"What yoga really is: spending an entire hour trying…

“Yoga is spending an hour trying not to fart” is a jocular yoga saying that has been printed on many images. The joke has been told by several comedians.

“Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means ‘just try not to fart’” was said by Canadian stand-up comedian and actress Caroline Rhea in an interview with Out magazine on August 2002.

“Jiust heard on TV: ‘Yoga is basically spending an hour trying not to fart’” was posted on Twitter by Jonathan Rick on July 26, 2009. “(Whitney—ed.) Cummings talked about yoga and how it was all about spending half an hour trying not to fart” was printed in The Shorthorn (University of Texas-Arlington) on February 11, 2010. Whitney Cummings is an American stand-up comedian, actress, producer, writer, director, and podcaster.

”@RudeComedian: What Yoga really is: spending an entire hour, trying Not to fart” was posted on Twitter by Impavido (and others) on January 6, 2013. The original post is no longer available.

“Live from #VultureFestival Comedy Night, @birbigs on yoga: ‘It’s trying not to fart while stretching. And that’s basically my life already’” was posted on Twitter by Vulture on May 11, 2014. “Yoga class= trying not to fart without stretching.—Mike Birbiglia at @MahaffeyTheater @birbigs” was posted on Twitter by Chris Kuhn on November 21, 2014. Mike Birbiglia is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, producer and writer.

Google Books
August 2002, Out, pg. 38, col. 2:
(A Michael Musto interview with comedic actress Caroline Rhea.—ed.)
I find it hilarious that, according to your bio, you do a lot of yoga.
I couldn’t love it more. It’s physically praying. Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means “just try not to fart.”

Twitter
Jonathan Rick
@jrick
Jiust heard on TV: “Yoga is basically spending an hour trying not to fart.”
11:45 PM · Jul 26, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Jamie Salmon
@JamieSalmon
RT @eselgins: Yoga is 1 hour of trying not to fart.// truely hilarious.
2:26 PM · Aug 12, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
jinxybee
@jinxybee
Yoga is basically one hour of trying not to fart. (Stolen from TV)
1:39 PM · Jan 28, 2010·a Ning Network

The Shorthorn (University of Texas-Arlington)
Farts and Facebook: Comedian Whitney Cummings causes a riot in the Bluebonnet Ballroom
Joan Khalaf, The Shorthorn senior staff Feb 11, 2010
(...)
(Whitney—ed.) Cummings talked about yoga and how it was all about spending half an hour trying not to fart.

“These people are like ‘yoga is so amazing’,” she told the audience. “Yeah, right. It’s because you’re high on methane gas.”

Twitter
Nerd Rex
@trustyfedora
“Yoga is trying not to fart for a whole hour” LMAO
@WhitneyCummings on Live Nude Comedy #livenudecomedy
2:44 AM · Aug 21, 2010·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
QS
@Thank_Q
“Yoga is spending an entire hour trying not to fart.”—Whitney Cummings
12:46 AM · Dec 23, 2010·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Pak RT
@RalphTampubolon
“Yoga, to me, is basically spending an hour trying not to fart.” (Whitney Cummings)
10:49 PM · Mar 8, 2011·erased734497

Twitter
Rude Comedy
@autocorects
What Yoga really is: spending an entire hour, trying Not to fart.
1:50 PM · Jan 6, 2013·Twitter for Android

Twitter
Impavido
@Nikeman94
”@RudeComedian: What Yoga really is: spending an entire hour, trying Not to fart.” Hahahaha
1:58 PM · Jan 6, 2013·Twitter for Android

Twitter
Chef Maryam
@Mari3Boo
Lmao!”@RudeComedian: What Yoga really is: spending an entire hour, trying Not to fart.”
1:58 PM · Jan 6, 2013·Twitter for BlackBerry®

Twitter
Vulture
@vulture
Live from #VultureFestival Comedy Night, @birbigs on
yoga: “It’s trying not to fart while stretching. And that’s basically my life already.”
8:18 PM · May 11, 2014·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
尺乇乃乇ccﾑ
@cheeky__gal
I took a yoga for beginners class.
Basically, I spent an hour trying not to fart.
10:55 PM · Oct 12, 2014·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Chris Kuhn
@ChrisKuhnAuthor
Yoga class= trying not to fart without stretching.—Mike Birbiglia at @MahaffeyTheater @birbigs
#TwitterPerch #TheMahaffey
8:40 PM · Nov 21, 2014·Twitter for Android

Vulture
JUNE 16, 2015
Amy Schumer’s Cultural Significance Is Manifest in the Trainwreck Comedy Tour
By Lindsay Zoladz
(...)
He (Mike Birbiglia—ed.) did a great bit about trying yoga (or, as he calls it, “trying not to fart while stretching”) and being so passive-aggressive that he does not always finish his sentences.

Twitter
Alisha
@lishybee
The hardest part of doing yoga is trying not to fart
10:04 AM · Jul 2, 2015·Tweetbot for iΟS

Twitter
God
@tweetIikeagod
What Yoga really is: spending an entire hour, trying Not to fart.
5:11 PM · Aug 7, 2015·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Valerie Tosi
@valerie_tosi
Just did yoga for the first time in months. The muscles that I worked the most are the ones you use trying not to fart.
5:24 PM · Jan 6, 2016·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Alex Manion
@apmanion
Yoga is just trying not to fart while stretching.
-Mike Birbiglia
7:47 PM · Mar 4, 2017·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Dylan
@dyllyp
For me, yoga’s really just 60 minutes of trying not to fart in front of attractive women. So torture, basically.
11:49 AM · May 12, 2017·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
farmer grace
@HeyItsMeGracie
“Yoga is just trying not to fart while stretching”
-Mike Birbiglia
12:51 AM · Jul 27, 2017·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
Happy with Yoga
@HappywithYoga
“Yoga: (n) Spending an hour trying not to fart”. 🤣
http://happywithyoga.com
5:05 AM · Nov 1, 2018·IFTTT

Learn Relaation Techniques
90 Funny Yoga Quotes That Will Make Your Day
November 15, 2019
(...)
1. “What Yoga really is… Spending an entire hour trying not to fart.”— Anonymous

“What yoga really is: spending an entire hour trying not to fart”