History of Yoga
Have you ever wondered about the history of yoga? Yoga is not a recent type of exercise, yoga is pure, ancient, and slightly mystical too.
If you really want to trace the true history of yoga, you will have to step back in time to the year 3000 BC (perhaps, even before that). Yoga began within the Indus Valley civilization and historians have also found traces of it throughout the Vedic Civilization. Archaeologists have found a 5,000 year old carving from the Indus Valley Civilization that shows a figure sitting in a specific posture (cross legged yoga pose). Still, some believe that yoga was present even before that, though we may not have any proof of this speculation.
If you lived during the year 3000 BC, you probably didn’t head to your local gym in order to sign up for a yoga class. Instead, yoga poses were meant to bring spiritual awakening to the body in the form of meditation. Various ancient religions including Buddhism and Hinduism often sought of different yoga poses in order to bring themselves close to their spiritual beliefs. If you have taken a yoga class before, you probably know that this form of exercise is really all about connecting with your entire body.
It is hard to stay in one yoga pose for a long period of time without concentrating on your breathing and your innermost thoughts – though the history of yoga tells us that the first yogis had no thoughts at all. In order to enter a completely contemplative state, one must clear their mind of any and all worldly considerations – not an easy thing to do. Some may wonder how it is that yoga has lasted throughout the centuries with such force, though the answer is relatively simple.
Consider, for a moment, all of those exercises that you have tried throughout your life. Now, if you have attempted yoga, think about the way you felt while you were immersed in a particularly deep yoga pose. In most cases, the mere recollection of a yoga class is enough to make your entire body and mind feel at peace – why is this? Yoga is not just about a few movements, it is about connecting with yourself, and this is a priceless feeling.
As you can tell, the history of yoga is both vast and complex, though this ancient art form is still thriving today. The truth is that yoga will never really go out of style, since these movements have no expiry date. If you haven’t tried yoga, give it a whirl, and see what it feels like to be perfectly in sync with your mind and body all at once.