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| Yoga poses have been developed over centuries of research and experience. They have been found to be extremely effective in: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| It is recommended to include some form of yoga positions and preferably a yoga routine in your life.
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History of Yoga
Yoga's history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to its oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago. Yoga's long rich history can be divided into four main periods of innovation and development.
Pre-Classical Period
The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts contained songs and rituals used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by Vedic priests, who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned of these Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Period
The first systematic presentation of yoga was Patanjali's Yoga-Sûtras. Written some time in the second century, this text describes the path of Raja Yoga, often called "classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of yoga and his Yoga-Sûtras still strongly influence all styles of modern yoga.
Post-Classical Period
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of Hatha Yoga.
Modern Period
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, yoga masters began to travel to the west, attracting attention and followers. In the 1920's, Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India with the life long work of T. Krishnamacharya . Krishnamacharya traveled through India giving demonstrations of yoga poses and opened the first Hatha Yoga school. Krishnamacharya produced three students that would continue his legacy and increase the popularity of Hatha Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar , T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois .
The importation of yoga to the west still continued at a trickle until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.
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Type of Yoga
The science of yoga has developed a vast amount of techniques which all lead to the same point of unification of the mind-body-spirit.
Karma Yoga: the way of right action, serving without the motivation of obtaining the results of labor.
Bhakti Yoga: the way of devotion, devotion to a supreme being absorbing the emotions and self in pure love.
Jnana Yoga: the way of knowledge, studying god and learning to discriminate between illusion and the reality that all is god.
Hatha Yoga: the physical path, using the body through asana and pranayama to control the mind and senses.
Tantric Yoga: the feminine path, worshiping the goddess energy and seeing the body as the temple of the divine.
Kundalini Yoga: the path of energy, arousing the energy stored in the chakras through breathing and movement.
Raja Yoga: the path of meditation, controlling the mind from wandering and obtaining mastery over thought.
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Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy is the use of yoga postures, meditation and pranayama to help the body naturally heal and balance itself. Certain yogic practices have been shown to have specific healing qualities in addition to yoga’s inherent ability to create wellness and good health.
These pages are not intended to treat or diagnose any medical conditions. A yoga practice should be used to supplement conventional therapy. Please consult with a health care professional before starting a yoga program, as some yogic techniques can be harmful if practiced with certain conditions. Please see our site’s terms and conditions for our complete disclaimer.
The postures listed under each condition are for general use and will be most effective if professionally modified for personal use by a yoga therapist. Not all of the postures listed are required for practice, use only what feels right for your physical condition and ability.
These pages are only a starting point to help your body heal. Experiment and pay attention to what practices make you feel better and improve your condition. Practice slowly and gently as over exertion could cause your condition to worsen.
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