Yoga

The Evolution of Yoga

By sayedr
  • 1800 BCE

    Earliest document of Yoga: Indus Valley

    Earliest document of Yoga: Indus Valley
    Artifacts were excavated, revealing yogi-like poses on stone tablets in the Indus Valley Region (History of Yoga, 2015).
  • 1200 BCE

    The Vedic Period: The Earliest Scriptures

    The Vedic Period: The Earliest Scriptures
    The ancient texts of the four Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the world. They are holy scriptures of the Hindu faith which contain many hymns and chants. The Rig Veda is the most well-known and influential for the future of yoga (The Bhagavad Gita, 2011).
  • 800 BCE

    The Seekers & the Birth of Buddhism

    The Seekers & the Birth of Buddhism
    -seekers, known as “rishis,” rejected priestly authority began to look for tangible evidence of cosmic reality. The rishis spread from China to Greece. Between 600 and 400 BCE, Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) establishes himself as a rishi and begins quest for enlightenment using meditation.
  • 600 BCE

    Definition of Yoga is established

    Definition of Yoga is established
    Yoga becomes defined as the restrainment of the senses (Burgin, 2007).
  • 200

    The Yoga Sutras (200 AD)

    The Yoga Sutras (200 AD)
    Patanjaliʼs eight Yoga Sutras are the first codified teachings of
    yoga. This officially sets yoga as one of the six darshanas (systems of Indian Philosophy).
     Yama: Universal morality
     Niyama: Personal observances
     Asanas: Body postures
     Pranayama: Breathing exercises, and control of prana
     Pratyahara: Control of the senses
     Dharana: Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
     Dhyana: Devotion, Meditation on the Divine
     Samadhi: Union with the Divine
    (History of Yoga, 2014)
  • 500

    The Birth of the Bhagavad Gita

    The Birth of the Bhagavad Gita
    The Bhagavad Gita ("Song of the Lord”) emerges.It explores the self-realization between man and his Creator, through allegories and poetic verses (The Bhagavad Gita, 2011.) The book also establishes yoga as a way of life and defines it as "breaking the bonds of suffering."
  • Apr 6, 1100

    Birth of Hatha Yoga

    Birth of Hatha Yoga
    Hatha yoga is the beginning of root chakras many people practice today.Hatha Yoga is translated to the union of the opposite pairs ("Ha"= sun and "tha"=moon.)

  • Yoga comes to the West

    Yoga comes to the West
    Swami Vivekananda speaks at the Worldʼs Congress of
    Religions in Chicago where he formally introduces yoga asanas (poses) to the West.He speaks about yoga as a way of life and the how it became central to his life.

  • Today

    Today
    Yoga is mass marketed in the West and used for physical exercise and quieting the mind.