Tuesday, August 26, 2003


bluestockings afraid of headstand

it's a big bccy thank you to the long-time reader who sent a link to this little bit on the history of yoga in the u.s.a.

i think many people are aware that yoga was floating around the u.s.a. well before the 1960s, thanks to swami vivekananda, among others who came at various times to educate americans about the benefits of yoga.

however, as an orthodox teacher of vedanta, vivekananda did not approve of asana.

traditionally, yoga poses or asanas, are often associated with a set of ideas known as tantra. real tantra -- not the junk stuff you hear about from popular books -- is a huge subject that occupies a large chunk of the britannica, and so i'll leave you to head out to your local library to read up.

however, we might say in general that while traditional vedanta or raja yoga such as vivekananda taught can be quite abstruse, tantra was known more as a yoga for normal people or the so-called householder.

one of tantra's important teachings is that the body is not an obstacle to understanding, but an aid.

after all, most people can do some form of asana practice, even if it's only in a chair; whereas few can read sanskrit or puzzle through the scholarly vendantic texts!

as for the history of yoga in brooklyn, it is said -- although i'm not sure if it is actually factual -- that noted anti-slavery advocate henry ward beecher of the plymouth church was exposed to yoga through a lecture of vivekananda's.

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