CHAPTER 2.

Yoga History and Philosophy

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Yoga History and Philosophy
History and Lineage
The History and Meaning of Yoga

The language of Yoga is Sanskrit. In the appendix of this manual and in the back of your textbooks you
have glossaries and indexes to help you learn key words of this ancient language. In Sanskrit the word
yoga comes from the root word, yuj, which has been translated to mean “yoke”, to bring together, bind,
or to unite. When you unite something, you bring two or more things together into a relationship.
Generally, it’s thought to mean the bringing together of the “small” self with the “great” SELF.

“India’s civilization can claim to be the oldest enduring civilization in the world… Yoga practitioners in
particular can benefit from India’s protracted experimentation with life, especially its explorations of the
mysteries of the mind. The Indian civilization has produced great philosophical and spiritual geniuses
who between them have covered every conceivable answer to the big questions, which are as relevant
today as they were thousands of years ago.” – Georg Feuerstein

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 Yoga meditation depicted in archeological excavations in the Indus Valley. Sophisticated civilization

BC
First Civilized Cities in the Indus Valley

10-
and culture developed around the Indus and Sarasvati rivers in northern India on the border with

5000
Pakistan.
Stone seals depict the earliest archaeological evidence of Yoga’ s existence.

BC
Yoga Pose

3000
Stone Seals
A collection of hymns, mantras and Brahmin rituals that praised a greater being. Yoga is referred to

BC
The Vedas
in writing as yoking or discipline without any mention of a practice or method to achieve this

2008
discipline. A reference to breath control is mentioned in the Arthva Veda. Yoga Period
Hinduism has no founder, it developed out of Brahmanism. Hinduism is the world’ s oldest known

BC
Birth of Hinduism & Judaism
religion. Judaism is the oldest of the world's four biggest monotheistic religions

1500
The Upanishads explain the importance for human beings to learn and understand more about the

BC
The Pre-Classical

Chapter 2. Yoga History and Philosophy

800
unity of all things. Furthermore, the Upanishads speak about Brahman (universal spirit) and Atman
(individual spirit) and emphasize the characteristics of both. Yoga Period
(Upanishads)

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Ancient Greece Civilization established.

70

BC
Ancient Greece Civilization

Gautama Buddha, India’ s two greatest epics; Ramayana and the Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita

BC
Birth of Buddhism & Roman Empire
509
embedded in this text). Buddhism arose (Gautama Buddha).

Lord’ s Song – Bhagavad Gita was created. This is currently the oldest known Yoga scripture.
BC
(Bhagavad Gita)
500

In an attempt to define and standardize Classical Yoga, Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras. They are
BC

The Classical
100

composed of 195 aphorisms or sutras. Sutra means thread.

Yoga Period
(The Yoga Sutras)
History of Yoga and World Religions

The death of Jesus Christ. 590 AD Birth of Catholicism -1518 AD Birth of Protestantism. 610 AD Birth
30

Birth of Christianity
AD

of Islam (Mohammed).

Svatmarama codified the physical practice of Hatha yoga in his book the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hatha Yoga Pradipika
AD

Addresses familiar concepts such as basic forms of pranayama, asana, kriya, bandhas, mudras and a
1400

number of other concepts fundamental to most styles of Hatha.

Buddhism in Tibet (Dalai Lama). Tibetan Buddhism
AD
1650

Modern Yoga was introduced to the West by Swami Vivekananda in the Parliament of Religions
AD

The Modern
which was held in Chicago in 1893.
1893

These categories are static snapshots of periods of history that are actually in continuous motion over time.
Yoga Period

3
B.K.S Iyengar, Sri Pattabhi Jois, and TKV Desikachar were all Krishnamacharya’ s students. Krishnamacharya
AD
1931
 Yoga Stone Seals

Around 2000 BCE scholars believe groups of Indo-European speaking people calling themselves arya,
or noble, began to enter the Indian subcontinent through the Hindu Kush. There in the Indus river
valley, they found a civilization already a thousand years old, thriving and advanced in technology and
trade. From the fusion of these two cultures, the Aryan and the Indus Valley, Indian civilization was
born.

