Yoga Burn And The History Of Yoga

The history of yoga can be traced back more than 5,000 years. The early development of yoga came from the Indus-Sarasvati peoples of Northern India. The first written mentions of yoga appeared in the Rig Vega, a collection of sacred texts that included rituals, songs and mantras that the Vedic priests would use.

Yoga gradually evolved and the Rishis and Brahmans developed it, and wrote their beliefs and opinions of the practices in a collection of documents known as the Upanishads. It was here that the two ideas of the karma yoga, and the jnana yoga evolved. Karma yoga is based on the idea of sacrificing ego through self-knowledge and action, while jnana yoga focuses on wisdom.

One key point in the history of yoga is that of classical yoga – which is defined by the Yoga Sutras which Patanjali compiled in the second century. Patanjali created an ‘eight limbed path’ for yoga, and bcause of this clear, documented system he is often considered to be the father of yoga. Most modern yoga systems still have some of his influence in them.

In terms of post-classical yoga, the next big step in the history of yoga was the creation of Tantra yoga – which was implemented a few centuries after Patanjali. The exploration of these physical-spiritual connections is something that played an important part in Hatha Yoga, which is still important in the west.

In the last 200 years, yoga started to expand to the west. In 1893, the Parliament of Religions in Chicago saw Swami Vivekananda deliver a series of lectures on Yoga, and the attendees were wowed by that he had to say. Hatha Yoga was the most impressive early on, with the first school being opened by T Krishnamacharya in 1924, and another being founded in 1936.

It wasn’t until 1947, when Indra Devi opened a studio in Hollywood, that yoga really began to take off in the West. Since the opening of that studio, though, Yoga has become the workout of choice for taste makers and celebrities, and the practice became something that was and is enjoyed by millions.

Hatha still remains one of the most popular styles, especially with beginners, but Vinyasa Flow Yoga is popular too, and more niche practices such as Bikram Flow Yoga have their followings as well.

Yoga will always be appreciated by people of all ages, and it has become something that athletes use for recovery and rehab, and that office workers use for meditation. It is taught in schools for relaxation and as a gentle form of exercise to improve concentration, and it is used by the elderly to help them stay active and to improve their balance and joint flexibility.

Today, yoga is a glamorous pursuit – something practiced in warm, clean studios, with high class fees – but it does not have to be an inaccessible practice. It is something that anyone can enjoy, and there are videos online that share a lot of the knowledge.

Finding a good practitioner who can guide you and help you pose properly can get of great assistance in the early stages, and the atmosphere in a studio is important in some ways to help you tune out and forget your stresses, but you can still get a lot of benefit from practicing yoga in your own home as well.

Practicing yoga will not only help you with meditation and finding your inner self, it will also dramatically improve your physical condition, fitness, strength and joint mobility. In can even help with weight loss with programs such as yoga burn and others.

The original practitioners did not have the benefit of white noise, air conditioning, or foam yoga mats, and they still enjoyed it a lot and got mind and body benefits from it, so honor them with your own yogic practices today.

 

Recent Entries

  • Blogroll