BASICSthe fifth and seventeenth centuries BC. The Upanishads
not only furthered the knowledge of the Rig Vedas, but also
broke them down to explain the ultimate reality and the
transcendental self. These became guides to explain how to
apply the knowledge of the Rig Vedas to your daily life. Later
during this period, the Bhagavad Gita was written. This text
is the first book to be devoted entirely to yoga. It tells the
story of the god Krishna and the solider Ardjuna. This parable
introduces the idea of disassociating with the ego to avoid
difficulties or pain. Today, many yogis reference this text to
explain the letting go of the ego.
Classical Yoga
This period centers around Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the
eight principles of yoga, which were discussed earlier in this
chapter. This period produced the idea that the mind and
body were separate and they must be worked on separately
via meditation and asana.
Post-Classical Yoga
During the Post-Classical period, yogi masters began to
focus on the strengths and abilities of the body. They created
a system of physical postures that would challenge the body
and help prolong its life. This system of postures became
Hatha yoga and is the beginning of the asana practice that
we know today. It is here that yogis wrapped their minds
around the concept of living in the moment. The purpose of
the postures was to facilitate concentration and meditation
to reach the state of samadhi, which is the highest mental
state of yoga.