Unearthing the Ancient Origins of Yoga and its history

Last updated on March 23, 2024

The history of yoga is said to have begun over 5,000 years ago in Northern India; although some researchers say the practice goes as far back as 10,000 years ago. All in all, the Indus-Sarasvati people first developed Yoga.

“Yoga” was first mentioned in Rig Veda, oldest of all Vedas, which was used to collect texts that had rituals, mantras and songs used by Vedic priests. The word yoga was derived from the Sanskrit word yuj which means ‘to yoke’, ‘to unite’, or ‘to join’.

Yoga is an ancient art which gives a wealth of knowledge on how to exercise the mind and body to unlock the full human potential.

Yoga as a system aims at achieving the spiritual union of your inner self with the Supreme Being in a form of complete tranquility and awareness.

It does this through intense concentration, meditation and exercise practices that involve controlled breathing and postures. Yoga is also about connecting your body and mind through breathing and movements that relax the mind and increase the level of flexibility and fitness in your body.

The practice of asanas challenges thought and breath patterns. Regular practice of yoga unites the body, mind, and breath in a synchronous flow. There are many other dimensions to the discipline of yoga, some of which include: spiritual undertakings, dietary rules, sound and mantra techniques, awareness of subtle energy levels, etc.

It encompasses flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, conditioning, cardiovascular training, visceral balancing, and mind-body fitness. Asanas influence the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, Musculo-skeletal, endocrine, reproductive, and digestive systems. The systems in the body work in a harmonious unit where a change in one system manifests a complimentary change in all others.

In the simplest terms, yoga is a practice of uniting the body, thought, and breath for living in the present without ‘suffering’.

There are 3 fundamental components in the journey of yoga:

Asana – the practice of static and dynamic body movements to align and balance the physical components;

Prana – the practice of coordinating all body and mind activities with the breath;

Dhayana – the practice of focusing thoughts inward, awakening creative awareness, and relaxing the mind.

Yoga has survived and thrived for thousands of years with people around the globe waking up to its true power. Yoga is a great gift to humanity and we should all embrace it for a happy and healthy lifestyle.