"In most recent times the materialist, consumerist ethos has almost completely enveloped the ancient spiritual science of Yoga and has altered it to an almost unrecognizable extent. The science of Yoga, which was designed to free man of his body consciousness and enable him to rise above it, has now become a vehicle for enhancing body consciousness. The 'Cult of Flexibility' has emerged ..." - Smt. Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani, Yoga in Modern Times -
Much confusion surrounds the term Yoga today, to a large extent a result of the fact that its propagation has seen a veritable explosion around the globe in a relatively short period of time. Within the most recent decade, that explosion has reached near atomic proportions, with "Yoga" finding itself among the fastest growing trends in pop-culture today, a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to extend its visage into nearly every facet of modern day life.
The roots of Yoga lye in ancient India, where it has been practiced for thousands of years. Historically, its teachings were transmitted in the Guru-Chela tradition, an intimate, one-to-one personal manner from Guru (teacher) to disciple, in remote and often inaccessible forest or mountain hermitages. In these earliest times, the sole purpose of Yoga was the attainment of the highest spiritual goals; self-realization, enlightenment, and the liberation of the individual soul.
Yoga remained in this relatively pure and altruistic form for thousands of years, until as late as around 500 A.D. when many "other forms" began to emerge under the inspiration and direction of several influential masters. From this period onwards, the ambitions of Yoga began to concern themselves more with social needs, and the teachings began to be transformed into movements for not only the highest spiritual attainment of the individual, but also for the betterment of society as a whole.
But from about 1500 A.D. onwards, the lofty spiritual aims of Yoga had already started to become more and more mundane. Teachers began to shift their primary emphasis onto the physical practices of Hatha Yoga, such as Asana (postures) and Pranayama (breath control), quite often overlooking the higher spiritual aims and the deeper aspects concerned with personal transformation and self-awareness. Eventually, developing a flexible, strong and healthy body became the primary aim of Yoga.
In little more than a century, Yoga has now seen an unprecedented rise in its dissemination. However, for the most part, its face has changed considerably. The ascetic values of ancient times - those of purity, simplicity and humility - have been all-but forgotten. Moral and ethical restraints have been caste aside in favour of contemporary cultural attitudes, and mastery of desires and the discipline of the body, mind and emotions replaced with a mind-set of permissive indulgence. Physical fitness, enhanced sexuality and personal achievement have become the goals of Yoga practice. As Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani states in her essay, Yoga in Modern Times;"In short, the Yoga scene looks suspiciously like the 'ordinary world' which it had promised to transcend!" She concludes:
"Since the 20th century the ancient word "Yoga" has taken on thousands of new associations, some of them enlightened and some of them self-seeking and even hedonistic! The meeting of the 'materialistic West' with the 'spiritual East' has created a huge number of cross currents in regard to this ancient science, a shaking up and a mixing up of concepts, lifestyles and practices. One thing is for certain. 'Yoga' is now a household word around the globe. But what that word means for those who utter it is another matter altogether."
Much of value is continuing to be brought forth in the name of Yoga today. Yet it remains intermingled in a "modern Yoga culture" where much misguided, suspect and superficial understanding prevails. The modern student of Yoga should be aware of just how far the common notion of Yoga has deviated from its origins, and of the immense amount of potential for growth, health, and transformation that lies largely unnoticed within the body of teachings of this vast and profound "Science of Life".
