History of Yoga
The ancient science of Yoga devloped in more than one civilization under a number of different names. There have been Archaeological discoveries which confirms that forms of Yoga have been discovered in the ancient cultures of the Chinese, Mayan, Indian and Tibetian people. Yoga's birthdate is somewhere between 3,000 B.C. and 1,900 B.C. The earliest reference to Yoga is in the Vedas. The Vedas is a text written between 2500 B.C. and 600 B.C.
According the the ancient science of Yoga there is a soul, and the mind and body. Our true identiy is formed when we merge these parts into a whole. This science was first clearly documented in 200 A.D. by a physician-sage named Patanjali when he systematized and codified it into eight limbs. The name given to his text is the Yoga Sutras. In this text he describes "limbs" of Yoga as a tree to be climbed.
In the traditional practice of Yoga it is presented as a tree with limbs. The following are a breakdown of the specific Eastern "limbs" of Yoga. The eight limbs are as follows:
Yama - Do Good - basically the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" The Yamas discourage violence, stealing, lying and possessiveness while encouraging moderation.
Niyama - Be Good - here there are ground rules for self-discipline and inner awareness. They encourage contentment, self-study, purity and awareness of the spirit.
Asana - Feel Good - one is to keep the body healthy and the mind calm as it is a temple for the spirit. These things create a atmosphere in which the spirit can flow.
Pranayama - Live Good - this focuses on understanding the connection between the breath, mind and body. It's understood that the conscious control of breath allows for a long and vital life.The next 4 limbs are of a more spiritual nature but are equally as important in developing the mind/body/spirit connection.
Pratyahara - Inner Focus - this is the process of becoming aware of, and learning to control, thought patterns. The attention is drawn away from the five external senses and the meditator is focused inwardly in order to quiet the mind.
Dharana - One-pointedness - The mind is fixed on one-pointed inner concentration once withdrawn into itself.
Dhyana - Deep meditation - this is meditation without focus on an object and is rooted in a deep, inner space of awareness.
Samadhi - Absorption - this is the ecstatic state of being in which the meditatior becomes one with the object of meditation.Here, one is spiritually awake and absorbed in the Infinate.
In continuing the image of the Yoga Tree, with it's core (the individual) and the limbs (the above definitions) the following are the branches one may choose from the grow. The Seven Branches are as follows:
1. Hatha Yoga - This is what most people consider Yoga, especially in the Western world. Here you find the physical postures, poses and exercises that work directly with the body and, in turn, the mind.
2. Raja Yoga - this is commonly known as Classic Yoga. The focus here is on training the mind to serve the spirit through meditation. The practice of Raja Yoga typically begins with Hatha Yoga in order to prepare the body and mind for meditation.
3. Karma Yoga - Karma means "right" action. This is the practice of serving others and helping out whenever possible without any thought of reward.
4. Bhakti Yoga - Bhakti means devotion and Selfless Love. Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga are often thought of two sides to the same coin.
5. Jnana Yoga - this is the path of wisdom and of discerning that which is real from that which is unreal. Through this path of wisdom comes the inspiration to view life from the perspective of humans as spiritual beings.
6. Tantra Yoga - Tantra means the pace where opposites meet and become one. For this reason, it is often associated with sexual union. The big picture teaches that there is no difference between the big opposites - the finite and the infinite or the Divine with a capital D and the dinvinity that is ordinary life. This form of Yoga, because of it's powerful nature, should always be taught by a master teacher.
7. Mantra Yoga - this is the Yoga of potent sound. It is a technique for using patterns of sound (through chanting or reciting) to help focus the mind.
Yoga didn't make it to the western world until the mid 1800's. This is when some groups of intellectual writers discovered yoga through their interest in the esoteric teachings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Amos Bronson Alcott. Later a Victorian-era biography of Guatama Buddha called The Light of Asia, by Edwin Arnold, sold a half a million copies and so the Easter philosophy had arrived.
Hatha Yoga was introduced to America by Yoggendra Mastamani, who came to New York in 1919. The book Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda, was written in 1946 and did more to introduce the Western world to yoga and maditation.
Hath Yoga entered mainstream American when the Russian-born Indra Devi opened the first studio in Hollywood in 1947 and began to teach movie stars. She is considered the "First Lady of Yoga". Indra passed away in 2002 at the age of 102.
In 1961, Richard Hittleman began a television program offering the public a simple exercise plan that matched the standards of the West - minimum effort with maximum results. Ten years later came Lilas Folan's series on public television.
* The above is based on information found in KISS Guide to Yoga and Smart Guide to Yoga *