1. Yoga history goes Back in time 5000 years to India where, it got started with an ancient Idian -tribe
called Indus Sarasvati people who lived along 2 big rivers (Indu and Saraswati river) located in Northern
India.
This was the first group of people who started practicing Meditation and seeking answers to questions
like, Who am I? Where do I come from, Why I am I here? What is the reason for human existence?
This tribe performed rituals to get answers, sing chants for their gods for enlightening and meditated
daily to gain more knowledge and learn from the wisdom with in.
This time in Yoga History was called the time of Vedic Yoga. (Vedic= Knowledge in Sanskrit)
What the Indus left behind for next generation to use and learn, was a Vedig- rig collection (Rig means
praise), what was a collection of their hymns and mantras containing all the information they gain while
living as one with the nature and meditating.
After about 3000 years of Vedic yoga,life style being the way of living, started the time of
Pre -classical yoga, consisting mostly of signing and chants actively opposing evil from the world and
going beyond the ego as a human being. Meditating was the main way of being and learning. This lasted
for the next 2000 years taking us to the 2000- century.
2000- century was The beginning of Classical Yoga period. Also known as Raja- yoga period. This time
was made out of Patanjalis, Indians most famous yoga- guru and seer(genius who knows the truth)
statements, the Yoga sutras, what was written for people to understand our existence and are still used
as the base for Any yoga teachings.
Post – classical yoga Later in 2000 century people started to understand how important it is to keep our
body active and healthy and this is the first time that yogis are starting to practice asanas in their daily
life.
All asanas are well performed and done only few at the time, not like now days when a Yoga lesson
consists from several asanas.
Modern Yoga, started in US in the late 1800’s when an indian Guru Swami Vivekananda went to
America to talk and teach about Yoga to the Western people. He was so liked in the states that he
became the most popular diplomat at the time (1893).
It took more time to yoga spread trough Europe and the rest of the world but what was now tough was
something people loved and made then feel great inside and out.
Yoga had won the heart of many and the new generation of people were ready to be born!
What we know as yoga now days, is far from what it was in the beginning and the most important part,
what is the knowledge of human exitance what in the past was main reason for yoga, is now left to
people think for themselves rather than teaching them like they did by chants and mantras in the Indu -
Civilization.
I hope yoga will bring you all what you are asking from it and may it lead you to your right path in this
amazing journey of Human – life, Namaste.