Marvels of India - Yoga
A Wholesome Means of Health and Well-being
Among Bharat's greatest gifts to humanity is Yoga, concretised in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras through the eight limbs (Ashtanga): Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, i.e., a comprehensive scheme for physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Its Historical Journey
Yoga is one of Bharat's most enduring civilisational contributions, with a long evolution through Vedic, Upanishadic, Buddhist, Jain and classical traditions. The classical period is particularly associated with Patanjali's systematisation, who organised earlier Yogic ideas into a lasting framework.
A Device of Discipline as well as Physical and Mental Control
Yoga became a disciplined path of ethical restraint, breath control, concentration, meditation and contemplative absorption, rather than only a set of physical postures.
An Innovative Way of Practice and Self-Transformation
Yoga developed as a practical science of self-mastery across traditions, with later forms expanding emphasis on bodily techniques while preserving the broader aim of inner transformation. Reliable histories show that it was not a single frozen method but a living tradition that evolved over centuries through multiple Indian philosophical streams.
A Vehicle of Bharat's Soft Power
International Yoga Day, now a vibrant global movement, affirms that Bharat's influence on the world stage remains one of inspiration.
