Yoga More Than Modern-Day Fad; Check 10 Interesting Facts

Bhubaneswar: It is heartening to see people all over the world, India, societies, communities, and colonies doing yoga. Yoga centres and ashrams have sprouted everywhere in the past few years. In fact, it is a means of livelihood for many.

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s one had never heard of high-profile yoga gurus eulogising the ancient practice and to put it mildly, making it more than a means of earning money. But no offence meant since they have at least reminded us of the benefits of doing yoga.

Then there are the much-in-demand Yogacharyas who go from house to house, teaching (mostly women) how to bend, twist and turn their body charging anything from Rs 2000 to Rs 5000 per month depending on how cash-rich the colony is and the fleet of luxury cars parked in the porch. So, yoga makes for an interesting conversation at the evening parties or kitty parties. It gives some weight to the daily schedule, “Oh! I can’t come in the evening, I have my yoga class!”

The declaration of June 21 as ‘International Day of Yoga’, on December 11, 2014, at the United Nations General Assembly, in less than 90 days after PM Narendra Modi had proposed the idea gave a whole new meaning to Yoga. This was the fastest implementation of any proposal in the history of UN General Assembly.

The theme for International Yoga Day 2023 is ‘Yoga for Self and Society’, emphasising the double benefits of yoga practice: enhancing personal well-being and improving society at large while recognising that inner serenity and self-care are the cornerstones of a happy and healthy existence.

Here are some Yoga facts you must know:

√ Lord Shiva is considered to be the first Yogi. It is believed that He disseminated his knowledge and learning to seven learned men known as the Saptarishis. They, in turn, spread this knowledge in seven different directions covering diverse regions – knowledge that humans can evolve beyond their physical limitations. (The Art of Living).

√ Swami Vivekananda is considered to be the one who introduced the ancient Indian philosophies of Yoga and Vedanta to the world.

√ The word Yoga was derived from the Sanskrit word yuj which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. This union is not, merely, about your nose touching your knees as you bend to touch your toes! The union referred to is that of your mind with your body. You integrating with your surroundings and nature. And, finally, your individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. (The Art of Living)

√ The word “yoga” literally means “union.” If you make your life energies very exuberant and ecstatic, your sensory body becomes as large as you want it. Yoga is to expand the boundary of your sensation in such a way that you experience the whole universe as a part of yourself. Everything becomes one. That is union. (Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev)

√ The main sources, from which we get the information about Yoga practices are available in Vedas (4), Upanishads(108), Smritis, teachings of Buddhism, Jainism, Panini, Epics (2), Puranas (18) etc.

√ Figures with Yogic motives performing Yoga Sadhana were also found in fossil and seal remains from the Indus Valley Civilization in Western India and Pakistan.

√ There is a yoga for dogs, known as ‘Doga’, which was started by Suzi Teitelman in New York in 2002. While doing Doga, dogs are used as props.

√ According to the Guinness World Records, the title of world’s oldest yoga teacher was given to Ida Herbert in 2012, who remained an active yoga teacher till the age of 96 years.

√ Dubai expat Ivan Stanley performed the Shirshasana (headstand posture) for 61 minutes non-stop. This is also a Guinness World Record.

√ It is a $80 billion industry, globally, with over 250 million people around the world practising yoga, 20 million of them in the US. There are more than 100 yoga schools in the world.