What is Yoga?
In a Nutshell….
In Sanskrit, the term 'Yoga' means "to join" or "to link," signifying both a state of connection and a system of techniques that unify the body, breath, and mind.
While modern yoga is often reduced to a series of physical poses, traditional yoga encompasses a holistic integration of the entire being, offering far more profound benefits to the human system. Subtle Body Yoga aims to broaden and refine the understanding of yoga's comprehensive nature.
The rise in yoga's popularity is attributed to its effectiveness as a remedy for life’s suffering or consfusion (duḥkha). Practitioners today turn to yoga for physical flexibility, strength, and mental stability. Although not a religious practice, yoga enhances existing spiritual beliefs and introduces a new spiritual dimension to life. To truly appreciate yoga's appeal, it's essential to explore its historical roots, which stem from various teachings, some of which remain largely unknown to the public.
The Vedas, India’s ancient wisdom texts dating back over 3,500 years, form the foundational base of yoga. These teachings, consisting of hymns, stories, and mantras, were originally transmitted orally. The Upaniṣads, emerging in the post-Vedic period (800-300 BCE), made the Vedas more accessible and introduced many core concepts of yoga, like meditation, the life force (prana), and the importance of the student-teacher relationship.
The Bhagavad Gītā, perhaps the most significant and well-known Indian philosophical text, presents essential themes like duty, morality, nonattachment, and devotion. It has profoundly influenced various historical figures and remains a key yoga reference.
The Darśanas, six philosophical systems including Yoga, emerged to address human suffering and promote well-being. This site particularly focuses on the Sāṃkhya and Yoga Darśanas. Sāṃkhya philosophy, fundamental to yoga, describes reality as a combination of spirit (puruṣa) and matter (prakṛti). Understanding this dualism is crucial for grasping yoga's approach to alleviating suffering.
Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras, a vital text in Yoga Darśana, offers a complete system for reducing suffering, distinct from the broader concept of 'Yoga' in the Vedas. This ancient text, compiled in the first century BCE, thoroughly explains the Yoga philosophical system.