At my brother’s wedding last month in New York, I mentioned to a wedding guest that I wrote about yoga for a living. “Is that a religion?” he asked. “No, no,” I answered, immediately dismissing the idea that I might be “a religion writer” and simultaneously wondering how many drinks it would take for a total lightweight like myself to forget that I was wearing three-inched heels.
I went on to explain that yoga is more of a philosophical system than it is a religion. He tried to argue, citing some book he’d heard of, but I contended that I should know—after all, I’ve been studying the path for more than a decade, and he’s never even taken a yoga class.
In the next two weeks—in perhaps a little wisecrack from the universe—every single yoga class I went to was chock full of references to God. One teacher talked about putting trust in God, another talked about praying to God on the full moon. Even in an anti-gravity yoga class that I went to, the teacher went on and on about the nature of the soul. And then I started thinking about all of those Friday nights I’ve spent with friends chanting our bespandexed butts off to Shiva and Krishna. I even know people who have chosen to get married by a yoga teacher instead of a priest or rabbi. Of course, I acknowledge that there are pretty devoted atheists who love their downward dogs (and I am certain the feeling is mutual!), but it doesn’t take George Burns to tell you that God has definitely entered the yoga room—and, according to many yoga masters and historians, has always been there.
I dig God as much as the next person (well, maybe more, if the next person is one of the aforementioned atheists), but what I am wondering here is if all of this God talk means that yoga—and by that, I mean the Westernized version that the majority of us practice—has become a bona fide religion? And even for those who keep God out of the picture, might this still be the case?
To answer this question, maybe we need to look at what a religion is. A religion is often defined as a combination of an adherence to certain customs and practices (check), philosophical principles and values that dictate how one lives (check), and often, but not always, a belief in a higher power (check … sort of). And most religions have a wide range of followers who observe with varying levels of devotion (think: your 24-Hour Fitness Yogi versus your Off-to-Nepal-For-a-Year Yogi). While everyone knows that modern day yoga has connections to Hinduism and Buddhism, most of the people I know consider themselves yogis, not Hindus or Buddhists. Could it be that yoga, in itself, is a religion, and everyone is just afraid to call it that? Do you consider yoga to be your religion? If not, does the philosophical foundation of yoga support your religious beliefs (or lack thereof)?
Write in and tell us what you think.
i have a blog as well and it is really really informal and so I share with people in ym class what we talk about and about MY eperience with yoga. I have been studying and teaching for over a decade. Funny reading this as I just wrote my blog last week about yoga and God….want me to share it with you???
THink I am going to really enjoy this blog….brw
Janet Marshall
Yes, feel free to share the link here. We’ll get a blog roll going eventually, and I will add yours to it! OM!
There you go – bringing up the R word! As a Yoga teacher I struggle with this question and am never satisfied that my response is adequate, so it will be interesting to follow the discussion. My own Yoga practice evolved over a period of years from a purely physical workout to an inexplicable connection with something I still don’t understand. The more I try to theorise about what it may be, the weaker the connection feels. Therefore, I do not consider Yoga a religion but an effective way of connecting to the root of energy and light from which all faiths have grown.
Ha! Yes, I brought up the “R” word. But, in my defense, I only did so because someone brought it up to me first! Thanks for your comment!
Sorry to barge in on a conversation but hey, you did send an email letting people know about the blog…! I think yoga is a spiritual discipline but not a religion – sometimes we get the words confused now. A religion is (at least in theory) an organised spiritual practice based on a fixed set of beliefs or dogma. So all religions are spiritual disciplines but all spiritual disciplines are not religions. Yoga is beyond religion as it is non-prescriptive – the yoga sutras only offer belief in god or isvara as an option, not a requirement, and even go so far as to say, meditate on whatever floats your boat (in slightly more sophisticated terms). So I would say that yoga is a school of philosophy that simply says “you can achieve liberation, it is possible, and here some ideas”. To call it a religion would limit the breadth of its teachings. Some of the confusion arises because of the roots of the philosophy and the way we in the west have learnt about it – whilst classical yoga and Vedanta (the basis of Hinduism) differ in terms of the prescriptive requirement for belief in god, there are similar practices in each. Many of the teachers who bring yoga to the west are Hindu by religion and therefore refer and relate to Hindu deities etc. Of course, the practice of yoga does more often than not lead you to a connection with a higher force (as it should) but this will be experienced differently by everyone.
