Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

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Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

History &concept of yoga

     Since time immemorial the mankind has been suffering from various forms of diseases and miseries as a consequence to its struggle with nature to survive. About ten thousand years ago humans were hunter –gatherers, lived and travelled as small groups in search of food and shelter. More than diseases, natural calamities and disasters reduced the lifespan of ancient populations.

   The concept of disease was shrouded in mystery in primitive era as the people of ancient times believed in spirits &wrath of gods as the causes of occurrence of diseases. The hunter gatherers travelled as small groups from place to place in search of food and shelter. They thrived on water, wild plants and the meat of animals, they got through hunting. The transition from hunter-gatherer groups to an agricultural society with ample supply of food and domesticated animals happened through  thousands of years and it lead to population expansion.

Health &disease concepts in ancient India

   The Rig Veda and Veda Samhitas have reference to healing and curing of diseases from 1500 BCE." Bheshaja "was the term used for referring medicine and "Bhishaj" for referring the physician .Atharva Veda describes about human body, herbs and different methods to treat illnesses. In the Vedas there is mention about water and fire as healing powers guarding against disease demons. Healing rituals accompanied by chants are described.

  Vedic texts describes Yakshma as disease and specifically as consumption [tuberculosis].Vedic texts have references about jaundice as Jayenya ,fever as Takman, heart diseases as Hridroga . Insanity or mental diseases were described as Unmaditva. Atharva Veda was the basis of medical system of India. Later Ayurveda emerged under the guidance and leadership of a group of physicians of India  such as Charaka, Sushruta et al.

History of yoga

Pre-classical yoga

The Vedic period was followed soon by the pre-classical period and in this era is the Upanishads, a collection of 200 Vedic texts were created. Key  concepts of these texts are Brahman (the ultimate reality in the universe), Atman (the transcendental self or self), and the relationship between these two principles.  The pre-classical period culminated in the creation of the 700-verse Bhagavad Gita, which is credited as the oldest known yoga scripture. 

Classical yoga

 The primitive yoga was a mixture of various self-contradictory ideas, beliefs and techniques. The emergence of classical yoga is described by Patanjali’s Yoga sutra, which is a classical yoga treatise written in 2nd century. The Yoga sutras of Patanjali is the earliest extant textbook on yoga. Sage Patanjali is regarded as” the father of yoga “and the treatise yoga sutra as an authentic text in the teachings of yoga.

According to Yogasutra,  yoga has  been arranged into 8 hierarchies-yama,niyam,asana,pranayama,prathihara,dharana,dhyana.samadhi.

Yama – ethical rules relating to conduct towards others or social discipline

Niyama – correct conduct towards oneself, a means of aiding personal growth

Asana – the practice of physical postures (undoubtedly the most well known of the eight limbs)

Pranayama – controlling of the breath

Pratyahara – controlling the senses

Dharana – concentration, the process of drawing the senses inward

Dhyana – meditation

Samadhi – the union of mediation and the subject of meditation, often closely linked with obtaining enlightenment.

Post classical yoga

After a few centuries yoga masters discarded  ideas of Patjali’s yoga sutra and developed a new version Tantra yoga to cleanse  body and mind with body centred practices known as Hata yoga.

Modern Yoga

Later B.K.S .Iyengar founded Iyengar yoga and he taught yoga in his own unique style which him many accolades at national and international domains.

Shivananda founded divine life society and 9 ashrams for conducting the practice of yoga in 1936. He has written over 200 books on yoga.

   India has many prestigious yoga institutes across the country for the benefits of people around the globe. Most of the institutes teach and practice yoga with a goal of destressing and experiencing peace and thus maintain emotional equilibrium. Clinical yoga is advised by expert yoga physicians for many forms of chronic diseases.

   The yoga institute, east Mumbai is another important yoga Centre in India. Shri Yogendra Ji  laid down the foundation of The Yoga Institute, the oldest organized yoga center in the world, in 1918. He is the architect of the evolution of Yoga that has happened in the world in the last 100 years.

   Furthermore, the western world was introduced to Yoga, for the first time ever, when Yogendra Ji set up the first yoga center in New York, America in 1920. Yogendra Ji’s work drew the attention of researchers and scientists from all over the world. Experts and scholars from various universities began visiting the institute for further studies.

    Smt. Hansaji Jayadeva Yogendra has been on the forefront of The yoga movement in the last four decades, as a teacher, teacher-educator, and as an author of several books on Yoga. The Yoga Institute has incorporated the essence of classical and traditional yoga systems like Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Laya Yoga etc.

    Indira Devi opened a yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947.After that yoga was imported to Europe &other western countries by many pioneers and stalwarts of yoga.

   Kanha Shanti Vanam Hyderabad, Telangana offers spiritual training along with interactive programs that promote overall wellness and opportunity to learn and contribute.

     Yoga is an emerging solution for a large number of incurable and difficult to manage diseases which have afflicted the mankind for centuries. Many diseases like autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, neuro immunological and neuro degenerative diseases are the end results of stress and faulty life styles.

       Yoga offers great help in destressing and restoring the circadian rhythm [sleep wake cycle] of the body and hormonal balance. Regular practice of yoga is the need of the hour to prevent many lifestyle diseases and psychosomatic ailments which have detrimental impact on the productivity and creativity of all age groups of the global population.