61 Enlightening Yoga Facts I Bet You Didn't Know Before

If you are a yoga enthusiast (or even if you're not), you're going to love this article.

We've gathered some fun and interesting facts about yoga that will leave you enlightened. Yoga is an ancient practice that has been around for centuries, and there is a lot to learn about it!

Yoga originated in India and has been practiced for thousands of years. Ancient yogis use to practice these poses to end the eternal cycle of death and rebirth, and to unite with the ultimate truth, also known as Brahman.

Swami Vivekananda, an Indian intellectual, was the first person to introduce yoga to the United States. Also, the Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Gustav Jung, took a profound interest in yoga and Eastern spirituality.

Both these figures are responsible for the worldwide recognition that yoga enjoys today. Even today there is an international holiday dedicated to yoga that celebrates this ancient practice.

Whether you are just starting out or have been practicing for years, we guarantee that you will find some new yoga facts on this list.

The History And Philosophy Behind Yoga

The word 'yoga' comes from the Sanskrit root 'yuj,' which means to join or unite. This concept is used extensively in Buddhism and Hinduism; two religions that originated in India where Yoga originated thousands of years ago!

Being an ancient practice, yoga is more than 5000 years old.

One of the oldest known yoga texts was written by Patanjali around 400 BCE while he lived as a scholar at Benares (now Varanasi).

'The Rig Veda,' the oldest text of Hinduism, also contained some elements of yoga. This ancient text dates back to 1500 B.C.

The goal of yoga is to achieve samadhi, a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility.

This state of spiritual insight and tranquility can be accomplished through the practice of asana (poses), pranayama (breath control), dharana (concentration), and dhyana (meditation).

The great Indian intellectual, Swami Vivekananda, introduced yoga to the people of America. In his 1893 speech in Chicago, he talked about different aspects of Hinduism, including the benefits of yoga practice.

Yoga practitioners, in the old times, used animal skin or grass as a yoga mat.

Angela Farmer was the first person to create a mat for practicing yoga, in 1982.

The swastika symbol is actually connected to yoga. It stemmed from the Sanskrit word 'svastik' meaning 'that which is associated with well-being.'

Pierre Bernard was one of the first American yogis. He was also the founder of the Tantrik Order, a secret society that taught its members Hatha yoga, Sanskrit, and philosophy.

The renowned Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Gustav Yung, showed much interest in yoga in his lifetime. He is considered to be the first European to study yoga in-depth, and also the first one to introduce yoga practice to the west.

It is believed that yoga incorporated elements of shamanism, such as shamanic poses, illumination, transcendence, and asceticism.

Ancient yoga practitioners believed that humans have a limited number of breaths, and deep breathing (long breathes) could lengthen our lives.

Even though yoga has some spiritual elements and uses certain chants and mantras, it should not be seen as a religion.

It is believed that a little part of the inspiration behind Henry David Thoreau's solitary and meditative life came from a Hindu law book, 'Manusmriti,' that he saw in Emerson's library.

The Types of Yoga

There are many different types of yoga, but the most common are Hatha yoga (physical), Iyengar yoga (alignment-based), vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Bikram yoga, Kundalini yoga, restorative, yin, power yoga, hot yoga, or Aerial yoga.

The first type of yoga is called Hatha yoga. There are seven different locations in the human body where chakras are present. Hatha yoga works on the harmony between these chakras and restores the balance of the body.

The next one, Ashtanga yoga, directly comes from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. This yoga works like a charm if you want to lose weight. The eight pillars of this yoga are personal discipline, principles, pranayama, asanas and postures, concentration, withdrawal, salvation, and meditation. The lotus pose, one of the most famous yoga poses, is used in this yoga.

Vinyasa yoga, also known as flow yoga, creates a flow of postures that reflect the movement through life. It begins with a child's pose and ends in the death pose. Some of the poses in this yoga are plank pose, cobra pose, knees-chest-chin pose, and downward-facing dog pose (asho mukha svanasana).

Kundalini yoga tries to awaken the kundalini shakti (spiritual energy) that resides at the base of the spine. You will perform repetitive poses in this yoga, and it will help you deal with stress and anxiety.

Iyengar yoga is named after one of the best yoga practitioners and teachers, B. K. S. Iyengar. This yoga is much similar to Vinyasa flow, but it focuses more on posture and alignment.

Aerial yoga is a bit different from traditional yoga, for it includes cardio exercises like running or swimming. This yoga helps to build lean and tone muscles and is suitable for both beginners and advanced people.

The next one is Karma yoga. This is one of the main paths of yoga that talks about action. According to Karma yoga, you should devote energy, time, and effort to any task without expecting approval or reward.

Jnana Yoga is all about practical wisdom and intellectual knowledge. Through meditative awareness, it aims to reach self-realization.

Bhakti yoga aims at liberating your soul from the cycle of life and death and uniting it with Brahman (true reality).

With time, yoga has evolved and branched out into various practices. Some to mention would be; face yoga, yin yoga, power yoga, and prenatal yoga. The following points discuss these forms in a greater detail.

Face yoga is a practice that involves exercises and massages of face muscles. It helps to deal with stress and tension. It is also believed that this yoga can make you look younger by reversing the aging process.

