Baba Ramdev

Baba Ramdev is an Indian spiritual leader and a renowned yoga teacher. He is famous for popularizing yoga among Indians through the medium of television and his mass yoga camps. His yoga camps are attended by thousands of people.

Born in the state of Haryana, India, as Ramkrishna Yadav, he became interested in yoga early on. He realized that he was not meant for the worldly life when he was a young adult and entered into Sanyas (monastic living) - taking up the name Baba Ramdev.

He then moved to Haridwar in Uttarakhand where he studied ancient Indian scriptures at Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya. He also practiced intense self-discipline and meditation.

Baba Ramdev established Divya Yoga Mandir Trust in 1995 in order to promote yoga. In this endeavor he was accompanied by Acharya Karamveer and Acharya Balkrishna. Acharya Karmaveer is an expert in yoga and Veda while Acharya Balkrishna is a physician with a degree in ayurveda. The headquarters of the trust is at the Kripalu Bagh Ashram of Haridwar. Baba Ramdev teaches yoga mainly at this ashram.

Baba Ramdev primarily teaches the Pranayama form of yoga. The program consists of six breathing exercises in a specific sequence. Most of the other yoga teachers place more emphasis on the practice of asanas (yoga postures) while Baba Ramdev focuses more on the breathing exercises.

He founded the Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar, for the promotion and practice of yoga and ayurveda. Patanjali Yogpeeth has two campuses in India, Patanjali Yogpeeth-I and Patanjali Yogpeeth-II, and several others in the UK, US, Nepal, Canada, and Mauritius.