There is an increasing trend of new activities being branded with the word “yoga”. This is usually included as part of a more marketable name (kite-flying yoga) but it may also appear in the byline of an activity (i.e. yoga of swimming). So I thought it would be useful to take a look at what some of the key features are that I use to make a clearer definition of yoga. The ideas below are gleaned from some of the teachings I have been exposed to as well as some conclusions I have come to on my own.

For the sake of simplicity I’d like to focus on the most commonly understood type of yoga (or the yoga that is most practiced in the West), the physical branch of yoga asana and look at how it differentiates itself from other physical activities.

1. Yoga is not competitive
   This is not a universal love, hippy statement. The reasoning behind yoga not being competitive is simple: it’s a practice that is designed to harness your energy/attention and intentionally direct it inwards (or place it on a particular object of focus). If you’re competing then you’re probably focusing more on the future and those around you that you perceive as people that need to be bested. The act of consciously “yoking” the attention has been lost to the external competition and sensory info.
2. Yoga is (partially*) the act of performing asana
   Asana or yoga postures are exactly that: postures that are unique to the yogic practice although other sports and activities have adopted some of them. While you can do a yoga posture as part of you pre-run warm up, the minute you start running you’re technically not doing yoga anymore. You might argue that you get into a meditative state while running but we are focusing on what defines a physical practice a yoga practice. If you perform a series of postures that are unambiguously and clearly yoga postures in a sequence over time, then you can probably say that you have practiced yoga.
3. Intention is key
   Yoga is a means to an end and the end itself. It is designed to have a particular effect on the body, mind, awareness, attention, etc. If that intention is not there then it simply becomes an exercise. The intent is complex and yet simple and also is beyond the scope of this post. Nevertheless, if you don’t know what the specific, intended purpose of the yoga practice is, not a generalised “I’ll-get-enlightened-or-something”, maybe it’s something that you should look into. What other activity do people engage in without being clear on what result it is designed to accomplish?**
   “Well I think I’ll just get in and drive. I have a sort of idea what could happen if I drive a car. I’ve seen other people doing it so i suppose I’ll just get in and drive around and see what happens.” 😉
4. Why do you want to call it yoga?
   This is the crux for me. What does the word yoga mean to you? When you call something “a yoga” what are you implying? Many people seek to acquire traits, characteristics or virtues through association or mimicry. Association: getting your picture taken with Mandela doesn’t make you a better person. Mimicry: becoming a carpenter or fasting for 40 days and nights won’t make you into Jesus. Calling an activity yoga when it isn’t yoga highlights a degree of ignorance of what yoga is intended to be and do and also implies an attempt to make something more “meaningful/spiritual/whatever” by association alone.

Words are important. They have specific intended meanings. By not taking the time to learn those meanings we may inadvertently add to those non-specific generalisations and perpetuate our assumptions. Get clear about what yoga is and re-evaluate whether it’s something you want to do or not, but don’t call something yoga when it isn’t. It just confuses things.

*asana is only 1/8th of the system as traditionally defined as raja or ashtanga yoga
**there are exceptions where the asana practice itself can elicit a change in the way a person lives their lives, however in my experience if there isn’t a cognitive component to the practice, then asana simply reinforces the ego.