Yoga

Yoga is one of the oldest surviving living philosophies, first mentioned in the Vedas in the early first millennium BCE. It a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices and disciplines that originated in ancient India. The word literally means to yolk or enrich something, in this case, invigorating the body and mind with spiritual oneness.

Yoga in the Western world often entails a modern form of Hatha yoga and a posture-based physical fitness, stress-relief, and relaxation technique, consisting largely of asana, which differs from traditional yoga, which focuses on meditation and philosophical teachings.

These texts can help you learn more about the history of this practice and appropriate ways to incorporate it as a Western practitioner:

• The Yoga Upanishads, Ayyangar, T. R. S. (1938).

• The Bhagavad Gita, (Eknath Easwaran translation)