The documentary Yoga Unveiled provides commentary from prominent yoga scholars, teachers, and medical experts on the evolution and essence of yoga as a spiritual tradition. Produced by Gita and Mukesh Desai, it explores yoga's origins in ancient India over 5,000 years ago and its development over time, including the Vedic, pre-classical, epic, and classical periods. It discusses key yoga texts like the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, as well as different branches of yoga practice.

1. Yoga Unveiled
Documentary
Commentary from the most
prominent yoga scholars, teachers
and medical experts
EVOLUTION AND ESSENCE OF A SPIRITUAL TRADTION
Produced by: Gita and Mukesh Desai

2. The information
provided on the
following slides are
brought to you by the
Yoga Unveiled
Documentary. I am in
no way taking
personal credit for
it’s work or ideas.
Mahalo & Enjoy
~Alicia Noonan

3.  Yogic Philosophy and Knowledge lies in
dealing with how to still the restless
mind, to focus on an inward journey in
search of Self, to follow the path of
selfless action and devotion, and to free
oneself from ego-bound rigidity
YOGA
 The oldest spiritual practice in the world
 Is Universal; not one mans property

4. 
Y
O
GA
goes
far
b
e
y
o
n
d
the
mat
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Yoga, in a nutshell, is to keep the entire–the external/internal–body
clean, pure, sanctified, so that the mind flows, without any barrier within, and
absorbs what goes on inside the body
Yoga is a medium that connects an individual with that individuals notion of the
divine
The practice of yoga is the practice of coming back to ourselves and
rediscovering ourselves and in fact coming to love ourselves and
understanding that we are not separate from the totality
Yoga's purpose is to instill or to realize complete inner freedom; there are many
pathways or approaches to this. Each person is working from the inside out and
everybody’s path is different
The core of Yoga’s philosophy is that everything is supplied from within the
individual
Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence. When the mind has settled, we are
established in our essential nature, which is unbounded consciousness
Yoga is the joining of the finite with the infinite, the limited with the unlimited
Yoga is not an add-on, it is simply a path into yourself
Yoga means joining oneself firmly to a spiritual discipline, the central element of
which is the process of cultivating a full and present awareness of reality, in which
all the energies of the body, senses, and mind are brought to a single point of
tranquil focus
Yoga is to connect the individual to its original blessing, to its original creation and
to discover the truth, the beauty…the joy of living

5. INDIA’S YOGA
OVERVIEW
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Little is known about yoga's beginnings
It originated in India some 5,000 years ago
Evidence of yogic postures were depicted on steatite seals from the
ancient Indus Valley Civilization- existed 3000BC
The History of yoga can be divided into 4 broad categories: Vedic, PreClassical, Epic and Classical
Yoga comes out of an oral tradition in which the teaching was transmitted
directly from the teacher to the student
India's romance with the spirit<3 and its material riches were a continual
source of fascination to Western explores
India was the richest country on Earth prior to European colonization
It’s heritage was high until British and Muslims invaded and nearly
abolished it completely, replacing their own religious influences. This, in
turn scattered all of India's subjects (yoga, art, music, etc.)
Later, all the scattered communicated ideas were brought together in the
YOGA SUTRAS composed by: Patanjali
Yoga probably arrived in the United States in the late 1800s, but it did not
become widely known until the 1960s

7. There are 4 Periods in Early Indian
History during which yoga developed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
VEDIC PERIOD 2500 BC (Indus Valley Civilization)
PRE-CLASSICAL PERIOD 1000 BC- 500 BC
EPIC PERIOD 600 BC
CLASSICAL PEROIOD OF SUTRAS 500 BC-1000 BC

8. INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
“the birthplace of yoga”
3000 BC - Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
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1921 & 1922 Excavation of these sights brought to light the existence of the
Indus civilization which pushed back our knowledge of India’s past by another
2,000 years.
The World’s artistically finest Steatite Seals were found including a variety of
motifs: men in yogic postures (soles of feel touching together, hands on
knees, legs stretched out) *It’s quite likely that these people had some idea
and developed this religious aspect of yoga at this time
India’s civilization can claim to be the oldest enduring civilization in the World
A great , prosperous nation that exported a large variety of goods to
Mesopotamia and other parts of the Middle East and Africa
Language: Sanskrit
People: Aryans
The entire Indus civilization was yogically based. It’s ancestors were masters of
yoga , the inner world and the outer world
The same people who created this yogic tradition, created a civilization that
when viewed today… We are ASTOUNDED by its accomplishments ;its
architectural and engineering feats were not recreated until the Roman
empire

9. •
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VEDIC PERIOD 2500 BC
Traces of archaic yoga emerged
It’s people were known as Aryans and their culture was based on complex rituals and sacrifice (the
sages felt that through sacrifices/offerings into the fire they could connect with the subtle
realm, increasing their own connection to inner freedom). During sacrifice, participants had to
focus their minds for a long time…addressing the nature of *pure conciousness~becoming deeply
involved in ways to still the mind* (these techniques of how to achieve one point focus defined
the groundwork of YOGA).
The Aryans hold a deep reverence for the natural world; equating nature to the creator himself.
Since early man was dependent on nature, its elements became the first objects of worship.
The Rishis/Sages were able to obtain astonishing insight/ knowledge
(science, philosophy, dance, music, mathematics, medicine, astrology- above and beyond the
technology at this time) it came through deep meditative practices. The Rishis were just like
us, they had teaches show them the way- how the infinite potential within them could be
accessed.
Their spiritual insights were revealed in sacred scriptures called: THE VEDAS. VEDA means
“knowledge” and they existed of 4 types: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda
SANSKRIT was their medium for expressions (from the beginning of yoga history and for many
centuries the Vedic tradition was transmitted orally by Gurus [a qualified teacher who had
experienced what he was talking about and transmitting that in an intimate setting and handing
it down the lineage; so ALL of traditional yoga is lineage based], nothing was written. Students
memorized and recited them with precise hand movements)
The Mother of All Scriptures <3 VEDIC YOGA
RIG VEDA: Oldest existing text, contains hymns in praise of a higher power, evidence of yoga is
found here
YAJUR VEDA: Included the knowledge of sacrifice
SAMA VEDA: Knowledge of chants to accompany the sacrifices
ATHARVA VEDA: Knowledge of rituals and incantations for everyday life

10. Oldskool yogis of the Vedic period
 Yogis hadn’t much more than their body, mind and
speech.“You really need nothing outside of yourself”
 During this time Yogis lived in forests, in seclusion
 Yoga was also taught to kids, in the forests. They would
observe their environment and were able to build and
understand their relationship to nature
(asana examples: trees, animals, birds)

12. PRE-CLASSICAL PERIOD
1000 BC-500 BC
 Gave rise to rich texts called the UPANISHADS:
books of wisdom and understanding (these
writings shifted away from the Vedic ritualism
and opened new channels of analysis and
critique; *the focus* became mans inward
journey in search of the Self)
 This period we get clear criticism of the Vedic
rights
 Upanishad texts: Many were written in the forest
and it is here that we see the 1st CLEAR explicit
signs of YOGA

13. EPIC PERIOD 600 BC
• Birth of the Bhagavad Gita: Great philosophical poem which has its
roots in the revelations of the Upanishads
• It is the most beloved yogic text in India- In the Epic Lord Krishna urges his
self doubting pupil Arjana to follow the yoga of wisdom, selfless action
and devotion
• The Gita delivers a message of enduring hope still to this day

