Yoga (Sanskrit: pronunciation (helpinfo)) is the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India with a view to attain a state of permanent peace of mind in order to experience one's true self. The term yoga can be derived from either of two roots, yujir yoga (to yoke) or yuj samdhau (to concentrate). The Yoga Stras of Patajali defines yoga as "the stilling of the changing states of the mind" (Sanskrit: : - :). Yoga has also been popularly defined as "union with the divine" in other contexts and traditions. Various traditions of yoga are found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, yoga is one of the six stika schools (accepts authority of Vedas of Hindu philosophy. Yoga is also an important part of Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Gurus from India later introduced yoga to the west, in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the 1980s, yoga became popular as a system of physical exercise across the Western world.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book I

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book II

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book III

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Yoga - Wikiquote