yogini

American  

[yoh-guh-nee] / ˈyoʊ gə ni /

noun

1. a woman who practices yoga.

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Etymology

Origin of yogini

1880–85; < Sanskrit yoginī, feminine derivative of yogin yogi

Explanation

A yogini in the Western world could be any woman who practices the physical and mental discipline involved in yoga, including meditation and specific postures and stretches. In English, yogi is sometimes used to refer to an experienced yoga practitioner, regardless of gender, but technically yogi is masculine in gender. This is similar to how "actor" can refer either to men only or to all genders, while "actress" is usually used only for women. Yogi and yogini come from Sanskrit yuj, "to join or unite," and relate to more than just the physical postures that people in the West associate with yoga. A yogini in India could practice a wide variety of spiritual disciplines.

Example Sentences

In December, the pair also retrieved a 10th-century goat head yogini statue from a garden in the English countryside.

From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2022

Natasha is a yogini, a female master practitioner of yoga and wellness coach.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2019

Mykah Smith, a twenty-five-year-old Bahamian yogini with fifty-six hundred Instagram followers, posted a call for donations to help survivors.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 11, 2019

Emmy Cleaves, who was separated from her family at 15 while fleeing Latvia, is a steadfast yogini.

From Washington Post • Mar. 29, 2018

Krishnamurti knew her as Eugenia, the Theosophist and lovesick diplomatic wife, not as an experienced yogini, as women practitioners of yoga are sometimes called.

From Time • Jun. 10, 2015