yogins

Yogin is a Sanskrit-derived term used to denote a practitioner of yoga. The feminine form is yogini, and the plural may be yogins or yoginis, depending on usage. In English, yogin is often used in traditional or scholarly contexts to refer to a devoted practitioner, sometimes with emphasis on ascetic or spiritual discipline beyond mere physical exercise.

Historically, the term appears across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain texts to describe individuals who pursue yoga as a path to spiritual realization. In the Yoga Sutras attributed to Patanjali, a yogin is a practitioner who trains in concentration, ethical discipline, and insight in order to attain oneness with the true self or ultimate reality. In tantra, the word can denote adepts who work with energy practices and ritual wisdom, sometimes in lineages centered on mastery of yogic powers.

Practices associated with yogins include meditation, breath control (pranayama), concentration exercises, and disciplined conduct (yamas and niyamas). Asana may be included in some traditions as preparation for higher meditative states rather than as a primary goal. The exact disciplines and aims vary by school, but liberation (moksha) or realization is commonly described as the ultimate aim.

Yogins may be renunciants or householders; in classical and medieval sources they are often ascetics or sadhus living in forests, monastic settings, or temple communities. The term can thus refer to a range of practitioners united by the commitment to yoga as a spiritual path rather than a modern fitness practice.

In modern usage, "yogi" is the more common everyday term, while "yogin" remains preferred in scholarly or traditional contexts. The distinction with gendered forms (yogini, yogin) is often kept in discussions of lineage and practice.