A Very Brief History of Yoga
A depiction of the Sage Patanjali
Yoga is the most wonderful gift from India to humankind. It is as much a philosophy as a science, as well as an art. According to Hindu tradition, yoga is as old as human civilisation. Vedic Rishis (Great yogis/Sages) had from the earliest times known yoga and considered it as a supra-human revelation. However, yoga is neither faith nor superstition; it is a subject with a well-defined philosophy, grammar and goal, and epitomises India’s spirituality.
The Origins of Yoga:
Sages in India have always looked to the Vedas (four collections forming the earliest body of Indian scripture, which codified the ideas and practices of Vedic religion and laid down the basis of classical Hinduism, probably composed between 1500 and 700 BC) for the origin of what we know call as the yogic tradition.
Archaeological findings of terracotta figurines in yogic asanas have established that yoga was practised in India during the Indus Valley Civilisation (3300-1300 BCE). And a closer scrutiny of literature reveals yoga as a discipline has been practised from antiquity.
It may be recognised that the Vedas themselves do not mention specific yoga postures and so these postures are not described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras.
Patanjali:
Patanjali was a Hindu author, mystic and philosopher - estimated to have lived between the 2nd century BCE and the 5th century CE. He is regarded as an avatar of Adi Sesha and depicted as in the image above bearing the conch, the discus and the sword and is adorned with the cobra of one thousand heads. The Yoga Sutras is one of the most important texts in the Indian tradition and the foundation of the classical Yoga that we know today. If you have recited the Invocation at the start of Iyengar yoga classes (I do not recite the invocation in my current classes as it can often scare off beginner students who are only coming for the physical benefits of yoga) then you are reciting the Invocation to Sage Patanjali (see below).
The Evolution of Asanas:
The numerous postures prevalent today must have been the result of the innovations of the sages, who probably practised and experimented with a view to redefining and refining the yogic system over the millennia. B.K.S Iyengar started practising yoga at the age of 15 and over a period of about eight decades, he has developed, practised, taught and unravelled further secrets of yoga. He is known as the founder of yoga in the west and developed the use of equipment to ensure the safety of yogis during class.
Referenced from Core of the Yoga Sutras; The Definitive Guide to the Philosophy of Yoga but B. K. S. Iyengar and wikipedia.
