History of Online Yoga

“Throughout the history of yoga, teachings and gurus have always adapted to the times and circumstances in which they find themselves.” – Mark Singleton and Ellen Goldberg (Gurus of Modern Yoga).

And yoga has evolved with the times… From ancient word of mouth teachings to papyrus to books… To modern Western VHS tapes to DVDs to Instayogis and Podcasters… To the vast array of platforms currently available – yoga is www.everywhere.com!?

Once upon a time, yoga was full of secrets and mystery handed down from guru to student… Until very recently in-person instruction was seen as the touchstone for valid yogic practice. Now online offerings are granting millions of people access to yoga.

Whether unable to seek or maintain direct contact with a teacher because of geography, circumstance, schedule or cost, it’s undeniable that the trendy status yoga has achieved, and the dedication it’s received, is significantly due to availability.

Timeline

Print

19th - early 20th centuries – Mail-order Yoga

Movements towards adult education and self-improvement. William Walker Atkinson, a lawyer turned New Age author, was one of the first Americans to write about yoga (under the pseudonym Yogi Ramacharaka) – his writings were initially offered to the public as monthly lessons through the post.

1910 – More Mail

Sakharam Ganesh Pandit, a South Asian yoga teacher, offered weekly correspondence lessons in “Yoga and Metaphysics.” Rishi Singh Gherwal, A.K. Mozumdar, and Yogananda offered instruction via the post as well. Lessons were personable and powerful – written as though addressing a class, or echoing a guru-student relationship, they contained instructions to keep the teachings secret.

Sound

1920s - 1970s – The Phonograph

In 1927, Wassan Singh produced a “Healing Chant.” The brief record begins with Yogi Wassan bellowing the “seven holy chants” of his Soroda System of Yoga, and then humming.

Early-1940s – the Self-Realization Fellowship released a collection of 78 rpm records featuring Yogananda guiding chants and invocations, sometimes accompanied by a harmonium.

1950s – voila, the more modern 12-inch record, or LP, that could play for over 20 minutes on each side! Many teachers used the LP, for several decades, including Swami Satchidananda and Indra Devi. This format wroked well for lectures, chants and guided meditations. Hatha yoga classes on vinyl was trickier – teachers had to include images with the album.?

Sight

1970s-1980s – Television

Yoga on tv was much less limited limitations than audio only records, and allowed students to practice yoga privately (or secretly!) in their homes, during an era when the practice seemed very foreign. Richard Hittlement was the first yoga teacher in America with a television program, Yoga for Health, which aired in Los Angeles in 1961, and continued nationally for decades. Other teachers followed in his footsteps. The visibility, accessibility and approachability of these programs set the stage for the rising popularity of yoga.

1980s – VHS and DVD

Transitioning to pre-recorded media – first VHS tapes, later DVDs – further amplified accessibility, style and volume. Countless tapes and DVDs covering every major style of yoga became available. Pre-recording afforded many teachers the opportunity to create beautiful classes, mainstream and niche, and many more students to practice at their convenience.

Enter the Internet

Today – Social Media and Digital Technology?

Yoga is everywhere. Many wonder about the quality of classes and teachers – when the number of social media followers a teacher has is more valued than their certification and experience. Smartphones, constant connectivity, selfies, marketing and branding seem a far cry from the guru-student days of yogic legend and lore, but… Yoga is available to more people.

2004 –?Facebook and Podcasts hit the wifi waves, quickly gaining yogi fans

2005 – YouTube launched in San Mateo, California, and soon became the online ashram of Esther Ekhart

2010 –?Instagram, a photo and video-sharing social media sensation, invented yogalebrities?

2012 –?EkhartYoga, Europe’s biggest online yoga platform, evolved from Esther’s YouTube channel

2016 –?TikTok joined the scene as the it social network for sharing yoga videos

2020 –?Zoom boom – covid-inspired livestream kept us connected through isolation

Now what

Yoga has survived and thrived – from word of mouth to postal mail, through the record player to television to video – and now the ancient science of yoga is search engine optimised for the masses of today.

What’s the impact of technology on yoga?

Endless possibilities! Social media offers an unparalleled exchange of knowledge and practices amongst teachers and practitioners through lineages, across traditions and time, around the world. There is a dark side, of course – the rise of celebrity yogis with sometimes off-kilter ideals of body-image and perfection teeters between inspiring and devastating.

But… Through the ages, eras, trends, lockdowns, politics, crisis and often isolation of now – yoga has not been cancelled. It is stronger than ever – and continues to strengthen our connection, even via screen. Collectively our resilience grows, as do our technological skills!

This is certain: Amidst the confusion, fear, loneliness of lately and in-person disconnection, the global online yoga community is thriving and supporting each other in sustaining wellbeing – in body, mind and spirit – during uncertain times.

No one knows what the future holds, but we will continue to hold our community. Please join us – come as you are, receive what you need.