History of Yoga: A talk by Dr Ananda Balayogi
Yoga is truly timeless. It may be said to have begun when life itself began as with the sense of separation into individuality (birth), a path to reunion (liberation) had to also manifest.
For the purpose of understanding the development of this great Yogic spiritual tradition, one may divide its unfoldment into three time frames:
I : PRE-HISTORIC: Teachings transmitted orally from Guru to disciple in forest hermitages. Before the written word.
II : THE HISTORIC: Teachings transmitted from Guru to disciple in forest hermitages, using both oral and written traditions.
III : MODERN: Spiritual teachings gleaned from many sources, indiscriminately, often only through the written word and without the guidance of Guru.
In the last century, Yoga has developed in various directions and dimensions under the guidance of many eminent masters.
These masters have codified their own Bani (styles) of Yoga that are often at variance with one another but all of them still maintain the traditional lineage to Yoga Vidya or the Science of Yoga.
The term “unity in diversity” is apt for these developments ad though on the surface the different traditions or Banis may appear to be even contradictory, they all ultimately lead to the same goal of spiritual union though in diverse paths.
Major developments in recent times have been the extensive research done in the field of Yoga as well as the transformation of Yoga education from the Gurukula and Ashram settings to the college and university oriented Yoga.
This talk is a humble attempt by Dr Ananda to share the timeless origins of Yoga and summarize the various developments that have taken place in the last century with reference to the Indian geographical context.
