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Describing what is yoga is so complicated and twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or {{reincarnation}}. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of UsefulNotes/{{Meditation}} (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can easily identify with primitive yogis, ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect (called ''hatha yoga'') with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous tantric sex). It is then that yoga started increasingly emphasizing ''asanas'' or postures, not only to sit in meditation, but also by their own value: 84 postures are constantly mentioned in texts, although usually not described. The end of this pre-modern yoga came in the 19th century, the moment in which the art started being influenced by European physical culture through British contact.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most modern non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation sequence, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where first oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of UsefulNotes/{{Meditation}} (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can easily identify with primitive yogis, ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect (called ''hatha yoga'') with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous tantric sex). It is then that yoga started increasingly emphasizing ''asanas'' or postures, not only to sit in meditation, but also by their own value: 84 postures are constantly mentioned in texts, although usually not described. The end of this pre-modern yoga came in the 19th century, the moment in which the art started being influenced by European physical culture through British contact.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most modern non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation sequence, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where first oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
to:
Describing what is yoga is so as complicated and twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India UsefulNotes/{{India}} to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or {{reincarnation}}. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of UsefulNotes/{{Meditation}} (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we caneasily already identify with as primitive yogis, yogis: ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect (called ''hatha yoga'') with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous [[SexMagic tantricsex).sex]]). It is then that yoga started increasingly emphasizing ''asanas'' or postures, not only to sit in meditation, but also by their own value: 84 postures are constantly mentioned in texts, although usually not described. The end of this pre-modern yoga came in the 19th century, the moment in which the art started being influenced by European physical culture through British contact.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachersstarted absorbing absorbed all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most modern non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation sequence, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where first oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing it eventually found its way into mainstream western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, discomfort, it was mostly (and still is) usually marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, without any Hindu connotation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of UsefulNotes/{{Meditation}} (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can
The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect (called ''hatha yoga'') with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous [[SexMagic tantric
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers
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Warning: it might be due to the cultlike environment of some Indian schools, or maybe the lack of regulation in some areas, but if you navigate through the story of modern yoga, you will find that a startling number of important masters in the past have featured scandals of sexual abuse, racism, homophobia or discrimination of some kind, so this is definitely a discipline where one is forced to separate the art and the artist in order to achieve that inner peace they preach.
There are lots of yoga styles and schools, and with the popularization of different yoga methods, there are also modern schools that integrate practices of more than one style, but these are the most likely to find in your nearest gym.
There are lots of yoga styles and schools, and with the popularization of different yoga methods, there are also modern schools that integrate practices of more than one style, but these are the most likely to find in your nearest gym.
to:
Warning: it might be due to the cultlike environment of some Indian schools, or maybe the lack of regulation in some areas, but if you navigate through the story history of modern yoga, you will find that a startling number of important masters in the past have featured scandals of sexual abuse, racism, homophobia or discrimination of some kind, so this is definitely a discipline where one is forced to separate the art and the artist in order to achieve that inner peace they preach.
preach about.
There are lots of yoga styles andschools, and with schools. With the popularization of different yoga methods, there are also modern schools that integrate practices of more than one style, but stylem in any case, these are the most likely to find in your nearest gym.
There are lots of yoga styles and
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* '''DDP Yoga''': a modern form created by professional wrestler Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, who presented his style as a "yoga for regular guys".
to:
* '''DDP Yoga''': a modern form created by professional wrestler Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, who presented his style as a "yoga for regular guys".guys".
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Describing what is yoga is so complicated as twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or {{reincarnation}}. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of meditation (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Mahabharata'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can easily identify with primitive yogis, ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of meditation (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Mahabharata'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can easily identify with primitive yogis, ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
to:
Describing what is yoga is so complicated as and twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or {{reincarnation}}. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques ofmeditation UsefulNotes/{{Meditation}} (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Mahabharata'' ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can easily identify with primitive yogis, ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of
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The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation sequence, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
to:
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most modern non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation sequence, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where first oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
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* '''Bikram Yoga''' or '''Hot Yoga''': the school of Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Yoga uses only 26 postures with few variations, and has the interesting custom of keeping the place of practice hot in order to simulate the humid climate of India.
to:
* '''Bikram Yoga''' or '''Hot Yoga''': the school of Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Yoga uses only 26 postures with few variations, and has the interesting (and grueling) custom of keeping the place of practice hot in order to simulate the humid climate of India.
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* '''DDP Yoga''': a modern form created by professional wrestler Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, who presented his style as a yoga for regular guys.
to:
* '''DDP Yoga''': a modern form created by professional wrestler Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, who presented his style as a yoga "yoga for regular guys.guys".
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[[caption-width-right:300:Om Shanti.[[note]]A peace salutation.[[/note]]]]
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[[caption-width-right:300:Om Shanti.[[note]]A [[note]]"Om peace." A peace salutation.[[/note]]]]
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Describing what is yoga is so complicated as twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or reincarnation. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
to:
Describing what is yoga is so complicated as twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or reincarnation.{{reincarnation}}. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
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* '''Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga''' or '''Msore style''': a style created by K. Pattabhi Jois. Its main characteristic is its emphasis on ''vinyasa'', meaning transition, in which the user transitions from one posture to other in a flowing movement.
to:
* '''Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga''' or '''Msore style''': a style created by K. Pattabhi Jois. Its main characteristic is its emphasis on ''vinyasa'', meaning transition, in which the user transitions from one posture to other in a flowing movement.movement, a bit similar to tai chi.
