Yoga: what it is, where it comes from, and how to start

A practice from India

The word yoga comes from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, as the United Nations puts it. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) calls yoga an ancient and complex practice, rooted in Indian philosophy, that began as a spiritual practice and has become popular as a way of promoting physical and mental well-being.

It has never been one thing. The Wellcome Collection's history of modern yoga opens: "There is not one Yoga, but many yogas", linked to Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh and even Sufi traditions. In 2016 UNESCO added yoga, put forward by India, to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

The Yoga Sutras and the eight limbs

The best-known classical text is Patañjali's Yoga Sutras. Scholars dispute its date: estimates run from several centuries BCE to the 5th century CE. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy says most scholars place it in the 1st or 2nd century CE, and the Wellcome Collection's history says the 2nd to 4th. Patañjali didn't invent yoga: he set out practices that already existed.

The Sutras define yoga as the stilling of the mind and set out a path of eight limbs (ashtanga) toward a spiritual goal. Posture is the third limb and gets three short sutras, less than 1% of the text: a posture should let you sit steady and comfortable for meditation.

• Yama: restraints, such as non-violence, truthfulness and not stealing.
• Niyama: observances, such as cleanliness, contentment, study and devotion to God.
• Asana: posture, literally a seat.
• Pranayama: regulating the breath.
• Pratyahara: withdrawing the senses from their objects.
• Dharana: concentration, fixing the mind on one place.
• Dhyana: meditation.
• Samadhi: absorption.

Sources 5, 4

Hatha yoga

Hatha yoga, the physical side of yoga, emerged from around the 11th to 12th century. Its texts describe a few postures: the 15th-century Hathayogapradipika describes 15, eight of them not seated, and by the 18th century one text described 84. Today hatha is an umbrella term for the physical styles of yoga, as the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY), the national governing body for yoga in England and Wales, puts it.

Sources 4, 6, 7

Modern yoga takes shape

In 1893 Swami Vivekananda spoke at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, and his 1896 book Raja Yoga translated the Yoga Sutras while giving postures only passing mention. In the early 1900s physical culture reached India, and from 1921 a research centre at Lonavla measured the effects of postures and breathing.

From 1933 T. Krishnamacharya ran a yoga school in a wing of the Mysore palace, with a mandate to popularise yoga through demonstrations, tours and film. His students spread posture-based yoga around the world, among them K. Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga yoga), B.K.S. Iyengar and Indra Devi. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy calls yoga as mainly postures "essentially a modern Western phenomenon".

Sources 8, 9, 10, 11, 5

Many styles today

Styles range from restful to vigorous, and a review of 306 trials counted 52 of them. In the US, the share of adults doing yoga rose from 5.0% in 2002 to 15.8% in 2022. Our types of yoga guide compares the main styles.

Sources 12, 2

Is yoga religious?

Yoga grew out of Indian religious and philosophical traditions, and the Yoga Sutras' aim is spiritual: one of its observances is devotion to God. Modern classes vary. In a survey of 968 teachers in 64 countries, chanting was part of class for 68% of teachers of traditional styles and 43% of teachers of exercise-based and therapeutic styles. People of many beliefs practise: in an Australian survey of 2,567 practitioners, about a third described themselves as Christian. If it matters to you, ask the teacher what a class includes.

Sources 4, 5, 13, 14

Postures, breathing and relaxation

Most classes combine postures (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama) and relaxation or meditation. The BWY says hatha classes usually include postures, breathing, guided meditation and a closing relaxation. In trials of older adults, the usual class was a warm-up, then the main postures, ending with relaxation, breathing and meditation in corpse pose.

Sources 2, 7, 15

Postures take about half the classStrong evidence

In the survey of 968 teachers, postures took half of class time in traditional styles and about 61% in exercise-based styles such as vinyasa and power yoga, and around 9 in 10 teachers of every style taught breathing techniques. Australian practitioners spent 61% of their time on postures and flowing sequences and 39% on relaxation, breathing, meditation and instruction.

Sources 13, 14

An hour or more, once or twice a week

In the Australian survey, the most common session lengths were 60 to 70 and 90 to 100 minutes; most people practised once or twice a week and did most of their practice in a class. Most classes in trials lasted 60 minutes.

Sources 14, 15

Bare feet, a mat and props

You practise in bare feet, in clothes you can move in. Many teachers lend mats and props, such as blocks, belts and blankets, which bring poses within reach; at home, a hardback book or a belt will do. Tell the teacher about any health problems, so they can offer other versions of the poses.

Sources 7, 16

Breathing practice (pranayama)

Regulating the breath is one of the eight limbs, and most teachers include breathing practice. Beginners' techniques are slow and gentle, such as breathing in for about 4 counts and out for about 6, or alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana), which the Compendium of Physical Activities rates at 2.0 METs (metabolic equivalents: 1 MET is the energy you use sitting still).