Aryans brought their gods and a religion based on ritual sacrifice and an ancient form of Sanskrit.
They had beautiful hymns that worship natural forces and the elemental powers of life: sun and wind,
storm and rain, dawn and night earth and heaven, fire and offering. These are devas – gods and
goddesses.

Fire is Agni, Storm is Indra, Wind is Vayu, Night is Ratri and dawn is Usha, the sun is Surya. Savitri is
the giver of life and death is Yama. The forces of life are met with reverence and awe.
These poetic stories served as liturgy in a complicated ritual religion centering around symbolic
sacrifice.

Over time, brahmins produced commentaries to explain the meaning of the rites. Hymns and
commentaries together became The Vedas.

-The Upanishads, Eknath Easwaran

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Yoga History and Philosophy
Types of Yoga
The Yoga Tree

Raja Yoga Branch (Raja = Royal) Raja Yoga/Patanjali Yoga

Hatha Yoga Branch (Ha= Sun and Tha = Moon) Adamantine – steady and strong - asana

Bhakti Yoga Branch (Bhakti = Devotion, Love of God)

Jnana Yoga Branch (Jnana = Knowledge)

Naad Yoga Branch (Naad = Essence of Sound)

Karma Yoga Branch (Karma = Action of Selfless Service for the Benefit of the Community)

Contemporary Branches of Yoga

From the above ancient traditions many new forms or Yoga have developed in the West. They
include, but are not limited to: Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Jivamukti, Anusara,
Bikram, Urban Zen, OM Yoga, and Vinyasa Flow.

Beyond Asana

Yoga is more than simple exercise. It may include postures (asanas), energy and breath control
(pranayama), meditation, music, philosophy and other approaches. While many people equate the word
Hatha with a particular style of yoga, the word actually refers to the physical aspect of yoga – to the
asana and pranayama practices.

Classes described as Hatha yoga usually include asanas as well as other teachings. There is a tremendous
variety of ways Hatha yoga can be practiced and taught. Common names you may encounter include
Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, Integral, Kripalu, Kundalini, Power, Sivananda and Vinyasa. Each style has
unique characteristics.

People come to yoga for a wide variety of reasons -- fitness, stress management, relief from physical or
emotional pain. Regardless of their motivation, most credit yoga’s meditative component with allowing
them to reach a deeper, more spiritual place in their lives.
Common styles of yoga
Yoga Alliance can help you determine what style of yoga would work best for you or your facility. The
following are some common styles of yoga:

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 • Gentle yoga: Gentle yoga can be as dynamic as some of the more vibrant styles, yet is gentle on
the body. Classes are often multi-level and do not assume prior yoga experience. They include
breathing techniques, warm-ups and basic postures to increase mind-body connection, self-
awareness and self-confidence.
• Yoga flows: Yoga flows are more invigorating. Postures are linked in a flow and provide some
aerobic components while also improving strength and coordination. The classes assume a
participant begins with a certain degree of strength and endurance.
• Power yoga: This dynamic yoga style includes specific sequences designed to build strength and
stamina. These classes are often recommended for people with some familiarity of the basic
postures.
• Fitness yoga: Fitness Yoga is a newer expression designed to incorporate traditional yoga
postures in a form common to most fitness clubs. Students warm up, practice more strenuous
postures and then cool down. They tone the body, especially the core, and increase flexibility,
balance and mind-body awareness.
• Specialty yoga: Yoga can also be customized for the special needs of a broad spectrum of groups
including expectant mothers, seniors and children, as well as for those battling life-threatening
diseases or debilitating chronic conditions. Specialized training is important for teachers who
work with these groups.
• Therapeutic yoga: Yoga therapy is the adaptation and application of yoga practices and
techniques to help those facing health challenges manage their condition, reduce symptoms,
restore balance, increase vitality and improve attitude.
Retrieved February 12, 2013 from http://www.yogaalliance.org/ya/Yoga_Basics/Styles_of_Yoga.aspx

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Important Historical Yoga Teachers and Philosophers to Note

Abhinavagupta (950-1016 AD)

Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963)

Krishnamacharya (1888-1989)

B.K.S. Iyengar (1918- 2014)

Indra Devi (1899-2002)

Harbhajan Singh Khalsa/Yogi Bhajan (1929-2004)

Sri Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002)

There are many influential modern yoga teachers.

