It's Time India Patented Yoga as a Way of Life:

Yoga is derived from a Sanskrit word "yuj" whose philosophical meaning is to unite the soul with the divine. Many perceived it as a bestowal of the Indian culture and traditions to the world and seen as a means to acquire physical well-being. But in reality, it is much more than that. It is a blend of mental, spiritual and physical disciplines or practices that originated in ancient India.

In Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism there is a broad variety of yoga goals, practices and schools. In modern times the most well-known types are Rāja yoga and Hatha yoga. According to a sixth century BCE Sanskrit grammarian, Panini the term can be derived from two roots- Yuj Samādhau or Yujr Yoga (to yoke). Yuj Samādhau( to concentrate) is considered as the correct etymology as per the traditional commentators. Yogi or Yogini is someone who practices the philosophy of yoga with a high level of commitment.

Origins:

It developed in India, but its roots are still under debate. Evidence proves that yoga was present in the Vedic and Pre- Vedic period too. Bodily postures, concentration, ascetic practices described in the Vedas are supposedly precursors to yoga. The earliest written term close to yoga was found in the Rigveda and references to practices were found in the earliest Hindu Upanishad called the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

The most prominent forms of practices mentioned were "pranayama"( regulating the breath consciously) and " pratyahara" (concentration of one's senses on self). The Pashupati Seal discovered in the Indus Valley civilisation is speculated to be evidence of yoga being practised at that time as figures depicted had a common meditation pose used in yoga.

Practices commonly associated with yoga-like ascetic practices (tapas), bodily postures and concentration used by Vedic priests to conduct Yajna( sacrifice) are seen as circumstantial evidence of the impact of yoga in that era. In Atharvaveda, Samhitas and Brahmanas there are mentions of Munis, the Késin and Vratyas who rigorously practice various forms of bodily postures and meditations.

Patanjali: Patanjali Yoga-sastra written between 300-500 BCE is regarded as the first script that compiles the formal yoga philosophy. The yoga in Patanjali is also referred to as Rāja yoga, and till now many contemporary yoga practitioners and scholars refer to this script to decipher the true nature and goals of various practices. Much of Patanjali's text warns the practitioners against the development of Siddhis. It is the attainment of supernatural powers like levitating, becoming physically immortal or even entering another's body.

Different types of Yoga:

There are a variety of practices and methods that also includes Buddhist and Jain practices. In Hinduism, they include- Jnana yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Lata Yoga and Hatha Yoga. The Rāja yoga refers to the Ashtanga Yoga.

It is described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as the eight limbs to be practised to attain Samadhi. The ultimate goal of yoga is usually samadhi as initially associated with Rāja yoga. The eight-limbed concept that is the basis of most yoga practices today consists of:-

• Yama ( The five "abstentions"): Aparigraha (non- possessiveness and non- avarice), Brahmacharya (fidelity to one's partner, celibacy), Asteya (non- stealing), Satya (truthfulness) and Ahimsa (Non- violence).
• Niyama (The five "observances"): Ishvara Pranidhana (contemplation of God), Tapas( austerity, perseverance and persistent meditation), Santosham( acceptance of others and one's circumstances, contentment), Sauca(clearness of body, mind and speech, purity).
• Asana: Its literal meaning is a seat, and in the Patanjali Sutras it refers to the seated position of meditation.
• Pranayama: They are breath exercises Prāna means breath and āyāma mean to extend or restraint.
• Pratyahara: It means abstraction. It is the withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.
• Dharana: Concentration or fixing the attention on a single object.
• Dhyana: Intense contemplation or Meditation.
• Samadhi: It means merging or liberation of consciousness with an object or from the world respectively.

Yoga in Other Religions:

The Buddhists pursue meditation to attain Enlightenment and Nirvana. The Buddhist meditation techniques aim to develop concentration, supramundane powers, mindfulness, tranquillity and insight. In the classical languages of Buddhism, the closest words for meditation are bhāvanā and jhāna/dhyāna.

In Jainism along with the Three Jewels, Jain Meditation has been the Central practice to gain spirituality. Meditation in Jainism aims at purifying the soul to complete freedom, realising the self and attain salvation. It can be broadly classified into the inauspicious Artta and Raudra Dhyana and the auspicious Dharmya and Shukla Dhyana.

Tantrism is a controversial concept. According to the 9th- 10th century Hindu ( Shaiva- Shakti texts) and the Buddhists texts, many yogic rituals used chakras and mantras and sexual techniques to attain health, liberation and long life.

Revival of Contemporary Yoga;

During the second half of 19th century, the efforts to create a Hindu identity at the peak of colonisation was the highest. Swami Vivekananda and The Brahmo Samaj particularly have significant contributions for representing Indian religious traditions in a modern form to the world.It was Swami Vivekananda who was one of the first Hindu missionaries in the west who achieved a lasting legacy both abroad and in India.

He represented Yoga in a four-fold scheme that was universally acceptable and accessible for the improvement of humanity spiritually. The first type was the karma Yoga- the manner in which one realises his divinity through duty and works. The Second in Bhakti Yoga which is the realisation of divinity through love and devotion.

The third is the Rāja yoga which is the realisation of divinity through control of mind and the fourth is Gnana Yoga( Jñāna Yoga) realisation of man's divinity through knowledge. The Ramakrishna Math and Mission founded by him also works in promoting Yoga as a process of self-realisation and manifesting the divinity within, which constitutes the essence of all religiosity.

Yoga in Modern Times:

The rise of global media led to the massive popularity of yoga and the gurus. In India most ubiquitous face of Yoga revival is Swami Ramdev. He started teaching yoga on a spiritually focused commercial channel called Astha TV in 2003 and now around more than four billion people, watch his morning television program worldwide.

In addition to the TV shows, he conducts a very large Shivir (sizeable public yoga classes) and recruits teachers under his name to teach yoga locally. The Patanjali Yog Samiti is said to be running 50,000 free Yoga classes every day throughout India. The Indian Government has also contributed to the contemporary yoga revival. In the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, formed in 2001, Yoga- āsana and the Indian Medical Knowledge have been patented to protect the authenticity as a part of Indian culture.

Conclusion:

Yoga has many health benefits like it provides respite from chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, back pain, obesity, weight loss, constipation, skin and respiratory problems. It also helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries. It creates calmness, mental clarity, relieves stress and improves concentration. It also helps in spiritual healing and finds inner peace.

Yoga is not only associated with a therapy exercise or used for physical fitness, but it's consequences are far-reaching. Nowadays, yoga Education is being imparted by eminent yoga institutions, yoga colleges, yoga departments in universities, naturopathy and many private trusts and societies.

The revival of Yoga has helped not just people but has garnered India attention as a pioneer in natural health therapies. It is beneficial to include yoga in our day to day life, and it's benefits are long term.