The roots of yoga date back to about 3,000 B.C., where archaeologists found stone seals that depict figures of yoga poses on them. Some scholars however believe that yoga dates back much farther in history to which they believe its beginnings started in the Stone Age Shamanism. The effort to improve human condition exists in both Shamanism and Yoga alike. The practioners of both also act as religious mediators and aim to heal community members. Although today most people view yoga as focusing more on the self it started out as more community oriented. There are about four different periods of yoga as we look back through its history. They are the Vedic period, the Pre-Classical Period, Classical Period, and the Post-Classical Period. Each period having significant impact on the development of yoga.
The Vedic period consisted of the Vedas which are the sacred scripture of Brahmanism that is the basis of modern day Hinduism. It is a collection of hymns that praise a higher power. The Vedas contains the oldest known Yogic teachings and as such, teachings found in the Vedas are called Vedic Yoga. This is characterized by rituals and ceremonies that strive to surpass the limitations of the mind. During this time, the Vedic people relied on rishis or dedicated Vedic Yogis to teach them how to live in divine harmony.
The creation of the Upanishads marks the era of Pre-Classical Yoga. The 200 scriptures of the Upanishads ( the conclusion of the revealed literature) describe the inner vision of reality resulting from devotion to Brahman. These explain three subjects: the ultimate reality(Brahman), the transcendental self (atman), and the relationship between the two. The Upanishads further explain the teachings of the Vedas. Yoga shares some characteristics not only with Hinduism but also with Buddhism that we can trace in its history. During the sixth century B.C., Buddha started teaching Buddhism, which stresses the importance of meditation and the practice of physical postures. Later the Lord’s Song or the Bhagavad Gita was created and is known as the oldest Yoga scripture. In the Gita, three facets must be brought together in our lifestyle: Bhakti or loving devotion, Jnana which is knowledge or contemplation, and Karma which is about selfless actions.
The Classical Period is marked by another creation – the Yoga Sutra. Written by Pantanjali around the second century, it was an attempt to define and standardize Classical Yoga. This creation’s underlying principle was Pantanjali’s Eightfold path of yoga which consisted of:
1. Yama, which means social restraints or ethical values.
2. Niyama, which is personal observance of purity, tolerance, and study.
3. Asanas or physical exercises.
4. Pranayama, which means breathe control or regulation.
5. Pratyahara or sense withdrawal in preparation for meditation.
6. Dharana, which is about concentration.
7. Dhyana, which means meditation.
8. Samadhi, which means ecstasy.
Pantanjali believed that the mind and body should be separate, which is vastly different than what Vedic and Pre-Classical Yoga believed. It was not until later that Yogis began utilizing both the mind and body connection because Pantanjali followers believed that only meditation was necessary and that the Asanas or physical postures were not needed.
Post-Classical yoga is much different than the previous periods in that its focus is more on the present. It no longer strives to liberate a person from reality but rather teaches one to accept it and to live in the moment. 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 the 1960’s , there was an influx of Indian teachers who expounded on yoga. One of them was Maharishi Mahesh, the Yogi who popularized Transcendental Meditation. Up until this day yoga continues to evolve and proceed further into our culture. It is one of the great modalities of exercise that we at Xcellerated Speed Training offer. If you have not tried a yoga class, please do so (Tuesdays at 4:30pm ), you might be surprised at how great you feel afterward.