Quick read: “Proto-Shiva Pasupati” seal depicts Yogic posture.

Many scholars suggest that the iconography represents a deity with many of the attributes of the later god Shiva. The posture depicted in five proto Shiva seals in Indus Civilisation were examined and are said to be yogic. All were found at Mohenjo-daro.

There are other seals and tablets with a similar figure crowned by a bull- or buffalo-horned headdress and seated in a yogic pose. They are often flanked by various combinations of fishes, gharial, snake and other creatures.

Source: Jane Mcintosh, Harappa.com; Yan Dhyansky, “The Indus Valley Origin of a Yoga Practice”, 1987, JSTOR

Picture: Mohenjo daro, the site of proto Shiva Pasupati seal, Wikipedia

Quick Read: Yoga means “Unite,” the union of body and mind.

The word yoga was derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj” which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. This union is not, merely, about body parts bending and touching. The union referred to is that of mind with body, integrating with surroundings and nature. Further, eventually the individual consciousness uniting with the universal consciousness.

The earliest recorded mention of the word ‘yoga’ is in the ancient Hindu text, the Rig Veda. Atharva Veda mentions the importance of breath control. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, “Samatvam Yoga Uchyate”– equanimity in the mind is a sign of yoga. This suggests that yoga was known and practiced even in early stages of civilization.

Source: ArtofLiving.org, “A Brief History of Yoga”

Picture: Paramahamsa Yogananda, who wrote the famous book, Autobiography of a Yogi

Quick Read: Tamil text Tirumandiram triggered the Saiva Siddantha school which considers Shiva as the Adiyogi.

Tirumandiram (Tiru- Sacred, Mandiram – Mantra) is written by the Yoga Siddhar Tirumular in Tamil. Dated between the 4th and 6th centuries CE, it is the oldest and most important text of Yoga from south India. The philosophical school of Saiva Siddhantha traces its origins to it, treating Shiva as the primordial Yogi.

In other traditions, Shiva in his Dakshinamurti (south facing, youthful) form is said to be a teacher of Gyan Yoga, the power of the silent mind. Many great Yoga traditions like the venerable Nath traditions, arise from Shiva and honour him as their original guru.

In recent times, Sadhguru has popularized the story of Shiva as a Adiyogi who lived 15000 years ago, a new take on an old tradition.

Source: thirumandiram.net; Vamadeva Shastri, https://www.vedanet.com/why-lord-shiva-is-the-ultimate-grandmaster-of-yoga/

Picture: Adiyogi at Ashram of Jaggi Vasudev

Quick Read: Patanjali wrote about cleansing the mind (Yoga), body (Ayurveda) & communication (grammar).

Patanjali is believed to have authored a number of Sanskrit works, the most prominent of which is the Yoga Sutras. This is a classical yoga text dating to 200 BCE – 200 CE. Even though references to yoga within Hindu scripture had existed for a long time, Patanjali compiled existing teachings into a format easier to follow. Today, the Yoga Sutras are the most referenced text on yoga, making Patanjali “the father of yoga.”

Two other notable works are attributed to Patanjali. Mahabhashya, 2nd cent BCE, which is a commentary on the authoritative Sanskrit grammar text by Panini. The other is the Carakavarttika, 8th-10th cent CE, which is a commentary on the Charaka Samhita, a large treatise on Ayurveda.

Scholars generally believe that these works are not by the same author, there are many who hold a more traditional view that a single Patanjali is indeed responsible for all three.

Source: Syama Allard, “Who was Patanjali and what are the Yoga Sutras?” hinduamerican.org

Picture: Indira Devi, Latvian actress who popularized Yoga in Hollywood

Quick Read: Asthanga Yoga is the eight limbed path for harmony between mind and body.

Yoga is a spiritual discipline of bringing harmony between mind and body. In Sanskrit “Ashta” means Eight and “Anga” is limbs so Ashtanga means Eight Limbed path.

The eight limbs are : Yama (restraints), Niyama (observances), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (directing the sense inwards), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) & Samadhi (unified consciousness).

While Yoga is simplistically associated with physical asanas, it is but one step in Patanjali’s philosophy of spiritual discipline. It is a method relying on introspection – that in which one attains rule over self. Thus it is also called Raja Yoga.

Source: Rahul Dev Mondal, “Astanga Yoga”, Rabindra Bharati University

Picture: Surya Namaskar at Delhi Airport

Quick Read: Samkhya philosophy is conjoined with Yoga.

The six schools of Hindu philosophy are broadly classified in three conjoined pairs – Nyaya & Vaisheshika, Samkhya & Yoga, Mimansa & Vedanta.

While the Gita is synonymous with Vedanta, it has a chapter on Samkhya, the yoga of understanding – an understanding which was not adequately present in the mind of Arjuna when he was confused about his duty.

Samkhya teaches us about the components of the body, mind, and spirit, from the gross elements that make up the physical body to the more subtle elements of the mind and consciousness. Since it enumerates these elements, it is called Samkhya (numbers).

Yoga takes the Samkhya philosophy into the realm of experience, through gradual and systematic progression. Yoga starts from the gross or physical level, moving next to the subtler levels of mind and spirit, and then returning to the gross with a higher level of consciousness.

