The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit.
Archeological findings from two of the largest cities, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, revealed (among other things) a portrait of a human being or god meditating in what looks like a Yoga posture.
Yoga easy to learn, requires little or no equipment, and soothes your soul while toning your body. If strengthening your cardiovascular system, toning and stretching your muscles, and improving your mental fitness are on your to-do list, keep reading to learn more about the basics of yoga.
Yoga asanas (postures) and breathing deal with the physical body, but due to their effect on the brain, they also affect the mind. Yoga therapy is a therapeutic process.
In Sanskrit (the ancient language of India), yoga translates as "yoke" or "union," describing the integration of mind and body to create a greater connection with one's own pure, essential nature.
Yoga, an ancient art that has been practiced for centuries, became popular in the 1960s with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who popularized Transcendental meditation (TM) in the 1960's. Yoga is the most diversified spiritual practice in the world.
Asana is only one of the eight "limbs" of yoga, the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well being than physical activity. In the West, however, the words asana and yoga are often used interchangeably.
The creation of the Upanishads marks the Pre-Classical Yoga.
The Classical Period is marked by another creation - the Yoga Sutra. Written by Patanjali around the second century, it was an attempt to define and standardize Classical Yoga. The eight-limbed Yoga described in the Sutras by Patanjali is usually referred to as Classical Yoga.
Modern Yoga is said to have begun a the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, 1893. During this meeting the young Swami Vivekananda from India made a deep impression on the American he introduced to Yoga.
Yoga was introduced in the West during the early 19th century. It was first studied as part of Eastern Philosophy and began as a movement for health and vegetarianism around the 1930's.
By researching the history of yoga, we learn that it is not safe spiritually. Yoga teaches us to focus on ourselves instead of on the one true God.
In summary, Yoga has shown through its long history that it represents the effort that we are going to make in achieving something, the path that will take us to the ultimate achievement and the progress that we are going to make along the way, and ultimately, the end result: the sum of total of our achievements.
