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.
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. 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.
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.
Read more about this topic: Yoga South Africa
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