Yoga

: See Hatha Yoga for the yoga of mostly physical exercises popular in the West.

Origins

:Main article: History of Yoga

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Yoga's origins date back to before recorded history. Images of a meditating yogi from the Indus Valley Civilization are thought to be 6 to 7 thousand years old. The earliest written accounts of yoga appear in the Rig Veda, dated conservatively between 1500 and 1200 BC. Since the Vedas were transmitted through oral tradition for many generations, the practice of Yoga may be much older.

Related Topics:
Indus Valley Civilization - Rig Veda

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The first full description of the principles and goals of yoga are found in the Upanisads, thought to have been composed between the eighth and fourth centuries BC. The Upanisads are also called Vedanta since they constitute the end or conclusion of the Vedas (the traditional body of spiritual wisdom). In the Upanisads, the older practises of offering sacrifices and ceremonies to appease external gods gives way instead to a new understanding that man can, by means of an inner sacrifice, become one with the Supreme Being (referred to as Br?hman or M?h?tman) -- through moral culture, restraint and training of the mind.

Related Topics:
Upanisads - Vedanta - Vedas - Sacrifices - Gods - Supreme Being - Br?hman - M?h?tman - Mind

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