Well said!
I like your spin on this! Very well put~
I totally agree with Charlottes post. Yoga as it is practiced in the West can and should include a Indian Yogic spiritual philosophy but that does not make it a religion. A yoga studio is not a church. Rather yoga philosophy can co-exist with whatever religion (or lack thereof) you are already practicing because it speaks about spiritual truths that are universal and underlie the basis of all religions without asking you to change your particular faith. Rather Yoga philosophy can deepen your connect to God within whatever faith you already practice or if you are an atheist, if can create a non-atheistic connection to the source of all life. In India, yoga is interconnected to the religions of Hinduism and to a lesser extent Buddhism and Jainism. But outside of a rare cult, yoga in the West does not ask anyone to change their religion or have a certain belief about God. If it does, run that is the sign of a cult. Rather it asks you to get beyond the dogma of religion and just go right to the mystic connection with the source of life which some call God. The appeal of the spiritual side of Yoga is that is restores to our Western faiths the meditative prayer and other inner spiritual practices that have been missing since so called Western “Enlightenment” caused a mind/body split! The spiritual side of Yoga teaches us the path back to the mystic connection to God without demanding God be worshipped by any particular name or set of beliefs. Yoga is not about dogma while often religion is. I am a yoga teacher and my first yoga teachers were Indian Hindus. While they taught many Hindu stories as metaphors, they never once asked me to change faith. Their attitude is “Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammad, same thing” They often said “God is one, the paths are many” That is not a religion. Religion unfortunately says “My way or the highway!” Yoga is definitely not a religion!
I can relate well to this but I think it is also interesting to note how much people balk at the word “religion”. I don’t have such intense negative feelings around it because I didn’t grow up in a very religious family, and was raised in a very multicultural environment. To us, religion was a cultural and investigative path more so than a daily sermon of “my way or the highway”. In some ways, the few religious practices I had as a child (chanting Hebrew songs, contemplating the meaning of existence, having a personal dialogue with my inner self) set the stage for my yoga practice when it turned more spiritual. Perhaps the question here is not so much “What is yoga?” – as we all seem to have the same feelings about the practice and all that it offers – but maybe “What is religion?”
Tina states so much so well, but I especially love her idea that yoga is the “path back to the mystic connection to God without demanding God be worshipped…”.
I would like to offer one more point that Goswami Kriyananda, founder of The Temple of Kriya Yoga teaches: Yoga is a Science. When you apply the teachings and limbs (perhaps these could be considered scientific principals…) of yoga to your life, a little or a lot, you cannot help but see improvements. Most of us start with asana. Maybe we go on to pranayama, yamas, niyamas, and meditation etc., maybe not. Still, if we stay with it, at any level, we benefit.
Like the golden rule, yogic principals and teachings complement all religions, but neither is a religion.
I’ve considered putting Yoga when asked my religion on various forms. I just might do it someday soon. It could catch on. Interestingly when my 7 year-old son asked if Yoga was my religion I said yes. Heaps of food for thought. Love the blog. Elise x
I think many people have felt the same way, even if they don’t really think of yoga as a Religion (note: big “R”). I’ve noticed that people often tick off the category of “religion”, for instance, on Facebook events, when talking about a yoga event (as opposed to, say, “sports”). Maybe, eventually, there will just be a “Yoga” category!
I am a self-confessed blog skeptic, but in spite of myself, I like this one! I like it because of the insightful and beautifully written comments above. Everyone has expressed that special essence of yoga practice – the fact that it asks for no belief other than in life itself in order to become realized. We all seem to agree that the question of yoga as religion is a tricky issue, especially when trying to explain it to new-comers who may not have done much, or any, reading about the philosophy of yoga. But I think Kathy’s note above says it perfectly: If we stick with it, no matter the avenue, yoga always yields growth, and hopefully greater and greater connection to Self – somehow experiencing this for oneself makes the issue settle into the right place in our hearts. It echoes what Rob said above about feeling a growing connection to something spiritual over the years of practice, something which may remain difficult to explain, but which we know is true.
