The History of Yoga and How It’s Evolved

The History of Yoga and How It’s Evolved

While it’s common to see yoga studios spread out throughout different cities and states in the country and hear about people doing yoga from the comfort of their homes, there is a lot of valuable information on yoga that most people don’t know. If you’ve always wondered how it originated and evolved over the past several decades and centuries, you’re in the right place. Discover everything you’ve always wanted to learn about yoga while deciding which type is best for you to try.

The Start of Yoga

Some may believe that yoga has been around for years or decades, but did you know it existed in Northern India more than 5000 years ago? So, how do we know that yoga has existed for such a long time? First, locals would document their practice, which included details on daily mantras and movements they’d make to experience physical and mental wellness. In addition, they’d carve images of themselves in different yoga stances on rocks and stones that people continue to find today! While initially created in Northern India such a long time ago, it has since spread to countries across the globe, with billions of people participating in yoga sessions to relieve stress, experience a sense of calm, and stretch the body to get in better physical shape.

The Many Forms of Yoga

Yoga has evolved and transformed into something influential and even more incredible over the past several centuries. As the world becomes more modernized, different yogis continue to develop various techniques and styles of yoga that make health and wellness more achievable. While some people prefer yoga because it’s a therapeutic exercise that promotes healing, helps relieve stress, and encourages self-reflection, those with mobility issues often like it because it’s less strenuous on the bones and joints throughout the body.

Each style of yoga is unique in its own way while allowing individuals to use it as an outlet to experience clarity while staying active and stretching the muscles. Check out this list of some of the many popular yoga styles:

• Hatha. One of the most popular forms of yoga is Hatha. It consists of everything you know yoga to be, including practicing breathing techniques, moving the body into different poses, and mastering the art of meditation. It’s relaxing, therapeutic, and good for the mind and body.

• Restorative. When focusing on restorative yoga, you’re spending more time holding each position than you would with other types of yoga. The idea behind this is to relieve the body of stress and pain. In some cases, those doing restorative yoga will use pillows, blankets, and other props to enhance the experience of each session.

• Hot. For those who want to feel the burn, hot yoga is a thing and consists of doing different stances and holding various positions while exercising in a sweltering room. This idea is to help loosen the muscles and get the heart rate going to provide a more effective workout.

• Bikram. While Bikram yoga is a form of hot yoga, it consists of 26 postures completed each session to relieve tension, ease muscle aches, and improve circulation throughout the body.

While these four styles are popular options, they’re only a handful of the different types of yoga in existence today that people practice regularly to reap the mental and physical health benefits that yoga provides. So, now that you know a bit more about the history of yoga and how it’s evolved over the years, consider giving it a try at home or heading out for an incredible yoga session.