A history of yoga in the United States

By cmontoy

  • Swami Vivekenanda visits Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

  • Indra Devi opens the first Hatha Yoga studio in the West.

    Theos Bernard also travels to India and writes Hatha Yoga: The Report of a Personal Experience.

  • Selvarajan Yesudian writes the popular book, Sport and Yoga.

  • Indra Devi publishes Yoga for Americans.

  • Swami Vishnudevananda publishes the book, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Yoga.

  • Richard Hittleman pioneers yoga on television with his series, Yoga for Health,

    Hittleman also writes the book "The Twenty-Eight Day Yoga Plan."

  • The Beatles became involved with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his style of Transcendental Meditation.

    The Beatle's participation inspired many others to follow in their footsteps.

  • Swami Satchidananda arrives in New York City.

  • B.K.S. Iyengar publishes Light on Yoga.

    Swami Satchidananda also founds the Integral Yoga Institute.

  • Yogi Bhajan brings Kundalini Yoga to the United States and founds the 3HO yoga centers.

    Swami Satchitananda also further popularizes yoga through his talking and chanting at Woodstock in 1969.

  • Bikram Choudhury opens first Yoga College of India in Hawaii.

  • Period: to

    Lilias Folan hosts the popular PBS television series, Yoga and You.

  • Swami Rama founds the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy.

    Other events of this year:
    - Ram Dass writes Be Here Now, which includes yoga postures.
    - Swami Muktananda visits San Francisco and brings Siddha Yoga to the United States. Baba Hari Dass enters the United States.

  • Pattabhi Jois visits the United States and introduces Ashtanga Yoga.

    Yoga Journal magazine is also founded in San Francisco this year.

  • First Iyengar Yoga convention in San Francisco with 700 people attending from seventeen countries.

  • David Life and Sharon Gannon found the Jivamukti Yoga Society of New York.

  • Maty Ezraty opens first Yoga Works in Los Angeles with Alan Finger.

  • Alan Finger opens first Yoga Zone in New York City.

  • the number of people who practice some form of yoga reaches 4 million.

  • the number of people who practice some form of yoga reaches 20 million.

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