What is Yoga?

Since completing my teacher training certification, the question that people ask most often is "what is
yoga".  This is a question that was asked of us teacher's to answer a few times throughout the training.  Currently, I am reading Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, and this is one text I can use to answer this question.

According to the Patanjali's Yoga Sutra written in the early part of the first millennium, there are eight different ways to practice yoga- or as I like to call it, self realization.

1. Yamas: relationship to others, community, and societyAhimsa (non-harming),Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (nonstealing), Brahmacharya (self-restraint), Aparigraha (non-hoarding)
2. Niyamas: restraints, observancesSaucha (cleanliness), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (discipline), Svadhyaya (Study of Self), Ishvarapranidhana (devotion)
3. Asana: practicing physical development, care for the body, cleansing rituals, liberation of stagnant prana
4. Pranayama: to still the mind and cultivate the life force with breathing exercises
5. Pratyahara: Mental cleansing and fasting
6. Dharana: Comtemplation and concentration, mantras, visualization
7. Dhyana: Meditation and observing yourself
8. Samadhi: Experiencing the true self

So when people ask me what yoga is, I often respond using the eastern philosophy I learned in the training, and how yoga is a practice to align your soul and body together.  It's very spiritual, and so am I.  Even though I am very excited about sharing this wonderful practice with the world, I try not to come on too strong when people ask me what yoga is and do not expect for me to explain the spiritual aspect of it.  I try to share a little at a time starting with what brought me to yoga- a way get in touch with a deeper part of myself, physically and mentally with the added benefit of focus and body education.