who started yoga - #37082
I am dealing with some confusion around yoga and its origins, like who started yoga and how it all came to be. I mean, I’ve been practicing for a few years now, but sometimes I wonder about the roots of what I’m doing. Recently, a friend asked me who started yoga, and honestly, I froze. I told them it was an ancient practice, but that’s about it! I really want to understand more, ya know? Last month, I took this new yoga class and my instructor talked a lot about the sutras and some old texts, but everything kinda flew over my head. Like, was there a single person who started yoga or was it a bunch of folks over time? I'm also curious if different types of yoga trace back to specific people—like, did one guy (or gal!) like invent Vinyasa or something? Plus, why do some people say yoga is just for the body while others think it’s a spiritual thing? I get mixed messages and it’s frustrating! Should I be looking into the history more? Any thoughts on who started yoga and why that matters in our practice today? Would love some insight before my next class! Thanks!
अभी हमारे स्टोर में खरीदें


डॉक्टरों की प्रतिक्रियाएं
Yoga’s origins are about as layered and extensive as the practice itself. You’re right – it’s truly an ancient tradition. Documented history traces back to around 3000 BCE, with early depictions in stone seals from the Indus Valley Civilization, showing figures in yogic postures (asana). But who “started” it? Hard to pin down one individual. Instead, it was evidently developed over centuries as a collective endeavor among sages and seers (Rishis), who anchored it deeply into spiritual exploration and self-realization.
The philosophical foundations of yoga were formalized around the second century BCE when the sage Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras. Over 196 sutras (aphorisms) outlining the practice and opposing the psychological ignorance and suffering, this text — though not inventing yoga — organized existing practices and teachings into a comprehensive framework. It set the stage for what we now consider classical yoga.
Healthy debates still exist about yoga’s spiritual versus physical nature. Traditionally, yoga is intrinsically linked to spiritual pursuits, uniting body, mind, and spirit; encompassing spiritual growth over merely physical fitness. Over time, and especially with Western dissemination, aspects emphasizing physical exercise, like Vinyasa or Hatha, have gained popularity. Each style doesn’t trace back to a single founder — they’re evolutions of traditional techniques adapted within contexts or practitioners’ insights.
Regarding different yoga forms today, many stem from 20th-century developments and modern adaptations rather than ancient codification. Vinyasa, often dynamic and fluid, isn’t the invention of a single person but rather a derivative of Ashtanga — a style popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois in the 20th century.
Gaining insights into yoga’s past adds dimension to your practice, enhancing understanding beyond postures. If the history piques your interest, exploring seminal texts like the Bhagavad Gita alongside the Upanishads can also deepen comprehension of yoga’s philosophical undertones. Your dialogue with the ancient and modern aspects of yoga could enrich not just what you do on the mat but how you engage with life’s challenges and opportunities.

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हमारे डॉक्टरों के बारे में
हमारी सेवा पर केवल योग्य आयुर्वेदिक डॉक्टर ही परामर्श देते हैं, जिन्होंने चिकित्सा शिक्षा और अन्य चिकित्सा अभ्यास प्रमाणपत्रों की उपलब्धता की पुष्टि की है। आप डॉक्टर के प्रोफाइल में योग्यता की पुष्टि देख सकते हैं।