Yin yoga uses martial arts and yoga to increase blood circulation in the joints. It is known for improving muscle tone and flexibility.

Power Yoga is related to Ashtanga yoga. It requires you to perform the poses at a more active and much quicker pace. In this way, it enhances your flexibility and tones your muscles.

Restorative yoga is one of those yoga types that adroitly use props. The main function of this yoga is to relax the nervous system.

Prenatal yoga is directly associated with pregnancy. It contains some handy breathing exercises that reduce the pain and discomfort during labor.

The Benefits of Yoga

The health benefits of yoga include improved physical health (strength and flexibility), reduced stress levels, increased self-awareness, better sleep, and emotional stability.

In recent times, many medical centers have incorporated yoga as a healing therapy because of its healing properties. It is said that yoga can improve both physical and mental health.

Yoga can reach every muscle of your body, it can increase your flexibility, and improve your build strength and posture.

Recent studies have shown that yoga even works our immune cells and boosts our immune system.

As is already mentioned, yoga is good for mental well-being. It is also said that practicing yoga twice a week can be helpful to deal with depression and anxiety.

Studies have proven that yoga can regulate our pulse rate and blood pressure. It can help us feel calm by reducing the body's oxygen intake.

Practicing yoga can help you deal with back pain. That is why it is becoming very popular in the US as a complementary therapy.

Yoga is recommended to people suffering from schizophrenia, as it improves cognitive functioning.

The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation has also discovered that yoga can delay cognitive impairment, the first stage of Alzheimer's disease.

Research held at Bangor University showed that practicing yoga in the workplace can increase productivity.

Along with blood pressure, yoga can also decrease the possibility of developing heart disease.

In a 2015 study, the Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences discovered that diabetes patients can control their condition by taking regular yoga classes.

Yoga makes the practitioners more mindful about their food intake, and it also helps to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss.

Hot yoga is known for having many mental and physical health benefits. This yoga is practiced in a room with a 105 F (40.5 C) temperature.

Studies conducted by The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in India showed that yoga has the ability to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Studies held by National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health show that practicing yoga increases your chances of getting better sleep at night.

Any open and extensive yoga pose is known as a power pose. These poses are known for improving self-esteem.

If practiced regularly, yoga can increase concentration and willpower.

While it is said that yoga aims at reducing ego so that we can connect without true self, research in Germany shows that it boosts our ego and helps us feel superior.

Popularity Of Yoga In West

The popularity of yoga in the west began to rise in the late '90s and early 2000s. This was likely due to the increasing interest in holistic health and wellness, as well as the multiple physical benefits that can be gained from a regular yoga practice.

The total number of people practicing yoga in the United States is estimated to be 36 million.

It is also estimated that of all the yoga practitioners 72% are women.

In the last six months, more than 15% of Americans have practiced yoga.

Record says that there were more than 52,000 yoga teachers in 2016.

Today, the total number of existing schools is over 18,000.

In the US, people spend $16 billion every year on yoga classes and equipment.

With time, the number of yoga teachers has increased shockingly, and now it has become a very popular career choice.

In the last four years, the number of yoga practitioners in the United States has increased by over 50%.

Yoga became an Olympic sport in 2016. Each participant had to perform seven poses, five mandatory and two of their choice.

As of 2019, the net worth of the yoga industry was $37.46 billion. It is estimated that by 2027 it will become $66.22 billion.

The popularity of laughter yoga is growing every day. This yoga only requires the practitioners to laugh. It helps to release anxiety and stress.

George Harrison, one of the members of the Beatles, was a great fan of yoga. We can find his love for eastern spirituality and yoga in many of his songs.

The people living in Oregon are known for practicing yoga with goats.

Yoga has become so popular all over the world that every year on June 21, we celebrate International Yoga Day that honors this ancient practice.

Did You Know...

Yoga is an ancient discipline that originated in India over 5000 years ago. It is a system of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that aim to improve overall health and well-being.

There are over 100 poses in yoga, but the most popular ones used by westerners tend to be forward bends (such as the downward-facing dog). Other popular yoga poses include the crane pose, the lotus pose, and the chair pose.

India is the birthplace of yoga, which is where it originated over 5000 years ago. It was originally developed as a system for physical and mental well-being by sages who lived in the Himalayan region at that time.

The five elements of Ayurveda (the sister science of yoga) are earth (prithvi), fire (agni), water (jal), space (akash), and air (vayu). Yoga itself has eight pillars, they are niyama, yama, asana, pratyahara, pranayama, dhyana, dharana, and samadhi.

Yoga can be a great addition to any exercise program, but it is not meant as a substitute for other physical activities such as running or cycling. Yoga will help strengthen muscles while increasing flexibility and range of motion in joints.

Yoga was invented by ancient Indians thousands of years ago. They used it as a way to improve their health and well-being through physical poses and breathing techniques.

Yoga comes from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. The word itself means 'union' and it refers to the joining of your mind with its true nature through meditation practice.

It's called yoga because the word comes from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. The word stemmed from 'yuj,' which means union in Sanskrit.