Yoga- Its Past and Present

Yoga, originating from the soils of ancient India, comprises of a set of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that can heal and soothe the mind and body of a person. The Hindu philosophical tradition has six orthodox schools which include Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta. Yoga, being one of the Hindu orthodox schools, is today widely practiced around the world.

In India, it was Swami Vivekananda who brought Yoga to the forefront in the late 19th and early 20th century. He introduced his own adaptations of yoga, excluding the asanas. Following his footsteps, some of the Indian yoga gurus took the practice to other parts of the globe and the west got to be acquainted with it. The western world, however, adopted a different form of modern yoga that has an increasing number of asanas. In Indian practice, yoga is more about meditation and spirituality rather than being a physical exercise.

Modern yoga is regarded as a rejuvenator in today’s humdrum life as it soothes, refreshes, calms down the mind and soul which is much needed to tackle with the fast-paced city life. Not only this, yoga purifies the inner body and the mind which once again is necessary for facing the pollution around. The modern working schedules demand office-goers to either stick to their chairs for 8 hours a day or go out in the polluted traffic congested roads for the entire day. The yoga gurus, hence, has classified the yoga asanas and practices basing on its advantages so that the one can choose the yoga practices basing on his/her particular body and mental needs.

Studies on yoga reveal that modern yoga is a boon to modern day people. it works as a complementary intervention to cancer, schizophrenia, asthma, and heart diseases which are some of the fatal diseases. it is the innumerable health benefits of yoga that made UNESCO list it as an intangible cultural heritage on On December 1, 2016.

Also read: Yoga must be part of the school curriculum: Vice President