| Shri
Yogendraji and the Origins of The Yoga Institute |
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The
Yoga Institute, Santacruz (East), Mumbai, India was
founded in 1918 by Shri Yogendraji and is the oldest
organized centre of Yoga in the world.
Shri
Yogendraji as a young college student became an ardent
believer in Yoga when he met his Guru Pujya Shri Paramahamsa
Madhavdasaji. Shri Yogendraji studied Yoga at Paramahamsa
Madhavadasaji's ashram in Malsar, Gujrat. From the beginning,
he was a non-conformist and a very close bond developed
between the Master and the student. The Guru taught
him many things by direct experience. With a broader
vision of becoming a householder to propagate the message
of Yoga, he left the ashram on completion of his training
as he felt that the benefits of Yoga could be given
to all instead of keeping it a secret for very few.
Thus Shri Yogendra became known as the Father of Modern
Yoga Renaissance. |
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Shri
Yogendraji - Founder of
The Yoga Institute |
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Guru
Pujya Shri Paramahamsa Madhavdasaji |
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Shri Yogendraji
was also a poet and once some of his poetry came in the hands
of Mr. Masani, a prominent citizen of Mumbai. He invited Shri
Yogendraji to come to Versova and was very impressed. His
robust health and his glowing personality also attracted many
other prominent people in the nearby vicinity. Mr. Masani
offered him his house as an ashram. And that was the birth
of The Yoga Institute at Versova, a sea beach western suburb
of Mumbai.
Shri Yogendraji
kept very clear records of all the work right from the beginning
and many more people came to him mainly for solution of their
physical and emotional problems. Having got cured & seeing
great potential in this young man,
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in
1920 they took him to USA. There he was helped to set up
an Institution on Bear Mountain in Harriman, New York. The
Institute functioned for four years in collaboration with
medical practitioners. Shri Yogendraji had then to return
to India as his father was not keeping good health.
Living
with his Father in the small town of Bulsar too Shri Yogendraji
continued his mission to propagate Yoga. He wrote books
and did a great deal of research and slowly the Institute
grew in stature. There were many hurdles, financial and
social, but his determination never wavered. His indomitable
spirit withstood criticism from many quarters. He kept Yoga
away from religious bodies and from politicians and retained
the pristine purity of Yoga.
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Bear
Mountain in Harriman,
New York, USA |
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| Shri
Yogendraji felt that many people came to Yoga for solution to
their health problems and slowly could then be guided on to
spirituality. He insisted that Yoga was a way of life and removing
obstacles in one’s personality would gradually lead people
on to a better way of living. From the beginning research was
on to make Yoga intelligible to the common man. Thus the classic
series of books Yoga Hygiene Simplified, Hatha Yoga Simplified
and Yoga Asanas Simplified were written. He felt that the common
man needed to have his needs addressed to logically and scientifically.
So he simplified the Asanas, the Kriyas, the Pranayamas, the
meditation and many other techniques and adapted them for modern
needs. During this period he also traveled to north India, the
Himalayas and various other centres to gather authentic information
on Yoga. His trip also included different Mathas of the Nathayogis
and meeting with well-reputed saints and learned people of the
country. |
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The
vow taken to spend the life of a householder was fulfilled
when he married Sita Devi on 29th September 1927. Although
before marriage the young Sita Devi was never exposed to Yoga,
together they worked hard to establish the Institute. At that
time it was not a practice for women to practice Yoga but
Mother Sita Devi joined her husband in his mission. Since
then there has been a revolution and many more women than
men attend The Yoga Institute daily. |
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| There were many more books published
by Shri Yogendraji in this period and the magazine Yoga was
first published in 1933. It continues to date and is now known
as Yoga and Total Health which is regularly published as a monthly
magazine publishing articles on Indology, Health, Yogic Techniques,
the Philosophy of Yoga, Psychiatry, Education Sociology, The
Yoga Sutras, the Gita, First Person Accounts, Human Interest
stories and some research findings in psychiatry and health
related aspects. |
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The
Yoga Institute at Santacruz (East), Mumbai |
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After
his father’s sad demise in the year 1935, the Yogendra
family moved to Mumbai in May 1936. All the work continued
but there was no permanent headquarters of the Institute.
The Institute shifted to fourteen places till it found the
current location at Santacruz East in Mumbai, India since
1947.
The Yogendra Family – Two sons were
born to the pioneers of householder Yoga-Jayadeva Yogendra
and Vijayadeva Yogendra - They grew up in the Yogic home.
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Founder
with his wife
Smt. Sita Devi |
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| And were initiated into
Yoga from the beginning. were treated as ordinary children and
grew up with hard work and with sterling yogic qualities of
perseverance, humility, detachment and deep integrity. Slowly
after their studies they started taking responsibility of the
Institute in various areas. |
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Founder
with his wife
Smt. Sita Devi |
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His elder son Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra, (M.A., PhD.) took
up the Directorship of The Yoga Institute, Santacruz in
1985. Ever since he has been involved with the activities
of the Institute, he has been introducing several courses,
pioneering work in Yoga Education and Therapeutics. His
wife the present Director of the Institute Smt. Hansaji
is a well-known speaker known for her vibrant and lively
talks. Her simple and practical approach and tips from the
Yoga way of life are like eye openers.
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Dr.
Jayadeva Yogendra with
Dalai Lama |
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| The
Yoga Institute is continuing its work quietly and sincerely.
The teacher training programmes have been conducted since 1954.
Many individuals come from all over the world and have set up
their own centres after being trained at the Institute. The
International Board of Yoga has been set up and in collaboration
with the Yoga Institute a great deal of research is being undertaken.
Research has been carried out in Asthma and Bronchitis, Diabetes,
Back and Joint Disorders and Reversal of Heart Diseases and
research on weight management through Yoga. Currently there
is a research program undertaken in collaboration with the Central
Health Ministry about stress in mothers of teenagers taking
competitive exams. What Shri Yogendraji started when Yoga was
not known has spread to all the corners of the world |
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