Theos Bernard's book on yoga formalized the practice for many Americans

Henry David Thoreau, the transcendentalist writer and philosopher, was inspired by the philosophical ideas of yoga.

A 1893 speech from a Hindu monk in Chicago set the stage for yoga in the US, which exploded in popularity in the next century.

Richard Hittleman brought yoga to TV

"Yoga For Health" was a 1960s television show that sought to make yoga accessible for everyday Americans. Richard Hittleman, the show's host, walked viewers through basic postures, introducing them to the practice's therapeutic benefits. "We know that within us there's great forces, and great power, and great beauty," he says in this 1961 episode, "and the idea is to bring it out."

BKS Iyengar emphasized yoga's physical aspect

The guru’s 1966 book “Light On Yoga” included detailed instructions for over 200 postures, presenting a version of yoga that emphasized it as a form of exercise with controlled breathing, believing that its physicality was the key to unlocking its spirituality. The book was the first mass-market manual to show the poses, furthering the Western impression that yoga was primarily about exercise.

Yoga dates back to about 1500 BCE

The earliest known mention of the word is in the Rig Veda, one of the four canonical Hindu texts. Rishis, or sages, then documented its evolution in the Upanishads, the Hindu scriptures. Much of the modern understanding of Yoga comes from “Yoga Sutras of Patañjali,” which outlines the practice’s eight elements, including physical postures and breathwork.

Traveling yogis spread the practice across the US

After a 1923 Supreme Court decision ruled that Asians were ineligible for citizenship, many South Asian immigrants had relatively few job opportunities and began moving around the country teaching yoga and spirituality. At the time, yoga was viewed less as a physical practice and more as a mystical one, something many of the teachers embraced to attract students. South Asians regained the right to citizenship in 1946.

Practices and beliefs from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism influenced yoga

Yoga scholars Mark Singleton and James Mallinson’s study, “Roots of Yoga,” collects over 100 core texts on the subject. They found that many different ethnicities and religions practiced yoga in antiquity; Singleton says that the practice was a “floating technology between various religious systems.”

Buddhists believe the Buddha practiced yoga

Although yoga is often associated with Hinduism, many Indian spiritual traditions engage with similar practices. It’s said that Buddha practiced an intense form of ascetic yoga before rejecting the practice and eventually discovering “the middle way,” a philosophy that rejected extremes.

Bikram Choudhury's abuse dismantled his yoga empire

The guru popularized a form of hot yoga that followed a 26-point script. In the process, he became incredibly wealthy and ostentatious. In the early 2010s, formal accusations against him began, ranging from harassment to rape. He fled the US in 2017 to avoid paying his former lawyer a sexual harassment settlement. In the US, the "Bikram yoga" style has been divorced from its namesake but is still practiced, often as "hot yoga." Bikram still teaches yoga outside the country.

‘Namaste’ was popularized in the English language after India gained independence

The word, which roughly translates to “I bow to you,” is a greeting often used in yoga. The word began appearing in American publications more frequently following the country’s liberation, and was standardized shortly thereafter.

Yoga has become a popular tool for veterans dealing with PTSD

As the practice has become more popular in the West, it’s been incorporated into the Department of Veterans Affairs’ treatment plans for post-traumatic stress disorder. Veteran instructors say that although yoga and the military might seem like odd fits, they share many commonalities, including a rigorous approach. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Some parents have objected to yoga in schools

Yoga has been introduced in some public schools as a form of exercise and emotional regulation. Some parents, however, have objected to its inclusion, arguing that it promotes the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Note that this resource will be paywalled for some readers.

In 1927, Oklahoma’s governor was criticized for his associations with yoga

Governor Henry Johnston was already dealing with criticism regarding his administration. When it was revealed that he'd attended a lecture on “Divine Yoga,” given by Deva Ram Sukul, a traveling guru, his opponents leaped at the opportunity to use Johnston's budding interest in non-Western traditions (and, in some cases, the occult) against him.

Stretching and breathing are just two aspects of yoga

Most contemporary yoga studios focus on two of astanga yoga’s eight branches, as codified in the ancient text “Yoga Sutras of Patañjali”: asanas (physical postures) and pranayama (breath control). However, the larger practice of yoga includes six additional limbs: yama (universal ethics), niyama (individual ethics), pratyahara (control of senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (pure consciousness).

