For some people both in India and in America it has been one, for others, the other, and for many, both. Despite this historical evidence, however, many Hindus, such as those in the Hindu American Foundation, insist that meditational yoga—rather than temple rituals, the worship of images of the gods, or other, more passionate and communal forms of religion—has always been, and remains, the essence of Hinduism, their religion. Christians for whom a yoga class is simply physical exercise may offend such Hindus but should pose no problem for Mohler; and Christians who take the philosophical doctrines of yoga seriously should be no problem for a more ecumenical, not to say multi-cultural, pastor.
Albert Mohler, Jr. See All Articles by Wendy Doniger. Doniger yoga hindu. Is Yoga a Form of Hinduism? Is Hinduism a Form of Yoga? For some Hindus it is liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, but for many yoga practitioners it is a point where you achieve stillness in your mind, or understand the true nature of the world and your place in it.
Whether that is compatible with Christianity, Islam and other religions is debatable. To those in the know, for example, the yogic asanas , or positions, retain elements of their earlier spiritual meanings - the Surya namaskar is a series of positions designed to greet Surya, the Hindu Sun God.
If I was to kneel down does that mean I'm praying - or am I just kneeling? This was what Farida Hamza anxiously asked herself while she was doing her yoga training, which was held in a Hindu temple. Yoga classes vary. While some feature the chanting of Hindu sutras, others will make vaguer references to a "life force" or "cosmic energy". A session might end with a greeting of "namaste" and a gesture of prayer. There will probably be a moment for meditation, at which point participants may be encouraged to repeat the sacred word "Om", which Buddhists and Hindus regard as a primordial sound which brought the universe into being.
But other classes may make no overt reference to spirituality at all. That's the way things are in Iran, where yoga is very popular. It has managed to flourish in a country with Sharia law and an Islamist political system, by divesting itself of anything that could be construed as blasphemy.
Yoga teachers are careful to always refer to "the sport of yoga" and are accredited by the Yoga Federation, which operates in the same way as a tennis or football organisation.
Classes tend to be slower than in the West with much discussion about the physical benefits of each position. As with other sports, yoga competitions are held, judged by specially invited international yoga teachers. Similar prohibitions on spiritual yoga exist in Malaysia, where a fatwa - a religious ruling - resulted in a yoga ban in five states. In the capital Kuala Lumpur, the physical activity is permitted but chanting and meditation are forbidden.
Clerics in the world's most populous Islamic nation - Indonesia - make a similar distinction. Children at nine primary schools in Encinitas, California, take part in classes twice a week based on a style of yoga called ashtanga yoga.
After some parents complained - US schools, like Indian ones, are secular - the Sanskrit names for the postures were replaced with standard English names and some special child-friendly ones, such as "kangaroo" "surfer" and "washing machine". The lotus position has been rebranded "criss-cross apple sauce", the Surya namaskar has become the "opening sequence" and the organisers insist that it is all just a form of physical exercise. In September this year, the San Diego County Superior Court ruled that although yoga's roots are religious, the modified form of the practice is fine to teach in schools.
The NCLP is appealing. Dean Broyles, the organisation's president and chief counsel sees movements like the Surya namaskar, regardless of what they're called, as "deeply symbolic rituals that express and instil religion through repetition". The reason many people in the West think yoga is non-religious, Broyles says, is that it falls into a theological blind-spot.
Religious intentions may not be there to begin with but practising yoga might lead them to develop. To an extent, this point of view is endorsed by Hindus themselves. While physical and mental health are natural consequences of yoga, the goal of yoga is more far-reaching. It is the technology of aligning individual geometry with the cosmic, to achieve the highest level of perception and harmony. Each school has its own principles and practices leading to altimate aim and objectives of Yoga.
Yama's are restraints and Niyama's are observances. These are considered to be pre-requisits for the Yoga Sadhanas Practices. Dharana indicates broad based field of attetion inside the body and mind which is usually understood as concentration. Dhyana Meditation is contemplation focussed attention inside the body and mind and Samadhi — integration. Bandhas and Mudras are practices associated with pranayama.
They are viewed as the higher Yogic practices mainly consisting on adopting certain body psycho-physical patterns along with s well as control over respiration. This further facilitates control over mind and paves way for higher yogic attainment. Shat-karmas are de-toxification procedures, help to remove the toxins acumalated in the body and are clinical in nature. Yuktahara Right Food and other inputs advocates appropriate food and food habits for healthy living.
However practice of Dhyana Meditation helping in self-realization leading to transcendence is considered as the esssence of Yoga Sadhana The Practice of Yoga. This has given rise to four broad classifications of Yoga: karma yoga, where we utilize the body; bhakti yoga, where we utilize the emotions; gyana yoga, where we utilize the mind and intelect; and kriya yoga, where we utilize the energy. Each system of Yoga we practice would fall within the gamut of one or more of these categories.
Every individual is a unique combination of these four factors. Yoga Education, on the other hand, aims at taking care of the individual, the 'Being'. It is presumed that a good, balanced, integrated, truthful, clean, transparent person will be more useful to oneself, family, society, nation, nature and humanity at large. Yoga education is 'Being oriented'. Details of working with 'being oriented' aspect have been outlined in various living traditions and texts and the method contributing to this important field is known as 'Yoga'.
Different social customs and rituals in India, the land of Yoga, reflect a love for ecological balance, tolerance towards other systems of thought and a compassionate outlook towards all creations. Yoga Sadhana of all hues and colours is considered panacea for a meaningful life and living. Its orientation to a comprehensive health, both individual and social, makes it a worthy practice for the people of all religions, races and nationalities.
Conclusion: Now-a-days, millions and millions of people across the globe have benefitted by the practice of Yoga which has been preserved and promoted by the great eminent Yoga Masters from ancient time to this date.
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