Dynamics of Yoga: The Foundations of Bihar Yoga

Dynamic of Yoga outlines the original yogic concepts and practices which form the foundations of Bihar Yoga, or Satyananda Yoga. Ideal as an introduction to Bihar Yoga, these early teaching of Swami Satyananda Saraswati aim to give the reader a deeper understanding of yoga and its practical application in daily life. The core practices of yoga and meditation are highlighted, with emphasis on mind management and the development of awareness. The book remains a timeless work on the art and science of yoga as seen through the eyes of a master.

Include in this edition is a new chapter outlining the history and development of Bihar Yoga.

Swami Satyananda was born at Almora, Uttar Pradesh, in 1923. in 1943 he met Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh and adopted the Dashnami sannyasa way of life. In 1955 he left his guru's ashram to live as a wandering mendicant and later founded the international Yoga Fellowship in 1963 and the Bihar School of Yoga in 1964. Over the next 20 years Swami Satyananda toured international 1987 he founded Sivananda Math, a charitable institution for aiding rural development, and the Yoga Research Foundation. In 1988 he renounced his mission, adopting kshetra sannyasa, and now lives as a paramahamsa sannyasin.

There are many books on yoga. Some have been written by yogis from India, and have dealt mostly with the more abstract aspects of yoga like dhyana and samadhi. Other books have been written by authors form western countries, who have tended to emphasize the more tangible, physical potentialities of applied yoga, such as asana and pranayama. However, the vast potential of psycho-physiological therapy; its unlimited scope on the spiritual path; its unequalled utility as a way of life which leads of happiness in the trying circumstances of the fast-changing, modern world; and its bright future as the culture of tomorrow these aspects of yoga have not yet been explained in detail.

Many people associate yoga with hermits sitting on mountain peaks or in carves, with people who sleep on beds of nail or do strange things in general. Most people in the world, however, have no concept about yoga at all, for little has been done to explain yoga in terms that they can easily understand, devoid of the trappings of esoteric 'mumbo-jumbo'. It is hoped that this book will help people to understand yoga and to realize that it is a science very much concerned with modern living.

We believe that a systematic effort, in the form of a movement to propagate yoga in its broadest sense on an international basis, will tear asunder the veil of mystery surrounding yoga and that yoga will eventually emerge in all its pristine glory and truth.

Yoga is not for a select few individuals, but is for all the young and the old, the fit and the ailing, the rich and the poor. With its infinite resources and potential it will usher mankind into a new and glorious era of evolution.

This book is but a small token of our dedication to the cause of yoga and an attempt to explain yoga and yogic techniques in a clear and unambiguous language. It is a humble offering.