Origin of Yoga

‘Yoga’ -the very word radiates peace and tranquility. This feeling probably stems from the etymology of the word.Yoga was not discovered by a single person. It was developed over centuries by Hindu sages wandering in the Indian subcontinent as spiritual, mental and physical practices.

The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ which essentially means to join or unite. The union referred to is that of the individual self uniting with Cosmic Consciousness or the Universal Spirit. Yoga is a means to achieving this goal.

Yoga, Born in India, almost 1,728,000 years ago. Yoga is believed to have evolved during the period of the ‘Sat Yuga’. The Sat Yuga, also called Satya Yuga (सत्य युग), Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga, Golden age in Hinduism. when humanity is governed by gods, and every manifestation or work is close to the purest ideal and humanity will allow intrinsic goodness to rule supreme.

“India is the country of origin of Yoga”

This period became known as a time of everlasting peace and abundant blessings, filled with seekers of the Eternal Truth. That is why, probably, even today we associate yoga with sages and hermits.

It was not until the discovery of the Indus- valley civilization, the largest civilization, that knowledge about the origin of Yoga surfaced. Excavations give evidence of yoga’s existence during this period; yogi -like figures engraved on soapstone seals have been unearthed. In fact, it was the Aryans, migrating from the north- west, who were instrumental in discovering yoga.

Yoga gurus from India later introduced yoga to the west, following the success of Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the 1980s, yoga became popular as a system of physical exercise across the Western world. Yoga in Indian traditions, however, is more than physical exercise. It has a meditative and spiritual core.

The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda.

The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests.

It is wrong to deny that yoga has its origins in Hinduism – By Ramesh Rao