The Sanskrit word yoga comes from the root ‘yuj’ which means union.
This union between body, breath, mind and soul can be explored using the tools yoga offers us, such as pranayama (breathing practices), asana (postures) and dharana (meditation) to name just a few. In addition to its practical teachings, yoga has a rich and varied history and philosophy which invites us to deepen our practice beyond our physical bodies and beyond our mats.
Some benefits of a regular yoga practice:
Builds and nourishes the connection between your body and mind
Improves flexibility, mobility and balance
Builds strength
Calms your nervous system
Improves posture
Focuses your breathing
Can help prevent injury
Improves proprioception and interoception
yogas citta vritti nirodhah
yoga is the stilling of the changing states of the mind
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1.2
Translation by Edwin Bryant (North Point Press, 2009)
tada drastuh svarupe ’vasthanan
when that is accomplished, the seer abides in its own true nature
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1.3
Translation by Edwin Bryant (North Point Press, 2009)
vritti svarupyam itaratra
otherwise the seer is absorbed in the changing states of the mind
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 1.4
Translation by Edwin Bryant (North Point Press, 2009)
an introduction to yoga history
Yoga has been practiced in India by renunciates and householders alike for at least 5000 years (and maybe many, many more!). Teachings would be passed orally from guru to student or shared within families until some were recorded and have, over the years, been translated and reinterpreted time and again. One of the most well-known and influential texts are the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a series of 196 sutras which act as a guide on how to still the mind. Other texts full of insight and wisdom include the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, which is part of the epic Hindu poem the Mahabharata.
Yoga has withstood the test of time and although it looks like a very different practice now in the West, many of the teachings can be applied to modern life especially when we look beyond asana, the physical postures that have become synonymous with yoga. The Bhagavad Gita for instance, offers guidance on walking the spiritual path whilst also being engaged and of service in our lives as human beings.
A lesser-known branch of yoga’s rich history which originated outside South Asia is Kemetic yoga, a spiritual practice with Egyptian roots. According to Dianne Bondy and Kat Heagberg in their book Yoga Where You Are, the system of Kemetic yoga focuses on moving energy through the body with focus on meditation and the chakras (wheels of energy). They also point to why this system of yoga has largely been ignored by the mainstream yoga industry, admitting they are not surprised given “the history of oppression against people of African descent…contributions of people of colour to modern society rarely make it into history books”.
As we fit our yoga practice into our busy modern lives, it is important to remember that it is not a one size fits all approach. What helps one person still their mind and attain a moment of liberation, however fleeting, may not work for another. As the Chinese proverb says, ‘there are many ways to the top of the mountain’. By honouring yoga’s historical context and exploring the practices that can also be taken beyond our mats, we appreciate the real essence of yoga and share in a rich, sacred practice.
devote yourself to the DISCIPLINES of yoga, for yoga is skill in action
The Bhagavad Gita 2.50
Translated by Eknath Easwaran (Nilgiri Press, 2007)