A Brief History of Yoga
The Yoga we know and love today has a rich and ancient history. For practitioners of Yoga, it is helpful (and fascinating!) to delve into its origins and begin to understand its aim. This article will attempt to summarise the history of Yoga, from the pre-classical period up until the beginning of modern Yoga. This will then be followed by a short reflection of what Yoga means to me. If you don’t do Yoga, I hope it will invite you to start practising and if you’re already a practitioner, I hope it will invite you to think about your practise differently the next time you roll out your mat.
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The development of Yoga can be traced back to Northern India over 2,500 years ago, where we start to see the seeds of yogic ideas and schools of thought in a collection of sacred texts known as the Vedas. But some scholars think that Yoga may be up to 10,000 years old, before the Vedas were ever written down by “Rishis” (ancient sages). The word Veda means “knowledge” or “wisdom” in Sanskrit. Comprised of four volumes, they were a respected source of wisdom for Hinduism and indeed for humankind in general. Contained within the Vedas are hymns, mantras and religious rituals used by Brahmins, the Hindu priests of the Vedic age. At the time, India had a caste system in place, classifying Brahmins as members of the highest caste. Teaching the Vedas was a privilege reserved to them.
“Liberated from the grip of egoism, like the moon (after the eclipse), full, ever blissful, self-luminous, one attains one’s essence.”
– Adhyatma Upanishad
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The Vedic age lasted from c.1500 - c.500 BCE. The literature of the period concluded with a set of Sanskrit texts known as the Upanishads – key spiritual writings of Yoga theory. The texts differed from the earlier Vedas in that they were not concerned with religious ritual, but rather with deeper meanings of existence and liberation. The word Upanishad means “at the feet of the teacher”, a position which illustrates a humble acceptance of wisdom. They present a vision of an interconnected universe, where an individual’s inner Self, or soul (Atman) is identical to the universal Self (Brahman). For the rishis behind the Upanishads, the ultimate goal of life is infinite peace and love, enabled by the realisation that there is only one universal Self, and we are all one within it.
The Bhagavad Gita, a beloved Sanskrit text dating to around 500 BCE is yet another essential scripture in Yoga’s historical timeline. A poetic dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, it contains empowering principles and teachings that continue to enlighten yogis today. The Gita illustrates that living a meaningful life, attaining true wisdom and seeking the Divine is within everyone’s reach, no matter what your general situation. It described several different pathways of Yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is the path of selfless action, while Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, and Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge. The narrative offers the practice of Yoga as a way to overcome inner conflict and attain happiness. Moreover, it highlights how Yoga can be easily infused into daily life.
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“In ancient Yoga, it was not about a physical practice, but a spiritual one. It was about religious devotion and re-integrating with one’s divine nature.”
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At this point, you may begin to wonder why there has been no mention of asanas (physical postures). That is because in ancient Yoga, it was not about a physical practice, but a spiritual one. In Vedantic philosophy, Yoga was very much about religious devotion and re-integrating with one’s divine nature. This was often expressed through the rejection of the physical body and even at the cost of one’s physical wellbeing.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a collection of aphorisms compiled in the early centuries CE, is the most studied text in Yoga schools today. Like a masterful Editor, Patanjali synthesised the wisdom from various texts, including the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita into an accessible resource describing what Yoga is at its heart and how to pursue it. According to Patanjali, Yoga is a means to still the fluctuations of the mind, thereby allowing the inner Self to rest in its true nature. To reach this tranquil state of being, the Sutras offer aspiring yogis a well-defined “Eightfold Path”, which asana and pranayama are part of. However, we would be wrong to assume that this marks the beginning of modern Yoga asanas, for the original meaning of asana was simply “a comfortable seat”. Patanjali’s text has no physical instruction other than finding an easy posture in which to engage in breathing techniques and meditation.
“By lessening the natural tendency for restlessness and by meditation on the infinite, posture is mastered.”
– The Yoga Sutras, 2.47
You may be beginning to understand that Yoga was less about method and more about intention – the intention of regulating the mind and liberating the human spirit. It was not until the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP), a scripture dating back to c.1350 AD, that we start to see the description of methods. The HYP is described as an early Tantra scripture which brought in a new age of Yoga. As opposed to the Vedantic approach, the Tantras do not reject the reality of the physical body. In fact, it is viewed as a ladder to the spiritual body and to liberation. Asana, pranayama and purification exercises appear for the first time in the HYP. Whilst the asanas are far removed from those that we practice today, they kindled the start of Yoga as a body-centred practice.
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“The mind is the lord of the senses, but the breath is the lord of the mind.”
– Yogi Swatmarama, The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
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As we have seen, the rich and complex tapestry that is Yoga is punctuated with Sanskrit scriptures. The Upanishads, Patanjali’s Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and many more form some of the roots of Yoga. However, the development of the tradition we know today is not owed to another string of scriptures, but to the profound influence of a 20th century Yoga master called Krishnamacharya, often referred to as the “Father of Modern Yoga”. Through his teaching and lineage of students, the relevance and greatness of Yoga radiated throughout the world. In the process, and fairly recently, Hatha Yoga was brought out from obscurity and transformed into its central current.
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I am truly grateful for the long journey Yoga has made from the minds of the ancient sages and into my life. Every day, the spirit of Yoga extends a humble invitation to me: an invitation to abide in a calmer, more conscious state of being. What does that look like? Sometimes it’s several rounds of Surya Namaskar, while other times it’s sitting on a cushion and breathing like the ocean. Yoga looks like many things. It may have different forms and don various guises, but I believe that whatever we do, if we practice with a certain intention, we are all yogis at core. I still remember the pivotal day during my exams in 2015 when, frazzled from a day spent at the library, I decided to press play on a YouTube video called “Yoga to Calm your Mind”… These days, a title like that would make me pause and think. After all, if it wasn’t to calm the mind, would it still be Yoga? What do you think?
This is me in Vrksasana (tree pose)