According to Gorakṣasanath (900 AD-1000AD) in Gorakṣasatakam and Gherandarishi (1800 AD) in Gherandsamhita; there are 84 lakhs asanas, out of which, 84 asanas have been considered very useful and also taught by Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva is considered the Supreme Lord of Yoga.
The word “Yoga” surfaced around 1500 BC just as the Harappan civilization began to decline.
The word yoga has its first mention in the Rig Veda, the oldest of the sacred texts. Rig Veda defines yoga as “yoking” or “discipline,” but offers no accompanying systematic practice.
The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one’s attention on to use and apply.
The most famous and most beloved of all yoga texts, the Bhagavad Gita (“The Lord’s Song”) and provides the most comprehensive description of yoga at that time.
The Gita advocated a three-pronged approach: karma yoga, the path of service; jnana yoga, the path of wisdom or knowledge; and bhakti yoga, the path of devotion.
The most famous proponent of the Samkhya was Patanjali who is known for his famous treatise called the Yoga Sutra, which is considered to be the first systematic presentation of yoga.
Patanjali is the father of modern yoga.
Patanjali clearly succeeded in codifying the concepts of an ancient and oral tradition. His collection of 195 sutras (aphorisms or “terse statements”) provides the first practical treatise on daily living.
There are many yoga traditional textbooks, wherein Sirsasana is regarded as the king of all asanas.
The importance of Sarvangasana cannot be over-emphasized. It is one of the greatest boons conferred on humanity by our ancient sages. Sarvangasana is the mother of asanas. As a mother strives for harmony and happiness in the home, so this asana strives for the harmony and happiness of the human system. It is a panacea for most common ailments.
The effects of practicing Peacock pose are amazing. If one performs it on daily basis, the practitioner has developed the ability of digest poison as said in some ancient yogic texts.
Regular practices of Uddiyana bandha rejuvenates the whole body and make even an old man feel young. It is said that the practices of this pose slowing down the ageing process and also delay one’s death.
Kapalbhati is a cleansing cum breathing yoga, known to have the remedy of maximum diseases including cardiac (1).
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is known as ‘Amrit’, regarded as one of the best yogic poses to keep oneself fit and healthy (2).
The first yoga mat was developed by Angela Farmer in 1982.
Swami Vivekananda is first person who popularize Yoga in the West.
B K S Iyengar was considered to be the foremost of the modern yoga teachers in the world and also regarded as king of yogasana.
Yoga is a now an Olympic Sport. In India, it is recognized, as a competitive sport.
In one of the recent studies, it has been found that total 40 million people in the US regularly practice yoga.
Yoga posts on Instagram have crossed more than one billion.
Americans spend $16 billion on yoga classes and its accessories.
