Is Yoga an offshoot of Hindu culture and what are it's historical origins? This question has sparked debate in the yoga community, and has become a "hot" topic amongst Hindu scholars and Yoga practitioners in the United States. The Hindu American Foundation has mounted a "Take Back Yoga" campaign which seeks to increase awareness of Yoga's connections to Hindu culture. The campaign has stirred up divisions between those who acknowledge the shared history of Yoga and Hinduism and those that see Yoga as a "non-religious" spiritual tradition - Hindu Group Stirs Debate Over Yoga's Soul
For many students and teachers of Yoga in the West this debate seems far removed from their Yoga practice. Yoga for many in the West is viewed as a physical culture that promotes health and well being, but has little to do with philosophical or spiritual concerns. But the reality is that Yoga has evolved over thousands of years, and has its origins in the same culture that produced both Hinduism and Buddhism.
Knowing something of the origins of yoga, as well as the culture and traditions from which it has emerged, help us to put our own practice into a much wider context. It can deepen our own spiritual journey to know that what we are practicing is the current form of a tradition reaching back at least 5000 years.
Whilst much of the history of Yoga and Hinduism is unclear, what is certain is that they both evolved within the context of the
Indus-Sarasvati civilization of Northern India. Both have their philosophical roots in the Vedas (Books of Knowledge) and Yoga is considered to be one of the six major schools of Hindu philosophy. Direct references to Yoga can be found in the Upanishads which are known collectively as Vedanta (the end of the Vedas). Sanskrit mantras that are chanted in Yoga ashrams and Yoga studios in both India and the West are also revered by Hindus. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita are as dear to Yogis as they are to the followers of Sanantana Dharma (Hindusim).
Practicing yoga does not require one to become a Hindu, but to fully grasp the depth of Yogic history and philosophy the connections to Hindu culture and tradition should be acknowledged.
For many students and teachers of Yoga in the West this debate seems far removed from their Yoga practice. Yoga for many in the West is viewed as a physical culture that promotes health and well being, but has little to do with philosophical or spiritual concerns. But the reality is that Yoga has evolved over thousands of years, and has its origins in the same culture that produced both Hinduism and Buddhism.
Knowing something of the origins of yoga, as well as the culture and traditions from which it has emerged, help us to put our own practice into a much wider context. It can deepen our own spiritual journey to know that what we are practicing is the current form of a tradition reaching back at least 5000 years.
(A Short History of Yoga, Georg Feuerstein)
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