Sources 5, 13, 17

Forceful breathing needs a teacher

Fast, forceful techniques are different. A review of published cases describes kapalabhati, sometimes called breath of fire, as "a practice that resembles hyperventilation" and advises not starting forceful techniques until easier breathing is mastered; one healthy 29-year-old developed a collapsed lung during it. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid forceful breathing, and anyone with a medical condition should ask their doctor first.

Sources 18, 19, 2

The closing relaxation

Most classes end with a few minutes lying still in corpse pose (savasana), sometimes with a guided meditation. It isn't wasted time: in a review of 49 trials, programmes that included breathing and relaxation or meditation lowered blood pressure more than those without.

Sources 7, 15, 20

If breath holds make you anxious

Leave out breath holds and forceful breathing if you have panic attacks, and stay with slow, easy breathing, as our breathing exercises advise.

Mostly light, like a slow walkStrong evidence

The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities lists hatha yoga at 2.3 METs and vinyasa at 2.7. Light activity is anything under 3, so most yoga is light, close to a slow walk at 2.8. A review of 17 energy-cost studies concluded that yoga is typically light activity: whole sessions averaged 2.9 METs once one unusually intense study was left out (3.3 with it). In a lab study, a 56-minute beginners' Ashtanga video averaged 2.5 METs, "similar to walking on a treadmill at 3.2 kph".

Sources 21, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25

Sun salutations and power yoga work harderEmerging evidence

Sun salutations reach moderate intensity, at 3.5 METs in the Compendium. Power yoga is listed at 4.0 METs, but the Compendium marks that figure as an estimate, not a measurement; in one study, people doing power yoga spent most of the class with their heart rate in the moderate and vigorous zones. The review of 17 studies found that a few sequences, including sun salutations, reach moderate to vigorous intensity.

Sources 17, 26, 24

How it counts toward the guidelinesStrong evidence

The NHS lists yoga as a muscle-strengthening activity, so it counts toward the 2 strength days a week adults are advised to do, and for people aged 65 and over toward the strength, balance and flexibility days. The US guidelines call active styles, such as vinyasa or power yoga, moderate-intensity aerobic activity, while the Compendium rates most styles light.

Our reading: most yoga counts as strength work. A brisk, flowing class or continuous sun salutations can also count toward your 150 minutes of moderate activity, if you can talk but not sing. Gentle, yin and restorative classes are light activity, which the UK Chief Medical Officers say has benefits that can match moderate activity if done for longer.

Sources 27, 28, 29, 17, 30, 31

Why standing poses feel hard

Holding a standing pose works your legs like static (isometric) exercise: in 37 beginner and advanced practitioners, blood pressure and heart rate rose most in standing postures. Keep breathing through every hold, especially if you have high blood pressure.

Source 32

Learn with a teacher if you can

NCCIH says learning yoga on your own without supervision has been associated with more risk. A gentle or beginners' class, the BWY's suggestion for a first step, is the safest start, and live online classes are a reasonable alternative: online hatha yoga was feasible and acceptable across 8 studies. Videos suit you best once you know the basic poses (our suggestion).

Sources 2, 7, 33

How often: our editorial starting point

Trials mostly used 1 to 3 sessions a week of about an hour, for 8 to 24 weeks. Once a week helped back pain as much as twice a week in one 12-week trial, and more sessions a week went with bigger improvements in low mood. Our editorial starting point: 2 classes a week of 45 to 60 minutes, or 1 class plus 2 home sessions of 15 to 20 minutes, for 8 to 12 weeks before you judge it.

Sources 15, 34, 35

Your first poses

Poses common in trials include cat and cow, mountain, tree, chair, warrior I, triangle, cobra, downward dog, child's pose, seated twists and corpse pose. The grid below starts with these, and our yoga for beginners guide gives an easier version of each.

Source 15

Leave the advanced practices for later

NCCIH advises beginners to avoid extreme practices such as headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing, the practices most often linked to harm in published cases. Learn them later with a teacher, or skip them.

Sources 2, 18

How good the research is

There are hundreds of trials, but they are uneven. Of 306 trials covering 52 styles, 91% reached positive conclusions, a share high enough to suggest that less positive results go unpublished. Nobody can be blinded to doing yoga, so all 21 trials in the Cochrane back pain review were at high risk of bias, and NCCIH notes that the variety of styles makes the research hard to judge.

