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yoga

a physical, mental, and spiritual practice involving postures and breathing

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Where does the word "yoga" come from? It comes from Sanskrit yoga, and was adopted directly into English (1800s-1900s).

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Where does the word "yoga" come from? It comes from Sanskrit yoga, and was adopted directly into English (1800s-1900s).

Yoga’s story begins in Sanskrit: yoga meant “union, discipline.” Literally "union" or "yoke", describing spiritual discipline. It reached English by 1800s-1900s as yoga. Swami Vivekananda's 1893 Chicago lectures introduced yoga to American audiences. Today, yoga means a physical, mental, and spiritual practice involving postures and breathing.

  1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient yoga "union, discipline", literally "union" or "yoke", describing spiritual discipline.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s-1900s yoga "a physical and spiritual discipline", Swami Vivekananda's 1893 Chicago lectures introduced yoga to American audiences.

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