The movement of yoga from East to West began in earnest with Swami Vivekananda in 1893. Vivekananda was invited to speak at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago that year. His message of tolerance and compassion to all living things was received with a standing ovation. He stayed in America much longer than he had intended, spreading his teachings informed by Advaita Vedanta. From then on, the 20th century saw a continued movement of wisdom from India to the west. But the most influential yogi of all was Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya was a master of yoga, Ayurveda, Sanskrit and Logic. He was responsible for creating Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, teaching Pattabhi Jois, who continued to teach this style throughout his life, as well as B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra devi and his own

Around the second century of the Common Era, the yoga Sutras were composed by Patanjali. Patanjali means “fallen angel” – the idea being that he came to assist humanity. The Yoga Sutras are a collection of 196 short verses, or sutras, organised into four chapters. In the first chapter, Patanjali gives his definition of yoga almost immediately. The next three chapters outline practices and approaches to help the students of yoga who have difficulty following his initial teaching without more guidance, as well as describe some of the experiences the Yogi might encounter. All enlightened masters transmitting teachings through books or otherwise, start with the highest teachings first. The sutras are incredibly condensed packets of wisdom, meant to be unpacked and considered, if possible, with the help of a teacher.

Yoga’s exact origin remains a mystery. There is some evidence to indicate that early forms of Yoga may have existed as far back as 2500- 1500 BCE, in the Indus valley region of India. Sculptures of figures seated in what look like lotus postures have been found from this era, but because the script accompanying the figures is unknown, it is not possible to determine with any certainty if the sculptures are representations of a yoga posture, or simply one way of sitting on the floor. What is clear is that since earliest times there has existed an understanding that human consciousness is vast, can be explored, and from that exploration insights unfold as revealed wisdom about the human condition, the universe and our place in it. In the early

Imagine Yourself 10,000 Years Ago……. You awake to the smell of the earth as the sun warms and begins to evaporate the drew. Your simple portable dwelling provides some shelter from the elements. Your tribe rises at dawn; children scamper around playing. You know everyone in your tribe, and they all know you. When later that day game is brought back from the hunt to be cooked, it is shared by all. When the sun sets, a fire is made and you observe the wood turning into heat, light and ash. The smoke rises into the sky where the stars are so clear due to lack of any ambient light that you can recognise constellations like old friends. When it is time to sleep, sleep comes easily to a body

Do you yearn for some change in your routine life or want to make your practice more consistent while adopting a healthier lifestyle? Then learn more about the benefits of the ‘yoga of awareness’- Kundalini yoga. An ancient yogic practice, this powerful source of energy can transform your life. Here’s how: 1. Kundalini Yoga – eradicating the obstructions in your energy field. Kundalini Yoga is a miraculous science using the therapy of sound, energy,mantra, exercise and meditation to let go off disturbances from the active body, that environs the physical body. Many individuals feel trapped in spite of having done whatever possible to shape their lives the way they desire . Kundalini Yoga is said to be a ‘technological wonder’ converting the impossible to possible via the laws of energy

“The mind is everything What you think, you become….” -Buddha   How do you feel today? Happy / sad? Anything you are hoping for? To get your answers to these questions, just go back a step and assess them. Negative thoughts or pessimism only bring a low self-esteem, sense of rejection, added failures and unwanted ailments. So discard negativity from your life immediately by adopting yoga and meditation. Meditation – an ancient practice An ancient practice since the sands of time, Meditation is both a science and art that slows down the mind while rejuvenating the body and soul from within. Meditation- popular among celebrities! This popular practice has reached out to one and many that include celebrities , politicians , business tycoons and comedians too. The celebrities list features

Yoga as an ancient practice has been rapidly developing and establishing its prevalence all over the world. In fact individuals from every corner of the world have started to see and perceive the multi-faceted benefits of yoga in various aspects of life. Today clinicians and therapeutic specialists, prescribe yoga as a move towards healing of the mind, body, and soul at various levels. Himalayan Yoga Association in Rishikesh not only speaks about yoga philosophy and understanding your body but also informs the future-to-be yoga teachers about the teaching methodology used to educate and instruct yoga students belonging to all ages and backgrounds and also how asanas are to be taught. Here, we combine learning with the element of fun- an important ingredient to enrich the course and add colour to

Take risks in your life, if you win you may lead, if you loose, you may guide Life of Swami Vivekananda Vivekananda was born on the 12th January 1863 in a well-to-do family of Calcutta. His early life was not very eventful. His initial education, in a sense, was all round, because he took to physical culture almost as zealously as to intellectual learning. He made his mark not only in literature and music but also in riding, swimming and wrestling. He had a good study of Indian scriptures as well as of Western thought. His initial mental framework was that of a rationalist and sceptic combined in one. In 1881, however, he happened to meet Swami Ramakrishna and that proved to be turning point in his life. He was

A yoga teacher training program is not just a journey to become a yoga teacher or instructor, rather it is a life-changing experience. Undoubtedly a yoga school imparts the useful skills on yoga such as alignment and posture and how to avoid injuries during yoga practice, however at Himalayan Yoga Association in Rishikesh, we have more to teach. Here, yoga extends beyond the physical aspects to an achieve all–round development in the individual. How a yoga school can propel your journey towards becoming a successful yoga teacher: Learning how to overcome injuries. ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ At Himalayan Yoga Association, our curriculum entails anatomy and physiology classes which teach you how to avoid injuries and gain a deeper insight. These classes enable students to learn details about their own

Yoga is something which has been associated with Rishikesh for decades now. A perfect environment always adds to the benefits of practicing this ancient Indian art form. The calming water of the holy Ganga, the Himalayas staring from a distance and the culture in Rishikesh is really a sight behold for any traveller. We’ve been hearing a lot of stories from our students traveling from abroad to study Yoga in Rishikesh. They are mainly of an opinion that Yoga which is practiced in western countries especially emphasizes the fitness aspect of the body but here in Rishikesh, it’s a different story altogether. A whole new transformation is what one experiences when the mind, body and soul start working in tandem. At the Himalayan Yoga Association, Yoga practice is carried on