Yoga And Its Eight Philosophical Foundations
by Deepak Chopra & David Simon
Practice Yoga | What is Yoga?
Every day in cities across North America, Europe, and Australia millions of people roll out their yoga mats and practice a vast range of yoga styles. In the United States alone, nearly 40% of health and fitness clubs now offer classes to meet the flourishing demand.
Although yoga is commonly portrayed as the newest fitness trend, it’s actually the core of the ancient Vedic science that developed in the Indus Valley more than 5,000 years ago.
When scholars state that yoga originated thousands of years ago, they’re not referring to the bends, twists, inversions, and other postures most Westerners today associate with yoga. In fact, yoga began as a philosophy rather than as a physical discipline.
The term yoga is first mentioned in the sacred Indian text, the Rig Veda, which dates to approximately 500 B.C. The Rig Veda defines yoga as a union or “yoking” of the material and spiritual worlds, and it doesn’t describe any physical postures other than the traditional cross-legged meditation pose.
Another 300 years passed before the legendary sage Patanjali composed The Yoga Sutras, where he systematically described the eight branches or “limbs” of yoga. The third branch, Asana, means “seat” or “position.” When people hear the word yoga, they usually think of the Asana branch and know about the postures’ incredible health benefits, including increased flexibility, strength and balance.
Even if yoga only enhanced physical fitness…
See full story on yogitimes.com