Yoga today is Loved globally for its benefits – physical well-being and mental peace included! Did you know its beginnings date back thousands of years? Back, in times yoga was not merely a workout but a profound path, towards self-discovery and enlightenment.
Let’s explore the roots of yoga and how its philosophy has influenced the version we practice now.
1. The Origins of Yoga
Yoga has a history dating back, then 5 millennia to the Indus Valley Civilization – one of the oldest cultures, on Earth.
The term “Yoga ” originates from the Sanskrit word “Yuj ” translating to “to unify” or “to connect.” This unity pertains to the alignment of body, mind and spirit.
Pre-Vedic Period (Before 1500 BCE)
The first signs of yoga practice can be traced back, to stone seals unearthed in the Indus Valley region showing individuals in meditation poses suggestive of a tradition of yoga during that period.
This phase laid the groundwork, for the development of yogic routines centred around living and contemplation.
2. The Vedic Period (1500 – 500 BCE)
The period of the Vedas connotes the initial period of textual development related to yoga.
The Vedas, the earliest Indian texts from this period, reflect hymns and rituals related to the early stages of meditation and spirituality.
During this period, yoga is situated in and among the Vedic sacrificial rituals devoted to the deities to achieve liberation or “moksha.”
The Upanishads and Yoga
The Upanishads, which appeared at the end of the Vedic age, brought yoga away from external ritual and towards internal realization of self.
Words such as “Atman” (the self, the soul) and “Brahman” (universal consciousness) became central, while yoga became a practice meant to transcend the material world and merge with divinity.
3. Classical Yoga: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (500 BCE – 300 CE)
The sage Patanjali, who also became known for the systematic presentation of yoga as the eightfold path, popularized this conception of yoga in his Yoga Sutras composed c. 200 BCE. These sutras serve as the basis for classical yoga.
The Eightfold Path of Yoga
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras introduce the Ashtanga or eight-limbed path:
- Yamas (ethical guidelines)
- Niyamas (personal observances)
- Asanas (postures)
- Pranayama (breath control)
- Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)
- Dharana (concentration)
- Dhyana (meditation)
- Samadhi (enlightenment)
The framework for yoga espoused by Patanjali was focused on mental discipline, undertaking ethical behaviour and the culmination of mental discipline and ethical behaviour into a true state of Samadhi – the state of oneness with the universe.
He created a different consciousness for yoga with his treatise on yoga as a functional philosophy of living with balance and harmony.
4. Post-Classical Yoga (300 – 1700 CE)
It was in the post-classical period that many schools of yoga were established with their unique interpretation of the ancient texts. The focus of different schools of yoga then began to shift more to physical health and the anatomy of the human body and into the body’s so-called ‘energy systems’.
Hatha Yoga and Tantric Influence
One of the most influential sicknesses that hit the samurai during this time was Hatha Yoga.
Hatha sought to clear the body of impurities to better meditate in higher yoga forms, and ultimately merge with God-consciousness.
Hatha is the great great-great-grandparent of the yoga that people practice today. It was two-thirds asanas, and one-third pranayama and meditation.
Hatha greatly used techniques that were developed in Tantric texts, and these texts suggested that with the correct esoteric practices, one could conquer death, or transcend the normal limitations of mind and body.
Just as with the Japanese, Hatha did not work toward asceticism but instead worked towards mastery.
However, in the world view of Hatha’s proponents, the body and spirit were the same.
5. The Role of Gurus and Yoga’s Transmission
Traditionally, the guru was the central figure in the teaching and practice of yoga. In the ancient past, yoga was passed down to one student from his or her teacher in what was known as the guru-shishya parampara. The process of teaching yoga was done orally, with one individual directly instructing another in the movement and spiritual aspects of yoga.
At that time, a teacher was highly revered. Two very famous yoga teachers Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath, considered the founders of Hatha Yoga, stressed the importance of the body. They taught that the body, mind, and spirit should all be balanced.
6. Yoga in Ancient Texts
Several ancient texts depict the philosophy and practice of yoga. Here are some of the most important:
- The Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita or the Song of God is an ancient Indian scripture and one of the earliest yoga scriptures. The Gita, a chapter in the Indian epic Mahabharata, teaches Arjuna about 3 different paths of yoga — Karma Yoga (yoga of action), Bhakti Yoga (yoga of devotion), and Jnana Yoga (yoga of knowledge).
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika: The Hatha Yoga Pradipika was composed in the 15th century by Swami Swatmarama, a disciple of Swami Goraknath. This text covers more practical aspects of yoga postures, pranayama, kriyas, and bandhas, helping the followers to eventually emerge into higher states of meditation.
- Gheranda Samhita and Shiva Samhita: These two texts are also focused on physical disciples and spiritual practices that can help you achieve liberation.
7. Yoga in Ancient India: Spiritual and Cultural Significance
In the antiquities of India, yoga existed as an embedded part of spiritual and cultural programming.
Yoga was indeed not a methodology for facilitating better physical health; it was a means of achieving spiritual advancement and self-realization. It also realized the goal of living harmoniously in concordance with the universe as well as attaining an understanding of the essence of transcendental realities beyond the material world.
The inclusion of yoga into religious rituals, daily life, and as a feature of spiritual practice highlights its significant role in ancient life.
Ancient yogis held an understanding that through investment in practice, individuals would not have to continue in the cycle of birth and rebirth, achieving moksha as an alternative.
8. The Legacy of Ancient Yoga
The ancient lineage of yoga is alive and well in the modern age.
On the surface, we might be attracted to the contemporary interpretation of yoga, for its physical and stress-relieving benefits, but at its core, yoga is meant to merge body, mind and spirit.
Then, as now, yoga is a spiritual discipline more than an exercise, a means to spiritual freedom for millions of people around the world.
The Physical Practice of Contemporary Yoga
With its studios, classes, and workshops, most modern yoga is prone toward the physical bodies, but we should not be blind to its ancient roots, philosophy and spirituality.
While we creatively review and refresh yoga practices in the 21st century, we may not be aware, as we breathe in and out, that we are part of an ancient lineage dating back thousands of years.
Conclusion
Ancient yoga demonstrates humanity’s timeless desire for connection, coherence, and realization.
Beginning in the mystical beginnings of the ancient Indus Valley civilization to the complete formulaic science of Patanjali in the 2nd century BC, yoga has always been in harmony with the collectiveness of human truth.
Without a doubt, by better understanding the ancient history and mature philosophy of yoga, one can also infer the perennial sophistication of yoga in its last tradition.
