Yoga South Africa

"Yoga in South Africa" started in the 1940s, to become a important source of wellness in country.

History

Yoga went to South Africa in the 1940s when the Divine Life Society of Swami Sivananda was established in Durban. This caused many Swamis to visit South Africa from India. At that time South Africa was in the grip of apartheid making it difficult for those of Indian nationality to visit the country, but did not stop people traveling abroad to learn yoga, which many did, taking back the teachings of yoga to South Africans.

The pioneers who visited India form the basis of Yoga in South Africa and eventually led to the formation of the Yoga Teacher Fellowship, the governing body of yoga in South Africa.

In the 1960s Maurice Krok of Cape Town wrote a book on yoga and also taught yoga. In 1969 Swami Venkatesananda disciple of Swami Sivananda paid regular visits to South Africa staying with Mani Finger. During 1960s Swami Venkatesananda invited B.K.S Iyengar to do a workshop in Mauritius with some South African teachers which helped establish BKS Iyengar yoga in South Africa.

Swami Nisreyasananda of the Ramakrishna Mission in Zimbabwe was also a regular visitor to Fordsburg in downtown Johannesburg, influencing many, including Kavi Yogi Mani Finger and his son Alan Finger.

Roma Blair, a well-known as a model in Johannesburg went abroad to live in Australia and became one of Australia’s leading lights on yoga known there as Swami Nirmalananda after receiving initiation from Swami Satyananda of the Bihar school. Roma had her own TV show on yoga and later went on to head up the International yoga federations Australian chapter.

Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger after receiving Kriya initiation from Yogananda went to India to visit the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy at the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh he also visited Yoganandas brother Bishnu Gosh in Calcutta. Later he was to receive tantric initiation from H.H. Kavi Yogi Maharishi Suddhananda Bharati. Mani and his guru, together with his son Alan Finger developed the ISHTA system of yoga. Alan went to live in America in 1976 developing ISHTA into what it is today through his studios ‘Yoga works’ in Los Angeles and ‘Be Yoga’ in New York City. Alan is regarded as one of the pioneers of yoga in America and has a Television show on yoga. ‘Yoga Works’ L.A. recently merged with Alan’s ‘Be Yoga’ New York to become the largest yoga enterprise in the U.S.

Yoga today

Presently visiting South Africa are many yogis, Buddhists, and others:

• His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama visits and has given teachings on ‘The four noble truths’ in Durban.
• Mahamandaleshwara Swami Veda Bharati disciple of Swami Rama and head of the Indian Himalayan institute in Rishikesh, was in South Africa initiating students in Ishta Mantra. Some initiates have visited the institute in Haridwar near Rishikesh.
• Paramahamsa Satyananda of the Bihar school is represented in three centers in South Africa, two in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town, with students visiting and studying the Satyananda system at the Bihar Yoga Bharati university in Munger, the worlds first government accredited university devoted to teaching yoga.
• Paramahans Swami Mahamandaleshwara Maheshwaranda who established the ‘Yoga in Daily Life’ system in Europe has established a center in South Africa.
• Bikram yoga Jozi is flourishing teaching the Bikram system of yoga in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
• B.K.S Iyengar has extended his following throughout South Africa with many accredited Iyengar schools and teachers. His daughter Geeta visits often conducting workshops.
• Sam Busa has inspired a large following of Radha Soami Satsang Beas in South Africa.
• Yogibhajans Kundalini yoga has found another home in South Africa through his devoted followers Pritam and Haribhajan Khaur Khalsa who as well as teaching his system of Kundalini yoga have established the Fruits and Roots stores which are one of the only sources of real organic health products in the country.
• Another visitor inspiring a following is Swami Vishwananda of Mauritius who has established centers in Frankfort, England, and Switzerland and now one in South Africa.
• Also here recently was H.H. Swami Suddhananda Saraswati who toured South Africa. Swamijis Samvit Sagar Trust Self Knowledge foundation has an ashram in Umzinto on the south coast of Natal . Swamiji teaches Advaita Vedanta in the lineage of Adi Shankara.

Notes

External links

• Yoga Teachers Fellowship, South Africa, website