Hour 3 Yoga Therapy – The Foundations of Traditional Yoga: An Overview

The Foundations of Traditional Yoga: An Overview

When we talk about Yoga Therapy today, it is important to recall that its origins are closely intertwined with the ancient, spiritual tradition of Yoga itself. Traditional Yoga is not just a series of exercises or breathing practices—it is an entire science and philosophy of life. To properly comprehend Yoga Therapy, one first needs to value the wider, eternal foundations on which it stands.

The Core Vision of Traditional Yoga

Traditional Yoga, at its core, is an attempt to balance the body, mind, and spirit. The ancient visionaries (rishis) saw that human distress—whether bodily disease, mental unrest, or spiritual hollowness—results from alienation from our true nature, which is Sat-Chit-Ananda: unmixed existence, consciousness, and bliss.

Therefore, ancient Yoga’s original goal was never solely about health improvement; health was a natural consequence of living in harmony with cosmic law (Dharma). Yoga provided a guide for living life consciously, ethically, and compassionately, which would culminate in Moksha, or freedom from all suffering.

Foundational Texts of Traditional Yoga

The power and richness of ancient Yoga are retained in a number of foundational scriptures. Each gives a perspective from which the boundless ocean of Yoga can be comprehended.

1. The Vedas (c. 1500–500 BCE)

The Vedas are the world’s and India’s oldest sacred writings. While they are largely concerned with rituals, hymns, and divine knowledge, they also allude to Yogic practices such as meditation and contemplation.

Ideas such as prayerful devotion (Bhakti) and conscious sacrifice (Yajna) can be regarded as early Yogic dispositions.

The internal transition from outward ritual towards inward awareness would later evolve into the Yoga systems we recognize today.

2. The Upanishads (c. 800–200 BCE)

The Upanishads, philosophical expositions on the Vedas, introduce the deep question about the nature of the Self (Atman) and the Universal Spirit (Brahman).

Practices such as self-reflection (Jnana Yoga) and meditation (Dhyana) were emphasized.

They teach that true healing is the realization of one’s spiritual nature.

3. The Bhagavad Gita (c. 2nd century BCE)

The Bhagavad Gita, a part of the epic Mahabharata, introduces Yoga as a lifestyle. Krishna describes several paths:

Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion),

Karma Yoga (path of action without attachment),

Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge),

Dhyana Yoga (path of meditation).

Here, Yoga is a dynamic engagement with life, teaching emotional resilience, inner strength, and spiritual clarity—all central themes in Yoga Therapy today.

4. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (c. 2nd century BCE)

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras provide a structured framework, introducing the Ashtanga Yoga (Eight Limbs of Yoga):

Yamas (ethical restraints),

Niyamas (self-disciplines),

Asana (posture),

Pranayama (breath control),

Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses),

Dharana (concentration),

Dhyana (meditation),

Samadhi (absorption into the Self).

Sutras focus on mental clarity, discipline, and spiritual concentration as ultimate healing—an awareness critical to any Yoga Therapy model.

5. Hatha Yoga Texts (c. 11th–15th century CE)

Later schools such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, and Shiva Samhita began focusing on the body and energy systems.

Asanas, Kriyas (cleansing practices), Mudras (seals), and Bandhas (energy locks) were added.

Healing came through energy management and not mechanical body intervention.

These teachings indicate that classical Yoga saw the human body as a subtle instrument, not just flesh and bones, but as an energy field that should be cleansed and activated.

Main Principles of Classical Yoga for Therapy

1. Comprehension of the Human System

In classical Yoga, human being is not restricted to physical form. The model of the five layers called the Pancha Kosha, based on the Taittiriya Upanishad, depicts five layers:

Annamaya Kosha (physical body),

Pranamaya Kosha (energy body),

Manomaya Kosha (mental-emotional body),

Vijnanamaya Kosha (intellectual body),

Anandamaya Kosha (bliss body).

Any therapeutic intervention, therefore, must address multiple dimensions of the person, not just symptoms on the surface.

2. Balance Between Effort and Surrender

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras emphasize Abhyasa (consistent effort) and Vairagya (non-attachment) as two wings of Yogic progress.

Yoga Therapy similarly requires the client to engage sincerely while simultaneously cultivating trust and letting go.

3. Ethical Life as the Source of Healing

The Yamas and Niyamas—ethics—are understood not as do’s and don’ts or moralistic restrictions but as handy guidelines for balanced living.

Defects in ethical behavior were the root causes of stress, tensions, and sickness.

4. Self-Direction and Empowerment

Self-healing lies at the source, yoga shows. While exterior teachers and cures may enlighten and inform, the path to balance and realization must be walked by each individual themselves.

Traditional Yoga Therapy: Beyond Symptom Relief

According to the traditional perspective, Yoga Therapy is not a “prescription” to correct an issue but a path toward integration.

For instance:

A backache problem may not just entail stretching muscles but developing awareness of emotional loads.

A breathing disorder may lead to unexpressed grief or repressed emotions.

Therefore, the process of therapy becomes an unfolding—not merely of health—but of wholeness.

The Living Tradition: Adapting without Losing Essence

Yoga today still continues to develop in new settings, evolving to meet the needs of the modern world and scientific understanding. But any true Yoga Therapy will have to hold onto its fundamental nature:

Working with the entire person, rather than with isolated symptoms,

Honoring the spiritual aspect of human nature,

Having faith in the body-mind-spirit’s innate intelligence to heal when properly nurtured.

Contemporary evidence-based Yoga Therapy enhances this ancient wisdom with new language and tools. Nevertheless, at its core, traditional Yoga is an ageless lighthouse for the soul’s path to freedom.

Conclusion

Knowledge of the roots of traditional Yoga enhances our appreciation of Yoga Therapy’s potential.

It’s not a substitute for modern medicine, nor is it some fleeting wellness fad. It’s a sacred, time-tested science that views every human being as an embodied expression of cosmic consciousness with the capacity to heal, transform, and transcend.

As you journey through this course and beyond, keep in mind:

Yoga Therapy isn’t about “repairing” broken pieces—it’s about remembering the wholeness that’s always been inside you.