History of Yoga

When you hear the word ‘yoga,’ chances are that an image of people twisting in one presumably painful yoga posture after another might pop up in your head. Yes, postures or asanas are an important part of the teachings of yogic philosophy and yogic practice, but they aren’t all that there is to it.
So, how well do you really know yoga? The world celebrates International Day of Yoga every year in June, so let’s unravel the mysteries surrounding this system of techniques from ancient India.
In the hierarchy of ancient vedas from Indian philosophy, there are four vedas developed by yoga gurus- Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. These are followed by four upvedas or sub-vedas – Ayurveda, Arthaveda, Dhanurveda, and Gandharvaveda. Further down the line are six upangas or components – Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chandas, and Jyotisha. These are further classified into six sub-components – Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Mimansa, Vedanta, and Yoga.
The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means union of the individual yoga practitioners and universal consciousness. The Rigveda is one of the oldest and most sacred books in human history, having been written 8-10 thousand years ago.
Classical yoga is a part of this Vedic literature and was propounded by Maharishi Patanjali nearly 5000 years ago. In Patanjali’s yoga sutras, he elucidated eight limbs of yoga practice, namely – Yama (social ethics), Niyama (personal ethics), Asana (postures), Pranayama (life force), Pratyahara (turning the senses inwards), Dharana (one-pointed focus), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (merging with the self).
Classical yoga encompasses different schools of philosophy, for example Gyan yoga, Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, Hatha yoga, Raj yoga, Mantra yoga, Shiva yoga, Naad yoga, Laya yoga and many more. Of these, the art of asana is part of the Hatha yoga tradition.
Somehow, in today’s age, yoga practice has come to be associated with only Hatha yoga physical postures whereas the central teaching of yoga philosophy is maintaining an equanimous state of mind.
The Bhagavad Gita says in this yoga sutra, “Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam” or “yoga is skill in action and expression”.
Hatha yoga, as taught in modern yoga, promotes physical as well as mental wellbeing through the medium of asanas. The different types of yoga are like spokes in a wheel and are all equally important for the overall development of an individual.
While Hatha yoga, as taught in schools such as Iyengar, endows the yogi with physical fitness, other types of practice empower us with wisdom, devotion, etc. This holistic approach towards one’s development was highly respected in the Vedic period as well as the Middle Ages, but was confined only to the royal and scholarly caste. It was only taught to students after passing a rigorous test.
However, the past few decades have seen modern yoga going through a complete transformation. From being frowned upon to being hailed as one of the best natural therapies out there, yoga practice has come a long way. The barriers of caste, creed and social status have been uprooted from yoga history to bring it to every home. The benefits of yoga therapy have not gone unnoticed in the international community and the United Nations has passed a resolution to celebrate June 21st as the International Yoga Day.
Yoga practice is not just exercise, it’s how skilfully we communicate and act in any given situation.
So here, yoga is described more as a mind skill. In this sutra from the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, “Samatvam Yoga Uchyate”– equanimity in the mind is a sign of yoga.
The ability to remain centred in adverse situations is yoga. Whatever brings us back to our nature, which is harmony and joy, is yoga. While physical practice of postures makes the body healthy, pranayama and meditation take the mind deep within to the soul’s ancient roots. Uniting diverse aspects of life, of existence is yoga. (Art of Living – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

International Day of Yoga
Yoga Day is important to celebrate to make people aware of the benefits of yoga. Yoga has medical benefits and it helps in curing many diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, alleviating physical injuries, and chronic pain. Apart from that, it helps a person to get mental peace.
The day is observed on June 21. t
While many people practise yoga for its physical benefits, there are other types of benefits. For example, the spiritual meaning of yoga postures can help yogis develop oneness inside themselves, as well as unity with the exterior world. In yoga, the natural world is especially important. This can be seen in many of the Sanskrit and English names for yoga poses; these names are taken from animals and other entities one finds in nature.

Oneness in Yoga
Yoga is considered by many to be a holistic art — one that does not focus only on the spiritual, the physical, or the mental; but focuses on all of them — hopefully in equal measure. The holistic effect of yoga is attained when practitioners become not only physically stronger and more flexible, but also mentally stronger and more flexible. Seasoned yogis even sleep better, on average, than people who do not practise yoga. One of the ways that yoga works holistically is through the names of yoga asanas — which refer to concrete things in the world.