The earliest evidence of yoga is archaeological. Excavations begun in the 1920 have revealed signs of an ancient civilization which flourished in India as early as 3000 BCE and perhaps even earlier. Among the finds are some stone seals showing godlike figures in yogic postures, on of which has been identified with the Hindu god Shiva, the mythological founder of yoga. Yoga techniques may have existed long before the arrival of the Aryan tribes whose domination shaped the development of Hinduism.

The earliest reference to yoga as a technical term occurs in the literature of the Vedas. This is a collection of hymns and philosophical poetry which was composed over the huge period of 2000 years and was transmitted orally long before it was written. The Vedas reflect the evolution of early Indian religious thought, from a polytheistic nature worship in which ritual sacrifice played a central role, to a religion which recognized one absolute reality which was infinite and all-pervading. The supreme principle became not one all-powerful personal god, but an abstract concept of the Absolute. This is referred to in the earlier Vedas as That One (neuter Tad Ekam) and in the later part of the Vedas called the Upanishads, as Brahman.

The oneness of Brahman is the basis of the major school of Hindu philosophy, Vedanta, which is implied in many later works on yoga. It is expressed in the “great sentences” of the Upanishads, of which the best known is: “Tatt vam Asi”, which means, “That thou art”; in other words, everything is Brahman. This truth is realized through meditation, study and devotion … through the discipline of yoga. The Katha Upanishad says: “When the five senses and the mind are still, and reason itself rests in silence, then begins the Path Supreme. This calm steadiness of the senses is called Yoga”. Here is yoga described as a technique for achieving a higher state of awareness. In Hindu Veda means wisdom and the Vedas and Upanishads are considered in Hindu philosophy as divine revelations, truths revealed to the Rishis or ancient Seers. They are the roots of the philosophy within whose framework yoga developed, and they give us a glimpse of early yoga technique.

The Bhagavadgita

In the sixth century BCE perhaps the greatest and best known work on yoga was written, the Bhagavadgita. This is one poem in a lengthy epic called the Mahabharata and it consists of a discourse by the god Krishna to the warrior Arjuna on the philosophy and practice of yoga. The Bhagavadgita describes several paths of yoga, the yoga of action, of devotion and of knowledge. It also describes the qualities of the ideal yogi, path he takes. The work is characterized by it emphasis on achieving liberation through active life. It offers spiritual teaching to everyone, not only those who renounce the world for a contemplative life. Though it is set in the Hindu philosophy, the way of life, or yoga, that it advocates could be followed, to their greater happiness, by people of any race, or conviction.

Yoga in the West

The yoga that is becoming increasingly relevant to our way of life is that of relaxation and meditation. The two can no more be separated than can the body from the mind, and it is the application of yoga as a psychotherapeutic technique which is now helping people to keep sane and healthy in the modern world. The yoga postures not only keep the body supple and healthy but they directly affect the mind and emotions. For it is believed that every part of the body has psychological activity is expressed by the attitudes and moods of the body. For example, a mentally downtrodden attitude may be expressed as a stooping posture with hunched shoulders. Adjusting the posture to an upright, relaxed open one influences the psychological attitude.

Hindu philosophers have never recognized a qualitative difference between mind and body. Both are composed of the same elements of matter or energy, the mind being a more refined form of matter. Western science now acknowledges that there is no clear demarcation between the two. Bodily posture, breathing and sense impressions are controlled by the mind and in turn affect the mind. BKS Iyengar, in his book, Light on Yoga, says: “Hatha and Raja yoga complement each other and form a single approach towards Liberation”.

Yoga and Physics

Modern physics is discovering that matter is not as solid and permanent as once assumed. There is proportionately as much space inside the atom as there is in the universe. Moreover, the “particles” in atoms are not themselves solid, but consist of waves of electromagnetic action. Matter is a form of energy, an idea which was commonplace to Indian philosophers more than two thousand years ago.

Fundamental to the Samkhya philosophy is the idea that matter can be neither created nor destroyed. Organic and inorganic forms are produced by constant rearrangement of basic elements. All things on earth are united by their basic similarity in structure and function. Just as there is no clear demarcation between inorganic and organic matter, so it is impossible to distinguish absolutely between body and mind.

The Physiology of Yoga

Medical research has confirmed the beneficial effects of yoga postures on the body. Spine and joints are kept flexible. The whole metabolism is stimulated and the body’s healing powers improve. The stretching and compressing which take place in yoga exercises, and the alteration of the body’s orientation and center of gravity (for example, shoulder stand) have been shown to generate growth, maintenance and strengthening of connective tissue, helps the passage of nutrients through the cell walls and accelerate healing and the production of white cells and antibodies.

Laboratory tests have demonstrated the ability of yogis to control voluntarily the autonomic or involuntary functions of the body, such as pulse, blood pressure and activity of internal organs and glands.

Yoga, Today and its Benefits.

It has been said that yoga makes you a better exponent of whatever lifestyle; for yoga relaxes the hold on conditioned habits and ways of thinking which limit a view of the world and your own potential. Yoga is a practice which develops the potential that is in every human being.

Most people who take up yoga in the West today probably do so not to achieve spiritual enlightenment but to learn to relax. The yoga postures are a marvelous method of physical exercise and relaxation. The rush hour … this kind of living can create tension which becomes a permanent habit. Yoga helps to break the habit, and other forms of conditioned reflex. Yoga is an antidote to the “rat-race”, for it is essentially non-competitive. Each person knows their own achievements in relation to their own abilities and need not judge their work by external standards. In yoga there can be no failure as long as there is trying.

There are many concrete physical benefits of yoga that are felt as soon as one begins regular practice. Yoga keeps one healthy, since it helps respiration, digestion, elimination and circulation. It keeps the body supple, stretches the spine and strengthens the muscles. Minor ailments and psychosomatic symptoms often disappear. All this creates a general feeling of well-being, a physical lightness and buoyancy, and a feeling of being at one with everything. You usually become more aware of your surroundings since yoga stimulates the entire organism, making one feel more “alive”. Whatever your problem, whether it is over-eating, smoking, or any other form of compulsive behavior, yoga can help by restoring the balance between the natural functions of the body and those of the mind. With regular practice, you become in tune with yourself and may find yourself adjusting habits such as diet, clothing and fixed routine; and cutting down on the props of life, from smoking, drinking, and over-eating etc. Yoga is harmony.

by Katia Palmierie