The Therapeutic and Spiritual Secrets of Yoga Gurus Articles | Yoga

By: Darren Williger

We knew previously about Yoga history, and ancient yogis and Yoga founders. We also knew Swami Vivekanada, who spread Yoga in the U.S.Another one and the most popular was Swami Paramashansa Yogananda, who had founded the Self Realization Fellowship. He wrote a Yogi autobiography. In addition to Krishnamurti; who traveled a lot and spread Jnana Yoga, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who spread Transcendental Meditation™ in the 60's. He was the most popular of them all as he was associated with the Beatles.

• Himalyan Swami Sivananda modified the five principles of Yoga:
• Pranayama (proper breathing)
• Savasana (proper relaxation)
• Dhyana (positive thinking and meditation)
• Asanas (proper exercise)
• Vegetarian (proper diet)

In addition, he wrote many books about Yoga. Swami Sivananda founded the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and wrote the illustrated book of Yoga.

Swami Satchitananda introduced Yoga to Woodstock. While Swami Sivananada Rdha; is the female who found the relationship of Yoga and psychology. In the 70's; yogi Bhajan started the Kundalini Yoga, and founded the 3HO (holy, happy and healthy). Sri Krishnamacharya taught the Viniyoga Hatha Yoga. His son, Desikachar, continued on this tradition. Obviously, this family was so into Yoga, as Desikachar's brother in law, who is B.K.S. Lyengar, continued this tradition, too. Later on, they had so many followers. Nowadays, yoga masters are Sathya Sai Baba and Swami Satyananada (the founder of the Bihar School of Yoga), and many more.

Yoga evolution and development were systematic, and they depended on the time, believes, traditions and the place. At the beginning, Yoga goals were to understand the world and live in harmony with it, however, by time, this was changed and Yoga evolved to concern the world and the self, too.

After the sixth Century, Yoga evolved to have the poses and meditation as essential elements in it.

Modern Yoga based on five principles created by Swami Sivananda, and they are; breathing; exercising; relaxing; thinking and meditation; and diet.

Nowadays; Yoga is used as an alternative therapy, because of its healing powers, e.g. backache healing, headaches; …etc, and this is supported by many physicians, who are aware of Yoga's benefits and effectiveness. They already recommend it to their patients, so that they would benefit from its healing powers, plus its relaxation effect, and this makes them guarantee physiological and psychological treatment, too. In addition, it neutralizes the negative energies; and strengthens the inner positive energies.

Eventually, Yoga is a spiritual practice, practiced in so many techniques around the world. So many cultures had affected Yoga; like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the West). In addition, it was in so many languages; like Hindi, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Bengali, Prakit, Tamil, Marathi and Pali.

Yoga spreading is nonstop, and it is still spreading its message of peace to the whole world, and will always be spreading. It is like any species; which reproduces and proliferates, the masters transfer Yoga traditions to the Yogis; and so on. Yoga will never die as long as human beings exist on earth. Yoga lives in our spirits and in any Yogis soul.

Whenever you get into the Yoga world, you will be involuntarily eager to explore more about this world of wonders.