Modern Yoga
What constitutes modern yoga? Do we even need to include word yoga since the common public perception of Yoga has changed significantly in recent decades? As written in the ancient sages it is no doubt that the entire goal of Yoga started out as spiritual in nature. It is divided into four wide-ranging categories: Vedic Yoga, Preclassical Yoga, Classical Yoga, Postclassical Yoga. So what has shifted in people’s perception to start calling it modern yoga?
Let’s go back to where it all started. It had begun with Parliament of Religions that took place in Chicago in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda made a great impression on American public. It was in the late 1800’s when modern yoga started making its first presence in the US. Since then there were many books written about Yoga, gurus that introduced Yoga to American people. Many followers had started noticing health benefits of this Yoga. Since Yoga required remarkable mind and body control, Yoga disciplined the one who practiced it. Undoubtedly, the discipline involving breathing techniques, certain physical and mental exercises proved so beneficial that Americans begun practicing it as complementary form of exercise. Some experienced great relief from stress and body aches.
Contemporary Yoga Styles
Yoga has been around in various forms for over 5,000 years. Originating in India, the various original Yoga styles were created to help people become one with themselves. Yoga translates into “Unite” or “Union”, which is what the people who created it were trying to do; Unite the body and mind.
Over the last 5,000 years, the world has changed. Not only that, but people outside of India also begun practicing Yoga. You could make an argument that Yoga that has been modified and practiced by Buddhist monks for only 2,000 years is a contemporary style of Yoga.
But for here, we will talk about the styles that have been created more recently. As the world evolved, so have the needs of those who live here on the planet. In this modern world we simply can’t practice Yoga all day long and hope we “unite” our body and mind. While we may love to do just that, this modern world demands that we also do other things like work and pay our bills in addition to trying to find that perfect union of our body and mind.
Also, there have been advances in gender relations which have brought about the fact that women can actually practice Yoga as well. That in itself is a huge part of contemporary Yoga. You can find pregnancy and post natal Yoga styles for women who are about to or have just had a baby. These styles are safe for the mother and child and allow for a woman to continue practicing Yoga through and after her pregnancy. There are even child Yoga classes that help with the development of the child’s muscles and teach them breathing techniques. (There are even dog Yoga classes!)
Other forms have also evolved, of course. One of the most popular has proven to be Bikram Yoga. Developed in California in the latter part of the 20th century by a man called Bikram Choudhury, Bikram is practiced in a room that is heated to 40 degrees Celsius. This causes the body to sweat which helps loosen the muscles and also detoxifies all of the internal organs and glands inside the body.
Many of the contemporary Yoga’s have taken into account today’s lifestyle and the demands this life puts on us. These contemporary Yoga’s do still use the core beliefs and many of the movements of the traditional Yoga’s, but the contemporary Yoga’s also use postures and exercises specifically designed to help heal the issues of today that simply weren’t around a few thousand years ago. Contemporary Yoga is a great way to ensure you and your body are on the way to becoming the healthiest and happiest you can be. And you can also rest assured that the contemporary Yoga’s possess all of the same incredible benefits that traditional Yoga have, as well as some other benefits that those of us who live in the 21st century benefit from. Yoga is a great way to get in shape, meet new people and feel better about yourself.