Tracing the History of Yoga

The History of Yoga has a lot to do with the present times. The earliest Yoga started some 5000 years ago since human civilization has begun. The scholars have believed that Yoga was originated out of Stone Age Shamanism.
This is because there were some cultural similarities between Mehrgarh which was a Neolithic settlement and the Modern Hinduism. The shamanistic culture of Mergarh was in fact influenced by Hindu ideals, symbols and rituals of the present. The ancient shamanism and early Yoga had so much similarity for the reason both wanted to go beyond the human condition.
Shamanism’s primary goal was to heal the members who were in their community and at the same time act as the religious mediators.

Archaic Yoga also had the same objectives as they were community oriented and they aimed to determine the enormous order through senses and inner vision which then can be applied to our daily lives.
As time went on, Yoga has progressed and has regarded the inmost experience. Yogis then have focused on how to improve the individual enlightenment, recovery and salvation.
Yoga’s evidences were first tracked in the archeological evidence which was found in stone seals exhumed from the Indus valley. Yoga postures were traced and seen fro the figures which were illustrated in the stone seals. the artifacts were placed on History books circa 3000 B.C., which was linked to the great Indus-Sarasvati Civilization which was known to be the largest civilization that exist in the ancient world. The Indus-Sarasvati, being a maritime society, exported goods all over Africa and the Middle East. They build up sewage systems and put up geometrical brick roads and constructed multistory buildings.
The Vedas are known as the oldest scripture in the world which were the ancient texts, was brought by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. It was a compilation of hymns that commends a high power which included the oldest recorded teachings in Yoga. They have considered this the divine revelation. The intelligence of the Vedas was known as the Pre-classical Yoga or the Vedic. This was described by the ritualistic ceremonies that the Yoga practitioners have been required in order to go beyond the limitations of the mind.

The history of yoga would not have been completed in the classical stage of yoga. After the time and turn of the millennium, yoga and its spread in different forms have come up with the need for standardization. This is important so that the people will be aware with it and it can be applied by them. Due to this, during the second century, C.E., Patanjali has composed and collected seminal text which was the Yoga-Sutra which had defined the Classical Yoga.
At the age of Postclassical Yoga in the enormous history of Yoga, it gave rise to some productive literature which has included the Tantra and the Hatha which is famously known nowadays. These were taught in schools for Yoga and practiced by many. Therefore, post classical Yoga is described to the adaptation of our present state. It is the time when yoga has evolved greatly and introduced to people. It has then been applied in the United States in the 1800’s.
Now in the recent decades, yoga has greatly and swiftly evolved. Swami Sivananda was one of the prominent gurus ever to master yoga. He has served as a doctor and he has generously opened up schools in Europe and America.
Now as we move on with the yoga practices that we have today, it is much helpful and easier to understand if we looked back on the history of yoga.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga through meditation works remarkably to achieve harmony and helps the mind
work in synchronization with the body. How often do we find that we are unable to
perform our activities properly and in a satisfying manner because of the confusions
and conflicts in our mind weigh down heavily upon us?
Stress is the number one suspect affecting all parts of our physical, endocrinal and
emotional system. And with the help of yoga this things can be corrected.
At the physical level, yoga and its cleansing practices have proven to be extremely
effective for various disorders.
Listed below are just some of the benefits of yoga that you can get.
Benefits of Yoga 1: Yoga is known to increase flexibility; yoga has postures that
trigger the different joints of the body. Including those joints that are not acted upon
with regular exercises routines.
Benefits of Yoga 2: Yoga also increases the lubrication of joints, ligament and
tendons. The well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and
ligaments of the body.
It has also been found that the body which may have started doing yoga being a
rigid one may experience a quite remarkable flexibility in the end on those parts of
the body which have not been consciously worked upon.
Benefits of Yoga 3: yoga also massages all organs of the body. Yoga is perhaps the
only exercise that can work on through your internal organs in a thorough manner,
including those that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime.
Benefits of Yoga 4: Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts.
This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away
disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of
disease or disorder.
One of the far-reaching benefits of yoga is the uncanny sense of awareness that it
develops in the practitioner of an impending health disorder or infection.
This in turn enables the person to take pre-emptive corrective action
Benefits of Yoga 5: yoga offers a complete detoxification of the body. It gently
stretches the muscles and joints as we;; as massaging the various organs, yoga
ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body.
This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny of your body as
well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as
delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life.
Benefits of Yoga 6: yoga is also an excellent way to tone your muscles. Muscles
which have been flaccid and weak are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess fats and
flaccidity.
But these enormous physical benefits are just a “side effect” of this powerful
practice. What yoga does is harmonize the mind with the body and these results in
real quantum benefits.
It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has enabled people to achieve
extraordinary physical feats, which proves beyond doubt the mind and body
connection.
In fact yoga = meditation, because both work together in achieving the common
goal of unity of mind, body and spirit which can lead to an experience of eternal bliss
that you can only feel through yoga.
The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance
through detachment.
This in turn creates a remarkable calmness and a positive outlook, which also has
tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body.

