Modern-day yoga approach many various issues to many various other people. However within the Yogamatters Historical past of Yoga month, I’m honoured to take a look at and resolve this query and to delve into the origins of Yoga; how this hyperlinks to Yoga as we comprehend it nowadays; and, particularly, the yoga of BKS Iyengar, who was once in large part liable for bringing yoga from India to the remainder of the realm.

What does Yoga imply?

To outline yoga is like looking to pin a snowflake down. Yoga is without doubt one of the 6 methods of Indian philosophy. It’s multi-faceted via its construction over 5,000 years and has a mess of definitions and meanings relying on the ones defining it.

At its maximum uncontentious yoga, or its root, approach to yoke or bind in combination. And this refers to our “yoking” or harnessing our consideration and awareness with a purpose to succeed in liberation. All interpretations appear in large part to agree that yoga is the trail to SAMADHI, variously translated as ecstasy, the ecstatic state, liberation, tremendous awareness or final fact. It considerations our state of being or our awareness and is a union of the physique and the spirit, the ecstatic state of SAMADHI.

Yoga encourages concept no longer most effective of the physique however of the intellect, emphasising self-knowledge. An figuring out of the ephemeral nature of our lifestyles and our happiness or pride no longer being related to acquisitions or bodily sensations, however to the mastery of the intellect. This keep an eye on of our awareness is the trail of Yoga. And this quest for self information and equanimity is why Yoga remains to be as related nowadays because it has ever been.

Patanjali defines Yoga in his Sutras as citti vritti nirodha “the restriction of the whirls of awareness” – the facility to focal point the entire physique and intellect till one’s whole being is quieted – no small process, however nonetheless a way of thinking to which we nonetheless aspire.

The place did yoga originate?

Yoga reaches again over 5,000 years to the traditional sages and civilisations of India and is rooted within the historical literature of Hinduism. A huge physique of teachings, non secular values, attitudes and ideas throughout philosophy and religions marry in combination to create what we perceive as Yoga.

The earliest and maximum precious texts are the Vedas, which have been hymns. Written in Sanskrit, they comprise information of the traditional Vedic civilisation, relationship again to 4500-2500 BCE. They come with the traditional rites and practices of the Vedic monks and the rigorous psychological coaching which they required to accomplish their tasks as a part of this respected civilisation. The charting of those psychological disciplines was once a basis for the Upanishads written, it’s believed, round 2,000 years later and which suggest that meditation may well be the trail to enlightenment or SAMADHI.

After this got here the Pre-Classical Generation – the generation of the Sutras and Shastras and the earliest entire Yoga paintings, the Mahabharata through which the Bhagavad-Gita is contained.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the most noted of all of the Yogic texts, have been written within the Classical Generation of 100 – 50 BCE. A compilation and systemisation of the writings and thinkings to that time, Patanjali gave Yoga its classical structure. The Sutras outlined and regularised a very powerful components of Yoga idea and observe. The use of 195 Sutras, Patanjali gave Yoga what has develop into its trendy path map.

Sutras, because of this thread, are brief, succinct, pithy words or brief sentences (aphorisms) in Sanskrit which can be like an aide memoire. For use by means of a pupil along a instructor or information (crucial thought in Yoga), who has current information of the topic. Every sanskrit phrase has a multiplicity of meanings, all subtly other, giving a perfect intensity and importance to each and every Sutra. The Sutras focal point at the philosophy of Yoga, why Yoga is essential, and what it will succeed in. Inside the Sutras, Patanjali stocks the trail to controlling the intellect and physique throughout the 8 limbs of Yoga, an idea with which we’re acquainted in trendy Yoga.

Even supposing well known to us, I feel they endure repeating on this dialogue of Yoga, as they’re seminal to our trendy figuring out of Yoga. They’re:
1) Yama – self-discipline
2) Niyama – restraint
3) Asana – posture
4) Pranayama – breath keep an eye on
5) Pratyahara – sense withdrawal
6) Dharana – focus
7) Dhyana – meditation
8) Samadhi – ecstatic state/liberation
Those are jointly Ashtanga Yoga. The phases 1- 5 are the exterior preparation for attaining or attaining phases 6-8.

The general textual content I wish to point out is the medieval writings of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, bringing us into the Not unusual Generation. While Patanjali inquisitive about attaining keep an eye on of the intellect and gave us an overview of the trail with the 8 limbs of Yoga, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika supplies a clearer clarification of the bodily necessities of Yoga. In its 4 chapters, it main points various asanas and respiring practices (a few of which we might recognise from our personal Yoga observe).

So, merely concluded, the body-focused Hatha yoga of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika was once a type of preparation for Patanjali’s mind-focused machine of Yoga, each with final pursuit of SAMADHI or liberation.

How has yoga advanced to what we all know nowadays?

From the medieval length, the bodily interests of Hatha Yoga were practiced by means of a minority which were additional squeezed by means of the British rule in India and fears of “fringe” dispositions. On the other hand, with chase away in opposition to colonialism and the upward thrust of Indian nationalism, Hatha Yoga discovered a brand new (albeit small) target audience.

The (Grand)Father of contemporary Yoga

In contrast backdrop, Krishnamcharya enters the image. After a few years of learning Sanskrit and the traditional texts and finding out together with his Guru, Brahmachari (who lived in a cave), Krishnamacharya was once invited to show the sons of a royal family in Mysore. Beneath this royal patronage, he was once in a position to review and broaden a large number of what we recognise because the bodily sides of yoga. Specializing in the physically sides of Hatha Yoga, he tailored it and drew inspiration from Indian wrestling and gymnastics to broaden dynamic asana sequences with the aim of establishing bodily health.

Along with the royal family, Krishnamacharya took on different scholars, of whom 3 particularly have been to lift the profile of yoga out of doors India. Among those have been Pattabi Jois, who via his research with Krishnamacharya, additional advanced Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Firstly designed for younger, robust males, it received traction extra extensively, most likely as a “gateway” to the extra philosophical and religious sides of Yoga.

Indra Devi was once any other alumni. Having gained instruction from Krishnamacharya, she travelled to China, the Soviet Union and latterly, The united states instructing and proselytising about Yoga and putting in place Yoga faculties.

The Father of Iyengar Yoga

On the other hand, maximum famously, BKS Iyengar studied with Krishnamacharya. Having been a sickly kid and failed his checks, he was once despatched by means of his circle of relatives to are living together with his sister and brother-in-law. After appearing promise, he was once topic to a rigorous and now and again harsh coaching regime underneath Krishnamacharya. He was once then inspired to move and unfold the phrase of Yoga.

Shifting together with his spouse, Ramamani, to Pune, Iyengar began to paintings with scholars who weren’t as younger and are compatible because the royal princes in Mysore. So he started to review the poses in monumental element and adapt them with use of props, to open up yoga to all. This exact find out about of the asanas and their healing advantages by means of Mr Iyengar was once captured for the realm in his seminal e book “Mild on Yoga” which was once revealed in 1966. Now regarded as the Yoga Bible, it was once his affiliation with Yehudi Menuhin (the world-famous violinist) and the similar’s foreword in Mild on Yoga, which helped to advertise and propel Iyengar yoga to begin with to the West after which spherical the realm. This, at the side of the rigorous and complete instructor coaching programme, which Mr Iyengar created, ensured that the eye to element, precision and concentrate on alignment is the gold-standard of Yoga and its instructing. And Iyengar Yoga continues to flourish within the twenty first Century underneath the care of Mr Iyengar’s grand-daughter, Abhijata.