yoga

Yoga is a Sanskrit word, deriving from a verb meaning “to yoke” or “to join.” Body and consciousness are joined together in the discipline of yoga. Yoga practice involves ethical restraints, the mastery of bodily postures (called asanas), the control and direction of the breath (called pranayama) and the cultivation of mental concentration. The common image of the yogi (i.e. practitioner of yoga) seated in a lotus posture or standing in a posture of reverence, embodies this one-pointed stillness and concentration of both body and mind. There are many kinds of yoga that emphasize particular forms of spiritual discipline.