14. CLASSICAL PERIOD OF SUTRAS
500-100 BC
SCHOOLS OF HINDUISM
• When we look at yoga today, its a theory and practice continuum; its all one package – what
happened was in the development of Indian Civilization, some yoga masters felt the need to be
more succinct in their phrasing of philosophical ideas and out of this grew:
THE 6 SYSTEMS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
•6 Schools of
thought emerged 
•More psychological
than a philosophical
school
ORTHODOX
UNORTHODOX
Darshanas: to see the truth
BELOW vVv all have their roots
in Upanishads
Nyaya
Founded by:
Guatama Rishi
•Yoga is articulated
in a systematic way
for the 1st time
Vaisesika Kanada Rishi
Samkhya Kapila Muni
Yoga
Patanjali
Purva Mimasa Jaimini
Vendanta
Badarayana
Buddhism- Decided to drop
 Orthodox texts and
severed themselves from that
culture and started a new
religion
Jainism

16. PATANJALI
-lived and died as a human being
“Every so often an individual will come around and encapsulate some of the wisdom that has been
evolved and discovered over thousands of years. Patanjali has described how the human being is to
liberate themselves both psychologically, emotionally and physically in this lifetime”
• He likely lived 200 AD in N India
• He composed the YOGA SUTRAS: 2,000 year old work on yogic philosophy
• The Vedic ideas (the classical understandings of the mind) described in now a single text;
all the scattered communicated ideas were brought together here in response to
philosophical challenges from the Buddhist tradition
• There are 196 SUTRAS / “versus sewn together” & in each one there is a distinct strand of
yogic wisdom –Contains ones freedom from ego-bound virility and are meant to be studied
under a teacher
• He systemized a particular version of yoga
• The yoga of Patanjali- he presents yoga as a process of refining the mind (understanding
, refining and then using it to help serve our needs) it’s a psychology that explains the workings
of the mind. It outlines various stages of samadhi [self-transcendence] leading to the
separation of pure consciousness so you're not aware of anything
• “For Patanjali, the goal of yoga is not asana. Asana is simply a stepping-stone to something far
more important, that is, realization of the innermost Self.”

17. P
a
t
a
n
j
a
l
I
s
S
y
s
t
e
m
Yoga Sutra’s 8 LIMB PATH
Prerequisite for the Yogis
ASHTANGA: The 8 rungs of yoga- the 8 distinct stepping stones, the process of
meditating to something far more important
1.) Yama: abstention
2.) Niyama: observance
3.) Asana: posture-point is so that one can sit without distractions for meditation
4.) Pranayama: breath control-conscious breathing is considered one of the best
techniques for cleansing the mind
5.) Pratyahara: withdrawal from the senses- the senses of turning away from
external objects; everything is turned inward
6.) Dharana: intense concentration- the meditator, the object of meditation and the
process of meditating become one
7.) Dhyana: The total absence of though- deep tranquility, oneness
8.) Samadhi: Contemplation/ ecstasy- within meditation, the mind implodes on
itself

18. ASHTANGA YOGA OF PATANJALI
YAMA ABSTENSION
 AHIMSA- non violence
 SATYA- truth
 ASTEYA- non stealing
 BRAHMACHARYAcelibacy
NIYAMA OBSERVANCE
-How we live when no one is
looking
 SAUCA- cleanliness
 SANTOSHAcontentment
 TAPAS- Austerity
 SVADHYAYA- self study
 ISHVARAPRANIDHANAtotal surrender to the
creator
^^^ These 2 steps happen before anyone talks about posture practice
Yoga without moral foundations is an impossibility

20. BRANCHES OF YOGA
For ALL yoga systems, the goal is realization of the innermost self
*CONCIOUSNESS: Atman, Jive, Brahman, Purusha etc*
HISTORY OF WESTERN THOUGHT
• A DUALITY EXISTS
• Matter (body): external
• Spirit: mind is associated with
spirit ; beingness is associated
with thinking
HISTORY OF EASTERN THOUGHT
• A TRIALITY EXISTS
• 3 divisions of the personality
• BODY: external
• MIND: just as external to the
innermost self as the body is;
the mind in an inanimate
entity
• The idea is for consciousness
to separate from the external
body as well as the internal
workings of the mind

