Yoga: Encyclopedia II - Yoga - Notable Yogis

Yoga - Notable Yogis

History is replete with Yogis that have inspired people for many generations. Yogini Meera from the Bhakti tradition, Shankaracharya from the Jnana Yoga tradition, Patanjali, who formalized the system of Raja Yoga, are just a few examples.

Among modern Yogis, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a Bhakti Yogi, stands tall. A devotee of Mother Kali and a teacher of Advaita Vedanta, he preached that "all religions lead to the same goal." His student, Swami Vivekananda, a follower of Advaita philosophy as well, is known for revitalizing Hinduism and introducing the transcendental message of Yoga to the west.

Sri Aurobindo, focusing on the goddess Srii, worked on translations and interpretations of Yogic scriptures, such as the Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita. His epic poem Savitri is a treasure of Hindu Yogic literature, formally being the longest poem ever written in English. He also founded Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, that continues to propagate the practice of Integral Yoga, which is Aurobindo's synthesis of the four main Yogas (Karma, Jnana, Bhakti and Raja).

Sri Chinmoy (born 1931), influenced by the Sri Aurobindo ashram, brought a similar synthesis of elements to the West emphasizing love for God, meditation on the heart, and religious tolerance rooted in modern Vedantic principles.

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD Spiritual Leader of the Himalayan Institute [1], and successor to Swami Rama of the Himalayas. Lecturing and teaching worldwide for more than a quarter of a century, he is a regular contributor to Yoga International magazine, and the author of twelve books [2], including At The Eleventh Hour: The Biography of Swami Rama of the Himalayas [3]. He was ordained into the 5,000-year-old lineage of the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama in 1976.

Swami Rama of the Himalayas An influential teacher, writer [4], and humanitarian, Swami Rama is the founder of the Himalayan Institute [5]. Born in Northern India, he was raised from early childhood by a Himalayan sage, Bengali Baba. His best known published work, Living With the Himalayan Masters [6], reveals the many facets of this singular adept, and demonstrates his embodiment of the living tradition of the East.

Swami Rama Tirtha

Swami Sivananda (born 1887) authored over 300 books on yoga and spirituality and attained Mahasamadhi in Rishikesh. He founded Sivananda ashram in Rishikesh, and a society dedicated to Yoga. Swami Sivananda had many disciples who went on in their own right to be yoga gurus, including Swami Satyananda Saraswati, founder of Satyananda Yoga.

Many modern systems of Hatha Yoga, specificially the Ashtanga (not to be confused with Classical or ashtanga) and Vinyasa traditions, derive from the school of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who taught at the Mysore Palace from 1924 until his death in 1989. Among his students prominent in popularizing Yoga in the West were Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi and Krishnamacharya's son T.K.V. Desikachar.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada popularised Bhakti for Krishna in many countries through his movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, (popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement) which he founded in 1966.

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952), a practitioner of Kriya Yoga, moved to America purporting a pluralist ideology with Yoga as the binding force, specificaly trying to reconcile Hinduism and Christianity. Yogananda founded the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles, in 1925.

Gopi Krishna (1903-1984) was a Kashmiri office worker and spiritual seeker. He wrote autobiographical [7] accounts of his spiritual experiences with Yoga, most notably his work entitled, "Kundalini Yoga".

Swami Ramdevji Maharaj is a modern Indian yogi who follows the tradition of astanga yoga described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra. He emphasised the practice of pranayama, or breath work, and claims to have used it to cure various diseases.

Shri Shri Anandamurti, India, 1921-1990 incorporated within Raja Yoga, advanced meditation techniques from the tantras. He is the founder of Ananda Marga.

Swami Maitreyananda of Uruguay is the president of the International Yoga Federation. www.fiy.yoganet.org He united international, continental, national and regional yoga association, masters, ashrams, schools, and linages all over the world for the first time in history of the world wide yoga community. Swami Maitreya teaches Integral Yoga and Maha Yoga.

Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda is the author of the scientific master-system Yoga in Daily Life and founder of the International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship. He has been living in Vienna, Austria since 1972.

Swami Madhavananda (Dr. Madhav Nagarkar) is the founder of Swaroopyog Pratishthan. The ancient spiritual tradition of the Natha Sampradaya, passed on from Saint Dnyaneshwar to Swami Swaroopananda (Pavas) to Swami Madhavnath (Pune) and, finally, to Swami Madhavananda. Swaroopyog Prathishthan has established meditation study centers throughout the world. Various publications teaching practical Yogic meditation are available through their website [8].

Swami Sarasvati is the president of the Sarasvati Yoga Society and the Australian Yoga Masters Association. Swamiji was instrumental in bringing Yoga to popularity in Australia through her television programs beginning in 1968. She is widely regarded as a yogi, philosopher and as an ayurvedic & natural health expert. Presently she runs an ashram/Yoga retreat (http://www.swami.com.au) in Sydney Australia.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Notable Yogis", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki