A brief history of yoga

Ancient "Yoga"

Yoga is an ancient practice and there are indications of its origins that date as far back as 5000 BC. Some archaeologists believe that carvings of seals found in the Indus Valley civilizations depict basic yogic postures. They found figures in the traditional cross-legged yogic position with the hands resting on the knees.

The first acknowledged descriptions of the yogic practices were those incorporated into Hindu texts, the Vedic Shastras. This occurred sometime around 1500 BC and many historians and yoga philosophers cite this as the foundation point of what we understand as the modern discipline of yoga. Eventually, almost identical philosophies and practices were absorbed into Buddhist and Jain philosophies, and yoga is in fact a life philosophy that is shared by practically all the main Eastern religions.

The firm religious origins of the sport of yoga are clear; the most important Hindu texts speak about ideas of uniting mind, body and soul. One of the main Hindu texts, the Maitrayaniya-Upanishads (200-300 BC) explain Yoga (Shadanga) as the uniting discipline of the six limbs (shad-anga):

1. Breath control (pranayama)
2. Sensory inhibition (pratyahara)
3. Meditation (dhyana)
4. Concentration (dharana)
5. Examination (tarka)
6. Ecstasy (samadhi).

In Western culture, when we refer to "yoga" we are usually talking about Hatha Yoga, which is a branch of the discipline developed in the 15th century in India by Swami Swatamarama, a yogic sage. One of the most fundamental texts of yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which was written by Swatamarama. It details the main asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), mudra and bandha that are practiced by students of yoga today.

Above all, the purpose of Hatha Yoga is to withdraw the mind from the external world through a series of rigorous exercises "asanas" and controlled breathing "pranayamas", therefore clearing the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment.