India, June 9 -- Growing up, I always learnt and practised yoga in a quiet, disciplined, and almost sacred way. In India, yoga was never just an exercise; it was a deeply spiritual and scientific system, honed over thousands of years to align the body, mind, and spirit. Whether it was traditional forms like Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga, or guru-shishya lineages such as Sivananda Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, or Satyananda Yoga, the core practices remained largely consistent, with only minor variations, and were intentionally grounded in both physical discipline and profound philosophical wisdom.
Hatha Yoga, which I practice at Sivananda School of Yoga practice, for instance, is not merely about bending the body into various shapes. It is about balan...