Renowned Indian Yoga Gurus

Yoga is slowly becoming the way of life. With each passing day, the numbers of students practicing Yoga are increasing. For some its way to lose weight, for others its meditation and a way to connect to the Divine. Whatever be the motivation let’s have a look at Indian Yoga teachers who dedicated their entire life making Yoga popular among masses.

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

Teacher to the famous Yoga Gurus B.K.S. Iyenger, K. Pattabhi Jois, he is regarded as the most influential Yoga Guru whose important contribution includes revival of Hatha Yoga.

He is also known as Father of Modern Yoga. He was a Yoga teacher in Mysore Palace (India, Karnataka). He was also an expert in Ayurveda.

Krishnamacharya was not only a yoga instructor but also a physician of Ayurvedic medicine. He “possessed enormous knowledge of nutrition, herbal medicine, the use of oils, and other remedies”: Source Wikipedia

He “believed Yoga to be India’s greatest gift to the world.”

Paramahansa Yogananda

He is considered to be the Guru who introduced West with the idea of Kriya Yoga and mediation techniques .He is author of famous book : Autobiography of a Yogi

Kriya means rite or action. Kriya Yoga is union (Yoga) with the Infinite through the action/rite.

The general description of Kriya Yoga in his Autobiography :

“The Kriya Yogi mentally directs his life energy to revolve, upward and downward, around the six spinal centers (medullary, cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal plexuses) which correspond to the twelve astral signs of the zodiac, the symbolic Cosmic Man. One-half minute of revolution of energy around the sensitive spinal cord of man effects subtle progress in his evolution; that half-minute of Kriya equals one year of natural spiritual unfoldment.” Source: Wikipedia.

Sivananda Saraswati

Sivananda was a doctor by Profession. He is believed to waive the consultation fees for poor people and provide medicine for free to the needy one.

The teachings of Master Sivananda are summarized in these six words:
Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize.

 K Pattabhi Jois

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is the style developed by K Pattabhi Jois. He was a student of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

He also established the Asthanga Yoga Research Insitute in Mysore(second largest city of Karnataka state of India) in 1948.

B K S Iyenger 

Also the student of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, he is known to be founder of Iyenger style of Yoga.He had authored many Yoga books like Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life

 Baba Ramdev

He is the person who made Yoga a household name in India. He is famous for bringing the Yoga to masses through his watch and Practice Yoga Programs on TV, which are a real hit.

There are many other people who developed their own style and made Yoga popular in India and abroad. Some of them are Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Jaggi Vasudev, Bikram Choudhary, Mahrishi Mahesh Yoga.

Every one has contributed in some form or the other, while making their own style and popularizing this ancient practice.