Swami Sivananda was born in 1860. He became a Doctor in the British-Indian Army. After his mandtory service where he did not serve abroad during the war, he then moved to Rishikesh. He was living by the river practising his sadhana. Many people came to him for medical help. He noticed Rishikesh was a beautiful place for spiritual growth, but there was a lack of the basic neccesities. He started an Ashram establishing the Divine Life Society in 1936.
He developed the Yoga of Synthesis, an amalgamation of the Four Paths of Yoga that he summarised as: ‘Serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realise.’ He is the author of more than 300 books on all aspects of yoga providing spiritual guidance to millions around the world. Though he never left his native India his teachings quickly spread internationally, leaving a legacy of love, peace and knowledge still unfolding today.
Born in India in 1927 he visted the divine life society as a young man. He took the vow of sanyasin at 20 and two years later becoming a Swami. He was appointed the first head teacher of hatha yoga at the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda gave him a few dollars in rupees and told him to go to the west and teach them yoga. He made his way to America after a ajourney through east Asia. Taught yoga to people in America to get some money to survive. He found his visa runing out so he went to Canada. Canada was more friendly for getting a residency so he set up a center in Montreal teaching yoga.
After seeing everybody go to the north of Quebec on weekends he looked to get a piece of land to start an ashram. With the help of some investors he set up the International Yoga Vendanta Centre in Val Morin. It is 100 acres with a mountian in the middle. Here it stands to this day teaching people yoga and dharmic lifestyle. He grew famous for his peace plane where he would fdrop yoga pamplets and flowers overs conflicts zones in a 60's flowers single engine plane. He took the Sivananda yoga system and made it accesable with a 12 posture system.
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, born in 1888 in a village in India, is often referred to as the "father of modern yoga." He came from a family steeped in spiritual and scholarly traditions, which profoundly influenced his life's work. Krishnamacharya's exploration into yoga began at a young age, studying under several esteemed teachers across India, including the influential yoga master Sri Ramamohan Brahmachari in Tibet. His comprehensive education also included formal studies in Vedic philosophy, Sanskrit, and Ayurveda, providing a robust foundation for his later innovations in yoga practice and teaching. His teaching career flourished in Mysore under the patronage of the Maharaja of Mysore, where he trained some of the most renowned yoga teachers of the 20th century, including B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and his own son T.K.V. Desikachar.
Krishnamacharya's teachings emphasized the synchronization of breath with movement (vinyasa), the therapeutic applications of yoga, and the importance of adapting practices to the individual's needs and capacities. Through his efforts, yoga evolved from a relatively obscure practice into a global phenomenon, deeply influencing the development of various contemporary yoga styles and practices. His legacy lives on through the countless students and teachers who continue to propagate his teachings worldwide.
K. Pattabhi Jois was born in 1915 in Karnataka, India known for developing and popularizing Ashtanga Yoga. Jois began his yoga journey at the age of 12 when he attended a lecture by the eminent yoga master Krishnamacharya. Inspired by the talk, Jois became a dedicated student of Krishnamacharya, studying under him from 1927 to 1945. This period of intensive training and discipline laid the groundwork for Jois's deep understanding of yoga as a holistic practice that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques, and philosophical teachings.
In 1948, Jois established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, where he began teaching what would become known as Ashtanga Yoga. This dynamic and physically demanding practice involves a set series of postures (asanas) synchronized with a specific breathing technique (ujjayi pranayama) and other elements like bandhas (internal locks) and drishti (focused gaze). Jois's Ashtanga method attracted a global following, drawing students from around the world to Mysore to study under his guidance. Among his most notable students are prominent yoga teachers such as B.K.S. Iyengar and his own grandson, R. Sharath Jois, who continues his legacy. Pattabhi Jois's teachings emphasized the transformative power of daily practice and discipline, contributing significantly to the spread and popularity of yoga in the West and shaping contemporary yoga practices worldwide. His legacy is evident in the widespread practice of Ashtanga Yoga and its influence on various modern yoga styles.