It might now be popular simply as an exercise routine, but yoga originated as a group of physical, mental and spiritual disciplines in ancient India. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. According to Yogic scriptures, practicing yoga results in the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness, bringing about a perfect harmony between the mind and the body and man and nature. Yoga is now a part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
The origin of yoga
It began in the Indus-Saraswati civilisation more than 5,000 years ago. The Rig Veda is the first text that mentions the word yoga. It was later streamlined and developed by Brahmin priests and sages and documented in the Upanishads which contain over 200 scriptures. The Upanishads derived the idea of ritual sacrifice and modified it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga). The Bhagvad Gita, composed around 500 BC, is replete with details about yoga. There are various schools of yoga that are followed. The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali — written by Patanjali — which became hugely popular in the West, were written in the first half of the first millennium. Hatha yoga, another popular yoga form, came around the 11th century and has its origins in Tantra. The Hatha yoga (which focuses on breathing and calming down the mind), the Vinyasa yoga (which is faster paced and more fitness oriented), the Bikram yoga (founded by Bikram Choudhury, it is a form of hot yoga which is done in a hot environment to mimic the climate of India), the Ashtanga yoga (based on six series’ of poses that increase in difficulty, allowing you to work at your own pace) are extremely popular among yoga enthusiasts. Iyengar yoga, developed by BKS Iyengar, the Kundalini yoga — which is mentally and physically challenging — and the Jivamukti yoga (which is a Vinyasa style of yoga) are also popular.
How did it evolve?
Yoga started as a mix of various ideas, beliefs and techniques. Patanjali's Yoga Sutra first gave yoga an order. It describes the Raja yoga which is often referred to as classical yoga which consists of an eight-limbed path that lists a series of steps and stages that lead towards samaadhi or enlightenment. Tantra yoga was later developed as a series of practices to rejuvenate the body and to prolong life. It comprises radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind. Yoga travelled to the West in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and it all began with Swami Vivekananda's speech at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He spoke mostly about Raja yoga, which is known as the yoga of the mind, which is practiced through meditation and mental discipline. Vivekananda also spoke about the Eight-Limbed Yogic Path which have been described in the Yoga Sutras. These include yamas (restraint), niyamas (observances), asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samaadhi.
What are the benefits?
Yoga comes with a host of physical and mental benefits. The postures, known as asanas, stretch and flex various muscle groups. Here are a few reasons why you should take up yoga:
Makes you flexible: When your hip muscles tighten, it can strain the knee joint because the thigh and shinbones are improperly aligned. Also, tight hamstrings gradually flatten the lumbar spine, leading to back pain. If the muscles and connective tissues are not flexible, it results in poor posture. Yoga solves all of these problems. It gradually loosens stiffness in muscles and joints, improving flexibility. At the same time, it reduces body aches and joint pains.
Builds muscle strength: When your muscles are stronger, they protect you from arthritis and back pain, among others. Yoga helps build muscle strength, but unlike lifting weights at gyms, it doesn't do that at the expense of flexibility. So strength building in yoga goes hand in hand with flexibility.
Improves posture: Improper posture can lead to back, neck and other muscle and joint problems. When you slump, your body compensates it by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This causes pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine. The asanas in yoga help you maintain these optimal curves, thereby improving posture.
Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown: When you do yoga, the joints go through their full range of motion. This helps prevent degenerative arthritis and mitigate disability by utilising parts of the cartilage that are normally not used. Joint cartilage receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without proper sustenance, neglected areas of the cartilage can eventually wear out, exposing the underlying bone.
Improves bone health: A lot of postures in yoga require you to use your body weight. They help strengthen the bones, especially the bones in your arms which are vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures. According to a study by California State University, Los Angeles, practicing yoga increases bone density in the vertebrae.
Increases blood flow: The exercises in yoga help you relax and gradually increase blood circulation, especially in your hands and feet. Yoga also pumps more oxygen to your cells, which function better consequently. The twisting poses wring out venous blood from the internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. Inverted poses like headstand, handstand and shoulder stand encourage venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart. Yoga also boosts levels of haemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues.
Boosts immunity: Yoga postures contract and stretch your muscles and move organs around, thereby increasing the drainage of the lymph. This, in turn, helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning.
Increases heart rate: According to studies, yoga lowers the resting heart rate, increases endurance and improves your maximum intake of oxygen during exercise. Pranayama helps you exercise more with consumption of less oxygen. When you increase the intensity of the asanas, it turns into an aerobic exercise which lowers your risk of a heart attack.
Helps you relax: Yoga makes you breathe slowly, and focus on the present. It shifts the balance from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system which is calming and restorative. It lowers breathing and heart rates, reduces blood pressure and increases blood flow to the intestines and reproductive organs.