History of Yoga - What is
Yoga?
Today, many people are taking up yoga
techniques for physical exercise, and most don't know the history
of yoga. They believe there is nothing wrong with implementing this
form of exercise into their daily regiment to promote a more
healthy body.
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, written between 1000-5000 BC.
The existence of the Vedas marks this period. The Vedas is the sacred scripture of Brahmanism that is the basis of modern-day Hinduism. It is a collection of hymns which praise a divine 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. Rishis were also gifted with the ability to see the ultimate reality through their intensive spiritual practice. It was also during this time that Yogis living in seclusion (in forests) were recorded.
Pre-Classical Yoga
The creation of the Upanishads marks the
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 Meditationand the practice of physical postures. Siddharta Gautama, the first Buddhist to study Yoga, achieved enlightenment at the age of 35.
Later, around 500 B.C., the Bhagavad-Gitaor Lord's Song was created and this is currently the oldest known Yoga scripture. It is devoted entirely to Yoga and has confirmed that it has been an old practice for some time. However, it doesn't point to a specific time wherein Yoga could have started. The central point to the Gita is that - to be alive means to be active and in order to avoid difficulties in our lives and in others, our actions have to benign and have to exceed our egos.
Just as the Upanishads further the Vedas, the Gita builds on and incorporates the doctrines found in the Upanishads. 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 Gita then tried to unify Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga and it is because of this that it has gained importance. The Gita was a conversation between Prince Arjuna and God-man Krishna and it basically stresses the importance of opposing evil.
Classical Period
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. It is composed of 195 aphorisms or sutras (from the Sanskrit word which means thread) that expound upon the Raja Yoga and its underlying principle, Patanjali's Eightfold path of Yoga (also called Eight Limbs of Classical Yoga). These are:
- Yama, which means social restraints or ethical values;
- Niyama, which is personal observance of purity, tolerance, and study;
- Asanas or physical exercises;
- Pranayama, which means breath control or regulation;
- Pratyahara or sense withdrawal in preparation for Meditation;
- Dharana, which is about concentration;
- Dhyana, which means Meditation; and
- Samadhi, which means ecstasy.
Patanjali's concept was dominant for some centuries that some Yogis focused exclusively on Meditation and neglected their Asanas. It was only later that the belief of the body as a temple was rekindled and attention to the importance of the Asana was revived. This time, Yogis attempted to use Yoga techniques to change the body and make it immortal.
Post-Classical Yoga
At this point, we see a proliferation of literature as well as the practice of Yoga. Post-classical Yoga differs from the first three since 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 live at 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 healthand 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. Another one is a prominent Yoga Guru Swami Sivananda. Sivananda was a doctorin Malaysia and he later opened schools in America and Europe. The most prominent of his works is his modified Five Principles of Yoga which are:
- Savasana or proper relaxation;
- Asanas or proper exercise;
- Pranayama or proper breathing;
- Proper diet; and
- Dhyana or positive thinking and Meditation
Up to this day, Yoga continues to proliferate and spread its teachings, crossing the boundaries of culture and language.
Modern 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. Vivekananda became whom of the most popular members of the Parliament, and he subsequently toured the US giving lectures on Yoga. Many Yoga masters would later cross the ocean and follow in his footsteps, spreading Yoga to all corners of the continent. Yoga schools where founded and increasing numbers of people fell in love with the yogic forms of exercise. Many masters also went to Europe where the reception, for some reason, wasn't quite as warm. Yoga, in the form of Hatha Yoga, debuted in the consciousnesses of the American masses when russian born Indra Devi, of the called "the first lady of Yoga", opened a Yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. She taught movie starts like Gloria Swanson, Jennifer Jones and Robert Ryan, as well as educating hundreds of Yoga teachers. During the 1950s one of the foremost Yoga teachers of his time, Selvarajan Yesudian, wrote the book "Sport and Yoga", and it was through this book Yoga entered the world of sports. This book has been translated into more than fourteen languages and has sold more than half a million copies. Today we can observe many athletes and sports teams that has incorporated Yoga in their injury reducing, strengthening and focus oriented training regimens. One of the most well known examples are the NBA stars of the Chicago Bulls. 1961 Hatha Yoga was presented in american television by Richard Hittleman, and his book called The Twenty Eight day Yoga Plan sold in the millions. In the middle of the 60s, Yoga got a real promotional boost when the Yogi Maharishi Mahesh taught Yoga to the famous pop-stars in the Beatles. Many other artists and musicians where influenced to take up Yoga as well. During the 60s and 70s Yoga became a way of life for many people living on the American west coast. On an interesting side note, Dalai lama is a great yogi from Tibet, representing Buddhism and Tibetan Yoga. He was awarded the Nobel price for peace and has inspired many westerners to learn more about Buddhism and Yoga.
History of Yoga - Is it
spiritual?
The history of yoga is based in the Indus
Valley civilization. The techniques are practiced by the Indus to
initiate spiritual growth. The yogis encourage union with the
finite jiva (transitory self) and with the infinite Brahman
(eternal self). Brahman is a term used by the Hindus to mean "God."
So, what are we supposed to unite with? Yogis usually think of God
as an impersonal, spiritual substance, coexisting with all of
reality. This doctrine is called pantheism which is the view that
everything is God. In the Bible, God reveals Himself as the
personal Creator of the universe.
Since it is taught by the yogis that
everything is God, it then stands to reason, man is God.
Christianity, on the other hand, teaches us there is a clear
distinction between man and God. Since God is the Creator, we are
one of his creations and created "in the image" of
God.
Unlike the yogis, the Bible presents man's
primary problem to be sin -- a failure to conform to God's
character and standards. The solution is Jesus Christ's death on
the cross. He calls men to freely receive all the benefits of His
salvation through faith in Christ alone.
Yoga views man's problem primarily in
terms of ignorance. Man simply does not understand he is God so the
solution is enlightenment, or an experience of union with God. In
order to reach that goal, there must be a lot of striving and
effort which is not needed in the Christian viewpoint.
Can the methods used in the yoga techniques for exercising be separated from the philosophy? The answer is a distinctive "no" because yoga is considered to be a practice of psychosomatic exercises. There is no way to separate the two. The yoga scholar will tell you that in order to practice yoga in the fullest, one must experience what is called the "kundalini" effect within meditation. What does this mean? For spiritual lessons to be grasped by the soul within the person, the chakra, or different locations within the body where a circle of metaphysical and/or biophysical energy resides, join together in the process. Kundilini stimulates the chakra center to open and release the energy held within. If not done properly, some believe that a person can injure the brain.
Post Comments