This course traces the background of yoga to the pre-history, with the earliest archeological hints at yoga being from Indus culture. With the development of Vedic religion and Hinduism, yoga gets its earliest historical expressions that are preserved to our day. Some of the historically important instances are the emergence of the Shramana-movement, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-gita, Yoga-sutra, Tantra, Hatha-yoga, and emergence of modern Hinduism with its many reform movements.
The course introduces the central concepts and ideas germane to salvation-oriented ideologies, particularly those found in the central texts on yoga. It also covers the main theistic traditions in Hinduism, six orthodox Hindu philosophical schools, and the development from Vedic religion to Hinduism, and the developmental phases of Hinduism during its ca. 2500 year history. The emergence of modern Hinduism can be located in the 1900th century as a response to the colonial rule. All of these developmental phases can be related to the development of yoga. The development of yoga is presented in detail in the subsequent courses.
Please see the course page.
Preliminary qualifications for participation: Basic competences in verbal and written expression and presentation, the ability to study independently printed an online sources, and the ability to seek digital information relevant to the topics at hand.
Litterature according to the teacher’s instructions.
Transcript of records
If you notice any issues with the layout, content, or functionality of the page, please let us know.
Your input helps us improve and ensures a better experience for everyone.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
