Learn About The History Of Yoga Here

The history of yoga dates back to an ancient practice where the balance of body and mind is sought. The person is at the center of the Universe and will control his environment with the energies that move his actions. Yoga, as a practice, unites the religious element with the physical.

Yoga was born in India, more than six thousand years ago and from there its practice spread to the rest of the world. The origin of yoga is religious because it lays the foundations of Hinduism. That is why the spiritual connection between the individual and the world will be the central axis of yoga.

The discipline of yoga has evolved and two currents have been created that cultivate each of these areas:

• The hatha yoga develops the physical skills of the body
• The  raja yoga  seeks to develop mind control.

Both currents govern the practice of yoga, but they have their origin in the Hindu religion. Its founders were Brahmins and spiritual leaders in their day. There are many theories about the emergence of this ancient practice.

If you are entering this world, here we will tell you the history of yoga.

The history of yoga:

Nataraj, the spirit dancer

According to the history of yoga, Nataraj was considered the king of dancers and lived in Dravida, a small town located in the Indus Valley, around 2500 BC. C. The dancer began to practice exercises with his body that would add greater elasticity, strength and beauty to his dances.

The dance was in honor of Shiva to thank the existence on the planet. His inspiration was nature, animals. In his own intuition, he developed a system of postures that today are known as asanas. This is why some yoga poses are named after animals such as dog, cat, cobra, etc.

Nataraj was gaining followers and the locals who began to practice with him noticed changes in their bodies. Practicing these dance poses strengthened the dancers’ muscles and bones. Thus, this was interpreted as a thanks from the universe to the human being.

Yoga is a dance between the body and the spirit.

The holy scriptures of Hinduism

Hinduism is a religion that lays the foundations of a way of life. Man will seek during his life the goals of Dharma (ethics and obligations), Artha (prosperity and work), Kama (desires and passions) and Moksha (liberation, freedom and salvation).

Yoga practice is a way to achieve Moksha. In the holy books of Hinduism, the term yoga was found in the  Taittiriya Upanishad and in the Katha Upanishad. Within these writings or revelations of religion, yoga is part of the worship of God Shiva.

In Hinduism , man will be in search of the self and the balance between body and mind. Yoga is an ancient practice that seeks to find spiritual connection in the earthly world. Its different modalities will depend on the Hindu deity honored with the practice.

Classical yoga

The practice of yoga dates back to the Indus civilization, and figures of meditating men already appear in its sacred scriptures.

Classical yoga emerged 2000 years ago and was codified in the yoga sutra or aphorisms of yoga by Patañjali. He sought to analyze a dualistic metaphysics between matter and spirit. This debate postulates that the soul that escapes difficulties will be the one that manages to eliminate pain.

The yoga sutra is the book or codification of yoga practice. This book specifies the postures and modalities that the meditator must adopt, progressively and successively, and that will allow him to achieve concentration of the spirit.

Yoga practice is based on three principles:

• Yama (discipline).
• Niyama (control).
• Asana (sit).

The individual will seek to perfect these principles to achieve control in the body and enrich the soul.

Contemplation of the spirit

The contemplation of the eternal spirit seeks the tranquility of the mind and the senses. Many characters in Western history have sought to introduce the practice of yoga as a way of life.

• It is said that Alexander the Great received lessons from a Dandamis yogi because he removed pleasure and pain from the soul. He took the advice of seven yogis from India.
• He admired that the sages trained his body to strengthen his understanding to resolve discord.

The practice of yoga, since ancient times, is in the search to contemplate the spirit of man and is a lifestyle. That is why we recommend you to know the history of yoga, so that you understand the origin of its postures and its philosophy.