How Old is Yoga? A brief history from its early texts to today
How old is yoga?
We know that yoga is an ancient practice, however, its exact date and origins are difficult to pin down. It’s common to hear the tradition dated at 5000 years old, yet research has identified postural yoga as we know it to be more recent than perhaps we had once believed.
For a more precise answer, we may need to define exactly what we mean by ‘yoga’. What we now practice in class may be very different to what is described as yoga in early texts. Naturally, yoga has evolved over time and through various cultural influences.
This article will take us through a timeline of yoga, from its earliest texts up to today. We’ll explore:
where it began
significant evolutions
and prominent influences
to explore the complex question of ‘how old is yoga?’