Sanskrit `union'. Hindu philosophical system
attributed to Patanjali, who lived about 150
BC at Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, India. He
preached mystical union with a personal deity
through the practice of self-hypnosis and a
rising above the senses by abstract
meditation, adoption of special postures, and
ascetic practices. As practised in the West,
yoga is more a system of mental and physical
exercise, and of induced relaxation as a
means of relieving stress.