History of Yoga
Yoga’s history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to its
oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of its
teachings. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm
leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development
of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers
think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yoga’s long rich
history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice
and development. learn yoga clik link
The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati
civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was
first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas
were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be
used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and
developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (mystic seers) who documented their
practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over
200 scriptures. The most renowned of the Yogic scriptures is the
Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea
of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the
sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and
wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Yoga |
modern yoga |
In the pre-classical stage, yoga was a mishmash of various ideas,
beliefs and techniques that often conflicted and contradicted each
other. The Classical period is defined by Patanjali’s Yoga-Sûtras, the
first systematic presentation of yoga. Written some time in the second
century, this text describes the path of Raja Yoga, often called
"classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an
"eight limbed path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining
Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of
yoga and his Yoga-Sûtras still strongly influence most styles of modern
yoga. yogic life style click link
Post-Classical Yoga
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of
practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They
rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical
body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra
Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the
knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these
physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the
creation of what we primarily think of yoga in the West: Hatha Yoga.yogic diet
