Yoga is practiced worldwide as a way of developing the spiritual and the physical. It is based on the practice of three main elements: movement, breathing, and meditation. The exact history of yoga and the origins of specific yoga poses are unknown, but yoga is understood to have come from the east and developed over thousands of years.
Types
There are many different types of yoga. Hatha yoga is the type of yoga that is typically practiced in the United States today. It places a strong emphasis on movements and breathing. Some of the other types of yoga are Raja yoga which combines meditation and study with movement and breathing, Tantra yoga, which uses words, diagrams and movement to focus the unconscious and Jnana yoga, which is considered to be the most difficult of all yoga practices.
Vedic
The oldest known yoga teachings can be found in the Vedas. The Vedas is the sacred scripture of Brahmanism. Brahmanism is the forerunner of today's Hinduism. The Vedic people, those who followed the Vedas teachings, used yogis to teach them to teach them how to live in harmony. Yogis were also believed to have the ability to see the ultimate reality.
Pre-Classical
As the religion of Buddhism developed, so did the focus on meditation and the use of poses to center the mind and body. It is also during this time that the Bhagavad-Gita was created. This scripture, devoted entirely to yoga, states that to be alive means to be active, and to avoid problems in life, actions should be compassionate and exceed one's ego.
Classical
Around the 2nd century, Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutra, which was intended to identify and standardize yoga. The Yoga Sutra described eight limbs of yoga. Only one of which, Asanas, was devoted to physical exercises. Patanjali believed that each individual is made up of two components, matter and spirit, and that the two must be kept separate to keep the spirit clean.
Post-Classical
Yoga was introduced to the western world during the 19th century. It was first studied as a part of Eastern philosophy, but soon became part of a trend to improve health. A prominent yoga leader during the mid-20th century was Swami Sivananda. He wrote more than 200 books on the practice of yoga. One of his more recognized pieces was "Five Principles of Yoga." His five principles were proper relaxation, exercise, breathing, diet, and positive thinking and meditation.
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