Today, many people are taking up yoga techniques for physical exercise. However, the practice of yoga is much more than a system of physical exercise for health. Yoga is an ancient path to spiritual growth, and originates out of India where Induism is practiced. The practice and goal of yoga dates back to the Upanishads. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by Vedic priests who documented their practices and beliefs, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures, written between 1000-5000 BC.
The most renowned of these Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gītā, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
The first systematic presentation of yoga was Patanjali's Yoga-Sūtras. Written some time in the second century, this text describes the path of Raja Yoga, often called "classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of yoga and his Yoga-Sūtras still strongly influence all styles of modern yoga.
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of Hatha Yoga.
In the late 1800's Yoga was a dying art practiced by a handful of ascetics living on the fringes of society. But this was soon to change. Yoga masters began to travel to the west, attracting attention and followers, for the next sixty-one years, T. Krishnamacharya shared his knowledge of Yoga as a holistic healing discipline with thousands in his own country and with many others who came to study with him from Europe and America. He started a quiet revolution that revitalized Yoga for the modern age and produced some of the most influential Yoga masters of our time.
Krishnamacharya travelled through India giving demonstrations of yoga poses and opened the first Hatha Yoga school. Krishnamacharya produced three students that would continue his legacy and increase the popularity of Hatha Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar , T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois.
The importation of yoga to the west still continued at a trickle until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. What most people simply refer to as yoga is, in fact Hatha Yoga, this being the most popular form generally practiced. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice
Description and benefits of Yoga
The word, yoga, is derived from Sanskrit, one of the world's most ancient languages. In its simplicity, yoga means: "a bringing together of the parts in order to create a union or balance of a person's body, mind, and spirit."
Yoga highlights the idea that by using breathing and relaxation techniques you can reduce the harmful effects of stress factors on your body. A lessened "fight or flight" response can also be achieved by looking at adverse factors as challenges rather than threats. This approach allows your mind to focus on finding a solution, rather than creating an abrupt response. Another concept employed by this technique is that of acting versus reacting, of taking initiative versus responding to outside factors.
The positive effects of yoga during a healing process are undeniable. However, these techniques should only be used as a form of support and the healing shouldnt rely solely on them. The best results are achieved by combining yoga with traditional and modern medicine and by addressing a problem both from a mental and physical point of view.
There are several medical conditions that can be improved by practicing yoga. It can be used to lessen the negative effects of infertility, lung disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, cancer, high blood pressure, and joint pain. The beneficial effects of yoga practices are well recognized not only by the yoga community but also by medical doctors.
One of the main elements that lead to an illness is stress. Being responsible for a huge number of sicknesses, this item, which we develop in our minds, can be reduced through a good usage of yoga techniques. Here are just some of the problems that are related to an over active stress response:
Depression Several autoimmune diseases
Anxiety Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Obsessive-compulsive disorder Colitis
Some types of diabetes mellitus Reproductive problems
Cardio-vascular disease Aggravated suppression of the Immune system
Governing Bodies of Yoga
British Yoga Teachers Association (BYTA)
International Yoga Teachers' Association (IYTA)
Iyengar Yoga Association of the United Kingdom (IYA (UK))
Association for Yoga Studies (aYs)
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