योग
Yoga
(yoga)Union; the practice of joining individual consciousness with universal consciousness
Full Meaning
Yoga means union — from the root yuj, "to yoke." In its original sense, yoga is the entire spiritual path toward the union of the individual self (jīva) with universal consciousness (Brahman). What most of the world calls "yoga" — the physical postures — is just one limb (āsana) of Patañjali's eight-limbed system (aṣṭāṅga yoga).
Etymology
From the root yuj (युज्) — to yoke, to join, to unite. The same root as the English word "yoke."
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
The Bhagavad Gita describes four main paths: karma yoga (action), jñāna yoga (knowledge), bhakti yoga (devotion), and rāja yoga (meditation). Each leads to the same destination.
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः — Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. (Yoga Sūtras 1.2)
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