The Little Red Book Of Yoga Wisdom  BY KELSIE BESAW

A History of yoga

A precise history of yoga is difficult to pin down. Developed over many millennia, the actual term “yoga” wasn’t seen until its use in the Katha Upanishad, while precursors to the practice of yoga can be seen in multiple ancient sites and texts. The earliest known instance is in seals found at the archeological site of the Indus Valley Civilization, found in modern-day Pakistan and parts of India, Iran, and Afghanistan. These ancient seals, dating to the third millennium BCE, depict poses similar to modern meditation poses, both sitting and standing. While the practices from the Indus Valley Civilization might not have directly influenced later developments that lead to modern yoga, it is certainly illuminating to see the similarities in the disciplines of practitioners that lived thousands of years ago to those of today.

The earliest known texts with references to an early practice similar to yoga are the four Vedas: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. The oldest of the four, Rig Veda, is thought to have been first composed in 1500 BCE, coded in 600 BCE, and first written down in 300 BCE. Within the Vedas are ascetic practices and concentration and bodily postures used by the Vedic priests, which resemble what later developed into the practice of yoga. According to Robert H. Schneider and Jeremy Z. Fields in their book Total Heart Health: How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease with the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health, “Yoga asanas were first prescribed by the ancient Vedic texts thousands of years ago and are said to directly enliven the body’s inner intelligence” …..

Contents
The Little Red Book Of Yoga Wisdom

Introduction

1. What Is Yoga?
2. Styles of Yoga
3. Yoga and the Body
4. Yoga and the Mind
5. Gautama Buddha
6. Yoga Poses
7. Hot Yoga Wisdom
8. Great Minds
9. Remember to Breathe
10. Enlightenment
11. Lighten Up
12. What’s in a Pose?
13. Yoga Is a Journey
14. Meditation

Language: English
Format: epub
Pages: 72