Yoga is not solely an exercise involving amazingly flexible poses and people donning tight spandex garb. Celebrities like Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow have religiously participated in this ancient discipline, and it is no wonder with all the many benefits yoga has to offer. We are about to explore the many facets of the classic exercise of yoga.
A Little Yoga History
It is estimated that yoga originated 5,000 years ago in India. The word
"yoga" is Sanskrit for "union."
Through excavations in the 1920s, the earliest evidence of yoga was
discovered. These archaeological treasures revealed signs of an ancient
civilization, which flourished in India as early as 3,000 BC, perhaps even
earlier. Among the finds were stone seals depicting godlike figures in yogic
postures, one of which has been identified as the Hindu god, Shiva, the mythical
founder of yoga.
However, yoga techniques existed long before the arrival of Aryan tribes
whose domination shaped the development of Hinduism. In the late 1800s and early
1900s, yoga masters began to migrate to the west, attracting attention and
followers. The importation of yoga to the west still gradually 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, one of the many styles of yoga, and gaining millions of followers.
Hatha Yoga now has many different schools, all emphasizing the many different
aspects of the practice.