How much do you know about the history of modern yoga? I was surprised to learn just how recently the practice of dynamic asana sequences was developed. The three-part lecture that yoga scholar Seth Powell gives for Yoga Alliance is an astounding summary of the evolution of yoga practice.
He starts with the explanation that ancient yogic texts really didn’t have many asanas at all. Rather, Patanjali only mentions asana as sthirasukham or a firm yet comfortable meditative seat. In early texts asana is described as a seated posture for the purpose of meditation and breath control. Nowhere do we find the many dynamic standing postures of modern-day vinyasa sequences.
In fact, we don’t see what we now consider yoga emerge until modern times. For Patanjali, asana meant the action of sitting or the material seat itself (like a cushion). This stable yet comfortable posture was an important foundation step within Patanjali’s commentary on the eight limbs of yoga. Asana, the third limb, allows one to engage in the higher practices of yoga, pranayama (breath-control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal) Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (bliss/meditative absorption). These are the subtle inner occurrences that unfold once the practitioner can sit comfortably for extended periods of time, which is what ancient yoga was really about. Although our asana practice is an important step in the yoga journey, most of us never get much further than a short closing meditation at the end of class. Asana is the means to engage in the deeper work of yoga. Having moved away from the focus on achieving a meditative state, yoga is now understood to be a more dynamic practice to help cleanse the body, build strength, and move the subtle energy to promote health and wellbeing.
Would you be surprised to know that many of the modern asanas like Adho Mukha Svanasana (Down Dog) or the classic 12 rounds of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) did not find their way into yoga until the 20th century? If you don’t have time to watch the more in-depth history that Seth Powell gives us, then this BBC podcast with Mukti Jain Campion offers a nice place to begin learning this complex and continuously changing history.
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