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* '''Integral Yoga''': an allrounder style, so to speak, founded by Satchidananda. It is a very adaptable, complete system integrating postures, meditation and the like.
to:
* '''Integral Yoga''': an allrounder style, so to speak, founded by Satchidananda. It is a very adaptable, complete system integrating postures, meditation and the like. Note that there are also schools that call themselves "integral" on the same principle but are unrelated to this one.
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* '''Power Yoga''': a hardcore, fitness-crazy system that descends from the Ashtanga Vinyasa. Most of the yogi performing spectacular one-arm handstands you often find in internet pics (and many other similar stunts) come from this school.
to:
* '''Power Yoga''': a hardcore, fitness-crazy system that descends from the Ashtanga Vinyasa. Most of the yogi performing spectacular one-arm handstands you often find in internet pics (and many other similar stunts) come from this school.school.
* '''DDP Yoga''': a modern form created by professional wrestler Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, who presented his style as a yoga for regular guys.
* '''DDP Yoga''': a modern form created by professional wrestler Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, who presented his style as a yoga for regular guys.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
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The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous tantric sex). It is then that yoga started increasingly emphasizing ''asanas'' or postures, not only to sit in meditation, but also by their own value. 84 postures are constantly mentioned in texts, although usually not described, until we reach 19th century, the moment in which yoga started being influenced by European physical culture through British contact.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
to:
The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect (called ''hatha yoga'') with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous tantric sex). It is then that yoga started increasingly emphasizing ''asanas'' or postures, not only to sit in meditation, but also by their own value. value: 84 postures are constantly mentioned in texts, although usually not described, until we reach described. The end of this pre-modern yoga came in the 19th century, the moment in which yoga the art started being influenced by European physical culture through British contact.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sunsalutation, salutation sequence, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun
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* '''Power Yoga''': a hardcore, fitness-crazy system that descends from the Ashtanga Vinyasa. Most of the yogi performing spectacular one-arm handstands you often find in internet pics come from this school.
to:
* '''Power Yoga''': a hardcore, fitness-crazy system that descends from the Ashtanga Vinyasa. Most of the yogi performing spectacular one-arm handstands you often find in internet pics (and many other similar stunts) come from this school.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yogapic1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Om Shanti.[[note]]A peace salutation.[[/note]]]]
Describing what is yoga is so complicated as twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or reincarnation. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of meditation (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Mahabharata'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can easily identify with primitive yogis, ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous tantric sex). It is then that yoga started increasingly emphasizing ''asanas'' or postures, not only to sit in meditation, but also by their own value. 84 postures are constantly mentioned in texts, although usually not described, until we reach 19th century, the moment in which yoga started being influenced by European physical culture through British contact.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
Especially in United States, yoga has become strongly associated with UsefulNotes/NewAge believers, [[NewAgeRetroHippie hippies]], cults, vegans and office ladies preoccupied with their weight, but there is always much more underneath.
Warning: it might be due to the cultlike environment of some Indian schools, or maybe the lack of regulation in some areas, but if you navigate through the story of modern yoga, you will find that a startling number of important masters in the past have featured scandals of sexual abuse, racism, homophobia or discrimination of some kind, so this is definitely a discipline where one is forced to separate the art and the artist in order to achieve that inner peace they preach.
There are lots of yoga styles and schools, and with the popularization of different yoga methods, there are also modern schools that integrate practices of more than one style, but these are the most likely to find in your nearest gym.
* '''Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga''' or '''Msore style''': a style created by K. Pattabhi Jois. Its main characteristic is its emphasis on ''vinyasa'', meaning transition, in which the user transitions from one posture to other in a flowing movement.
* '''Sivananda Yoga''': a system founded by Vishnudevananda. This is a very dedicated, almost monkish yoga style, where practitioners are encouraged to keep an old-fashioned Hindu lifestyle.
* '''Integral Yoga''': an allrounder style, so to speak, founded by Satchidananda. It is a very adaptable, complete system integrating postures, meditation and the like.
* '''Bikram Yoga''' or '''Hot Yoga''': the school of Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Yoga uses only 26 postures with few variations, and has the interesting custom of keeping the place of practice hot in order to simulate the humid climate of India.
* '''Iyengar Yoga''': created by B. K. R. Iyengar, this is a style based around precision and balance that tries to reach the best alignement possible in every posture. Iyengar popularized the usage of belts and foam blocks as aids for the physically limited to perform postures without danger of injury.
* '''Yin Yoga''' or '''Taoist Yoga''': a mix of yoga and traditional Chinese medicine, innovated by martial artist Paulie Zink as a complement to other styles. Most of its masters teach soft, non-straining variations of postures with a strong meditative focus.
