WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF YOGA ?

The exact lineage to what we perceive yoga to be today is somewhat of a mystery however many believe the legend that it was Shiva, one of the greatest gods of Hinduism (mentioned as early as 500–200 B.C.) who originally founded this ancient art. There is in fact archaeological evidence believed to date back to around 3000BC detailing various yogic postures, this would of course mean yoga has been practiced for more than 5000 years!

Next came Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the text outlining the basic philosophy and practices of Yoga. The Yoga Sutras were written sometime during the period 5th century BC to 2nd century AD. No one actually knows who Patanjali was but it is believed he wrote the Sutras to combine previous teachings to form the organised 'system' that we recognise today. In brief, the sutras clearly define an eight-limbed path (ashtanga) which must be followed in order to reach Samadhi, the last stage, where the spirit is liberated and joins the Universal Spirit.

Source By: http://www.one-stop-yoga.co.uk