Yoga: Healthy Life Collection 8

Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, which meaning "to merge or join." The ultimate purpose of yoga is to achieve a state of inner peace and harmony by uniting the individual self with the universal self.

In the Indus Valley Civilization, seals and sculptures representing yoga positions were discovered to be the first evidence of yoga. 

The earliest documented accounts of yoga are found in the Upanishads, which are part of the Vedic literature and date back to approximately 1500 BCE.

Yoga was transmitted orally from generation to generation until Patanjali compiled the Yoga Sutras around 400 CE. 

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras systematized and defined the practice of yoga, and they continue to be a significant text in yoga.

The practice of yoga has changed over time, and there are now a variety of styles, including Hatha, Vinyasa, and Ashtanga. 

Each school has an own focus and method, yet they all adhere to the same core concepts of breathing, movement, and meditation.