What Is Yoga? Cultural and Historical Context, Components and Choosing a Class

What yoga is

Yoga is a practice rooted in Indian philosophy that began as a spiritual discipline. [1] The word comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning "to unite" or join. [2] Many people in the United States meet yoga as a fitness or stress-relief class. In that setting it typically emphasizes physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dhyana). [1]

Cultural and historical context

Yoga was passed down through generations as a spiritual discipline and has since evolved into many practices and philosophies. [2] One text often used to describe the classical path is the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. In one paper by authors at a yoga-science department in Haridwar, India, that path has eight parts: a social code (yama), a personal code (niyama), pose (asana), breath regulation (pranayama), sensory withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and a state of absorption (samadhi). [3] Posture is therefore one part of a larger framework, not the whole of it.

The same paper describes hatha yoga as one of several paths, alongside devotion (bhakti), knowledge (jnana) and action (karma). [3] The sources read for this page do not settle dates or a single origin story, so none is given here.

Modern classes differ from that framework. A US yoga membership organization says it tries to honor yoga's origins while accepting that practice keeps evolving. [2] The share of US adults who practiced yoga rose from 5.0 percent in 2002 to 15.8 percent in 2022. [1] Most US research has involved mainly female, non-Hispanic White, well-educated participants, so findings may not fit everyone. [1]

Movement, breathing and meditation

• Postures. Held or flowing positions, from gentle and supported to physically demanding. [1]
• Breathing. Breath practices are called pranayama. NCCIH advises newcomers to avoid forceful breathing. [1] For gentle options see breathing and relaxation basics.
• Meditation. Quiet attention practices, covered in types of meditation.

Classes mix these differently. One US directory groups them as gentle, spiritually oriented, flow, alignment-oriented, fitness and hot yoga. [2] The yoga styles guide explains the common names.

Choosing an appropriate class

• Read the description. Gentle classes focus on support and relaxation, often with blocks. [2] Spiritually oriented classes may emphasize philosophy or singing, so choose by what you want. [2]
• Start simple. NCCIH suggests new students avoid headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing. [1]
• Use a qualified instructor. Learning yoga alone, without supervision, has been linked with higher risk. [1]
• Say what applies to you. Pregnant women, older adults and people with health conditions should talk with their health care providers and the instructor. [1] Conditions that may call for changes include knee or hip injuries, lumbar spine disease, severe high blood pressure, balance problems and glaucoma. [1]
• Ask for specialist training where it matters. One organization says specialty classes, such as for pregnancy, require specialized teacher training. [2]

More detail is in the adapted yoga and movement guide.

What research shows

Yoga research is hard to summarize because studies use different styles. [1] The table keeps outcomes apart.

For the full picture see yoga evidence by outcome and the stress overview in movement, yoga and tai chi for stress.

Safety

The most common injuries are sprains and strains, most often to the knee or lower leg. Serious injuries are rare, and risk is lower than in higher-impact activity. [1] US emergency departments treated 29,590 yoga-related injuries from 2001 to 2014, with the highest rate in people aged 65 and over. [6] Hot yoga carries overheating and dehydration risks, and pregnant women should avoid it. [1] See yoga safety for heat, osteoporosis and injuries.

Teacher training

In the United States, Yoga Alliance, a membership organization, credentials teacher-training schools; its foundational program is 200 hours. [7] The sources read here do not say whether any US state licenses yoga teachers, and rules in other countries were not checked. NCCIH suggests asking about an instructor's training and experience. [1]

When to see a clinician first

Do not use yoga to delay seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. [1]