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CHAPTER 2. Yoga History and Philosophy CHAPTER 2. Yoga History and Philosophy Chapter 2. Yoga History and Philosophy 1 Yoga on High © 200-hour Teacher Training Manual Yoga History and Philosophy History and Lineage The History and Meaning of Yoga The language of Yoga is Sanskrit. In the appendix of this manual and in the back of your textbooks you have glossaries and indexes to help you learn key words of this ancient language. In Sanskrit the word yoga comes from the root word, yuj, which has been translated to mean “yoke”, to bring together, bind, or to unite. When you unite something, you bring two or more things together into a relationship. Generally, it’s thought to mean the bringing together of the “small” self with the “great” SELF. “India’s civilization can claim to be the oldest enduring civilization in the world… Yoga practitioners in particular can benefit from India’s protracted experimentation with life, especially its explorations of the mysteries of the mind. The Indian civilization has produced great philosophical and spiritual geniuses who between them have covered every conceivable answer to the big questions, which are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago.” – Georg Feuerstein Chapter 2. Yoga History and Philosophy 2 Yoga on High © 200-hour Teacher Training Manual BC 5000 10 Yoga meditation depicted in archeological excavations in the Indus Valley. Sophisticated civilization - First Civilized Cities in the Indus Valley on 200 YogaHigh © Chapter and culture developed around the Indus and Sarasvati rivers in northern India on the border with Pakistan. BC 3000 Stone seals depict the earliest archaeological evidence of Yoga’ s existence. 2 Yoga Pose . Yoga Stone Seals BC 2008 These categories are static snapshots of periods of history that are history that inperiods actually snapshotsmotion are continuous Theseofstaticcategoriesoftime. over History Philosophy and A collection of hymns, mantras and Brahmin rituals that praised a greater being. Yoga is referred to The Vedas - in writing as yoking or discipline without any mention of a practice or method to achieve this hour hour Teacher discipline. A reference to breath control is mentioned in the Arthva Veda. Yoga Period BC 1500 Hinduism has no founder, it developed out of Brahmanism. Hinduism is the world’ s oldest known Birth of Hinduism & Judaism religion. Judaism is the oldest of the world's four biggest monotheistic religions Training Manual Training BC 800 The Upanishads explain the importance for human beings to learn and understand more about the The Pre-Classical HistoryandYogaWorldof Religions unity of all things. Furthermore, the Upanishads speak about Brahman (universal spirit) and Atman (individual spirit) and emphasize the characteristics of both. Yoga Period (Upanishads) BC 0 70 Ancient Greece Civilization established. Ancient Greece Civilization BC 509 Gautama Buddha, India’ s two greatest epics; Ramayana and the Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita Birth of Buddhism & Roman Empire embedded in this text). Buddhism arose (Gautama Buddha). BC 500 Lord’ s Song – Bhagavad Gita was created. This is currently the oldest known Yoga scripture. (Bhagavad Gita) BC 100 In an attempt to define and standardize Classical Yoga, Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras. They are The Classical composed of 195 aphorisms or sutras. Sutra means thread. Yoga Period (The Yoga Sutras) AD 30 The death of Jesus Christ. 590 AD Birth of Catholicism -1518 AD Birth of Protestantism. 610 AD Birth Birth of Christianity of Islam (Mohammed). AD 1400 Svatmarama codified the physical practice of Hatha yoga in his book the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hatha Yoga Pradipika Addresses familiar concepts such as basic forms of pranayama, asana, kriya, bandhas, mudras and a number of other concepts fundamental to most styles of Hatha. AD 1650 Buddhism in Tibet (Dalai Lama). Tibetan Buddhism AD 1893 Modern Yoga was introduced to the West by Swami Vivekananda in the Parliament of Religions The Modern which was held in Chicago in 1893. Yoga Period AD 1931 3 B.K.S Iyengar, Sri Pattabhi Jois, and TKV Desikachar were all Krishnamacharya’ s students. Krishnamacharya Yoga Stone Seals Around 2000 BCE scholars believe groups of Indo-European speaking people calling themselves arya, or noble, began to enter the Indian subcontinent through the Hindu Kush. There in the Indus river valley, they found a civilization already a thousand years old, thriving and advanced in technology and trade. From the fusion of these two cultures, the Aryan and the Indus Valley, Indian civilization was born. Aryans brought their gods and a religion based on ritual sacrifice and an ancient form of Sanskrit. They had beautiful hymns that worship natural forces and the elemental powers of life: sun and wind, storm and rain, dawn and night earth and heaven, fire and offering. These are devas – gods and goddesses. Fire is Agni, Storm is Indra, Wind is Vayu, Night is Ratri and dawn is Usha, the sun is Surya. Savitri is the giver of life and death is Yama. The forces of life are met with reverence and awe. These poetic stories served as liturgy in a complicated