Definition - What does Sai Yoga mean?
Sai Yoga is a style of yoga developed by 20th-century yoga instructor Indra Devi and based on the teachings of Indian guru Satya Sai Baba. Asana practice is foundational to Sai Yoga, but the poses are performed with a meditative approach. The goal is for the yogi to unite or become one with God.
While the physical benefits of the asanas are important, their ultimate purpose is to serve as a pathway to the spiritual realm. In order to fully benefit from Sai Yoga, the yogi must first master the physical poses, then develop the contemplative practice that becomes a form of self-analysis.
Yogapedia explains Sai Yoga
Indra Devi, who was born in Russia but established her yoga studio in Hollywood in the 1940s, said that the concept of Sai Yoga came to her when she was teaching a mudra class. She explained that Satya Sai Baba had, at that moment, spiritually shared this yoga with her.
Devi's teachings were also inspired by her guru, Sri Krishnamacharya, who welcomed her as the first Western woman in an Indian ashram. Her style of yoga also included pranayama and dietary practices. Her interest in Satya Sai Baba started in the mid-1960s, when she herself was in her 60s. She continued to teach Sai Yoga until her death in 2002. Her work and Sai Yoga continue through the Indra Devi Foundation, based in Argentina.