History of Yoga :

Yoga is a spiritual practice that was developed in India about 5,000 years ago. In ancient times, the desire for greater personal freedom, health, long life, and heightened self-understanding gave birth to this system of physical and mental exercise which has since spread throughout the world. The early writings on yoga were inscribed on the fragile palm leaves that can be easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The Yoga also finds its place in the scriptures of the Vedas and Upanishads. The ancient yogis or saints originally performed the India's ancient Vedic religion, which emphasized.

mainly on rituals. But as the time approaches, these yogis want a direct spiritual experience and not symbolic ritual. So they developed yoga. Taking into account the interrelationship between body and mind, the yogis formulated a unique method for maintaining this balance. This method combines all the movements with various breathing and meditation techniques that ensure peace of mind and physical health.

According to the yogis, true happiness, liberation and enlightenment comes from union of the divine consciousness known as Brahman with the self. Lord Shiva who is also called yogpurush is believed to be the first master of Yoga and nature cure. The history of Yoga can be divided into four main periods which are the pre-classical period, classical period, post-classical period and modern period.

During the pre-classical period, the Yoga was developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in the northern India. The word "Yoga" was mentioned first of all in the Rig Veda, the oldest sacred texts. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by Vedic priests, who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishadas. One of the most famous scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita which was composed around 500 B.C. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and modified it. The Vedic priests mainly believe in teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).