A Brief Overview of the History of Yoga
The exact date and circumstances of the origin of yoga are unknown. This is because the practice of yoga is so ancient that it is believed to predate the written texts and visual images that depict it. Most scholars trace the origins of yoga to at least 5,000 years ago. Yoga is believed to have originated through the insights and experiments of ancient seekers of wisdom, mystics, and visionaries on the Indian subcontinent. Through intense inner searching, they developed practices that were passed down orally and eventually recorded in a body of text that is considered sacred in the Hindu and other spiritual traditions. Read more
What Is Yoga?
The world of yoga is diverse and multifaceted. While most people have probably heard of yoga, many people are somewhat mystified about what it is all about. A common perception is that yoga is a series of physical exercises based on some traditional Asian system. While yoga does indeed embrace a highly refined system of physical postures, it is much more than physical exercise. The clearest indication of the meaning of yoga is contained in its etymological derivation. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, which literally means “to yoke” (this Sanskrit word is the basis for the words yoke and union in modern English). Read more