The Real History of Hatha Yoga from an Akhara Monk: From Shankaracharya's akharas to instagramic yoga teachers

In the mass consciousness, hatha yoga is perceived as an ancient Indian teaching that supposedly allows one to reach spiritual heights through physical exercises. This book shows that this teaching is neither ancient, nor spiritual, and not even entirely Indian. Hatha yoga is based on the exercises of Indian wrestlers and Western bodybuilding, and it was created for quite pragmatic purposes – as calisthenics for combat akharas. In the 20th century, it was reformed in the wake of the Indian national liberation movement, and in this form, hatha yoga came to the West.