INTRODUCTION TO YOGA

1. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY OF YOGA

2. 1. Introduction
• Yoga is a classical school of Indian philosophy.
• To experience the eternal center of consciousness.
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
 systematic witnessing of inner states.
 center of consciousness.
• Sage Patanjali emphasizes
 To achieve meditative-absorption (Samadhi)
 Liberation to the individual consciousness (Jivatma)
 Universal consciousness (Paramatma).

3. 1.1. Shad-Darsanas (Six Systems of Indian Philosophical Thought)
• Darshana's are schools of philosophy based on the Vedas.
• Six Darshanas or ways of seeing things, usually called the six systems or schools
of thought.
• The six divisions of philosophy are the instruments of demonstrating Truth
1.2. Goal of the Shad-Darsanas
• The removal of ignorance and
• Its effects of pain and sufferings
• The attainment of freedom, perfection and eternal bliss
by the union of the individual soul or Jivatma with the Supreme Soul or
Paramatma.

4. The six systems are:
1. The Nyaya: Sage Gautama devised the principles of Nyaya or the Indian logical system. The Nyaya is
considered as a prerequisite for all philosophical inquiry.
2. The Vaishesika: The Vaishesika is a supplement of the Nyaya. Sage Kanada composed the Vaishesika Sutras.
3. The Samkhya: Sage Kapila founded the Samkhya system.
4. The Yoga: The Yoga is a supplement to the Samkhya. Sage Patanjali systematized the Yoga school and
composed the Yoga Sutras.
5. The Mimamsa: Sage Jaimini, a disciple of the great sage Vyasa, composed the Sutras of the Mimamsa
School, which is based on the ritual sections of the Vedas.
6. The Vedanta: The Vedanta is an amplification and fulfillment of the Samkhya. Sage Badarayana composed
the Vedanta-Sutras or Brahma-Sutras which expound the teachings of the Upanishads.

5. 1.3. Meaning
• The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root word ‘Yuj’ (Yuj yate anena iti yogah) - to join or to unite.
• Yoga is uniting of the individual consciousness (or Jivatma) to the Universal Consciousness (Paramatma).
1.4. Definition of Yoga
• Patanjali defines in his second aphorism ‘Yogah cittavrtti nirodhah’,Yoga is a process of gaining control
over the mind by cessation of the modifications of mind.
• By controlling the mind one can reach the original state. ‘Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam’.“Then the
seer establishes himself in his original state”.
• This technique of ‘mind control’ prescribed by Patanjali has tools to develop the power of concentration
and focusing of mind with increased speed of thoughts and to harness power to stop all the thoughts in
the mind.
• Vasistha define yoga as Manah prasamanopayah Yoga ityabhidhiyate. Yoga is called a skilful trick to calm
down the mind.

6.  Yoga Vasishta says “Manah prashamanah Upayah yoga ityabhidhiyate” which means that Yoga is a
skilful method to calm the mind. Yogic methods are subtle and skilful and does not use brutal force.
Knowledge of the mind is the key to subduing it in a skilful way.
 Bhagvat Gita It is said that “Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam”, which means that Yoga is dexterity in action.
This perfection in action is a result of calmness and awareness of mind. Dexterity also means that the
action is done with maximum efficiency. This perfection is also result of performing actions in a detached
way, without overly being anxious about the outcome of the action.
 Bhagvat Gita
Yoga is defined as equanimity of mind or the balance of mind in all situations. It says:
“Yogasthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
Siddhyassiddhyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga uchyate”
It means perform actions, being established in Yoga, free from attachments and being even minded in
success and failure. Evenness is verily Yoga.

7.  Kathopanisad
“Tam yogamiti manyante sthiram indriya dharanam”
It means that Yoga is a state where the indriyas (or the senses) are held steadily. In other words it is the
mastery of senses and mind.
 Swami Vivekananda
He has emphasized the role of yoga as a means to accelerate the rate of evolution of an
individual soul. Evolution is a natural process. All beings including humans are evolving constantly. But through
Yoga, one can make a conscious effort to speed up this process of evolution. One can get liberated from the
cycle of birth and death in single birth itself.
 Sri Aurobindo
Sir Aurobindo emphasized that Yoga is a conscious method towards self-development to
bring out the inherent potential of the individual. He focused on all-round personality development at physical,
emotional, mental, intellectual and spiritual levels.

8. 1.5. History of Yoga
 The history of Yoga may go back anywhere from five to eight thousand years ago, depending on the
perspective of the historian.
 It evolved wholly in the land of India and while it is supposed by some scholars that yogic practices
were originally then domain of the Indigenous, non-Aryans (Dravidan or pre -Vedic) people.
 The Origin and the history of Yoga Begins with Indus Vally Civilization. Indus valley civilization - Pre -
Vedic findings are taken, by some commentators, to show that "yoga" existed in from well before
establishment of Aryan culture in the north Indian sub-continent.

