What is yoga?

Yoga is an ancient practice that has been around for at least 6,000 years and originated from modern-day India. We know its origin story because of many ancient texts and cave drawings that depict yoga poses, methods, and philosophy.

In particular, one of these ancient texts is a book called The Yoga Sutras, written by Patanjali. The Yoga Sutras, originally written in Sanskrit, has been translated and interpreted over and over again, and can now be read in modern-day English. The Yoga Sutras explains what yoga is, how to practice it, and its benefits.

Yoga is not a religion. At its core, yoga means to yolk, or bring together. In yoga, students are bringing together their mind and their bodies. The two are becoming one.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga are laid out in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which describe how to practice yoga. The Eight Limbs are briefly described below:

  1. Yamas: restraints:

    1. Ahimsa: non-violence

    2. Satya: truthfulness

    3. Asteya: non-stealing

    4. Brahmacharya: doing things in moderation

    5. Aparigraha: not being greedy or over accumulating

  2. Niyamas: behaviors to practice:

    1. Saucha: keeping the body clean

    2. Santosha: living in gratitude

    3. Tapas: having self-discipline

    4. Svadhyaya: having self-study

    5. Ishvara-Pranidhana: letting go

  3. Asanas: yoga poses

  4. Pranayama: breath work

  5. Pratyahara: not reacting to sense organs

  6. Dharana: total concentration on one thing

  7. Dhyana: mediation

  8. Samadhi: becoming one with the object in meditation

By the time yoga was brought to the United States during the 1800s, many yoga teachers had shifted their yoga teachings to focus mostly on only two of the limbs of yoga, that is the Asanas (poses) and the Pranayama (breath). As a result, most yoga studios in the US teach these 2 limbs of yoga.

While there are many different yoga styles of yoga, Traveling Yogi teaches Hatha-based alignment yoga. To learn more about this style, please visit our What style of yoga do you do page.

There are many potential benefits to practicing yoga including the following:

  • Relieves stress

  • Increases strength

  • Increases flexibility

  • Improves balance

  • Improves sleep

  • Promotes better self-care

  • Alleviate other ailments including arthritic pain, chronic back pain, inflammation, and more.