Hour 2 Yoga Therapy – The Evolution and History

The Evolution and History of Yoga Therapy

Introduction

Yoga Therapy, as it exists now, is the culmination of thousands of years of collective knowledge. Its evolution from the spiritual traditions of ancient yogis to a scientifically accepted therapeutic practice is an interesting tale — an intersection of tradition, philosophy, medicine, and contemporary research. Knowledge of the historical evolution of Yoga Therapy enables us to appreciate not only its deep origins but also its evolving applicability in the healthcare systems of the present day.

Let us go back in time to see how Yoga, which was originally used for spiritual emancipation, developed into a powerful means for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Ancient Foundations: Yoga as a Path to Wholeness

Yoga’s first mentions occur in the Vedas (circa 1500 BCE), India’s oldest spiritual texts. Although Yoga was not explained systematically at this point, the Vedic hymns speak of a desire for union (yuj) with the Divine — the very etymological origin of “Yoga.”

By the Upanishad period (800-400 BCE), Yoga had become internalized. Human being was understood to be made up of various layers (koshas), and health was perceived as the concordant balancing of body, mind, and spirit.

While cure was never the direct aim, ancient Yoga perceived disease (vyadhi) as a perturbation in the internal equilibrium. Wellness was a spontaneous consequence of a self-disciplined, sattvic (pure and balanced) way of life.

Key Insight:

Early Yoga was not therapy-oriented but was inherently therapeutic. It conceived wellness as the precursor to higher spiritual endeavors.

Classical Period: Codification and the Seeds of Therapeutic Thought

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (circa 400 CE) systematized Yoga into the famous eight limbs (Ashtanga Yoga) — ethical practices, postures (asana), breath control (pranayama), sense withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ultimate absorption (samadhi).

In Patanjali’s view, obstacles such as illness (vyadhi) and mental disturbance (styana, doubt, delusion) were seen as barriers on the path to Samadhi.

Therefore, physical well-being, mental clarity, and emotional stability were seen as conditions precedent to spiritual development.

At the same time, in other Indian traditions such as Ayurveda, illness was caused by imbalances in body humors (doshas). Yoga and Ayurveda started intermixing — Yoga as the way to mental and spiritual well-being, and Ayurveda as the way to physical and energetic well-being.

Key Insight:

Patanjali’s Sutras established the philosophical basis for disease as both physical and existential disturbance.

Hatha Yoga Period: Physical Practice for Bodily Vitality

By the medieval era, specifically between the 9th and 15th centuries CE, emphasis on the physical body in Yoga increased.

Works such as:

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Swami Svatmarama)

Gheranda Samhita

Shiva Samhita

described elaborate physical practices — asanas, pranayamas, shatkarmas (cleansing techniques), mudras (energy seals), and bandhas (energy locks).

The intention was to cleanse and strengthen the body in order for it to be capable of withstanding high-level energies invoked by spiritual exercises. The side effect of these exercises, though, was improved health, increased longevity, and the avoidance of diseases.

This was the turning point: Yoga was no longer merely about transcending the body but also about controlling and nurturing the body.

Key Insight

Medieval Hatha yogis sowed the seeds of Yoga as an integral science of health, syncretizing body purification and soul evolution.

Colonial and Post-Colonial Revival: Yoga as Healing Science

India’s colonization by the British decimated most of the traditional Indian sciences, including Yoga. Western medical models predominated the field, and Yoga was usually dismissed as superstition or esoteric spirituality.

Nevertheless, during the 19th and 20th centuries, visionary individuals like:

Swami Vivekananda

Sri Aurobindo

Swami Sivananda

T. Krishnamacharya

Paramahansa Yogananda

regained Yoga’s status both within India and outside. They highlighted not only the spiritual aspects but also the therapeutic effects of Yogic practices.

Subsequently, Krishnamacharya’s students — B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and T.K.V. Desikachar — continued furthering therapeutic uses of Yoga postures and breathing exercises.

T.K.V. Desikachar, in particular, highlighted the process of tailoring Yoga practices to the subject’s condition — a concept central to contemporary Yoga Therapy.

Key Insight:

Yoga’s recent renaissance spanned the ancient heritage with scientific interest, focusing on Yoga’s potential to optimize physical and psychological health.

Contemporary Era: Yoga Therapy as a Clinical Discipline

Since the late 20th century, the discipline of Yoga Therapy has defined itself as a specialized area of practice different from teaching general yoga.

Such bodies as:

International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)

Indian Yoga Association

AYUSH Ministry (Government of India)

have established standard training and certification for Yoga Therapists.

Scientific research now supports Yoga’s efficacy for:

Anxiety, Depression, PTSD

Diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiovascular Diseases

Chronic Pain, Arthritis

Respiratory Disorders such as Asthma

Neurological Disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease

Contemporary Yoga Therapy is an integrative healthcare modality, commonly employed in conjunction with medical treatments, not as a substitute.

Yoga Therapists are educated to appreciate fundamental medical principles, contraindications, and the psychosocial processes of healing.

Customization, client-centered care, and inter-professional practice characterize contemporary Yoga Therapy practice.

Key Insight

Contemporary Yoga Therapy reconciles the timeless insights of self-cure with the evidence-based exactness of current medicine.

Central Philosophical Consistency Over Time

Regardless of its numerous developments, Yoga Therapy has always stayed true to some timeless axioms:

Human Being is a Multilayered Being: Pancha Kosha (five sheaths — physical, vital, mental, intellectual, blissful)

Healing is Integral: Authentic healing treats body, breath, mind, feelings, and spirit.

Self-Effort (Purushartha) is at the Centre: Though outside assistance is beneficial, healing essentially comes from within.

Equilibrium is the Key: Health is dynamic balance in the midst of life’s turmoil, rather than static perfection.

Conclusion: Yoga Therapy — A Reunified Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage of Yoga Therapy, from the Vedic seers to contemporary clinics, depicts an immemorial truth:

Health is the inherent state of being when we are living in synergy with ourselves and the universe.

Contemporary Yoga Therapy perpetuates this shining heritage, enabling people not only to handle symptoms but to regain wholeness — body, heart, and soul.

As you move deeper into the arena of Yoga Therapy, hold in mind that you are becoming a bridge — a bearer of ancient wisdom into modern lives hungry for healing.

Yoga is not something we do. Yoga is who we become.