Traditional Yoga Styles
Traditional Yoga’s are the styles that are believed to have been created in India anywhere from 3,300 B.C. to 300 B.C. There are a few different thoughts on the very first type of Yoga, but there is agreement on the first few styles and what is now called traditional Yoga.
It is accepted that there were eight original types of Yoga that were invented in India.
Yoga is translated as: “Union” or “To unite.” So The first types of Yoga’s all revolved around the same principles and sought the same goal: to obtain a higher mental and spiritual level by uniting the brain with the body. Traditional Yoga used, and still uses, postures and breathing as a form of meditation to help the practitioner achieve a higher level of being.
While the traditional styles of Yoga have not changed, the newer versions of Yoga have developed and have different a emphasis or different postures. These styles have progressed away from the traditional Yoga’s due to cultural differences as well as time differences. Something that was developed in the last 10 years, while it may have some of the basic principles or traditional Yoga, is bound to be different from traditional Yoga because traditional Yoga was developed over 5,000 years ago.
Traditional Yoga styles also differ from one another due to the fact that they were all created by different people in India all those years ago. Whenever you are dealing with something as old as and as popular as Yoga, there are always going to be differing schools of thought. For example, some people say that only the first recognized versions of Yoga that were created in India can be classed as traditional Yoga.
Others would argue that the forms that have been adopted by the Hindu and Buddhist religions are also traditional as they have been around for thousands of years. It is a debate riddled with different thoughts and religion. But traditional Yoga, no matter which school of thought you come from, is a great way to get in shape and start a life of health and happiness.
Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga are some of the earliest recognized versions of traditional Yoga. All of them are from India and can be dated as far back as 3,300 B.C. These styles of traditional Yoga have not changed in all of those years because of the incredible amount of documentation that all of them, and many other forms of traditional Yoga, have.
There are countless books and other writings describing every detail of these Yoga styles and the styles have been kept as pure as they were when the styles were created. Modern practitioners of these Yoga styles are very well learned in the traditions of Yoga and the particular style that they study and teach.
No matter what Yoga style you practice, you will receive marvelous benefits to your health and wellbeing. Yoga can increase the amount that you enjoy life as well because it will make you feel better about yourself and also increase the way you see the world around you.