21. TYPES OF YOGA
LIBERATION SYSTEMS: Systems that seek to free the individual from all habit
patterns of the mind, body and speech and to return him/her to
consciousness
YOGA practices:
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Bhakti
Karma
Jnana
Raja
Tantra
HathaKundalini
Mantra
 The goal for every one of these systems is the realization of the innermost Self

22. •
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Bhakti Yoga
The yoga of DEVOTION to the love of God
Very religious type of yoga
Worship; yoga of the
(e.g.: chanting, repetition of the divine name, rituals)
We direct our emotional life toward God with a lovingly response beyond our
ego to the Divine

23. KARMA YOGA
• We have to be fully committed to self transcending action in
every moment
• We regard our life as service to others without expectation of
any personal reward
• EXAMPLES: Mother Teresa, Gandhi

24. JNANA YOGA
• Yoga of the MIND- the yoga of wisdom
• The wisdom that tells us what is real and what is unreal. When we find out
what is unreal we need to let go of it; it involves discernment and inner
renunciation

25. RAJA YOGA
• Works primarily with meditation and
higher states of mind – STOPPING,
FIXING & CONTROLLING THE MIND
• This is the yoga of Patanjali- he
presents yoga as a process of refining
the mind (understanding , refining and
then using it to help serve our needs)

26. TANTRA YOGA
• Holistic approach to health
& well being
• Wise people combine all
elements:
aryuveda, astrology, numerol
ogy, diet, mantra and more
• Tantra accepted that this
world is a manifestation of
the ultimate reality; there is
nowhere to run since the
ultimate reality is
everywhere

27. KUNDALINI YOGA
• The Yoga of AWARENESS; Complex yoga
• It’s mystifying: awakening of the psychic power within us
• We can’t practice by ourselves, it truly requires Guru guidance

28. MANTRA YOGA
 Can be a single syllable, a number
of syllables or a whole verse
 Something that protects the
person who has received it

29. HATHA YOGA (HA-SUN THA-MOON)
It’s name implies a forceful or disciplined practice
 Late arrival on the stage of yoga history (maybe 1,000 years old)
 Gorakhpurs following still exists today in North India
 Posture practice is basic but consists of only meditation postures as it did in
the oldest Hatha scriptures
 It’s whole work is to prepare the body for spiritual realization/meditation/ to
reach SATVA: clarity, purity
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The human body is of high importance and techniques were created that
rejuvenated the body and prolonged life:
1.) CLEANSING for vitality- Shuddhi Kriya
2.) ASANAS for flexibility- designed to energize and move certain parts of the
body/organs. Doesn’t allow toxins and impurities to accumulate in the body
3.) PRANAYAMA- breath control (life energy); enlivens the body, its work and
keeps everything going
4.) MEDITATION- Dhyana

31. S
W
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Yogis came to the West with very little impact until SWAMIVIKANANDA came to
America!!
Born 1863 Calcutta, India- Passed 1902 @ 39
He received a Western education in Science, Literature and History. He was also educated
in Indian music, poetry and art.
@ age 25 HE WAS DESTINED TO CARRY THE TORCH OF HIS Master, Swikramarishna
He wandered India for 6 years as a penniless monk testing his will
SEPTEMBER 11, 1893 He came to America to speak at the Parliament of Religions in
Chicago @THE WORLDS COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION (The Worlds 400th Anniversary of
Columbus’ discovery of the New World). This was the 1st time delegates of the Worlds
faiths were brought together. It highlighted the Worlds progress of humanity, especially in
science and technology. Religion was VITAL to human culture at this time and was
therefore included in the program.
THE PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS consisted of 4,000 men and women. All of the speakers
had prepared speeches, Swami was unaware to do so, he drew courage from the Goddess
of Wisdom (Sarasviti) and spoke as a prophet with experience. He was such an inspiring
speaker, he set the whole educated country on FIRE!
He came here with a spiritual message from India. *No one was worthier than Swami
to deliver this message. He brought the ancient yet dynamic philosophy of yoga to life.
He introduced yoga as a tool to achieve harmony and overcome duality. His message
was of tolerance and Universal acceptance of ALL religions. His purpose was to spread the
message that all life forms evolve from one life-force
•
He came to America and opened our eyes to a new way of thinking. They were hungry for
more and wanted to hear his view of science and religion. Material success was losing its
charm and people were looking for a deeper meaning of
LIFE

