No one knows exactly when Yoga began, but it certainly predates written history. Stone carvings depicting figures in Yoga positions have been found in archaeological sites in the Indus Valley dating back 5,000 years or more.
The tradition of Yoga has always been passed on individually from teacher to student through oral teaching and practical demonstration. The eight steps of Classical Yoga are :
1) yama, meaning “restraint” — refraining from violence, lying, stealing, casual sex, and hoarding;
2) niyama, meaning “observance” — purity, contentment, tolerance, study, and remembrance;
3) asana, physical exercises; 4) pranayama, breathing techniques;
5) pratyahara, preparation for meditation, described as “withdrawal of the mind from the senses”;
6) dharana, concentration, being able to hold the mind on one object for a specified time;
7) dhyana, meditation, the ability to focus on one thing (or nothing) indefinitely;
8) samadhi, absorption, or realization of the essential nature of the self. Modern Western Yoga classes generally focus on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th steps.
