Final answer:
The most popular form of yoga in the United States is Hatha yoga, known for its postures and physical exercises. Although yoga has cultural and spiritual origins, its adaptation in the West has focused more on physical fitness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most popular form of yoga in the United States is Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga that emphasizes physical exercises to master the body along with mind exercises to withdraw it from external objects. This form of yoga became popular in the West and is known for its asanas or postures, and it is often used as a form of physical exercise that promotes flexibility, strength, and relaxation. Savasana, another term mentioned, is not a form of yoga but instead a pose, also known as the corpse pose, which is typically performed at the end of a yoga session to relax the body and integrate the effects of the practice.
When examining the historical development of yoga, it is clear that it has deeply spiritual and cultural roots, originating during the Vedic period and influencing various religious traditions including Buddhism, Jainism, Bhakti, and Sufism. Despite its rich history, as yoga has been Westernized, much of its cultural and spiritual vitality has been lost, though instructors may still use traditional Sanskrit terms for the postures.