Have we drifted too far from the purpose of yoga?
Research Study At A Glance
The Research Question Asked
Is the purpose of yoga physical health or transforming consciousness?
Type of Study
Narrative review study
Methods
The research team conducted a literature review and assembled a narrative review to discuss the influence of several early 20th-century yoga teachers on how we understand yoga and its effects.
Results
Early 20th-century yoga teachers influenced the integration of yoga traditions with Western science and established the Indian center Kaivalyadham to delve into further yoga research.
Conclusion
Yoga has physical and mental health benefits. Yoga’s effects on human consciousness have been a challenge to examine using Western science methods, but anecdotal reports suggest possible effects.
Background
Yoga is widely popular but, particularly in the West, the emphasis is almost entirely on the health and wellness benefits of asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing practices). Historically and philosophically, Yoga is much broader than that. Before yoga asana’s explosion in the West, a broader array of practices was taught by Indian teachers. A wider swath of effects and intentions was also part of how those earlier teachers understood and shared yoga. In particular, yoga practices were often part of a larger journey toward self-realization and an exploration of the nature of consciousness. This research paper documents and explores the lives and contributions of some early 20th-century yoga teachers.
Research question
Is the purpose of yoga physical health or transforming consciousness?
Research methods
In this narrative review, the research team explored three main topics. First, they reviewed the contributions of several significant early 20th-century yoga teachers. Those teachers included Paramahamsa Madhavadasji and Swami Kuvalayanandaji, as well as a brief discussion of Swami Vivekananda. Second, the researchers explored the history of the creation of the Kaivalyadham institute, an important center for yogic education. Finally, the researchers explored the combined influence of these early 20th-century teachers and the institute of Kaivalyadham on the effects of yoga on consciousness and our understanding of it.
Results
Sri Madhavadasji
Sri Madhavadasji contributed to the larger yoga movement in several ways. He was an influential yoga teacher who inspired future significant teachers in their study of yoga. He influenced Swami Kuvalayanandji, Sri Yogendraji, and Ganesh Gune in particular. Along with Swami Vivekananda, he led a movement to integrate yoga traditions with Western science approaches to explore mind-body health, experiences, and the nature of consciousness. He inspired Ganesh Gune to continue that movement of integrating yoga traditions with Western science approaches.
Swami Kuvalayanandaji
Swami Kuvalayanandaji also contributed to the yoga movement. He was inspired by Sri Madhavadasji to continue studying yoga and integrating it with Western science. That prompted him to establish Kaivalyadham, the Indian yoga educational center. As part of his significant influence, Swami Kuvalayanandaji was part of the movement in the early 20th century to incorporate yoga and physical exercise into Indian public schools.
Kaivalyadham
Kaivalyadham, established by Swami Kuvalayanandaji, is a center in Lonavala, India, for yoga education and researching yoga’s effects. Early research at the center focused on the physical and psychological effects of yoga and meditation practices, including changes in oxygen consumption and heart rate. However, Swami Kuvalayanandaji’s perspective reflected that of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and other traditional texts, suggesting that changes in physical and mental health, although beneficial, were of a “lower nature.” Swami Kuvalayanandaji’s perspective was that a deeper exploration of yogic practices would impact states of consciousness and self-realization. Additional locations were opened as sister locations for Kaivalyadham, and individualized yoga programs were designed for students who came to study there.
Current research in yoga
More recent research on yoga’s effects, both at Kaivalyadham and elsewhere, has begun to explore yoga’s effects on human consciousness. However, these are difficult studies to structure using Western science approaches. While anecdotal reports collected over time support some of the claims of yoga’s effects on human consciousness, anecdotal reports are not usually something that reputable scientific journals are willing to publish. The authors are hopeful that, despite the challenges, future research will continue to delve into these topics by combining neuroscience, psychology, and sociology approaches to study. One yoga researcher, Sai Makarand Dave, wrote that “this [yoga] is an adventure in consciousness.”
Why is this relevant to yoga practitioners?
Practitioners begin a yoga practice for many reasons. They may explore a yoga practice for its reputed health and wellness benefits. People may be drawn to try yoga because they want to become more flexible, improve their concentration, or feel calmer. All of those are benefits often associated with a yoga practice.
However, traditional yogic texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe many other effects of yoga outside of health and wellness. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and other traditional texts describe changes in states of consciousness as part of a yogic path. As practitioners, it’s important to remember that yoga includes a broad array of practices. Our yoga practice can be more than simply a way to increase fitness or calm down after a stressful day. By maintaining a wide view of what yoga encompasses and what’s possible, we avoid limiting yoga’s possibilities. Although researching states of consciousness is challenging, anecdotal reports suggest the effects of yoga may be more than we encounter in our first class.
Conclusion
The body of research on yoga grew substantially in the 20th century, as did the number of practitioners worldwide. However, much of that growth was focused on yoga as a physical health and wellness practice. Yoga also affects human consciousness in ways beyond physical and mental health. Researchers in the tradition of yogis from the Kaivalyadham center in India are hopeful that the next frontier in yoga research will uncover more about those effects.