A practice of self-enquiry like yoga certainly isn’t on the agenda of a system of control and conformity. But even in East Germany people pursued this path, despite the risk of arousing suspicion. Yoga was considered mysticism and had little to do with the usual physical training. So the only way to introduce yoga to a socialist society was through a strictly scientific approach. And to me this is the best way of describing it anyway — since if there is a level beyond that you can only experience it yourself.
I scanned a brochure from 1986 that is a great basic course of yoga, then and now. Especially the first pages give a concentrated introduction I find very valuable.
Below a selection of illustrations, the related instructions are in the PDF:
