Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Note on Yoga Terminology
In referring to yoga, it is common to use the original Sanskrit terms for various concepts
and practices, as frequently, equivalent words do not exist in English. Yoga for Men adopts the convention of presenting these words in transliterated English, with a literal translation
of their meaning generally provided parenthetically. Understanding the etymology of the
original Sanskrit word can often be a helpful key to unlocking its meaning in English.
Sanskrit terms are generally italicized upon their first occurrence in Yoga for Men, with an
English translation provided in parentheses. Subsequent uses of the Sanskrit term in the
text are not italicized. Because of the complexity of transliterating Sanskrit words into
English, Sanskrit words often have variant spellings in English. Yoga for Men attempts to
use the most frequently encountered spellings.
may be new to some readers. A male practitioner of yoga is frequently referred to as a yogin,
while a female practitioner is referred to as a yogini. Alternatively, the word yogi refers to any
practitioner, regardless of sex. The plural of yogi is yogis. The adjective yogic does not yet
appear in all dictionaries, but is used with increasing frequency as a qualifier to denote that
the noun to which it refers has a special yoga connotation. You will find these words used
at various times throughout this book.
and practices, as frequently, equivalent words do not exist in English. Yoga for Men adopts the convention of presenting these words in transliterated English, with a literal translation
of their meaning generally provided parenthetically. Understanding the etymology of the
original Sanskrit word can often be a helpful key to unlocking its meaning in English.
Sanskrit terms are generally italicized upon their first occurrence in Yoga for Men, with an
English translation provided in parentheses. Subsequent uses of the Sanskrit term in the
text are not italicized. Because of the complexity of transliterating Sanskrit words into
English, Sanskrit words often have variant spellings in English. Yoga for Men attempts to
use the most frequently encountered spellings.
may be new to some readers. A male practitioner of yoga is frequently referred to as a yogin,
while a female practitioner is referred to as a yogini. Alternatively, the word yogi refers to any
practitioner, regardless of sex. The plural of yogi is yogis. The adjective yogic does not yet
appear in all dictionaries, but is used with increasing frequency as a qualifier to denote that
the noun to which it refers has a special yoga connotation. You will find these words used
at various times throughout this book.
Yoga in the West
While many people in the West are only now discovering yoga, knowledge of yoga in
the West is not new. In the late 18th century, interest in Sanskrit grew as scholars began to
understand the importance and interconnectedness of the Indo-European family of languages.
The Bhagavad Gita was the first Sanskrit text to be translated into English—in
1785 by the Englishman Charles Wilkins. American statesman Alexander Hamilton visited
India, and even gave Sanskrit lessons in Paris, when he was detained there during
wartime in 1802.3
The transcendentalist movement was influenced by Eastern thought. By the early 19th
century, the teachings of the ancient Hindu texts that form the basis of yoga were becoming
known to Westerners through the influential work of such intellectuals and writers as
Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The work of American and European
Romantic artists also resonated with the essence of yoga thought.
What seems to have done the most to bring yoga into popular awareness, however, has
been a cross-fertilization of knowledge about India and its sacred traditions that began
more recently when a number of master teachers, or gurus, came from India to the West
with the professed aim of bringing the ancient teachings of India to Western nations. First
among these was Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), who gained prominence through his
presence at the World’s Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. One of the most
influential of the Indian gurus was Parmahansa Yogananda (1893–1952), who was sent by
his revered master to bring the teachings of yoga to the West in 1920, when he attended a
congress of world religions in Boston. In that same year, Parmahansa Yogananda founded
the Self-Realization Fellowship, an organization through which he initiated thousands of
Westerners into yoga. His Autobiography of a Yogi remains one of the most widely read books
on yoga throughout the world today. Since these two pioneers, a number of other influential
teachers have brought their particular focus on yoga to the West, including, most
notably, B.K.S. Iyengar (founder of Iyengar Yoga), Swami Rama (the Himalayan Institute),
Swami Satchidananda (Integral Yoga), and Swami Vishnu-devananda (Sivananda Yoga).
The transmission of knowledge of yoga is a two-way avenue, however. Because knowledge
about yoga has become more widely available in the West, increasingly large numbers
of Americans and Europeans are traveling to India to seek instruction firsthand in the
ancient practices of yoga. Ram Dass was one of the first and best-known Westerners to
forgo the creature comforts of the West to sit at the feet of a guru in India. He distilled
the essence of what he learned in the title of his groundbreaking book Be Here Now. Since
Ram Dass’s pilgrimage, countless other Americans have followed a similar path.
the West is not new. In the late 18th century, interest in Sanskrit grew as scholars began to
understand the importance and interconnectedness of the Indo-European family of languages.
The Bhagavad Gita was the first Sanskrit text to be translated into English—in
1785 by the Englishman Charles Wilkins. American statesman Alexander Hamilton visited
India, and even gave Sanskrit lessons in Paris, when he was detained there during
wartime in 1802.3
The transcendentalist movement was influenced by Eastern thought. By the early 19th
century, the teachings of the ancient Hindu texts that form the basis of yoga were becoming
known to Westerners through the influential work of such intellectuals and writers as
Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The work of American and European
Romantic artists also resonated with the essence of yoga thought.
What seems to have done the most to bring yoga into popular awareness, however, has
been a cross-fertilization of knowledge about India and its sacred traditions that began
more recently when a number of master teachers, or gurus, came from India to the West
with the professed aim of bringing the ancient teachings of India to Western nations. First
among these was Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), who gained prominence through his
presence at the World’s Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. One of the most
influential of the Indian gurus was Parmahansa Yogananda (1893–1952), who was sent by
his revered master to bring the teachings of yoga to the West in 1920, when he attended a
congress of world religions in Boston. In that same year, Parmahansa Yogananda founded
the Self-Realization Fellowship, an organization through which he initiated thousands of
Westerners into yoga. His Autobiography of a Yogi remains one of the most widely read books
on yoga throughout the world today. Since these two pioneers, a number of other influential
teachers have brought their particular focus on yoga to the West, including, most
notably, B.K.S. Iyengar (founder of Iyengar Yoga), Swami Rama (the Himalayan Institute),
Swami Satchidananda (Integral Yoga), and Swami Vishnu-devananda (Sivananda Yoga).
The transmission of knowledge of yoga is a two-way avenue, however. Because knowledge
about yoga has become more widely available in the West, increasingly large numbers
of Americans and Europeans are traveling to India to seek instruction firsthand in the
ancient practices of yoga. Ram Dass was one of the first and best-known Westerners to
forgo the creature comforts of the West to sit at the feet of a guru in India. He distilled
the essence of what he learned in the title of his groundbreaking book Be Here Now. Since
Ram Dass’s pilgrimage, countless other Americans have followed a similar path.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
A Brief Overview of the History of Yoga
The exact date and circumstances of the origin of yoga are unknown. This is because
the practice of yoga is so ancient that it is believed to predate the written texts and visual images that depict it. Most scholars trace the origins of yoga to at least 5,000 years ago.
Yoga is believed to have originated through the insights and experiments of ancient seekers of wisdom, mystics, and visionaries on the Indian subcontinent. Through intense inner searching, they developed practices that were passed down orally and eventually recorded in a body of text that is considered sacred in the Hindu and other spiritual traditions.
The earliest known writings on yoga are contained in the Vedas (Sanskrit for
“knowledges”), the most ancient extant Hindu texts. The oldest of these, the Rig-Veda
(“Knowledge of Praise”), believed by some scholars to date as far back as 3000 B.C.E., contains plentiful references to yoga.2 Other ancient sacred Hindu writings, including the Upanishads (“to sit down close to one’s teacher”), helped to codify the oral tradition that
formed the basis of yoga.
Some of the earliest and most influential writings on yoga are the Bhagavad Gita and
the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Bhagavad Gita (“Lord’s Song”), which forms a part of the epic Mahabharata (“Great Story of the Bharatas”), is believed to have been composed between the third and fifth centuries B.C.E. Consisting of approximately 700 stanzas, the Bhagavad Gita contains crucial instruction by the Hindu god Krishna to the warrior Arjuna on the principles of yoga. The precepts he presents continue to guide the practice of yoga today.
The Yoga Sutras (sutra means “thread” in Sanskrit and is related to the English word
suture) is a series of terse aphorisms or maxims that distill the essence of yoga thought.
These aphorisms total 195 or 196, depending upon the source text. The Yoga Sutras are
ascribed to the yoga authority Patanjali, who is believed to have lived between the second and the fifth century C.E. Patanjali is often called the “father of yoga,” although his real contribution was to codify existing knowledge of yoga and help provide it a place within classical Hindu philosophy.
One of the most seminal and well-known texts on hatha yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (“Light on the Forceful Yoga” in Sanskrit), written in the 14th century C.E. by Svatmarama Yogin. This text is considered by some scholars to be the most influential text on hatha yoga, the branch of yoga that deals most specifically with the physical discipline of yoga.
Yoga is much more than an archaic codification of information, however. It is a living system of knowledge. Since its inception millennia ago, yoga has continued to grow and evolve. From its origins in prehistoric India, it has been embraced by many systems of thought, including Buddhism, and has become an integral part of the cultures of a number of other countries, including Tibet, Pakistan, and many other Asian civilizations.
the practice of yoga is so ancient that it is believed to predate the written texts and visual images that depict it. Most scholars trace the origins of yoga to at least 5,000 years ago.
Yoga is believed to have originated through the insights and experiments of ancient seekers of wisdom, mystics, and visionaries on the Indian subcontinent. Through intense inner searching, they developed practices that were passed down orally and eventually recorded in a body of text that is considered sacred in the Hindu and other spiritual traditions.
The earliest known writings on yoga are contained in the Vedas (Sanskrit for
“knowledges”), the most ancient extant Hindu texts. The oldest of these, the Rig-Veda
(“Knowledge of Praise”), believed by some scholars to date as far back as 3000 B.C.E., contains plentiful references to yoga.2 Other ancient sacred Hindu writings, including the Upanishads (“to sit down close to one’s teacher”), helped to codify the oral tradition that
formed the basis of yoga.
Some of the earliest and most influential writings on yoga are the Bhagavad Gita and
the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The Bhagavad Gita (“Lord’s Song”), which forms a part of the epic Mahabharata (“Great Story of the Bharatas”), is believed to have been composed between the third and fifth centuries B.C.E. Consisting of approximately 700 stanzas, the Bhagavad Gita contains crucial instruction by the Hindu god Krishna to the warrior Arjuna on the principles of yoga. The precepts he presents continue to guide the practice of yoga today.
The Yoga Sutras (sutra means “thread” in Sanskrit and is related to the English word
suture) is a series of terse aphorisms or maxims that distill the essence of yoga thought.
These aphorisms total 195 or 196, depending upon the source text. The Yoga Sutras are
ascribed to the yoga authority Patanjali, who is believed to have lived between the second and the fifth century C.E. Patanjali is often called the “father of yoga,” although his real contribution was to codify existing knowledge of yoga and help provide it a place within classical Hindu philosophy.
One of the most seminal and well-known texts on hatha yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (“Light on the Forceful Yoga” in Sanskrit), written in the 14th century C.E. by Svatmarama Yogin. This text is considered by some scholars to be the most influential text on hatha yoga, the branch of yoga that deals most specifically with the physical discipline of yoga.
Yoga is much more than an archaic codification of information, however. It is a living system of knowledge. Since its inception millennia ago, yoga has continued to grow and evolve. From its origins in prehistoric India, it has been embraced by many systems of thought, including Buddhism, and has become an integral part of the cultures of a number of other countries, including Tibet, Pakistan, and many other Asian civilizations.
What Is Yoga?
The world of yoga is diverse and multifaceted. While most people have probably heard
of yoga, many people are somewhat mystified about what it is all about. A common perception
is that yoga is a series of physical exercises based on some traditional Asian system.
While yoga does indeed embrace a highly refined system of physical postures, it is much
more than physical exercise.
The clearest indication of the meaning of yoga is contained in its etymological derivation.
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, which literally means “to yoke”
(this Sanskrit word is the basis for the words yoke and union in modern English). Yoga is often described as meaning “union”—a union of the mind and body, and beyond that, of the mind, body, and spirit; union of the individual with all of creation; union of the individual with the life force itself; and unity with the divinity immanent in all of creation.
Yoga originated in India as one of the six classical schools of Hindu philosophy. It is a rich system of practices that aims to help the individual achieve union with the ultimate source of being. Yoga has been described as a therapy, an art, a science, a philosophy, and a discipline. The aim of yoga is no less daunting than to help us discover, through a rich variety of techniques and practices, who we truly are. Physical exercise can be an important tool on our path of self-discovery, for as yoga instructs us, in order for us to find true balance and understanding, it is necessary for us to be as at peace and at home in our bodies as possible.
of yoga, many people are somewhat mystified about what it is all about. A common perception
is that yoga is a series of physical exercises based on some traditional Asian system.
While yoga does indeed embrace a highly refined system of physical postures, it is much
more than physical exercise.
The clearest indication of the meaning of yoga is contained in its etymological derivation.
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, which literally means “to yoke”
(this Sanskrit word is the basis for the words yoke and union in modern English). Yoga is often described as meaning “union”—a union of the mind and body, and beyond that, of the mind, body, and spirit; union of the individual with all of creation; union of the individual with the life force itself; and unity with the divinity immanent in all of creation.
Yoga originated in India as one of the six classical schools of Hindu philosophy. It is a rich system of practices that aims to help the individual achieve union with the ultimate source of being. Yoga has been described as a therapy, an art, a science, a philosophy, and a discipline. The aim of yoga is no less daunting than to help us discover, through a rich variety of techniques and practices, who we truly are. Physical exercise can be an important tool on our path of self-discovery, for as yoga instructs us, in order for us to find true balance and understanding, it is necessary for us to be as at peace and at home in our bodies as possible.
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