Yoga refers to a set of physical and spiritual practices that go back as far as 3300 BC in India, an era in which anthropologists have uncovered statues representing figures in postures similar to yoga. As you can imagine, the influence of yoga in the Western world in general and here in the United States in particular has taken place in a blink of an eye when looking at the history of yoga.

However, a number of people past and present who have had a profound influence on the spread of yoga in the West, and probably some of greater significance than the five people who are listed below

# 1 Rodney Rodney Yee Yoga

Rodney Yee was once a gymnast, ballet dancer and a philosophy major. What do all these things have in common? He helped to satisfy a deep hunger for knowledge and understanding of the human mind and body. This curiosity is what led him to start learning, teaching, and finally, its own form of yoga. Rodney has appeared in several national morning shows, daytime talk shows and television as Oprah. He owns a yoga studio in LA, and is probably the best known of the personality of yoga in the United States, along with Bikram.

# 2 Bikram Choudhury of Bikram Yoga

Although born in India, began to teach his Bikram hot yoga classes in California during the 1970s. This form of yoga, in which students make the most of Hatha yoga poses in a room with heating, may be the most popular form of yoga in the United States today.

# 3 Shiva Rea Shiva Reas Yoga

His name sounds, but she is really an American-born yoga instructor, the daughter of an artist / surfer. She has published several award-winning yoga videos and has traveled the world to appear at yoga retreats and international studies. Now a contributor to Yoga Journal, she has built a name for itself as one of the best yoga teachers in the western world. She is widely known for its cultivation of Vinyasa yoga techniques in his own style called Prana Flow.

# 4 Patricia Patricia Waldens Yoga

While many Western yoga teachers are brought to the temptation to create your own unique style of yoga, Brand and flower viewing, Patricia has been devoted to its roots Iyengar yoga for over 25 years. He has co-author of The Book of Yoga and Health of Women and starred in several award-winning yoga DVDs, including the best-selling Yoga for Beginners series.

# 5 Sean Corn

Beautiful, talented and charismatic Sean corn teaches Vinyasa yoga, and is the star of the immensely popular Vinyasa Yoga DVD series flow. She has appeared on the cover of the Journal of yoga three times, and has also appeared on the covers of Natural Health, Fit Yoga, Yoga for Life and Healing Retreat and Spa Magazine. Many have been extracted from corn and messages are genuine charisma of change and progress. He has worked with several political and social programs to achieve changes in local and global communities, including a shelter that houses and educates adolescent prostitutes and YouthAIDS. Born in New Jersey, Sean had his first experience of yoga in the Cafe in the East Village of New York.

Have we left out your favorite teacher? Opinions differ widely as to who has had more influence on modern yoga. But there is no denying that the five above yoga instructors, if you agree with his teachings or not, have had a major impact on the path of yoga is practiced and taught here in the U.S. and throughout the Western world.