While modern day yoga is often treated as a means of exercise, it was originally intended as a spiritual, mental, and physical journey into self-awareness. Traditionally, it was done in a series of poses without repetitions and held from anywhere between two seconds to 10 minutes, depending on the kind of yoga. Most yoga sessions will incorporate asanas, or postures, diaphragmatic breathing and meditation.
History
While the exact origins of yoga are shrouded in mystery, according to Lavanya Yoga, Indian sage Patanjali is often referred to as the founder of yoga, and his works, the Yoga Sutras date back to around 200 B.C. The Hindu holy book, the Bhagavad Gita also refers to the existence of yoga, and researchers believe it may actually date back to 3000 B.C., based on yoga poses illustrated on rocks found belonging to this time-line. According to the website, ABC of Yoga, yoga's history can be divided into four periods: the Vedic period, pre-classical period, classical period and modern era.
Vedic Period
The Vedas are sacred scriptures or a collection of hymns of praise and poems, and are the oldest known yogic teachings. Initially transmitted by word of mouth, they were eventually written in Sanskrit and primarily consist of four collections: Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda and Atharva Veda. In these collections, yogis teach their followers to live a simple life of divine harmony. According to Swami Sivananda who runs the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, the Vedic period played a strong role in influencing Jnana yoga or the yoga of will and intellect. The Surya namaskar or sun salutation, a common sequence of asanas is also derived from sun worship praises in the Rig-Vega.
Pre-Classical Period
This yoga was recorded in the Upanishads, 200 scriptures, which describe the connection between God (Brahma) and the soul (Atma). This period also marks the introduction of Gautama Buddha to yoga, where he developed the concept of meditation in yoga practices. The Bhagavad Gita, a compilation of 18 chapters and over 700 verses, which appeared during 500 B.C., also mentions the ancient history of yoga. According to the website, Bhagavad Gita, there are three paths as defined by yoga postures and outlined in the holy book: the yoga of perfect devotion (Bhakti yoga), the yoga of perfect knowledge (Jnana yoga), and the yoga of perfect actions (Karma yoga). Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, author of Bhagavata Purana notes that these three paths are explained in chapter six of the Gita, entitled The Science of Self-Realization.
Classical Period
The first organized presentation of practical yoga is outlined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and it is known as the most authoritative works on Ashtanga yoga, which is translated as eight limbs of yoga. Researchers on the website, Discover Yoga Online believe that from around 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D., a number of yoga teachers began to develop ashrams and sanghas, or communities, to focus solely on teaching yoga in its entirety--poses, meditation and breathing techniques--to transform an individual and highly spiritual movement into a more collective one.
Modern Era or Post Classical Yoga
Indian yoga practitioner and teacher, Swami Vivekananda is credited with introducing yoga to the West in the late 19th century. In the last 100 years, there has been a spurt of Asian teachers who have brought various yoga practices into the west, including Bikram yoga, Hatha yoga, Zen yoga, Tantric yoga and Kundalini Yoga. While the postures share a common root, the practice often differs and they are performed in different conditions, such as in a heated room for Bikram yoga.
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