International Yoga Day 2021: Meet the yogis who popularised yoga

There’s so much more to yoga than fantastic poses that baffle the mind. There’s a discipline, an order, a state of calm that affects the physicality of the exercise and that in turn works on your mental space. The benefits so reaped have helped the practice go from the Indian tradition known by a select few to international shores and even grow an audience that celebrates June 21st as International Yoga Day. Here’s a look at the first few yogis who popularised yoga years ago.

Krishnamacharya lived to be a 100-years old, but he never travelled out of India. His disciples refer to him as the 'Father of Modern Yoga'. In his teachings, asanas like shirshasana (headstand) and sarvangasana (shoulderstand) are reported to have taken center stage. Krishnamacharya was one of the first gurus to emphasise the value of both breathing and physical activity as well as to incorporate meditation into yogasanas. Indra Devi, Pattabhi Jois, and B. K. S. Iyengar, who went on to teach yoga internationally, were his pupils.

In Mysore, Pattabhi Jois built the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute. Jois was a strong supporter of Ashtanga Yoga. He did not use props while practicing yoga, basing his endevours on Yoga Korunta, an ancient literature. Jois drew pupils from all over the world because of his conventional approach and emphasis on keeping things simple. Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Sting are among his devotees.

Iyengar was one of T Krishnamacharya's first students. He had been afflicted with a variety of ailments from boyhood, which left him weak and frail. So he turned to yoga. The use of props such as ropes, cushions, wood blocks, chairs, benches, and belts sets this yoga apart from others. Some even refer to it as "furniture yoga." A staunch believer in the belief that the unity of body, mind, emotions and intellect could be achieved by discipline, Iyengar's yoga school attracted fans from all over the world.

Swami Sivananda (right) with a disciple. Swami Sivananda, who was a doctor by profession, emphasised the importance of humour and wrote a song about the 18 qualities that a yogi should possess, with humour at the top of the list. He taught Trinity Yoga (Trimurti Yoga), which mixes Hatha, Karma, and Master Yoga.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was was a pioneer of transcendental meditation, which attracted followers such as the Beatles. It is a type of mantra meditation.

Indian born and California-based Bikram Choudhury, a Hatha Yoga proponent, stated that his hot room sequence of 26 asanas and two breathing exercises were unique. His method was simply known as 'Bikram Yoga.' The 'Yogi to the Stars' has long advocated 'hot yoga,' which consists of 90-minute sessions performed in a room heated to roughly 40 degrees. It is supposed to be designed to resemble the weather in India. With many yoga studios across the world, Bikram Yoga had a devoted following, including Hollywood stars such as George Clooney and Charlie Sheen and many more.

Ram Dev reintroduced yoga to the masses. His watch-and-practice-with-me TV shows have inspired the general public to practice yoga in the privacy of their own homes. Though he is now more frequently seen in political circles than in yoga studios, he is also responsible for the popularity of Kapalbhati and Anulom-vilom.