The Brief History & Essence of Yoga

A brief history of yoga before it came to North America for beginner yoga students:

Yoga may be new to your neck of the world, but it has existed now for centuries. It is found in the Rig Veda, the oldest known written text in the world, which dates back to approximately four thousand years ago. Directly translated as the “Knowledge of Praise”, the Rig Veda is a compilation of 1,028 songs which were supposedly passed down through oral traditions before it was written down.

As well, Indian sculptures dating back to approximately three thousand years ago show yoga poses, and five hundred years later Hindu scriptures called the Vedas described yoga in great detail. Another five hundred years later saw the birth of the Bhagivad Gita, the epic poem (and religious text for those of the Hindu faith) with even more yogic details shared.

The first entire system completely devoted to the study of yoga, however, was written by Patanjali and called the Yoga Sutras. It was written in approximately 200 B.C. and is still referred to regularly today.

The Essence of Yoga

The true essence of Yoga revolves around elevating the life force or ‘Kundalini’ at the base of the spine. It aims to achieve this through a series of physical and mental exercises. At the physical level, the methods comprise various yoga postures or ‘asanas’ that aim to keep the body healthy. The mental techniques include breathing exercises or ‘pranayama’ and meditation or ‘dhyana’ to discipline the mind.

The ultimate goal of yoga is, however, to help the individual to transcend the self and attain enlightenment. As the Bhagavad-Gita says, “A person is said to have achieved yoga, the union with the Self, when the perfectly disciplined mind gets freedom from all desires, and becomes absorbed in the Self alone.”

Importance Of Yoga

Yoga is not a religion; it is a way of living whose aim is ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’.

Man is a physical, mental and spiritual being; yoga helps promote a balanced development of all the three. Other forms of physical exercises, like aerobics, assure only physical well-being. They have little to do with the development of the spiritual or astral body.

Yogic exercises recharge the body with cosmic energy This facilitates

Attainment of perfect equilibrium and harmony

Promotes self- healing.

Removes negative blocks from the mind and toxins from the body

Enhances Personal power

Increases self-awareness

Helps in attention focus and concentration, especially important for children

Reduces stress and tension in the physical body by activating the parasympathetic nervous system

The aspirant feels rejuvenated and energized. Thus, Yoga bestows upon every aspirant the powers to control body and mind.