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Yoga

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A group of spiritual, mental, and physical practices originating in ancient India, aiming to yoke or unite the individual soul with the Divine.

Detailed Definition
Yoga, derived from the Sanskrit for "yoke" or "union," encompasses various paths (bhakti, jnana, karma, raja) to achieve liberation (moksha). It is a disciplined system for stilling the mind and realizing one's true nature. In poetry, yoga symbolizes the integrated path of spiritual discipline, the inner effort to harmonize body, mind, and spirit. It represents the journey inward, the struggle for self-mastery, and the ultimate goal of union with the absolute consciousness.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Hindu poetry, Yoga is union: “Still mind—Yoga, yoke of self to Self”; In Patanjali’s verse, Yoga is discipline: “Eight limbs—Yoga, path of restraint and grace”; In contemporary poetry, Yoga is healing: “Mat on floor—Yoga, where breath mends fracture”; Poets distinguish Yoga from exercise: “Not pose, but presence—Yoga, attention as prayer.”
Additional Notes
Yoga, from the Sanskrit root yuj (“to yoke”), encompasses diverse paths—bhakti (devotion), jnana (knowledge), karma (action), and raja (meditation)—all aiming at union with the divine or true Self (Atman); in global poetic discourse, yoga symbolizes integration, discipline, and the harmonization of body, mind, and spirit in the pursuit of liberation.
Also Known As
Union Spiritual Discipline Sadhana
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