As a philosophical system, Yoga provides the practical way of attaining union(yoga) with the supreme spirit (Parmatman) and so complements the system of Samkhya. Together the Samkhya system of philosophy and the Yoga system of philosophy are known as Samkhya Yoga. The basic idea of Yoga is as old as the Mahabharata , where on the eve of the Kurukshetra War, Krishna talked  Arjun out of his depression and confusion. In this section, known throughout the world as Bhagavat Gita, Krishna talked of three kinds of Yoga: GyanaYoga, Bhakti yoga and Karma Yoga.

Gyana Yoga is getting united with the supreme soul through Gyana (Knowledge), Bhakti Yoga is doing so through Bhakti(Devotion) , and Karma Yoga is doing so through Karma(Action). The philosophy in the Gita is that man can reach God in either of the three ways; all three routes lead to the same destination. For the man of intellect, Gyana Yoga is appropriate; for the devoted ones, Bhakti Yoga is appropriate; and for men of action, Karma Yoga is what is suitable. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, dated around 150 B.C., provided a systematization of the Yoga discipline. Lately Yoga has come to be understood in a more specific sense – as a set of exercises which energise the body, strengthen the mind, re-juvenate the soul, and harness body, mind and soul to God. 

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