Yoga History, Anthropology, and Practice
1. Origins
2. Manuscripts
3. Methods
Origins
We know from archeological, linguistic, and forensic evidence that yoga originated as a way of
life for ancient humans living in India more than 5000 years ago. Remains of these ancient
people reveal that they were much healthier than their homo sapien counterparts in other parts
of the world, and they lived on a diet of simple foods. All evidence points to a large, civilized
society living in harmony with nature for many centuries. These people are known as the Ancient
Dravidians, and there is significant genetic science supporting their haplogroup (DNA markers)
mixed in with modern humans.
Many small stone carvings have been found that clearly symbolize yoga postures, or asanas. The
anthropological study of ancient Harappa, a large city of Ancient Dravidians provides evidence of
hatha yoga (posture) being done thousands of years ago, and a large group of people who lived
a lifestyle that we today call yoga. While an oral or lifestyle tradition does not always leave
behind archaeological evidence of their philosophy, we do have linguistic evidence through the
vast contemporary Dravidian Languages, and a Dravidian Philosophy that can be described
clearly, and is a part of modern academic study.
Archaeological evidence of ancient writings, in addition to symbols and seals carved into stone
exist, but to date, unfortunately, no one has been able to decipher the meaning of the ancient
alphabet of Harappa, and it is feared that the “Indus Script” will forever be lost. Many yoga
scholars ask, “why was it lost”? The answer is in a controversial but proven shift in power often
referred to as the “Aryan Migration”. The Aryan Migration denotes the movement of Asian Steppe
pastoralists into the Indian subcontinent, and the eventual conquering and takeover of the
Dravidian people, along with the loss of the language and way of life of the original yogis. The
new power structure brought by the Aryans was much less peaceful than that of the Dravidians,
and it is likely that the Dravidian writing system was intentionally banned and destroyed, and
the culture absorbed into the dominant cultures of India more closely related to the religion of Brahmanism.
Yoga can be historically and scientifically traced without question to the non-Aryan,
non-Brahmanist Dravidian people of ancient India, who were the people that lived in the
Harappan region of the Indus Valley and all over India prior to the Aryan migration. It is now
proven through DNA, linguistic, and archaeological evidence that the Ancient Dravidians
practiced what we now call yoga as a way of living in balance and harmony with nature, each
other, and themselves individually. Modern descendants of the Ancient Dravidians are helpful in
explaining their perspective on reality, which rather than a religious dogma, are better described
as a way of life, and a philosophy of existence. Historical records kept by Dravidian scholars
concur with the non-Aryan origins of yoga, and no archaeological evidence exists to support that
Aryan ancestors practiced yoga prior to the Aryan migration.
2. Manuscripts
Modern Dravidian Languages provide linguistic clues to the ancient civilizations and the history
of yoga, but without the ability to read the alphabet on the written records, we are at a loss for
manuscripts from them. As a result, we rely on Aryan and Vedic records written in Sanskrit, a
language similar to Latin. The Sanskrit texts we have were produced much later, but are
believed to contain the critical philosophies of yoga. Notably, even though these manuscripts
were written in Sanskrit, they were authored by verifiable Ancient Dravidian scholars, who
rejected Brahmanism and the caste system. It is very clear in early yogic texts that a very
different perspective on life is given, when compared to Vedic, Aryan, Brahmanistic explanations.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are the most authoritative document on the subject of yoga. The
Yoga Sutras were most likely written 2000 years ago, and are associated with the Dravidian
philosophies contained in the non-theistic cosmology of Samkhya.
The Samkhya Karika, often referred to as the “Samkhya Yoga Karika” is a document that
provides the theoretical background of yoga philosophy. Several other manuscripts that are often referred to
as “Yoga Shastras” exist. These manuscripts include the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Siva Samhita, the Gheranda
Samhita, and others. These Hatha Yoga manuscripts are comparatively recent when juxtaposed with the Yoga
Sutras, and are influenced by Vedic philosophies as well as Yoga philosophy. They may be very useful for
someone looking to research deeply into the physical practice of yoga.
3. Methods
Practicing yoga as a part of a preventative health program, or as a means to live a happier life
need not be complicated. There are several methods to choose from, to fit your individual needs.
In the Yoga Sutras, the practice of yoga is broken down into 8 categories, or “limbs”. These 8
categories are: Yama (social ethics), Niyama (personal ethics), Asana (comfortable posture),
Pranayama (breath work), Pratyahara (control of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana
(meditation), Samadhi (egoless state of perception).
These 8 limbs can be practiced via the following 3 methods or “paths”:
Karma Yoga (Yama, Niyama) refers to living a life of action consistent with the outcomes you
believe to be virtuous. Typically this involves selfless action and surrender to purpose.
Hatha Yoga (Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara) refers to practicing physical postures that bring
health and vitality to the body. Traditionally practiced daily under the guidance of a teacher.
Raja Yoga (Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) refers to practices that bring the mind into a state of
meditation; a quality of consciousness beyond ego, where a person experiences inner tranquility.
Yoga Spirals offers guidance to practitioners of yoga who pursue any or all of the 3 paths above.