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History of Yoga




The origin of Yoga is not that easy to trace. The history of yoga predates written history and has its roots in vedic ascetism. Historical records also show innumerable stone carvings in Yogic positions at a number of archeological sites in the Indus Valley. The history of yoga is the history of a complex evolution of philosophy and practices over a period of 5000 years till it was expounded by Patanjali as a Hindu philosophy in the Yoga Sutras.

Tradition of Yoga


The tradition of Yoga is a tradition handed down from teacher to student through verbal teachings and realistic demonstrations. The techniques were based on the combined realization of many individuals over a period of thousands of years.

The methods of yoga that we receive are time tested methods practiced by generations over thousands of years as the history of yoga informs us.



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Earliest known Yoga texts


We find yogic practices referred to in the Brahmanas, which are commentaries on the Vedas. The Upanishads refer to the system of meditation. The earliest concept of Yoga evolved from the sources found in the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, the Upanishads and the Yoga Sutras.

The earliest recorded written history of yoga comes in the form Yoga Sutras by the famous Hindu scholar of yore, Patanjali. In these early Yoga texts he discussed the Yoga theories extensively and elucidated yoga practices prevalent since ancient times. The Yoga Sutras were written as early as the 1st or 2nd century B.C.

Patanjali introduced the system of "Ashtanga Yoga" or the eight limbs of Yoga, which is recognized as Classical Yoga in the modern times. Most Yoga styles followed today are variations of the system expounded by Patanjali.

The Eight Steps of Classical Yoga:

  • Yama - meaning "self-control" - abstaining from aggression, dishonesty, theft, casual sex, and hoarding
  • Niyama - meaning "adherence" - clarity, happiness, open-mindedness, study, and recollection
  • Asana - physical workouts
  • Pranayama - breathing techniques
  • Pratyahara - meditative preparation, described as "pulling out of the mind from the senses"
  • Dharana - attentiveness, being able to concentrate on one object for a specific time
  • Dhyana - meditation, the capability to focus on one thing (or nothing) for an indefinite period.
  • Samadhi - absorption, awareness of the essential nature of the self.



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