I think a blog like this is very helpful. I hope we can also blog on yoga and injuries, as I personally think in order to practice “Ahimsa” we should address the poor alignment and injuries associated with lack of quality in the yoga Asanas) just a side note….
Yoga to me is ultimate state of unity and freedom. The path of yoga is a set of tool to which we can lead us back become re-uniting with our “True Self” that part which is forgotten. Yoga tools give to me a view, a memory, a feeling of that state of unity. I can also find it in moments in nature, in selfless service, when you help other with no desire for a pay off. To me yoga is a state of being, rather I call upon the energy of God consciously or not, it will be present if we have the intention to be free of suffering. All beings which to have and it is our birthright to be safe, happy and peaceful.
Religion has so much mixed feelings. I believe that the practice of yoga pre-dates the Hindu tradition, and religion based on artifacts and historical evidence.
The bottom line for me, is sitting in church and being preached a sermon, never worked for me. However when I practice the 8 limb path, I feel the presence of what some might call God. Namaste,
This is beautiful, thanks! I will definitely write a post on injuries soon. Stay tuned!
The philosophy of yoga is about transcending religion.
I love this blog. I’ve never tried blogging before but this speaks to me. I find it hard to explain to people why I don’t like just any yoga class. Some classes are a nice workout but I don’t get what I need from them spiritually. And I can get a good workout anywhere. Yoga isn’t a way for me to stay in shape or lose weight – although that’s a very nice side effect. I have practiced yoga for over ten years because of what it brings to me – as Karen said – a state of unity and freedom. I often pray in savasana because when my practice is good I feel the connection to a higher power.
Namaste,
Hey Karen, I like your blog post. As a religion skeptic, I’d have to say that I agree with you that in my limited experience with yoga, there were ample references to God. I guess the real test is whether and to what degree atheists feel comfortable with yoga. If they do, then that’s pretty much proof yoga ain’t no religion. Or at least not Old Time Religion.
As an atheist who has recently begun yoga, I find no conflict here. Religion is a practice of ritualized loyalty to a presumed higher being. Yoga is a practice cultivating greater awareness of one’s physical and mental self, and asks only for respect and attention. Or at least that’s what I’ve found so far.
Yes, there’s a lot of god talk in yoga classes and books, but almost all is generated from spiritual feelings and perceptions rather than from dogma. No problem. I don’t attribute my very real spiritual feelings to anything other than my own perceptions. I find it curious that most others want to nail this down somehow to something outside themselves, but that stopped offending me long ago. Namaste.
Karen,
So great to see this blog here from such a talented writer. A wonderful first post as well and I’m going to have to chime in….bing!
The goal in yoga is without doubt to bring insight into ones life and a union of breath, body, mind, compassion and of course…spirit. Whatever that last word may mean to someone…it is totally up for interpretation. That said…there is something about the subjective component of our own lives, while is completely a mystery, make being a someone also a reality and that, at least to me is what spirit is. Feeling whatever it feels like to be a someone or to be alive and conscious is exactly what makes anything relevant or important.
Yoga is a physical exercise, yet not merely that to say the least. It is by far a spiritual practice and spiritual exercise. Now as a non believer in the supernatural or of any of the gods that have supposedly written books…. I do think
that extraordinary experiences are possible.
Yoga gives us the tools to focus our attention and become mindful of who we are and gives us insight to not only our mental life but our physical life as well. However, that does not make it a religion.
One can attain great insight through therapy or from hiking alone in the forest yet that does not make either of those activities a religion.
While nearly every religion does lay claim to attempting to understand the human condition… religion also twists the truth about the world into myths and unreason. Myths and unreason are not important to a deep yoga practice.
Yoga of course can be twisted into a religion with made up gods and supernatural elements yet that does not make yoga only a religion.
For instance Buddha himself was an atheist and it was not until much after his death that many of his ideas were turned tragically into whacky concepts about the nature of the universe and so forth. His beautiful lucid philosophy was turned by many into myths and absurd ideas…..which we now call a religion.