Steve Jobs mandated that a legendary book on yoga be distributed at his memorial service

The iconic entrepreneur died in 2011, but before he did, he planned the details for his memorial service. One of the instructions was to leave attendees with a parting gift: a brown box that contained Paramahansa Yogananda’s book “Autobiography of a Yogi,” a book he read as a teenager and then returned to annually.

Sri Swami Satchidananda gave the opening remarks at the first Woodstock

The yoga guru was invited to begin the legendary 1969 festival and told the massive crowd he believed music “is a celestial sound and it is the sound that controls the whole universe, not atomic vibrations.” The speech leaned into yoga as a philosophy, one that the many concertgoers in attendance could use to guide their collective desire for peace.

Yoga can be beneficial for aging practitioners

Studies suggest that yoga can help alleviate several diseases associated with aging by lowering blood pressure, reducing blood fat levels, and combating obesity. It has also been shown to increase telomerase activity, which helps slow cell aging.

A guide to the most popular yoga styles

Not every yoga class is the same. Many follow particular styles, which dictate the poses, format, and general intention behind the session. This guide breaks down 11 of the most popular yoga styles, including vinyasa (sometimes considered the most athletic) and Bikram (which takes place in a sauna-like environment).

Learn about 12 basic yoga postures

A typical yoga class runs students through a sequence of basic postures, also known as asanas. This illustrated guide outlines 12 poses—including the “plough,” “fish,” and “crow”—and breaks down the specific benefits.

Read Swami Vivekananda's 1893 speech to the World's Parliament of Religions

The Hindu monk’s appearance at the conference, which many credit with introducing the US to Hindusim, emphasized tolerance and bemoaned religious violence and bigotry. “I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism,” he told those assembled.

The Beatles' visit with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi helped inspire Western interest in Eastern spirituality

The Fab Four met with the guru—the creator of Transcendental Meditation—in 1968 in Rishikesh, India. The band's George Harrison and his wife had been interested in Indian culture for several years, but the meeting with Maharishi signified a meeting of Western popular culture with Eastern spirituality that would inspire the rising hippie movement.

Yoga is believed to improve mental health, but studies are not definitive

Many think that yoga's combination of stretching, focused breathing, and contemplation help treat depression and anxiety, but the data has often relied on small, homogenous sample sizes.

William James laid the foundation for psychology as a scientific discipline in the US

Though initially trained in painting, James would help establish Harvard's psychology department as a distinct science rather than an extension of philosophy. He taught one of the first psychology courses in America and is credited as one of the founders of American Pragmatism.

Why yoga teachers are dissecting cadavers

Thousands of fitness professionals are choosing to attend cadaver workshops to improve their understanding of anatomy and their teaching abilities. Though 3D virtual models give students a fresh way to explore the human body, medical students say experiencing the intricacies in person is far more instructive. As fitness professionals increase their understanding of the muscular and skeletal systems, their movement cues and instructions evolve in tandem.

The Martha Graham technique, explained

It's considered the first codified modern dance technique and a foundational pillar of American dance. In this 1975 instructional film, its namesake explains how the Graham technique works. "As you can see," she notes, "the body is capable of almost endless variations and combinations once it is trained."

Bill Bowerman brought running for fitness to America

Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman once cowrote a book with a doctor, W.E. Harris, called “Jogging.” Published in 1967 by New York, Grosset & Dunlap, it introduced America to the idea of running for health, instead of just sport—and kicked off the fitness frenzy of the 1970s that fueled Nike’s early success. (Some readers may experience a paywall).

Over 28% of US adults use yoga for pain management.

A 15th-century university student documented a surprisingly detailed fitness plan.

One classical musician arranged a work specifically for yoga

In the middle of a yoga class, Ellen Fishman noticed that sitting closer to a speaker allowed her to feel the music in her body, enhancing her overall experience. She arranged music for a string ensemble with a yoga session in mind. The group, StringFlo, now performs the work live in yoga classes.

'Vacation' wasn't common for Americans until the mid-1800s, when it became a luxury for the wealthy.

William HH Murray spurred American interest in rustic retreats, characterizing them as necessary respites from the country's oppressive urban centers.

