Yoga or Yog means union. It is really a collection of physical, mental in addition to spiritual practices that help one live a healthy and long life. The discipline originated from ancient India, and is considered a present to the world from India. Recognizing this and the benefits yoga has brought the planet, the 21st of June continues to be regarded as International Yoga Day. This makes knowing the history of yoga even more essential.
There are only speculations concerning the origins of yoga, and according to them, the practice reaches pre-Vedic Indian traditions. Though the practice of yoga continues to be mentioned in the Rigveda, it is thought that the discipline developed sometime around the fifth century BCE.
The philosophy and practice of yoga were introduced to the west, during the late 1800s, following the popularity of Swami Vivekananda. By the 1980s the exercise routines of Yoga became very popular in the western world.
But yoga is not only a method of physical exercise. In the Indian tradition, yoga is a philosophy, a meditative and spiritual core. Yoga is also one of the 6 orthodox Hinduism schools. As a school of thought, it has its own epistemology as well as its metaphysics. It is associated closely with the Hindu Samkhya philosophy.
According to a number of studies which have been conducted around the world. Yoga effectively intervenes to cure diseases like asthma, illnesses linked to the heart, schizophrenia, and cancer. Yoga also cuts down on the risk factors of many life-threatening diseases as well as enhances the psychological healing process. The UNESCO around the 1st of December, 2021, listed yoga since it's intangible cultural heritage.
What is hatha yoga?
Yoga has many branches. One such branch that are responsible for physical exercises and emphasizes these exercises to aid the mind to withdraw from material things, is Hatha yoga. In Sanskrit, hatha means force. The early Indians who were privy to the knowledge of yoga knew how challenging the practice was, but how if one continued with the techniques, the results were \”forced\” to happen. Thus, the name hatha yoga.
Origins of hatha yoga
Though many scholars credit the origins of hath yoga to Gorakhnath, James Mallinson suggestes that the roots of hath yoga are much more ancient. According to the texts, attributing the origins of Hath yoga to the Naths of Shaivism is incorrect.
Hath yoga developed like a broad movement, one that was available to each and every one who wanted to practice it. Many innovations were then produced in hath yoga, and those a majority of those innovations are credited towards the Dashanami Sampradaya.
The emphasis of hath yoga, aside from physical exercise, is on proper diet, proper breathing during the exercises and asanas or proper body postures.
Surya Namaskar or Sun salutations are a fundamental element of hath yoga and should be performed as a graceful movement sequence.
The objective of performing hath yoga regularly and religiously id to achieve physical siddhi or physical prowess like a slowed down aging process. Some sections also think that hath yoga helps one attain moksha or liberation.
In the early 1900s, hath yoga gained popularity because of its system of physical exercises which promoted relaxation, body flexibility, concentration, and strength building. Hath yoga was then just called \”yoga\”.
Yoga in the modern era
Let us now discuss the history of yoga in the modern era. Hath yoga, once we previously stated, has been a movement which has tried to embrace all Indian traditions. It has always been open to anyone who really wants to practice it. Regardless of sex, caste, creed, color or religion, hath yoga offers its advantages to every single person who is willing to engage in it.
There are number of texts that openly suggest that the practice of hath yoga leads to success.
Mallinson shows that hath yoga democratized yoga by eradicating the requirement for “either ascetic renunciation or priestly intermediaries, ritual paraphernalia and sectarian initiations”.
As an effect, yoga became very popular one of the masses in the late 20th century India. Since hath yoga wasn't affiliated to a particular religion or caste, it spread across the world like wildfire.
This was not exactly the same during the 17th, 18th and early 19th century. During those years, yogis were viewed with scorn by urban Hindu and Muslim elites. During Aurangzeb's rule, individuals who promoted hath yoga were beheaded. Nonetheless, yoga was always a popular practice in rural India. Based on Mallinson, hath yoga practice was a type of training that militant resistance groups received to fight ruling officials. As a result, the negative idea about hath yoga and hath yogis continued during the British rule as well.
Mark Singleton shows that Swami Vivekananda was motivated by this historical negativity towards hath yoga, and so, sought to make an emphatic division between “merely physical exercises of Hatha yoga” and the “higher spiritual road to Raja yoga”.
Spread of modern yoga in the West
Modern yoga that is taught in the West was influenced greatly by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. The guru taught yoga from 1924 to 1989. His students took the baton from him after his death and popularized yoga around the globe. The most prominent of his students are K. Pattabhi Jois who spread the dynamic Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, and B.K.S. Iyengar who promoted the use of props in yoga. Yoga soon shot to popularity in both developing and developed nations of the world.
The practice of hatha yoga
Hath yoga involves both behavioral elements and aspects of practice. According to the texts of hath yoga, a person who practices yoga need to possess/develop certain qualities. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika in the section 1.16 states that a yogi needs to have characteristics such as utsaha or enthusiasm, sahasa or courage, dhairya or patience, jnana tattya or even the true essence of knowledge, nishcaya or determination, and tyaga or renunciation. These qualities make one a true yogi.
The diet a yogi must follow
The texts of hath yoga greatly emphasize mitahara or measured diet. It promotes eating moderately. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika in its sections discusses the necessity of a proper diet, a diet that provides the body a balanced nutrition. Only if you eat a balanced diet can you get the benefit of hath yoga practices.
According to the Gheranda Samhita, eating is a devotional act, an action to the body which is a temple. It's act that expresses gratitude and affection for that gods.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika proposes that one's eating habits should not be guided by one's cravings. Instead you ought to rely on food that it nutritious and tasty and provides all the needs of the body as well as inner self.
The Gorakshasataka, another classic text of hath yoga, states that a controlled and moderate weight loss program is one of the most important parts of hath yoga. According to Mallinson, this text suggests that one's \”food ought to be unctuous and sweet.\” Also, one should not overeat. You need to give up eating a meal while you are still just a little hungry.
Proper breathing
Another very important element of hath yoga is proper breathing or Pranayama. Based on the major texts of hath yoga, pranayama is really a practice of consciously breathing. Additionally, it combines certain focused muscle workouts. Pranayama is one thing you need to follow even during asanas if you wish to achieve the complete benefit those asanas have to offer.
Health impact studies
The impact hath yoga is wearing one's physical as well as mental health continues to be discussed widely as a part of certain systematic studies. Based on many scholars, practicing the postures coupled with proper breathing can yield amazing health benefits.
Yoga focuses not only on physical movements, but on breathing which helps improve concentration and mindfulness. Individuals who practice yoga regularly have reported better sleep, improved tone of muscle, increase in energy levels, relief from stiffness, better circulation of body, reduced inclination towards diseases and enhanced general health. The breathing practices of yoga even improve one's blood pressure and sugar levels.
According towards the Huffington Post,
\”A May 2021 study published within the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the brain to show that yoga protects the brain from the decline in gray matter brain volume as we grow older. People with more yoga experience had brain volumes typical for much younger people. In other words, yoga could protect your brain from shrinking as you get older.\”
21st Jun, 2021 is the third International Yoga Day, and that we hope after reading the history of yoga and how it has benefited people for centuries (and continues to benefit), you'll be encouraged to be a part of the Yoga family. If you're someone who practices yoga regularly and it has benefited from it, do share your experiences with us in the comment section. You may also contribute your stories to page.
Was this post helpful? Let us know in the comment section below.
To receive these posts that promote health insurance and well-being, in your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter today. See you soon!