More than Four Thousand Years in the History of Yoga

Over time, the main intentions of yoga as a way to bring the mind and body together in harmony and since its creation, the intentions have only been refined and improved. There is a great deal of tradition in the brief history of Yoga and the system encourages phsyical, mental and spiritual health through the roots of fitness and has a heritage that goes back many thousand years from the country of India. With all of this heritage, the history of yoga incorporates not only a great deal of tradition, but also can be seen as highly effective and can be divided up into four periods that start with the pre-classical yoga, to the classical period of yoga, post-classical yoga and then the present or modern-day yoga styles.

Yoga Sutra and Its Lessons

The history of yoga would not be complete without the book of yoga sutra and without it, would not have been able to complete the classical period. The word "yoga" itself means "yolk" or something that you use to join unlike objects together, such as with an oxen and cart. The postures and movements of yoga, therefore, bring together all elements of the human body, mind and spirit for great peace and unity.

The history of yoga teaches us that the body contortions might be what yoga is known for, but these physical postures, meditation and breathing exercises all work together to bring yoga and its ethics to the individual.

Nowadays, there is a change in the world of yoga and the history of yoga has gone to the past, allowing a more globalized version of yoga and a more experienced renaissance to evolve, allowing a delineation between the spiritual and physical aspects of yoga. The history of yoga has shown us that there are many different types of teaching methods and schools on yoga that allow different philosophies and approaches to the influential yoga poses.

The fundamental thread of yoga has not changed, however, and it remains true from the history of yoga that the purpose is to create a harmony of the mind, body, spirit and environment. Rather than see yoga simply as a way to stay lean and strong, the history of yoga teaches us that these postures will help to empower our lives through the use of better mind and body control over time for better health.