3900 BCE- 500 BCE
Where does yoga come from and why does that matter to a contemporary yoga practice?
With thousands and thousands of yoga classes to choose from on YouTube alone, giving ourselves a little background into the origins of yoga might help us to narrow down the field. In fact, it could even be fun! Each style and teacher has some vague, if not very specific, connection to the beginnings of yoga that informs the intention and interpretation of the class they teach. Even when they are not using ancient terms or esoteric references, the history of yoga pervades every practice. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a contemporary yoga practice that is truly original; everyone is still riffing off the same old tune!
So let’s do some yoga history excavation, and not surprisingly, our earliest guesses about where and how yoga started come from excavation sites in the Indus Valley.
As I tend to argue that yoga is a science, like any good scientist, I like to back up or historical origin claims with evidence. To substantiate the claim that yoga is over 5000 years old, we look back to the artifacts of the Harappan civilization. Perhaps you haven’t heard of this very old civilization located in present day Pakistan. If you were raised with a Euro-centric education then you might more readily remember tales of Mesopotamia and the Tigres and Euphrates rivers, mighty civilizations to be sure. Many western based historical lenses start civilization in the Mesopotamian heart to reflect the values and laws that have grown most popular through western societies. Those societies grew westward and built on the foundations of codes written in stone and later papyrus trading with Egypt and the Eastern Harappan. The early Mesopotamian records of trade with the Indus Valley people may even hint to the fact that their Eastern neighbors were more civilized! How helpful to understand that piece of our early education may have left out whole histories which evolved into present day practice carried on not only in their progeny, but also now being traded again into Western understandings through practices such as yoga. This might also explain why some of the things you learn in yoga class seem so new and refreshing; you are seeing the world through a new lens!
The beginning of yoga, and arguably all agrarian civilizations began in the modern day Middle East. Growing out of the rich river beds of the Indus River, the Harappa society likewise thrived with technologies, art, and even indoor plumbing! The Harappan civilization was larger and more unique than the many iterations of the Mesopatamian and Egyptian civilizations, and the most mysterious. Nestled at the base of the Himalaya mountains along the Saraswati river, this bustling and busy bygone civilization vanished for thousands of years with no known reason. Once re-discovered, the artifacts and archeological wonders marked the Indus Valleys as one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
How does this mini-history lesson inform our modern understanding of yoga?
All the evidence uncovered in the Indus Valley points to a long standing moral, ethical, and spiritual code of living with artifacts depicting yoga-esque principles and practices. Although we try not to draw too many conclusions from clay, many archeologists have conjectured that the seals and societal structures were based in the same ethical practices of yoga we use today! The Pashupati seal relates to the mythologies and theologies of subcontinent India which inform the yogic path to universal knowledge. The Yogic codes of conduct, including practices of cleanliness and non-harm are reflected in the conduits for baths, sewage, clean water sources, and the absence of weapons throughout unearthed cities. The art and iconography hit the source right on the head with small images in various recognizable yoga poses and hand positions. Whether for health or devotion, we will never fully uncover the mystery, we can relate our yogic roots to the peaceful (likely matriarchal) society.
Another very important reason to situate the history of yoga as a contemporary (likely Western yoga practitioner if you are reading this in English) practitioner is to stay connected to the humanity of modern civilizations throughout the world. Yoga is still a practice of non-violence and connection to universal truth. We are connected to the origins and the people and place of yoga’s origins when we practice so we stay active and aware of the human condition and needs of people throughout the world. Maybe this realization brings up some conflict within you as you want to divest your yoga practice from political issues. Bringing our yoga to politics is one of the hallmarks of contemporary yoga. Using the practice as another way to “white-wash” or to insulate ourselves from what is happening around the world to other humans does not honor the roots of yoga, it may be upholding the tradition of oppression. How can you continue to inspect your own bias and cultural lenses through yoga to deepen your own practice?
Let's use the practice of yoga within its historical and contemporary context to rebuild our own lives and society. We can do so by:
studying the ethics of yoga in the Yoga Sutra - Yamas & Niyamas
we can find a yoga class near where you are and strike up a conversation with someone next to you, learn about their poltical views, inner thoughts, and feelings
build community in small ways like picking up trash in our neighborhood or in big ways like volunteering for a non-profit
reading more about yoga, its history, and practice to find new ways to invigorate our personal practice.
If you are interested in joining a friendly and informed group of yogin - check out the park clases offered by Complete Yoga Training as well as online offering such as bookclub or zoom yoga.
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