What Makes Yoga, ‘Yoga’?
The Thread That Holds It All
Table of Contents
Where Does Yoga Begin and End?
Every few months, it seems, a new kind of yoga is born.
There’s water yoga, paddleboard yoga, and even ganja yoga. Each has its devotees, and I have no doubt there is something to be learned from every form of mindful movement.
But I often find myself wondering: at what point does yoga stop being yoga?
Iyengar Yoga is all I have ever studied, so its precision, discipline, and depth have shaped the way I understand both practice and life. When I look out at the ever-expanding landscape of “yoga,” I sometimes feel a little bewildered.
The word yoga is often translated as “union,” and I have always understood that to mean the practice is a way of overcoming the perceived separation between the individual self and the Universal Self. It is a way of living in harmony with something larger than ourselves.
So what happens when yoga becomes essentially everything? Does it lose the thread that once tied body, mind, and spirit together?
The Aim Beneath the Form
The idea of approaching yoga in different ways is not new. Hatha, Kriya, Kundalini, and Tantric yoga, for example, emphasize different aspects of practice. One may use asana as a primary tool, another pranayama, mantra, or meditation. But what they share is a deeper aim: transformation, integration, and ultimately, union.
That, it seems to me, is the thread that defines yoga.
Without that thread, yoga risks becoming just another form of exercise — something we do to achieve, perfect, control, or consume. And yet, the real gift of yoga, I feel, is not in the physical perfection of a pose. It is in how the practice mirrors back the way we live.
Without the thread of transformation, integration, or union, yoga risks becoming just another form of exercise—something we do to achieve, perfect, control or consume.
The Practice Beneath the Practice
The yamas and niyamas, the moral and ethical roots of yoga, are where understanding begins to deepen. They remind me that how I move on the mat is never separate from how I move through life.
As a student and teacher of yoga, I feel guided by these principles. They are the first two limbs of Patanjali’s eightfold path, and when I look at my practice through their lens, I inevitably learn something.
Over time, I have come to see each asana as a small conversation with myself.
Ahimsa — Non-violence
Am I listening to my body’s limits, or pushing past them?
Does the goal of achieving the final presentation of an asana override the messages my body is sending me?
Where in life might an attitude of over/under-doing appear?
Asteya — Non-stealing
Do fear, self-doubt, pain, or lack of motivation rob me of fully experiencing the moment?
Where else might insecurity or ego prevent me from living more fully?
Do I hord space or attention unnecessarily?
Satya — Truthfulness
Am I being honest about what is actually happening in an asana?
Do I allow the parts of my body that move easily to take over, creating the illusion of a “good” pose?
Do I allow the areas that lack awareness to remain in the dark?
Brahmacharya — Moderation
Do I embrace restraint in my actions?
Can I resist the temptation of always wondering what’s next?
Am I present in my practice?
Do I chase only what feels good?
Do I embrace restraint with my words?
Do I speak when I should listen?
Aparigraha — Non-coveting
Do I compare my practice to others’?
Am I attached to outcomes and goals?
What happens when I surrender more fully to the process?
Every time I step onto my mat, these questions are alive in me. Quietly, they shape my awareness and my behaviour.
From Mat to Life
Sometimes, in the middle of a difficult conversation, I catch myself just before saying the wrong thing. A small inner voice whispers:
Breathe.
Detach and gain perspective.
Where is your compassion?
Is that truthful?
That moment of pause — that space — is yoga off the mat.
It is the same awareness that helps me move intelligently through Trikonasana, only now it helps me move more gently through life.
Of course, I still find myself in sticky life-situations. But yoga has taught me a great deal about my nature: who I am, who I can become, and who I am still learning to be. For that, I am incredibly grateful.
And so I ask: does your practice do that for you?
It’s natural to be drawn to the physicality of yoga, not to mention its many health benefits. But if you are curious about what else yoga can offer, I want you to know: a whole other realm of insight is waiting just beyond the confines of your mat.
Whenever you are ready.
I’m reminded of an analogy Prashant Iyengar shared in class many years ago.
“I’m trying to teach you poetry, but you are insisting on repeating your ABCs, again and again.”
I understood his words to mean that if we focus only on the physical actions of an asana, we will deny ourselves the opportunity of exploring the beauty, which lies just beyond.
Nowadays, the label “yoga” is used so liberally, and I think it is the lack of this thread beyond the physicality that unsettles me. Not because I want to police the boundaries of practice, but because I do not want us to forget its depth.
So, what makes yoga Yoga?
I do not have a definitive answer. But I know that, for me, yoga begins when practice becomes more than movement. It begins when the mat becomes a mirror, when awareness follows us into daily life, and when the work of the body opens a doorway into something much larger.
That, to me, is where yoga begins.
FAQ
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What is the difference between yoga and exercise?
Exercise typically focuses on physical outcomes like strength, flexibility, or endurance. Yoga, while it includes physical movement, is rooted in self-awareness, discipline, and a deeper inquiry into how we live and relate to ourselves and others.
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Yoga has always had multiple approaches, even historically. However, modern variations often differ widely in focus and intention, which can make it unclear what truly defines yoga as a practice.
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The yamas are ethical guidelines in yoga that include non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), moderation (brahmacharya), and non-attachment (aparigraha). They provide a framework for how we relate to ourselves and others.
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Yes. Yoga can increase awareness of habits, reactions, and patterns. Over time, the lessons learned in practice often translate into daily interactions, decision-making, and self-reflection.
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