Several NFL teams incorporate yoga into their training

Although brawny football players might not seem like obvious yogis, many of the NFL’s athletes have taken to the practice for flexibility and mindfulness. Several teams, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys, make the practice a part of their conditioning routine.

Toronto Blue Jays star pitcher Dylan Cease is a serious yoga practitioner, and even wears the number 84 as an homage to the number of poses in hatha yoga.

Modern bodybuilding evolved in the 19th century.

Running became more popular in the mid-20th century

Once considered a fringe activity, running eventually became an American interest. The trend was spurred in part by the 1966 book "Jogging," which was cowritten by Bill Bowerman, the cofounder of Nike.

Pilates was invented by an acrobatic WWI prisoner of war

As the Great War raged on, and as months gave way to years, the imprisoned Joseph Pilates explored a question that he had pondered since childhood: Could he reimagine the capabilities of the human body through an anatomically based method of training, taking inspiration from scientific treatises, the carefree movement of children, and the dexterous ease of cats? Read this article to learn about the birth and legacy of Pilates.

A young Jean-Michel Basquiat was fascinated by the medical reference book 'Gray's Anatomy,' which many believe was an early influence on his idiosyncratic style.

When Steve Jobs Spent All His Money To See Neem Karoli Baba

In 1974, Steve Jobs traveled to India after reading a book by the famous American psychologist Ram Dass. Jobs visited the temple of one of Dass’s influences, Neem Karoli Baba. He stayed in India for seven months before returning to the US to found Apple. Jobs’s trip to India helped shape the tech leader’s vision for Apple.

Joan Didion's 1967 'Slouching Towards Bethlehem' laid the hippie counterculture bare

Didion wrote a detailed account of living alongside hippies in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury area in the 1960s. Beyond their style and politics, Didion uncovered chaos, with one particularly shocking interview of a 5-year-old on LSD. Her stories challenged the movement's message of freedom and utopia in California.

Arnold Schwarzenegger fueled a lot of the interest in strength training, beginning in the 1980s.

How the placebo effect became mainstream

Contemporary patients and medical students take the placebo effect for granted, as its a standard element in most drug trials. But the concept was only first debated and standardized in the 1950s after a ground-breaking 1955 paper by medical...

Ray Dalio credits much of his success to his transcendental meditation practice

Dalio took up transcendental meditation after learning that The Beatles practiced it on a trip to India in 1968. He says the practice allows him to clear his mind, be more creative, and unlock his subconscious.

Diving into the life of Henry David Thoreau

Before he went to live in the woods by Walden Pond, Thoreau (who originally went by David Henry) lived a fascinating life, opening a school with his brother, working for his father's pencil-making business, and becoming close to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who'd become a mentor figure for the aspiring writer. This deep profile explores all that and more.

Discover how strength training may help your brain and what happens inside your cells when you work out with this original '1440 Explores' podcast.

Browse a timeline of the fascinating history of board games in America.

The earliest mention of time travel

Time travel has fascinated humans for centuries. It appears in myths, literature, and science fiction. One of the earliest examples comes from the 400 BCE Hindu epic Mahabharata, describing time dilation long before Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. By the 19th century, stories introduced machines enabling time travel—setting the stage for modern sci-fi.

Martha Graham's revolutionary approach to choreography

The dancer and choreographer created a uniquely American form of ballet that brought together stories from the country's history, abstract expressionism, modern psychological ideas, and collaborations with other major artists.

Mark Twain was one of the first writers to cover surfing.

J.I. Rodale helped pioneer organic farming in the US

Rodale began using the term “organic” in the 1940s to describe farming practices that avoided the use of pesticides and chemicals, which he believed were dangerous. Rodale used a 63-acre farm in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, to cultivate organic food and established a magazine, Organic Farming and Gardening, as well as a foundation based on a simple motto: “Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People.”

Gorgeous George was American pro wrestling's first superstar

George owed his popularity to the in-ring persona he created: a haughty, pretentious Anglophile who couldn't believe he had to stoop to fight his opponents. This 1950s film, taken from the "Wrestling From Hollywood" show that popularized professional wrestling in the US, perfectly illustrates what made this "heel" so compelling.