Yoga traditions & branded Yoga
You might be surprised to learn that most Yoga around is hybrid, branded and comes from America. The influence (and the money) is so significant that even India surrendered to it, and now they are catering for us "westerners", giving us what we think is important.
"Do you want alternate nostril breathing? Just give it to them!"
Well, there is much more to Yoga than most teachers care to learn.
Scholls of Yoga - University departments
Yoga is divided into "schools", and they are like university departments.
Hatha Yoga - all physical yoga is included here - is your sports science; Raja Yoga is your psychology and psychiatry; Nada Yoga is like your music therapy department; Jnana Yoga is concerned with knowledge and education... you get the idea.
Yoga goes to America.
Well, nothing wrong with Yoga reaching America, or here, or there. Somehow things got more accessible as it was adapted, marketed, stripped of most meaning and knowledge and ready for us, the consumer!
But, it is a shame that we are not appropriately taught by yoga teachers, which go away for a month and come back with a course and find fame on TikTok. Be careful with that. It just takes a bit more than that. It used to be three years of learning and dedication, and now barely one month.
Names of Postures
Different traditions - these are institutions with many centuries - agree on the fundamental of the philosophy and most names of the postures. They tend to preserve the traditional names, which are a bit different from some of the posture names used today.
You will not hear us using the name dog, but you will hear us calling you a sacred mountain (or its representation in temples, Meru)
Find out about it on Wikipedia:
Warrior I (hands variations)
Pyramid
Warrior III
Standing Splits
Revolved Triangle
Warrior II
Triangle
Side angle
Half-moon
Lizzard
Revolved Side angle
