The interesting history of Yoga that you should know.

Due to the oral transmission of sacred writings and the hidden character of the philosophy, there are numerous points of ambiguity and doubt in the history of Yoga. Yoga's early records were written on fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed, or lost. Yoga may have been developed for more than 5,000 years, while other scholars believe it might be as old as 10,000 years. Yoga's lengthy and illustrious history may be divided into four distinct phases: innovation, practice, and evolution.

The interesting history of Yoga.

The essence of yoga:

Yoga is a combination of physical and mental practices aimed at the unification of mind, body, and spirit. The purpose of Yoga is to achieve an inner equilibrium and come to a state of 'enlightenment' - when the body is one with the universe. There are several Yoga schools today. In the West, Yoga is mainly practiced as Hatha Yoga. In the East, other schools of Yoga are more focused such as meditation, etc. Although Yoga has many different disciplines and schools, the ultimate goal of Yoga is to achieve a balance of unity and enlightenment.

Yoga has such a lofty goal, but it is very practical and scientific in nature. When probed for direct experience of practicing and observing Yoga classes, the results showed that although the teachers teach mind control techniques, it is not a religious aspect at all. There is a close connection between Yoga and philosophy, this wonderful combination you can easily find in any belief system that exists in the world.

Yoga is a combination of physical and mental practices aimed at the unification of mind, body, and spirit.

The historical stages of Yoga’s development:

Pre-classical yoga-

More than 5,000 years ago, the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India created the foundations of Yoga. The word Yoga is mentioned for the first time in the oldest sacred text - the Rig Veda. The Veda is a collection of writings including hymns, mantras, and rituals that the Brahmans or Vedic priests can employ. Yoga was gradually refined and developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (occult seers) who recorded their practices and beliefs in the Upanishad, a colossal construction containing more than 200 scriptures. The most famous in the Yogic canon is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed about 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads absorbed the Vedic concept of ceremonial sacrifice, emphasizing self-sacrifice via self-knowledge, action (karma yoga), and thought (jnana yoga).

Yoga appeared more than 5000 years ago.

 Classical Yoga-

Yoga was a combination of many diverse concepts, beliefs, and methods in the pre-classical period, which were frequently disputed. Patanjali of the Yoga-Sûtras, the earliest systematic exposition of Yoga, defined the classical era. This work, written sometime in the second century, outlined the Raja Yoga method, often known as 'classical Yoga.'. Patanjali developed Yoga as an 'eight-limbed path,' which outlines the steps and stages required to achieve Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is frequently referred to as the "Father of Yoga," and his Yoga-Sûtras continue to have a major effect on most current modern Yoga.

Classical Yoga has many impacts on modern Yoga.

Post-classical yoga-

Several centuries after the Patanjali age, Yoga masters developed a practice method aimed at rejuvenating the body and keeping prolong life. They disregarded the old Vedic teachings and embraced the physical body as a method of achieving enlightenment. Tantra Yoga, with its extreme practices, has been designed to purify the body and mind, dissolving the ties that bind us to our physical (body) life. The discovery of the mind-body link and body-centered practice led to the establishment of Hatha Yoga, which is what most people in the West think of when they think of Yoga.

Modern Yoga-

Yoga gurus began coming to the West in the late 1800s and early 1900s, attracting a lot of interest. Swami Vivekananda astonished participants at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago with talks on Yoga and the universality of global religions, which started the trend. During the 1920s and 30s, Hatha Yoga has popularized in India thanks to the efforts of T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda, and other Hatha Yoga yogis. Krishnamacharya founded and operated his first Hatha Yoga school in Mysore in 1924, and Sivananda started the Ganges Society of Spiritual Life in 1936. Krishnamacharya had 3 pupils that would carry on his legacy and grow Hatha Yoga's popularity: Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar. Sivananda is a prolific author who has written over 200 books about Yoga and established nine ashrams and Yoga institutes all over the world. It was difficult to bring yoga to the West until Indra Devi founded her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Many Western and Indian instructors have become pioneers since then, popularizing Hatha yoga and attracting millions of practitioners. Hatha Yoga is presently divided into a number of schools or styles, each emphasizing distinct parts of the practice.

Hatha yoga attracts millions of practitioners.

The most important thing to learn about Yoga is the history and origins of the discipline. Through this article hopefully, you have grasped the basic information about Yoga! Wish you success in Yoga! Stay tuned for more information about our Yoga!