What is Yoga?

Some see yoga as stretching.
Some as physical exercise.
Others as relaxation.

These can be part of yoga, but they are not its purpose.

To understand yoga more clearly, we can look to one of the foundational texts, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Yoga is defined as:

Yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ
Yoga is the resolution of the mind’s activity.

Patanjali continues:

Tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe avasthānam
Then, the seer abides in their true nature.

When the mind settles, what remains is your true nature: pure consciousness.

This is both the purpose of yoga - stilling the movements of the mind - 
and its promise - a direct experience of your true nature.

As Ram Swarup writes:

“In ordinary life, a person looks outward, but when we gaze inward, we become aware of a secret, larger life buried within. The method by which this is done is called Yoga."