Although the core purpose behind yoga has always been the being-transformation, but how it is practiced has inevitably changed over time. If we were to compare the style of doing yoga today with how it was practiced a century ago, we will find great differences between them. The introduction of new poses and styles over time has given yoga quite a different look today.
Considered a cultural heritage in India,here yoga is not a physical workout but a part of the everyday lifestyle. People there used to learn yoga through private lessons from yogis and Hindu gurus, or from family members or friends who had learned yoga from them. But ever since it became popular in western countries, it has continued to be regarded more as a studio workout, rather than a spiritual practice. But many Indian gurus do not quite stomach how yoga has been transformed due to western influences, since for them yoga has always been a part of education rather than a physical workout.
Physical benefits of doing yoga have played crucial role in spreading awareness about yoga but it is yoga’s physiological, psychological and biochemical effects that have played the role in retaining people in the practice, as well as in growing the yoga community. Although the awareness about yoga being a spiritual practice has increased in the last few years, many people still see it only as a physical workout. And even in India, due to the influence of western lifestyle in recent times, current young generation sees yoga pretty much in the same way.
Whether practiced for the psychological, physiological and spiritual benefits or just as a mystic workout option, yoga benefits everyone. People may enter the yoga community with certain targets but as they come to know more about yoga their targets may change, as well as their approach of practicing yoga. In fact it’s yoga’s popularity as a physical workout that has inspired people to introduce many beneficial styles of doing it, such as Power yoga, Hot yoga, Aqua yoga and more.
To learn yoga in India has always been considered a privilege in the yoga community. And indeed, there is a difference between learning it in a yoga retreat in Rishikesh or other hubs in the country, and in learning it at local yoga studio. The spiritual roots that yoga has can only be understood in their true form when you are present in the place. And this awareness about how yoga was originated will also help you in understanding the concept of being-transformation.
Every aspect of yoga has evolved with time, whether it is clothing, which used to cotton robes instead of skin-tight yoga costume; or the practice itself, which in general,is getting more vigorous every day. However, whether you choose to practice yoga in its evolved form or choose traditional ways, the important thing is that you know what its core purpose is and how you can work your way through to achieve it.