At its heart, Yoga begins with a profound question:
who am I, beyond what I think I am?
Yoga originated thousands of years ago in ancient India as a path to self-knowledge and harmony between body, mind, and spirit. From the Sanskrit word yuj, Yoga means union — the union of the human being with their deepest nature, and with the greater whole.
According to one of the many stories of Hindu mythology, Yoga was born from the silence and compassion of Shiva, the great Yogi. It is said that he sat in meditation by the ocean while his consort, Parvati, watched him with admiration.
Wishing to understand the origin of that serenity, she asked him to reveal the secret of inner union. Shiva then taught her the practices of Yoga — postures, breathing, meditation, mantras — explaining that the body and breath are bridges to the infinite.
It is said that, while he was speaking, a fish (matsya) deep beneath the ocean heard the teaching and, awakened by its sacred resonance, became enlightened. Emerging from the waters transformed, it became Matsyendra, the first human master of Yoga, who would later pass this knowledge on to humanity.
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When we say “Yoga,” for many of you it probably means impossible physical postures. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. Yoga simply means being in perfect harmony. When we are in Yoga, the body, mind, energy, and existence itself are in perfect harmony.
— Sadhguru
The Art of Balance: Yoga
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YOGA BEYOND THE MAT
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