History Of Yoga
"No one knows exactly when Yoga began, but it certainly predates
written history. Stone carvings depicting figures in Yoga positions have
been found in archeological sites in the Indus Valley dating back 5,000
years or more. There is a common misconception that Yoga is rooted in
Hinduism; on the contrary, Hinduism’s religious structures evolved much
later and incorporated some of the practices of Yoga. (Other religions
throughout the world have also incorporated practices and ideas related
to Yoga)
The tradition of Yoga has always been passed on individually from
teacher to student through oral teaching and practical demonstration.
The formal techniques that are now known as Yoga are, therefore, based
on the collective experiences of many individuals over many thousands of
years. The particular manner in which the techniques are taught and
practiced today depends on the approach passed down in the line of
teachers supporting the individual practitioner.
One of the earliest texts having to do with Yoga was compiled by a
scholar named Patanjali, who set down the most prevalent Yoga theories
and practices of his time in a book he called Yoga Sutras (“Yoga
Aphorisms”) as early as the 1st or 2nd century B.C. or as late as the
5th century A.D. (exact dates are unknown). The system that he wrote
about is known as “Ashtanga Yoga,” or the eight limbs of Yoga, and this
is what is generally referred to today as Classical Yoga. Most current
adherents practice some variation of Patanjali’s system.
The eight steps of Classical Yoga are:
- yama meaning “restraint” —
refraining from violence, lying, stealing, casual sex, and hoarding
- niyama meaning “observance” — purity, contentment, tolerance, study,
and remembrance
- asana physical exercises
- pranayama breathing
techniques
- pratyahara preparation for meditation, described as
“withdrawal of the mind from the senses”
- dharana concentration,
being able to hold the mind on one object for a specified time
- dhyana meditation, the ability to focus on one thing (or nothing)
indefinitely;
- samadhi absorption, or realization of the
essential nature of the self.
Yoga probably arrived in the United States in the late 1800s, but it
did not become widely known until the 1960s, as part of the youth
culture’s growing interest in anything Eastern. As more became known
about the beneficial effects of Yoga, it gained acceptance and respect
as a valuable method for helping in the management of stress and
improving health and well-being. Many physicians now recommend Yoga
practice to patients at risk for heart disease, as well as those with back pain,arthritis,depression, and other chronic conditions."