yoga

American  

[yoh-guh] / ˈjoʊ gə /

Or Yoga

noun

1. a school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

2. any or all of the methods or disciplines prescribed in the Hindu philosophical school of yoga, especially a series of postures and breathing exercises practiced to achieve tranquility, control of the body and mind, etc.

3. union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

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yoga British  

/ ˈjəʊɡə /

noun

1. a Hindu system of philosophy aiming at the mystical union of the self with the Supreme Being in a state of complete awareness and tranquillity through certain physical and mental exercises

2. any method by which such awareness and tranquillity are attained, esp a course of related exercises and postures designed to promote physical and spiritual wellbeing See Astanga yoga Bikram yoga hatha yoga power yoga raja yoga Sivananda yoga

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yoga Cultural  

1. In Hinduism, a set of mental and physical exercises aimed at producing spiritual enlightenment.

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Other Word Forms

• yogism
  noun
• yogic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of yoga

First recorded in 1780–90 from Sanskrit: literally, “act of yoking or joining; yoked team; employment”; see origin at yoke ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Yoga is an ancient form of physical and mental exercise that is still popular today. It involves lots of stretching and holding poses with funny names, like "downward dog." The kind of yoga that most westerners practice is based on "hatha yoga," the most familiar part of a complex Hindu system of meditation and spiritual practice. Yoga is an extremely popular form of exercise today, but it's been around for centuries. The word yoga was first used in English around 1820, when western intellectuals were first becoming interested in Hindu philosophy — it's a Sanskrit word that means "union."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yoga

You said the company values work-life balance; I am therefore going to yoga.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

"This year, I'm going to a yoga retreat. I did one in March in Morocco," she says.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

A year later, he started Lululemon after taking a yoga class.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

So we’re excited to share these five free yoga and Pilates events — all very different, but equally inclusive — coming up in August.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

“That’s the big question, isn’t it? Sometimes, things just aren’t easy,” Frank says, and he takes one of those big yoga breaths, like maybe Byrd’s had him practice it too.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers