ABSTRACT

The discipline of Yoga has enchanted readers and practitioners for centuries. Depending upon one's background and intentions, Yoga has something for everyone whether they are psychologists, philosophers, scientists, religionists or practitioners. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit yuj, which has been variously interpreted by different scholars and thinkers. Yoga means the union of the essential self of a human being with the essence of the universe. This popular interpretation of Yoga suggests that the essential human spirit and the spirit of the universe are identical in nature. Since Yoga deals with consciousness in both its empirical and transcendental aspects, as well as in its intimate relationship to the self, it is clearly a system of psychology. Similarly, underlying the psychological science of Yoga is the philosophical attitude that is involved in the definition, meaning, method and goals of Yoga.