Yoga 101: What It Is and Why It’s Everywhere

We’ve all heard the term. We’ve seen people striking seemingly impossible poses (at least, impossible for those of us who are out of shape). We’ve heard the chants. But how many of us actually know anything about yoga?

This month, MCPL is offering several yoga classes for both adults and children, which got me thinking about how little I know about this incredibly popular practice. And I have a feeling I’m not alone. So, I decided to do some research and learn more about yoga.

First, here’s the one thing I did know: yoga originated in India. That’s probably the most common piece of trivia out there. The word itself comes from the Sanskrit term yuj, meaning "to join" or "to unite."

Yoga seeks to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit through a combination of physical postures (asanas) and breath control (pranayama). There are many different types of yoga, each incorporating these elements in unique ways. For example, Vinyasa yoga emphasizes the flow between poses, while Ashtanga yoga follows a specific sequence of postures. And those are just two of many styles.

Yoga has been around for a long time—possibly as far back as the Indus Valley Civilization, around 2700 B.C. The earliest mention of yoga appears in the Rig Veda, one of the oldest of the four Vedas (a collection of Sanskrit hymns), composed around 1500 B.C.

It’s unclear who originally developed yoga. Some myths credit Lord Shiva as the first to impart yoga’s teachings, but there’s no definitive founder. Over the centuries, many teachers have contributed to its evolution, making it difficult to pinpoint a single originator.

Lord Buddha’s Eightfold Path is often considered a precursor to yoga, while the teachings of Lord Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, emphasized meditation as a means to attain freedom and salvation. In the 1800s, Swami Vivekananda was one of the first to introduce yoga to the Western world.

Yoga’s popularity truly skyrocketed in the 20th century, spreading far beyond its origins. The fact that a library in Missouri is hosting yoga classes speaks to its widespread appeal. Some people turn to yoga for stress relief, while others see it as a deeply spiritual practice.

Whatever your perspective, yoga might be something worth exploring in your daily life. At the very least, you could end up impressing yourself with some newfound flexibility!

For more information about yoga and its history, check out these titles:

A History of Modern Yoga by Elizabeth de Michelis

Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman

Pamela M.
Antioch Branch