Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj," which means "to unite or join." The goal of yoga is to unite the body, mind, and spirit through physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.
The earliest written records of yoga can be found in the Vedas, a collection of ancient texts that are considered to be the foundation of Hinduism. The practice of yoga was passed down orally for centuries before being recorded in writing.
Around the 5th century BCE, Patanjali compiled the Yoga Sutras, a collection of 196 aphorisms that outlines the philosophy and practice of yoga. The Yoga Sutras describe the eight limbs of yoga, which include ethical guidelines, physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.
Yoga spread to other parts of the world with the spread of Buddhism and the Indian diaspora. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, yoga was introduced to the Western world by Indian teachers such as Swami Vivekananda, Sri Krishnamacharya, and B.K.S. Iyengar. Today, yoga is practiced by millions of people around the world and is considered a form of physical exercise, meditation, and spiritual practice.