Yoga’s Expansion into Mainstream and its Origins

The mindfulness and awareness that yoga practice assists in cultivating for the individual is an inexpensive (or virtually free) form of therapy, coping, healing, exercising, and strengthening for the physical body, the mind, and the spiritual soul.

In our Western society and culture, we are raised to follow an expected path that does not necessarily leave time or energy to enjoy the life we are living. Yoga and meditation offer us that time and opportunity to experience the awe, beauty, and true emotion of our lives. By practicing mindfulness it is easier to prioritize what is important in our individual lives, and to recognize what is not worth stressing or worrying over.

The Expansion of Yoga

As yoga became popular in Western countries, it also became a popular form of fitness; the meditative benefits and self-awareness that stem from the practice are what kept it popular. In 1893 yoga arrived in the United States with the Parliament of Regions held in Chicago. At this time a disciple saint of Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, addressed the American public and gathered a large following of students. The next popular teacher to arrive in the U.S. was Paramahansa Yogananda, who arrived in Boston in 1920. He wrote Autobiography of a Yogi and created the self-realization fellowship in Los Angeles, California; his teachings are remembered as “yogoda teachings.” The following decade, it was Jiddu Krishnamurthy who attracted Western minds with his philosophical thoughts. He expounded the wisdom of Jnana yoga and drew large gatherings. To this day, he has followers all over the world. On a popular culture note, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced his Transcendental Meditation to the U.S., and was associated with the Beatles in the mid-1960s.

Once yoga entered into the Western world, yogis travelled to America in large numbers to spread their discipline’s movements and philosophies. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) was founded when Shrila Prabhupada came to the U.S. in 1965. ISKON spread the movement based on Bhakthi Yoga, or yoga of devotion. One of the most prominent yoga gurus was Swami Sivananda, a Himalayan yoga master who served as a doctor in Malaysia. He opened yoga centers in both Europe and America and penned over two hundred books on yoga and philosophy.

Yoga and its broader themes of mindfulness and consciousness were popular in American culture during the 1960s and 1970s, yet after a couple decades, yoga seemed dormant in the mainstream. As yoga re-emerged in the 1990s (continuing to the present), the philosophies of yoga, such as consciousness, became the bigger focus for Western individuals, along with the physical benefits. The re-emergence of yoga may be due to benefits such as mindfulness and awareness, which promote individual coping and self-compassion in a chaotic world.

The roots of yoga run deep into the ancient past of spirituality, and the evidence of the benefits of yoga, mindfulness, and consciousness are evident in its constant presence throughout the centuries. In addition, as yoga is grounded in spirituality, people can choose how they decide to implement yoga philosophies into their lifestyle—without having to be religious or come from a religious background. Yoga is for every body, every mind, every soul.

History and Forms of Yoga Practice

There are various types of yoga that exist today, and each type offers the individual something different depending on the individual’s body, mind-set, and personal needs. Yoga exists in forms that can be for physical and mental exercise, but other forms are used as rituals or as a part of ceremonies, which aid in connecting to the spirit world. These are more strongly linked to Buddhism, Jainism, and other similar religious devotions. The ritual yoga practice is Vedic yoga or “archaic yoga.” “Vedic masters were blessed with a vision of the supreme reality and their hymns speak of their marvelous intuitions.” Veda, in Sanskrit, means knowledge. There are ancient Vedantic texts, which make up some of the oldest scriptures in the world.

Between 500 B.C. up to the 2nd century C.E. there were other forms of yoga that were developed off of Vedic yoga and meditation practices of various Eastern religions. Hatha yoga is a common yoga practice in America today, and is also popularly practiced throughout the world. Hatha yoga is made up of body postures (asanas) and breathing body techniques (pranayama), as well as relaxation and cleansing. The main goal of Hatha yoga is to facilitate concentration and meditation, which is actually a preparation for achieving the final stage of yoga, called Samadhi.

Here’s an article worth reading on the history of Yoga: http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/beginnersguide/yogahistory.asp

Below are eight principles to be followed in the system of yoga that typically underlie all forms of yoga practice.

Yama: Anyone practicing yoga should adhere to the values of non-violence, truth, honesty, celibacy and show restraint. In a non-religious, and Western-minded sense, these values can be interpreted in a form that fit into an individual’s lifestyle. They are not necessary to the practice of yoga, however, these values add context to the origins of the yoga practice.

Niyama: These are observances to be followed by the yoga practitioner that include contemplation, contentment, penance and study of scriptures.

Asanas: These physical exercises help in concentration of the mind. In a yoga practice or class you take, you may hear your instructor use this term; it refers to the motion of the poses in collaboration with your breath.

Pranayama: It involves breathing exercises that help the individual to gain control of prana or life energy. In yoga classes, pranayama is practiced as a commencement to the class; it is used to calm the mind, find one’s center, and to detach one’s mind from the stresses and activities of the day.

Pratyahara: It is a stage of feeling a sense withdrawal. The individual’s mind is focused on the internal object of concentration and has a feeling of detachment from the outside world. This can be attained through practicing pranayama, meditation, or certain forms of yoga.

Dharana: In this stage, the individual is able to concentrate on one subject or an idea. Depending on the instructor and the type of yoga class (although you may absolutely do this in one’s own personal practice), the instructor may ask the group to reflect on one event, feeling, tension, and so on, in one’s life to concentrate on and to dedicate their practice to. This process aids in healing, letting go of stress, as well as anxious feelings.

Dhyana: It is the stage of contemplation on one subject or an idea. This state of contemplation is the next step up from dharana, which was focused on finding one object or idea to concentrate on. In dhyana one uses the concentration from dharana to think about and meditate on that one object or idea.

Samadhi: This is the stage where the individual’s consciousness merges with the divine consciousness.

Origins

Yoga and its following practices originated in India as a part of spiritual customs and values. Yoga began as a means to enlightenment, which is an innermost component of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Within these religions, yoga was, and still is, used as a practice to bring oneself closer to God and/or to deepen one’s connection with a deeper consciousness, awareness, and wisdom.

The ultimate goal of yoga in the religious sense is to escape the cycle of rebirth (Samsara/Samskara) and sufferings of the world, which is considered enlightenment. Within the religious context (Buddhism, Jainism, etc.), one practices yoga and meditation in order to detach one’s mind from the physical world, which is believed to be illusory. This eventually leads to enlightenment.

The word “yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj,” which translates into “to yoke.” This is generally defined as the “union of individual atma (soul) with Paramatma, the universal soul.” In a relatable sense, yoga is defined as a practice to integrate and unify the mind, body, and soul to reach a deeper sense of personal and worldly awareness.

Yoga has also been practiced to prepare one’s body and mind for meditation, and as a form of spiritual discipline.

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About Author

Samantha Kolkey is an advocate of meditation and yoga, and is a research assistant for Mindful Muscle (http://www.mindfulmuscle.com). She has a double major in psychology and women’s studies at the University of Michigan. Sam plans to start a holistic therapy practice that will offer meditation, yoga, nutrition, massage, in addition to talk therapy.

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References

[1] www.hinduwebsite.com
[2] www.medindia.net
[3] Kang, Wi Jo (1976). “Influence of Eastern religions in America.” Currents in Theology and Mission, 3, pp. 228-233.

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