Chicago to Hooghly—yoga is coming back to Kolkata after travelling the world |
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Chicago to Hooghly—yoga is coming back to Kolkata after travelling the world
Today, with the celebration of International Day of Yoga in Kolkata, it feels like a beautiful homecoming of yoga to the land from where its message began its journey to the global stage.
Throughout history, certain ideas have travelled beyond boundaries and transformed societies. Yoga is one of India’s oldest traditions, and it has achieved global recognition.
The word yoga — derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’ — encapsulates a comprehensive system of philosophical inquiry and practical discipline aimed at the union of the individual self (jīvātman) with the universal consciousness (Paramātman).
The earliest seeds of yoga are found in the Ṛig Veda (c. 1500–1200 BCE), where the concept of tapas (austerity) and dhyāna (meditation) are referenced. These ideas were further developed in the Upaniṣads, which articulated many of the philosophical foundations of yoga. It was, however, the Yoga Sūtras of Mahariṣhi Patañjali (c. 200 BCE – 400 CE) that gave yoga its most systematic framework — the classical aṣṭāṅga yoga or eight-limbed path — comprising Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi.
Journey to the world
Beyond Patañjali, the Bhagavad Gita presents yoga as a dynamic philosophy for living. Set against the backdrop of the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna offers profound insights into human duty, purpose, and spiritual growth. Among the various paths described in the Bhagavad Gita, Karma Yoga (path of selfless action), Jñāna Yoga (path of knowledge), and Bhakti Yoga (path of........