History of Yoga

Yogas history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to its oral transmission of sacred texts
and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm
leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of yoga can be traced back to over
5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yogas long rich
history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice and development.
Pre-Classical Yoga
The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000
years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a
collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga
was slowly refined and developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (mystic seers) who documented their
practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned
of the Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gt, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea
of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through selfknowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Yoga
In the pre-classical stage, yoga was a mishmash of various ideas, beliefs and techniques that often
conflicted and contradicted each other. The Classical period is defined by Patanjalis Yoga-Stras, the first
systematic presentation of yoga. Written some time in the second century, this text describes the path of
Raja Yoga, often called "classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed
path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often
considered the father of yoga and his Yoga-Stras still strongly influence most styles of modern yoga.
Post-Classical Yoga
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body
and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the
means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body
and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these physicalspiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of what we primarily think of yoga in
the West: Hatha Yoga.
Modern Period
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, yoga masters began to travel to the West, attracting attention and
followers. This began at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, when Swami Vivekananda wowed
the attendees with his lectures on yoga and the universality of the worlds religions. In the 1920s and 30s,
Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda and
other yogis practicing Hatha Yoga. Krishnamacharya opened the first Hatha Yoga school in Mysore in
1924 and in 1936 Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the banks of the holy Ganges River.
Krishnamacharya produced three students that would continue his legacy and increase the popularity of
Hatha Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois. Sivananda was a prolific author, writing
over 200 books on yoga, and established nine ashrams and numerous yoga centers located around the
world.
The importation of yoga to the West still continued at a trickle until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in
Hollywood in 1947. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers,
popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or
styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.

6 BASIC STEPS IN YOGA

Basic steps for yoga breathing: 1) Sit with your spine straight
and your legs relaxed. You can do this in a chair, if it's more
comfortable. 2) Inhale and exhale gently and deeply, directing the
inhalation and exhalation across the back of your throat to create a
soft "hhhhaaa" sound (like the sound of waves on the beach or like a
really gentle Darth Vader, for all you Star Wars fans). 3) Repeat
breaths for 5 minutes.

Basic steps for mountain pose: 1) Stand with your feet hip-distance
apart and your hands down at your sides. 2) Rock gently back and forth,
fanning out your toes, to make sure your weight is evenly distributed along
both feet and then plant them firmly on the floor. 3) Raise your head, so you
are looking straight ahead, and then lengthen your back and neck towards
the sky, thinking of a string attached to your head pulling upwards. Keep
your chest raised up and out, but not puffed or rigid. 4) Take 10 to 20
breaths in this position. Relax.

Basic steps for crescent pose: 1) Stand with your feet together, toes
forward. 2) Bend forward at the hips until you touch the groundfeel free
to bend your knees if you need to. 3) Bracing your arms and upper body on
the floor with your fingertips, step your right foot back into a lunge, leg
straight out, and bend your left knee so that your left calf is at a 90-degree
angle with your left thigh. Your weight should be distributed between your
firmly planted left foot and the ball of your right foot. 4) From the lunge,
inhale and raise your arms straight above your head while looking forward
and keeping your head straight. Exhale slowly. 5) Repeat breaths and hold
pose for up to 1 minute.

Basic steps for downward-facing dog pose: 1) Start on your

hands and knees, arms should-width apart and legs hip-width apart. (If
supporting yourself on hands and knees is uncomfortable or if your
joints don't allow this pose, see the "Puppy Dog" variation below.) 2)

Plant your hands on the floor, fingers spread. Curl your toes under, like you're getting ready to
stand up. 3) Straighten your legs and stretch your arms forward, keeping elbows straight and
shoulders down, to create a 70-degree angle with your body. Keep your head aligned with your
arms and back, not hanging and not raised. 4) With an exhalation, raise your rear up, and push
your thighs back and your heels to the groundyou should feel your calf muscles stretch, but
make sure not to lock your knees straight. Concentrate on lifting your pelvis and rear end to the
sky and pressing down evenly on your heels and palms. 5) Throughout the pose, focus on
firming the outer muscles of your arms and the inner muscles of your legs. 6) Hold this pose for
1 minute. Return to hands and knees and relax.
Basic steps for triangle pose: 1) Start in mountain pose and then
step one leg out to the side until feet are three to four feet apart, toes
facing forward. Raise your arms so that they are parallel to the floor,
stabilizing you. 2) Turn your left foot slightly to the right and turn
your right foot 90 degrees, so that it faces directly right. Turn your
right thigh out and make sure your right kneecap is aligned directly
toward the center of your right ankle. 3) Exhale and bend your torso
at the hip to the right, reaching down with your right hand to rest it
on your right toes (or ankle) to balance yourself. 4) Focus on
opening up your torso to the front and stabilizing your body by
firming your leg muscles and pushing your heels into the floor. 5)
Inhale and exhale slowly and hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1
minute. Straighten back to mountain pose and repeat, this time
leaning over the left leg.

Basic steps for bridge pose: 1) Lie on your back on the floor. If
you don't have a yoga mat, place a folded up towel or blanket
underneath your shoulders to protect your neck and head. 2) Bend
your knees and move your feet as close to your rear as is
comfortable, keeping your feet flat on the floor and hip-distance
apart. 3) Rest your arms on the floor, exhale, and press your weight
into your feet to lift your hips and glutes up towards the sky. Engage
the muscles in your legs, keeping your feet and thighs parallel, to lift
your body up so that only the tops of your shoulders are supported
on the floor. 4) Make sure your knees remain behind the line of your
toes, lift your chin away from your chest, keep your arms firm, and
broaden your shoulder blades as much as is comfortable. 5) Inhale
and exhale slowly and hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Exhale and release the pose, rolling your body gently to the floor
from the top of your spine down.