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Yogic therapy and training has become a widely popular lifestyle in the west, today. However, Yoga has its origin in the eastern hemisphere. In fact, Yoga started in India. It is an integral part of the Hindu religion. Sadhus, or people who renounced the material life in search for the eternal truth, practiced Yoga extensively.
Sanskrit, the ancient and sacred language of the Aryans is claimed to be the language of the Gods. A number of treatises on Yoga have been written in the language. Yoga is as ancient as the Vedas. The Vedas are the holy books of the Hindus, and are integral to the religion, in the same manner that the Bible and the Quran are integral to Christianity and Islam.
According to the definition in the Vedas, Yoga comprises of all the disciplines in the Hindu religion and its branches, such as Sikhism, Buddhism, or Jainism.
However, in the essential meaning of the term, yoga means to reconnect and re-establish the body with its spirituality. It is in fact a means to attend the union of the Atman, or the individual, with the Brahman, or the Universe. In short, it is to yoke the Divine Power or Spirit. It is a Hindu system and mode of philosophy.
Hinduism believes that there are four major paths to attain the eternal truth.
These are the
(1) Bhakti Yoga, the eternal path of devotion
(2) The Jnana Yoga or the path of using and questioning one's rationale
(3) The raja Yoga or the path of the concentration of one's mental health
(4) The path of the Karma Yoga or being desirous of the right way
The Hatha Yoga is not in exception to all these paths. In fact, yoga postures in it pertain to the worshipping asana of Hindu deities; for instance the Krounchasana, the Matsyendrasana, the Hanumanasana, Surya Namaskara, which are performed to show reverence to the Deities of Muruga, Shiva, Hanuman, and Vishnu.
The chanting of Om while performing yoga is actually related to the Elephant God, Ganesha.
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