Yoga History

CLASSICAL

In the second century C.E, Patanjali composed the yoga sutras, which consists of 195 aphorisms. They expound the Raja yoga or the eight-fold path, which are meant to be memorized, as it is not in written form. The earliest known Sanskrit commentary on the sutras is Yoga- Bhashya (speech on Yoga), by Vyasa in the fifth century.

Patanjali believed that each individual is composed of matter (prakriti) and spirit (purusha). He advocated that yoga would restore the spirit to its absolute reality, a teaching that saw a shift from non dualism to dualism.

POSTCLASSICAL This period in yoga affirms the teachings of Vedanta, that there is ultimate unity in everything in the cosmos. Vedanta is the philosophical system based on the teachings of the Upanishads.

The earlier eras saw yogis laying emphasis only on meditation and contemplation. Their goal was to shed their mortal coils and merge with the infinite; but, during this period, yogis began to probe the hidden powers of the body. Yoga masters designed advanced yogic practices that would rejuvenate the body and prolong its life. This led to Hatha Yoga, which is presently practised throughout the world.

What is Hatha Yoga?

The yoga of postures or asanas is called Hatha Yoga. It broadly consists of asanas (body postures), pranayama (body techniques) relaxation and cleansing techniques. The main goal of Hatha yoga is to facilitate concentration and meditation, which is actually a preparation for achieving the final stage of yoga, called Samadhi.

Along with Hatha yoga, Tantra yoga also developed in this period. Tantra yoga is the path of rituals and mantra or mystic syllables.