yoga

or Yo·ga

[ yoh-guh ]

/ ˈyoʊ gə /

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noun

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.

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.

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

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Origin of yoga

First recorded in 1780–90 from Sanskrit: literally, “act of yoking or joining; yoked team; employment”; see origin at yoke¹

OTHER WORDS FROM yoga

yo·gic

[yoh-gik], /ˈyoʊ gɪk/, adjectiveyo·gism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use yoga in a sentence

The word yoga, for example, which comes from Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, is a distant relative of the English word yoke.
The English Word That Hasn’t Changed in Sound or Meaning in 8,000 Years - Facts So Romantic|Sevindj Nurkiyazova|November 9, 2020|Nautilus
A yoga mat also comes in handy to cushion your knees and elbows.
Jessie Diggins's Killer 8-Minute Core Workout|Hayden Carpenter|October 30, 2020|Outside Online
Roll out a yoga mat or blanket, or find a carpeted area to comfortably rotate through the exercises.
Pocket This Anti-Stress Routine for Difficult Days|Lauren Bedosky|October 20, 2020|Outside Online
Learn how this young star is taking Hollywood by storm, and how she has yoga to thank.
How Yoga Got Oge Egbuonu Into Filmmaking|Daniel Malloy|October 6, 2020|Ozy

They’ll make you breakfast with farm-fresh eggs, arrange private yoga classes, and set up guided hiking or biking tours in nearby Kaibab and Coconino National Forests.
Our Favorite Hipcamp in Every State|Alison Van Houten|October 1, 2020|Outside Online
His yogic power was such that he either could will them not to bite, or could escape to an inner invulnerability.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda
Because the yogic science satisfies a universal need, it has a natural universal applicability.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda
The Kriya beginner employs his yogic exercise only fourteen to twenty- eight times, twice daily.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda
The yogic science is based on an empirical consideration of all forms of concentration and meditation exercises.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda
This is indeed the true yogic fire ceremony, in which all past and present desires are fuel consumed by love divine.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda

British Dictionary definitions for yoga

yoga

/ (ˈjəʊɡə) /

noun (often capital)

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

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

Derived forms of yoga

yogic (ˈjəʊɡɪk), adjective

Word Origin for yoga

C19: from Sanskrit: a yoking, union, from yunakti he yokes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for yoga

yoga

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