Yoga (Sanskrit, Pali: yóga) refers to traditional physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines that originated in India The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Within Hinduism, the word yoga is used to refer to one of the six orthodox (astika) schools ofHindu philosophy.; in Buddhism yogic ideas can be found in the early sermons of the Buddha; whilst in Jainism, yoga is the sum total of all activities — mental, verbal and physical.

Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.Yoga based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, comprises one of the six main Hindu schools of philosophy (darshanas), together with Kapila's Samkhya, Gautama's Nyaya, Kanada's Vaisheshika, Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa, and Badarayana's Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta. Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Upanishads, theBhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.

The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, and is derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj," meaning "to control," "to yoke" or "to unite."Translations include "joining," "uniting," "union," "conjunction," and "means."The word yoga may also derive from the root "yujir samadhau," which means "contemplation" or "absorption."

Someone who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy with a high level of commitment is called a yogior yogini.