Yoga has evolved over several millennia across vast geographic terrain embracing philosophy, religion, ethics, psychology and physical health. The archeological evidence of yoga practices goes back to about 2000 BC when excavation in the Indes Valley uncovered seals depicting human figures in the lotus position (VW p11). Yoga was thought to be indigenous to Sramanism practiced by ‘free thinkers’ in Indian religious life who were driven from their communities into the forests by the Aryans as they arrived to conquer India up to 1500BC. The Aryans brought with them Brahaminism with which, at that stage, there was no association with yoga. The ensuing dialogue between the Aryans and the indigenous ‘free thinkers’ produced the Upanishads, the first literary exposition of yoga, appended to the Vedas, the scriptures of the Brahamins, around 800BC. The Upanishads discusses yoga as part of a range of spiritual and ethereal concepts. The Bhagavad Gita, (Vyasa, circa 300BC) superseded the Vedas in importance and influence with its elaboration on the spiritual and meditational aspects of yoga but the first reference to yoga postures or asanas appears in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali is surrounded by mythology but is believed to have lived sometime between 500 and 200 BC. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali decree “asana is perfect firmness of the body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit”. (part 2, sutra 46). Further, “perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached” (Sutra 47). From then on the yogi is “undisturbed by dualities”, that is the dualities of mind, body and spirit are “united in a perfect posture”. (p149-151 Iyengar Patanjali).
Asanas may have developed from the practices involved in fertility rites and phallus and vulva worship performed by the ancient Sremanic communities. These rites became associated with Tantrism, based on a philosophy of active emotion or emotional worship, developed between 300 and 400 AD. Some of the techniques employed in the development of the siddhis or phychic powers may have been used in arousing states of ecstasy in tantric practices. Yoga asanas, mantras and meditation practices, described in the earliest written tantras appearing in the fourth century AD, evolved as accessories to the development of psychic practices. It is conceivable the ecstatic states aroused in the fertility rites and tantric practices became associated with psychic phenomena linked to the practice of asana and meditation. The Nath yoga sect of north India developed these yogic practices from the tenth to the twelfth century and distinguished them as ‘Hatha’ yoga. The sect left fragments of notes and instructions on asanas and other yogic practices and these were published in the fifteenth century as the Hathayogapradipika. The first section of this work lists fifteen asanas: Svastika, Gomukha, Virasana, Kurmasana, Kukkatasana, Uttanakurasana, Dhanurasana, Matsyendra, Paschimotanasana, Mayurasana, Shavasana, Siddhasana, Padmasana, Dimbhasana and Bhadrasana. The Hathapradipika decrees the practice of these asanas form part of the means of gaining mastery of the siddhis and describes the other necessary prerequisites that include pranayama and some esoteric cleansing practices.
‘prana’ – thought to be a natural energy force flowing through the body. Yoga facilitates the directing of the flow of prana requiring subtle and precise minute detail in the practice of asanas. Yoga practice facilitates the flow of prana but, according to the Hathayogapradipika, may induce serious ill health if practiced incorrectly. The increase in energy resulting from asana practice can result in ‘blockages’ that need to be cleared if health is to be restored. Ayervedic practices serve to eliminate the blockages. The practice of ‘bhandas’, a series of muscular contractions, principally of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles combined with a ‘chin-lock’ to the chest, are also prescribed to avert blockages. There is no scientific evidence for the existence of prana as it cannot be directly observed or falsified