Matsya Yoga · Knowledge
The History of Yoga
A Journey to the Roots of Yoga
Introduction
Why the roots of yoga matter
Long before there were yoga studios or mats, yoga was a science of being, thousands of years old – an answer to humanity's most fundamental questions.
Those who know the roots of yoga practise differently: more consciously, more respectfully, and with a deeper understanding of what is actually happening on the mat. We invite you to travel back with us to those origins.
Nāsadīya Sūkta
In the Nāsadīya Sūkta, one of the oldest creation hymns of humankind, we read:
Then there was neither non-existence nor existence. There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond.
In the beginning there was only darkness wrapped in darkness. All this was but unillumined cosmic water.
But in the end, who knows, and who can say whence it all came and how creation happened?
This is the question with which the history of yoga also begins. Discover with us the roots, the pre-classical and the classical era of this tradition, thousands of years old.
Six chapters
The journey through the history of yoga
Chapter 1
What is Yoga?
An answer to humanity's most fundamental questions.
Yoga is a science of the phenomenon of being – explore with us how Patañjali, Yājñavalkya and Abhinavagupta each defined yoga.
The opening of our journey through the history of yoga.
Chapter 2
Roots of Yoga
What does "yoga" literally mean, and where do its oldest roots lie?
From the chariot metaphor through the Ṛgveda to the first mention of prāṇāyāma in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad.
Chapter 3
The Pre-Classical Era
From the ascetic Śramaṇas through the Bhagavad Gītā to Yogācāra Buddhism.
How yoga developed into a path of its own during the pre-classical era.
Chapter 4
The Classical Era
How Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras turned yoga into a philosophy in its own right.
And what role the Upanishads play in understanding mind, soul and liberation.
Chapter 5
The Tantras (Āgamas)
The nine schools of Tantra and their legacy: chakras, kuṇḍalinī, mudrās and prāṇāyāma.
How Abhinava Gupta brought the teachings of 64 Āgamas together into one monumental work, the Tantrāloka.
Chapter 6
Matsyendra and Gorakṣa
How a fisherman in the belly of a fish became Matsyendra Nātha – the Lord of the Fishes.
The founding story of Hatha Yoga, and what Sanskrit scholarship really knows about it.
The book
Discover the History of Yoga here too
A journey through the history of yoga is a journey to yourself.
In this book we also travel to the roots of Kundalini Yoga and yogic philosophy, discovering the secrets of the history, practice and mysticism of yoga.
These profound practices, visions and insights will inspire and enrich any yoga practice.