Imperfect history of yoga

A very short and slightly imperfect history of yoga

When people hear the word yoga today, they often picture a mat, stretchy pants, and maybe a very calm person who owns too many plants. That’s fine. But yoga did not start that way. Not even close.

Yoga is old. Really old. Thousands of years old. And originally, it had very little to do with flexibility or fitness.

The earliest forms of yoga were more about the mind than the body. People were sitting. A lot. They were observing their thoughts, working with breath, and trying to understand how the mind creates suffering. No vinyasa flow. No handstands. No mirrors.

Movement came later. Much later.

For a long time, yoga was mainly a spiritual and philosophical practice. The physical postures were just one small part of it. They were meant to prepare the body to sit comfortably and stay still. If you’ve ever tried to meditate with a tense back, you understand why that was important.

Fast forward a few centuries, and yoga started to change. Especially when it traveled to the West. Postures became more physical. Stronger. More dynamic. Somewhere along the way, yoga got mixed with gymnastics, fitness, and modern ideas of exercise. That’s how we ended up with the yoga most people know today.

Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily.

Modern yoga can be a great way to move, breathe, and release stress. But sometimes we forget that yoga was never meant to be only a workout. It was meant to help people relate to their inner world with more clarity and less struggle.

This is why some yoga classes feel grounding and supportive, while others feel like just another thing to perform. The intention behind the practice matters.

Understanding a bit of yoga’s history can change how you approach it. You stop asking how far you can stretch and start asking how present you are. You stop forcing poses and start listening. Yoga becomes less about achievement and more about awareness.

And honestly, that’s where its real power still is.

Yoga has always adapted to the time and place it’s practiced in. It changed before, and it will change again. What stays the same is its original question. How can we live with a bit more ease in our body and mind.

If you step on the mat with that question in mind, you’re practicing yoga in a very traditional way. Even if you’re wearing modern leggings and practicing in your living room.

History approved.