Yoga
Statue of Shiva (Bangalore,
India) performing Yogic meditation in the Padmasana
posture.
Yoga (yoga)
refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in
India.The
word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and
Jainism.
In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (?stika) schools of Hindu
philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its
practices.
In Jainism it refers to the sum total of all
activities - mental, verbal and physical.
Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Raja Yoga,
Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga,
Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.Raja
Yoga, compiled in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as
yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is part of the Samkhya
tradition.
Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including Upanishads,
the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and
various Tantras.
The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,
and is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj," meaning "to control," "to
yoke" or "to unite."
Translations include "joining," "uniting," "union," "conjunction," and
"means."
Outside
India, the term yoga is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. Someone
who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy is called a yogi or
yogini.