Yoga: An Ancient Indian Practice with an American Twist
On September 11, 1893, a Hindu monk named Swami Vivekananda, clad in a light turban and dark robes, spoke to a crowd of 4,000 gathered at the first World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Vivekananda, born to a high-class Calcutta family and a disciple of the mystic Ramakrishna, aimed to introduce Hinduism and its principles to America, envisioning a global tolerance for all faiths.
Vivekananda is credited by many for first formally introducing yoga to the West, though the teachings of yoga he disseminated — focusing on the philosophical and spiritual aspects of yoga — are notably different from what we may associate yoga with today.
Yoga, as it originated in India centuries ago, is a practice often combining the physical, mental, and spiritual. While it’s not necessarily true that yoga as a discipline never put an emphasis on physical development — hatha yoga (focused on physical and mental strength-building — has been described in Hindu texts since the 15th century — yoga was not always considered primarily as a method of exercise.
American yoga has undoubtedly taken on its own unique flavor — it places a higher emphasis on the physical aspects of yoga, not only through asanas (body postures present in old yoga), but also fitness routines (such as “power yoga”). Today, yoga has morphed into a billion-dollar industry, fostered by its broad appeal in a class or personal setting. In an age of increased fitness awareness and exercise crazes, yoga stands out as accessible, effective, and a unique synthesis of both self-reflection and physical wellbeing.
American yoga, while built from Indian yoga’s inherent roots, has come to develop its own meaning and discipline — an intriguing instance of cultural diffusion fostered by a universal and common interest in health and wellness, both internally and externally.
Yoga has interestingly been intertwined in a succession of American affairs throughout history, ranging from the curiosity and confusion regarding spirituality, to the counterculture movement, all up to the recent development of “fitness culture” and wellness initiatives. There has always been an American fascination with yoga and associated Indian spirituality, evidenced by our country’s history dabbling in different forms of yoga — and the path to yoga as an American exercise discipline was not quite linear.