32. TKV KRISHNAMACHARYA
Preserved the ancient tradition of yoga and trained the greatest
modern yoga masters
• Born 1888-1989
• His History: @ age 5 he memorized the yoga sutras.
He was a genius and studied Sanskrit, aryuveda,
music, law and more
• Known as the single most important master of yoga
within Hinduism
• His work formed the foundation of nearly all of the
yoga practiced in the World and greatly influenced
the way we practice yoga here in the W
• His 4 DISCIPLES: Indra Devi, B.K.S. Iyengar, K.
Pattabhi Jois, T.K.V. Desikachar ALL widely
influenced the introduction of yoga to our culture…
each yogi brought yoga to the West

33. Each of these individuals had a different reason for beginning
their practice of yoga, yet they have gone on to share unselfishly
their knowledge and experience of yoga with the Western world
Indra Devi (1899-2002), B.K.S. Iyengar (1918), K. Pattabhi Jois (1915- 2009)T.K.V.
Desikachar (1938-)
Mr. Iyengar’s assertion, “I started for health and
then it became a dedicated service to humanity,”
reflects the dedication of all those yogis and yoginis
who have committed their lives to a yogic path.

34. From loincloths
to leotards
• Indian thought had a
TREMENDOUS influence on
transcendentalists (Thoreau uses
words such as: Brahma)
• Before the twentieth century, it
was practically unheard of for
women to do Hatha yoga
• The modern emphases on
precision of alignment, physical
fitness, and therapeutic effects
are purely twentieth-century
innovations

35. MODERN YOGA
 Modern yoga is based on five basic principles
that were created by Swami Sivananda
1. Proper relaxation
2. Proper exercise
3. Proper breathing
4. Proper diet
5. Positive thinking and meditation

36. WESTERNERSGRINGOS
o There is an ENORMOUS interest in Yoga in the U.S. and is continuing to increase
(20 million practitioners in the U.S. and millions more worldwide)
o There are more people practicing yoga in the West than the East
o The yoga that the West has embraced can be traced back to the teachings of the
Brahman yogi, T.K.V. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989)
o In the United States in particular, yoga has become a commodity
o “We clean ourselves, our jeans, our everything (we have almost an obsession with
the purification of the body, mainly because it promises eternal youth).. But we
don’t clean our mind or our speech. How can the one work without the other? We
are 1 unit, we are body/minds that talk , so we have to regard all 3 in our work of
self purification- YOGA provides all the needs necessary to do that.”
o To most of us, yoga is merely a series of postures that offers physical benefits but
this confines the yoga to only what occurs on the mat, Asana is one of the thinnest
slices of the entirety of yoga
o “While there has been a great interest in the discipline of yoga, we don't yet have
the proper context for an authentic engagement of yoga in the West. And that is why
it's not working.”

37. EASTERN VIEW
 Yogis understood the body was far more than just a physical
form, early focus was on the subtle energy systems and chakras that
the poses both reflect and influence
SPIRITUALITY
 In India, spirituality is intertwined with every walk of life
 Religion is based on belief and having someone else do it for you and
spirituality is based in actual, personal experience and effort to make a
change
 “You are the master of your destiny; do not be discouraged in
sorrows, difficulties, tribulations and manifestations of the
daily battle of life. Draw courage and spiritual strength from
within. There is a vast and inexhaustible magazine of power
and knowledge within, learn the ways to tap the source, dive
deep within.”

