The History of Yoga - Where Did Yoga Come From?

 Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is a sharp exposition of the philosophical principles, deep truths, and disciplines of yoga. It organizes the disciplines into eight "limbs," or categories, of yoga practice. Specific meditation techniques are not given; without help kinds of disciplines are discussed. Many of its sutras (aphorisms) describe and comment upon these practices. This timeless treatise by an campaigner yogi addresses the universal human condition of apparent hostility from God (avidya, not knowing the unchangeable Reality) and shows us how to overcome the mental tendencies and illusions that keep us in this condition.

Like tree limbs, which emerge in sequence, the first disciplines arrive first. As they develop, mature and bear fruit, the bordering ones are practiced. For example, yama prepares one to practice niyama. Patanjali calls the last three elements of niyama "kriya yoga" ("kriya" means action). Marshall Govindan takes the slant that these three elements of kriya (or action) yoga constitute the entire sum of Patanjali's yoga. However, all eight limbs are discussed in great detail in verses 2.30 through 3.8 of the Sutras and pay for a far away more given tally of yoga.

In verse 2.1, Patanjali says: "Kriya yoga consists of tapas (austerity, self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and Ishvara pranidhana (devotional surrender to God)." (Note: The words in parentheses are commonly well-liked translations of the Sanskrit terms.) In the "eight-limbed" path, the kriya yoga practices of niyama precede asana (meditation posture), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses from their objects), dharana (concentration), dhyana (uninterrupted, deep concentration), and samadhi (oneness next the target of meditation). For this reason, "kriya yoga" is sometimes interpreted "preliminary yoga." However, the first of the eight limbs, yama, consists of five abstentions (don'ts), and the five elements of niyama are observances (dos), as a result the kriya yoga practices of niyama can in addition to be interpreted "action yoga," which implies perform something.

The taking into consideration comments from Govindan's record on the Sutras contradict Yogananda and other highly developed yogis, who consent that the yoga of Patanjali is the "eight-limbed" path.

Foreword (xiv, xv) by G. Feuerstein: "... while Patanjali's teaching has become not quite equated with eight-limbed yoga (ashtanga yoga), he himself called his path that of put it on yoga (kriya yoga) in pada 2.1." "The aphorisms in the Yoga Sutras dealing specifically once the eight limbs appear to have been quoted by Patanjali or subsequently further to his text. There is no genuine satisfactory description for why Patanjali used the label kriya yoga for his teachings."

Introduction portion 2 (xxiii) by M. Govindan: "Feuerstein has pointed out, however, that Patanjali's yoga was not the "ashtanga" or "eight-limbed" yoga, described in verses 2.28 to 3.8, as has been commonly thought by most translators. Textual analysis has revealed that these verses were merely quoted from substitute undistinguished source."

On the contrary, Patanjali never called his passage that of piece of legislation (or kriya) yoga; not in verse 2.1 (pada 2.1), nor in any extra verse, nor did he tell it consisted of whatever extra than ashtanga yoga. And if he had quoted the verses pertaining to ashtanga yoga, it would indicate that he enormously in the manner of them.

In Chapter Three of The Holy Science by Swami Sri Yukteswar a yoga teaching that includes the practices of ashtanga yoga is presented, but it is somewhat every second from that of the Yoga Sutras and appears to represent a alternative college of yoga. This illustrates that the principles, truths and practices of yoga are universal and can be discovered by yogis independently of each other. Of course, two substitute people would never perceive, categorize or run by these principles, truths and practices in exactly the similar way, appropriately unless verses 2.28 to 3.8 of the Sutras were compiled from various sources, they are the unique opening of a single person. That person appears to be Patanjali because there is perfect taking over and settlement amongst these verses and the additional verses in the Sutras.

With regard to the idea that Patanjali's yoga was not the eight-limbed alleyway but lonely kriya yoga and that verses 2.28 to 3.8 were either quoted by him or further to his text highly developed on, the in the manner of points should be considered. If Patanjali had quoted these verses it would seek that he no question once what they say. One of them, verse 2:29, states that yoga consists of eight limbs, and new verses discuss each of the practices of kriya yoga, treating them as elements of the second limb. Moreover, apart from the verses very nearly ashtanga yoga, which according to Govindan and Feuerstein, did not arrive from Patanjali, there are unaccompanied two verses in the Yoga Sutras about kriya yoga. If Patanjali's alleyway was kriya yoga and the verses pertaining to ashtanga yoga were added to his text far along on, we would expect him to have devoted more than two verses to describing and commenting on his path.

As mentioned before, kriya yoga consists of tapas, svadhyaya and Ishvara pranidana. The austerities or self-disciplines of tapas change rising above being desires and enduring headache or discomfort, by means of objective and will; "svadhyaya" means deep psychotherapy of the nature of the Self; and Ishvara pranidhana includes both loyalty to God and answer of God's will.

https://courses.onlineyoga.school/

Verses 1.23, 2.2, and 2.45 of the Sutras tell us that Ishvara pranidhana and kriya yoga guide to samadhi. Through devotional surrender to God one rises above the assume of ego, harmful desires, and illusions, which darken the mind and save one from knowing God. The heart's natural love shines forth and illumines one's inner life. One follows the opinion of activity and practices the moral disciplines of yama taking into account greater resolve. Not forlorn attain the blessings of yama arrive into one's life, but in addition, the first two stages of niyama naturally arise: one's thoughts and body become more resolution and one finds contentment within. Through devotional surrender to God, one eventually becomes categorically absorbed in God. Nevertheless, according to the Yoga Sutras, limbs three through seven, skilled along like the first two limbs, as well as lead to samadhi, and every eight limbs constitute yoga. (The seventh limb of yoga, "dhyana," is usually translated as "meditation," but in modern, unexceptional usage "meditation" is often taken to direct every or several of the limbs that follow niyama: assuming a pleasing posture, controlling breath and sparkle force, withdrawing watchfulness from objects of the senses, calming and focusing the mind, deep immersion upon a particular aspect of God, and thoroughly uniting later than God in blissful oneness.)

In verses 3.16 to 3.54, verses that Govindan and Feuerstein attribute to him, Patanjali observations on various functions of samyama, which consists of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Inasmuch as his teachings included these final, culminating limbs of ashtanga yoga, to be resolution they must have afterward included the five disciplines that precede samyama and sustain its practice. Because he never said his passage was kriya yoga and because the verses not quite ashtanga yoga picture what are generally considered to be valuable components of yoga and fit in past his teachings in supplementary parts of the Sutras, it seems highly unlikely that his path was kriya yoga rather than ashtanga yoga, and that these verses were quoted by him or progressive upon bonus to his text. They are an integral allowance of his masterful treatise, perfectly in agreement gone the new aphorisms in the Sutras, and appear to be his own teachings.