The spread of yoga and its hierarchy are two sides of the same coin: the path from a closed esoteric practice for the chosen few to a global phenomenon, and the internal structure that orders this practice. The Spread of Yoga: From India to the World Yoga was not exported in a single day. Its journey to the West is a story of translation, adaptation, and inevitable simplification. Point of Departure The key figure was Swami Vivekananda. In 1893 at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, he presented yoga not as a religion but as a scientific and philosophical system. This caused a sensation and laid the groundwork for interest in the practice among Western elites. Vivekananda mainly spoke about the spiritual and meditative aspects, not the physical postures. The Beginning of the Twentieth Century: Occultism and Russia In Russia, yoga spread through the Theosophical Society and occult circles. It was perceived as a path to superpowers and hidden knowledge, often opposing Christian asceticism. Back then, it was an intellectual and mystical practice for a narrow circle. The 1920s and 1930s: the Revolution of the Body It was during this period that yoga in the West and in India itself began to approach physical culture and gymnastics. An emphasis was placed on asanas — postures. Photography played a huge role: it became possible to mass-produce images of complex postures, making the practice visible and mass. In essence, modern yoga as fitness was largely born then. After World War II: Massiveness After 1947, Indra Devi opened a studio in Hollywood, attracting celebrities. In the 1950s, the autobiography of yoga became a bestseller. And in 1989, B.K.S. Iyengar's visit to the USSR gave a powerful impetus to the development of yoga in Russia, where it began to be perceived as a method of health and discipline. Today Yoga has become a global wellness industry, and India actively uses it as an instrument of soft power, establishing the International Day of Yoga. Yoga ... Read more