The ancient ethical and spiritual aspects of yoga are so profound and beautiful yet are often the aspects first dropped by people practicing yoga in the west.
One does not need to believe in any fairy tales or that there are divine beings sitting up in the clouds watching over us and who have a personal plan for us. We need none of that nonsense to have our experience of the world radically transformed in beautiful ways.
Although yoga and any mindful practice where we learn to focus our attention and notice-feel our thoughts can feel like a religious experience that does not make it a religion.
A belief in God is not at all necessary to practice yoga although when we feel connected to ourselves and others… that feeling is without a doubt…sacred. Having compassion…empathy, feeling love for anyone (including the non humans of the world) who can suffer and feel pain is what I think it means to experience the world in a spiritual way.
We do not need religion, faith or even a belief system… to bring us closer to the possibility of that state or that world.
Thank you for starting this blog.
I got to be honest; I really don’t like all the references to “GOD”, or all the old school chants and readings of yoga yesterday. It actually creeps me out. I teach yoga, and I’ve scrubbed all that noise. I could see how one could deem it a religion if you’re going to a class that preaches all the external aspects of “yoga” other than the physical asanas that the western world has become accustomed to. So for me; religion? No. Now if we want to talk about spirituality, the way I feel when I’m doing yoga, plugged in to the source, getting out of my head and into my body, focusing on my lower back hurting, breathing and twisting into it, until my back pain is gone, or the flood of inspirational ideals that hit me while I’m practicing. That’s spiritual, and if we could get over the stigma of religion, any religion actually since they are all really attempts to curtail and control the “believer” into what their religions calls for. If we could just focus on our collective spirituality, I think we could make the world a better, more loving, understanding environment to hold space in. Of course my ideals change daily.
‘What ‘YOGA’ meant to the Medieval Tantrics, who first introduced Āsana Practice.’
or
‘Why Yoga is not a Religion’
–by Tantric scholar/practitioner Christopher Tompkins (www.shaivayoga.com).
This is, of course, a brief synopsis.
DEFINING ‘TANTRIC YOGA.’
The Tantric Tradition of medieval India, as it survives in writings called ‘Tantras’ or Āgamas, is the source of our modern āsana-based practice, insofar as it was the first major movement to consider life/embodiment positively. Thus its YOGA incorporated, gradually from the 7th-13th centuries, more and more krama-vinyāsa elements to its wholly MANTRA-focused approach, wherein the traditional ‘components’ (aṅgas) of YOGA, such as prāṇāyāma, etc., helped to align the various vital ‘winds’ (prāṇa) into the central conduit (nāḍī) of the subtle body (sūkṣma-śarira), turning into a ‘coil’ (kuṇḍalinī) of mantric power.
For indeed, seed (=one-syllables) MANTRAS, though considered to be sonic expressions of internal ‘deities’ (mantra-devatās), these were not considered to be ‘outside’ of us, but to in tuen with our own highest awareness, in the form of powerful, subtle resonance. Regarding what our friend above said about ‘old school chants’ of ‘yoga yesterday,’ he/she certainly calls to mind a lot of people’s fears about deferentially worshipping an outside source. However, in this case, seed MANTRAS, such as OṂ, HRĪṂ, HŪṂ, and many others, are nothing other than vowels harmonized in the body in specific ways and at particular targets, as to awaken one’s own highest, vital energies, which are tatamount to one’s higher (or more intimate), layers of awareness.
As I translate, decode, learn, and practice these seed mantras as instructed in the Yoga chapters (yoga-pādas) of the surviving Tantras, I am amazed by their healing/transformative power.
THE ORIGINAL ROLE OF ĀSANA IN TANTRIC YOGA: A HYPOTHESIS
So where does āsana come in? We know little as of yet, but what appears to be the case is that, after the mantric/prāṇic energies are triggered to awaken and surge through the body, a few Tantras report that yogins would spontaneously rise and dance in rythmic, sequential postures (karaṇa, or standing poses, and āsana, seated poses), in a state of enlightened bliss that they called ‘entrancement’ (āveśha).
I now believe that the later (14th-19th centuries) so-called ‘Haṭha Yoga’ manuals, from which we loosely get our modern practice, and which try (often poorly) to remember and transmit YOGA from the Tantras, instruct us in their standing and seated poses as a way to cause this energy to awaken pre-emptively.
