Several seals that were discovered at the Indus Valley Civilization sites which date back to 3300 to 1700 BC show drawings of figures that are in yoga or a meditative like posture.
There is a great deal of evidence supporting the idea that these pictures depict a form of ritual discipline which suggests a precursor of yoga. This was pointed out by the archaeologist Gregory Possehl.
He also points out the fact that there are sixteen other “yogi glyptics”. These images point to the fact that the yoga pose may not only have been used by deities but also by humans. Possehl makes the suggestion that yoga dates back to the early civilization in the Indus Valley.
There is a very widely known image named the Pashupati seal and it was discovered by John Marshall. He believed that this was a representation of a “proto-Shiva” figure.
Most modern authorities do not believe the idea that this so called “Pashupati” represents a Rudra or Shiva figure. Gavin Flood states that these views are merely “speculative”.
He feels that it is not clear from this seal whether the figure is indeed seated in a yoga posture. He does not even know if this shape was supposed to represent a human figure.
There are authorities who do support the idea that this ‘Pashupati’ figure does indeed depict a figure in a meditation or a yoga posture. This idea is supported by noted archaeologist Jonathan Mark Kenover.
In 2007, terracotta seals were found in the Cholistan Desert which is located in Pakistan. One of these seals had three pictographs on one side. When the seal is turned over, there is a “yogi” on the other side.
Yoga began in India 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit language and means, to join or integrate, or simply union. Yoga started, as far as we know, as part of India’s philosophical system, but not everyone practiced yoga, and it has never been a religion.
About 5 million people in the United States do some yoga. Dance and stretching exercise classes usually have parts and pieces that come directly from yoga. If you ever go to a physical therapist, he or she may give you therapeutic exercises that are yoga postures.
There are several types of yoga. The yoga you may have seen on TV or taught at your local Y or an adult education class is called hatha yoga, or physical yoga. Sometimes it’s known as the yoga for health. You may also find yoga being taught in a hospital or medical setting. Many health professionals today feel yoga can be part of a treatment plan.
Hatha yoga has three parts: a series of exercises or movements called asana (poses or postures in English), breathing techniques of all kinds, and relaxation.
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