Source: Jayne Stevenson & Swami Shankardev, “Yoga & Samkhya: Purifying the Elements of Human Being”, yogajournal.com

Picture: World’s oldest Yoga Institute at Santa Cruz, Mumbai

Quick Read: The text Hatha Yoga Pradipika traces its origins to the Nath Sampradaya to which Yogi Adityanath belongs.

Hatha Yoga stresses mastery of the body as a way of attaining a state of spiritual perfection in which the mind is withdrawn from external objects.

Hatha Yoga traces its origins especially to Gorakhnath, the legendary 11th-century founder of the Kanphata Yogis of the Nath tradition, in which monks wear large ear rings (thus kanphata – torn ears) as does Yogi Adityanath. The practice of Yoga today is derived to a great extent from the 15th cent CE Nath tradition text, “Hatha Yoga Pradipika”.

Unlike the philosophical schools that dismiss the body as an impediment, the Siddhas of Tamil Nadu, the Naths of North India, the Kashmiri Saivites and the Shakta Tantra traditions place great emphasis on the role of body and mind to reach supreme states of consciousness.

Source: Britannica.com; nathas.org

Picture: Pattabhi Jois who founded the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute

Vipassana is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques and was preached by the Buddha.

Vipassana means “to see things as they really are”. It is a logical process of mental purification through self-observation. Vipassana may have developed independently but has great overlap with Patanjali’s Yogasutras.

SN Goenka, the modern master of Vipassana says, “He who practices Vipassana … will learn and understand each and every word of Patanjali. If we discard just ten or 15 sutras out of 155 sutras of Patanjali’s treatise, the remaining sutras narrate about pure Vipassana and nothing else.”

Source: https://www.vridhamma.org/discourses/Yoga-as-seen-in-the-light-of-Vipassana

Picture: The renowned Vipassana Centre at Igatpuri near Mumbai

Quick Read: Bahubali posture is Kayotsarga, a Jain yogic tradition.

Kayotsarga literally means “dismissing the body” or “to give up one’s physical comfort and body movements.” It refers to staying steady and concentrating upon the true nature of the soul. It can be practiced lying down, sitting or standing.

The standing posture has the spine and neck in the straight line but without stiffness. Feet are parallel to each other with a distance of about 10 cms between them. Arms hang down loosely from the shoulder-joints, close to the body with the palms open facing inwards and fingers straight and pointing down.

An example of unflinching standing meditation is that of Arihant Bahubali who is said to have stood in Kayotsarga for a year.

Source: Jainworld.com

Picture: Bahubali at Sravanabelagola near Hassan, Karnataka

Quick Read: Yogini temples are circular in shape.

Yoginis were women practicing the yoga tradition. They worshipped Goddesses or demi-goddesses who are a part of Tantric practices. They are usually worshipped in a group of 64 and Chausath-Yogini is a commonly used name for them. There is a general belief that Yogini worship started sometime around 7th century CE and remained popular well into the 15th century CE, especially in eastern India.

Yoginis find mention in various old texts that include Agni Purana (9th century CE), Kalika Purana (10th century CE), Skanda Purana.

Of the four major remaining Chausath yogini temples, two are in Madhya Pradesh and two are in Odisha. The uniqueness of this Yogini temple is its circular shape that is popularly believed to have inspired the design of the old Indian Parliament building. The temples are also without roof and hence called hypaethral temples.

Source: Vidya Dehejia, “Yogini Cult & Temples”

Picture: Haripur Chausat Yogini temple at the outskirts of Bhubaneswar

Quick Read: Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was invited by Mysore Maharajah to set up the famous Yogashala in Mysore.

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya is regarded as the ‘Father of Modern Yoga.’ He had famously helped Lord Irwin to cope with diabetes. He was born in Chitradurga in Karnataka and studied in Mysore. He travelled across India and moved to Varanasi for higher studies.

In 1926, Maharaja Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar of Mysore visited Varanasi and was delighted to know that the famous Krishnamacharya was from Mysore Kingdom. He encouraged Krishnamacharya to establish a yoga school for the public – the famous Yogashala. This school produced students such as BKS Iyengar K Pattabhi Jois Indra Devi and AG Mohan. The 20th century Yoga revolution is credited to Krishnamacharya.

Source: Roopa Pai, Hindustan Times

Picture: Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation

Quick Read: A copy of this book in a brown box was presented to the attendees of the funeral of Steve Jobs.

Paramahansa Yogananda (1893 — 1952) is considered one of the preeminent spiritual figures of modern times. He founded Yogoda Satsanga Society of India in 1917 and Self-Realization Fellowship in 1920. He arrived in Los Angeles in 1924 to set up the Self Realisation Ashram at Hollywood.

While Swami Vivekananda introduced Yoga in his tour of USA, it was Yogananda who made it accessible. Yogananda did not advocate renunciation to have a direct encounter with God. The physical practice of yoga – known as the asanas or poses – is just one branch of yoga, and it wasn’t what Yogananda particularly focused on. He was more interested in teaching techniques of intense concentration. Yogananda called his teachings “the science of religion” because he believed his methods were testable.

Source: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3112397/man-who-took-yoga-west-100- years-ago-and-his-spiritual

Picture: Amazon