With a history spanning 5,000 years, the practice of yoga only gained ground in North America in the last half of the 20th century. It's now a common sight to see yoga mats slung across the shoulders of people bustling through the streets. And the clothing ... suffice it to say that loincloths and ash-covered limbs have given way to colorful hemp T's and leggings. A rich history underlies each of the different schools of yoga.
Hatha Yoga
While it's possible to determine that yoga itself was born in the last five millennia, it's a little more difficult to pin down exactly when hatha yoga came into being. Yoga began as a purely mental pursuit with practitioners delving into the elevation of the mind and soul. They practiced abstinence and non-violence, self-learning and deep meditation. Hatha yoga today is a purely physical practice with students striking poses or asanas as they are called in Sanskrit. A reference called the Sritattvanidhi was written by a prince of India, Krishnaraja Wodeyar lll, in the 1800s illustrating 122 yoga poses. It was the first piece of physical evidence that Hatha yoga had developed from a purely cerebral pursuit into a form of moving meditation.
Ashtanga Yoga
Also known as power yoga in North America, this tradition has developed over the centuries to become popular for its demanding series of poses. Strung together like "pearls" as explained in the Yoga Mala written in 1962 by the "father" of modern Ashtanga yoga, Pattabhi Jois, the poses are designed to build on each other, executed to time with each inhale and exhale. Modern ashtanga yoga was born in Mysore in India, where a group of yoga superstars lived and taught. Jois and his contemporary B.K.S. Iyengar learned at the feet of the sage Krishnamacharya during the 1930s and 1940s. Students of the eightfold path -- "asta" means eight, "tanga" means limbs -- not only challenge their physical capabilities but devote their attention to uncovering the other seven goals, examples of which are breath work, self-study and meditation.
Kundalini Yoga
In a depiction of kundalini yoga the person is often illustrated with a serpent coiled at the base of their spine. This kundalini energy when activated then rises up the spine to infuse the whole body with power and grace. Often touted as the oldest form of yoga, it was kept secret to prevent corruption and only passed on from master to student when the applicant was deemed sufficiently prepared. In 1969, Yogi Bhajan introduced kundalini to North America. Through the practice of kriyas, or strings of movements designed to work together, the aim of kundalini yoga is to elevate consciousness. Each class is devoted to the practice of combining breath and movement often accompanied by chanting and the invocation of mantras.
Bikram Yoga
In 1950, Bikram Choudhury was just 4 when he began his studying, and by 13 claimed first place in the National India Yoga Championship. Undefeated for the next three years, he continued his study of yoga at the knee of Bishnu Ghosh, who was renowned for documenting the curative and restorative powers of yoga. After striking out on his own as a young man, Choudhury developed his own system of yoga by choosing 26 of what he believed were the most powerful hatha yoga asanas. Bikram further modified his system by insisting that students practicing these poses in 104 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve optimal execution. Hot yoga was born.
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