Note: This article was updated on June 24, 2026.
There are so many different pathways you can take on your yoga journey that I can see how the true meaning of yoga could get lost along the way. In modern day, especially in the West, many people see yoga as a form of exercise or a way to improve flexibility. While certain types of yoga can certainly work on these things, is this what yoga is really about or is there something deeper? Learn more in this post.
To understand the true meaning of yoga, we need to translate the word.
"Yoga" means “union” when translated into English from Sanskrit.
The practice of yoga originated in India many years ago. The original language of yoga is Sanskrit, which means that the word ‘yoga’ itself is a Sanskrit word.
When we translate the word “yoga” from Sanskrit into English, we get the word “union”. If yoga means union, then is the point of yoga really to get our workout in, or….is there a deeper meaning to this practice?
Yoga has been watered down to appear to be something that it is not. It is not intended to solely be a workout because the purpose of a workout is to benefit your physical form in some way be it an aesthetic or the health of the body/mind. While certain forms of yoga can also benefit the physical form as well, this is not the true intention of the practice.
The goal of practicing yoga is to “unite” ourselves with something greater than us. Yoga doesn’t specify exactly “what” this something greater is, which is why yoga can be practiced by everyone. Whatever you associate this connection with is up totally up to you and does not even need to be named. In the practices where we move our body and go through physically challenging yoga poses, it’s to prepare us to be able to sit easier in stillness so we can more easily feel into our connection with something greater.
The key is connection.
In yoga, we work on the mind/body/soul connection in order to remember our connection with something greater. This connection is always there, but sometimes it gets foggy and we have difficulty seeing it within ourselves. With a consistent yoga practice, we work on creating a state within ourselves to see this connection more clearly.
It doesn’t matter what your practice looks like, as long as you’re working towards this connection, you’re tapping into the true meaning of yoga.
The original practice of yoga was nothing like we see in modern day.
Power yoga was not a thing back in the day. The crazy and complex poses that we see in a vinyasa class were not seen in ancient times.
There are some poses outlined in The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, one of the foundational texts of Hatha Yoga. However, this text was written long after the origins of yoga itself, and the number of postures described is far more limited than what we see in modern yoga classes. Many of the yoga poses commonly practiced today were developed or popularized much more recently.
This isn’t to say that there isn’t a benefit to practicing yoga in this way, I just bring up this point to encourage you to keep in mind that there is more to yoga than just the physical postures.
Ways to stay connected to the true meaning of yoga In a vinyasa practice
I do believe there is a way to practice movement type yoga like vinyasa and still foster your connection to something greater. It really just depends on what your mindset is like while you practice. If you think, “I’m just doing yoga to get my workout in,” then that’s probably all you get out of it. But, if you practice with the goal of working on your mind, body and soul connection, then you’ll find deeper meaning in your practice.
That is why the breath is so important in physical yoga practices. Our breath is a way we can connect with our life force energy (in yoga this is known as prana). By staying connected with the breath, it allows the physical postures to benefit us on a deeper level.
Another way to ensure your vinyasa practice is more than just a workout is to connect with each pose and what they represent. You can connect with the energy that the different poses create. For example, in tree pose can you connect to the qualities of a tree, rooted & grounded while still being open to growth & expansion. Because yes, yoga is union with a greater force but when we feel this union with something greater, we also remember that all living forms are connected to this greater force. That life force energy that runs through you also runs through the person next to you and through the animals around you, and through the trees.
The last way to ensure your vinyasa practice aligns with the true meaning of yoga is to NEVER skip savasana! I know it can feel tempting, but the entire practice was leading up for you to take at least a few moments in savasana or meditation. If it feels challenging to sit still, that’s ok! Savasana is often more challenging that any physical pose out there. So take that time, sit in the stillness, and allow yourself to deeply feel your body, mind, soul connection. Feel the shift in your energy and the revitalization of your prana and allow yourself to be a little more open to feel that connection and union with a greater force.
Meditation Is Yoga!
If someone told you that they meditate but don’t do vinyasa, would you think that they practice yoga?
Someone who meditates does practice yoga and most likely is closer to the true meaning of yoga than the person who goes to a vinyasa class. Unless of course your using my tips from the section above 🙂
If we’re look back at what the original forms of yoga were long ago, we need to look at meditation. Meditation stems back to ancient practices and is said to have been around for thousands of years.
Yoga’s goal is to help guide us toward enlightenment. Meditation is one of the best ways to work towards enlightenment because it allows you to truly look inward and tune out the external world. When you close off the external world, you create a space where your mind can start to quiet and you can more easily feel into your connection with something greater. For these reasons, (and many more that I won’t go into in this post), I think it’s really important to have meditation somewhere in your yoga practice.
Interested in experiencing different types of yoga to find what resonates with you?
Click here for my free 7 day yoga experience to explore the range of options yoga has to offer!
Taking it off the mat & staying consistence with your practice
When we are truly immersed in the state of yoga, we start to take it off the mat. Yoga is not just a 60 minute practice, it’s a way of life.
When this “state of yoga” and feeling of connection with all that is around you is strongly present, you start to live your life differently and you begin to see life through a different lens. You start to notice little things you may have missed before. You start to realize that things that may have bothered you in the past no longer affect you.
You may think, “Well, how am I going to stay in this state? Things happen, stress happens, life isn’t perfect!”
This is why yoga is something that we need to practice regularly, because things do happen and there are going to be times in life where our stress rises.
Yoga can help us deal with the stressors of life better, but it can only do this if we keep up with our practice and show up consistently. Remember, meditation is yoga, so even doing a brief meditation daily means you are consistently practicing yoga.
Yoga helps us see the beauty, love, and unity that is all around us. Yoga is a personal practice and will look different for everyone. There isn’t one set way to practice yoga, hence all the variety you find. Find a practice that helps guide you toward the true meaning of yoga.
Learn more and put this into practice!
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the true meaning of yoga. As you continue your journey, I encourage you to offer gratitude to the cultures and traditions from which these teachings emerged, and to the teachers who helped preserve and pass down this wisdom so that it can continue to support us today.
If you’d like to continue exploring yoga beyond the physical postures, I invite you to join my Patreon community where we explore a new yoga or spiritual topic each month. Along with the monthly discussion, you’ll receive a 15-minute guided meditation and a 50–60 minute yoga practice designed to help you embody the theme.
It’s a wonderful space if you’re looking for guided meditations and yoga practices that go beyond simply getting a workout. While many of our classes include vinyasa and physical movement, the intention is always to deepen the connection between body, mind, and soul.
As a member, you’ll also gain access to the entire library of past content, giving you dozens of practices and meditations to explore at your own pace. I’d love to welcome you into the community.