The Story of Yoga: Honoring Its History, Embracing Its Future

Summary In this episode, Lauren Leduc explores the rich history of yoga, tracing its evolution from ancient spiritual practices to its modern-day interpretations. She discusses the significance of understanding yoga's roots for both practitioners and teachers, emphasizing the importance of honoring its origins while adapting to contemporary needs. The conversation highlights key historical figures and texts that shaped yoga, the challenges of commodification and cultural appropriation in the modern yoga industry, and the call for a deeper connection to yoga's philosophical teachings. Takeaways

• Understanding the history of yoga provides context for modern practice.
• Yoga's origins may trace back to ancient Egypt or the Indus Valley.
• The Vedic period introduced the first yogic texts, the Vedas.
• Patanjali's Yoga Sutras formalized the philosophy of yoga.
• The Bhagavad Gita outlines different paths of yoga beyond physical postures.
• Tantra and Hatha yoga emphasized the physical body for spiritual awakening.
• Modern yoga emerged in the late 19th to early 20th century.
• Krishnamacharya is considered the father of modern yoga.
• The yoga industry faces challenges of commodification and cultural appropriation.
• Practitioners should strive to honor yoga's roots while adapting to modern needs.

Chapters

00:00 The Historical Roots of Yoga 10:35 The Evolution of Yoga Practices 14:46 Modern Yoga: Challenges and Opportunities Follow Lauren on Instagram True Love Yoga on Instagram True Love Yoga- Book a Class!