Sources 12, 36, 2

Long-lasting low back pain: a small benefitStrong evidence

Across 21 trials (2,223 people), yoga improved back function and pain a little more than no exercise at 3 months, by amounts the Cochrane reviewers called small and clinically unimportant (low to moderate certainty), and about as much as other back exercise. In single trials, yoga classes did no better than stretching classes, and 12 weeks of yoga was about as good as physiotherapy.

The grade reflects how consistent the evidence is, not the size of the effect. Our yoga for back pain guide has the detail.

Sources 36, 37, 38

Low mood: a moderate effect, in many small trialsEmerging evidence

In the largest analysis of exercise for depression (218 trials, 14,170 people), yoga reduced symptoms by a moderate amount compared with active control groups across 33 trials, alongside walking or jogging and strength training, though the authors' confidence in the result was very low. In people with diagnosed mental disorders, yoga also reduced depressive symptoms.

Sources 39, 35

Anxiety: small effectsEmerging evidence

Across 8 trials (319 people), yoga eased anxiety a little against no treatment, but no effect was shown in people with a diagnosed anxiety disorder. In 226 adults with generalised anxiety disorder, Kundalini yoga helped more people than stress education (54% against 33%) but fewer than cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT, 71%).

Sources 40, 41

Older adults: balance, strength and flexibilityEmerging evidence

In 22 trials of adults averaging 60 or over, yoga improved balance, lower-body flexibility and leg strength against doing nothing, and leg strength and flexibility a little against other exercise. A review of 33 trials (2,384 people) found moderate-certainty gains in walking speed and leg strength against inactive control groups, but no clear advantage over other exercise.

Sources 15, 42, 43

Falls: not prevented, and the largest trial found moreMixed evidence

No trial has shown that yoga prevents falls. In the largest, the SAGE trial, 700 people aged 60 and over did a year of twice-weekly Iyengar-based yoga classes, mostly online, or a seated relaxation programme. The yoga group had more falls: 0.87 falls per person per year against 0.64, a rate about a third higher (rate ratio 1.33; likely range 1.01 to 1.75). The authors say the programme shouldn't be recommended for fall prevention in its current form.

A review of 18 trials found mixed effects on falls. Yoga still counts as balance work, and a UK consensus on osteoporosis lists it among balance and strength activities; to lower your risk of falling, add a proven strength and balance programme, as our older adults guide explains.

Sources 44, 45, 46

Blood pressure: a few points lowerEmerging evidence

Across 49 trials (3,517 people, mostly with high blood pressure), yoga lowered blood pressure by about 5/4 mmHg against no exercise, and by more when programmes included breathing and relaxation. Our high blood pressure guide puts aerobic, strength and isometric exercise first.

Source 20

Sleep: better, though not the best exercise for itEmerging evidence

Yoga improved sleep quality against control groups across 18 trials, but ranked last of six exercise types in a network analysis of 86 trials, though the differences between the types weren't statistically significant. It also improved sleep in trials of older adults.

Sources 47, 15

Bone: no gainMixed evidence

Yoga hasn't been shown to build bone. In 11 studies of yoga or Pilates in women aged 45 to 78, bone density didn't change significantly, and an 8-month Ashtanga programme didn't change it either. For bone, add resistance and impact exercise.

Sources 48, 45, 49

Weight: modest

Most yoga uses about as much energy as a slow walk, so on its own it does little for weight. Our yoga for weight loss guide covers what it can and can't do.

Source 17

As safe as other exercise in trialsEmerging evidence

In 94 trials (8,430 people) that reported side effects, they were no more common with yoga than with usual care or other exercise. In surveys of 9,129 practitioners, 4.6% reported a side effect, such as an injury, in the past 12 months and 1.9% a serious one, mostly sprains and strains. Falls were no more common than in people who didn't practise, but knee cartilage (meniscus) injuries were. Trials report safety poorly, so the grade is emerging.

Sources 50, 51

Injury rates are highest at 65 and overEmerging evidence

US emergency departments saw 29,590 yoga injuries from 2001 to 2014, mostly to the trunk and mostly sprains and strains. In 2014 the rate was 57.9 per 100,000 people doing yoga at 65 and over, against 17.7 at 45 to 64 and 11.9 at 18 to 44.

Source 52

Falls in older adultsMixed evidence

Yoga hasn't been shown to prevent falls. In the SAGE trial of 700 people aged 60 and over, a year of Iyengar-based yoga led to more falls than seated relaxation: 0.87 against 0.64 falls per person per year. Keep a wall or chair nearby for balance poses, and add a strength and balance programme.

Source 44

A few practices account for many reported harmsStrong evidence

Headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing were the practices most often linked to harm in 76 published cases. In a 2026 review of 84 adverse events, headstand accounted for 18% and forceful breathing for 10%, and more than half the people had a health problem beforehand; Australian practitioners also most often linked their injuries to headstands, shoulder stands and lotus. In headstand, people carried 40% to 48% of their body weight on their head in a lab study. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid all four.

