Knowledge Center

What is Yoga

In very simple words, Yoga is the collection of various physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines or practices that originated in ancient India. Yoga is a medium through which a person can attain the perpetual state of mental tranquillity while simultaneously also achieving a bodily supremacy. This discipline is multifaceted and can accommodate various other doctrines to form a blend of eclectic practices. Though Yoga is generally seen as a way to overcome bodily shortcomings and maladies, the full extent of Yogic potential isn’t limited at that.

In the most literal sense, the word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word YUJ, which means “to join”. This joining can be of varied types such as the combination of body and soul, or the connection between the mortal banalities and divine interventions. The exact scope or philosophy of the word is ambiguous and it can be interpreted in multiple ways. However, that being said, philosophers have always figured its meaning as “The combination of natural energy with a body” which taken in the present context is very fitting. After all, Yoga is about getting a body rid of its impurities.

Though Yoga has many definitions and goals, some of them have been accepted globally which makes Yoga a truly global phenomenon. According to ancient texts, the aim of Yogic practices is to attain Nirvana, the state where the practitioner becomes one with everything. It is a period of mind where the consciousness is elevated beyond natural boundaries and exists parallel to the cosmic awareness. This is such a state where the mind becomes receptive to everything around it and is able to differentiate between the delusive and transcendental aspects of life. Yoga makes a mind ascend towards things that are consequential.