Even after the writing of the Yoga Sutra there is still no agreement on a definition of yoga. The impression left us by the MBh seems still valid: the yoga notion during the Axial and Middle Ages was watered down taking the general meaning of sadhana – consistent spiritual efforts.
So the Puranas add nothing to our understanding of the technical meanings of yoga. In general the Puranas in relation to yoga are occupied by the supernatural powers. So in these narratives we encounter many of the jogis as they were known to the masses: not as meditators sitting in lotus positions but often as creepy and scary wizards who sometimes would even eat children or take over your body (White 2009)!
In summary the Puranas like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana epics are to a large degree political and ideological texts. They justify and promote the rule of Brahmins and Kshatriyas (warriors), who through the institution of the king rule a caste society legitimised by Brahmin Vedic ideology and monotheism. If the lower caste of the Sudras is in revolt and taking power, we find countless stories of how the gods in the form of Avatars return to earth in order to re-establish Brahmin law and order (Bandyopadhyaya 2007). Yoga in the epics is a part of maintaining, legitimising and sometimes entertaining this society.
Mr. Iyengar created many, many beautiful poses and developed Yoga dress pants others in a way that combines classical knowledge with solid physiological instinct, geometrical precision, and Yoga dress pants hard work especially the hard work. John Friend, who studied extensively with Mr. Iyengar, worked with these well-wrought asana, and formulated principles based on everything he had learned. Friend’s methods lend themselves well to teaching beginners by promoting awareness, alignment, and enthusiasm in a user-friendly way. Throughout the text we express many universal concepts through the methods of Anusara Yoga. Mr. Iyengar’s teachings are implicit in the instructions and are also guiding us throughout.
