What is the History of Yoga?

Where did Yoga come from? What are all those strange words and the chanting? Let's look into the history of Yoga and why people practice it.

The history of Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuga' which means ‘to join'.

Yoga is an ancient philosophy that came from India that promotes personal health, growth and wellness. It doesn’t conflict with any religion but has impact on our spiritual path.

Even though no one is sure who invented yoga most modern forms are traced back to the yoga Sutras. Patanjal, an ancient philosopher wrote them around 500 BC. Again no one is sure of the exact date they were written, however we do know are that it became a tradition and was practiced regularly around soon there after and the Sutras written by Patanjal became the basis for the practice of yoga. The practices and philosophies are just as valid and popular today as they were then.

Yoga has become popular with many western medical practitioners and therapists as a treatment for a large variety of physical and emotional illnesses.

The practice of yoga is not a form of religion or a cult, nor do you need to be a contortionist, or stare at a candle and breath incense, and it's not just for young people who are thin and supple.

What yoga is then? Yoga is more than an exercise, it's a way of life that aims for the union of the body, mind and spirit through exercises and postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.

The practice of yoga promote greater flexibility and strength, creates greater mental clarity and focus as well as allowing for emotional balance in your body.

Yoga does involve concentration, focused breathing, and discipline. A greater union of mind, body, and spirit is the result of practicing yoga and anyone regardless of age, experience, body type, or physical abilities can practice yoga.

While it does help to have a little knowledge, you don't need to know all the words or understand their meanings in order to receive the benefits that yoga provides.

Yoga can give you the sense of satisfaction that only meditation and physical exercise combined can give you. The beauty of that is it can be carried out all in one exercise program!

The more dedicated you are, the more you will get out of yoga. It offers a chance to have true union between your mind, body and spirit. Yoga is right in the middle between physical exercise and meditation.

In physical sense, the body is physically taxed and, of course, you sweat. It doesn't take much thinking to go through an exercise routine.

Meditation on the other hand, the body does nothing; it is all with calming your mind, eliminating your stress and reaching in for your inner spirit.

Yoga's increasing popularity is because it ties the two, physical and mental, together into a comfortable package.