yogi

Etymology 1

From Hindi योगी (yogī), from Sanskrit योगिन् (yogin), from the verbal root yuj (class 7 present युनक्ति (yunakti, “to connect”)), from Proto-Indo-European *yugóm.

noun

1. (yoga) A devotee or adherent of yoga.
   To this day, yogins find that these disciplines, which have measurable physical and neurological effects, evoke a sense of calm, harmony and equanimity that is comparable to the effect of music. 2009, Karen Armstrong, The Case for God, Vintage, published 2010, page 30
   There is a special healthy menu, and the yogis can all eat together if they choose, but there's none of the birdseed-and-bulgur-wheat diet of a typical retreat. 30 Mar 2012, Lisa Allardice, The Guardian
   Gurdjieff connects this type of breathing with yogi breathing.
   It's a yogi trick of some sort.

verb

1. (transitive, informal) To turn (someone) into a yogi; to lead into practicing yoga.
   You do not even need to be psychoanalyzed, Rolfed, estered, altered, gelded, neutered, spayed, fixed, Mooned, acupunctured, meditated, Zenned, massaged, Cayced, yogied, New Aged, astrocharted, holisticized, computerized, megatrended, therapized, androgynized, evangelized, converted, or even, last and least, to be reborn. 1954, Edward Abbey, Slumgullion stew: an Edward Abbey reader, page xiv
   I meet hundreds of people each year who have been New Thoughted, Mind Scienced, Eckankared, Rosicrucianed, l Amed, White Brotherhooded, Scientologied and, yes, even yogied — to the point of mental numbness. 1971, Roy Eugene Davis, Darshan: the vision of light, page 190
   He had followed Larry faithfully for two days, getting yelled at and grieved over and yogied into a pretzel and fucked over by all sorts of weirdoes who seemed to find him a nice object to act on. 2015, Luke Rhinehart, The Search for the Dice Man, page 192

Etymology 2

From the cartoon character, Yogi the Bear, who was known for conning tourists out of their picnics.

verb

1. (US, thru-hiker slang) To persuade someone to give you food or other favors without actually begging.
   Ready to do some hiking now that we are through yogi-ing? I asked, grinning at Map Man. The hikers looked up at me quizzically, but Map Man knew yogi-ing meant the good natured way thru-hikers ask for food without actually begging. 1999, Ellen Wolfe, Walking the dream, page 138
   Late in the afternoon, I came to a shady spot where there was a picnic table—a rare luxury on the trail. As I approached, I saw that there was a peach on top of the table and beneath it a note. Cheryl! We yogied this from day hikers for you. Enjoy! Sam and Helen 2012, Cheryl Strayed, Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found
   You can also yogi food from other hikers and tourists. The yogi cannot realistically be counted upon as a primary resupply strategy, but it's reliable for netting a few extra calories during summer months when traveling through popular parks, especially on weekends. 2013, Dan Feldman, Long-Distance Hiking, page 96