The Evolution of Yoga Asana: History, Influence, and Modern Practice

Описание: Yoga asana is often presented today as an ancient, unchanging system.
Historically, the picture is far more nuanced.

In this video, I explore the evolution of yoga asana — from early textual references to posture, through medieval haṭha traditions, and into the modern period shaped by Indian physical culture, European gymnastics, colonial influence, and global exchange.

This is not an attempt to dismiss tradition, nor to reduce yoga to mere exercise.
Rather, it is an invitation to see yoga as a living, adaptive tradition — one that has always responded to context, bodies, and cultural conditions.

Topics explored include:
• Early mentions of asana in classical yoga texts
• The role of haṭha yoga and ascetic practices
• Physical culture, gymnastics, and movement systems in colonial India
• How modern postural yoga emerged as a convergence of influences
• What this history means for contemporary practice and teaching

This video is part of my ongoing study of yoga as a living tradition.
As I researched the history of asana, it became clear that the deeper one looks, the more layers emerge.

Rather than covering everything in detail, this video offers a closer look at the timeline of yoga asana — how it changed, adapted, and converged with other movement traditions over time.

My hope is that it encourages practitioners and teachers alike to study more deeply, question inherited narratives, and relate to yoga with curiosity and care.