Wellbeing Retreats
December 8, 2025
The History of Yoga
The history of yoga is a subject of discussion, with the conventional view being that it originated in ancient India at least 5,000 years ago. Traditional beliefs, however, hold that the practice is far older and was once global. Artwork dating back to 2,700 BCE depicts figures in advanced yoga postures.
Classical and Traditional Paths
Yoga is defined as a path that integrates the body, senses, mind, and intelligence with the Self, aiming for harmony and the elimination of inner conflict.
Vedic Yoga: Focuses on the non-dualistic understanding of one universal reality (Brahman), with its appearance to the senses as an illusion (maya). It seeks to understand the relationship between the individual self (jivatma) and the universal Self (Paramatman).
Karma, Jnana, and Bhakti Yoga: These paths—of action/work, self-knowledge, and devotion, respectively, were introduced in the Bhagavad Gita (circa fifth century BCE).
Classical Yoga: Formalised by Maharishi Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (circa second century BCE), this tradition is based on the dualistic Samkhya philosophy. It provides the eight-limbed path to meditative absorption (samadhi), namely: social disciplines (yama), observances (niyama), posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), turning the senses inward (pratyahara), meditative concentration (dharana), meditative contemplation (dhyana), and samadhi.
Hatha Yoga: Foundational for many physical practices today, its aim is to rid the body of toxins through yoga postures (asana), cleansing practices (shatkarmas), breathing practices (pranayama), and mudra and bandhas.
Yoga's influence spread globally, leading to Buddhist yoga (circa fifth century BCE) and later Taoist yoga in China (around 500 CE).
Modern Applications
Modern yoga blends elements from both Vedic and Tantric (Hatha) traditions.
Today, many alternative and physical therapies are based on yoga principles. Physical and psychological therapists frequently use yoga-derived relaxation and meditation techniques for emotional health and stress management. Physical training forms such as Pilates, for example, are fundamentally yoga-based, with concepts such as core stabilisation (known in yoga texts as bandha) derived directly from traditional yoga.
The paths to realise yoga are many, and activities can be broadly categorised as:
- Physical Yoga: Focuses on stimulating the body, manipulating internal organs, and modifying blood chemistry.
- Non-Physical Yoga: Encompasses ethical disciplines and meditative practices to expand the mind, explore emotions, and develop one's relationship with the world, self, and the mystery behind all things.
Ultimately, the strongest evidence of yoga's efficacy remains the continuous benefit experienced by millions of practitioners across generations globally.
Yoga does not demand that you lose yourself, wear japa malas and Om t-shirts, chant, dress like an Indian, place a crystal on your forehead or heart in Shavasana, balance your chakras or energy fields, or compromise who you are by acting like someone you're not. This approach to yoga (and life) is an act—living in a world of illusion.
The true practice of yoga, however, is one of awakening!
