these days it is a common sight to see people walking around with sling bags, over their shoulders in a variety of patterns, holding their yoga mats. And, the phenomenal popularity of this ancient knowledge is evident from the number of yoga studios mushrooming around the world. Unfortunately, with yoga being a billion dollar industry now, it is not uncommon to find new styles of yoga being introduced every other day. Hence, it has become even more important to create awareness among people for the real understanding of the ancient roots of yoga, and its philosophies.
A step towards the right direction was taken back in December 11, 2014, when United Nation decided to dedicate 21st June as the International Day of Yoga, thanks to the initiative of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. This will not only help in spreading awareness, but also, provide a platform for the organisations, institutes and practitioners that are dedicated in imparting the authentic system of yogic practices, and showcase it to the masses.
United we stand
The word ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. To put it simply, yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the universal consciousness, and thus, creating a perfect harmony of the body and mind, with nature. It is a subtle science and should not be limited by calling it a set of exercises, it is rather a very subtle process to control and focus, one’s energy in a particular direction. Thousands of years ago, when yoga originated in India, it was mostly practised by sages and monks. Eventually, some great practitioners of yoga helped in the spreading of this ancient knowledge around the world, and they were, Swami Sivananda and his disciple Swami Vishnudevananda, T. Krishnamacharya, B.K.S Iyengar, Shri Yogendra, and so on.
World beyond boundaries
In 1893, Swami Vivekananda had landed on American soil after a long voyage, to give his famous speech in Chicago, wherein, he introduced Indian philosophy and heritage, to the world. Then in 1920, Paramhansa Yogananda, went to the United States. His book Autobiography of a Yogi, introduced the concepts of meditation and Kriya Yoga to the westerners.
Fast forward to 1957, Swami Vishnudevananda, arrived in San Francisco and rose to be one of the most popular Yoga teacher in the West. He founded the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, headquartered in Montreal, one of the largest networks of Yoga schools in the world. For those, who would like a deeper understanding of Yoga, The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnudevananda is a wonderful book to read.
Another name to be reckoned with, when it comes to spreading Yoga in the West, is B.K.S Iyengar. His teaching technique focused on body alignment and commonly used props such as, blocks and belts. In 1966, B.K.S. Iyengar’s book, Light on Yoga was published. By the 70s, yoga and spiritual teachings were spreading in the West like a wildfire.
At the UN Headquarters
Coming back to 2018, the United Nations, Headquarters in New York is gearing up to celebrate the International Day of Yoga. It has scheduled several yoga asana classes, lectures on yogic philosophies and presentations. This year, Sivananda Yoga session at the UN, will be taught by Swami Paramananda. He is the leading Hatha Yoga Teacher at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in New York, and the Sivananda Yoga Ranch, which he also manages. When asked about the benefits of practising yoga, he said, “The regular practice of Yoga enables one to experience a deeper and more subtle dimension of oneself. A space which is always peaceful and positive, and is completely independent of external circumstances. So, as we become more aware of that treasure within, it reduces anxiety, anger, and jealousy. Daily practice of yoga, does not just make you healthier, stronger and more flexible, but also, it frees you from all the different causes of suffering. Don’t wait! Start yoga, today!”
What you seek is seeking you!
While talking to several yogis and yoginis from all over the world, it is interesting to see how yoga practitioners are making it a better world, bit by bit. Leticia Ruiz, from Mexico is a Yoga practitioner and the associate owner, at the Solaris Yoga School in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. She says, “Yoga came into my life in my early 20s. At the beginning, I only got to know the physical part of it, and gradually came to know the philosophy that changed my way of viewing the world and brought happiness in my life. During my training, my first students were cancer patients and that motivated me to learn more. Nowadays, I am also leading a volunteer group of yoga teachers for cancer patients at a local hospital.”
Carl Codling, from London is a yoga practitioner and teacher. While sharing his yogic journey, he stated, “Yoga for me, was a profound healing process, I arrived at the practice looking to both get in shape and to learn some simple relaxation techniques to help deal with stress. I soon found however, that twisting and stretching my body in to these strange new positions was also helping me to confront and release a lot of pent up emotion and baggage from way back in my past. Now, a few years down the road, this is a primary driving force behind being a yoga instructor: To help others face and move beyond their demons.”
The path to yoga is different for different people. Sometimes one might find yoga on their own, and sometimes it is introduced by others, like, how it happened with Kaushlendra Kumar Thakur, as he shared his story, “Physically I was active since my collage days. I was boxing at district level, swimming, windsurfing and so on. But, I realised that all these sports involve a lot of aggression, which eventually became a part of my life. I thank my father and elder sister, for suggesting yoga to me, that’s when I started my journey.” Thakur teaches yoga at SwaSwara in Gokarna, India. He added, “Bending your body is not as important as the bending of your mind, it has often been misinterpreted in the West. You cannot control what goes on, outside. But, you can always control what goes on, inside.”
Newbies, come here!
Once you start with your daily yoga practices, you will eventually realise that you cannot leave yoga confined to the yoga-mat. But at the same time you will also realise that investing on a good yoga-mat is important — thickness, grip and most importantly, if you are clinging on to your mat, afraid that you might slip, then it is not the mat for you. Also, hydrating yourself is important, hence, buy an eco-friendly water bottle that you can refill.
Be patient and compassionate towards yourself and as you progress in yoga, it will reflect in your daily actions, diet, behaviour and you will become more blissful. On that note, just close your eyes and take a deep breath and relax.
