AskDocDoc
FREE!Ask Doctors — 24/7
Connect with Doctors 24/7. Ask anything, get expert help today.
500 doctors ONLINE
#1 Medical Platform
Ask question for free
00H : 28M : 41S
background image
Click Here
background image
General Health
Question #23134
137 days ago
265

who started yoga

Pihu

I am really trying to understand who started yoga because I’ve been practicing for a couple of years now and I often wonder about its origins. I remember the first time I stepped into a yoga class, feeling a bit awkward and out of place, but over time, I fell in love with it. However, every time I do a pose, I can't help but think who started yoga and how it came to be. I’ve read a few articles that talk about different founders, but I feel lost with all the names and timelines! Like, was it really just one person, or did this whole thing evolve over time? A friend mentioned something about ancient texts and sages, which sounds cool, but like, who started yoga? What were they trying to achieve? I had this moment during a meditation last week, where I just felt so connected, and it made me wonder even more if this was part of what who started yoga intended. Is there any consensus on this, or is it just a big mix-up of different cultures? Any insights would be super helpful!

FREE
Question is closed
FREE! Ask a Doctor — 24/7,
100% Anonymously
Get expert answers anytime, completely confidential.
No sign-up needed.
CTA image asteriksCTA image

Doctors' responses

Yoga, as it’s practiced today, can be traced back thousands of years in India, evolving over many centuries rather than being created by a single individual. It’s a collective tradition that emerged from various philosophical and spiritual practices rather than a single-man origin story. The origins of yoga are often credited to the Indus Valley Civilization and the Vedic texts, with evidence of certain yoga-like practices appearing in ancient seals and scriptures. The Yoga Sutras, composed by the sage Patanjali around the 2nd century BCE, serve as one of the foundational texts of classical yoga. Although Patanjali didn’t “create” yoga, his work laid out the philosophical and ethical framework that significantly influenced its development.

The tradition is also enriched by several other influential texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which have contributed to its philosophical and physical dimensions. In its essence, yoga was designed to aid in spiritual development and self-realization, with the ultimate aim of achieving moksha, or liberation. Such practices are meant to cultivate discipline both physically and mentally, encouraging a balance between body, mind, and spirit.

Modern yoga, with its emphasis on physical postures known as asanas, is actually a more recent evolution, largely popularized in the 20th century. Influential figures like Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and his students, such as B.K.S. Iyengar, were instrumental in this global dissemination. Despite its ancient roots, yoga is continually evolving, interweaving bodily practice with meditation and breathing to form a holistic approach that can be adapted to contemporary lifestyles. So, while no single person “started” yoga, it is a collective evolution of beliefs and practices nurtured by many hands over millennia.

20601 answered questions
91% best answers
Accepted response

0 replies
FREE! Ask a Doctor — 24/7,
100% Anonymously

Get expert answers anytime, completely confidential. No sign-up needed.

About our doctors

Only qualified doctors who have confirmed the availability of medical education and other certificates of medical practice consult on our service. You can check the qualification confirmation in the doctor's profile.


Underweight, want to increase my weight
मैं कितनी लंबी/लंबा हो सकता/सकती हूँ?
Feeling generally unwell for couple Of days
गंभीर विटामिन D की कमी और गर्दन के दर्द के साथ मांसपेशियों में ऐंठन और चक्कर आने पर क्या करें?
Chronic constipation problem for 15-year-old teenager
किसी व्यक्ति के लिए, जिसकी डायबिटीज है और HbA1c 8 है, ब्लड शुगर कम करने के लिए सबसे अच्छी दवा कौन सी है?
अगर मैंने 2 दिन तक Oxyshield लेने के बाद चेहरे और हाथों पर खुजली और रैश हो रहे हैं तो मुझे क्या करना चाहिए?
Why won’t my Anal Fissure won’t heal
Whatwillbe the diagnosis in my case
Suggest some piles medicine or creams
खाने के बाद टहलने के लिए कितनी देर इंतज़ार करना चाहिए?
What is causing the recurring blisters and why is it not drying up
Pain in abdomen and in right side
How to gain weight fastly and naturally
25 साल के एक पुरुष धावक को, जो 7 महीने से मेफेनाटरमिन सल्फेट ले रहा है, बाईं तरफ छाती में दर्द क्यों हो सकता है?
अगर मेरी पत्नी के मुंह से कभी-कभी ज्यादा खून आता है और SGPT लेवल हाई है तो क्या करना चाहिए?
क्या बचपन से मेरी गर्दन का थोड़ा एक तरफ झुका होना सामान्य है, और क्या एक्सरसाइज या फिजियोथेरेपी से इसमें सुधार हो सकता है?
21 साल के व्यक्ति की ऊर्जा स्तर बढ़ाने, वजन बढ़ाने, बाल झड़ने और एलर्जी का इलाज करने का सबसे अच्छा तरीका क्या है?
क्या मेरा विटामिन B12 लेवल 251 pg/mL मेरी थकान, खराब नींद और याददाश्त की समस्याओं का कारण हो सकता है?
how to clean kansa utensils
रोज़ाना 10000 कदम चलने के फायदे
फैरिंजाइटिस का इलाज कैसे करें?
ब्रह्म रसायन का उपयोग कैसे करें?
how to overcome weakness of body
dast band karne ke gharelu upay
homemade bleach
Dengue phases
severe ear pain relief
क्या टॉन्सिलाइटिस संक्रामक है?
dolo 650 का उपयोग