Origin and History of Yoga

Yoga has recently assumed an extensive role in the daily lives of people. Today, people, across the world, have been taking to yoga to not only maintain good health but also establish mental stability and strength. However, it is essential that the history of yoga is known and understood before one integrates it with one's life. It is this origin of yoga from which a lot of yoga's postures and effectiveness has been derived. By knowing how yoga originated, one will be able to appreciate the real value of the regime and hence be able to get the maximum out of it. This article is dedicated to Patanjali, apparently believed to be the architect of yoga.

PATANJALI - THE FATHER OF THIS SCIENCE

It has been strongly believed that Patanjali was the father of yoga. He was the one who, approximately between 200 BC and 200 AC, established the guidelines for the science. It is through these guidelines that yoga finds its essence and core of its existence. For the ones who sincerely wish to incorporate yoga more extensively into their lives will have to sincerely understand and adopt the eight guidelines or commandments promoted by Patanjali:

1. YAMAS: Yamas are guidelines for social behaviour and moral values. There are five yamas which individually promote non-violence, honesty, lack of possessiveness, avoidance of lust and stealing habits. These five yamas play an important role in the history and origin of yoga.

2. NIYAMAS: The second guideline, as presented by Patanjali, is the Niyamas. These niyamas relate themselves with the discipline of the inner self. They promote the leading of a disciplined life.

3. PRATYAHARA: This commandment of Patanjali is an integral part of yoga as well as yoga history. It speaks about the virtues of meditation and letting oneself be free of the world and all its related issues.

4. ASANAS (POSTURES): An umpteen number of people know asanas (postures) as the only facet of yoga. It is these asanas which people perform to achieve health and stability of the body as well as the mind. If one knew how yoga originated, and also understood all of the eight commandments of Patanjali, one will be able to perform these asanas more effectively and with precision.

5. PRANAYAMA: Pranayama is the control of one's breathing. It is meant to the clear the mind and body and works as a precedent to pratyahara, i.e. meditation.

6. DHARANA: This is another form of meditation where the entire concentration is focused on one object or activity. This is performed to improve one's control over one's mind.

7. DHYANA: Here, the meditation is focused on the absolute instead of just an activity or an object. If one delves into yoga history, one would realize that such dhyana has been accorded with more relevance than some of the other forms of meditation.

8. SAMADHI: This is the stage where an individual completely submits oneself to the almighty and experiences real bliss.

These eight commandments, in the history of yoga, define the true enlightenment that one can receive by practicing yoga.

Joshua McDonald invites you to know more about health, lifestyle and fitness.

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