Some of them include; Desikachar, Rodney Yee, Richard Freeman, Doug Keller, Richard Miller, Maty
Ezraty, Jason Crandell, Mary Taylor, Tim Miller, David Swenson, Seane Corn, Gurmukh, Dianne Bondy,
David Keil, Cyndi Lee, Shiva Rea, etc.

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Yoga History & Philosophy
Texts and Philosophy
The Vedas
The Vedas, a Sanskrit word translating as “wisdom,” are the oldest sacred texts from India that date
back about four millennia. They provide the first record of yoga philosophy. There are four main Vedas:
Rig, Atharva, Sama, and Yajur. They are written largely as hymns, invocations and prayers to nature
deities. It is believed that the Rishis (ancient Indian mystics) orally composed them in the area that is
now Kashmir. The Vedas are considered by Hindus to be a direct revelation from God.

The Upanishads
The word Upanishad for a long time was thought to translate as “to sit down near (the teacher).” Recent
academic research suggests, however, that the word means “secret doctrine” or attempting to discover
the “hidden connection” of the human realms of existence to the divine planes of Brahman. One can see
how this later developed into the science of Yoga, or “union” of oneself to Higher Consciousness. The
oldest Upanishads are the Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya, which may have been composed as early as
800 BCE. The Upanishads are the philosophical commentaries of the Vedic corpus, and like the Vedas
are also considered to be direct revelation from God. They have many more references to yoga but
remain primarily focused on philosophy. There are traditionally said to be anywhere from 52 - 108
different works that are considered to belong to the Upanishads. Among the several Upanishads that
exist in the ancient Indian literature, the ones of most relevance for the student of Yoga are the
Taittiriya, Kena, Katha, Brihadaranyaka, Mundaka, Chandogya, and Isa Upanishads.

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is part of the larger epic work called the Mahabharata, which is the mythical and
historical account of the founding of India. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna (the teacher) appears to Arjuna
(the student) and teaches him the principles of yoga as a means to end suffering. The story takes place
during a great battle, which is a metaphor for the internal battle that Arjuna himself is experiencing, as
he is about to engage in battle against his kinsmen. The various sides are believed to represent the deep
split in Arjuna’s mind between family, religion, personal will against his moral duty, and the Universal
Laws of Dharma. There are eighteen chapters in the Bhagavad Gita with Chapters 7 and 14 being the
most important with regards to yoga philosophy. The system of philosophy known as Sankhya strongly
influenced this work as well as later yoga philosophy.

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Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Just as the yoga sutras codified yoga in a way that gave yoga philosophy more structure, a yogi by the
name of Svatmarama codified the physical practice of hatha yoga in his book the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
(Light on the Forceful Yoga). It was believed to have been composed sometime in the 14th century CE. In
this book he begins lays the groundwork for what we now think of as Hatha yoga. Though it is not easy
to read, and its contents are very different from today’s elaborations on ancient practices, the Pradipika
addresses familiar concepts such as basic forms of breath control (pranayama), basic poses (asana)
cleansing techniques (kriya), locks (bandhas), hand and body gestures (mudras) and a number of other
concepts fundamental to most styles of Hatha.1

1.Kumar, J. (2009) Living Your Light Retrieved 2/28/13 from http://livingyourlight.com/media/downloads/SampleSanskritWebsiteManual.pdf

Vijnana Bhairava

Translates as “Scripture of the Wisdom-Bhairava”. This text is part of the nondual Saiva Tantra lineage,
thought to have been written in the 7th century CE. The Vijnana Bhairava has a number of translations
and commentaries ranging from the erudite to the poetic. The writing is in the form of a dialogue
between Shiva and Sakti and offers 112 ways to know your true nature. Examples of meditations from
the Vijjnana Bhairava that will help one access a more expansive Awareness are considered by many as
unconventional: gazing at a blank wall or a vast empty sky, feeling deep pain, spinning until you fall
down, paying attention to a luscious kiss, resting in the vibrations of an orgasm, savoring food, letting
attention land on sensations of bliss.

