The Origins of Yoga

Yoga’s origins can be traced back at least 5,000 years, to northern India.

The root word of the word “yoga” is “yug,” meaning “yolk” or “to unite.” Yogic texts point to the practice of yoga as a means to control the senses and ultimately, the mind, uniting body and mind.

In the West, we have come to know yoga as a series of “asanas” or postures that promote physical strength, muscle tone, endurance, and flexibility. While asana is a part of traditional yoga, it is only one of the eight “limbs” of yoga explained in ancient yogic texts. To the ancient yogis, asana was seen as a way to harness the mind, in order to prepare the body and mind for deep concentration and meditation, which was ascertained as yoga’s highest purpose. 

The ancient yogis believed that yoga was the way to fortify the body and mind for optimal health, vitality, self-awareness, inner peace, and awareness of the infinite life force coursing through our beings.

“Asanas are not meant for physical fitness, but for conquering the elements, energy, and so on. So, how to balance the energy in the body, how to control the five elements, how to balance the various aspect of the mind without mixing them all together, and how to be able to perceive the difference between the gunas, and to experience that there is something behind them, operating in the world of man – that is what asanas are for. The process is slow and painstaking, but a steady inquiry facilitates a growing awareness.”

– B.K.S. Iyengar