The science
of Yoga has its origin thousands of years ago, long before the first religion
or belief systems were born. According to Yogic
lore, Shiva has seen as the first yogi or ādiyogi and the first guru or ādiguru.
Several thousand years ago,
on the banks of Lake Kantisarovar in the Himalayas, ādiyogi poured his profound knowledge
into the legendary saptarishis or "seven sages". These sages carried this powerful Yogic
science to different parts of the world including Asia, the Middle East,
northern Africa, and South America. Interestingly, modern scholars have noted
and marveled at the close parallels found between ancient cultures across the
globe. However, it was in India that the Yogic system found its fullest
expression. Agastya Muni , one
of the saptarishi who traveled across
the Indian subcontinent, crafted this culture around a core Yogic way of life.
Yoga is
widely considered an "immortal cultural outcome" of the Indus Saraswati
Valley Civilisation – dating back to 2700 BC – and has proven itself to cater
to both material and spiritual uplift of humanity. Several seals and fossil
remains of Indus Saraswati Valley Civilisation with Yogic motifs and figures
performing Yoga sādhana suggest the presence of Yoga in
ancient India. The seals and idols of the Mother Goddess are suggestive of Tantra Yoga. The presence of Yoga is
also available in folk traditions, Vedic and Upanishadic heritage, Buddhist and
Jain traditions, Darshanas, epics of Mahabharata including Bhagawadgita and Ramayana, theistic traditions
of Shaivas, Vaishnavas and Tantric traditions. Though Yoga was being practiced
in the pre-Vedic period, the great sage Maharishi Patanjali systematized and
codified the then-existing Yogic practices, their meaning, and their related
knowledge through Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.
After Maharishi
Patanjali, many sages and Yoga masters contributed greatly to the preservation
and development of the field through well-documented practices and literature.
Yoga has spread all over the world by the teachings of eminent Yoga Gurus from
ancient times to the present date. Today, everybody has conviction about Yoga
practices towards the prevention of disease, maintenance, and promotion of
health. Millions of people across the globe have benefitted by the practice of
Yoga and the practice of Yoga is blossoming and growing more vibrant with each
passing day.
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