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History and Philosophy
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - 8 Limbs of Yoga
The Yoga Sutras are commonly known as Raja Yoga, the Royal Yoga.
• Present a path that is universally applicable to people of all faith traditions
• The guidelines of Raja Yoga bring the attainment of spiritual enlightenment
• The “goal” liberation from suffering
• Dualistic philosophy
“The Yoga Sutras of Sri Patanjali” is the science of joy and a blueprint for living a deeply satisfying life.
It is a timeless spiritual classic whose appeal is founded on a profound and unerring understanding of
the human condition. Not simply a philosophy, it presents a holistic system of practices that provide
clear, progressive steps toward the elimination of suffering and the attainment of liberation.
These teachings reach beyond age, occupation, gender, and faith tradition. They touch the heart of
the struggle to find peace amidst a world of uncertainties and challenge. They boldly proclaim that
the joy we seek is within us, as none other than our True Identity.”
-Inside the Yoga Sutras, Rev. Jaganath Carrera

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is divided into four chapters or pada which contain 195 sutras:
1. Samadhi Pada: On contemplation. Samadhi is the ultimate goal of Patanjali.
2. Sadhani Pada: On practice; means to achieve Yoga.
3. Vibhuti Pada: On properties and powers. Treading the path. Progressing the practice.
4. Kaivalya Pada: On emancipation and freedom. Self realization.
Patanjali was the first to codify the system/science of yoga – though he is often called the “Father of
Yoga,” he did not create it. The teachings are so ancient no one knows their exact origin story. We are
not sure if Patanjali is one person, or a group of people who have written the text over many years.
Sources credit him with being both a physician and a grammarian. Patanjali is often depicted as a 4-
armed human, with his torso emerging from coils of serpent lower half. Two hands are together in
anjanli mudra – symbolizing a greeting and blessing. One hand is raised holding a chakra, which
symbolizes the turning wheel of time and law of cause and effect. The second raised hand holds the
conch, symbolic of the energy of the primordial sound OM. This is believed to call students to practice
and announces that transformation is imminent.
It is important to note that the Yoga Sutras were an oral tradition and are designed to be memorized,
spoken and repeated over and over again. The word sutra means thread. As a literary style it is a concise
aphorism. “The first four sutras of Chapter 1 or Samadhi Pada contain Patanjali’s entire message in a
nutshell: Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence, and only when the mind is silent can we realize our
own true nature, the effortless Being of the Self. The remaining one hundred and ninety one sutras are

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an expansion of this introductory statement. The main concern of Patanjali in his text is Samadhi, or
spiritual absorption.” – The Yoga Tradition, Feuerstein
It is common in Indian literature for the opening text to contain the entire meaning of the teaching in
seed form. So the Yoga Sutras begin by presenting us with a succinct overview of what is to follow, then,
as our familiarity with the subject grows, the details are filled in.

How to Study the Sutras

Sri Patanjali tells us we must be anchored in our own experiences. Therefore, we must not only read and
study the Yoga Sutras but, live and experience them for ourselves. Success in yoga is through practice
and practice only.

“Without practice, nothing can be achieved.” – Swami Satchidananda

“For the yogins, perhaps more than for the adherents of the other classical Hindu systems of thought,
philosophical understanding has always been only a compass to guide the initiate’s inner experimentation.
It was never intended to replace personal realization of the ultimate Truth, or Reality.” – The Yoga
Tradition, Feuerstein

“The most useful strategy to employ when studying the Yoga Sutras is to approach them as you would a
piece of art or poetry, where a literal, there-is-only-one-way-to-understand-this outlook can smother the
nuances, beauty and various levels of meaning. The Yoga Sutras can be examined and enjoyed from many
angles, each facet exposing another aspect of truth. You will discover more levels of meaning for yourself
as you continue your study and practice.”
-Inside the Yoga Sutras, Rev. Jaganath Carrera

Main Yoga Philosophy Concepts:

“Everything begins in the mind. If you want to see clearly, you need clear vision.” – Sri Swami
Satchidananda

Purusha, Prakriti and Avidya

Purusha: Pure Unbounded Consciousness, Self, Seer, Spirit, Changeless

The experience of Purusha as our True Identity is enlightenment or Self -realization.

Prakriti: Undifferentiated Matter, Nature, Changing.

Avidya: Ignorance

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Ignorance obstructs our experience of True Nature. It is the fundamental confusion that we are Prakriti
rather than Purusha. Avidya is the cause of suffering (dukkha). And the teachings of yoga point the way
to removing it. Also translated as not knowing or not seeing.