ritual religion centering around symbolic sacrifice. Over time, brahmins produced commentaries to explain the meaning of the rites. Hymns and commentaries together became The Vedas. -The Upanishads, Eknath Easwaran Chapter 2. Yoga History and Philosophy 4 Yoga on High © 200-hour Teacher Training Manual Yoga History and Philosophy Types of Yoga The Yoga Tree Raja Yoga Branch (Raja = Royal) Raja Yoga/Patanjali Yoga Hatha Yoga Branch (Ha= Sun and Tha = Moon) Adamantine – steady and strong - asana Bhakti Yoga Branch (Bhakti = Devotion, Love of God) Jnana Yoga Branch (Jnana = Knowledge) Naad Yoga Branch (Naad = Essence of Sound) Karma Yoga Branch (Karma = Action of Selfless Service for the Benefit of the Community) Contemporary Branches of Yoga From the above ancient traditions many new forms or Yoga have developed in the West. They include, but are not limited to: Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Jivamukti, Anusara, Bikram, Urban Zen, OM Yoga, and Vinyasa Flow. Beyond Asana Yoga is more than simple exercise. It may include postures (asanas), energy and breath control (pranayama), meditation, music, philosophy and other approaches. While many people equate the word Hatha with a particular style of yoga, the word actually refers to the physical aspect of yoga – to the asana and pranayama practices. Classes described as Hatha yoga usually include asanas as well as other teachings. There is a tremendous variety of ways Hatha yoga can be practiced and taught. Common names you may encounter include Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, Integral, Kripalu, Kundalini, Power, Sivananda and Vinyasa. Each style has unique characteristics. People come to yoga for a wide variety of reasons -- fitness, stress management, relief from physical or emotional pain. Regardless of their motivation, most credit yoga’s meditative component with allowing them to reach a deeper, more spiritual place in their lives. Common styles of yoga Yoga Alliance can help you determine what style of yoga would work best for you or your facility. The following are some common styles of yoga: Chapter 2. Yoga History and Philosophy 5 Yoga on High © 200-hour Teacher Training Manual • Gentle yoga: Gentle yoga can be as dynamic as some of the more vibrant styles, yet is gentle on the body. Classes are often multi-level and do not assume prior yoga experience. They include breathing techniques, warm-ups and basic postures to increase mind-body connection, self- awareness and self-confidence. • Yoga flows: Yoga flows are more invigorating. Postures are linked in a flow and provide some aerobic components while also improving strength and coordination. The classes assume a participant begins with a certain degree of strength and endurance. • Power yoga: This dynamic yoga style includes specific sequences designed to build strength and stamina. These classes are often recommended for people with some familiarity of the basic postures. • Fitness yoga: Fitness Yoga is a newer expression designed to incorporate traditional yoga postures in a form common to most fitness clubs. Students warm up, practice more strenuous postures and then cool down. They tone the body, especially the core, and increase flexibility, balance and mind-body awareness. • Specialty yoga: Yoga can also be customized for the special needs of a broad spectrum of groups including expectant mothers, seniors and children, as well as for those battling life-threatening diseases or debilitating chronic conditions. Specialized training is important for teachers who work with these groups. • Therapeutic yoga: Yoga therapy is the adaptation and application of yoga practices and techniques to help those facing health challenges manage their condition, reduce symptoms, restore balance, increase vitality and improve attitude. Retrieved February 12, 2013 from http://www.yogaalliance.org/ya/Yoga_Basics/Styles_of_Yoga.aspx Chapter 2. Yoga History and Philosophy 6 Yoga on High © 200-hour Teacher Training Manual Important Historical Yoga Teachers and Philosophers to Note Abhinavagupta (950-1016 AD) Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963) Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) B.K.S. Iyengar (1918- 2014) Indra Devi (1899-2002) Harbhajan Singh Khalsa/Yogi Bhajan (1929-2004) Sri Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002) There are many influential modern yoga teachers. Some of them include; Desikachar, Rodney Yee, Richard Freeman, Doug Keller, Richard Miller, Maty Ezraty, Jason Crandell, Mary Taylor, Tim Miller, David Swenson, Seane Corn, Gurmukh, Dianne Bondy, David Keil, Cyndi Lee, Shiva Rea, etc. Chapter 2. Yoga History and Philosophy 7 Yoga on High © 200-hour Teacher Training Manual Yoga History & Philosophy Texts and Philosophy The Vedas The Vedas, a Sanskrit word translating as “wisdom,” are the oldest sacred texts from India that date back about four millennia. They provide the first record of yoga philosophy. There are four main Vedas: Rig, Atharva, Sama, and Yajur. They are written largely as hymns, invocations and prayers to nature deities. It is believed that the Rishis (ancient Indian mystics) orally composed them in the area that is now Kashmir.
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