IS YOGA A RELIGION?
The Tantras usually approach the word ‘YOGA’ as a noun, = to the experience of enlightenment, even if it is only but a momentary glimpse of one’s own inner light. We might call this a ‘peak experience’ or ‘being in the zone.’ So the last time you felt suddenly very high, more alive, present, and expanded than usual, that would be a moment of ‘YOGA’, which is better translated as ‘integration’ than as ‘union.’ The word Yoga also collectively refers to the practices, such as āsana, breath extension, focusing, visualization/meditation, etc., that trigger the state of YOGA to arise.
In the end, the Tantric movement as a whole may be considered a ‘relgion’ in the strictest sense of the word, i.e. as it consisted of rites and practices that caused a ‘linking back’ (-religgio, from the Latin) to one’s source, which is one with Śhiva (universal) Consciousness.
But*** YOGA itself, was never considered ‘a religion,; but an experience of one’s highest Self that is triggered to rise joyfully through our waking consciousness, a revelation of the indescribably beautiful state of one’s highest awareness that is completely free of suffering and of the often delimiting ramblings of the ego-mind, which, we are taught, fades back into one’s Oceanic Consciousness itself, just as a wave is withdrawn back into the sea from which it came.
Thanks for making the distinction between the “state of yoga”, and traditions (i.e., Tantra) that have included it. And how helpful to know how religion is actually and truly defined, as the word has certainly gone on to bear so much more weight than this over time! Good stuff.
I think the question will always be there, and our interpretation of yoga as a religion will always be very individualized. Personally, hatha yoga is a practice I participate in religiously. I am always happier when I am practicing yoga, when I am done practicing yoga, and days after I have practiced yoga. For me to experience this happiness regularly, I have to practice regularly.
I was given free reign to discover faith on my own. My discovery (or acknowledgement) of a higher power is completely attributed to my yoga practice. I think religion is a term we use to get by with. It has a definition. Something for our brains to assess and make judgements on. Since I don’t know anything other than my experience through hatha yoga, then I can’t say if what I do and feel is a religion or not. There are similarities based on the definitions, but do “religious” people experience what I do?
Good points – things are really what we define them to be anyway, aren’t they?
yoga is a common noun, not a proper. in other words it’s like the word dog, which applies to a lot of different animals with similar characteristics that are nevertheless not exactly the same. is yoga a religion can only be answered after we specify which yoga we’re talking about. let’s take classical yoga and its samkhyan “sister” darshana. the latter is certainly not a religion, at least if we insist that a religion have a deity as its central figure, cause samkhya is atheistic. classical yoga added a kind of deity, ishvara, but its not the good ol’ i’ve got a friend in jesus sort, it’s what eliade called a “meta-yogi,” a shining example of what the perfect yogin/i is like, which is to say, eternally static, unchanging, without any distinguishing characteristics, in sum, a really bad saturday night date. feuerstein (i think it was) speculated that ishvara was added to the yoga system to make it more acceptable to hindu orthodoxy. at any rate we could pretty much be successful in that system, attaining kaivalya without depending on ishvara for a helping hand. is this yoga a religion? we can debate the meaning of ishvara-pranidhana til the cows come home, but i’d have to say no.
but the Gita and all that bhakti stuff with vishnu’s mouthpiece? i’ve tried to define exactly whats meant by “religion” in the past without much success, but if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck then quack quack.
hatha yoga? hard to say cause again the term encompasses slightly different schools. here i’m talking about traditional HY, not the modern exercise-with-sanskrit-names HY gifted us by our indian teachers (see Yoga Body by Mark Singleton for a complete report). for sure HY has a divine origin, adi natha or shiva, and it’s main thrust is the realization or fulfillment of a divine destiny dormant in each of us, but is it a religion? who cares? i think the real issue is that conservative christians and their sympathizers want yoga to be a religion so they can scare everyone into believing that its a smokescreen for hinduism, that its going to turn us all into cow worshippers and undermine the very foundations of western civilization. its actually occurred to me that the indians are trying to do to us through yoga what we westerners tried to do to them for hundreds of years with our missionary activities. but the question does seem to often be asked when someone has it in for yoga, its their only avenue of attack, cause otherwise the physical and psychological benefits of a regular practice are undeniable. the response to someone who claims yoga is a religion? “gee thats an interesting idea, why not let me treat you to a class sometime?”