Sources 2, 18, 53, 14, 54

Osteoporosis: no deep roundingStrong evidence

A UK consensus says movements that involve sustained, repeated or end-range forward bending of the spine should be modified or avoided, including in yoga. Case series describe spinal fractures after yoga forward bends: in one, 9 people with a median age of 66 developed compression fractures. With osteoporosis, fold half way with a flat back, skip the plough and deep seated folds, and see our osteoporosis guide.

Sources 46, 55, 56, 57

Glaucoma and head-down posesEmerging evidence

In 20 people with and without glaucoma, eye pressure rose within a minute in downward dog, the standing forward fold, plough and legs up the wall, and returned to normal within 2 minutes of coming out; in a study of 75 practitioners it doubled in headstand. UK sight charities advise asking your hospital eye doctor about yoga if you have glaucoma, and an answer on the American Academy of Ophthalmology's site advises against inversions. Keep head-down poses brief, or skip them.

Sources 58, 59, 60, 61

Pregnancy

Ask your midwife or doctor first, and avoid hot yoga. In later pregnancy, avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes, and expect lying face down to get uncomfortable as your bump grows. In 25 healthy women at 35 to 37 weeks, 26 postures, including downward dog, were well tolerated. Our yoga in pregnancy guide has the detail.

Sources 2, 30, 62

Who should check first

The NHS advises getting advice from a GP or other professional before starting if you're not sure the exercises suit your fitness, have a health problem, injury or symptoms, feel unwell, have recently had a heart attack or an operation, or are pregnant or have recently given birth. NCCIH adds that knee or hip injuries, lumbar spine disease, severe high blood pressure, balance problems and glaucoma may call for changes.

Sources 63, 2

Call 999 (911 in the US)

For chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck or jaw; severe difficulty breathing; lips or skin that turn pale, blue or grey; or someone who has passed out and isn't responding normally.

For signs of a stroke: one side of the face drooping, arm weakness or speech problems, and also sudden blurred vision or loss of sight, feeling dizzy or falling over, a severe headache, or weakness or numbness down one side. Three published case reports describe strokes after headstand, shoulder stand or bridge pose. Don't drive yourself to A&E.

Sources 64, 65, 18

Back pain with these signs: call 999 or go to A&E

Pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs; loss of feeling around your genitals or anus; changes in your bladder or bowels, such as difficulty peeing, or peeing or pooing yourself; changes in sexual sensation or function; chest pain; or pain that started after a serious accident. Get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if you also feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or the pain is severe, started suddenly or is getting worse quickly.

Source 66

Stop the pose

Stop straight away if you feel any pain or become unwell, as NHS exercise videos advise. Come out of a pose for sharp or increasing pain; pain, pins and needles or numbness travelling down an arm or leg; dizziness; or a sudden headache or change in your vision in a head-down pose. Come up slowly from folds.

Source 63

See a GP or physiotherapist

If pain from yoga lasts more than a few days or keeps coming back, or you're unsure whether a pose suits a condition you have (our suggestion).

"Yoga is just stretching"Strong evidence

The NHS lists yoga as a muscle-strengthening activity, and in trials of older adults it improved leg strength against both doing nothing and other exercise.

Sources 27, 15, 42

"You have to be flexible"

Iyengar Yoga UK says beginners work in a basic way on simple postures according to their capabilities, and the BWY points people who find the floor hard toward chair yoga. Flexibility is something yoga develops, not something you need first.

Sources 67, 7

"The poses are thousands of years old"

Yoga's roots are ancient, but the Yoga Sutras give posture three short sutras, and the 15th-century Hathayogapradipika describes 15 postures. Most of the sequences taught today developed in the 20th century.

Sources 5, 4, 11

"Yoga strengthens your bones"Mixed evidence

Neither 11 studies of yoga or Pilates in women aged 45 to 78 nor pooled yoga trials found a significant change in bone density.

Sources 48, 45

"Yoga prevents falls"Mixed evidence

Yoga improves balance tests, but no trial has shown fewer falls, and in the largest, 700 people aged 60 and over had more falls with yoga than with seated relaxation.

Sources 43, 45, 44

"Yoga can't hurt you"Emerging evidence

In trials it is about as safe as other exercise, but 4.6% of Australian practitioners had an injury in the past year, and headstands, shoulder stands, lotus and forceful breathing account for many reported harms.

Sources 50, 14, 18

"One style is proven best"Emerging evidence

Across 306 trials, the share with positive conclusions didn't differ by style, and the authors suggest choosing by preference and what's available.

Source 12