Yoga is Really Nordic Gymnastics
Yes, it’s true: Yoga is marketed as an ancient exercise and spiritual practice, but mostly what’s practiced today has only been around for a hundred years or so. This fact was written up in Yoga Journal a few years back, but no one wants to acknowledge it. It’s movements available any personal trainer. Here’s the story:
Early Yoga
Master Patanjali (c. 200 AD) is cited as “The Father of Yoga,” because of his short book “Yoga Sutra.” “Sutra” means “short book,” by the way. This book is mostly about meditation, ethics, spiritual realizations and powers one can supposedly gain. Postures or poses are about being a better at meditation. He only mentions poses like twice:
The posture is steady and blissful.
2:46 Sthira Sukham Asanam
Perfection in the posture is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and attention merges with the infinite.
2.47 prayatna shaithilya ananta samapattibhyam
That’s it. Yup, nothing about downward dog or anything. By the way, if you want an easy translation and explanation of Patanjali, check out this book.
So, what happened?
Well, a Danish guy, Niels Ebbesen Mortensen Bukh (1880–1950), wrote a book called “Primitive Gymnastics” (1925), which was based on work by a 19th-century Swedish guy, Pehr Henrik Ling (1776-1839). It caught on because it was good program, easy to teach, at exactly the time that fitness became a craze all over the world. This craze was helped in no small part by the YMCA, including the one in Calcutta (now called Kolkata), India. From the Yoga Journal story:
In the 1920s, according to a survey taken by the Indian YMCA, Primitive Gymnastics was one of the most popular forms of exercise in the whole subcontinent, second only to the original Swedish gymnastics developed by P.H. Ling.
“The Ancient & Modern Roots of Yoga,” Mark Singleton, Yoga Journal, Feb 4, 2011, Updated Apr 16, 2018
So, if inventing basketball and volley ball wasn’t enough, the freaking YMCA planted the roots for modern yoga! Meanwhile, some Indians were thinking they’d better toughen up if they want to beat the British some day (spoiler, they did.) So, they started adapting their routines with what was popular.
In the 20th century, Indian nationalism favored physical culture in response to colonialism. In that environment, pioneers such as Yogendra, Kuvalayananda, and Krishnamacharya taught a new system of asanas (incorporating systems of exercise as well as traditional hatha yoga). Among Krishnamacharya’s pupils were influential Indian yoga teachers including Pattabhi Jois, founder of Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, and B.K.S. Iyengar, founder of Iyengar yoga.
From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asana
Yoga Belongs to Everyone
And there you have it. Yoga is mostly just exercise, so it belongs to anyone who knows exercise, not just certified yoga teachers (which is a whole ‘nother conspiracy, which I will write about some day). That is why I incorporated yoga-like movements (i.e. Swedish Calisthenics) into warm-up, mobility and stability work as part of a program. Interested? Then make an appointment for a free consultation so we can get started.