Thanks for sharing this, Richard! It’s helpful to look at the matter from this angle, and to question the question altogether …
I wonder: Might anyone see it as a positive thing for yoga to be described as a religion? We have all talked about the downsides of it being described as such (it makes yoga into a dogma, it puts yoga at the risk of being condemned by people of other faiths, it makes yoga unnecessarily connected to a deity which alienates atheists, etc.). But what about people who don’t feel like they have a religion and then come to yoga, and want take it on as such (like one of the people who commented above). Could this be seen as positive? Or only negative? Or some form of sacrilege? Or??
Or….that spiritual practice through yoga is a rational undertaking. Making it or turning it into a religion is not rational. Yoga helps us recognize specifics about the nature of our consciousness and this is a rational and realistic understanding we can have. Someone doing yoga without the dogmas attached to a religion will have reasons to believe what they are experiencing because the experiences are empirical. There is no having to make things up. The mysteries of our world and our lives can be analyzed with experiences, concepts and this is where you can go with yoga. Practicing yoga can also help us experience it all free of concepts as well and that is spiritual too.
Religion is really nothing more than bad concepts…exchanged for good ones. You don’t need to pretend you know things that you don’t actually know to experience a deep personal connection to everything.
Religion takes things like…spiritual experience, ethical behavior and usually a strong sense of community and hijacks them away from their truth by using myths giant servings of ignorance.
Yoga…like Buddhism when stripped of its dogma has the power to help so much with our minds and our bodies…and we never have to believe in anything without evidence to actualize it.
You wonder…
So do I….
The logic most people use here is that “religion = dogma, therefore yoga cannot be a religion.” The confusion arises, because many people who do yoga, do not believe in the religious aspects of yoga. That’s of course their free choice, but to say that turning yoga into a religion is irrational, means that people seem to ignore the fact that yoga has always been an integral part of Hinduism.
It has become a trend to seperate yoga from it’s origins. Westerners want to take the physical poses, relaxations and meditation techniques and discard the so called superstitious, cultish fantasy. Then arrogantly tell Hindus or Buddhists that this is how yoga was supposed to be practiced. I am not against the secular practice of certain aspects from eastern religions. It’s a good thing that all sorts of people can benefit from the practice of yoga.
The problem is that people seem to have lost respect for the religious and cultural background from where these practices originate. It’s possible that yoga will turn into something completely contrary from what it once was. To know the real meaning of yoga we have to look at the origins of yoga and not come up with our own interpretations based upon our limited practice.
As I’ve been taught, yoga is a science….and can be a science of any religion, as there is no specific dogma associated with the practice of yoga. With enlightenment being the goal, all methods (the 8 limbs of yoga) are organized with the goal in mind. One can achieve this goal by practicing (within the framework of one’s personal religion) the 10 commandments of yoga (yamas and niyamas), keeping the body healthy (asana), breathing mindfully especially in times of turbulence (pranayama), withdrawing senses (pratyhara = discipline), concentrating on personal purification (dharana = prayer), being receptive to the word of God…any Divine form of God (dhyana = meditation) and thereby achieving samadhi (bliss = enlightenment, the experience of saints and sages throughout the ages). OM~Mara
Yes, yoga is a science, but as it is described in the yogic scriptures it’s not always compatible with semetic religions.
It’s a political correct thing to say that yoga is the science of all religions and even that of atheism. Closer look at the philosophy of the authentic yogic scriptures proves otherwise.These are the upanishads, the bhagavad gita, the patanjali yoga sutra, the gheranda samhita, hatha yoga pradipika and the vijnana bhairava tantra among others. Not something like the autobiography of a yogi. That’s an interesting read, but’s it’s just pop literature.