9.  A triangular amulet seal uncovered at the Mohanjo-daro archaeological excavation site depicts a male
seated on a low platform in across legged position, with that arm outstretched head is crowned with the
horns of water buffalo.
 He is surrounded by animals (an elephant, a tiger, rhinoceros and a buffalo) and a diverse symbols. The
likeness on the seal and understandings of the surrounding culture has led to its widely accepted
identification as: “Pasupathi"

10.  Lord of the Beasts, a prototype and predecessors of the modern day Hindu God Shiva.
 The pose is a very familiar one to yogis, representing Shiva much as he is seen today, the meditating ascetic
contemplating divine truth in "yoga - postures".
 There is no way at this stage to say for sure whether Yoga is an entirely Aryan creation - as for example,
Professor J.W.Haur thought - or whether it is in fact the amalgam of both the Indus civilization and the
nomadic culture of Aryan invaders

11. Pre-Vedic period (Before 3000 BC)
• Until recently, Western scholars believed that yoga originated around 500 BC, the period when
Buddhism came into existence.
• However, depictions of yoga postures were found in the recent excavations at Harappa and
Mohenjodaro. This indicates that yoga may have been practiced as early as 5000 years ago.
• However, there are no written records to prove this conclusively.
Vedic period (3000 BC to 800 BC)
• During the Vedic period, yoga was practiced ritually, to develop concentration, and to transcend the
mundane.
• The rituals practiced during this period are quite differing from the present practices of yoga.
• The rituals of the Vedic period are close to the definition of yoga: union of the individual self with the
supreme self.

12. Pre classical (Upanishad) period (800 BC to 250 BC)
 The Upanishads, Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita contain several references to yoga.
 The Bhagavad Gita mentions may forms of yoga: Jnana yoga, Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga and Raja yoga.
Krishna, during the Gitopadesha, explains that if a person seeks reality with humility and reverence, they
can attain a higher state of consciousness.
 In this period, yoga was more of lifestyle rather than breathing or a posture-related practice.
Classical period (184 BC to 148 BC)
 During the classical period, Patanjali compiled 195 sutras (aphorisms) of yoga into a more concise form.
Patanjali’s view on yoga is known as Raja Yoga.
 It has the classical eight limbs: Yama (social conduct), Niyama (personal conduct), Asana (physical
postures), Pranayama (breathing regulation), Prathyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana
(concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (transcendence).

13.  Though Patanjali added physical postures and breathing regulation to yoga, they were used only as
practices secondary to Dhyana and Samadhi. Patanjali’s sutras do not name any asanas or pranayama.
 Post classical period (800 AD to 1700 AD)During this age, followers of Patanjali yoga gave yoga a new
outlook by giving greater importance to the asanas, kriyas and pranayama, for cleansing of the body and
mind.
 The purification of body and mind helped practitioners reach higher levels of practice, like Samadhi. This
form of yoga is called hatha yoga.
Modern period (From 1863 AD onwards)
 Yoga was introduced to the rest of the world by Swami Vivekananda when he mentioned it in his historic
speech at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago.
 Many yogis like Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Ramana Maharishi, etc., influenced
the western world profoundly through their spiritual accomplishments and gradually yoga was accepted
throughout the world as a secular spiritual practice rather than a ritual-based religious doctrine. In recent
times, T.Krishnamacharya trained three disciples, BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois and TVK Desikachar.

14.  These yoga masters popularized yoga globally.
1. 1893 — Swami Vivekananda addresses the World Parliament of Religions at the Chicago World’s Fair.
2. 1920 — Yogananda arrives in the United States and addresses the International Congress of Religious
Liberals held in Boston on October 6. His talk, “The Science of Religion,” is later expanded and
published as a book.
3. 1947 — Indra Devi opens a yoga studio in Hollywood, attracting movie stars, including Gloria Swanson,
Robert Ryan, and Jennifer Jones; she becomes known as “the First Lady of Yoga.”
4. 1955 — Walt and Magana Baptiste open their yoga center in San Francisco.
5. 1958 — Swami Vishnu devananda arrives in the United States.
6. 1959 — Swami Vishnu devananda establishes the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Montreal, Canada,
as well as the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center.

15. 7. 1961 — Hittleman’s Yoga for Health TV program airs on KTTV, in Los Angeles. 1966 Yogi Amrit Desai founds the
Yoga Society of Pennsylvania, later to become the Kripalu Yoga Fellowship.
8. 1966 — Swami Satchidananda founds the Integral Yoga Institute and opens his ashram in Yogaville, Virginia.
9. 1966 — The international bestseller Light on Yoga, by B. K. S. Iyengar, is published.
10. 1969 — Yogi Bhajan arrives in Los Angeles and establishes the Healthy, Happy, Holy, Organization (3HO), along with
his method of Kundalini yoga.
11. 1973 — B. K. S. Iyengar arrives in the United States.
12. 1973 — Bikram Choudhury lands in Los Angeles and founds the Bikram Yoga College of India.
13. 1975 — Pattabhi Jois makes his first teaching debut in the United States. 1975 — Yoga Journal publishes its first
issue.
14. 1984 — David Life and Sharon Gannon found Jivamukti yoga.