Monday, June 10, 2013

Information on History of Yoga

The whole world is going nuts about yoga. And why shouldn't they. It s like a super exercise. You get a big part of your physical, mental and spiritual workout all at once. Yoga is an amazing way to increase your flexibility, lubricate your joints. Before discussing about the benefits of yoga, let’s talk about the history of yoga.

The period of origin is not clear but it is believed that it originated from the east around 3000 B.C. Many scholars traced its beginning in Stone Age shamanism. For better understanding of origin of yoga can be divided into four periods, Vedic period, pre classical period, classical period and post classical period. It is believed yoga was started in the Indus Valley civilization some 5000 years ago.

                                                                        


The term yoga was used for the first time in rig Veda. This art was practiced by Brahmins .They documented the beliefs and practices in the Upanishads. Bhagavad Gita has several references in the respect of yoga and it has been classified into four categories, Bhakti yoga, karma yoga, Janna yoga and Hatha yoga.

The classical period of yoga emerged around 300A.D when sage pathanjali wrote the traditional text on yoga which is popularly known as pathanjali yoga shastra. It is in this period sage patanjali elaborated yoga into eight limbed path or Astana yoga.

                                                                                 


The modern day yoga is still influenced by these yoga sutras. After the demise of sage patanjali many new group of yoga teachers emerged who developed their own practices and beliefs and turned down the teaching of Vedas. That’s how Hath yoga came into picture, Hatha yoga is a system of attaining perfection of mind and body through a series of physical exercises.

The subject of yoga is so wide that it is difficult to condense it into one article but the above description is a brief introduction to a very ancient tradition that is yoga.

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