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Ashtanga Yoga - Is it right for you?

Ashtanga Yoga is the type of yoga which was developed and founded by K. Pattabhi Jois. This type of yoga is known as the Eight Limb Yoga which has revolved in Pattanjali's enormous idea. It presented that the path of purification is made up of the eight spiritual practices.
The first four limbs that represent Ashtanga Yoga are – yama, niyama, Asana and the Pranayama. These are considered cleansing practices which are externally correctable. The other set of limbs which are the – pratyahara, dhyana, dharana are the internal practies.
These limbs can only be corrected by the proper application of the Ashtanga Yoga method. This type of yoga method is quite dangerous to the mind.
K. Pattabhi Jois said that practicing these Eight Limbs and also its sub-limbs of the external practices which include the niyama and yama is not possible. In doing so, the body should be strong so that it can perform the practices well enough. If the body is weak, and the sense organs are not functioning well, practicing will never be useful at all.
This is a philosophy that K. Pattabhi Jois has applied, this is important to understand so that in doing the practice, you are sure that the body will improve and the keep it stronger and healthier.
Vinsaya and Tristhana is practiced in Ashtanga Yoga.
The Vinsaya is a style that makes Ashtanga and its principles distinct from the others. Vinsaya means the movement and breathing which is used for the internal cleansing process. Each movement done is accompanied by only one breath. Sweat is the most important product of Vinsaya. When you produce sweat, it only means that you are successfully applying the practice. When you perform the Asanas, the body creates heat which causes your blood to boil and excrete the toxins outside of your body. The toxins are found in your sweat. So the more sweat you create, the more toxins are released.

The poses are used to fully develop the strength and health of the body. The series of practices make this possible. There are three postures used in Ashtaga Yoga.
The three are classified on different levels.
The first is the Primary Series which aims on aligning the body and also detoxifying it.
The second is the Intermediate Series opening and cleaning the energy channels which comes to the process of purifying the Nervous System.
The last series would be the Advanced Series from A to D. in this series, the grace and strength is measured.
The Tristhana is another yoga principle which represents the union of the three places of action and attention. First is the posture, second is the breathing technique ad last is the Dristhi of the Looking Place. All these three should work altogether to perform a function.

Breathing techniques are simultaneous and synchronized. It is important to make a single breath for one movement. Ujjayi Breathing is the Yoga Breathing Technique used in the application of Ashtanga Yoga. Applying this technique must be prolonged after every practice. What you need to master is holding your pose longer at the same time hold your breath. This is an amazing breathing exercise that will increase your internal fire and will strengthen the Nervous System.
Both Ashtanga and Tristhana deal with the series of Dristhi. The Dristhi is described as the point on which you gain your focus or attention while doing the Asana. This enables your mind to be purified and stabilized clearly.
Setting the mind clear and cleansing it can only be done in the Eight-Limb Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga.

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