According to Gorakṣasanath (900 AD-1000AD) in Gorakṣasatakam and Gherandarishi (1800 AD) in Gherandsamhita, 84 lakhs asanas, out of which 84 asanas have been considered very usefully and also taught by Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva is the Supreme Lord of Yoga.
The word “Yoga” surfaced around 1500 BC, just as the Harappan civilisation declined.
The word yoga is first mentioned in the Rig Veda, the oldest of the sacred texts. Rig Veda defines yoga as “yoking” or “discipline” but offers no accompanying systematic practice.
Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one’s attention on using and applying.
The most famous and beloved yoga text, the Bhagavad Gita (“The Lord’s Song”), 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 way of wisdom or knowledge; and bhakti yoga, the way of devotion.
The most famous proponent of the Samkhya was Patanjali, known for his renowned treatise called the Yoga Sutra, which is considered the first systematic presentation of yoga.
Patanjali is the father of modern yoga.
Patanjali 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 traditional yoga textbooks where Sirsasana is regarded as the king of all asanas.
The importance of Sarvangasana must be balanced. 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, this asana strives for peace and joy in the human system. It is a panacea for most common ailments.
The effects of practicing the Peacock pose are amazing. If one performs it daily, the practitioner has developed the ability to digest poison, as in some ancient yogic texts.
Regular practices of Uddiyana bandha rejuvenate the whole body and make even an older man feel young. It is said that this pose’s rules slow the ageing process and delay one’s death.
Kapalbhati is a cleansing cum breathing yoga, known to have the remedy for maximum diseases, including cardiac (1).
Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, known as ‘Amrit’, is 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 was the first to popularise yoga in the West.
B K S Iyengar was considered the foremost modern yoga teacher in the world and is also regarded as the king of yoga asana.
Yoga is now an Olympic Sport. In India, it is recognised as a competitive sport.
In one of the recent studies, it has been found that a total of 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 their accessories.
