The Truth About Yoga and Religion

The Truth About Yoga and Religion 

Many people take up Yoga to build physical strength and improve fitness, but is Yoga spiritual?

When you hear the word "Yoga", what comes to your mind? Stretching, breathing, meditations, etc., etc., the list goes on and on. Imagine watching a Yoga class and at the end of the session, there's every tendency for its students to hold their hands as in a prayer position, bow their heads, and quietly whisper "Namaste", a traditional blessing in Hindi, typically said when meeting or leaving a person which means "I bow to you", therefore is Yoga spiritual?

The above question is a reasonable one to ask, especially since they may have also closed their eyes, kneeling on a mat and chanting "Om"(a song chanted at the beginning and end of a prayer) in front of a statue of an Indian god but with more people practicing Yoga today, methods and philosophies varies, countering the rituals which are uncommon today as most Yoga classes focus on physical postures rather than the spiritual connectedness.

Yoga is an evolving industry that began at the very dawn of civilization. For some practitioners, Yoga is a mental fitness workout that boosts flexibility and reduces stress and aging. To some, it is an art of mindfulness, a form of relaxation while trying to strike a balance out of their busy lives. 

However, as popular and unconventional as Yoga is, controversial issues have developed in recent years with massive widespread concern regarding Yoga's relationship with religion.

Religion is a system of faith, beliefs, and practices.

Some schools of thought believe Yoga is particularly religious therefore contradicting other kinds of faith and is prohibited in secular places such as schools. 

Where does Yoga come from?

Let's dig deeper to understand the truth behind its religious activities…don't worry, you won't be bored????.

Leggo!

Yoga is a broad term, an ancient and technical practice rooted in Hindu philosophy. The word "Yoga" is an art and science of healthy living, originated from Sanskrit called 'Yuj' which means "to join, to yoke or to unite".

According to the yogi scriptures, the practice of Yoga is meant to lead the union between man's conscious state and that of the universal consciousness, synchronizing peace and harmony between the mind, body, and soul, that is, Man and Nature alike and according to modern scientists, anyone who experiences such oneness of existence is considered to be in Yoga and to be termed a Yogi because he has attained the height of liberty. Hence, the purpose of Yoga is self-realization, being set free from life's sufferings, and overcoming the process.

Long before the first religions were born, systems and structures of science surrounding Yoga had had its history thousands of years ago and in the yogi lore, Shiva is the first yogi and the first Guru.

PS. If you notice most Bollywood movies, their gods usually take this posture…Yes or yes??

Lord Shiva

He was said to pour his explicit knowledge of Yoga into seven sages. These sages carried the powerful yogi science, spreading across nations such as Asia, the Middle East, South America, and Northern Africa. Yoga and two Chinese practices origin, Tai chi and Qigong are sometimes referred to as meditative movement practices to help control the body, mind, and environment.

These Hindu roots have led to misconceptions about Yoga as a religion, the confusion based on practices that differ and are mostly practiced in a secular way, many people believe it is spiritual but that doesn't make yoga fundamentally religious.

Spirituality is an inclusive concept that is approached as sacred and personal where what one person finds meaningful may be considered absurd to another and when it comes to yoga, irrespective of religion or culture, it is open to everyone and doesn't require any faith.

It is not an organized system and doesn't contain any religious rituals in honor of a god, one to another, therefore Yoga can't be categorized as a religion. 

According to Knut A. Jacobsen from Wikipedia, Yoga has five principal meanings, Yoga is a system of philosophy, it is a disciplined method of attaining a goal, a name of a school, techniques of controlling the body and mind, and the goal is to promote wellness for harmonious existence.

For thousands of years, humans have been practicing dozens of yoga styles today, millions of people still practice these styles, new and old, and have advanced to more complex ones.

What do these Yoga poses stand for?

Grace + Strength

There are different Yoga styles with different meanings but to mention a few, there's Child's Pose(Balasana) which symbolizes surrender, Eagle Pose(Baruga) represents being fully present in the act, Lotus Pose(Padmasana) is a symbol of mental purity and faith. 

Mountain Pose(Tadasana) is the foundation of all standing poses and represents aspirations one should feel within, reaching a certain level of enlightenment and to achieve this, one has to imagine standing on top of a mountain and Tree Pose(Vrksasana) is about finding and maintaining balance to avoid being rigid.

Yoga is all about what matters in your mind and doesn't necessarily require one to reach its spiritual phase but for the sake of religion for example, Christianity, it seems to question if Christians should do Yoga as there's only one God over His creation and it's as though they compete as regards Yoga coming from a Buddhist and Hindu culture.

Most Christians would rather not reach its spiritual peak because it is believed only God the Holy Spirit can bring such extraordinary connection between the realm they are and where He want them to be.

Still, nothing has meaning except the meaning we give it, embrace Yoga as a way to increase your physical and mental wellness and get transformative with the experience it brings.

Enough of repeating other fitness activities, it's high time you step out of the bus or box? and think like there's no box.????

What’s your take on this: The spirituality of Yoga and organized religion can happily coexist. 

Let us hear from you in the comment section.