Yoga is an ancient system of physical, mental and spiritual practices that have been passed down through the generations from teacher to student. Yogic practices include breathing techniques, postures, relaxation, chanting, and other meditation methods.

What Is Yoga? Yoga is a vast collection of spiritual techniques and practices aimed at integrating mind, body, and spirit to achieve a state of enlightenment or oneness with the universe. What is normally thought of as “yoga” in the West is really Hatha Yoga, one of the many paths of yoga.

The word “yoga” derives from a Sanskrit word that means “to yoke” or “to unite.” This makes sense when you consider that yoga is a practice meant to unite the mind, body, and spirit. Much of the yoga practiced in the West today focuses strongly on asana, meaning the physical practice, but the physical postures are just one aspect of yoga.

The literal translation of the word “yoga,” which is from Sanskrit (recognized as the original language of yoga) is “union,” says Sherwin. [ 2] And that’s an apt way to describe yoga as we know it today, she says. “We define it as bringing together the mind and the body by use of the breath.”