MARIST                                                                                                                
           EDUCARE                                                                                                      
CENTRE                                                                                                                         

  +603-7954 1498

      Vacancy for
            Yoga Instructors

  如果你是一位合格的瑜伽导师及
　拥有多年教导瑜伽班丰富的经
　验，欢迎您加入我们的队伍,成
  为我们成长中的中坚分子。
  如有兴趣，请来函询问.
  谢谢！
 

History of Yoga

Yoga is a spiritual practice that was developed in India about 5,000 years ago. In ancient times, the desire for greater personal freedom, health, long life, and heightened self-understanding gave birth to this system of physical and mental exercise which has since spread throughout the world. The early writings on yoga were inscribed on the fragile palm leaves that can be easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The Yoga also finds its place in the scriptures of the Vedas and Upanishads. The ancient yogis or saints originally performed the India's ancient Vedic religion, which emphasized mainly on rituals. But as the time approaches, these yogis want a direct spiritual experience and not symbolic ritual. So they developed yoga. Taking into account the interrelationship between body and mind, the yogis formulated a unique method for maintaining this balance. This method combines all the movements with various breathing and meditation techniques that ensure peace of mind and physical health.

According to the yogis, true happiness, liberation and enlightenment comes from union of the divine consciousness known as Brahman with the self. Lord Shiva who is also called yogpurush is believed to be the first master of Yoga and nature cure. The history of Yoga can be divided into four main periods which are the pre-classical period, classical period, post-classical period and modern period.

During the pre-classical period, the Yoga was developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in the northern India. The word "Yoga" was mentioned first of all in the Rig Veda, the oldest sacred texts. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by Vedic priests, who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishadas. One of the most famous scriptures is the Bhagavad Gita which was composed around 500 B.C. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and modified it. The Vedic priests mainly believe in teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).

During the classical period, the first systematic presentation of yoga was made in the Patanjali's yoga sutras. These yoga sutras were written in the second century and describes the path of Raja Yoga, which is known as "classical yoga". Patanjali is often considered as the father of yoga and his yoga-sutras still strongly influence all styles of modern yoga. In Patanjali, the art of yoga is divided into an "eight limbed path" that contain the steps to obtain the enlightenment.

During the post-classical period, the teachers of yoga created a system of practices that was designed to rejuvenate the body and life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and developed the Tantra Yoga, with various techniques to cleanse the body and mind. Thus, these body centered practices further led to the creation of Hatha Yoga.

During the period 1800 and 1900, the teachers of yoga started traveling to the west, to attract the followers. In the 1920, Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India by Mr. T. Krishnamacharya. Shri Krishnamacharya traveled through India and give demonstration of various yoga postures and opened the first Hatha Yoga school. B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois were the three students of Shri Krishnamacharya who continued his legacy and increase the popularity of Hatha Yoga.

The importation of yoga in the west still continued until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Since then, various other western and Indian teachers became the pioneers who popularized the Hatha Yoga and gain millions of followers. Now the Hatha Yoga has various different schools or styles, which emphasize the various aspects of the practice. 

There is an easier way to understand the idea behind the practice of yoga, to my students I let them know to look at it as if it’s a tree. 

The Roots
As I said before, nobody knows exactly when it began, but the oldest known documentation of anything resembling the modern-day yoga is the Rig-Veda. Found along the Saraswati River about 3,000-1,900 BC. Forms of yoga have also been noted in ancient Chinese and Mayan cultures, dating as far back as 40,000 BC.

The Trunk
The trunk is the science of yoga, which is the acknowledgment that we are all human beings with a spiritual self. The idea is that there is a soul or transcendental self known as the “atman.” Then there is the mind-body, which is houses the “atman.” When the mind-body, and “atman” become one, our true identity is revealed.

The Limbs
According to Patanjali, an ancient physician-sage, yoga can be separated into eight limbs, known as “yoga sutras.” Patanjali was one of the first to clearly systemize yoga by these principles. 

The first four limbs are: 

“Yama” which means to do good. This is a nice way of saying “do unto others as you would have them do
  unto you.” 

“Niyama” which means to be good. This is the principle that guides self-discipline and self-awareness.

“Asana” which means feel good. “Asanas” is also the word for “steady poses.”
 This limb is meant to keep the body healthy and the mind calm.

“Pranayama” which means live good. This is quite important; it makes one be conscious of the connection
  between  breath, mind and body. 


The second four are reminiscent of the ancient philosophies of yoga. They are:

“Pratyahara” or inner focus, is the process of controlling ones thoughts in order to calm the mind.
  This is usually done through meditation.

“Dharana” is the word for one-pointedness. Similar to “Pratyahara,” this limb is meant to help the mind focus
  on one thing within the self.

“Dyana” which means deep meditation, is a combination of the first two; “Pratahara” and “Dharana.”
 In other words, it is meditation without a focus on a specific object. Instead, the meditation is ambiguous, a deep
 awareness of space and time in that very moment. 

“Samadhi” means absorption. This is simply a state of being produced by the earlier principles.