The history of Yoga

No one knows exactly how old yoga is. It originated as long as 10,000 to 5000 years ago. It was passed down orally and has gone through much evolution. The earliest reference to Yoga was found when archeological excavations were made in the Indus valley - an amazing powerful and influential civilization in the early antique period. This sophisticated culture developed around the Indus river and the long gone Sarasvati river in northern India, on the border towards Pakistan and had sewage systems, baths as early as 2,600 BC.

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. The history of yoga would not have been completed in the classical stage of yoga.

At the beginning of human civilisation, as man began to realise his spiritual potential, yoga arose as techniques evolved to harness and develop this potential. In some ancient traditions Yoga was thought of as a divine gift revealed to the sages so mankind would realise its divine nature. However, the very essence and birth of yoga has been explained by many different symbols, analogies and languages.

While many religions continue to want to make yoga their own creation, it belongs to all of us. It has many facets that can be found in the Hindu and Buddhist faith, but the basic principals are universal and based on "the eight limbs of yoga", which can be found in all religions.

The physical practice of yoga is called Hatha Yoga. This branch of yoga i taught at the Athenaeum Spa in Malta. It was developed by Yogis who went into the jungles thousands of years ago to meditate. During meditation, these Yogis observed animal movements. The development of many of the yoga postures comes from their observations of nature and animals. Although yoga has a long history, its rise to popularity in the United States has been only in the last 50-75 years. However, Yoga has now found its away across the continents to take root in American culture.

Yoga probably arrived in the United States in the late 1800s, but it did not become widely known until the 1960s, as part of the youth culture's growing interest in anything Eastern. In Malta, Yoga became popular in th early 80's and has increased in popularity ever since. The Athenaeum Spa in Malta was one of the first centres to offer yoga classes in Malta. As more people learned about the beneficial effects of Yoga, it gained acceptance and respect as a valuable method for helping in the management of stress and improving health and overall well-being.

Over the last 100 years, our lives have become very fast paced: cell phones, computers, internet, television. This, along with a strong work ethic, often results in people out of balance – people experiencing a lot of stress. Consequently, there is a strong need to de-stress, to quiet our minds and rejuvenate our bodies. And yoga at the Athenaeum Spa in Malta, helps achieve this, helping us return to a state of balance and health.