* '''Power Yoga''': a hardcore, fitness-crazy system that descends from the Ashtanga Vinyasa. Most of the yogi performing spectacular one-arm handstands you often find in internet pics come from this school.
[[caption-width-right:300:Om Shanti.[[note]]A peace salutation.[[/note]]]]
Describing what is yoga is so complicated as twisty as practicing it. Most will say yoga is a purportedly ancient combination of gymnastics and meditation brought from the jungle temples of India to our modern fitness gyms. Those a bit more familiar with Hindu culture, however, describe it as a loosely defined system of physical and mental practices tied to the religion of UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, whose goal is to transcend the earthly state of mind and allow the user to advance towards ''moksha'', the final liberation of the wheel of ''samsara'' or reincarnation. Yoga as a concept is undoubtedly ancient, but its practice has changed heavily throughout its history.
The origins of yoga lie probably in the Vedic period (1500-500 BC), where we can find stories of ascetic Brahmans that cultivated contemplative techniques of meditation (called ''dhyana'') and physical self-discipline (''tapas''). This kind of ascetism became especially popular during the sramana movement, a philosophical phenom that gave birth to the religions of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, Jainism and other sects that don't exist anymore. Indeed, it is around this time that the term yoga appears, described in the Upanishads as a mean to withdraw the senses into a spiritual state, and the ''Mahabharata'' follows by introducing multiple kinds of yogas. By the time UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat arrived to India, he would find something we can easily identify with primitive yogis, ascetics that liked to remain motionless in different postures, reportedly hardening their bodies so their minds would be strengthened as well.
The first regularization of yoga was done by the sage Patanjali, whose ''Yoga Sutras'' synthesize the yoga traditions of multiple Hindu schools in a eight-part system named ''ashtanga'', basically an instructional of meditation and a code of spiritual behavior. During the Middle Ages, after influencing and being influenced by Buddhist and Jain schools, yoga received a push in its physical aspect with the rise of ''tantra'', esoteric rituals that help advancing towards enlightenment through a variety of edgy practices (yes, including the famous tantric sex). It is then that yoga started increasingly emphasizing ''asanas'' or postures, not only to sit in meditation, but also by their own value. 84 postures are constantly mentioned in texts, although usually not described, until we reach 19th century, the moment in which yoga started being influenced by European physical culture through British contact.
The modern evolution of yoga was moved by nationalism, as Indian yoga teachers started absorbing all the gymnastic culture they could find, both native and European, in order to counter the British racial stereotype of Indians being genetically decadent weaklings. Most non-seated asana were integrated at this point, as well as the ''Surya namaskar'' or sun salutation, originally an unrelated exercise practiced by Indian wrestlers. Modern yoga schools would soon appear, with masters like Vivekananda, Shri Yogendra, Kuvalayananda and Paramansa Yogananda becoming avid travelers in order to disseminate their art in the west, where oriental-inclined people received it with enthusiasm before the whole thing found its way into western culture. Due to some religious uncomfortability, it was mostly marketed as a form of exercise and relaxation, but never without this vibe of ancient, fathomless mystic art.
Especially in United States, yoga has become strongly associated with UsefulNotes/NewAge believers, [[NewAgeRetroHippie hippies]], cults, vegans and office ladies preoccupied with their weight, but there is always much more underneath.
Warning: it might be due to the cultlike environment of some Indian schools, or maybe the lack of regulation in some areas, but if you navigate through the story of modern yoga, you will find that a startling number of important masters in the past have featured scandals of sexual abuse, racism, homophobia or discrimination of some kind, so this is definitely a discipline where one is forced to separate the art and the artist in order to achieve that inner peace they preach.
There are lots of yoga styles and schools, and with the popularization of different yoga methods, there are also modern schools that integrate practices of more than one style, but these are the most likely to find in your nearest gym.
* '''Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga''' or '''Msore style''': a style created by K. Pattabhi Jois. Its main characteristic is its emphasis on ''vinyasa'', meaning transition, in which the user transitions from one posture to other in a flowing movement.
* '''Sivananda Yoga''': a system founded by Vishnudevananda. This is a very dedicated, almost monkish yoga style, where practitioners are encouraged to keep an old-fashioned Hindu lifestyle.
* '''Integral Yoga''': an allrounder style, so to speak, founded by Satchidananda. It is a very adaptable, complete system integrating postures, meditation and the like.
* '''Bikram Yoga''' or '''Hot Yoga''': the school of Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Yoga uses only 26 postures with few variations, and has the interesting custom of keeping the place of practice hot in order to simulate the humid climate of India.
* '''Iyengar Yoga''': created by B. K. R. Iyengar, this is a style based around precision and balance that tries to reach the best alignement possible in every posture. Iyengar popularized the usage of belts and foam blocks as aids for the physically limited to perform postures without danger of injury.
* '''Yin Yoga''' or '''Taoist Yoga''': a mix of yoga and traditional Chinese medicine, innovated by martial artist Paulie Zink as a complement to other styles. Most of its masters teach soft, non-straining variations of postures with a strong meditative focus.
* '''Power Yoga''': a hardcore, fitness-crazy system that descends from the Ashtanga Vinyasa. Most of the yogi performing spectacular one-arm handstands you often find in internet pics come from this school.