On a superficial level all religions looks similar. People who have studied Indian philosophy in depth will understand that authentic yoga is not compatible with every other philosophy or religion under the sun. You wouldn’t call a party animal a stoic or a rapist a feminist. Those philosophies aren’t compatible with all, neither is yoga. I am not saying that everyone who goes to yoga class is Hindu. Of course, not. Stretching, breathing and tree hugging doesn’t make you Hindu. But the philosophy of yoga is grounded in Hinduism and not in new age, Christianity, science or atheism.
Of course its not compatible with semitic religions. Meditation, dhyana, naturally follows yoga. From meditation, inner insights happen. The intuitive mind comes into the picture, and the reality of reincarnation, karma, and sat-chit-ananda (amongst other things) or seeing a pervasive ‘essence’ to everything, living and non-living alike come about. Well, guess what, you’ve just stumbled upon the inner truths that Hinduism has been teaching and realising for a very long time. So long that no one knows how long. So the H-word is alive. The Europeans and Christians did a number called ‘they’re heathens, savages, below us, etc” just like they did to African, North American, and Australian indigenous peoples. This stigma regarding the word ‘Hindu’ is still with us. If its simple stretching exercises, that’s different. You can see that at the warm-up of an NFL game or more likely a swim meet. But as soon as the incense or Aum comes around, then it’s Hinduism, plain and simple. Sorry to say, its slowly not becoming the curse word it once was.
This is a reply to “as soon as the incense or AUM comes around, then it’s Hinduism, plain and simple” According to commentary on the yoga sutra there are 2 distinct Aum, Hindu & Yoga. The symbol for the Hindu OM is different than the symbol for the Yoga OM. The symbol OM also belongs to Buddhist and Jain traditions; it is not exclusive to Hinduism. The Sutras do not discuss OM (AUM) rather the reference is Isvara, there is not direct english translation for Isvara, i.e. it does not translate as God it is not specific to Hinduism, it is all and everything and maybe nothing, it is beyond conceptual thought. OM Isvara same same translates as the audible AUM. Four aspects (that are not God) A, first sound, from the belly, symbolized as creation; U middle sound, mid open mouth, symbolized as evolution progressing from creation (not Bible creation but all creation) M mouth closes symbolizes end, dissolution; following M the sound carries on into no sound there is no alphabetical symbol for this, i.e. can not be expressed in language, beyond conceptual thought. A = waking U= dream M= dreamless __ (no sound) = samadhi. It would be interesting to hear discussion on where the Yoga OM is referenced, is it Samkhya?
In the patanjali yoga sutra the AUM is referenced: tasya vachaka pranava, The expression of God is the AUM sound. The AUM symbol originates in Hinduism and was later adopted by Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. The definitions of AUM can be found in several upanishads, like the Ganapati atharvashirsha, mandukya etc.
I don’t agree with the statement that once the incence starts burning and the AUM is chanted, it is Hindu. No, not necessarily. But there’s no doubt that the AUM sound has religious meanings.
There’s no need to secularise the symbol AUM, unless you have some form of dharma phobia.
It was pointed out to me that the word religion is from the same root as ligament. Ligaments join bones to muscle. So religion means to re- join. And some say yoga means union. I see a big similarity.
I think think word religion is almost always associated with organized religions, but that is not its only meaning. To some a daily practice of coffee and a stroll in the garden might be a religious practice.
I do think it is good to point out that practicing yoga does not mean that you are a Buddhist or Hindu, and that people of any faith should be able to practice all aspects of yoga without any conflict. The main differences in the spiritual aspects is the language used.
As a person who practices yoga, and by practice I mean I do it on an as needed basis , for me it is a matter of going to class to be in the present time and let everything else around me fade into the background .
For those 90 minutes, I am in my own realm. My mind becomes centered and I allow my self to begin a spiritual journey that although may only last exactly that 90 minutes is still an experience within itself. Religious or not, for me yoga bring me to a higher awareness of my own personal spirituality. I become more self aware and in return get a better understanding of who I am in that present moment.
Do I consider it a religion? Personally no , but I do consider it the closest thing that I have found to learning about myself on a deeper level and I acknowledge it to be an experience that allows me to open up my mind to the idea that something greater does exist.
Here is another question- Why do we lable religon with being a type of God. Can it infact be an experience?