The word ashram comes from the Sanskrit word, Srama, which means "religious exertion." However, in more recent times the term "ashram" is used to describe any facility used by a spiritual community. The word asana simply refers to the physical poses and postures practiced during yoga. The postures listed under each condition are for general use and will be most effective if professionally modified for personal use by a yoga therapist. Another trademark of iyengar is the use of props, such as blocks, belts, bolsters, chairs and blankets, which are used to accommodate injuries, tightness or structural imbalances, what is yoga as well as teach the student how to move properly into a posture. Textual evidence shows that many Mahāyāna Buddhists in northern India as well as in Central Asia practiced meditation in a similar way to that of the Sarvāstivāda school outlined above. The ancient wisdom known as "the supreme science of life" is believed to have been revealed to the great sages of India several thousand years ago. A less common type of meditation is practiced in Cambodia and Laos by followers of Borān kammaṭṭhāna ('ancient practices') tradition. The oldest material of the Theravāda tradition on meditation can be found in the Pali Nikayas, and in texts such as the Patisambhidamagga which provide commentary to meditation suttas like the Anapanasati sutta.

Most of the texts only survive in Chinese and were key works in the development of the Buddhist meditation practices of Chinese Buddhism. Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism was initially a network of loosely connected groups and associations, each drawing upon various Buddhist texts, doctrines and meditation methods. Yogācāra meditation theory, and outlines numerous meditation methods as well as related advice. There are also other less well known Burmese meditation methods, such as the system developed by U Vimala, which focuses on knowledge of dependent origination and cittanupassana (mindfulness of the mind). Because of this, there is no single set of Indian Mahāyāna practices which can be said to apply to all Indian Mahāyānists, nor is there is a single set of texts which were used by all of them. The Visuddhimagga describes forty meditation subjects, most being described in the early texts. Mahāyāna practice is centered on the path of the bodhisattva, a being which is aiming for full Buddhahood. The practice of the four divine abodes can be seen as a way to overcome ill-will and sensual desire and to train in the quality of deep concentration (samadhi). The assumption is that the body will excel with enough dedicated practice and through the will of the mind, it is seen as a demanding routine with athletic qualities.

This can be seen in what is probably the most comprehensive and largest Indian Mahāyāna treatise on meditation practice, the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra (compiled c. Meditation (dhyāna) is one of the transcendent virtues (paramitas) which a bodhisattva must perfect in order to reach Buddhahood, and thus, it is central to Mahāyāna Buddhist praxis. Among the topics discussed are the various early Buddhist meditation topics such as the four dhyānas, the different kinds of samādhi, the development of insight (vipaśyanā) and tranquility (śamatha), the four foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna), the five hindrances (nivaraṇa), and classic Buddhist meditations such as the contemplation of unattractiveness (aśubhasaṃjnā), impermanence (anitya), suffering (duḥkha), and contemplation death (maraṇasaṃjñā). Contemplation of foulness can lead to the attainment of the first jhana, and contemplation of the four elements culminates in pre-jhana access concentration. According to Mahāsi Sayādaw, tranquility meditation can lead to the attainment of supernatural powers such as psychic powers and mind reading while insight meditation can lead to the realisation of nibbāna. According to Anālayo, the jhanas are crucial meditative states which lead to the abandonment of hindrances such as lust and aversion; however, they are not sufficient for the attainment of liberating insight. Its practices are interwoven with various other teachings and when practicing this form of yoga can help individuals tune into themselves.

Individuals known as yogācāras (yoga practitioners) were influential in the development of Sarvāstivāda meditation praxis, and some modern scholars such as Yin Shun believe they were also influential in the development of Mahayana meditation. This belief keeps many people from trying yoga, which is a shame because yoga is for everyone. This was the period when Vedanta, Bhakti yoga, Nathayoga or Hatha-yoga prospered. If you have a home practice, you may notice yourself doing the same poses in the same way, day after day. It is all too easy to get carried away with the sequence, but taking your practice into your own hands and pausing when you need to will allow you to notice if you are moving in a way which serves you on that particular day. If it was just a simple practice or an exercise, you could approach it one way. However, Hatha Yoga is not merely physical exercise, but a powerful way working with one’s energies to experience ultimate union with the cosmos. That's why Vedanta offers four yoga paths to help us reconnect with our true selves.