Pommello

“That which brings you to reality.”

“Yoga” is a Sanskrit word meaning "union,” or—more specifically—"yoking." The practice of yoga has been traced back to ancient Indian traditions, possibly as far back as 3000 BCE, though it most likely developed as a systematic study around the 5th and 6th centuries BCE. Hatha yoga gained particular prominence in the West as recently as the 20th century. At that moment, a bit of interpretive divergence took place. Western culture tends to regard yoga as recreation, exercise and even art. But the fundamental truth behind the word is much more spiritual and ethereal.

The Bagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu text, describes yoga as “the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” As the novelist and guru Sadhguru is quoted as saying, “yoga means to move towards an experiential reality where one knows the ultimate nature of existence, the way it is made. Individuality is an idea. Universality is not an idea; it is a reality. In other words, yoga means you bury all your ideas.” As the word “yoga” is interpreted to mean: “That which brings you to reality.”

While yoga doesn’t need to mean the same thing to each person, it’s important to honor the tradition. Next time you step onto the mat, breathe deep, calm your mind, and recognize the rich and complex history of this ancient discipline.