Pada One – Key Sutras and Concepts

Sutra 1.1
“Atha Yoganusasanam”
Now, the exposition of Yoga.
NOW. YOGA.
Sutra 1.2
“ Yogas chitta vritti nirodha.”
Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.
Richard Miller: I. 2. yoga – cittavrittinirodhah. “Yoga is when we realize and abide as our essential
nature—stillness—that is without movement, whether the mind, as the movement of thought, is in
movement or is not in movement.”
Sutra 1.14
Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break, and with
enthusiasm.
Sutra 1.33
4 Locks and 4 Keys
1.33. By Cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in
the virtuous, and equanimity toward the non-virtuous, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.

Pada Two – Key Sutras and Concepts

The Five Kleshas
Right after Patanjali describes Kriya Yoga, he explains the five obstacles or reasons we are bound. These
obstacles, troubles, or afflictions, are known as the kleshas:
1. Ignorance (avidya)
2. Ego (asmita)
3. Attachment to Pleasure (raga)
4. Aversion to Pain (dvesa)
5. Fear of Death (abhinivesah)
These five afflictions are often depicted as a tree. Avidya is the trunk of the tree, and the other four
kleshas sprout from it. The Samkhya emphasis on viveka, knowing the real nature of the universe, is
echoed in Classical Yoga's emphasis on avidya, or ignorance, as the chief affliction we suffer. Destroy
avidya and all the other troubles go away.

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Yoga History & Philosophy
Before and After Patanjali
Though Patanjali’s yoga is perhaps the most well known of the yogic philosophies among Western
students there are other influential philosophies, both that underlie Patanjali’s sutras and that have
grown from it. Exact dates are nearly impossible to ascertain regarding the beginning of each school of
thought, though they are listed here in a general chronological order.

Samkhya is a dualistic perspective that is thought to be the precursor of Patanjali’s sutras and also a
great influence on the Buddha. In this philosophy Purusha (the Seer) and Prakriti (the seen) are both
seen as real and are separate from each other.

Patanjali’s yoga sutras arise from this tradition offering the same philosophical dualistic perspective but
adding numerous experiments to attain the final realization of the Samkhya philosophy – Samadhi.

Advaita Vedanta arises as a non-dual perspective, proposing that Purusha and Prakriti are “not two”.
That all there is is Purusha, and that Prakriti is a projection of the mind. All we see and do, everything
that changes is just a dream.

Kashmir Shaivism is considered an Unqualified Non-dual perspective. Whereas Advaita sees all form as
a dream to be transcended, Kasmir Shaivism sees Purusha and Prakriti as “not two” and Prakriti as real
(not a dream or illusion). That all form is made up of and arising out of the formle ss. There is no need
to transcend our physical lives because the physical is a manifestation of the divine. There is no
separation at all, only oneness of being.

(adapted from Integrative Restoration Level 2 Manual: Four Foundational Philosophies of Yoga)

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Yoga History & Philosophy
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
1. Yama-Universal Values of Life
a. Ahimsa: non-violence, non-killing
b. Satya: truthfulness
c. Asteya: non-stealing
d. Brahmacharya: living life in awareness of the Divine often translated as celibacy or
moderation
e. Aparigraha: non-possessiveness

2. Niyamas- Personal Observances

a. Sauca: purity
b. Santosha: contentment
c. Tapas: fire of the practice, dedication.
d. Svadhyaya: self-study or study of sacred texts
e. Ishvara Pranidhana: awareness of and surrender to something greater

3. Asana: comfortable, steady posture

4. Pranayama: working with the life force energy, generally through breathing practice
5. Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses into the inner silence
6. Dharana: concentration, giving the mind one direction of flow
7. Dhyana: meditation, steadiness in one flow
8. Samadhi: the state of total absorption

***Know this ^^^^^ as-is for your 8-Limbs Quiz***

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References
Inside the Yoga Sutras, Rev. Jaganath Carrera
The Yoga Tradition, Georg Feuerstin
The Upanishads, Eknath Easwaran
The Yoga of Breath, Richard Rosen
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Sri Swami Satchidananda
iRest Training Manual L1

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