yogi

American  

[yoh-gee] / ˈyoʊ gi /

Also yogin

noun

plural

yogis

1. a person who practices yoga.

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yogi British  

/ jəʊˈɡiːniː, ˈjəʊɡɪ /

noun

1. a person who is a master of yoga

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Other Word Forms

• yogini noun

Etymology

Origin of yogi

1610–20; < Sanskrit yogī, nominative singular of yogin, derivative of yoga yoga

Explanation

In the western part of the world, a yogi is someone who practices yoga, the physical and mental discipline of meditation and body postures. Do you do sun salutations every morning? Then you're a yogi! The word yogi comes from a Sanskrit root, yuj, which means "to join or unite." This ancient source never meant "doing yoga poses," but referred to a deeply mystical practice. In India, a yogi can be a spiritual practitioner of various kinds, but in the West, it's come to refer to someone who does physical yoga asanas, or poses with names like "cat," "cow," and "downward dog."

Example Sentences

Matt Elson, an artist pictured in one of his Infinity Boxes, shares his Morongo Valley home with healer and yogi Chakra Khan.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2024

A yogi learning a new posture must practice it repeatedly.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024

He is a chai-sipping, dhoti-wearing superhero who gets his powers from a yogi - a mystic guru - and not from a radioactive spider bite.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2023

I think of Julie as pretty hardcore; she’s not just a yogi but a runner and cyclist, and she’s disciplined as hell—not only with her exercise and diet but also as a parent.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2023

Planting her palms on either side of her crossed legs, she lifted herself up, like a yogi levitating, and scooted over to make room for me.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides