Yoga and its origin

1. YOGA AND ITS ORIGIN

Definition of Yoga can’t be simply put. Yoga is much more than what it is thought
of to be. It is not just a physical posture. As wikipedia defines it, “Yoga is
a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that denotes a variety of
schools, practices and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism (including Vajrayana and
Tibetan Buddhism) and Jainism, the best-known being Hatha yoga and Raja yoga.”
If you think this is all it is, you can’t be more wrong. It is for sure a physical
posture, but there is more to it. It is a physical posture that brings peace to you
when done with perfection. To comprehend the definition, let us delve into the
etymology and the origins of Yoga.
Etymology
Yoga is a term in Vedic Sanskrit (a classical language of India) which literally
means “to unite” or “combine”. According to the Sanskrit grammarian called
Pāṇini, the word Yoga has originated from one of the two roots yujir (to unite) or
yuj samādhau (to concentrate). We can simply say yuj is the root word. In the
present day context, Yoga can be understood as the union of mind, body and spirit.
At this point, it is prudent to keep the definition simple since other definitions or
technical terms like universal consciousness or consciousness with the self, etc.
will be difficult to fathom.
Origins
There have been a numerous number of statements and beliefs about the origin of
Yoga. Some researchers suggest that some seals discovered during excavation in
the Indus valley civilization depict a meditation or yoga pose. The most common
belief is that Yoga originated during pre-Vedic Indian traditions, which is
thousands of years ago from now.

2. (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

There are also mentions of Yoga in Vedic Hindu literature like Vedas and
Upanishads. Though it originated thousands of years ago, its development and
practice was in the 5
th
and 6
th
Centuries BCE which is believed to be the period
that marked the early Samana movement. Yoga was further more discussed in the
works of Patanjali, in the name “Yoga Sutra”.
There are also Buddhist texts that have mentioned Yoga during early Buddhism.
Both Patanjali and Buddhist Bhuddaghosa talk about Yoga as a practice that brings
a calmness that can’t be disturbed. Yoga and Meditation both have been regarded
as a path to purify the soul, mind, bring happiness and peace by practicing
detachment which is the essence of enlightenment. Yogins are those who practiced
yoga vigorously. They are also called sages or saints. They didn’t have families or
anything else that kept them from practicing detachment.
But in the modern era, it is more important for us to use Yoga in a way that can fit
our day to day lives and help us cope up with our own lifestyles without bothering
too much about what yogins did. In the later years, scholars like Paramahansa
Yogananda and Swami Vivekananda spread the significance of Yoga across the
whole world. They ignited the curiosity in the people of the world to learn Yoga to
bring a unification of their minds and body. This needs a lot of motivation,

3. unshaken dedication and rigorous practice throughout our lives. But once achieved,
we will also feel the same happiness that the yogins felt then, we will be
PEACEFUL.

What does Yoga do to us?
Yoga brings a lot of benefits to us. The following are just a few:
 No stress anymore
 Peace and happiness
 Focus and hence a proper decision making
 Good health (we can discuss this in detail)
 Patience
 Discipline
 Increased physical flexibility
 Good physique
 Mind-body synchronization
 Time management
And the list goes on and on.
An American spiritual teacher by name Marianne Williamson has said, “Our
deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually,
who are you not to be?” Yoga makes all your dreams come true.
Who can practice yoga?
The simple answer is everyone can. Religion, belief, age, sex, flexibility of body,
choice of food, nothing stops you from practicing yoga. Let us live better.