History of Yoga

As with much of history, there are differing views amongst historians, of when yoga first evolved. It's starting point varies depending which version of history you listen to. However, suffice to say that yoga has been around for 5,000 years or even more. Yoga, therefore, has an immense history which we cannot cover fully here.

Yoga first appeared in Hindu texts about 4,000 years ago, and has been an integral part of the Hindu religion ever since. India, where the poulation has always had a strong Hindu persence, is the widely accepted origin of yoga. Other religions have embraced yoga too, and Buddhism has for a long time been associated with yoga in its fullest and most spiritual sense. For Hindus and Buddhists, yoga is part of every day life, even today.

The modern Western perception of yoga detaches the spiritual side of yoga, focusing on exercise, physical fitness, breathing and well being, and is based mostly on Hatha Yoga. It was quite recently, in the 15th century, that the Hatha system of yoga was developed by the Yogi Swatmarama, who compiled the Hatha Yoga Pradikipa, which has since been translated into English and other languages, for the serious yoga scholar.

Today, yoga continues to be practised in its full, spiritual form in India and other countries where Hindu and Buddhism are common. In the West, it is increasingly popular, but in a minimal form, concentrating on yoga as a keep fit discipline.

For a much fuller brief history of yoga, please go to Wikipedia, where you will find many reference works mentioned for deeper study.