38. YOGA THERAPY
What may begin as a
physical effort starts
opening up other
possibilities
•
•
women, men, children, and the
elderly eagerly participating in yoga •
and meditation classes
YOGA’S ASTONISHING MEDICAL
POTENTIAL
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE PROGRAMS’
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Many physicians now recommend
Yoga practice to patients at risk
for heart disease, as well as those
•
with back pain, arthritis, depression
and other chronic conditions
ARYUVEDA: a 5,000 year old system
of natural healing that provide
guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal
•
routines, diet, behavior and the
proper use of our senses
It touches every aspect of life really, if you do yoga
long enough… you LIVE it
Even if a person starts it with no interest in
meditation and only wants to keep the body in
shape by takings asana seriously.. There is a pretty
good chance their lifestyle and diet changes and as
life's suffering increases they become attracted to
meditation
Yoga doesn’t bring you a sense of peace, health and
well being as a pharmaceutical drug; rather it helps
you quiet down your mind and body so you can
experience what your true nature is: which really is
to be peaceful, until we disturb it
When people learn to relax deeply, they are
different out there in the world
You begin to become more comfortable with
yourself in yoga, therefore your perspective on
things changes
“It is our misconception of ourselves as separate
from the rest of nature, the rest of the
universe, that makes us behave and choose things
that are not suitable for/or supportive of us that
then cause physical malfunctioning, and then
diseases.”
The relaxation of true meditation has measurable
beneficial effects on all levels of our being, with no
damaging side effects

40. 7- Chakra System: Energy centers are organized
within the central spine/nervous system
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1.) Crown
2.) Brow
3.) Throat
4.) Heart
5.) Naval
6.) Sacral
7.) Root
^ energy draws up to
l crown and beyond
l
l
^
l
l
^ Spiritual energy
l awakened ^^^^^
l
^
l
l
^
l
l
potential
The body is an energetic
system: as a system it needs
subtle body organizational
structure
Each of them is responsible
for a certain level of
functioning
Chakras are connected
through NADIS (very subtle
channels) where the energy
flows through this entire
system
There’s said to be 72,000
NADIS (complex)
**Our GOAL and PURPOSE of yogic practices and an aryuvedic balanced lifestyle is to have all prana
available @ any given moment to direct it through the central channels to the highest chakra

41. KOSHAS- sheaths/ bodies field of operation
E
N
E
R
G
Y
R
O
L
E
S
Annamaya
• Physical
• Food gets
transformed to
nutrients by breath
Pranamaya : Energy
Manomaya: Food for the
mind and thought
Vijnamaya: Wisdom
Anandamaya: Bliss
• Knowledge: Turning
thought into deep
understanding
• Pure
existence, eternal, no
t influenced by
anything around you
When our energy gets attached/trapped due to things such as
unresolved past issues, it is not available for the processing of
everyday life

42. 5 ELEMENTS: @ the
fundamental, physical
manifestation of the Universe
WATER
SPACE
FIRE
AIR
EARTH
TRI-DOSHA
3 BASIC PRINCIPLES
VATA: air/movement
PITTA: energy/fire (energy
transformation)
KAPHA: structure/stability
(cohesion)
** In order for any form to be
alive there has to be a
combination of these elements
• The body is an energetic
system: the five elements of
nature, the doshas, the
koshas, the chakras, and the
nadis

43. TEACHING
Why are we holding onto this gift? SHARE IT, lets transform society
and bring the whole world together
• The teaching is not to
promote the teacher, but
is to support the student

44. Yoga brings us back to the feeling of what life is
all about in a sense of really deepening our
respect for this life so that we can feel the
abundance of this gift,
that LIFE IS AN AMAZING GIFT and if yoga
can help us really recognize that on a daily level
by practicing daily and respecting and having
gratitude for this gift of life then I think it’s done
an amazing job no matter what generation or
time, no matter where in the human existence it
comes. I think it’s a gift for us to receive the gift
of our lives.
“One hundred years from now people will
acknowledge yoga as the greatest gift from
India.” ~ Krishnamacharya