International Yoga Day 2023: Meet legendary gurus of India who promoted Yoga across the world

The 9th International Day of Yoga is being celebrated across the world today (June 21). The annunal event is aimed to raising awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing Yoga — an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.

The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness. Yoga is practiced around the world in various forms and continues to grow in popularity.

Here are the country’s yoga gurus who have contributed a lot in making yoga famous all over the world –

Paramahansa Yogananda

Fondly called the ‘Father of Yoga in the West,’ Paramahansa Yogananda is considered as one of the preeminent spiritual figures of modern times. He has impacted the lives of several people with his comprehensive teachings on the science of Kriya Yoga meditation, the underlying unity of all true religions, and the art of balanced health and well-being in body, mind, and soul.

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

Often called the “Father of Modern Yoga” for his wide influence on the development of postural yoga, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya laid great emphasis on asana and pranayama because he believed that unless the body is healthy and free of illness, there is no way the mind can transcend and move inward.

Dhirendra Brahmachari

In 1970s, Dhirendra Brahmachari is said to have promoted Yoga on Doordarshan. His show was a weekly one on DD and he had also introduced yoga as a subject in Kendriya Vidyalayas. He was also the yoga mentor of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

K Pattabhi Jois

K Pattabhi Jois was the founder of Ashtanga yoga — a physically demanding, dynamic style of yoga embraced by millions of people across the world. He was a professor and yoga teacher.

BKS Iyengar

Founder of ‘Iyengar Yoga,’ Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar’s failing health led him to learn yoga from his guru Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Iyengar taught yoga to famous international personalities like violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Novelist Aldous Huxley followed his teachings, so does filmmaker Mira Nair and actress Annette Bening.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Pioneer of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is famous for being the yoga guru of The Beatles. TM yoga involves silent chants, creates a relaxation of the body and the mind and raises the consciousness. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi toured the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Switzerland from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s and taught thousands.

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