About Yoga

Yoga, has the esoteric meaning Union with God, and the literal meaning 'yoke' in Sanskrit, and is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu Philosophy, in which it is often paired with Samkhya, and they are referred together as the Samkhya-Yoga school.

Today in India and across the World, Yoga remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. Karma Yoga (yoga of Action), Jnana Yoga (yoga of Knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (yoga of Devotion), and Raja Yoga (yoga of Meditation) are considered the four main paths of Yoga, though each inevitably incorporate elements from the others.

Yoga as a means to enlightenment is central to Vedanta, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. Nevertheless, Yoga was created by the Hindus and it is defined as a Hindu practice which branches of Hinduism such as Buddhism and Jainism adopted. Ancient Hindu texts establishing the basis for yoga include the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and many others, which specify the criteria of having successfully mastered a particular yoga technique.