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Hinduism and Yoga


What is the link between Hinduism and Yoga ?
Ans. Yoga is an internal part of the Hindu religion. Hinduism and yoga are inseparable. In ancient India, it has been part of man’s activities directed towards higher spiritual achievements. These practices were documented by Patanjali in the form of Yoga sutras. Also, all the yogic discipline are detailed in the many scriptures of the Hindu religion like Vedas, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita etc. Hence, it is incorrect to divorce the spiritual disciplines of Hinduism and Yoga.

Yoga as a Path to Self Realization

The word yoga is derived from the root yuj ( to yoke, to unite), which means to unite or to join together the soul and the divine. A man who seeks after this union is called a yogi. The ultimate aim of yoga is to attain liberation of soul from the cycle of life and death.
Yoga is a practical path to self-realization, a means of attaining enlightenment by purifying the entire being, so that the mind-body can experience the absolute reality underlying the illusions of everyday life.
There are four main paths of yoga to achieve the spiritual goal of life. People from any religion can follow any one or more of the following paths :
  • Bhakti Yoga (the path of love and devotion) 
  • Karma Yoga ( the path of right action )
  • Raja Yoga (the path of meditation)
  • Jnana Yoga (the path of wisdom)
An individual may refer a particular path of yoga over others according to his or her inclination. Practice of any one path of yoga does not exclude others. Many schools believe that the different yogas naturally blend into and aid others yogas.

Is Yoga a Religion ?

Yoga is definitely not a religion. Yoga can be equally followed by religious people, atheist or agnostics. People from all religions can benefit from yoga while still following their own religious beliefs. All Hindus do not practice yoga. Following the practice of yoga is personal decision by an individual to better health or spiritual life. Therefore you do not have to become a Hindu to get beliefs of yoga. Though Hinduism and Yoga are closely related, yoga is itself can be practiced without following any religion.
source: http://globalhinduism.com/2013/01/28/hinduism-and-yoga/
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