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There is no shortage of words used to describe yoga. Many of these words express the scientific research that attempts to measure the effects of the ancient practice on our contemporary selves, whether physical or psychological. Other descriptions attempt to explain the less quantifiable matter of the philosophy behind the practice and remind us that it is a way of approaching life.
Despite all these manifestations, there is something mysterious yet mind-blowingly simple about yoga. And that is what yoga means to all of us.
“One of my teachers in journalism school often said that if we can’t explain an idea in a few words, it means we haven’t understood it well enough,” says the digital creator. Gabipao Barrera“He believed that the fewer words there were, the better we would understand.”
This resonated with Barrera. Interestingly, she found that what her teacher explained was exactly what happened with her yoga practice, which she began in 2018. “I didn’t fully understand why yoga came into my life or why I was doing it until I gave it personal meaning from just one word,” she says.
“I always try to compress big concepts into a few words with profound meaning,” explains Barrera, who has long been interested in “learning about words that have non-literal translations in other languages.”
She already knew what yoga meant to her. But curious about its effects on others, she asked her classmates after class one day how they would define yoga in one word. The result turned into a viral Instagram reel.
Some of the words that were shared came without hesitation. Others required a bit of contemplation. And many prompted “oohs” and “aahs” of understanding from other students.
“I was surprised to see the variety of answers that reflected each person's unique approach and relationship to their practice,” says Barrera.
Out of curiosity, we reposted her reel Instagram and asked Yoga Journal followers to describe in one word what yoga means to them. The range of responses and the enthusiasm behind them was incredible and included frequent mentions of Barrera's original video. And there was more:
compassion
jurisdiction
Everything
happiness
relationship
appearance
strain
life
Summary
Love
Paz (Calmness)
Freedom
Consciousness
Progress
awareness
Medicine
bliss
Milan
Home
equanimity
balance
Mighty
seeing
therapeutic
comunidad (community)
Development
Life Saver
Seems like
commitment
One
breath
Strength
Samadhi (appearance)
Introspection
Alignment
perfection
Calm
Gravity
Elefteria (Freedom)
release
Thankfulness
Om (Om)
Unity
Openness
Possibility
Devotion
Attention (Creature)
Self-journey
reflection
Calmness
mindfulness
Center
Clarity
Objective
grounding
Pleasure
bliss
dry (Easy)
santosha (Satisfaction)
Magic. Of course, magic.
Barrera's word this time is compassion. Perhaps the most valuable thing about the practice of considering what yoga means to you is not to give the practice a limited definition. And it's certainly not about reducing the physical and philosophical practice to a single concept. Instead, being asked to name its manifestation in your life can help remind you why you practice yoga and what it really feels like to experience yoga.
“'Yoga' is just a four-letter word with a huge meaning,” says Barrera.
