Yoga teaching is a system that consists of various internships, exercises and meditations. It has its origins in ancient times. This art has changed a lot over time and has acquired its current form only in the last few centuries.
We have collected 7 interesting facts about yoga for you and would like to present them to you.
1. The homeland of yoga teaching is India
No one knows exactly when people first practiced yoga. According to one version, our ancestors brought harmony to their lives through yoga teachings in the Stone Age. But there is no evidence for this.
It has been found that yoga has existed since 3000 years before Christ. In the valley of the Ind River in India, a collection of stone figures depicting people in meditating poses was discovered. However, it is quite possible that this is not exactly yoga, but rather a precursor to this art.
2. Already described in the Vedic texts
The development of yoga teachings over time has greatly influenced the Weden. The Vedas are a series of religious texts written 2,500 years ago.
Believers think that the Vedas are created and written by gods. This teaching marked the beginning of Hinduism and played a major role in the emergence and development of South Asian philosophy.
The Vedas contain some of the first laws of yoga. They are very similar to today's form of yoga, but the basic principles of the art are contained in them - for example the ideals for physical and mental harmony.
3. The word is used in the 4th century BC. created
The word “yoga” was first mentioned in the ancient Indian text Katcha Upanishada. This text was written in the 4th century BC. In this text, yoga has been described as a technique for clearing the mind and controlling emotions. Their goal was to achieve spiritual enlightenment. In the later Upandishads, the basic concepts of yoga teaching were described, such as the chakras and meditation, as well as the sacred syllable “Om”.
4. Practical application
Bhagawad - Gita, an ancient Indian text tells about the practical application of yoga teachings and its importance for people who want to live harmoniously and perfectly. In Bhagawat - Gita the three laws are described - Karma-Yoga: a philosophy of selfless action, Bhakti - Yoga: the general belief in God and Dschjana - Yoga: spiritual development and the difficult path to union with reality.
The development of yoga over time has shown that this philosophy has taken various forms. Yoga Sutra was written in the second century - this is a collection of aphorisms that briefly present the ideas of yoga. In contrast to the claim that soul and body must be united, Sutra says that on the contrary - they must be examined separately - this is how purification of the soul occurs.
5. Above all, a spiritual internship
Throughout its history, yoga is primarily a spiritual practice. Of course, yoga also includes a few physical methods - meditation poses, method for regulated special breathing, etc. But these methods are largely metaphysical.
6. a long story
Yoga teaching only took its current form during the Middle Ages. Hatha yoga emerged in the Middle Ages and is very similar to current yoga. The philosophy of the ancient types of yoga has been preserved, but other ideas were also added. The body became more important than the soul.
Hatcha has added more poses and positions to the exercises – Asane.
7. It came to Europe in the 19th century
The last change in the history of yoga teaching occurred in Europe in the 19th century - under the influence of Western culture. Thanks to the Indian teacher Swami Wiwekananda, who has traveled extensively in Europe and the USA, yoga has changed a lot. Above all, many new exercises were created that were very popular. Contemporary yoga is a result of collaboration between the cultures of the East and the West. This is where the old and new philosophies meet and exchange ideas.
