I. Pre-classical period

From 5000 BC to the appearance of Rigveda, it was about 3000 years, which was the period of primitive development of yoga and lack of written records. Yoga has gradually developed from a primitive philosophical thought to a practice, in which meditation, meditation and asceticism are the centers of yoga practice.

Second, the classical period.

From the appearance of the Vedas in 1500 BC, yoga began to be recorded systematically, and the Upanishads recorded yoga more accurately, and then the Bhagavad-gita appeared, completing the integration of yoga practice and Vedanta philosophy, making yoga a folk spiritual practice orthodox, from emphasizing practice to behavior, belief and knowledge. Around 300 BC, the Indian sage Pantangali wrote the Yoga Sutra, expounding the theory of classical yoga. The definition of yoga in chapter *** 195 in the book is: controlled by Yamaraja; Ma Niya's pure integrity; Pose, body posture; Pranayama, respiratory control; Dharana, concentrate; Zen, meditation; Samadhi, the eight branches of the state of supreme goodness, is intended to spread the wisdom essence of yoga. One of the characteristics of classical yoga is to study holy books while practicing yoga. The most subversive feature of Yoga Sutra is its philosophical dualism, that is, matter must be separated from spirit in order to achieve spiritual perfection. This is very different from pre-classical yoga or Vedic yoga, which emphasizes the integration of matter and spirit.

Third, the post-classical period

After Yoga Sutra, it is post-classical yoga. It mainly includes the Upanishads of Yoga, Tantric Buddhism and Mahatma Yoga. Yoga has twenty-one Upanishads. In these Upanishads, pure cognition, reasoning and even meditation are not the only way to achieve liberation. All need the physical transformation and spiritual experience caused by the ascetic practice skills to achieve the unity of Brahma and Me. So dieting, abstinence, posture, seven rounds, etc. Combining spells, handprints, body prints and respect for teachers is the essence of yoga in the post-classical period. The post-classical yoga era has spawned a large number of yoga literary creations and different branches of practice, including Yoga Qigong (Hatha) and Tantra (Tantra), as well as specialized yoga schools that have mushroomed. Post-classical yoga is no longer eager to escape from reality, but emphasizes capturing the present and accepting the reality.

Fourth, modern yoga.

In the process of the rise of national capitalism in India, yoga thought has become an ideological weapon in the anti-colonial and anti-feudal struggle, and at the same time, traditional yoga thought has absorbed new ideas and new cultures in the new era and obtained new development. /kloc-"Kesuna Moquena" in the 0/9th century is the father of modern yoga. Later, "Ai En Jia" and "Diskojia" were the leaders of Holy King Yoga. In addition, Indian Sikh's "Stupid Fire Yoga" and "Shiva aranda" yoga are also two important yoga schools. One is practicing qi, and the other is practicing heart.

The Rise of Western Yoga

Around AD 1800, master Vive Canada introduced post-classical yoga to the United States. Subsequently, post-classical yoga spread through the efforts of many masters, laying the tradition of western yoga. One of the most famous is Paramashansa Yogananda, who established a self-realization alliance and wrote an autobiography to teach yoga. Today, the teachings advocated by yogis are still widely respected by yogis.

The Development of Yoga in China

The origin of yoga in China was introduced with the introduction of Buddhism.

Although yoga originated in India, its core ideas are strikingly similar, and it also appeared in China, which also has a long civilization. If we put aside yoga for meditation, our country's meditation has been recorded in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period from 500 to 600 BC. For example, Laozi's "Be empty, be quiet and believe" and Zhuangzi's "be wary" are all similar to meditation. Yoga emphasizes the idea of harmonious coexistence between man and nature (corresponding to yoga), which was mentioned in China's Huangdi Neijing. Its thought was formed in ancient times and written in Zhou and Qin Dynasties, which is roughly the same as the Upanishads era when the Indian yoga theory "Brahma is like me" was formed.

It is said that yoga originated in the ancient Indian mainland in 2500 BC or even earlier. Brahmanism, established after the Aryans invaded and ruled the Indian mainland in BC 1400, followed the practice method of yoga. Similarly, all sects in India regard yoga as one of the main methods of practice, and so does Buddhism. Moreover, Buddhism has made great contributions to the development and perfection of yoga theory.

The specific time when Buddhism was introduced into China was 67 AD. In 64 AD, Emperor Han Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty dreamed of the Buddha, and then sent people to the Western Regions to learn from the scriptures, and came back in 67 AD.

Yoga in Buddhism belongs to the category of "meditation" in the practice of "abstinence, meditation and wisdom", and "meditation" is the practice of yoga. Therefore, the introduction of yoga into China should be accompanied by the introduction of Buddhism, and the Chinese transliteration of yoga first appeared in Buddhist classics in China.

Yoga is the general name of self-modulation and physical and mental exercise of various sects in ancient India. Indian Buddhism also calls meditation yoga, and practitioners of meditation are called yogis, yogis (male) and yogis (female). In the middle and late period of Mahayana Buddhism in India, the Yoga School appeared. During this period, Tang Xuanzang mainly went to India to seek dharma, and after returning to China, he founded the only Zhijiao, whose theoretical and ideological basis mainly came from the Indian Yoga School. Kui Ji, a disciple of Xuanzang's memorabilia, explained for the first time that "Yoga has five meanings, which correspond to environment, behavior, reason, fruit and sense of transformation" in the Record of Consciousness. After the middle Tang Dynasty, the word yoga was more common in Buddhist writings, but it was still rare to call meditation yoga (except tantric Buddhism). After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, yoga was dedicated to tantric Buddhism, and tantric monks were called "Yoga Monks", which was customized by Ming Taizu.

In India, all kinds of practice methods are still collectively referred to as yoga. The word yoga has long been known in Europe and America, but it has only gradually spread in China in recent years, thanks to the vigorous promotion of a yoga practitioner-Zhang Huilan (yoga is called Vaisnava Darcy) in CCTV. From 65438 to 0985, Zhang Huilan entered thousands of households through CCTV, Zhang Huilan and yoga, and went deep into the hearts of hundreds of millions of people. Yoga is deeply loved by people, and Huilan has become a household legend in Chinese mainland. Teacher Huilan is affectionately called "the mother of yoga" in contemporary China.

The difference between ancient yoga and modern yoga

In ancient times, yoga practiced the soul. It is to cultivate the "real" self from the physical self and combine it with the eternal Brahma. In this way, I can leave the six divisions in the wheel of karma and enjoy the samadhi Buddhism. Modern yoga is physical exercise. By practicing yoga posture, breathing and meditation, the muscles, bones and endocrine system of the body can be adjusted to the healthiest position, which can make people young and happy.