History of Yoga Pose

Yoga was originated in India 6,000 years ago. There are some evidences of The Lord Shiva and Pavarati sculptures in various yoga poses which were discovered in Harappa and Mohanjodaro Valley (today, they are in Pakistan). These places once housed people living in Prevedic Age. 4,000 years later, Maharishi Patanjali (300 B.C.) complied and systemized diverse yoga practices and philosophies in a text called “ Yoga Sutra”. The main purpose of this text is to practice meditation. In this text, cross-legged sitting pose was the major posture designed for locking body to stay still for long periods of meditation.

In 15th century, Yogi Swatmarama introduced a particular system of Yoga called Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Hatha Yoga is mostly yoga that prepares the body for the spiritual path via physical and breathing exercises (asana and pranayama), and asceticism. The main component of hatha yoga is yoga posture or asana which is the third step of 8 limbs (ashtanga yoga)of yoga that are:

1. Yama,
2. Niyama,
3. Asana,
4. Pranayama,
5. Pratyahara,
6. Dharana,
7. Dhyana and
8. Samadhi